"Mawwaige. Mawwaige is wot bwings us togeder tooday."
Sometimes you just connect immediately with someone. And that's how it was when we met Tyra at a bridal show last year. Her huge smile and amazing personality were infectious, and when we heard of her plans to have a Renaissance themed wedding in the mountains (and the plan to have live music by one of our favorite wedding vendors - Empire Strings) we were hooked.
We later met her hubby-to-be Joe and her son Azriel when we had their engagement session. We loved how they wanted to incorporate Az into their photos, and how carefully they planned the session to include things important to them (the physics lab at UNM, the home they bought together, and cosplay).
See what I mean? You just can't help but love this family!
Fast forward to the next year. Tyra and Joe's wedding day arrives. It's the first day of May. May Day. I'm pretty sure most people think of things like spring, flowers, May poles, and snowstorms. WHAT? Snowstorms? Yep, it caught us all off guard. No one was prepared for (or dressed for) a freezing snowstorm in May. But we made the best of it, adjusted the schedule, covered the bride with an umbrella and wrapped her in a blanket whenever we could, and got some beautiful, snow-filled photos.
Tyra and Joe's "first look". I'm pretty sure once they saw each other, nothing else mattered. Not the freezing cold or unexpected snow or the fact that their ceremony was outside. They were in love and getting married. Could anything stand in their way? Inconceivable!
"They're kissing again. Do we HAVE to read the kissing part?"
The details that went into planning this beautiful wedding were truly unique. And not just because the officiant wore a hooded cloak and started the ceremony with "Mawwaige..." although that's exactly what he did. The theme was carried through in every detail. From Tyra's dress that was lovingly handmade by her mother, to Joe's knight-like apparel (both his and Azriel's tabards were handmade by Joe's mom), to the sixpence Tyra wore in her shoe (her mother had worn the same one in her shoe on her wedding day), to their custom wedding rings that were made with... wait for it... dinosaur bones and meteorite. This was an absolutely one of a kind wedding, and we loved every minute of it.
Of course, being wedding photographers in New Mexico, we have many opportunities to photograph beautiful weddings. But this was our first ceremony during a snowstorm. And we'll never forget it.
The intricate details were carried through to the reception, with a beautiful cake and tiny figurines to represent Westley and Buttercup.
I'm sure you can guess what happened next. It ends like all great stories do, of course. They live happily ever after.
To Tyra, Joe, and Azriel: thanks for trusting us with such an important day in your lives.
And to all our other readers, we leave you with this: true love is the greatest thing in the world... except for a nice MLT – a mutton, lettuce and tomato sandwich, where the mutton is nice and lean and the tomato is ripe. They’re so perky, I love that.
Best,
Matt & Amy
Photography: Matt Blasing Photography
Ceremony Site: Cibola National Forest
Reception Venue and Catering: MCM Elegante Hotel, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Music: Empire Strings
Floral: 21 Flowers
Cake: Cake Fetish
Tyra's Hair: Annette Keith
Tyra's Makeup: Cheryl Brubaker (Tyra's Mom)
Tyra's Dress: Lovingly handmade by Cheryl Brubaker (Tyra's Mom)
Joe's Chainmail: Amazon
Joe and Azriel's Tabards: Lovingly handmade by Catherine Malins (Joe's Mom)
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