When searching for the perfect venue for Madison & Regan’s wedding, we knew the Four Seasons Santa Fe was the one. The couple had spent many vacations at the property over the years, making some of their favorite memories there. They also loved Santa Fe itself, so bringing their wedding weekend to a place that already meant so much to them felt like the perfect fit.
From the very beginning of their planning process, Madison & Regan wanted their wedding to feel fun, colorful, and personal. Every detail reflected their personalities, their love of art, and their playful sense of style. This was one of those weddings where every corner had something unexpected.
A Stationery Suite Full of Personality
When we began designing their stationery with one of our favorite stationers, Danielle of Breault Studio, M & R mentioned their love of creatures and fun textures. From there, we came up with a concept that felt completely like them.
Their save the date featured a hand drawn illustration of the couple, inspired by one of their engagement photos. Danielle recreated the illustration and printed it on chartreuse colored paper. It was such a fun way to introduce guests to the colorful wedding weekend to come.
Their invitation suite continued the playful design. A checkered pattern covered the back of the invitation, while a fun snake die-cut sat on the front. A bellyband wrapped around the suite and featured their wedding website information, while a dark green rehearsal dinner details card completed the invitation suite.
Our favorite piece, however, was their interactive weekend details trifold. It came with stickers of each of Madison & Regan’s pets, allowing guests to stick their favorite pets onto each page throughout the weekend. It was such a fun and personal way to introduce guests to their world before they even arrived in Santa Fe.
Wedding Fashion Made for Santa Fe
Madison & Regan’s wedding fashion is still one of our favorites to this day.
Regan wore a custom suit created by Addicted Bespoken that perfectly complemented the Santa Fe setting. Meanwhile, Madison started the morning in the cutest pajama set before changing into a beautifully detailed wedding dress from Rish Bridal.
The floral details were just as fun. Madison and her bridesmaids carried colorful bouquets filled with playful blooms. The two toned tulips in Madison’s bouquet still live rent free in our heads! The day before the wedding, Madison and her friends also got henna together. It was another fun detail that made the wedding weekend feel even more personal and meaningful.
M & R decided to do things a little differently when it came to their wedding day timeline. Instead of beginning with the ceremony, they kicked things off with cocktail hour. This gave them the chance to mingle with their guests, enjoy a drink, and let some of those pre-ceremony nerves settle.
Colorful tinsel hung throughout the space, creating a major design moment. Guests could grab churros from a churro donkey and choose from different dipping sauces. A live trio played throughout the cocktail hour, while a painting station became one of our favorite guest book ideas to date.
Instead of signing a traditional guest book, guests got to paint whatever they wanted on a large canvas. Madison & Regan took the finished artwork home after the wedding, creating a one of a kind piece they could display in their home.
Custom Deck of Cards Seating Chart
Another major design moment during cocktail hour was the seating chart.
Each guest received a custom deck of cards created by Breault Studio. Their name appeared on the front of the deck, while the back featured the reception’s signature snake table. Their assigned seat was colored in so guests could easily find their place along the snake.
Right beside the seating chart was one of the couple’s favorite pieces of art at the Four Seasons Santa Fe. The artist, Spear Sculpture, generously allowed us to incorporate the piece into their wedding design. It made the seating area feel even more personal to M & R and the property they loved so much.
Once cocktail hour came to an end, guests followed the band members to the ceremony.
A Tumbleweed Inspired Wedding Ceremony
The ceremony backdrop featured a colorful floral installation inspired by tumbleweeds. We loved the idea of taking something so iconic to the Southwest and reimagining it through florals. Our florist created colorful, sculptural pieces that mimicked the movement and shape of tumbleweeds while bringing in the bold colors Madison & Regan loved.
Where the Design Got Wild
Then came the reception, where we completely transformed the ballroom.
See-Hear Productions carpeted the entire space in burgundy and draped the walls in navy blue. We also worked with our stationer to create custom patterned draping featuring designs from M & R’s custom decks of cards, along with several other playful motifs.
Instead of having multiple guest tables, we created one long, continuous snake table where everyone could sit together. At the front was a dramatic snake head complete with a chili pepper tongue, and at the other end was a completely bedazzled tail. Steelcut absolutely crushed this design!
The tablescape continued the snake theme through color blocking and playful details. Every part of the table felt intentional while still being unexpected. As guests entered the reception, they were completely amazed by the transformation.
The space was colorful, immersive, and completely Madison & Regan. Most importantly, it felt like them.
Of course, we had to continue the stationery details throughout dinner. Each place setting featured an interactive menu that doubled as a place card. Guests could spin a tab to reveal the next dinner course, making the menus another fun little surprise for everyone at the table.
As dinner was served, a pianist played throughout the evening. A few VIPs also shared heartfelt speeches with the couple, adding some beautiful personal moments to the evening.
Rather than choosing a traditional wedding cake, M & R opted for something a little more unexpected: croquembouche towers. A croquembouche is a traditional French wedding dessert made from cream puffs filled with pastry cream. The cream puffs are stacked into a tall, cone-shaped tower and held together with hard caramel. As someone with French roots, we especially loved seeing this traditional French dessert make an appearance at their Santa Fe wedding. It was another unexpected detail that felt perfectly personal to the couple.
As the evening continued, Madison changed into her reception dress: a green, silvery dress from Rat & Boa that perfectly matched the reception design. The color felt right at home among the burgundy, navy, and jewel toned details. Once she changed, it was time to really get the party started.
Guests filled the dance floor and enjoyed open dancing late into the night. Meanwhile, the painting guest book continued to evolve throughout the evening. By the end of the night, what started as a blank canvas had transformed into a colorful, collaborative work of art. It was the perfect final detail for a wedding that was designed to be experienced, not just admired.
Creative Team
Venue: Four Seasons Santa Fe
Photo & Video: Kayla Snell
Planning & Design: Vida Events Team
Florals: Steelcut Flower Co.
Stationery: Breault Studio
Production: See-Hear Productions
Rentals: Summit Party Rentals + Simply Beautiful Decor + Darling Details Rentals
HMUA: A Salon Santa Fe
Entertainment: Bear Creek Adventures + Diamond Empire Band + B Todd Arts
Cocktail Hour Art: In Art Santa Fe + Spear Sculpture
Brides Dress: Rish Bridal
Shoes: Christian Louboutin
After Party Dress: Rat & Boa
Grooms Ring: Lash Brook Designs
Grooms Suit: Addicted Bespoken
Grooms Shoes: Mezlan Shoes
