This Nature-Focused Wedding in Santa Fe Had an All-Blue Dress Code and Ended With a Onesie After-Party

Thanks to their mutual friend—who would eventually become their officiant—Catherine and Robert made their first introduction in July 2012. Six years later, Robert popped the question at their home in Santa Monica, California. 

After getting engaged, the couple mapped out their vision for their big day: a destination wedding in a desert landscape. After endlessly searching for the perfect spot, they settled on a private property in Santa Fe, New Mexico, for their nuptials. “What was most important was privacy, being outdoors, and being free to celebrate in our own way,” the couple summarizes.

Since the pair’s wedding planning process took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, they faced a number of obstacles that their planner, Elizabeth McKellar of The Nouveau Romantics, helped them navigate through. The biggest challenge? They had to postpone their wedding three different times. 

After enduring countless setbacks, Catherine and Robert finally tied the knot on August 21, 2022, in front of 105 friends and family. Keep scrolling to see how their celebration panned out—which was caught on camera by For the Love of It.

To establish a sense of place and tease their upcoming affair, the couple created a wedding invitation suite, complete with an illustration of their venue’s natural terrain. They painted their invites—and the rest of their event—in a cobalt blue hue, which Catherine's wedding dress inspired. 

Once the big day rolled around, Catherine spent the morning primping: She opted for a simple and timeless makeup look and selected a twisted chignon for her hairstyle.  

Catherine then slipped into an off-the-shoulder ball gown, featuring a pastel wildflower print, which was designed by Monique Lhuillier. “I liked how it was different from the classic dress,” she mentions. The floral pattern coincided with the ethereal feel of the venue, while the blue, pink, and yellow hues served as the foundation of the couple’s color palette. The bride accessorized with pearl stud earrings—a family heirloom—and Gianvito Rossi heels.

To mimic the wildflowers on the dress and in the property’s fields, Catherine carried an assortment of white cosmos, butterfly ranunculus, garden roses, oakleaf hydrangeas, and astilbe. “This choice let the dress take center stage and not compete,” she notes.

For his attire, Robert sported a midnight blue jacket with a brickwork pattern from Hugo Boss, black dress pants, and a white tuxedo shirt. A black bow tie and black suede shoes helped enhance the classic feel, while a gold watch with a black leather band—a family heirloom—infused a sentimental touch.

The bride and groom hosted their ceremony in the middle of the property’s sweeping field, surrounded by mountains. A white aisle cut through the grass, leading to a chuppah covered in greenery and white flowers. “We knew we wanted the ceremony to be unobstructed and under the open sky and private,” the duo explains. “The end result was exactly that.”

Catherine and Robert decided to forgo the traditional wedding party (besides the ring bearer role, which their dog fulfilled), but they shared a distinct dress code with their guests: all blue attire. “Everyone took personal liberties with the ‘all blue attire’ and wore something they felt festive and comfortable in,” the couple says. As guests gathered for the service, they could grab a Topo Chico for a pre-ceremony drink.

The bride’s parents escorted their daughter down the aisle while the couple’s friends performed “At Last” by Etta James. Another close friend of Catherine and Robert’s, the one who set them up, presided over the ceremony. 

After the bride and groom exchanged handwritten vows, they recessed to “Paper Rings” by Taylor Swift.

Cocktail hour took place in an open field, but on the perimeter stood a lounge area featuring white furniture adorned with velvet pillows and a cowhide rug.

Guests found their seating assignments via escort cards, disco ball-shaped cups, which added a festive touch to the natural setting.

While a live guitarist provided the instrumentals, friends and family sipped on specialty drinks: “Aperol Fritz,” an Aperol spritz named after their dog, and “LA Complex,” their take on the skinny margarita. Guests also paired their beverages with gourmet appetizers. 

Dinner took place beneath twinkle lights at one long table in the spacious field. The couple opted for white linens and black chairs, so their multi-colored floral centerpieces, rose pink glassware, and cobalt blue menus were sure to pop. 

For their grand entrance, the newlyweds arrived to dinner behind an all-female mariachi band. Then, everyone savored a delicious spread of locally-sourced dishes that Dig & Serve catered, including seasonal stone fruit salad; delmonico steak with chimichurri; wild-caught halibut flavored with lemon, caper, and herbs; Southwestern-inspired stuffed peppers; ancho-chile roasted potatoes; blistered shishito peppers; and New Mexican sweet corn polenta.

After family members delivered heartfelt speeches, a previously concealed stage and dance floor in the middle of a forest clearing lit up. Catherine and Robert kicked off the dancing portion of the evening while swaying to “Take the World” by Johnnyswim for their first dance before the rest of their guests joined them. Throughout the night, Soulcirque provided the tunes.

While everyone was dancing, the lights were suddenly cut, and guests were instructed to move to a secret tent. There, loved ones swapped their formal attire for an animal onesie. “As guests had changed, a new set of dance music began, completely different festival lights turned on, and the rest of the night began,” the couple recounts. 

While guests donned animal onesies for the after-party, the bride changed into a sequined mini dress and hot pink boots. The groom also refurbished his wardrobe with a sequined blazer. “Fun was the number one priority,” the newlyweds share. In between sets on the dance floor, guests were fueled with grilled cheese and French fries. 

At the end of the night, the newlyweds led the group in a walking parade—filled with musical instruments and neon glow sticks—toward the buses, so they could continue the festivities at the hotel.