El Rey Court Wedding in Santa Fe | 35mm Film Photography
El Rey Court Wedding in Santa Fe, New Mexico
There are some wedding days where everything just feels right. The people, the place, the light, the food, the music. This wedding at El Rey Court in Santa Fe was one of those days.
Coming in from Los Angeles, these two planned a destination wedding centered around the things they love most: film, art, good design, incredible food, and most importantly, having their closest family and friends together in one place.
The entire wedding was photographed on 35mm film, which honestly couldn't have felt more fitting.
A Destination Wedding at El Rey Court
El Rey Court is such a special place for a wedding in Santa Fe. The adobe architecture, old trees, warm New Mexico light, and all the little corners around the property give it so much character.
Their style fit the space perfectly. Her wedding dress was vintage, his suit was vintage from a designer outside of Los Angeles, and everything about the day felt thoughtful without feeling overly done.
More than anything, they wanted to be with their people. They wanted a beautiful day where they could be present, eat good food, have a few cocktails, listen to music, and spend as much time as possible with everyone who had traveled to Santa Fe to celebrate with them.
A Greenhouse Ceremony & Dinner Under the Stars
They exchanged vows inside the greenhouse at El Rey Court, surrounded by their closest family and friends. It's an intimate little space, and having everyone gathered so close made the ceremony feel even more personal.
Afterward, everyone spilled outside for cocktails while dinner was cooked over an open fire. Steaks, fish, and vegetables were grilled right there on the property before everyone gathered around one long table under candlelight.
As the sun disappeared, the entire space took on this warm ambient glow. There were stories, plenty of laughter, a few tears, good jokes, cocktails, and a live band playing throughout the evening.
Later, they made s'mores over the fire with homemade marshmallows.
It was a total mood.
Golden Hour Around El Rey Court
When the evening light started coming across the property, we stepped away for just a few minutes.
Santa Fe gave us some seriously beautiful light, with little pockets of golden sun coming through the trees and hitting the adobe walls. We wandered around, made some photographs, and then headed right back to the party.
That's always how I like portraits to feel on a wedding day. Enough time to slow down together and make something beautiful without disappearing from the people you came to celebrate with.
An El Rey Court Wedding Photographed Entirely on 35mm Film
This entire wedding was photographed on Kodak Portra 400, Portra 800, and Ilford HP5 using my Leica M6, Contax G2, and Canon 1N.
For a day that already felt so tactile and personal, film made complete sense. The grain, movement, warm skin tones, and the way film handles that New Mexico light all became part of how the day was remembered.
The night ended much like the rest of the wedding had unfolded: together. The two of them wrapped up in each other, surrounded by their people, soaking up the last little bit of the evening.
It was an absolutely beautiful day, and I couldn't have imagined a better wedding to photograph entirely on film.
If you're planning an El Rey Court wedding or a destination wedding in Santa Fe and are drawn to candid, people-focused wedding photography on film and digital, I'd love to hear what you're planning.
