Allison & Jesse’s Multi-Day Wedding Weekend at Vermejo, A Ted Turner Estate in NM

Allison and Jesse created an unforgettable wedding weekend at Vermejo, a Ted Turner Estate in the breathtaking Sangre de Cristo Mountains of New Mexico. Surrounded by close family and friends, they hosted a multi-day celebration filled with adventure, relaxation, and natural beauty. From a cowboy breakfast to a lakeside ceremony, every moment was planned to immerse their guests in the stunning landscape and create cherished memories. Get all the details below.

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About This Wedding Weekend in New Mexico

Photography by Map and Compass Photography

“Allison and Jesse planned a multi-day intimate wedding experience at Vermejo, a Ted Turner Estate, a stunning property located in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of northern New Mexico, known for its breathtaking natural beauty and sustainability. They desired to share this wonderful property with their guests via a vacation and camp-like experience which included a welcome party, adventure challenge, cowboy breakfast, Cinco de Mayo rehearsal dinner, and picturesque wedding celebration against magical scenery, ending with a tailored and luxurious multi-course meal. Guests also enjoyed fly fishing, skeet shooting, hiking, biking, and much more during their time!

The event was designed and executed with the mission of Ted Turner Reserves…’restoring, sharing, and safeguarding America’s wild places for future generations, while providing an inspiring guest experience that showcases our planet’s natural treasures.’ Every event was planned with elevated simplicity and picturesque scenery in mind, so as to not distract from the beautiful property. The wedding was planned around the guest experience, with nothing produced or forced which is apparent in the moments captured.” [Nicole, the photographer & Kimberley, designer and planner]

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Deciding to Have a “Non-traditional” Wedding

“We both grew up on our family’s ranches. I had always assumed that if/when I got married, it would be on the back porch of my parent’s house at our place in the Davis Mountains in far west Texas. Unfortunately, when I began to realistically think about what it would cost to bring in temporary accommodations for our guests, I realized that was not an option.

Together, with another close friend, we are the co-founders of a company called Explore Ranches. We partner with private ranches across the country for experiential vacations. A few days after we became engaged, we went to visit one of the Ted Turner Reserves in southern New Mexico. I’ve had a close working relationship with the Turner team since we began working with them after launching Explore Ranches. They were excited for us, and Jade McBride, TTR president, thought we should get married at one of the southern NM properties.

We knew we wanted a small wedding that included only our immediate families and very best friends. Jesse and I did our guest list, assigned everyone’s rooms, and realized Vermejo’s headquarters had the exact number of rooms we needed to accommodate the number of guests we wanted (70). It all came together easily and seemed meant to be.” [The couple]

Planning Process

“Explore Ranches had recently partnered with To Be True, a collaboration between Kimberley Bentley (Silver Thistle Events) and Nicole Randazzo (Map and Compass Photography). They were the obvious choice to plan and photograph the wedding. From the beginning, the focus was to create an event that our guests walked away from saying, ‘That was THE BEST weekend!’.

We started with the events for the three-night weekend, a Welcome cocktail party, the rehearsal dinner, and the wedding. I also wanted to do a daytime activity on Friday afternoon so that our guests could get to know each other.

Our friends are all successful and highly competitive people, so dividing up couples and mixing up our friends on teams for a challenge/race seemed like a great way to quickly bond with everyone. We called it the Compadre Challenge, and the Activities Team at Vermejo came up with a multi-challenge course that ended in a canoe race. Total success.

Vermejo is a 550,000 reserve and we wanted to make use of as many locations as possible to showcase the natural beauty of the location and give our guests new experiences for each event. Kimberley, Nicole, and the staff transformed every setting into something unique but representative of us. We used the stables for the Welcome party, picnicked before the Compadre Challenge at the Via Ferrata, our rehearsal dinner was at Merrick Lake, the morning of the wedding we had a Cowboy Breakfast by the river, and we were married at Bernal Lake, which was followed by cocktails and dinner on the headquarters lawn under the stars and dancing on the Lodge’s patio.

The weekend fell over Cinco de Mayo which made a fun theme for our rehearsal dinner as Jesse and I both come from towns with strong Mexican cultures (he from San Antonio and I from El Paso). When we were getting ready, I had all my friends around while we prepared and Jesse was with his sons. It was a casual and easygoing afternoon. When the time came, we loaded everyone into ranch vehicles and drove in a caravan to the lake. We exchanged our vows in nature with all our closest friends and family. We took photos on the way back to the lodge as the sun set – it was magical.

Because Friday’s fiesta was a floral overload and lots of bright colors and patterns, Kimberely and I chose to keep Saturday’s wedding and reception understated. We wanted to play up the natural beauty of the surroundings and selected tabletop, decor, and florals that were harmonious with the landscape. Stoneware and smoked glassware sat atop wooden farm tables with bentwood chairs. Simple florals in ikebana style, bistro lighting above, and warm candlelight throughout set a tone of warmth against the mountains. The food was served family style allowing conversation to flow among guests as they passed the platters around. We danced on the lodge patio and finally retired to the inside bar in front of the fire to rehash the day’s events. It was everything I had hoped for and more!” [The couple]

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Top Tips When Planning a Wedding Weekend Getaway

“Hire a team of professionals who are familiar with the terrain and curating events in remote spaces. Preferably led by a planner and photographer (like us) with vast experience in outdoor build-out and logistics for events.” [Nicole, the photographer & Kimberley, designer and planner]

Details We’re Loving

“Alison and Jesse’s vision was authentic and based upon guest experience, which really resonates with both myself and the planner Kimberley. They were excited when we brought the project vision for the weekend together and gave us so much input that made it very personal and unique.

The site was unbelievably beautiful! We loved the way the weekend flowed. The design was relaxed and unique each day/event but had a cohesiveness to it. The long dining table on the front lawn with spectacular views of the mountains and sunset was really romantic and beautiful.” [Nicole, the photographer]

Memorable Moments From This Weekend

From the photographer:

“Seeing everyone’s excitement when we arrived at the ceremony site and walked around the corner to see the amazing spot that the couple had chosen was a standout. And the eagle that soared above and even a trout that jumped out of the river just before they said their vows. There was a very quiet moment between the couple near the end of the welcome party when they just soaked up their loved ones all around them.”

From the couple:

“Really getting to keep every aspect of it tied back to close family and friends. Kimberley and Nicole weren’t strangers when we started. One of my very best friends, who I used to work with and also pastors the church we go to, married us. My dear friend musician, Dan Dyer, played during our welcome party and at the wedding. And because of my close working relationship with TTR and previous visits to Vermejo, the staff feels like family. It just made the whole weekend feel really special.”

Final Words of Advice From the Photographer

“Get yourself in good physical shape before you take on a weekend of events like this. The athleticism of this group was high and they were at full speed all weekend! It was challenging at times to stay ahead of the group for set up and the days were long. When hiring rentals add extra overages. The bumpy mountain roads caused a good bit of breakage to our dishes and glassware! And when scouting the photography spots don’t be afraid to step out of the ordinary locations, choose something incredible, then figure out the logistics of how to get everyone there.

To be true to yourself in what is most important to you rather than giving into trends and what others might think is amazing. For those who live intentionally, we curate a complete celebration that aligns with your deepest values and highest ideals: an experience of connection, beauty and joy.” [Nicole, the photographer & Kimberley, designer and planner]

Vendors

Venue/Catering/Accommodations | Vermejo – A Ted Turner Reserve

Event Photography | Map and Compass Photography

Event Planning & Design | Silver Thistle Events

Event Partner | Explore Ranches

Event Florals | Floriography Flowers

Tabletop Rentals and Event Furnishings | Colorado Party Rentals

Table Linens | BBJ La Tavola Linens

Wedding Invitations | Isidore-Augustine.com

Wedding Day Stationery + Bandana Design | Peach Paper Design

Specialty Furniture Rentals | Darling Details Rentals

Custom Chocolate Bars | Tony’s Chocolonely

DJ/Music Sound Support | Tully Entertainment

Musician Guitar & Vocals | Dan Dyer

Wedding Dress | Laure de Sagazan

Bride’s Custom Boots | Stallion Boot Company

Bridal engagement ring | Family Heirloom from Groom’s Grandmother

Bridal Wedding Band | Bell and Bird – original design

Groom’s Ring | Bell and Bird – custom signet

Groom’s Suit | J. Press

Photos From This Wedding