Inspired by Native American culture and exotic locales, El Monte Sagrado’s 84 guestroooms, suites and casitas offer a rich, tranquil environment. Behind each door is a unique and uplifting experience awaiting your discovery. Hand-painted walls, the work of local Taoseño artists, Kiva fireplaces and natural mountain beauty surround you while luxurious amenities rejuvinate your mind, body, and spirit. Choose from 48 Taos Mountain Rooms, Casitas, or one of our breathtaking Premiere or Global Suites. Concierge service ensures a level of personalized pampering you won’t soon forget.
Questions for Wedding Editorial for the Essential Guide:
For recent brides’ perspective on their weddings here, The Essential Guide surveyed half a dozen of them. The number of wedding guests ranged from 60 to 400, with most between 110 and 135. They were warm weather weddings, other than one on New Year’s Eve weekend. (The astute bride reasoned that guests would be available since it was a holiday!)
Did you have a Destination Wedding? Why did you choose Taos?
Yes. We live in Denver but decided to have our wedding in Taos, NM. Taos is where my mother-in-law lives. My husband and I visit her often and have found it to be a very special and magical place to us. It’s where we got engaged (Williams Lake) and where we’ve shared many fond memories, so getting married there seemed fitting.
What kind of events did you plan for your family/wedding party/guests and what local businesses helped you plan them?
The Thursday night prior to our wedding, my sister hosted a huge backyard BBQ for those family and friends who arrived in Taos early. My sister and mom rented a beautiful house near the El Monte. On Friday, following the rehearsal at the church, we hosted a “Wild West Welcome” party at the Old Blinking Light, in which we encouraged everyone to wear their finest cowboy attire. It was great! Everyone showed up in cowboy hats and belt buckles and denim skirts and cowboy boots! We hosted a big dinner of BBQ ribs and baked beans and mashed potatoes for the wedding party and immediate family, then bussed (Faust Transportation) our guests in from the El Monte to celebrate the rest of the evening with us. We rented out the entire outdoor space and hired local musician, Max Gomez to perform. Michael Wagener, the manager at the Old Blinking Light, was amazing to work with and was an incredible help and very supportive during the event. On the wedding day, Mickey’s mom hosted an “Afternoon Hors’dourves” party at her house immediately following the ceremony to give guests a place to celebrate prior to the reception which began two-hours later. In addition, she held a “Just Married” brunch Sunday morning for guests to grab a bite to eat prior to leaving town.
What made your wedding unique?
The location of our wedding in Taos set the tone for the entire weekend. It’s a sacred little town with a funky atmosphere and intimate vibe. Guests enjoyed every aspect of Taos, from walking through the plaza, to visiting the Pueblo to taking in the sites at the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge to a day trip the Taos Ski Valley. The St. Francis De Asis Church is one of the most photographed churches in the country and was a very special place for our ceremony. The El Monte Resort & Spa was a romantic and peaceful place for guests to stay, and small enough that if felt like we reserved the entire space. The reception was held in the magestic ballroom and was accented with beautiful art pieces and a stunning fire pit on the terrace. We worked to create touch points at every turn to make our guests feel welcome and part of a close knit group.
Did your wedding have a theme, and how did you choose it?
The theme of our wedding was based around the look and feel of Taos itself. Our main colors were Turquoise and Burnt Orange. Turquoise because of the locally made jewelry and is an accent color on many of the adobe homes and buildings around town. Orange to represent the mud and dirt that goes into the adobe buildings and the beautiful sunsets Taos has to offer. We also chose the “Wild West” theme for our rehearsal dinner to capture the western origins of the town.
How did you decide on a venue for your wedding/reception?
Deciding the venues for the ceremony and reception was the easiest part of our wedding planning. The St. Francis de Asis Church is stunningly beautiful and the only one of its kind. As soon as we pulled into the parking lot, we knew we wanted to get married there and began picturing what the day would look like. As for the reception and hotel of choice, the El Monte Resort & Spa is the only location we considered. With its stunning landscape, native-American rooms, spa, fine-dining, Anaconda bar and friendly staff, it was our best and our only option in town. El Monte set the tone for the weekend and everyone in our wedding group raved about their experience there.
Was your wedding large or small? How many guests did you have?
Depending on what you consider “large or small,” we had 113 guests, which to us, seemed like the perfect size.
Who were some of the vendors (event coordinator, fashion designer/consultant, florist, caterer, etc.) you used and why did you choose them?
Our onsite coordinator was Christy Olsen. She is the event planner at the El Monte, and upon meeting her, everything just clicked. She is a very down to earth person with great attention to detail. We loved her sense of humor and appreciation of us and how we wanted to make our wedding a little different. She went above and beyond for us on our wedding day and even personally drove the bridal party to the ceremony. A true class act. Our florist was Angelika Heikaus, a recommendation from the El Monte. I loved her passion for what she does and ability to create with little direction. She is a true professional and turned our center pieces and bouquets into art. She was lovely to work with. The El Monte provided the food for the reception. We went with a Mexican themed buffet that turned out fantastic. We were told by many that it was the best food they’ve ever had at a wedding. The El Monte turned a traditionally casual cuisine into a higher-end looking masterpiece. It was delicious. Jocelyn did our cake (Jocelyn’s Cakes) and we were very pleased with the outcome. Also, Heather Miro did my hair. I provided her with several pictures and worked with her to combine all three. I was so happy with how it turned out and received many wonderful compliments.
Did you receive any art pieces as wedding gifts?
We received a lot of Nambe pieces from family who live in New Mexico, a beautiful painting of the St. Francis de Asis Church by a local judge in Taos and a stunning artistic tin cross with turquoise rocks in the center.
What was the best part/memory of your wedding?
I loved getting married at the St. Francis. It was incredibly special and unique. We also loved the trolley ride from St. Francis to El Monte with our wedding party. We toasted champagne flutes as we drove around the Taos Plaza with people honking their horns and hootin and hollerin for us!
What advice do you have for Brides planning their wedding in Taos (Optional)?
For the bride and groom, we highly recommend their guests stay at the El Monte. We received incredible feedback about the rooms, the service and the overall experience. The fact that it is only a short stroll to the Plaza alleviated the need to drive as well. I also recommend providing guests with a detailed list of places to see in Taos, including the Pueblo, the Gorge and Taos Ski Valley. Many guests took advantage of their down time by enjoying local restaurants and shopping and have wonderful memories outside of the wedding itself.
Please share any additional comments that might make this article more intriguing for a Bride or wedding planner.
One of my favorite touch points of the wedding was our in room gift basket. When guests arrived at their room, they were greeted with a small red cooler/basket, which held a large bag of tortilla chips (locally made); salsa; two Mexican beers; limes; a custom water bottle; custom coozies; two waters and a weekend itinerary. We also handwrote thank you/welcome cards on Taos post cards and included brochures (free from the visitor’s center). My bridal party assembled the baskets on Thursday prior to the wedding.
317 Kit Carson Rd
Taos, New Mexico 87571
Toll Free 800.828.8267
575.758.3502
www.elmontesagrado.com
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