La Luz Weddings & Events

tion from the chaotic early phases of planning to the unanticipated changes day-of. She provided up-to-date granular checklists, she gave us hard deadlines, and she gave us heaps and heaps of wisdom she's learned from years in the business. We had a lot of questions at many steps during this process; things are expensive and not crystal clear; and a misstep can be costly. Shelby has been incredibly reliable throughout the entire process - taking hours of work off our hands as she corosponded with vendors, chased down details, and organized our efforts into a cohesive smooth wedding.

, knowledgeable, hard-working, efficient, and just awesome!! We were planning our event from out of state and she did such a great job with communication and being our eyes and ears before choosing vendors. Each vendor she sourced performed amazingly and were excellent fits for our expectations. She does such a great job of being a calming presence while also being on-the-ball type A person that gets sh*t done!! The planning process was fantastic, we met with her monthly to discuss key planning tasks, make decisions and build vision for the event. Tasks that we needed to follow up on were organized and easy to access on our wedding portal (also completely set up by La Luz and VERY helpful). The portal was a great resource, it was well organized and definitely helped keep my head on straight. Between meetings she was easy to contact and always had helpful insight when we were on the fence with planning decisions. She kept us on track so that none of this felt rushed or overwhelming. The day of the ceremony was perfect. She kept us fed and hydrated and had made sure all the work was taken care of before-hand in the planning process so that we could just relax and enjoy our day. I highly recommend her and her team. We definitely made the right choice when choosing her, we are very glad to have found her early on in the planning process.

t, efficient manner.  We can’t say enough superlatives about La Luz Weddings and Events. Shelby provided outstanding service and was incredibly organized from start to finish. When we ran into a major issue with our original caterer, she stepped in immediately and, within hours, found a new caterer with the same menu and even made sure we received a refund from the original vendor.   With 14 kids, a dog, and lots of moving parts in a complicated wedding, Shelby made sure every detail was completed ahead of time so I could truly relax and enjoy a fun-filled, meaningful day. We are beyond grateful and wholeheartedly recommend La Luz Weddings and Events to anyone looking for a planner who is calm, capable, and absolutely exceptional.   Her impressive array of spreadsheets, lists, and planning documents kept every detail organized and gave us so much peace of mind. On the wedding day, we had several participants come down with a virus, but Shelby handled everything seamlessly—guiding a replacement maid of honor, dog handler, and priest into their roles without missing a beat.

ht a sense of calm, organization, humor, and incredible expertise to what could have been a very stressful process. She is an absolute professional who handled every detail—from vendor coordination and contract review to timeline management and troubleshooting—with grace and precision. Our vision for the day felt perfectly understood and executed. Shelby didn't just manage the logistics; she elevated the entire aesthetic and atmosphere. Everything ran seamlessly, and my husband and I were truly able to be present and enjoy every moment, knowing that Shelby was expertly handling things behind the scenes. If you are looking for a planner who is organized, creative, communicative, and genuinely dedicated to making your day perfect, look no further. Hiring La Luz Wedding and Events was the best investment we made, and we wholeheartedly recommend them to any couple getting married. Thank you for giving us the wedding of our dreams!

or package was incredible! Courtney was available anytime we had questions, and the planning portal was so well organized and useful. Going into the last 8 weeks before our wedding Courtney worked with our vendors and put together an awesome day of timeline that made everything easy on our end! She was also incredibly attentive and made sure to understand our priorities and made adjustments and suggestions to accommodate! In hindsight it was a no-brainer! Thank you La Luz Weddings and Events!

art in the industry. Every detail is handled with precision and care, ensuring a smooth, stress-free planning experience from start to finish. Clients can count on Courtney not only to bring their vision to life, but to do so with professionalism, creativity, and consistent excellence. Kim and I want to extend our deepest thanks to Courtney for making our special day truly unforgettable. From the smallest details to the biggest moments, she handled it with grace and care. We could not imagine a more perfect celebration without her. Thanks to La Luz for their professionalism and passion."

genuine passion for what she does shone through. She instantly made me feel like I was in the best hands — and she delivered above and beyond every single step of the way. In the weeks leading up to the wedding, Shelby was a calm and steady presence. She anticipated things before I did, offered thoughtful advice, and handled every little curveball with such grace that I never had to worry. On the day of the wedding, she was an absolute powerhouse — putting out fires quietly and efficiently, keeping everyone on schedule, and somehow doing it all with a smile on her face and positive energy that was contagious. What I appreciated most was that Shelby truly cared. She wasn’t just checking boxes or running through timelines — she took the time to understand what mattered most to us and made sure those moments came to life exactly how we imagined (and better!). She made me feel seen, supported, and completely at ease throughout the entire process. It’s rare to meet someone who is both highly professional and genuinely kind, but that’s Shelby in every way. She’s organized, creative, endlessly patient, and radiates positivity. Our day was perfect because of her — and I can’t imagine it without her steady guidance and heart. If you’re planning a wedding and want someone who will go above and beyond, handle the chaos so you don’t have to, and bring pure light and joy to your day, Shelby and La Luz Weddings and Events are it. She is truly a beautiful person inside and out, and I’m forever grateful for all she did to make our wedding everything we dreamed of.

inator, she helped us resolve tricky vendor issues and navigate logistical challenges. She respected and accommodated my type-A tendencies, and helped me to loosen the reigns when possible. She and her team took amazing care of us on our wedding day, allowing us to fully enjoy the experience. Our vendors all told us she was wonderful to work with as well, which is a huge endorsement! Thank you Courtney & team!

tely. From the very first time we met with Shelby, she made us feel so taken care of and made our day run so absolutely smooth our guests were complimenting us the entire evening. Shelby has such a detailed oriented perspective and genuinely cares about her couples. We cannot recommend La Luz Event Planning enough. 

our guests which helped the event flow seamlessly. Her and her team executed on the timeline to perfection so that we could be fully present on our wedding day. Our wedding could not have turned out better thanks to Courtney's efforts. 

zed, and responsive and provided us with all of the tools to make sure everything was ready to go. Courtney really took the time to get to know us in the months leading up to the wedding so that she could really customize the experience of our day. She answered every question along the way and by the time we were a month out from the wedding, we felt relaxed and excited because she was taking care of all the details. She made sure our family and wedding party knew exactly where to be and when and allowed us to truly enjoy the day. We are so grateful that we chose Courtney and team to help plan and coordinate our wedding and we can’t recommend her highly enough. Thanks, Courtney!

even think of. Their process is incredibly thorough and seamless. We originally planned to have our wedding in New Mexico, and after getting quite far into the planning, we decided to make a last-minute switch to a destination wedding. Courtney made this major change possible, working tirelessly through countless emails and WhatsApp messages to vendors in Merida, Mexico. She found and coordinated all the incredible vendors we ended up working with, and each one provided exceptional service. Throughout the planning and execution, Courtney kept us on track and made sure everything ran smoothly. On the wedding day, we were able to completely focus on each other and the celebration, knowing that every detail was in good hands. Thanks to Courtney, our wedding was truly the best day of our lives. We’ve already recommended La Luz to others and will continue to do so without hesitation. We absolutely love La Luz!

at our one regret of wedding planning was not hiring Shelby to help us plan the whole thing! She is so organized and so on top of everything that it was a breath of fresh air when she took over 8 weeks out from our wedding. We trusted her so wholeheartedly that we felt a huge weight off our shoulders when she took over. She was always responsive to email and texts (if needed for something more time pressing). She was also such a calming presence for us at the rehearsal and on the wedding day, because we knew that she would be expertly handling everything. She handled some difficult vendor situations very kindly and respectfully, and kept us insulated from some of the more complicated sides of wedding planning. We would recommend Shelby and La Luz to anyone getting married in the Albuquerque/Santa Fe area. Thank you for everything, Shelby <3

to a great one. She was attentive and kind, which is something we truly valued! We don’t plan on getting married ever again but if we did, she would be our first choice! Thank you, Shelby, for being a ray of sunshine and calming some of the storms!

ense of calm to the planning process. Every detail was thoughtfully handled, turning what could have been stressful into pure joy and excitement for Dillon and me. On our wedding day, Courtney and her team worked tirelessly to set up and tear down, ensuring everything was perfectly in place and taken care of. They moved like a well-rehearsed symphony, creating a seamless experience that allowed us to fully enjoy our day. Even when the unexpected happened, Courtney stepped in with grace, solving every challenge and ensuring the magic never faded. If you’re dreaming of a wedding that feels straight out of a fairytale, Courtney and her team will make it happen. I will forever be grateful for their dedication, love, and ability to bring our vision to life. They are the absolute best, and I recommend them with my whole heart!

of the room. Shelby made sure that every detail was handled perfectly. Even during a hectic wedding season, she was incredibly responsive, addressing all our questions and concerns promptly and professionally. On our wedding day, I was able to relax completely, making every penny spent worthwhile. I highly recommend Shelby and the entire La Luz team!

e. She shared planning timelines for us for the year leading up to our wedding, which were so helpful! Following her checklists made planning on our end so simple. Her vendor recommendations were flawless, as well. Once we hit the 8 week mark, she completely took over. She always referred to us for final decisions, but contacted all of our vendors and arranged everything perfectly. Shelby did everything in her power to keep us as least stressed as possible. On our big day, everything was seamless and so organized. We received so many compliments on how the day flowed so well and on the lack of hiccups. All of this was thanks to Shelby! She is a true master event planner. She is professional, but also warm and funny and kind. She had every minute detail accounted for, and our wedding day was perfect as a result. I am SO glad we hired Shelby to help plan our wedding. I will be forever grateful to her for helping us have the best day ever!

g these events, a coordinator and planner helps you think of all the things that'll need to make an event like this happen. They thought of everything. This scrappy team was a squeaky wheel for vendors and with their prompt and precise communication the event was perfect. I would recommend to anyone!

ion and preparation is off the charts, and the care she puts into making your big day as special as possible is unmatched. On top of all of that, she's so much fun to be around. On the day of the wedding, all the logistics went off without a hitch. Why? Because of Shelby. She is on top of everything- and ensures that not only you, but your guests, enjoy every second of the day. We are so incredibly thankful to even have had the privilege to have hired Shelby. Because of her, the day was absolutely perfect. Go with her, perfection will follow.

op of it, she was extremely responsive and helpful (even before the final month), and made sure everything went off without any issues. She is very organized, knowledgeable, and kind. Many of our guests and vendors were extremely impressed with her and her assistant, Tabitha. We would recommend Courtney and the La Luz team to anyone and everyone! Maggie and Pedro

working. Cannot recommend enough!!!

rk with! Best of all they took the stress out of wedding planning and helped us enjoy our special day. We would recommend them to anyone planning a wedding, no matter what size!

and felt she was laid back with a good sense of humor but able to stay organized and get business done at the same time. This was totally her vibe throughout the planning process. I often told her she was like a warm safety blanket - she always had an answer to my trivial questions and didn’t hesitate to advocate on our behalf at every turn. I’d pick her team again every time! On the day of, she was cool calm and collected and made sure we had bites and drinks and were able to focus on us. Our families loved her - best wedding planning decision we made!

verwhelmed with all of the various pieces. Ten months before the wedding, we all met with Shelby via Zoom and discussed potential plans. Shelby’s vendor list was essential in orchestrating the best possible rental and catering companies. Shelby met with the bride at the outdoor venue the month before the ceremony/reception and discussed best plans. Although days before and after the event had perfect weather, the wedding day was filled with intermittent rain, wind, and cold. Even with these interruptions, Shelby expertly produced the most incredible event. The day definitely would not have been exceptional without Shelby.

ndly and positive. Her energy was very appreciated! The clients were able to focus on their wedding day and know that their team was taking care of business. The timeline was well thought out and collaborating with her was smooth. The wedding day was executed perfectly and we owe much of that to Shelby! We couldn't recommend her more.

he was on top of everything. Hiring a planner is something everyone should do for their wedding and I would highly recommend Shelby. She knocked it out of the park!

ents of the day without worrying about the details. Worth every penny. Ok thats all. DO IT. GET YOURSELF A COURTNEY.

state that enough. All the dozens of little things that stack up and become completely overwhelming in planning a wedding Courtney was on the ball with consistently. Still a lot of work but without her I’m not sure how we would have managed it. We would recommend La Luz and Courtney to absolutely everyone. We can confidently say that hiring her as our wedding planner is up there as one of the best decisions we have ever made. Thank you again for every thing Courtney!

ortless for us and the vendors she suggested provided excellent quality and service. It was an incredibly fun wedding too! Groom's mother

rs. She then proceeded to organize everything to a T to the extent that my wife and I literally only had to enjoy the company of all of our loved ones during our wedding week and event. Courtney, our most heartfelt thanks for such a meaningful and delightful service that you provided us.

t our stress was greatly decreased by working with Lauren. To anyone out there unsure whether your need a coordinator or not....you definitely do!! In the months before the wedding, Lauren met with us multiple times to go over the details or our big day and helped us identify many small issues that we hadn't thought of ourselves. As the wedding approached, Lauren checked in with our 10+ vendors to confirm services, coordinate drop off times, etc. During this process, Lauren noticed that one of our vendors was not being very responsive. She dug in a little further and found that this vendor had failed to provide the promised services to several other weddings in recent weeks. Sure enough, about 4 days before our wedding, this vendor canceled on us, leaving us with no tables or chairs for our event. However, thanks to Lauren, this wasn't really an issue because we were prepared with a backup rental plan. I don't think we would have caught this issue in time to fix it without Lauren's help! Overall, Lauren was knowledgeable, flexible, and easy to work with. She always remained calm (even when we weren't!) and helped us navigate and plan every part of our wedding weekend. The day of the wedding was fun and relaxing because Lauren was behind the scenes taking care of all the logistics! The day truly wouldn't have been the same without her. We highly recommend working with La Luz and with Lauren in particular!

nsive and kind anytime we had questions and she helped us find wonderful vendors. We are so appreciative and recommend La Luz for your wedding!

re hands down the most professional, efficient, kind, funny, and good-hearted people I've ever had the pleasure of working with. We hired La Luz for the month-of coordinating package and from those 6 weeks on, Shelby removed any stress I had about our wedding going smoothly. She immediately recognized missing elements of our contracts with vendors, provided professional advise, and communicated with our vendors, family and friends to insure everyone was where they needed to be on the day-of. If you're thinking, "All of this is to be expected of a good wedding coordinator...?" You'd be right. But bear with me (I'm already crying, brb). At 8pm the night before our wedding, our rental company bailed. Straight up bailed. Would not be coming. Would not be sending anyone as a backup. Would not be providing any plates, glasses, napkins, chairs, silverware, chargers, games, table runners, vases, nothing, nada, zilch. This was for a wedding of 100 people in a remote location. Shelby contacted a new rental company that night (HUGE shout-out to Simply Decor Tents & Events) and she and Lauren drove to the warehouse at 6:30 the next morning to pick up the necessary items in their personal vehicles, did the complete set-up with some help from my friends (not in her contract, btw), took everything down after the reception, and returned it all by midnight, driving the 1.5 hours from Blame Her Ranch back to Albuquerque. All in all, an almost 20 hour work day for them. Not a single guest (besides a handful of our friends) had any idea what had happened and the outcome was beautiful. To top it all off, Shelby didn't even tell me until the morning when they had already solved the problem, working with my mom throughout the evening so we could enjoy our night with friends. My husband and I cannot recommend LLW&E enough. Thank you Shelby & Lauren!

e crises that occurred she handled masterfully. The rental group that was contracted (Beloved Rentals) flaked out and turned out to be a scam. But that didn’t prevent Shelby from getting that gaping hole filled in and everything went off without a hitch. It really was an amazing effort. I even appreciated her sense of humor and her ability to derive joy in the festivities. Even when we went through the rehearsal, she had a knack for helping everyone feel at ease. I tend to be a curmudgeon when it comes to posing for pictures or dressing up, but somehow Shelby found a way through and helped me feel more at ease. Hiring La Luz Weddings and Events might have been the best wedding gift I could have given my son and now partner, Sarah. My career involved having to sponsor several events and I have always appreciated the benefits of having an event planner, but Shelby might be the best I’ve ever experienced. She was amazing!

family are still talking about how amazing it was a month after. Thanks to Courtney, we got to spend our day having fun and not worrying about logistics. She was worth every penny and easily the best part out our budget. She was also a great sport when the best man tried to get her to sing impromptu karaoke!

ng weekend — a luxury, multi-day event with many twists and turns for our guests. We got to treat everyone with many surprises at the Four Seasons in Santa Fe, all brought to life by La Luz — from salsa and margarita icebreaker competitions, to friend swap events, to a reception twist where everyone had to look under their seat; Courtney and Shelby brought all of it to life. But the biggest surprise for us was how close of friends they became. Working with them was like working with your best, most organized, prompt, and ‘we’ll make it happen’ friends. They helped us through every detail, and crisis (like the wedding dress getting stained 5 days before the big day!) I can’t praise this group enough, and am ready to have them plan more than just our wedding! ~One happy groom

em be part of our big day. We had a pretty complex wedding with many events spread across several days as well as it being destination (we nor did majority of our guests live in NM). But Shelby and Courtney took on the challenge without a sweat and delivered beyond belief! When people ask us now how we feel about the wedding looking back on it, one of the first things we say is how it went exactly as we wanted and planned. The only reason that happened is due to Shelby and Courtney's amazing quality of work, detailed nature, and knowledge/respect in the local wedding community. My husband and I are both extreme planners and are also very detail oriented, so the trust Shelby and Courtney built up with us that resulted in us letting go of the reins and not feeling the need to jump in with any spreadsheets or "what if's" was a true gift. I can honestly say the best decision we made related to the wedding was hiring La Luz!