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About Enchanted Weddings of Taos
About Reverend Jewel Howard
 I first came to Taos on vacation in 1983. I had lived in New York all of my life and found Taos to be a totally foreign country: the awesome landscape, deep blue skies, adobe buildings, the different cultures and languages. Truly it was a "nice place to visit", but I raced home.
But there was something about Taos that pulled me back - five times in three years! Finally, I surrendered to the lure of the mountains and the small, persistent voice that kept telling me that Taos would accelerate my spiritual journey. That has certainly been true.
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Taos Wedding Locations
Venus Masci Photography
Getting a Taos
Marriage License
What Is An
Enchanted Wedding?
What Our Couples Say
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In 1990, I was ordained as a Field Minister in the Brigade of Light Church - a non-denominational Christian Church, founded in 1969 in Charlotte, NC. As a minister, one of my greatest joys has been the pleasure of marrying couples who, like me, are drawn to the awesome beauty and spiritual energy of Taos.
The intervening years have presented extraordinary challenges, from the joy of the Millennium to the tragedy of September 11th. Thankfully, as always, the center of my life has been the honor of being part of these marriages, which are always a reminder of the commitment, optimism and triumph of love.
So many memories surface:
- A beautiful Bride in a strapless gown and bare feet - in the snow.
- A Groom who nearly fainted (there were several of those).
- A Groom who flew 7000 miles (from Korea) to wed the woman he'd courted for 17 years.
- The Groom who canceled a formal wedding back home because, "I didn't want to be taking my vows worrying about the roast."
- And a Bride so organized we made her burn her 'list' after the wedding.
- A 70-something couple who married at the foot of the Taos Mountain accompanied by children and grandchildren.
- And an incredibly courageous couple who married the day before the Bride checked into the hospital for a biopsy.
- One of my favorite memories is Betsy Schwartz, a superb cellist, who comes to every wedding accompanied by a white wolf, who waits patiently in her pick up truck (only in Taos!).
"There's nothing like an outdoor wedding. It shows confidence and optimism in both the weather and the marriage."
- Lois Smith Brady, 'Vows, Weddings of the Nineties' from the New York Times
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About Venus Masci, Photographer
The inspiration for much of my work comes from the land of New Mexico and its people. Born and raised in Gallup, I now call Taos my home, but it wasn’t until I left home for several years that I fully appreciated its unique beauty: The radiant light and breathtaking landscapes, with adobe walls, white towers of clouds, amazing sunsets, mountain streams providing vistas that go on forever. Visually and spiritually, Taos is a spectacular place to live, visit and create.
During my time away, I earned an Associate Degree in Photography at the Colorado Institute of Art, and worked as a Photographic Assistant. I learned that it takes a certain unique style and extra care to make an exceptional photographer and that there are many ways of solving the challenges that arise. It is this attention to detail, aligned with the photographer’s creativity and inner vision that create extraordinary photographs.
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Contact Venus Masci Photography
Words to the Wise...
on wedding photography |
Photographing people in unique environments is my specialty. My fascination with the land and its people has provided the inspiration for most of my work, which include unique portraits of the American Indian in the Southwest, including Navajo Country, Northern Pueblos, and Wounded Knee, South Dakota, which provided my most historic imagery. Some of these photos are produced using photo-montage which involves the superimposition of two or more images during the print process. In this way, I’m able to create the illusion of spirit.
In my Taos Traditions Collection, I created portraits of many local Ancianos, living in perfect harmony with their environment. This body of work was shown at the Ed Sandoval & Ann Huston Studio de Colores, as well as the world-renowned Millicent Rogers Museum in Taos.
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