Las Vegas weddings are some of our favourites, but its undeniable that a lot of them have the same aesthetic. Rare Hearts Studio wanted to create something with a different edge – a little darker, with nods to their Latino heritage. Their starting point was the sacred heart, reworked through a queer Latino lens and layered with lace, devotional imagery, blood red flowers and incredible cakes. The concept gave the team a way to draw upon their cultural background while creating something for couples who feel detached from the standard Vegas look.

The session was shot across digital and film by Velvet Alchemy Photos, Cruz Valentin Photography and Cactus Bloom Photography. “We started with a sacred hearts theme as we love the moody, romantic feel of this theme,” they explained. “It evolved into a way to also showcase our Latino background as well with the natural history of the sacred heart. We also wanted the shoot tot show representation for queer Latino couples.”

If you are heading to Vegas for your wedding, let this shoot remind you that there can be much more to the city than neon lights and sequins. If you want to incorporate a hint of tradition and your heritage into the day. “As we are located in Las Vegas, it’s a lot more popular for couples elope or only bring a intimate group of family and friends”, they continued. “It’s easy to have an idea or theme but it can be difficult to find out a way to execute it, especially for the more micro/ intimate weddings as we see in Vegas. Although a lot of our couples are not planning receptions, we wanted to what is possible.”