Photo courtesy of Ashley Davis Photography
It’s Friday, everyone! Yay! I’m also excited that COUTURE Colorado Weddings posted Sarah and Eric‘s real wedding story on their popular blog! Sarah and Eric got hitched at The Wild Basin Lodge last year, and they utilized the expert services of Ashley Davis Photography, Floral Designs of Europe, and A DJ for Hire on their special day. Check out the full story here!
Photo courtesy of Jenn Stone Photography
Hi, party people! I hope you all have some amazing plans for the coming weekend, and if you don’t, I hope to see you all at Bridal Festivals upcoming bridal show at Sports Authority Field this Sunday! Check this out: I received an email earlier that has this flyer for a buy one, get one free admission to this show. If you are just in the planning stages of your Colorado wedding, this show will be an excellent resource because so many vendors will be available with information and tips. One aspect of bridal shows that I learned as a vendor who attends these shows regularly is that it doesn’t make sense to try to sell anything at these shows. Individuals and couples only attend these shows to gain information, not sign a contract. I believe this tip is useful to anyone who is attending a bridal show so you can recognize that the most professional vendors are only there to show you a sample of what they can do and eventually schedule a face-to-face. If you’re at a show and you’re feeling pressured to sign a contract, I recommend walking away; there are many more professional vendors who will schedule a personalized meeting with you to ensure that your wedding is beautiful and a reflection of your tastes. I hope that tip is helpful!
If you can’t make it to the show, I recommend penciling in the Estes Park Bridal Crawl on March 4th. This event is truly unlike any other in that the wedding association arranges shuttles that escort the attendees to three additional venues for tours. Couples who have already booked their wedding venue still benefit from these tours because florists provide arrangements in the venues, appetizers are provided, many venues can help plan reception dinners and day after brunches, and our association can provide a wealth of information to anyone who may have questions. As always, I get excited about the amazing cupcakes, chocolates, and dessert items provided throughout the day!
Happy hunting and I hope to see you at some shows this Winter!
Photo courtesy of Visual Poetry by Meghan
Tonight, I would like to take a little break from wedding blogging to talk about one of my favorite topics: ME! I have officially been with The Wild Basin Lodge for one year today, and I would like to thank all of you for reading the blog, my articles, and working with me throughout your wedding planning process! It’s been a great year of writing, coordinating, and learning so much about the wedding industry, so I thought it would be fitting to cover a few highlights from my year that stood out for me:
- The Wild Basin Bear Story: Do you guys remember that crazy day that over a dozen news stations picked up the story of Chef Brent Lewis’s bear cub rescue? If you don’t, check out this blog post!
- Working with the Estes Park Wedding Association: I’ve had some great experiences working with the EPWA. The awesome dinners that venues provided during monthly meetings, attending many bridal shows with members, and marching in the Estes Park Christmas parade are just a few examples of why I love working with the EPWA! The association is comprised of some of the most sought-after wedding professionals in the nation, and I highly recommend checking out their resources if you’re just getting into planning a mountain wedding.
- Makeup time with Alchemy Mineral Blends and the Mountain Bridal Fashion Shoot with Photography G: Those were a couple of really fun days in which I learned a ton about mountain wedding fashion, makeup, and photography for brides! Love those vendors as well!
- Music month: If you follow the blog, you may remember that I introduced a wedding-related theme each month, and August was music month. I happen to love music of all kinds; I play the piano and tuba, I sing in the shower, and I’m no stranger to getting down on the dance floor! That being said, it was a joy to formulate the Top 5 lists for wedding music recommendations, work with musicians and DJs, and hear all of the amazing selections our couples chose for their weddings!
- Meeting and working with Wild Basin couples: It’s been an incredible experience working with all of our couples! If you’ve toured the lodge, held your wedding here, or are planning your upcoming wedding at The Wild Basin, you probably already know that we work very closely with our couples to create a dream wedding day. My job revolves around writing about you and and letting newly engaged couples know how the Wild Basin experience is unlike any other. It’s always a pleasure for me to learn about couple’s stories and the selections they make to create a highly personalized and gorgeous event. I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of learning about all of you, and thank you for sharing a piece of your story with me!
Those are just a few highlights from my first year at the lodge, and as I think back on the year, there are truly too many to count! Thanks again to our staff, couples, and vendors for a great first year and I can’t wait to see what the future holds!
Before you say your I do’s and walk hand-in-hand to married life together in the Rocky Mountains, you will need to send out your invitations. Are you a formal addressing expert? Photo courtesy of Ken Miller Photography
Weeeeee! It’s Wednesday! Let’s get right into it today…
The term, “It’s all in the details” definitely applies to weddings and etiquette, and addressing your wedding invitations is no exception! I know that Wild Basin couples have dedicated a significant amount of their time and energy into save the dates and wedding invitations, so today I would like to offer a few tips on addressing your formal invites. After perusing the Internet and asking around for tips on formal invitations, I’ve come up with a few tips to highlight:
- Most wedding experts agree that it’s important to make decisions on the theme, colors, and how formal your wedding will be before sending out save the dates or invitations. This will make it immeasurably easier to decide on the style and wording of your invites. Keep in mind that even if your wedding will be a less formal affair, you and your family members will probably keep your invitations for life. Not to mention that this is the first impression your guests will get of your wedding, which is why so many couples put a lot of time and effort into invitations.
- If you’re anything like me, your handwriting might not be up to par with the lovely script of our predecessors. That being said, many couples who opt for handwritten addresses on their envelopes may consider hiring a calligrapher. There are companies throughout the nation that can handle digital calligraphy, and even some individuals who have made a living through the art of handwritten envelopes. If you are looking into saving a little cash for your honeymoon, you may want to see if any friends or family members have gorgeous handwriting and are willing to dedicate an afternoon to addressing your invites.
- Once you’ve landed on a method of addressing your envelopes and your invitation design, I recommend formulating your guest list addresses and invitation names with this chart from Wrap It Up Party Planning in mind. I like that the chart makes mention of the fact that a guest who has a PhD is referred to as “Dr.” and someone who is a medical doctor is referred to as “doctor” (knowing and using the difference will wow your guests before the wedding day arrives) I also like that the chart separates inner and outer envelope etiquette, which is a little-known etiquette tip for wedding invitations and formal invites. One aspect of the list that you may want to consider updating in your own addressing is how to refer to married couples. Many modern couples have transitioned to a more inclusive form of addressing a married pair. It’s now common to see invites that read, “Mr. and Mrs. John and Jane Doe” rather than, “Mr. and Mrs. John Doe”. If you are a Colorado bride who hasn’t decided on this specific detail, the choice is up to you! I would consider how you would like to be addressed once you’ve tied the knot, and go from there.
I hope that’s helpful! Does anyone have any tips for stationary, calligraphy, or your wedding invitations that you would like to share? Tell us about it on Facebook or today’s post!
Laressa and Joey held a gorgeous indoor wedding ceremony on the St. Vrain level of The Wild Basin Lodge over the weekend that was officiated by the bride’s dad. Who’s officiating your ceremony?
Good afternoon, my friends! How is your week shaping up? I’m looking forward to getting a bunch of article and blog post material completed over the next several days, and I will keep you updated on the details. We held a fun food tasting at the lodge yesterday and we hope all of our 2012 couples are getting as excited as we are for the year ahead. Our staff also hosted the wedding ceremony and reception of Laressa and Joey on Saturday, and congratulations to the very happy couple!
Laressa and Joey’s wedding was photographed by a Wild Basin preferred photographer, Ken Miller. I was thrilled that Ken not only photographed this wedding, but also dropped off a beautiful photo book with examples from his work at the lodge in 2011. Ken sent me a digital collection of that work, which I have recently posted an example of on the blog, and I can’t wait to see what he creates with his expert use of lighting and years of experience at weddings this year. Laressa and Joey’s wedding was unique in that the couple did not schedule a post-ceremony photo shoot. Rather, they had a “1st look” with each other and all family photos were taken prior to the ceremony. Their beautiful ceremony included the hanging candles on Shepherd’s hooks you see pictured in this post’s photo, a lovely unity candle ceremony, a live song performance, and vows officiated by the bride’s father. I love seeing unity candle ceremonies in front of our stained glass fixture on the St. Vrain level (pictured here). Did you know that the fixture was imported from all the way from England? Pretty snazzy! I also commend Laressa’s father for officiating the ceremony; what a nice gesture! Following the ceremony, the couple joined their guests and dined on appetizers of Boursin cheese stuffed mushrooms and spring rolls with teriyaki dipping sauce made in-house by executive chef Brent Lewis. Everyone enjoyed a special slideshow of the couple and expertly-played music from DJ Mike Randleman from A DJ For Hire. Their King Soopers wedding cake was a big hit as well!
We are so happy for Laressa and Joey! All the best in the future to the wonderful couple!
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