Everyone is aware of how incredibly expensive weddings can be from the venue to the attire; some couples are getting creative when it comes to saving money. One way is to save money on the cake. A huge cake trend, as many of you know, are cupcakes, but what if you want the classic aesthetic of a tiered cake without the price? A budget friendly option is the faux cake.
Not only can you find faux cakes from online retailers, but if you are nimble fingered you can easily build your own by creating tiers of styrofoam and, depending on the look you prefer, you can decorate it with the satin draped finish of fondant or with the endless textural possibilities of buttercream. Now what do the guests eat? A great option is to get a delicious frosted, but undecorated, tiered cake, or even a sheet cake. For those of you brides marrying in the summertime this is a wonderful option as your faux cake can sit out for hours while your edible cake remains fresh, and frosting cool, in the refrigerator.
Recently we had a couple utilize this faux cake trend with a beautiful aspen textured cake (pictured above). A really cool aspect of their cake is that it hid a small compartment where a slice of real cake could be inserted so they could still, easily, participate in the cake cutting tradition. I love budget friendly ideas!
What are your favorite budget friendly ideas? Have you found creative ways to save on your special day?
XO Nikki
Unique and nontraditional bridal gowns are a huge trend these days. The one I’ve been swooning over lately are tinted gowns.
Today’s tint? Blush!
Blush is incredibly romantic especially when translated into a silk organza wedding gown; soft and elegant like a petal. Many designers are beginning to incorporate this trend into their design styles, which is great because it offers many different looks and price points from a bride on budget to those looking for that perfect gown at any cost. Think blush is not the color for you? It’s surprisingly flattering on virtually all skin tones from a rich mocha to a golden bronze to the creamiest of porcelain. Translation: it’s a wonderful choice for all brides looking for that wedding dress that will stand out from the crowd of white.
A blush tinted wedding gown merges beautifully with a mountain wedding; perfect for your day at the lodge. It’s striking against both the lush green of the spring and summer meadow and river aspen backdrop as well as the stark white of the snowy winter landscape. Pair it with dusty rose and cream for a fresh and feminine spring wedding or brown and gold for a rich fall wedding, or even with black for a new take on the classic black and white winter wedding.
Happy Planning!
XO Nikki
I hope you all had a wonderful Mother’s Day, whether celebrating those special ladies in your life or being celebrated yourself.
Nine couples, and their families, joined us last Sunday for our multi-annual tasting. It’s a wonderful opportunity for our couples to come and not only choose their menu by sampling each delicious item but having the pleasure of spending a relaxing day surrounded by the beauty of the lodge and picking the brains of each of our knowledgeable staff members.
This was my first opportunity to taste each of the artfully crafted menu choices. What a treat! From the amazingly savory cheese stuffed mushrooms to the melt in your mouth New York strip steak to (my personal favorite) the cheesy vegetarian lasagna! We are honored to boast our very own five star chef, Nick Fuster. Wild Basin is truly the place for you foodies out there.
So, for those of our brides who’ve already booked your beautiful Wild Basin wedding consider coming to one of our fabulously fun tastings; drinks are on us! And for those of you still searching for that perfect venue, consider us. We are open daily for tours, so give us a call or just pop by!
XO Nikki
As a fairly recent transplant to Colorado from the rolling foothills of Northern California I am proud to be joining the Wild Basin Lodge family. It is truly a quintessential Colorado retreat. From the stunning views of Mount Copeland to the lush aspens dotting the St. Vrain River, it is a wonderful choice for both Colorado native brides as well as those out of town brides looking for a dramatic backdrop to their wedding day.
From the panoramic mountain views of both of our ceremony sites to the wonderfully flavorful five star meal (of which I was given the chance to eat myself this past Sunday at our multi-annual tasting event; post to come soon!) you and your guests are sure to savor, the Wild Basin Lodge is the perfect setting for your next momentous event.
Spring is slowly, but surely, creeping toward us so don’t be shy, come visit us today! We offer tours daily! And to our soon to be brides, we can’t wait to see you!
XO Nikki
Early Wednesday evening, a mountain lynx was spotted and photographed by a Wild Basin Lodge employee. Over the last two weeks, several employees have seen the lynx frequenting the St. Vrain River, just behind the lodge, for a drink. The employees have also seen the lynx on the lodge porch and have seen its footprints in the snow in this scenic Rocky Mountain area. Up until Wednesday, the lynx was just too swift for anyone to be able to snap a photo of it. It finally stopped long enough for Teresa Bramlett, office manager, to grab her camera and catch it posing- in all its glory.
The lynx were nearly wiped out in the 1970s due to development projects and hunting of the animal. The cats are considered threatened in the State of Colorado and federally. In 1999 an ambitious program of lynx restoration began in the remote San Juan Mountains, and by 2005 more than 200 animals had been released, a number of litters of kittens had been born, and lynx were expanding throughout the high country and occasionally beyond. Hunting of lynx is illegal in Colorado. This rare set of lynx photos is the first on record since Nils and Denice Kristofferson purchased the property in 2001. We posted our favorite shot of this magnificent cat.
The entire staff at The Wild Basin Lodge upholds high standards of environmental consciousness and wildlife preservation to ensure that the pristine venue in Allenspark, CO remains a picture perfect venue for visitors to enjoy.
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