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Real Wedding Boulder - Marnie & Wes

On a sunny day in mid-August, two of the most superb people got married - Marnie and Wes! At the lovely Rembrandt Yard which boasts floor to ceiling windows overlooking beautiful downtown Boulder and the foothills, we couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day. The ladies looked gorgeous, thanks to the staff at Pompadours Salon in Boulder and they carried bouquets created by Lara with Fiori Flowers.


The reception was set as a modern lounge feel and it was created by Kirk with RC Special Events.  The food was divine and the drink was flowing, all with the help of Jeremy at Occasions by Sandy.

And Peneplain Jazz Project  had the guests on the dance floor all night!

Thank you so much to Butch and Kelsy at Photography by McCartney for these stunning photographs!

Gabriella Cavalli
Boulder Wedding Planner

Choosing Lodging for Your Wedding Guests

5 Questions to Ask When Choosing Lodging Options for Wedding Guests

Do you offer shuttle service?

Some hotels will offer complimentary or low cost shuttle service to your wedding for guests staying at the hotel.

What is your policy for guest welcome bags?
Many hotel properties charge for this. Some will give your welcome bags as a complimentary service when guests check-in but most will charge you to deliver to guest rooms.

What is the fee structure and policy for reserving a block of rooms?
Some hotels will allow a complimentary block while others require your credit card and a guaranteed minimum number of rooms.

What restaurants and amenities are available for guests?
It is very helpful to have a few restaurants in the hotel or within walking distance. It is also helpful if the hotel can accommodate roll-away beds, portable cribs or a complimentary breakfast for your guests.

Do you offer a complimentary suite if we book a certain number of hotel nights?
Many properties will comp a room or two if your guests book a certain number of lodging nights.

Debbie Orwat
Denver Wedding Planner

Real Wedding Beaver Creek - Carrie & Ben

We started working with Carrie and Ben last October to help plan their Colorado destination wedding in Beaver Creek.  Carrie is one of the absolute sweetest brides we have had the pleasure to work with.  They live in Florida and have always loved coming to Colorado for ski vacations. Carrie's style was rustic mountain elegance with a modern flair.  SaddleRidge at Beaver Creek was the perfect wedding venue for them.  We had a fantastic team of vendors including A Great Time DJs, Plum Sage Flowers, Premium Digital Solutions Videography, and these absolutely incredible images from the super talented Karie Mclain Photography.

Debbie Orwat
Beaver Creek Wedding Planner

Colorado Engagement Photos - Sarah & Chris

We are so privileged to have Sarah and Chris as clients.  Sarah is a dream to work with. She has been planning her wedding since she was a little girl and knows exactly what she wants.  While we are still planning many of the details, we are positive it is going to be an incredible wedding next June.  Thanks to the ultra talented Paige Elizabeth for sharing their stunning engagement photos.

Debbie Orwat

Denver Wedding Planner

Biggest Wedding Regrets

Last week, MSN published an article about the biggest wedding regrets.  Here is a quick recap:

• I wouldn't have done DIY invites
• I would have hired a professional wedding day coordinator
• I wouldn't have jumped so quickly to choose my bridal party
• I would have had more food
• I wouldn't have had messy food (chocolate fountain) with six flower girls

You can read the full article here. Many of these could have been avoided by hiring a professional wedding planner. We are trained to foresee, predict and come up with solutions to potential problems.

Debbie Orwat
Colorado Wedding Planner

Trash the Dress - Unbridal - Day After Wedding Shoot

Whatever you want to call this session, it's hot!  Paige Elizabeth did an incredible job of capturing Jess and Mike the day after their Breckenridge wedding.  You can see their engagement photos here and a sneak peak at their wedding pictures here.

Weddings and Tents at Private Estates

We LOVE weddings that take place at a private home or mansion. The bride and groom typically have full control over many of the details and can create whatever type of event they desire.  If you are planning an event at a private home, be sure to hire an experienced event planner to assist with the logistics and details. Here are a few details that we take charge of and assist with:

Rentals - Not only will you have a tent, you also need tables, chairs, linens, flatware, china, glassware, etc.  And on top of those things, your caterer may also need convection ovens, heating racks, prep tables, trash cans and possibly a tent of their own for prep.  You may opt to have a floor in your tent, fabric draping, special lighting and a stage for the band.

Portable Restrooms - Even if the home has a few restrooms, it is always good to have a back-up just in case there are plumbing issues. You can rent luxury trailer port-o-lets that come with sinks and mirrors.

Parking - Most homes cannot accommodate 75+ vehicles.  Arrange for shuttles, rent a nearby parking lot, provide valet services or ensure neighboring estates can accommodate overflow parking.

Lighting and Power - Not only will you need lighting for your tent, you will also need lighting for the caterer, walkways, and restroom area.  You can count on having a generator for the caterer, band and lighting.  Be sure to check with those vendors for power requirements.  A DJ may not require much but a large band will need a lot of dedicated power.

Debbie Orwat
Colorado Wedding Planner

Real Wedding Boettcher Mansion - Leigh & Tyler

We were honored to coordinate Leigh and Tyler's August wedding at Boettcher Mansion in Golden.  Leigh was such a relaxed bride and so fun to work with over the past year.  She has great style that she pulled through all the wedding elements to create a gorgeous Asian-inspired wedding day.  It was a fabulous evening thanks to the incredible vendors Food Guy Catering, Design by Ann flowers, Quality Mobile Sound, a stunning pagoda cake by Kelley Kakes and these fabulous pictures by Traci and Nic at Real Photography.

Debbie & Jen
Denver Wedding Planners

Denver Wedding Sale!

Book any partial or full service wedding planning package with Shelby and get this incredible package deal:

$250 discount on your planning package with Save the Date Events

FREE rental of Mile Hi Station in Denver! This is over a $2000k discount. You have to pay for bar service but the venue rental is free! Have you seen this venue? It’s incredible.

50% discount on professional photography from Jason G Photography or from Revert Imaging (your choice!) Both of these incredible photography companies are talented, professional and FUN

25% discount on your wedding cake from Intricate Icings. Intricate Icings is an upscale boutique cake designer creating some of the best cakes in Colorado

50% discount on flowers from Bella Fiori. Bella Fiori is a full-service floral design studio providing exquisite arrangements for any wedding

What's the catch? Your wedding has to take place between now and November 25, 2009 on a Sunday-Thursday (depending on availability of the venue). Is it too fast? That’s why you have a fantastic planner to guide you through the process and coordinate a flawless wedding day.

We only have one package to give away. Call today to schedule your consultation so that we can get started!

Shelby Crandall
Denver Wedding Planner

Post Wedding Blues

For months, wedding planning nearly consumed you. After you have returned from the honeymoon, you may also experience confusing feelings of depression even though life with your new spouse seems to be going well.  Welcome to the post-wedding blues. While this doesn't affect every bride, you may be surprised to learn that post-wedding blues are common for brides and even for mothers of the bride, especially if the mother was heavily involved in planning the wedding.

Here are a few tips to get you past the post-wedding blues:

1. Realize you’ve been through an intense period where the focus has been on romance. You are now in normal life mode, but that doesn’t mean romance has to end. Plan a romantic evening with your new spouse, perhaps for your first month anniversary. A nice dinner, along with a good bottle of wine or champagne, candles and your favorite music complete the mood. Thaw your wedding cake top to enjoy that evening. Or, arrange a weekend getaway.

2. Throw a post-wedding BBQ or cocktail party for immediate family members and close friends when your wedding pictures and video are ready. Show the video and hand out photos from the wedding. Relive some of those fabulous memories of the wedding day.

3. Scrapbook your wedding memories. Now that you have so much time on your hands, create a scrapbook of your wedding including pictures, an invitation, your place cards, table cards and other sentimental details from the planning process and wedding day.

Debbie Orwat
Denver Wedding Planner

Who Attends the Wedding Ceremony Rehearsal

1. Bride & Groom: You get to practice the processional, learn when to hand off the bouquet, kiss your groom and practice the recessional.

2. Parents & Grandparents: Your parents and grandparents will need to practice their entrance for the ceremony, lighting the unity candle (if applicable), and learn where they will sit.

3. Wedding Party: Your wedding party consists of maid/matron of honor(s), bridesmaids, best man, groomsmen, flower girls, and ring bearers. They will also need to practice walking down the aisle (together or separately), the recessional, where to stand, and how the ceremony will flow.

4. Officiant: The person who will marry you should attend the rehearsal if possible. They will need to know how they are walking to the alter/chuppah and with whom (groom, groom and best man, groomsmen). They typically will do a quick run-through of the ceremony and discuss who will hold the rings.

5. Singers & Musicians: While it would be nice to have them at the rehearsal, they typically are not there unless you pay them for their time.

6. Readers: They will need to get comfortable with the microphone and sound system as well as know where to sit to easily make their way to the front to read the scripture or reading.

7. Ushers: They usually greet your guests, hand out programs, and seat guests. While this doesn’t require much direction, it’s nice for them to attend the rehearsal so that they know exactly where to be, what to do and the tasks you’ve chosen for them.

Debbie Orwat
Colorado Wedding Planner

Incredible Breckenridge Wedding for Jess and Mike

We have been dying to post these incredible pictures from our August 15th Breckenridge wedding. We started working with the Jess in January to plan her destination Colorado wedding. This Texas family has a private home in Breckenridge but needed every single detail planned including tents, generators, vendors and a custom made deck with stairs leading to the ceremony site. We spent a lot of time communicating via phone and email with Jess and her mom to make sure every detail was perfect. We are thrilled with the gorgeous wedding and send out our best wishes to Mike and Jess. You two have been so incredible to work with.

Special thank you to the vendor dream team who worked so hard to make the day perfect Occasions by Sandy Catering, Soul School Band (booked by A Music Plus), Paige Elizabeth Photography, Nobility Strings Trio, Bella Fiori Flowers, Lupher Arts Videography, Carissa Beauty Make-up, Cakes by Intricate Icings, Roots Hair Salon, Colorado Tents and Events, Pat Pendleton Officiant.

Debbie Orwat

Colorado Wedding Planner

Hindu Wedding Planner in Colorado

We love these fantastic pictures from Julie Harris.  We had the privilege of coordinating Manjari and Sameer's Hindu wedding in Denver earlier this summer.  We blogged a few photos here but wanted to share these great details!

Thanks to Dawn from Hillside Consultants for the beautiful flowers.

Debbie, Shelby, Kristen & Jen
Denver Wedding Planners