Archive for the ‘mountain wedding’ Category
Thursday, April 1st, 2010
Today is the last part of our series on the do’s and don’ts of mountain weddings. Feel free to add your advice and experience in the comments. Don’t miss out on expert wedding planning advice, subscribe here.
Expert Help - Don’t go it alone. Never plan a destination wedding completely on your own. In doing so, you are risking disappointments like your cake not showing up, choosing the less-than-ideal location, your flowers being late, etc. Consider hiring a professional experienced planner who has your best interests in mind. The time and peace of mind you receive will be well worth the expense.
Trust Your Expert Help - Once you hire your planner and vendors, trust them. You’ve found the best vendors to handle your day. Trust your judgment and their guidance, especially in a location where you may or may not have visited. While things like what time the sun sets behind the mountains and the effects of altitude may not be of concern to you, it will definitely be on the mind of your wedding planner as well as your other vendors, who are ultimately there to ensure you have a flawless wedding day.
Tags: Aspen wedding planner, Breckenridge wedding planners, Colorado mountain wedding, destination weddings in Colorado, Planning a Beaver Creek wedding, Vail wedding coordinator, wedding planner in Denver
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Monday, March 29th, 2010
Today is the second of our three part series on mountain weddings. We are focusing on the do’s and don’ts of mountain weddings in Colorado. Whether you have lived in Colorado your whole life or are planning a destination wedding in Colorado, there are unique circumstances and logistics for mountain weddings. You can read the first part of the series here.
Your Decor - Please wind proof your décor. When creating place cards, favors and other décor for your mountain celebration, keep in mind that the wind can be your enemy at an outside wedding ceremony and reception. You can personalize and wind proof these details with a little creativity. If tall centerpieces are your dream, have the florist secure the centerpieces to a heavy object such as a larger mirror or put extra weight in the bottom of the vase.
Altitude - Some guest won’t even notice the change in altitude while others may feel sick when they land in Denver. Inform your guests about the effects of altitude, especially if you are having a high-mountain wedding and alcohol.
Embrace the culture - Mountain life is like no other. Don’t be afraid to incorporate aspen bark, leaves, pinecones and other rustic details into your wedding. If the groom is an avid skier, make a mountain out of your groom’s cake. If you both love to mountain bike, have a graphic designer create a monogram reflecting your hobby.
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Tags: Aspen wedding planner, Breckenridge wedding planner, Colorado destination wedding planner, Planning a Beaver Creek wedding, Planning advice for a mountain wedding, Vail wedding planner
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Wednesday, March 24th, 2010
For the next week, we are focusing on the do’s and don’ts of mountain weddings in Colorado. Whether you have lived in Colorado your whole life or are having a destination wedding here, there are unique circumstances and logistics for mountain weddings.
Hair and Make-up - Be realistic about your hair and makeup options. While a Colorado mountain wedding can be a dream come true, wind, cold and rain can do damage to hair and makeup. When planning a mountain wedding, take the elements into consideration before choosing your hair style. For an outdoor ceremony, seriously consider an updo. This tried and true style will keep you looking polished all night. If you are determined to wear your locks down, invest in a stylist to spend the day with you touching up your makeup and hair so you do not have a tangled and messy hairstyle by the time you enter the reception.
Your Guests - Do plan to entertain your guests. A mountain wedding is definitely more work than a wedding in Denver or in your hometown. You are not only inviting guests to your wedding, but you have also invited them on vacation. Plan activities at the ski resort, a welcome reception complete with smores, an easy day hike or other simple activities where your guests can spend time with you without breaking their budget.
Wedding Week Activities - On the other hand, don’t feel obligated to plan every minute. Guests are on vacation too. Do provide them with activity options and a short itinerary for the week so they know where to find you. However, definitely allow them time to explore on their own. Your wedding website is a good place to list local activities for your guests.
Guest List - Don’t expect everyone you invite to attend. Traveling is expensive, especially to some of the mountain towns in Colorado. Because of this, expect a certain percentage of your guests to decline your invite. While this can be initially disappointing, it will make for a much more intimate celebration.
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Tags: Aspen wedding, Beaver Creek weddings, Breckenridge wedding, Colorado destination wedding, destination wedding in Colorado, Estes Park weddings, Rocky mountain wedding, Vail weddings
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Friday, December 11th, 2009
We LOVE this incredible rustic elegance mountain wedding! The pictures show all the amazing elements - our absolutely gorgeous bride and groom, stunning flowers, a picture perfect fall snow day and creative Colorado wedding details. We worked with Becky and Andy for six months prior to their destination Colorado wedding in October. They had the venue and a few vendors prior to contacting us. They used our assistance to tie together details, do a few site visits, email photos of specific venue details, contract remaining vendors and finalize the design elements. We also coordinated all details of the wedding day at Peaceful Valley Ranch in Lyons, Colorado. We didn’t meet Becky and Andy until the wedding week but they felt like old friends after all of our emails and phone calls during the wedding planning process. Thank you both for being incredible clients over the past year!
Our vendor team was outstanding. Special thank you to Sweet Celebrations, Nobility Strings, Ad Hoc Entertainment, AKHaydon Floral Design, Gary Dempsey Pianist, Rev Diane Reiss, Unique Touch Photography, A Boulder Affair and Raecom Productions.
Debbie, Gabby & Kristen
Colorado Destination Wedding Planners
Tags: boulder wedding planner, Colorado destination wedding, Lyons Colorado wedding, Peaceful Valley Ranch wedding
Posted in Gabby, Kristen, mountain wedding, real wedding | No Comments »
Monday, November 16th, 2009
Here are some beautiful pictures from Shurie and Tony’s September 26th Estes Park wedding at the lovely
Della Terra Mountain Chateau. Shurie and her mother Tammy put together a beautiful and creative wedding using chocolate brown and pink as their colors. The centerpieces were created using unique clear glass vases from
CB2 with the flowers provided by Brigitte and her team at
Floral Design of Europe. The girl’s hair and make-up was provided by the wonderful stylists of Liquid. This was my first time working with a horse-drawn carriage, and what a great experience it was. For the processional the guests lined up to toss leaves on the couple as they passed on the carriage, and Shurie and Tony chose
Tender Grass Carriages for this and they did a fabulous job.
We kicked off the reception inside the Chateau with music provided by Amore DJ Entertainment and the guests enjoyed the savory dinner by Jubilations Catering. The cake was a stunning cascade of cherry blossoms contrasted by the deep chocolate surface created by Marci at Colorado Rose Cake. We also love working with Chris at Premium Digital Solutions, who provided videography for their big day.
Thanks so much to Jennifer from JSP Weddings - we can’t say how great and smooth it was to work with Jennifer. She was able to blend into the scenery and really capture those tender moments.
Gabriella Cavalli
Colorado wedding coordinator
Tags: Estes Park wedding planner, wedding at Della Terra, wedding coordinator in Estes Park
Posted in Della Terra Wedding Planner, Gabby, Kristen, mountain wedding, real wedding | 2 Comments »
Monday, November 9th, 2009
Sarah and Greg hired us as their
Vail wedding coordinator ten days before the wedding. At the last minute, Sarah realized she needed a professional to pull it all together and make sure her Vail wedding at Donovan Pavilion was perfectly executed. Despite a very chilly and rainy rehearsal the day before, the wedding day turned out to be gorgeous. With the help of wonderful vendors and Sarah’s careful planning, we coordinated a beautiful wedding day. Thanks to our vendor team of
A Music Plus,
Sweet Water Images,
Petals and Pours,
Alpine Party Rentals and
Premium Digital Solutions for their wonderful work on the wedding day.
Debbie Orwat
Vail Wedding Planner
Tags: Colorado mountain wedding planner, Donovan Pavilion wedding planner, Rocky Mountain wedding planner, Vail wedding planner, wedding day coordination in Vail
Posted in Donovan Pavilion, Vail wedding planner, mountain wedding, real wedding | No Comments »
Friday, September 25th, 2009
Della Terra Mountain Chateau
Della Terra Mountain Chateau
Vail wedding at Donovan Pavilion
It isn’t often that we book weddings with only two weeks notice however both of our brides for this weekend contracted with us in the past few weeks. Debbie will coordinate the details for Sarah and Greg at the Donovan Pavilion on Friday. Gabby wrapped up the final planning and will work with Kristen to coordinate Shurie and Anthony’s gorgeous wedding at Della Terra Mountain Chateau in Estes Park on Saturday. We are thrilled to pull together the final details for both of these wonderful couples.
Debbie & Gabby
Colorado Wedding Planners
Tags: day of coordinator Vail, Estes Park wedding planner, Vail wedding planner, wedding coordinator in Estes Park
Posted in Gabby, Kristen, Uncategorized, mountain wedding, planning | No Comments »
Monday, September 14th, 2009
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
Posted in Beaver Creek Wedding Planner, mountain wedding, real wedding | 2 Comments »
Monday, August 24th, 2009
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
Posted in flowers, mountain wedding, real wedding | 3 Comments »
Wednesday, August 12th, 2009
1800 square foot clear-top tent on private property
5000+ twinkle lights
100+ vases of flowers
10 piece band
15 vendors
4 food stations
Rehearsal dinner complete with magician
Gorgeous bridesmaid brunch setup
That is what we are up to this weekend for Jess and Mike’s destination wedding in Breckenridge on Saturday. Setup starts on Thursday. We can’t wait to see all our planning come together for this incredible wedding. If you haven’t seen their stunning engagement pictures, we blogged about them
here.
Debbie Orwat
Breckenridge Wedding Planner
Posted in mountain wedding, wedding planner | 2 Comments »
Friday, July 24th, 2009
{Park Hyatt Beaver Creek}
{Westin Riverfront Resort Beaver Creek}
{Ritz Carlton Beaver Creek}
{Pines Lodge Beaver Creek}
{SaddleRidge Wedding}
We spent yesterday touring wedding venues in Beaver Creek. We have already visited or worked at many of the wedding venues in Vail and Beaver Creek. We still like to visit so that we stay current on any changes and stay in touch with the venue coordinators so that we have the latest information for our Colorado brides.
Debbie Orwat
Colorado Wedding Planner
Posted in mountain wedding, save the date events | No Comments »
Friday, July 3rd, 2009
We can’t say enough kind words to describe Amy and Doug. They are amazing individuals and so perfect together. They have the biggest hearts and we truly miss having them as clients. Amy and Doug loved all things vintage and also wanted a hint of cowboy country incorporated into their wedding. We started working with both of them in January to make their vision come to life.
They got married on June 27th at Elk Ridge Ranch in Breckenridge, Colorado. The stunning outdoor ceremony was followed by a casual cocktail hour at Elk Ridge Ranch. Amy and Doug departed in a vintage truck with their beloved dogs riding in the back. Guests were shuttled to Salt Creek Saloon in Breckenridge for a gourmet dinner and rockin‘ reception. Our favorite bluegrass band, Kort McCumber kept guests entertained all evening. Plum Sage provided beautiful flowers in vintage glass jars that Amy has been collecting for years. Intricate Icings created the perfect cake for Amy and Doug.
We LOVE these photos provided by the super talented Rachael Grace. You can see more pictures on Rachael’s Blog. You can also see the fabulous engagement photos she posted here.
Debbie worked with Amy and Doug to plan their wedding then Gabby and Shelby from Save the Date Events took over and perfectly coordinated the many details and logistics of the wedding weekend.
Debbie and Gabby, Colorado Wedding Planners
Posted in Gabby, Shelby, mountain wedding, real wedding | 1 Comment »
Friday, June 26th, 2009
What a great couple Jennifer and Tim are! Their wedding in Vail Colorado was gorgeous, despite the rain. In fact, the rain made it all the more memorable! The ring bearer was their adorable yellow lab named Baxter. The evening was a blast! Their guests danced the night away, and had a wonderful time.
The wedding was at the lovely
Vail Racquet Club, and the wonderful wedding flowers were created by
Amore Fiori. Jennifer and Tim had an incredible wedding cake, thanks to
Intricate Icings.
I loved working with Jennifer and her family through the planning process. They are so warm and caring. We wish you the absolute best in your lives together!
Gabriella Cavalli, Vail Wedding Planner
Save the Date Events
Posted in Gabby, mountain wedding, real wedding | 1 Comment »
Friday, June 5th, 2009
Aside from standard wedding planning tasks, time lines, budgets and other details we coordinate as Colorado wedding planners, here are some of the random tasks we have done in the past month to help our clients enjoy their wedding weekend:
- Called guests who were lost on their way to the rehearsal dinner and gave them complete directions. The bride and groom were able to enjoy the dinner instead of spending 20 minutes on the phone.
- Created custom wedding favors for our June 6th clients. We couldn’t find exactly what they wanted so we created them ourselves.
- Run wedding day interference between the bride and her mom. Emotions can run high, especially on the wedding day. We were able to diffuse the situation so that mom and bride could enjoy the day.
- During a last minute rain storm, we handed out dozens of white umbrellas so that guests could stay outside for the ceremony.
- Ordered and stored custom made floral vases, guest books and wedding programs for destination wedding clients. When you have a wedding in a destination location, it is helpful to have a “drop zone” for shipping and holding wedding items until the wedding weekend. This is a complimentary service we provide for our destination brides and grooms.
- Assisted the rehearsal dinner site with changing all barware to more appropriate glassware. This is a small detail but we knew the bride and groom would not be happy with the original plasticware. The site changed to all glassware before the bride and groom arrived.
- At the last minute, a venue decided we couldn’t hang candles from the ceiling even though they previously approved it. Thanks to Twitter, we knew the one florist in this mountain town who graciously sold us all of her LED battery tea light candles. We were able to get these to the florist in time to have hanging glass vases with candles. The bride never noticed the difference.
These are just a few of the many unusual tasks we have done in the past few weeks to ensure our clients have a perfect Colorado wedding weekend.
Debbie Orwat
Wedding Planner in Colorado
Save the Date Events
Posted in mountain wedding, planning | No Comments »
Friday, May 29th, 2009
Need tips for your Colorado mountain wedding? You can find them here!
Posted in mountain wedding, planning | No Comments »
Monday, May 25th, 2009
Last week, we spent a very productive day touring Colorado wedding venues with the Association of Bridal Consultants. Our tour included Pelican Lakes Golf Course shown in the first picture above. It’s a little piece of island atmosphere in the middle of Colorado. We toured and held our monthly meeting at the stunning new Estes Park venue, Della Terra. We also toured the Stanley Hotel and Lost Antler Ranch in Estes Park.
During our meeting, we competed in a table design competition with stunning flowers provided by Amore Fiori and linens provided by Linens Unlimited. Linda from Linens Unlimited also gave us a preview of current chair cover trends shown in the above photos.
At Save the Date Events, we have been active members of the Association of Bridal Consultants for almost four years. The monthly venue tours and meetings allow us to stay on top of trends, see the latest wedding venues and network with some of the best industry professionals in Colorado.
Special thanks to fantastic photographer Hardy Klahold for the photos. You can see more photos of our day on his blog.
Debbie Orwat, Colorado Wedding Planner
Save the Date Events
Posted in ABC, mountain wedding, planning, save the date events | No Comments »
Monday, May 18th, 2009
What a stunning day for a wedding! Margaret and Stephen are two of the sweetest people we have had the priviledge of working with. We coordinated their beautiful brunch wedding on Sunday morning. Their outdoor mountain-top ceremony was accompanied by a string quartet followed by cocktail hour and mimosas on the flagstone patio. Guests were treated to a fabulous brunch provided by one of my favorite caterers,
Occcasions by Sandy. An
espresso bar, professional piano player and a fantastic cake by Das Meyer completed the very enjoyable morning for their guests.
We recently
blogged here about brunch weddings. Who wouldn’t want to be a guest at a fabulous brunch wedding?
Debbie Orwat, Colorado Wedding Planner
Save the Date Events
Posted in mountain wedding, real wedding | 1 Comment »
We are so excited to post about Iris and Jeff’s wedding last Saturday at 
