Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Happy Anniversary Liana & Josh

We have the most amazing couples and families we get to work with.  It is so much fun looking back at some of the incredible celebrations we have been thrilled to be a part of.

Liana and Josh's beautiful wedding took place at Cielo at Castle Pines in Castle Rock, ColoradoDesign Works did an incredible job creating the magical ceremony backdrop for the "I Do's" and an elegant room for the reception. The wedding was full of personal touches from a picture of Liana's grandparents adorning her bouquet, to a groomsmen cake designed to look like a Play Station controller. And their wedding cake...wow, one of the most breathtaking cakes we have seen (both cakes by Elegant Bakery).

Such a lovely wedding.  Happy Anniversary Liana and Josh!
From the bride…..

Every girl, especially those who are in a long-term relationship, always imagines how their man is going to propose one day. I was no exception. In 2010 Josh and I had been together for five and a half years and had quite a challenging year as we were separated for eight months. Josh joined the Air Force and had to go through months and months of training and I decided to study abroad in New Zealand. The distance and lack of communication took a tremendous toll on both us, but it also made us both realize we simply couldn’t live without each other. In September 2010, I had a break from my classes and Josh had a break from training in California. Miraculously our breaks overlapped. I flew over 7,000 miles to see him and spend two weeks together, the longest we’d been together in five months. During our last week together, Josh kept bugging me to go get my nails done (why would a man care, right?) and finally the morning of September 5th I went and got a manicure. Good thing I did because later that day Josh took me to the Botanical Gardens and proposed! It was a moment that exceeded everything I imagined.

I was still finishing up college, so we decided to have a long engagement and wait until I was finished with school. We were engaged three days shy of two years. September 2, 2012 was absolutely the most amazing day of my life. We had our ceremony and reception at the phenomenal Cielo at Castle Pines in Castle Rock, Colorado. The weather was gorgeous except for a small storm that wiggled its way in at the end of cocktail hour (but our photographers, Revert Imaging, and videographers, Rising Moon Films, got some super cute shots of us running in from the rain with Josh holding his tuxedo jacket over me). Josh and I took dance lessons and we chose a nontraditional song, Breathe by Angels and Airwaves, for our first dance. My dad and I took dance lessons as well and began with a traditional waltz to The Prayer by Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli. But we had a little trick up our sleeve; just as our guests thought our heartfelt dance was over the music switched to Bamboleo by the Gypsy Kings (a song that my dad and I always danced to when I was a child) where we did a fun salsa number. Seeing and hearing our guest’s reactions were great!

After an amazing dinner (by Epicurean Catering), touching speeches, and cutting the cake, Josh and I, along with our 170 guests, had a blast dancing the night away thanks to awesome music provided by DJ Manos. We felt so much love that day. We had guests fly in from all over the country (California, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Arizona, Louisiana, Michigan, Washington, and Texas) and I even had family that flew in from Australia to attend our special day! However, our big day would not have been possible without the exceptional help and knowledge from our incredible wedding planner Kathy Vaughan from A Beautiful Memory. We hired her in January 2011 and she helped us with nearly everything and boy, am I glad we had her! Our design team at Design Works also deserves extraordinary credit for spending hours and hours putting together our ceremony and reception. And last but not least I want to extend a huge thank you to my parents, Betty and John, who truly made this day possible.
  
Josh and I honeymooned in Montego Bay, Jamaica and had a wonderful time relaxing, swimming in the warm ocean, getting our tan on, and enjoying our first days together as man and wife. We have been together for over eight years now and it feels amazing to finally be married to my best friend, my soul mate.
 
FULL WEDDING GALLERY

Ceremony & Reception Site – Cielo at Castle Pines - Cakes – Elegant Bakery- Caterer – Epicurean Catering - Décor – Design Works - Ceremony & Cocktail Music – A Touch of Class - DJ – Starkey Productions - Photographer – Revert Photo - Videographer – Rising Moon Films - Photo Booth – A Custom Look Photography - Wedding Dress – Bea’s Bridal Nook - Bridesmaid Dresses – D’Annali Bridal - Tux Rental – Men’s Wearhouse - Invitations – Signed & Sealed by Steph - Hair & Make-up – Beauty on Location by Liz - Rentals – Event Rents - Ceremony Sound – LMD Productions - Transportation – Royal Ambassadors

Monday, June 16, 2014

Happy Anniversary Audrey & Troy


We were absolutely in love with this wedding from start to finish.  An incredible couple and family and spectacular celebration!

The amazing three venue wedding started out at Audrey’s family ranch in Berthoud, Colorado.  A romantic ceremony tent was created for the “I Do’s”.  After the beautiful ceremony, the guests enjoyed cocktails around the pool as a string quartet played.  The guests were then shuttled into Boulder to the gorgeous St Julien Hotel, where another amazing tent was created for the reception dinner.  When dining and cake cutting concluded the guests walked a short distance into the hotel, where the ballroom had been transformed into a chic lounge for dancing.  The “Crazy Love Lounge” was named after Audrey & Troy’s first dance song.  This was truly a stunning event that we were honored to be a part of.  Happy Anniversary Audrey & Troy!
From the bride…..
My husband and I are high school sweethearts and have dreamed of saying “I Do” for as long as I can remember. We both grew up in the same town and spent many years of our relationship around our close friends and family, and we couldn’t have imagined it any other way! Flash forward almost 6 years later and Troy was knocking on my parents door, engagement ring in hand, to ask my father for my hand in marriage. 

When it came time to plan our wedding, we knew we wanted it to be a celebration that our family and friends would remember forever. Our first quest in planning our dream wedding was choosing the right venue. After flipping through countless magazines and websites, my dad presented the idea of having the wedding at our home- a 300 acre ranch nestled in the quant town of Berthoud, Colorado. Troy and I instantly fell in love with the idea! Troy asked me to be his girlfriend in the front driveway of my home, and we were thrilled at the thought of creating our first memories as husband and wife there.

Once we chose the venue, we knew we needed a team of professionals to make our vision of a fairytale wedding come to life. We were so blessed to have met our wedding coordinator, Kathy Vaughan, of A Beautiful Memory and the amazing vendors she works with. Kathy was a dream come true. She knew exactly what we wanted to make our fairytale wedding come to life-- and exceeded our wildest expectations!! 

My favorite aspect of planning the wedding was designing three unique locations for the ceremony, reception, and dancing. We began the evening with a romantic ceremony at my home. Pale pinks and cream roses transformed our backyard into the most breathtaking ceremony I have ever seen. Exchanging our wedding vows in front of family and friends at my home was a dream come true in itself. Pair that with an aisle covered in fresh rose petals, a live string quartet, and an alter draped in thousands of fresh roses, and we were living in a fairytale. 

After the ceremony, our guests were shuttled to the St Julien Hotel in Boulder to kick off the second round of celebrations. We wanted to bring in dramatic red accents and rich tones to the reception tent to reflect the love Troy and I share with our family and friends. It was important to us that the reception was a place for our guests to truly enjoy themselves and celebrate with one another.

After dinner, our guests were led into our third and final location- the “Crazy Love” lounge. Troy and I danced to our first song, “Crazy Love” by Van Morrison, that was played to perfection by our band, Tunisia.  Our guests loved the energy of the live band, and even got to mix it up with top 40 songs from the dj. I loved the ambiance in this room- I truly felt like we were in a chic club, dancing the night away with friends and family! 
 
Our wedding was magical and we feel so blessed to have worked with such an incredible team of vendors. We cherished each and every aspect of our wedding and couldn’t have imagined spending our first day as husband and wife any other way! 



Photographer – Studio JK Photography : Videographer – Lupher Arts : Décor / Florist – Design Works / Jesse Ketter : Venue – St. Julien Hotel : Cake – Elegant Bakery : Travel – Travel Society / Terri Kuther : Caterers – St. Julien Hotel And /Chef Lamb : Hair / Makeup – Fluff Bar : Invitations & Paper Products – Signed & Sealed by Steph : Lighting – LMD Productions : Linens – Linens Unlimited : Ceremony & Cocktail Reception Music – A Touch of Class : Reception Music – Tunisia & DJ Ripm through Starkey Productions  : Sound – Ceremony LMD Productions  Reception Starkey Productions : Rentals – Event Rents : Ceremony Tent – Event Rents : Reception Tent -  Mountain View Tent Co. : Transportation – Jay’s Valets & Royal Ambassador : Wedding Dress – Anna be : Welcome Bags – A Beautiful Memory

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Wedding Insurance: Preparing for the Unexpected

Thank you to our special guest blogger - Shannon Casey, writer for HomeInsurance.com.

Wedding insurance isn’t exactly the most romantic of purchases. Weddings are a big deal and a big investment. According to The Knot, the average couple spends $27,800 on the big day. You’re excited to get married but you wish you felt your plans were a little more secure.

Here’s where wedding insurance comes in. Think of it as a pre-prenup – something you want to have but hope to never use. If you’re hesitant to broach the subject with your soon-to-be spouse, consider the many reasons a wedding might have to be canceled. A case of cold feet isn’t the only catalyst for a disastrous walk down the aisle. Poor weather, cancellations and illness are just a few reasons you might need to save a different date. All these scenarios can be protected under insurance, too.

Weddings can be canceled due to inclement weather in practically any climate. A tornado might strike the day of your barn wedding. A tropical storm or hurricane would completely halt a beach ceremony, and a blizzard could keep guests from attending a winter wedding.

Just because you plan to love your partner through sickness and health doesn’t mean you should suffer the former during your wedding. Your fiancé could get food poisoning from their morning crab cake benedict. The grandmother of the bride might suffer a stroke and require hospitalization. Your future spouse might get in a skiing accident during his bachelor party and break his legs, and both of you are determined to dance at the wedding.

People might cancel for other reasons, too. The DJ might suffer a death in the family and have to attend a funeral. The caterer’s fridge might lose power overnight and all the food goes bad. The band might accidentally be booked twice for that evening. You have two options: carrying on with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and an MP3 player or you can decide to temporarily postpone the wedding.

When you cancel a wedding, you don’t just lose a memory. You also lose your deposit money. Whether the wedding is off entirely or merely postponed, you can’t get that money back – that is, unless you have wedding insurance. Wedding insurance usually is referred to as special event insurance and doesn’t have to cost you much money. A basic policy might set you back little more than $100. More lavish weddings will require a more expensive policy, possibly up to $400.

Spending that extra money might seem like a burden, but gambling on your wedding going off without a hitch carries significant risk. Special event insurance costs less than losing your deposits and it also comes with the reassurance that you have a backup plan. Additionally, many venues require wedding parties to have liability insurance before booking. Also consider purchasing extra riders for high-value items, like dresses, tuxes, wedding gifts and even your honeymoon.

Some say that peace of mind is priceless. Instead of worrying about the financial burden of a wedding, special event insurance makes it so you can focus on what matters: happily celebrating a commitment to the person you love most.

This article was contributed by Shannon Casey, writer for HomeInsurance.com. With a background in comedy and playwriting, Shannon branched into blogging and marketing in 2011, writing for several national brands. She graduated from Hampshire College in Amherst, MA, in 2010 with a B.A. in Liberal Arts.

Photo by Rachael Grace Photography

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Emily & Bryce's Denver Rooftop Wedding Featured on Style Me Pretty

We are so excited to have Emily & Bryce's wedding featured on Style me Pretty.
Here is a glance at the beautiful Style Me Pretty blog:

When some people think of Colorado they often think rustic mountain backdrops and wide open spaces. And while it absolutely is those things, it’s also much, much more. It’s cool and eclectic and home to some seriously fabulous style. This modern Denver wedding perfectly embraces all the different sides the Rockies have to offer. It’s fresh and romantic… and just as stunning as the sweet couple behind it. With beautiful images by Chris Humphreys Photography and day of coordination by A Beautiful Memory, we’re 100% smitten with this carefree Colorado celebration.

 To view the full blog and gallery on Style Me Pretty click here.

Thursday, February 7, 2013

10 Wedding Movies for Guys

Thank you to our special guest blogger - Todd Babcock.

Since the advent of the expression “chick flick” to the lexicon of film sub-genres ‘the wedding film’ (that sub-genre of the romantic comedy) has gotten swept up into it.  There is, of course, a certain amount of common sense to this cohabitation of the two styles as anyone will tell you (without hesitation, I may recall) “weddings are all about the bride.”

Yet, in recent years we are seeing an evolution not just in weddings but in wedding films.  The groom, that silent sufferer of old to all things romantic and sweet, has suddenly taken a step upon the stage of the modern union with some voice and some style of his own.  Thusly, we see reflected, that male energy taking its place up on screen.

Of course, left to its own devices, the ‘wedding film for guys’ can quickly devolve into simply, ‘the bachelor party flick’ which, of course, can be the anti-thesis of a wedding film.  It’s a slippery slope from one last night with the guys to complete sabotage of the entire point of the party.
But boys will be boys so let’s not be too hard on them.  As long as there is a happy ending, I propose these films for fun watching to enjoy the wedding spirit and not put the guys in tuxes in the corner.


1. ‘THE WEDDING SINGER’ (1998)
This film has just that perfect blend of the modern wedding movie.  Robbie Hart (Adam Sandler), the wedding singer, gets stood up at the altar and loses faith in romance.  Enter Julia (Drew Barrymore), a caterer at the same functions, who is preparing for her own nuptials to a cad. Meet-cute and proceed.

‘The Wedding Singer’ manages to reel in men with the Sandler gross out humor and gags but reign it in just enough to not be alienating to the romanticism of the theme.  Drew Barrymore is perfectly endearing as the good girl following through with the principle of her engagement when her heart tells her otherwise.

Much of the film enjoys showing a couple preparing and working on weddings while having some fun at its expense.

(Favorite moment: Steve Buscemi as the beyond drunk best man venting a lifetime of rage in his toast.  Later when trying to heckle the wedding singer simply chokes on his own inanity. “Hey, wedding singer!” -almost falls over-“ Woooo!!!”)




2. ‘MY BEST FRIEND’S WEDDING’ (1997)
In my opinion this was an instant classic.  Julliane (Julia Roberts), a woman too smart, busy and professional to be conventionally in love learns her best friend, Michael (Dylan McDermont) is engaged.
Waking her up to feelings of loss and regret, she comes to the decision he is her only chance at happiness and she must win him over.
Comedy ensues.

The director, PJ Hogan (‘Muriel’s Wedding’), manages a quick-paced comedy that is surprisingly funny and original and need not be a guilty pleasure for women.


(Favorite moment: In a sneaky moment the director manages to slip in a musical number as Rupert Everett, posing as Julliane’s fiancé to make Michael jealous, breaks into song in a fabricated story on how they met. “The moment I wake up…”)




3. ‘THE WEDDING CRASHERS’ (2005)
John (Owen Wilson) and Jeremy (Vince Vaughan) are two divorce attorneys who, ironically, in their free time go to weddings for their entertainment.  Problem is, they aren’t invited.  Using these events for free food, booze and girls all that changes when John actually falls for Claire (Rachel McAdams) and starts breaking all their crashing rules.

Surely this seems like an un-conventional pick on a list of wedding movies.  The title alone may seem contrary to the theme.  Yet, what can’t be escaped in this film is the unabashed love of weddings by the movie and by the characters.  While the theme may be about taking advantage of the all the work these events become, down deep, is a love of the celebration and the feel good vibe one gets when actually being part of such a worthy celebration.  And, yes, we get a happy ending.

(Favorite moment: When John eyes Claire as a bridesmaid at the altar poorly stifling her laughter at the couple’s inane vows. C’mon, we’ve all been there. “You are the captain of my ship…”)




4. ‘FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL’ (1994)
Serial monogamist Charles (Hugh Grant) meets the perfect woman, Carrie (Andie McDowell), at wedding number one of the title.  They hit it off perfectly; he falls madly, and then learns she is engaged and unattainable.  Three weddings and said funeral ensue as he watches those around him find love as he grows more and more despondent.

For a wedding film this hits all the right notes ranging from the comedic and absurd to sadness and loss.  Since the protagonist is a man we can certify it as male-friendly but a bride should be cautioned as this certainly tip-toes dangerously close to the “chick flick”.  You know your man by now.  If you’re not sure please proceed to the next title.

(Favorite moment: When Charles gives into to his romantic futility and agrees to marry an ex flame he receives the news that Carrie is now single just before he is to walk down the aisle.  Putting his head down he explodes a liturgy of curses in front of the priest.  “Bugger, bugger, bugger!!!”)



 5. ‘THE HANGOVER’
Three men awake the day after a bachelor party for their close friend with no memory of the occasion and have, in fact, lost the groom.
Place this one in the ‘slippery slope’ file of wedding pictures.

Truly guy-centric with all its outlandish celebration of drunken inanity and gross out humor.  Yet one can’t lose sight that finding the groom and getting him married is of the utmost importance.  To wit, if there were no love or sense of responsibility then there would be no obstacle for these men to overcome.  Not only that, but in the end, even the most ardent anti-marriage character, Phil (Bradley Cooper), is married with a son and happily at that- he just has to be ‘that guy’ we all have in our lives.

(Favorite moment: Every unfinished thought by Alan (Zach Galifianakis) that sounds so disturbed but is never explored. “I’m not supposed to be within two hundred feet of a school…or a Chuck E. Cheese.”)




6. ‘THE TIME TRAVELER’S WIFE’ (2009)
Henry (Eric Bana) is a time traveler who has no consistency in his life until he meets Clare (Rachel McAdams) and they struggle to create a marriage over the decades of lapses.

While this selection isn’t over the plate for a wedding film it takes its theme of time, aging, and a couple maturing together through difficult obstacles very sincerely.  While men may enjoy the science fiction aspect of the story in the end it truly is a message about love and commitment.  (You don’t have to tell him that, by the way)

And, yes, there is a wedding.  This one should make the list alone for its originality with “the groom almost misses the event” cliché we’ve seen so many times upended.

(Favorite moment: When Henry gives Clare a winning lottery ticket and she watches in guilt as the numbers are exposed and Henry calls them out beforehand. It’s such a guilty pleasure. “My condition has a lot of downsides. This isn’t one of them.”)



7. ‘MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING’ (1993)
Young lovers Hero (Kate Beckinsale) and Claudio (Robert Sean Leonard)are to be married in one week.  To pass the time, they conspire with Don Pedro (Denzel Washington)to set a "lover's trap" for Benedick (Kenneth Branagh), an arrogant confirmed bachelor, and Beatrice( Emma Thomson), his favorite sparring partner.  Meanwhile, the evil Don Jon (Keanu Reeves) conspires to break up the wedding by accusing Hero of infidelity.  Comedy and drama ensue in equal force.

Now this one depends on the guy, of course.  In some circles watching any Shakespeare movie on romance might be considered a chick flick but this one is so brilliantly performed and directed to eschew such gender boundaries.  The writing ain’t bad either.  Keep an eye out for Michael Keeton’s slight homage to Monty Python’s shtick.

(Favorite moment: Every scene with Beatrice and Benedick.  The then-married couple of Branagh and Thompson were at their best here.  Beatrice, ”I wonder that you will still be talking, Signior Benedick: nobody marks you.” Benedick, “What, my dear Lady Disdain! are you yet living?”)




8. ‘THE PROPOSAL’ (2009)
A control-freak boss, Margaret (Sandra Bullock) faces deportation to Canada when it is revealed she isn’t a US citizen.  To fix the situation she negotiates with her assistant, Andrew (Ryan Reynolds) to marry her. Complications and comedy ensue when Margaret learns there’s more to life, love and Andrew than she had bargained for.

I was reluctant to even see this film at first, I’ll admit.  The pairing of its two stars and the premise seemed a little too cute and packaged.  That said, the charm and earned laughs won me over by the end along with the supporting cast and a solid script.  Makes a great case for finding love in unexpected places and seeing people outside the paradigm of what they do for a living.

(Favorite moment: When Margaret gets out of the shower and falls into the arms of Andrew as the two feign disgust at every inch of contact.  “Margaret, will you marry me? Because I'd like to date you.”)




9. ‘JERRY MAGUIRE’ (1996)
When super sports agent and womanizer Jerry Maguire (Tom Cruise) has a moral awakening when he writes a mission statement to his company that finds him isolated and alone save his one client Rod (Cuba Gooding Jr.) and his secretary, Dorothy (Renee Zellweger).

While the wedding in this film isn’t front and center the marriage of Jerry and Dorothy is.  A terrific movie that examines the deeper resonance of what partnership entails while keeping the men engaged with sports and business and a lot of comedy.





(Favorite moment: Regina King as Rod’s wife, Marcee, as she watches him get injured in a pivotal game only to recover minutes later.  She goes from uncensored despair to blowing kisses to the screen.  It’s simply marvelous. “We just don’t work without him, Jerry!”)




10. ‘SHE’S HAVING A BABY’ (1988)
Jake (Kevin Bacon) and Kristy (Elizabeth McGovern) are newly married and now face the ‘what next?’ dilemma as they adjust to suburban life in Chicago.  As the title suggests, she gets pregnant and the young couple have to face the bigger questions that come along with that discovery.

This is one of the more under-rated movies in the late John Hughes repertoire (‘The Breakfast Club’, ‘Pretty in Pink’, etal).  It manages to balance biting satire and broad comedy along with heart rending moments that remind one of the point of it all.



(Favorite moment: Alec Baldwin, as Jake’s best friend, Davis telling him in the car just before he walks into the church to get married that he still has an out.  It’s so brutal and cruel I have to admit I quoted this to my own best friend at the same instance.  Luckily, he got the reference. ; ) “You just give me the word and we are out of here.”)



Of course any list comes with flaws and omissions but it’s a great place to start.  Then again, if you’re reading this you probably have those ten thousand other things you’re supposed to be doing.  Maybe when Mr. Man tries to pull the old “you plan it the way you want and I’ll show up” you can suggest he track down some of these titles.  Then, while watching, he may come to some epiphany and work his darndest to make it the best day of your lives.  Or does that just happen in the movies?