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, Colorado.
Design 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
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!
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.
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 byA Beautiful Memory, we’re 100% smitten with this carefree Colorado celebration.
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?
