SCE Real Wedding

Stacey and Mike were married earlier today at Devil’s Thumb Ranch. They celebrated their nuptials with 35 of their closest friends and family. The wedding ceremony was held in the Broad Ox Barn and the reception was in the Timber House. They also opted to have a brunch reception for their wedding and it was awesome.



The day started off beautifully, we set up the outside ceremony spot as well, in case they wanted to moved outside. They decided to leave the ceremony the Broad Ox Barn, just in case. They made a great decision, as it started to sprinkle right before the ceremony.





The reception was beautiful and Stacey had a great vision. She had a clear idea of what she wanted and we made it come alive. The colors were a vibrant green and brown, and boy was it stunning.





Vendors:

Venue - Devil's Thumb Ranch
Photography - Paige Elizabeth (check back for her sneak peek later this week!)
DJ - Family Friend
Flowers - Country Club
String Trio - Alpine Strings
Cakes - Whole Foods

Wedding Day Tips

Finally after months of planning, the day is here!!! Here are some tips to make sure you have a remarkable day!

•Get plenty of sleep – try to relax and ease your nerves the night before the wedding. Do whatever you normally do to relax; read a book, watch a movie, take a bath, etc. There are some don’t as well: if you have never taken sleeping pills, don’t let this be the time you try and don’t drink to try to soothe your nerves, you don’t want to end up with a hangover.

•Make sure to set an alarm – this will ensure you are up in time and not running late, which can cause stress.

•Sent something to your bride/groom to be – this can be delivered by your maid/matron of honor, best man or wedding planner. It can be as simple as a card letting them know your feelings on this day.

•Stick to your morning routine – do everything you normally would in the morning; workout, drink coffee, watch the Today show, etc. this will help to keep you relaxed.

•Make sure to eat – this is very important! You may feel too nervous to eat breakfast but it is important. Stick to a meal that is non greasy and low in fat; cereal, oatmeal and eggs are a few suggestions. Stay away from juice – it has a lot of acid and it can make your stomach feel more irritated. Depending on what time you are getting married, you may need to eat lunch as well. A good rule of thumb is to eat a small meal every three hours to keep your energy up. Also do not eat foods that can cause bad breath such as garlic and fish or food that can make you feel bloated like onions and broccoli. Have simple snacks available while you are getting ready, a veggie tray or snack crackers are good options. Be sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day!! Have a selection of drinks on hand.

•Eat before putting on your gown – you don’t want to end up with a spill on your dress. While getting ready, keep food and drinks away from your wedding ware.

•Use straws while drinking – this will help keep lipstick looking flawless.

•Have good light – natural light if possible. Your beauty team will need this light to make you look your best. Whether you are at a salon or hotel room, make sure you have access to a room with plenty of windows.

•Wear a shirt that buttons/zips up the front – you don’t want to mess with a shirt that you have to pull over your head. Make you wear something comfortable as well. Beauty takes time and you don’t want to be uncomfortable while getting ready.

•Take gowns out of the bags – this will give the garments time to air out and find out if there is any last minute pressing that needs to be done. Hang your wedding dress so the skirt and train are not touching the ground – an armoire, door frame or curtain rod usually work well. If you have a heavy gown, be cautious of hanging it on a curtain rod, it could fall. Also, make sure you dust the area around where you gown will be hanging. You don’t want to end up with dirty spots on your gown.

•Before you put on your gown – go to the bathroom!! Then put on all of your undergarments, except shoes (these can catch on the material of your dress), then put on your gown. Be sure to have help, especially if it is going over your head.

•Sit on a stool – if you need to sit, sit on a stool this way you can reduce the amount wrinkles on your gown. Lift up your dress so you are just sitting on your undergarments and then move your gown around the stool.

•Secure your veil – your hair dresser should attach your veil and make sure it feels secure. They should also be able to tell a family member or bridal party member, how to remove the veil, if you are taking it off later.

•Have photos done – plan to have your photographer arrive during the finishing touches of getting ready. You will not be able to capture these moments yourself, and having a photographer capture them will remind you of what you felt during that time.

•Be on time!!! Be on time!!! Be on time!!!

•Go to the bathroom one last time – before the ceremony begins. You want to be able to focus fully on the ceremony and not how much you need to go to the bathroom. Have your bridesmaids or family help you.

•Move your engagement ring – to your right hand right before the ceremony. The groom can put your wedding ring on your left finger during the ceremony without running into problems. After the ceremony, move your engagement ring back to your left hand.

***Pictures courtsey of Real Photography

Recent Compliments

I am updating my website (look for it in a couple weeks, I hope) so I have not been posting the compliments from my recent brides so I thought I could share them here. We are truly lucky in the couple department, we love our brides!!


Hi Danielle, Thank You!!!!!!!!!! Everything ran absolutely perfect without a hitch thanks to you! Everything was absolutely amazing so thanks so much for all your hard work. You are great at what you do and I will tell everyone I know about you! Kelly and Jeff—4/25/09

Danielle Odil is an angel to us...we hired her a month before our wedding. The moment I met her I knew our wedding will be in great hands and my stress level went down. She is so organized and really good in what she does. Her professionalism is one of her great traits. She is probably one of the best wedding coordinators here in Colorado:-) As my husband said DANIELLE ROCKS!!!!
Mic and Justin 1/16/09

Danielle was the best thing that happened to our wedding! We could not have done it without her - she was highly professional and not afraid to take corrective action or escalate when things did not go perfectly. In the beginning, I did not think she was quite responsive enough, but I learned that she knows more than I do about timing and I really did not need to worry that questions were not answered immediately (I was just being too obsessive at the time!). She was definitely a good friend and a great planner - I would recommend her to anyone getting married in Colorado.
Lynn and Scott 1/3/09

Danielle is AMAZING! I don’t know what I have done without her. If you don’t think you need a DOC then you seriously need to think again! She does it all!!!. She was the BEST money spent on the wedding. I had a dilemma with my ceremony music and she fixed it no problem. I don’t know what I have done without her. She also did a fabulous job at the rehearsal. She does SOOOO much and has the best prices out there.
Belinda and Justin 11/22/08


***Picture from Nina Weddings

Formal Place Settings

If you are having a formal wedding, the formality should permeate throughout the day. From your invitation, to program to ceremony and finally to your dinner and reception – the level of formality should be maintained.

This post is going to be about your place setting.

This place setting is used for a menu that would look like the following:
Appetizer - Shellfish
First Course - Soup or fruit
Fish Course
Entree
Salad

In a formal place setting the utensils are placed in the order of use from the outside in (this is also true in informal and basic place settings) but there are two exceptions in formal dining - the forks are on your left and the knives and spoons are placed to your right.

There are 5 elements to a place setting:

Salt and pepper shakers – should be incorporated as part of the table décor. They are usually unattractive.

Charger plate (a) – this is an oversized and ornamental plate set in place for each guest. It give an attractive and “whole” look to the table before the food is served. It will remain in the table throughout dinner (until the entree) and the food plate for each course will be placed on top of it.

Napkin – placed on top of the charger. If there is no charger, the napkin is placed in the empty place where the food course plate will go. You can have different fabrics, colors and folds. This is also a great place to insert your menu card.

China – it can be used as an added element of décor to your tablescape. You should choose a pattern that enhances the charger and accents your linens. Dining china is made up of three elements:

• Bread and butter plate (b)(k) – it is placed above the forks on the left side with the butter knife place diagonally on top of the place. The handle should be facing right and the blade faced down.

• Salad plate – smaller than your dinner place and when served is placed on top of the charger

• Dinner plate – the entrée is served on it and it is takes the place of the charger

Flatware – can be used as another decorative element. No rules apply to selecting flatware other than making sure you have appropriate flatware for your menu.
• Dinner fork (c) – largest fork and is placed to the left edge of the charge

• Salad fork (e) – placed to the left of the dinner fork.

• Fish fork (d) – placed farthest to the left of the dinner fork (it is the first fork used). Only set if fish is to be served.

• Dinner knife (f) – placed to the right edge of the charger plate

• Fish knife (g) – placed to the right of the dinner knife. Again, it should only be set if you are serving fish.

• Salad knife – placed to the right of the fish knife.

• Soup spoon (i) – placed to the right of the knives

• Oyster/Cocktail fork (j) – set to the right of the spoon; only place if shellfish is being served. It is the only fork that is placed to the right.

Dessert spoons and forks are brought out with the dessert.

Glassware (l)
Glassware is placed to the upper right of the dinner place and there can be up to 5 glasses depending on your beverage choices. You can select from a wide variety but make sure it accents your place setting.

• Water Goblet – placed directly above the knives

• Champagne Flute – placed to the right of the water goblet

• Wine Glasses – slightly below and to the right of the water goblet

• Sherry Glass – placed to the right of the red and white wine glasses



**Picture from Emily Post**

Seating Considerations

Things to consider when making a seating chart:

•Consider the type of food you are serving. For a dessert or hors d'oeuvre reception, you do not need formal seating. For buffets or plated meals, formal seating is a must.

•Don't seat relatives that clash together.

•Try to seat people together by age or their relationship to you. Friends together, cousins together, aunt and uncles together. This way they all have a wonderful time.

•For a head table, there are so many options and often there is not a head table. You can have the traditional head table, a sweetheart table (just the two of you), a long table with family and bridal party, etc. etc. There are no rules, just do what you want! As I always say, it is your wedding, let it reflect you both as a couple!

•Don’t seat older guests near the kitchen or the DJ/band. For obvious reasons…

•Have a children’s table with activities, coloring books, favors, etc.

•Check out this website for even more advice

Picture courtsey of Laura Dombrowski Photography

Escort Cards vs. Place Cards

So what is the difference between the two? The names have been used interchangeably but there is a difference.

Escort Card – used to let guests know their assigned table

Place Cards – used to let guest know of their assigned seat at a table

There are many ways to word an escort card. It should give their name and the table number (or name) that they are assigned to. Here are some examples:
•Jane Smith – the full name of a single guest
•Dr. & Mrs. Dennis Heinz – for a married couple
•Josh Anderson and Guest – if a guest has brought a guest but you do not know the name (although you should try to get this name if possible)

For a place card, there are a several choices as well.
•Walter Fritz – the first and last name of the guest
•Mr. Jones – the person’s title and last name
•Mike – the first name only

You should have already determined the formality of your event (with your invitations and save the dates) and your place cards or escort cards should follow suit. You should be consistent in all aspects of the wedding.

***Picture from Martha Stewart

I is for...

Infinity Park is located minutes from downtown Denver and the Cherry Creek Shopping District. The main ballroom can accommodate up to 800 guests (Hello!!) and you can do a cocktail hour in the Grand Foyer. There are a variety of spaces inside and out, to let you create your vision. They have a list of preferred caterers for your dinner. The price ranges from $25 and up plus a site fee. They can do up to 3 affairs at once. Please call 720 226-9723 for more information!

H is for...

Heritage Eagle Bend is located 4 miles east of Parker on C-470. You can have your wedding ceremony here, there are several locations available. They have reception space available for 20-300 guests. They have 5 banquet rooms and each one includes an outdoor patio. The largest room available is complete with a custom stage and large dance floor. They have an extensive menu and beverage options to satisfy every couple. The price ranges from $35 to $65 per person. For more information, please call 303 693-7788 x123 or visit their website at http://www.heritageeaglebend.com.

G is for...

The Grant-Humphreys mansion is located in Denver’s Quality Hill Historic District and is 10 minutes from downtown Denver. It was built in 1902 and has been a gathering place for Denver society. The mansion is available for parties, rehearsal dinners, weddings and receptions. It can accommodate 20-175 people for these events and only host one event at a time. The mansion features a grand staircase, elaborately detailed fireplaces, sophisticatedly appointed rooms, and a traditional ballroom for dancing. The south terrace, with the view of the Front Range, is perfect location for your ceremony or outside dining. You are able to bring in a caterer from their preferred list to this location, so you can make the choice. The price ranges from $25-60 plus a site fee. The cuisine is varied and is customized to fit your need and budget. For more information, please call 303 894-2505.

Pictures and information from Wedding Sites and Services.

F is for...

Folsom Field Stadium Club is located in Boulder and is know for the “best view”. It features floor to ceiling windows offering stunning views of the Flatiron’s and Boulder’s picturesque surroundings. There are two separate spaces and can be used separately or together. The club can accommodate up to 370 for a seated affair or 1,000 for a cocktail reception – it can also host two affairs at once. The menu can be customized by the executive chef on site. They use the freshest ingredients available. The Price range is $35 and up. They offer the capability for a ceremony and a kosher menu. For more information, please call 303 492-3663.