Japanese legend promises that anyone who folds a thousand origami cranes will be granted a wish by a crane. A thousand paper cranes are also traditionally given as a wedding gift by the father, who is wishing a thousand years of happiness and prosperity upon the couple (Wikipedia).

 

 

These well wishes and blessing were felt throughout Allison and Kyle's wedding celebration.  Sarah Lee Welch Photography was at Lionscrest to capture the photographic moments of the day so that like the cranes these images will live on as cherished mementos of love and blessings from family and friends who joined them as they became husband and wife.

 

Allison and Kyle worked with some other amazing vendors to help create their wedding space into a romantic and welcoming location for all to gather and enjoy each others company. Deb with Reale Decorating worked with the shades of blue and cream white to create striking bouquets and floral arrangements. She also incorporated thick gauge wire into the boutonnieres to add a modern sharp crispness to contrast the dainty elegance blossoms. It was quite stunning!

 

 

Marci with Colorado Rose Cake Co also took the twisted lines and incorporated that into the wedding cake with a wrap effect that was set off the fresh flowers. The five tier cake tempted guests with its fragrant smell of soft roses and sweet icing. We have to admit that even after 16 years of weddings we can't pass up a piece of Marci's cake!

 

 

All in all this wedding tempted and rewarded for mind body and soul from beginning to end with the love and thought that these two put into the details. We send Allison and Kyle 1,000 blessing and many happy years filled with laughter, joy and tradition!

 

Lionscrest Manor Recommended Vendors from this event

 

Wedding Consultant- A Beautiful Memory

Caterer- Front Range Catering Company

Cake- Colorado Rose Cake Co

Photography- Sarah Lee Welch Photography

Liquor- Party Liquor

Decor- Reale Decorating

 

 

Kirsten and Dave came to Lionscrest in the fall of 2010 and after touring the venue decided this was the place for them. With a summer wedding in their minds eye they set out to plan the event of their dreams. Many couples come to Lionscrest and ask for help on all of the planning details but Kirsten and Dave hired Kerri with, A Touch of Bliss. Together they worked on taking the dream to reality. With a Venue Only package Kirsten and Dave felt in control to choose the vendors that truly matched their style and vision. With Kerri by their side the couple created a summer affair that warmed the hearts of their guests and filled them with love, laughter and a bit of nostalgia.

 

The photographic documentation of the day was captured by Garrett with Photography G. We feel privileged to have been working with Garrett for over a decade now and each time he shoots a wedding at Lionscrest we see the hard work and dedication he puts into his craft. He truly has the gift!

 

Here are a few of the vendors who worked in collaboration on this wedding...

 

Coordination- A Touch of Bliss

Photography- Photography G

Caterer- Epicurean

Cake- Child's Bakery

Band- Moments Notice

Lighting- Lighting and Design by Scott

Accommodations- Boulder Marriott

Videographer- 1321 Studios

Florist- Swank Stems

 

The rehearsal is your final opportunity to run through your event details. For many couples this can be a stressful time leading up to the big day but with proper planning and a open mind you can work out those last minute jitters and kinks.

Once you book your event at Lionscrest, you may schedule your one-hour rehearsal for the Wednesday before your wedding. We hold all rehearsals on Wednesdays because we do book so many events Thursday through Monday. You, your family, and wedding party may attend this rehearsal where you can drop off items for the event (a list of items allowed will be provided at your walk-thru), practice the ceremony processional and recessional, and go through general information regarding the order of events. If you have members that cannot attend this rehearsal, we will provide notes that you may use if you choose to have another rehearsal off site closer to your event date.


Here is a story from eleGala on everything you need to know about the rehearsal dinner...

All About Rehearsal Dinners

Everything you need to know to plan a rehearsal dinner – the prelude to the main event…

The rehearsal dinner sets the stage for the entire wedding weekend and is often the first opportunity for family members and guests to meet and greet. Like a calm before the storm, it’s usually relaxed and intimate, allowing the bride and groom to unwind with their closest friends and family before the whirlwind of the main event. 

What Is It

The rehearsal dinner is a celebratory meal after, you guessed it, the ceremony rehearsal. It can be a formal dinner party, a backyard barbecue, or a seaside clambake. Regardless of style, it almost always involved a meal of some kind.

When Is It

The rehearsal dinner usually occurs right after the rehearsal, which is almost always the afternoon or evening before the wedding. 

Who Hosts

The groom’s parents traditionally host and pay for the rehearsal dinner. Nowadays, however, planning and hosting weddings – and all the events surrounding them – is often a group effort. During your initial wedding budget talks with all contributing parties, you’ll need to discuss and determine plans for hosting the rehearsal dinner.

Who’s Invited

The guest list typically includes the wedding party, immediate family, and the officiant. Some couples choose to invite out-of-town guests as well, but if you have a far-flung guest list, inviting them all may be impractical. 

Where Is It

For convenience reasons, the rehearsal dinner should take place close to the wedding location; however, the choice of venue type is pretty open. Restaurants are always a popular option, yet more and more couples are starting to get just as creative with their rehearsal dinner venues as they are their wedding venues. Mansions, museums, parks, gardens, backyards – you name it; it can host a rehearsal dinner. 

What Happens

Rehearsal dinners are well suited for toasting (and roasting), since speakers may feel more comfortable in a more intimate environment. As the traditional host, the father of the groom usually speaks to welcome guests. The best man, maid of honor, bridesmaids, or really anyone else may offer a toast. The bride and groom can also use this opportunity to distribute their attendant gifts and thank their families and guests.

Ideas and Trends

More and more couples are opting for casual rehearsal dinners, especially when the wedding is particularly elegant. Brides and grooms who want to relax and enjoy themselves before the main event find an unbuttoned affair particularly enticing, causing clambakes, crawfish boils, and barbecues to become popular. Other couples are centering the dinner around a fun activity such as a boat cruise, wine tasting, casino night, mini-golf – even bowling. 

Regardless, try to plan a rehearsal dinner that’s a contrast to the wedding, so your guests aren’t thinking “been there, done that” by the time your reception starts.

For your rehearsal dinner here are a few restaurants/caters we suggest...

The Greenbriar Inn (Boulder)

Liz


PHONE: 303-440-7979
http://greenbriarinn.com/→

Punxsutawney Phil may have predicted six more weeks of winter but we did not get that memo in Colorado! This spring has been all over the board. Only in Colorado can you wake up with snow on the ground in the morning and by afternoon be at 70 degrees. Mother Nature has set to work on her mountain garden at Lionscrest this year and we are pleased with the green results. A few extra rain showers here and there are always appreciated but we can't complain.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Among other spring news, this last month we received two new sets of stairs at the facility. Installed in two days these new lateral lifers will bring guests from our circular driveway to the fountain courtyard for years to come. They replaced the older wooden staircases that with over 15 years of service and hundreds of wedding send-offs gladly retired.

 

Speaking of re-purposed wood... check out our new birch bark candles. We suggest using these candles in the cocktail area. They work well for cabaret and bistro tables and blend perfectly with events seeking a Colorado or natural design esthetic.

 

 

 

 

We had another wonderful Bridal Showcase in March and thoroughly enjoyed spending time with our great vendors and couples as they work through the planning process. Special thanks to Michelle Maloy Dillon Photographer for sending us these photos she captured that day! 

 

 

 

 

We just love our vendors and can never sing their praises enough. The wedding and event industry and our network of vendors have become an extended family for us over the years. We all share in the highs and lows professionally and personally. The cake pictured above was featured at the show and crafted by Dennis (the big teddy bear) Das Meyer with Das Meyer Pastry Chalet. Dennis was recently featured on America Best Bakery Contest. The winner will be announced in the May issue of Bake Mag. We wish Dennis and his team good luck and look forward to many delightful wedding cakes this season!

 

 

Summer is just around the corner and we are hard at work for our 2012 couples. Sales for 2013 are underway and we welcome all couples (booked or interested) to join us for our weekly open showings. Click on this link to view our weekday and weekend showing schedule for the month of April.  Until we see you next, keep a weather eye on the horizon and enjoy those magical sunsets!

 

Additional photos provided by Elegant Images and Shannon Huey. 

 

 

 

The average couple spends over 1 year planning out their wedding. From the dress to the food, flowers to the honeymoon couples are involved in every aspect of their event. With music sharing and purchasing through companies like iTunes  couples have also branched into the realm of music connoisseurism. Everyone can get their hand these days on just about any song by any artist they like for pennies on the dollar compared to only a decade ago. With this mobilization of the music industry the world of event DJ's has had to adapt as well. Long gone are the weddings (we hope) where everyone is held hostage to the whims the DJ who has more interest in playing what he likes compared to what you and your guests prefer. Now we see DJ's working hand in hand with the couples to build customized playlist and styling the event to meet and exceed the couples expectations.

 

 

With over 16 years in the wedding industry we have seen thousands of DJ's and entertainment groups. Just like those bridesmaids dresses you keep locked away in the back of your closet it is fair to say that many DJ's scream ugly taffeta and need to stay in the back with the moth balls. This can not be said about our Inclusive package DJ choice, Pure Sounds Productions.

We have had the pleasure of working with the gentleman of Pure Sounds for over 10 years now. They have adapted well to the changing event market and are still as fresh and current today as they always have been. Locally owned and operated by a small group of highly trained experienced DJ's they have solidified their reputation in the wedding industry as a company that seamlessly combines class and entertainment while adhering to the clients' wishes.

 

Offering customization to each and every couple is one of their calling cards. From prelude music through to the send-off at the end of the event, Pure Sounds offers additional services such as live-sound reinforcement, A/V equipment, slideshow production, and concert level sound and lighting. Whether you are booking our Inclusive package or going with a Venue only option we highly recommend that you speak with Pure Sounds about your event needs and how they can assure a memorable and successful event from beginning to end.

 

 

Did you Know...

 

The Top 10 Classic First Dance Songs:

• Unforgettable by Nat King Cole
• The Way You Look Tonight by Frank Sinatra
• What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong
• Can't Help Falling in Love by Elvis Presley
• At Last by Etta James
• It had to be You by Harry Connick Jr.
• A Kiss is Just a Kiss by Michael Feinstein
• Unchained Melody by The Righteous Brothers
• A Whole New World by Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle
• Endless Love by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie

 

- According to Brides, reception entertainment is among the least of their priorities. Within one week after their Reception, 78% of Brides say they would have made the entertainment their highest priority!

 

- When asked, 81% of guests say the thing they remember most about a Wedding is the entertainment.

 

- The average DJ company will invest 20+ hours to present your special event, but it may appear that you are paying for “4 hours”. Consultations, music purchasing and editing, preparation, set-up and tear down, travel, education and other business related endeavors add up to the overall success of your special day. This is why we highly recommend working with a professional service instead of having a friend stand behind a laptop and play music. The DJ truly serves as a coordinator for announcements including the introductions and all formalities as well as monitoring the flow of the event and working with caterer, photographer, venue and other vendors to assure that your hard work and plans are executed. 

 

Photos for this blog provided by Alive Studios, Elegant Images and Emily Forsberg Photography.

 

 

During the wedding planning process couples plan out every item to the last detail but many times they are missing out on including thought into the little things that carry a weight of tradition within our cultures. For your special day think about more that just the food and cake, consider the beverages too. In this case we don't mean what beer and wine you plan to serve but more subtly, what you plan to serve to complement the overall mood you are creating and the story you are telling. Let the tea, tell your tale!

 

Tea in history has been seen as a gift to the brides and grooms that symbolizes unity throughout many cultures. Leona has worked with Yazmin of Namaste Teas to create Wedded Bliss. As an avid tea drinker Leona has always been a gracious hostess at the walk-thru meetings offering up beverages and snacks to couples as they pour over their wedding details. She has had many trips to locale stores and markets searching for just the right tea to offer a calmness to what can be a stressful time in the planning process. Finally after an exhaustive search she found Namaste Teas and was able to create her own custom blend chamomile, roses petals and lavender.

 

 

Namaste Teas, was started by Yazmin Basa and brought to us through Etsy.com. With blends like Radiance Fruit and Berry Tea Infusion, Apple crumble Tea and Lemon Verbena clients can purchase loose petal teas that are customized and packaged for the occasion. If you are looking not only for a unique beverage for your wedding that is steeped in culture, packaged with love and serves up a warm smile then check out Namaste Teas. We promise that the cup will appear half full from here on.

 

 Brittany and Michael met through friends and quickly found that they shared a mutual love for the outdoors. They spent many a date hiking, camping, and four wheeling. After dating for 5 years the couple headed out on their annual trip to Moab for some beautiful scenery and adventure. Little did Brittany know that Michael had planned for the beginning of a new adventure together. Mike proposed to Brittany under "Delicate Arch" in Aches National Park in Moab, UT. It was a total surprise and she "couldn't believe how truly special that moment was".

 

 

From the start of the planning process the couple knew they wanted a Colorado mountain wedding that had the natural serene views that had become a part of their journey together. "Choosing Lionscrest was so easy for us. It offered the amazing Colorado scenery and the elegance of an indoor reception", stated Brittany.

 

More and more we are seeing brides and grooms choose a specific theme or "branding" if you will, for their event. A theme does not mean you have to have to deck your wedding out like you are going to Prom 2012. A theme can be subtle, tasteful and more than anything a glimpse into what makes you and your life adventure as a couple a unique story.

 

Brittany and Michael's wedding for example incorporated green and apples into many different aspects of their ceremony and reception. According to mythology, apples and apple blossoms are ideal symbols of love, youth, beauty and happiness. What could be more perfect for a wedding than that! Brittany told us, "I knew I wanted a summer wedding with the option of having bright, fun, popping colors. I also loved the idea of having colors that contrasted instead of complimented. I thought apple green was very bright and clean and blended well with the natural scenery outside. I decided to incorporate the apples for a couple of different reasons. One being they were the same color as the light green I choose for the color palate. I also felt like the apples acted as a gift to our guests, as well as a creative way to announce table settings. I then loved the idea that we could incorporate the apples in other ways throughout the wedding adding a special touch to the decorations instead of just flowers, and really just being able to tie everything in together".

 

Working with the wedding vendors to carry out the theme visually was also translated into the buffet display presented by Christina Merrill with Greens Point Catering. "Brittany and Michael were just wonderful to work with and I loved their fun, creative design ideas! We incorporated the green apple theme of their place card favors into their buffet décor and served a delicious selection of carefully chosen menu items," said Christina as she reflected on her experience with these nature loving newlyweds. Their delectable reception began with...

 

Appetizers

Truffle Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

 and

Shrimp Tacos with Avocado Mousse

Main Course (Buffet Display)

Fresh Artisan Breads served with butter

Mixed baby greens salad with sea salt, olive oil and sherry vinegar

Chef carved Flatiron Steak with Horseradish Sauce

Artichoke Chicken with Lemon, Sun Dried Tomatoes and Capers

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Lemon Orzo with Roasted Red Pepper

  Sauteed Green Beans with butter and fresh herbs 

 

Even though their planning and event has come to an end, Brittany and Michael's love for nature and each other will lead them down an amazing trail together. We look forward hearing about their adventures and hopefully one day our paths will cross again! 

 

Remember when working on your own "wedding inspirations and theme" that the most important element in your story is you! This is your opportunity to tell your love story so make it a good one!

 

Lionscrest Manor Recommended Vendors from this event

Caterer- Greens Point Catering

Cake- Das Meyer

DJ- Pure Sounds Productions

Photography- Elegant Images

 

Time to thaw out from the winter blues and come out to our Annual Spring Bridal Show on Sunday March 18th from Noon to 3 pm!

 

 

Invitations are going out so check your mail box. Don't want to wait? Get your RSVP in now for the Spring Show 2012 and complete the registration form.

 

This show is free to attend and highlights our amazing preferred vendors. The show offers you a great opportunity to sample food, drinks, desserts and get all of your questions answered by the top in the industry.

 

We look forward to another successful show and will see you all then!

As a continuation of my last blog on Inspiration boards I wanted to expand on the idea of using Pinterest as an image resource. Here is a link to our Lionscrest ideas board created by Shannon Huey. This collection is images of the facility along with other event concepts. From favors to flowers Shannon is constantly on the hunt for new emerging trends and unique ideas in the realm of weddings. Take a look at her board and see if there is anything that sparks your imagination. Feel free to re-pin anything you like!

 

 

 

All around the events industry you hear couples and vendors talking about inspiration boards. So what is an Inspiration Board? Simple, it's anything you want! It is a compilation of images that inspire you, make you happy and communicate your perspective and ideas to others. As a Bride (or Groom) inspiration boards give you a chance to pull together you wishes, dreams, and wedding must haves all in one user friendly format. With websites like Wedding Wire and Pinterest out there it is quick and easy for you to get everyone in the planning process on the same page, your page!

 

For those who have not dabbled in the art of building a board or "pinning" yet, here is a quick and simple tutorial to get you on your way.

 

For this blog we are using the inspiration boards page on Wedding Wire. Lets get started!

 

Step 1: Sign up for a free account with Wedding Wire. No strings attached, we promise. Click here to create an account.

 

  

 

Step 2: Go to the Inspiration Board section of their website. You can find this under the "My Wedding" tab on the main header for your account.

 

 

 

 

 

Step 3: Choose the layout you would like for your board.

 

 

 

Step 4: Start uploading  the images you want to include. You can make multiple boards so you might want one that is wedding flowers, another can be bridesmaids dress ideas, another ceremony decor ideas. The web is full of pictures so whether they are celebrity based, theme driven or color keyed, have fun!

 

 

Step 5: Share your completed board with your vendors, friends and family. Just remember, others like to give opinions even when they are not asked for. Keep your list down to your essential idea team.

 

 

 

Another popular option is to create an account with Pinterest. This is a great site that you can use for your wedding and beyond. I have seen people create boards for just about everything you can imagine. While Pinterest boards don't look quite as editorial as the ones on Wedding Wire you are not limited by the number of images you put on a board and you can add in your own text and notes (including website links to reference back to later). You do have to request an invite to become a member of Pinterest and once you are on it you will most likely find many facebook friends are on it too.

 

 

 

 

Also look to see if any of your vendors have inspiration boards showing their work. These will help you to focus in on the possibilities and may even take your down a path you had not considered. Whatever method you prefer, give inspiration boards a try. We know you will be hooked!