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.

 

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!

 

 

 

 

 

Yes the Holiday season is here and it is time to scramble to the good ole' recipe box for some tasty tidbits. This year our gift to you is the gift of sharing. Here today are some of our favorite recipes from our Christmas cocktail party. We hope you give them a try and that they are such a hit that you add them to your family recipe box. Happy Eating!

 

The Cocktail Party

For Leona's side of the family we traditionally have a get together on Christmas Eve. As everyone is very busy with final preparations we try to keep things simple with appetizers and soups. This way no one is over stuffed for the evening and they are free to snack as they like (in between games and puzzles).

 

Click on the following links for the recipes you see below.

 

Bacon Wrapped Scallops- This is my personal favorite. Nothing is better than a little surf and turf to get the holiday started. The spicy mayo will be a new twist for this year. As another option make some with water-chestnuts for those who like a little crunch.

 

 

Piggyback Shrimp- I think Tatiana was the first one to try this BBQ recipe out. We originally found it in a Taste of Colorado cookbook years ago. This is a good cooking companion with the bacon scallops above as it too goes under the broiler so no need for multiple ovens and setting to keep an eye on.

 

Wendy's Squash Soup- In our family we have to trick each other into eating our fruits and veggies. This soup (while not light on the calories) does the trick. It is delicious and enjoyed by our family young and old.

 

Buffalo Bites- This a new one I think we will try this year for G-Bob. He just loves buffalo wings and this is a fun and easy at home take on the classic.

 

JUST A REMINDER!!!

 

Don't forget to get your RSVP in for our new tradition, Breakfast with Santa! The Big Guy will be stopping by on December 10th for pancakes and pictures. Click here to RSVP.

 

 

 

For 2012 we are looking at seeing some amazing cakes across the US. Couples are indulging their sweet tooth and offering up not only the traditional wedding cake but also tasty tidbits like a candy bar, chocolate fountains, Viennese Hour and more. Cakes are also becoming a true focal point of art and reflection on the couple. It serves as a sweet canvas to the true core of not only their love but their lifestyle. Here are a few inspiring Lionscrest Wedding cakes provided by Colorado Rose Cake Co.

 

 

 

A Note from Marci with Colorado Rose Cake Co -
The cakes this year seem to have more color to them in either the icing or the designs.   Even our mountain cake design continues with color in the background which makes the mountains pop.  The other cake detail we have played with are different heights in the tiers.   It just gives the cakes another dimension to the design.   We work with our brides and grooms to design their cake by having them look through our design books, bring in designs they have seen that they like, or bring in ideas and elements to their wedding that they would like to incorporate into their cake design and we will design something.  One of my favorite memories at Lionscrest was setting up a three tiered unique design and hearing from the balcony above me “That looks exactly like I drew it”.  Cupcakes have also been very popular with the many options of colored liners or icing, cupcakes sizes in mini, small, or regular, and different ways of topping or personalizing them. 

 

 

 

Photos provided by Elegant Images, Emily Forsberg Photography and Colorado Rose Cake Co.

Hello To All of our vendors, booked and prospective clients!

 

We have just returned for the WMBA (Wedding Merchant Business Academy) convention in Las Vegas. The three day conference was a great experience and presented up with lots of new ideas and information to bring to you. Sure we had a little fun while in Vegas (it can't all be work) but we hope that this learning opportunity has helped us to see what is coming for 2012 and beyond.

 

 

 

Hot Trends for 2012...

 

2012 is all about LUXE. Luxury and Elegance are ideas that can be accomplished at any event and on any budget. Whether you have the budget of Kim Kardashian, Kate Middleton or the average Jane Doe you too can be a trend setter and here are some hot ideas to incorporate into your special day.

 

 

1. Go Vintage- Old is New again! It is time to dusk off those family treasures and flea market finds. When thinking vintage try incorporating an old brooch or hat pins into your flowers (or even make the entire bouquet out of brooches like this one we found on Etsy). Use old family wedding photos to go on your guest or escort tables. Borrow your mother or grandmothers garter. Use antique lace and vintage fabrics as accents around your reception.  If your family sports some sort of collection bring that out and use it to tell a story about your family (examples china cups, travel globes, silver spoons, postcards or even love letters).

 

 

2. White Works- A neutral and pale palette never goes out of style. Bride for 2011 and 2012 are looking back at famous events of the past (Elizabeth Taylor, Grace Kelly, Princess Diana) and noticing this common classic theme. This modern interpretation can best be seen in the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. To take this idea and apply it to your event go with a classic bridal gown with white or cream flowers, bridesmaids can be in a slight variation of shade or even same color with different styles. Table linens, reception decor, china and so on should also be in the same neutral family.

 

 

3. Spoil your guests- If you could be a fly in the car after your guests leave your wedding what would you want them to say, other than you looked amazing? The best way to keep them talking and singing your praise is to pamper them and spoil them like they are your only child. They know the wedding is about you and expect that, but they don't expect you to go above and beyond to exceed their desires. Some fun ideas include... 

- Umbrellas and Pashminas for the ladies to use both during the ceremony and later in the evening. This classic touch will keep the sun out of their eyes and chill off their arms. This option can be pricey so try renting them. We recommend Splendor for Your Guests. This little touch will leave the ladies singing your praises.

 

 

- Make a Memory for your guests. We suggest a Photo Booth from Booth 66. Check out their "Social Click" model which will make everyone feel like they stepped on to the red carpet and got snapped by the paparazzi. These fun photographic favors will leave the event and make their way home with you and your guests as a reminder of the wonderful time had by all.

 

- End of night goody bags so they don't have to make the midnight Taco Bell run. These can include cake and food leftovers but can be prepared ahead of time to include bottled sparkling water, finger sandwiches, breath mints, gourmet popcorn, a couple advil and invite to your after party. This gala can be back at the hotel that evening, at a bar or even a brunch the next day. It will be unexpected and sure to impress. We recommend The Welcome Bag Company for your custom event needs.

 

 

Once the last drink has been poured, the cars depart and the lights go out, be sure to end it with a Sweet Tweet to all who shared with you. There is nothing classier than a humble and heartfelt gift of Thank You!

 

We hope these ideas will inspire you and look forward to hearing suggestions and thoughts you have on what a  "LUXE" wedding means to you. Please share your thoughts and suggestions with us and our friends on our facebook and Twitter pages.

 

On a personal note.... Congratulations to our baby sister Lauren for her recent engagement to Matt. Best Wishes and Love to you both!

 

 

Come and join us for food, drinks, desserts and more. We have gathered our Recommended Vendors for the Spring Showcase to help you in your decision making.

Make sure you RSVP so you can get through the lines and started with the fun stuff!

Click Here to RSVP

We look forward to seeing you then!