Estes Park Archives - K.V. Fischer

AFTER THE VERDICT: THE SUPERNATURAL FACT OR FICTION

Is the supernatural fact or fiction? Angels, demons, ghosts/spirits, the Force, God…anything that cannot be explained by science or the laws of nature. Don’t we all in one way or another believe in the supernatural? Books, movies, and stories abound. How many of you remember sharing ghost stories around the campfire?

around the campfire

Just look at some of the most popular television shows, both past and present — Touched by an Angel, Poltergeist, Game of Thrones … the list can go on and on. Prior to the political campaigns, the news was fraught with stories of successful exorcisms and exorcisms gone bad. Numerous reports of hauntings and sightings by ghost busters made headlines.

It makes for great marketing potential. The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado, featured as one of the most haunted hotels in the country, inspired the setting for my book, After the Verdict.

the stanley hotel

Stanley Hotel, Estes Park, CO, wedding, wedding planner, books, Hidden Bloodlines, wedding budget, Stanley Hotel, Christmas, Christmas wedding, budget, checklist, timeline, organization, organization tips, library, military discount, veterans, savings, cost savings, Our Lady of the Mountains, Estes Park, Colorado, University of Colorado, photographer, videographer, Laura Grace Petersen, Jackson Dorfman — The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado

It started with a weekend adventure at the Stanley Hotel for our wedding anniversary and we were definitely in for a treat.

At the registration desk, a group of ghost busters, replete with the necessary equipment joined us. Their excitement was contagious as they discussed what ghosts they hoped to detect as well as when and where it would all start. We were even invited to join them. Even though we declined their kind invitation, we heard them in the halls outside of our room trying to detect a spirit seen on a ladder going to the roof.

Although they shared their disappointment with us the next day, it did not stop them from planning their next visit. They just knew the next visit would be THE visit.

supernatural, fog, night, writing, publishing, story, fiction, novel, mistakes, writing mistakes, Thyme for Writers, journey, Stanley Hotel, Estes Park, Colorado, agents, editors, craft, skills, writers conference, tools, titles — The Supernatural – Fact or Fiction? Night Fog …

Solicitations for stories on miracles, angels, and other unexplainable happenings occur on a regular basis. I have received such solicitations more times than I can count. Many have either personally experienced miracles or know someone who has. I have.

What do you believe?

Book Two in my Search & Recovery International Series, After the Verdict, is available on Amazon at: https://amzn.to/4a7UVOv

A missing groom, a murdered attorney, a massive snowstorm—what else can go wrong with what was supposed to be a storybook wedding?

Gutsy Colorado lawyer Briana Bertelli has just successfully prosecuted a serial killer…or has she? Betrayed in previous relationships, she’s vowed to remain single and dependent on no one but herself. All goes according to plan until her best friend’s wedding rehearsal.

Highly decorated, retired Special Forces veteran Kale McLaren has seen much death and is ready to experience a new life.

With the highest of stakes and time running out, can Briana and Kale combine forces to discover what happened after the verdict?

You do not need to read the first book in the series, Search Beyond Lies, in order to enjoy the second. You can find the first in the series, Search Beyond Lies at : https://amzn.to/3ueVmTO

Search Beyond Lies is a work of fiction, inspired by true events.

On July 5, 2018, Brian Perri was reported missing on Mount Meeker, one of the most dangerous mountains in Rocky Mountain National Park. A selfie revealed his last known location was the summit. Search Beyond is a work of fiction, whose inspiration lies in a rare type of friendship J.C. Fischer and Kimo McEwen had with Brian where they put their lives on hold and jeopardized their safety and well-being to search for him.

The search was covered by news media far and wide. J.C.’s pleas for volunteers brought in many from along the entire Front Range. Why did so many come forward? It was J.C. and Kimo’s care, concern, persistence, loyalty, and dedication to finding Brian that exemplified true friendship—and that is a contagious type of friendship experienced by very few.

AFTER THE VERDICT: THE HOTEL FACT OR FICTION – Part 2: The Infamous Room 217 and the Ghost of Mrs. Wilson

The Stanley Hotel’s Room 217 is one of the most popular rooms in the hotel, after all, the ghost of Mrs. Wilson will keep your clothes nice and tidy. Four presidents and Stephen King were among the many prominent guests who stayed in that room. Although Stephen King did not pen The Shining there, his stay did inspire it.

Mrs. wilson

Stanley Hotel, Room 217, Estes Park, Colorado — The Stanley Hotel Room 217

Who is Mrs. Wilson? She was the chief chambermaid in 1911. On the day the hotel opened for the season, the hydroelectric plant went down. By the way, this hotel was the first hotel to have electricity. Mrs. Wilson was lighting the gas lamps when she was almost killed. Acetylene was pumped into the rooms, and in Room 217 there happened to be a gas leak.

Room 217, Stanley Hotel, Estes Park, Colorado — Room 217 – Stanley Hotel Estes Park, CO

When Mrs. Wilson went into the bathroom, it blew out the front of the hotel. She was blown through the floor into the MacGregor Room and survived. Almost forty years to the day, she died of a heart attack in that room. According to the tour guide, Mrs. Wilson is a permanent visitor here who will fold and put away your clothes.

Stanley Hotel, Estes Park, Colorado, Room 217, Bear-Clawed Tub — The Stanley Hotel Room 217 Bear-Clawed Tub

our stay

My husband and I had the opportunity to stay in that room. Except for the bear-clawed tub and the view, it struck me as an ordinary room with an extraordinary history. Shortly after arriving, we had a few visitors just wanting to see it and take photos. We took a few photos of our own. One visitor who was clearly absent was Mrs. Wilson. I had to fold my own clothes and keep them nice and tidy.

You may find some similarities between Room 217 and the honeymoon suite described in my book, After the Verdict https://amzn.to/4a7UVOv. Check out Chapter 2 of the book and let me know what you think!

Book Two in my Search & Recovery International Series, After the Verdict, is available on Amazon at: https://amzn.to/4a7UVOv

A missing groom, a murdered attorney, a massive snowstorm—what else can go wrong with what was supposed to be a storybook wedding?

Highly decorated, retired Special Forces veteran Kale McLaren has seen much death and is ready to experience a new life.

Now the Chief Operating Officer of a global special ops organization, he’s looking forward to a relaxing weekend at a friend’s wedding. The last thing he expects is to be brought face-to-face with death and the most intriguing woman he has ever met … Briana. With the highest of stakes and time running out, can Briana and Kale combine forces to discover what happened after the verdict? Book Two in my Search & Recovery International Series, After the Verdict, is available at: https://amzn.to/4a7UVO

You do not need to read the first book in the series, Search Beyond Lies, in order to enjoy the second. You can find the first in the series, Search Beyond Lies at : https://amzn.to/3ueVmTO

Search Beyond Lies is a work of fiction, inspired by true events.

AFTER THE VERDICT: THE HOTEL FACT OR FICTION – Part 1

Although the Preston Hotel, is a fictitious hotel, its inspiration lies in the historic Stanley Hotel. The mysterious Stanley Hotel touts itself as a hotel “7500 feet above ordinary.” Listed on the Historic Registry and featured as one of the most haunted hotels in America, I definitely agree. My husband and I had the pleasure of staying there on several occasions

Of interest

The Stanley Hotel attracts a variety of guests from all over the world, offers unusual tours, and its décor takes you back in time. There are:

guests including frequent visitors from various “ghost buster” groups,
ghost tours,
museum pieces, and
the fact that it inspired the setting for movies, a television series, and Stephen King’s book The Shining, as well as my own – After the Verdict — It’s a fun place to visit.

Stanley Hotel - Historic - Pool Table — The Stanley Hotel — Pool Table

They even offer a Ghost Adventure Package. What would F.O. Stanley think? I wonder…

F.O. Stanley

F.O. Stanley, famous for his Steamer among other things, moved west because of his health. He suffered from symptoms of consumption and found reprieve after he arrived in Estes Park, Colorado, the gateway to the Rocky Mountain National Park. Excited about his health benefits, he wanted to build a hotel replete with all the eastern amenities he found the area lacking in.

He bought 160 acres from Lord Dunraven (more on him later) and initially built the main building of the Stanley Hotel. When it opened in 1909, it was the first hotel in the area to offer posh amenities like electricity, telephones, bathrooms en suite, and automobiles. It attracted visitors from all over, especially those who searched for a similar reprieve for their health.

Stanley, in some form or another, helped develop the town. By 1917, the municipality was official with civic organizations, a power plant, and water works. Together with his wife Flora, he worked to create the Rocky Mountain National Park, probably his most lasting legacy. His efforts went a long way toward his friendship with Kyle Mills, a renowned naturalist.

By the 1970’s, this grand hotel was no longer grand. Faded by the wear and tear of time, it earned the reputation of being haunted. But for Stephen King’s stay which inspired his best-selling novel, The Shining, the hotel might have ceased to exist. In the next post on the Stanley Hotel, we’ll explore one of the most popular rooms in the hotel — the one frequented by many prominent guests and the ghost of Mrs. Wilson.

What historic hotels have you visited?

Book Two in my Search & Recovery International Series, After the Verdict, is available on Amazon at: https://amzn.to/4a7UVOv

A missing groom, a murdered attorney, a massive snowstorm—what else can go wrong with what was supposed to be a storybook wedding?

Highly decorated, retired Special Forces veteran Kale McLaren has seen much death and is ready to experience a new life.

You do not need to read the first book in the series, Search Beyond Lies, in order to enjoy the second. You can find the first in the series, Search Beyond Lies at : https://amzn.to/3ueVmTO

Search Beyond Lies is a work of fiction, inspired by true events.

The Right Hotel for Your Wedding Guests

Many of your wedding guests will come a long way to celebrate your wedding, or the wedding you are planning. It is important to choose just the right hotel. In my previous article, we focused on the pros and cons of an historic hotel. This article will give you additional guidelines on choosing just the right hotel.

hotels, accommodations, registration, reservations, customer service, safety, food prep, Health Inspection Report, kitchen, rooms, Estes Park. — Toasting the Bride & Groom – The Right Hotel – Courtesy of Laura Grace Photography

Cost

If your ceremony or reception is being held in a hotel, your first point of contact would be the event/wedding planner for the hotel. This is where you’ll get the group rates. If the bride, groom, or their parents are military or a veteran, ask if they provide a military discount. The hotel may also provide the bridal suite as part of the package. If this hotel is costly, you may want to check the surrounding hotels to provide an alternate hotel.

__ Are the group rates reasonable?
__ Is there a military discount?
__ Is breakfast included?

Reservations

Call the reservations desk and see how responsive they are. If it’s difficult for you to get a response, rest assured your guests will have the same problem. A friend of mine called 5 times to make a reservation at one hotel and left messages each time; no one called back. Although the 6th time was a charm, I would not recommend that hotel.

__ Is the reservation desk responsive?
__ Are they courteous?

Registration Desk

All registration desk personnel are supposed to be trained in customer service and security issues. The key word is “supposed.” It wouldn’t hurt to watch and listen for a while when you check out the hotel.

__ Are they courteous?
__ Do they inappropriately share guest names and room numbers?
__ Do they gossip to each other and other guests?

The Rooms

___ Are they clean?
___ Do the showers/bath tubs have:

safety bars?
Non-stick floors or a mat to put down?
Soap dishes and a place for the shampoo?

___ Is there a place to hang the wedding attire?
___ Are the walls paper thin or are they adequately soundproof?
___ If there are tours, will it affect your guests?

The Food

If the hotel is the place for the reception, definitely check out the food and ask to see the kitchen. Often venues offer tasting opportunities where you can taste the dishes you’d like to serve. Keep in mind, they will be on their p’s and q’s for this, so you may want to just have an unannounced meal at their restaurant. Check out the kitchen and the Health Inspection Report done on their facility.

___ Is the food something you’d like to serve your guests?
___ Is the kitchen clean?
___ Are food prep safety standards met in the kitchen?
___ When was the last Health Inspection Report made? Did they pass?

Some of your most favorite family and friends will share this big day. You want them to be comfortable, safe, and secure with only positive memories to take back.

What additional suggestions can you share?

The Wedding Hotel Accommodations — Historic vs. Contemporary

Don’t forget the wedding hotel accommodations for your guests. Block room discounts are quite helpful! If you’ve chosen an historic venue for the ceremony and/or reception, that doesn’t mean you would necessarily want an historic venue for your hotel accommodations. There are definite pros and cons.

Historic Hotel Accommodations

portrait F.O. Stanley, Stanley Hotel, Estes Park, Colorado — Portrait of F.O. Stanley
The Stanley Hotel

The main pro for using an historic hotel for your wedding guests’ hotel accommodations is the opportunity to become immersed in the beauty of the hotel’s history. Although I had stayed at the Stanley years before and had an interesting, if not sleep deprived stay (our sleep was regularly interrupted by guests who considered themselves “ghost busters”), the only consideration which prompted me to find an alternate hotel for our guests was the cost. I chose a more contemporary hotel as an alternate hotel very close to the Stanley — The Best Western Plus. Fortunately, it was one of the best decisions I made.

If an historic hotel is top on your list for hotel accommodations, I recommend you use the following checklist — you may want to provide an alternate or choose a contemporary hotel:

Historic Hotel Checklist

___ How soundproof are the rooms? Can you hear your neighbor’s regular speaking voices? If you can, it might not be the best place for the wedding party. Often the bridal party consists of friends and family who haven’t seen each other in a while and they want to catch up on each other’s lives. If the walls are like paper, you’ll have your neighbors complaining.

___ Check out the rooms carefully. The American with Disabilities Act was not around when the hotel was built. Although accommodations are supposed to meet ADA guidelines, only so much can be done with an historic hotel.

___ If your guests are tall, does the top floor of the hotel have dormers where your guest can crack his or her head?

___ Does the bathroom have a shower your guest can easily climb in and out of or is it a bear-clawed tub with a shower wand which may be fine for a younger guest, but could prove very dangerous for an older one?

___ Is there a closet or somewhere safe to hang the bridal gown or bridesmaids dresses?

___ If the shower was remodeled, was it properly finished with a

safety bar
soap tray
ledge for shampoo
non-slip floor?

bride, bridesmaids, jewelry, the Stanley, wedding planner, wedding, unique, original, rehearsal dinner, bridesmaids gifts, gifts, Swarovski Crystal, sterling silver, Christmas, bridesmaids dresses — Bride & Groom Courtesy of Laura Grace Photography

___ Will the wedding be held in the winter where it may snow? If it is

How safe is the ingress and egress to the hotel?
Are stairs the most likely option?
In a snowy/icy environment, shoveling may not be adequate and there may not be enough staff to keep the walkways and parking lot safe.

__ Are tours provided? (See last week’s article for other concerns where there are tours.)
__ Will the tours interfere with a restful night sleep for your guests?

This article focused on issues that could arise with with providing accommodations at an historic hotel. The next article will provide additional considerations is selecting just the right hotel regardless of whether it is historic or contemporary. Of course I’ll provide another checklist — I love them!

What were your experiences with an historic hotel?

Choosing An Historic Hotel for Your Wedding Venue

Hidden Bloodlines, romantic suspense, Colorado Rockies, Karen Van Den Heuvel — Hidden Bloodlines

There are many reasons to choose an historic hotel for your wedding venue — the history, excitement, ambience, stories… . As a novelist, I love stories and when my daughter chose the Stanley Hotel for her venue, it made my day. After all, the Stanley Hotel inspired the setting for my first novel, Hidden Bloodlines. However, there are certain key factors to take into consideration if you’re leaning toward an historic venue.

Tours

Historic hotels are likely to have regular tours, especially if there is a unique feature about their history or if it’s “haunted.” This could be problematic if not dealt with up front. If you’re not a professional wedding planner (like me), you may not think to explore the circumstances surrounding tours. Hopefully, my experiences will put things in perspective and assist you in your decision making process. I knew the Stanley had tours, I went on one myself and thoroughly enjoyed it!

The Reception

When I asked our wedding planner from the Stanley if I could set up for the reception the night before, there was a long pause. She told me that usually tours were scheduled 1 1/2 hours apart, but there was so much interest that they were scheduled every half hour and each one was packed. Since one of their stops was the Music Room, she was afraid our decorations could be taken or damaged. Had I known it was possible to cram in more tours, I would have head that off in the contract or chosen a different venue. As it was, we had issues with an exceptionally rude tour guide and tourists crowding around our reception area.

Check List

If there are regular tours in the historic venue of your choice, the following checklist may prove helpful:

__ Is your reception room part of the tour?
If it is:
__ How often are tours given?
__ If the number of tours are acceptable to you, is the hotel willing to guarantee in writing that they will not be increased during your reception?
__ Get a written guarantee that the place settings (dishes, glasses, utensils, and napkins) will not be open to the public during the tours.
__ Get a written guarantee that you will have access to the reception room the day before the reception, even if it is just to show it to your bridal party in anticipation of the celebration.

wedding, wedding planner, Hidden Bloodlines, wedding budget, Stanley Hotel, Christmas, Christmas wedding, budget, checklist, timeline, organization, organization tips, library, military discount, veterans, savings, cost savings, Our Lady of the Mountains, Estes Park, Colorado, preferred vendor lists, vendors, D.J., Disc Jockey, Sound Junction, Gary Liebowitz — Dancing to the Music – Courtesy of Laura Grace Photography

An historic hotel can provide a very unique and exciting venue as long as you understand how they operate and head off potential issues “at the gate.” We had a phenomenal wedding reception and everyone enjoyed themselves. Had I known what I know now, it would have been even better.

What were your experiences with historic hotels?

The Rehearsal & Dinner Kicks Off the Wedding Events

The rehearsal and dinner kicks off the wedding events. Often it’s the first time we encounter the family of our adult “child’s” significant other, especially when they meet at college. Some already have a relationship with the other’s family (which may or may not be a good thing). In our case, we had not had the pleasure of meeting our soon to be son’s family until the rehearsal.

Venue

A Christmas time wedding in Estes Park is full of surprises, the main one being the weather. It is virtually impossible to anticipate, especially enough in advance to book rehearsal dinner reservations. Alas, my goal was to find a few options for the groom’s mother to choose from close to the church as well as the hotel. I started my search during my first meeting with the wedding planner from the Stanley and decided to have lunch at one of the potential restaurants — Mama Rose’s, a local Italian restaurant close to both the church and hotel. The pasta was homemade and delicious, the menu looked great, and their prices were very reasonable.

The Call

My initial contact with my future son’s mother was with a phone call. She had already started checking out restaurants online, and was disappointed with what she found both in expense and ultimately location. We had a delightful conversation where I shared what I found, and then forwarded her the relevant information. She took it from there, and chose Mama Rose’s.

The Rehearsal Dinner

The groom’s parents arranged the perfect rehearsal dinner with great food and drink where we had the opportunity to sit together and get acquainted. Getting to Estes Park was a whirlwind, especially for those flying in from around the country. In light of the extensive travel, the groom’s parents not only invited the bridal party to the rehearsal dinner, but also those relatives who came from afar (just about the entire guest list). It was a great time of fun and creating new relationships!

What was your favorite rehearsal dinner experience?

Good Food Is a Key Ingredient for a Great Wedding

magnesium, trace minerals, microminerals, enzyme reactions, bones, insulin, energy, muscle pain, weakness, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, heart health, blood pressure, heart, intracellular fluids, processed food, unprocessed food, minerals, vegetables, fruits, whole grains, milk, meats, and dried beans, diabetes, minerals — Heart Health & Magnesium

Good food is a key ingredient for a great wedding or any event for that matter. After all, a happy stomach brings lots of pleasure and good times. As a dietitian, healthy, delicious food prepared in a clean environment where sanitary food preparation procedures are maintained is critical. Just as critical is ensuring that there are no issues for those with food allergies, sensitivities, and preferences.

The Stanley

The Stanley enjoyed a good reputation in years past, and when we stayed there years ago, they lived up to that reputation. However, you can imagine my horror when last summer the news reported that they failed more than one health inspection. With plenty of time before the wedding, I arranged a meeting with my newly assigned wedding planner to discuss my concerns. And yes, I attended the meeting with a rather long list.

The wedding planner put me at ease when she revealed that:

the chef was let go,a new 5 star
chef was brought in,they revamped the program to as
sure compliance, andthey passed subsequent inspections
with flying colors.

All good news, however, with the exception of a buried blurb, the news did not find that newsworthy enough to give it the same exposure. I love good news, don’t you?

The Menu

For those receptions held at a hotel, conference center, restaurant or another similar venue, you are given limited menu options based on the plan you choose. As the number of selections increase, so does the cost. However, you have the opportunity to tailor the menu to your budget.

Good food, weddings, events, menu, vegetarian, food allergies, peanut, shellfish, food restrictions, vegetarian, Stanley Hotel, Estes Park, reception, delicious meal, delicious, fuel, wine, ingredient, chef, food preparation, sanitary, health, budget — Food Restrictions

Quite a few of my guests had either food allergies or other dietary restrictions and it was important to me that there would be no issues. I provided a list of food allergies and other restrictions and was assured there would be no problems. Although a vegetarian entree was not an option on the “menu” for my vegetarian guests, it was upon request.

Wedding Day

Wedding Planner, decorations, creative, artists, reception, Hidden Bloodlines, bookclub, Stanley Hotel, Black Friday — Head Table
Photo – Courtesy of Laura Grace Photography

As we decorated the Music Room on the morning of the wedding day, the chef made a point to meet with me. He went over the list of allergies and other food restrictions and assured me there would be no issue with cross contamination (a common problem with peanut and shellfish allergies). He was true to his word and the meal was delicious.

Our guests had a happy stomach and used that delicious meal as fuel to dance the night away… I’m sure the wine didn’t hurt either… .

Any dining out suggestions for those with dietary restrictions?

That Perfect Wedding Cake

That perfect wedding cake should be beautiful, delicious, a photo opportunity, and memorable. But just like everything, when you mention the word “wedding,” prices at a minimum are doubled, and in some cases quadrupled. When it came to the cake, the same was particularly true.

Quotes

When quotes came in around $950, I knew that was not going to work. Now I understand there is work and creative talent involved in decorating a wedding cake, but the same is true for a birthday cake, graduation cake, and other cakes, although not to the same level. Typically, a wedding cake is tiered and the more people you need to serve, the more difficult it is to create. But there are alternatives, and the wedding planner from the Stanley suggested a perfect one.

Alternatives

wedding, cakes, decorations, the Stanley, creative, Christmas, ornaments, Estes Park, bakeries, wedding cake top, wedding cake, decorator, baker — Cutting the Cake
Courtesy of Laura Grace Photography

The alternative to a large wedding cake that serves every guest, is a 2-tiered cake for the festivities and keepsake, with a sheet cake served up for the guests. The sheet cake is the same cake and icing as the wedding cake, and it’s already plated when served. The best part is, both cakes together were about a tenth of the cost.

Risky Business

There were only a few bakeries that handled wedding cakes in Estes Park, and I didn’t want to risk transporting it from down the mountain the day before the wedding. The church’s original wedding planner recommended the bakery of a local grocery store her grandson used. Since my daughter wanted a vanilla cake with vanilla buttercream icing, I was able to buy cupcakes made exactly the way she wanted her wedding cake to test them. They were delicious.

The wedding cake decorator was great to work with, and when I told her that I wanted the top to include the hand-blown bells from my wedding cake, she left space at the top, decorating around what should have been the bells (notice the word “should”). The only catch was that they didn’t deliver. Since they were located just around the corner from the Stanley, I didn’t see this as a problem, until… I forgot the cake.

Where’s the cake?

I didn’t just forget the cake, I forgot the bells that were to go on the cake and didn’t realize I did either until the lovely intern from France knelt beside me and said, “It’s time to cut the cake. Do you know where it is?” My eyes filled with tears and panic set it, “Oh no! I forgot the cake!”

The good part about using the bakery within the local grocery store was that it was still open. My brother-in-law volunteered to pick it up and was met with a perplexed employee who mentioned that this was the first time someone didn’t come to pick up a wedding cake.

The baker did a beautiful job decorating the cake and did exactly as I asked — left room for the bells, which I also managed to leave behind. Now I had a wedding cake with a rather obvious blank space for the missing bells. Fortunately, my husband’s quick thinking sister, Theresa, came to the rescue. She spied the beautifully decorated Christmas tree, and borrowed some ornaments to decorate the cake. She moved so quickly and did such a beautiful job that no one even noticed.

Punting became my end game… Stay tuned next week for the lemonade that was made from more lemons.

I’m probably not the only one who has forgotten a critical piece for an event. What have you forgotten?

Memorializing That Whirlwind of a Wedding

wedding, wedding planner, books, Hidden Bloodlines, wedding budget, Stanley Hotel, Christmas, Christmas wedding, budget, checklist, timeline, organization, organization tips, library, military discount, veterans, savings, cost savings, Our Lady of the Mountains, Estes Park, Colorado, University of Colorado, photographer, videographer, Laura Grace Petersen, Jackson Dorfman — The Wedding – Courtesy of Laura Grace Photography

Memorializing that whirlwind of a wedding is critical, especially when you’re the bookworm acting as wedding planner. Since relying on iPhone photos and videos from attendees was not an option, I had to find just the right photographer and videographer; a task much harder than I ever imagined.

First Stop

My first stop in my wedding planning process was securing the church and meeting its wedding planner. Since her grandson had just gotten married a few months earlier in Estes Park, I asked her about the photographer they used. She pressed her lips together and shook her head “no.” She could not recommend someone who wasn’t any good (nor did I want such a person). Videographer? No.

Preferred Vendors List

I then turned to my trusty (?) Preferred Vendors List. There were quite a few photographers and videographers on that list, some companies handled both. After I emailed them all and requested a quote, I had to blink twice as I read the quotes coming in (none of them included printing). Amazingly, with the exception of one, they were all $2,000. My first thought was a wedding monopoly. By the way, the one different quote was $6,000. Yup, that’s not a typo, $6,000. With my science background and logical legal mind :0) I performed an experiment. My original quotes went out under my married name, however, I write under my maiden name, Karen Van Den Heuvel. A new and revised request for quotes went out under my writer’s name — a quote for a 4 hour family reunion involving 50 people in Estes Park. Alas, the quotes were half the price.

A Monopoly

My son had gone to school with someone who was now a professional photographer so he asked her for a quote — $2,000. He asked if she could give him a discount due to their long friendship. She could not, because of a contract she entered into with a third party — all her bookings go through them at their required pricing, as all of these photographers did. Aha! Sounds like a monopoly to me!

The Perfect Professionals

My goal was to find an excellent photographer and videographer not bound by a third party contract for pricing. That’s where Jane came in. Jane is my son’s beautiful girlfriend who went to school with a photographer using her talents and running her business while she worked on her degree. I checked out her website and FaceBook, and was thoroughly impressed with Laura Grace Photography. Her photographs were beautiful (as you can see through my posts) and I’d put her up against any of the other “professionals” I encountered to date. Her rates were very reasonable and I met her for lunch to discuss the process, wedding, expectations, etc. She was an absolute delight and she found me a videographer — a university student working on his degree in videography — Jackson Dorfman. Once I checked out his work and found it exceptional — as good if not better than most of the other videographers, I asked for a quote. His rates were also very reasonable and I was set.

These two professionals arrived early, blended in, and captured beautiful memories. I can’t recommend them highly enough! If you are looking for an excellent professional photographer and videographer, here is their contact information:

Laura Grace Photography: lauragracephoto.com, 970-227-0025, lauragrace.151@gmail.com

Jackson Dorfman: Jackson.dorfman@colorado.edu 970-306-2775

Jack provided not only the full video, but a second with highlights as well. You had a glimpse of the head table decor in Jack’s short trailer, but you won’t believe the story behind it! Stay tuned next week… .

around the campfire

the stanley hotel

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Mrs. wilson

our stay

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Of interest

F.O. Stanley

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Cost

Reservations

Registration Desk

The Rooms

The Food

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Historic Hotel Accommodations

Historic Hotel Checklist

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Tours

The Reception

Check List

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Venue

The Call

The Rehearsal Dinner

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The Stanley

The Menu

Wedding Day

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Quotes

Alternatives

Risky Business

Where’s the cake?

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First Stop

Preferred Vendors List

A Monopoly

The Perfect Professionals

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