Tips to Plan the Perfect Wedding

It’s all about creating the perfect, most memorable wedding for your special bride and groom. This last article will provide a one stop shop for the tips and direction found in this series with an important goal…to see you through to the start of something new — a new life together kicked off by special memories. I decided to start this series to help others, since as a bookworm, I was thrown into a difficult situation when the books didn’t work for me.

During the course of planning a wedding, you’ll probably have to deal with one uninvited guest on a regular basis — stress. This article provides tips on alleviating it for a healthier you.

wedding, cakes, decorations, the Stanley, creative, Christmas, ornaments, Estes Park, bakeries, wedding cake top, wedding cake, decorator, baker
Victoria with her Dad, Uncle George, Uncle Mike, and Aunt Theresa – Courtesy of Laura Grace Photography

When planning the perfect wedding, the date will make all the difference in the world with availability and cost. Check out what to look for… .

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
Gary Liebowitz with Sound Junction

Finding just the right D.J. is key to a great wedding. This may not be an easy task, at least it wasn’t for me, but thankfully I found a phenomenal one! If you’re in the front range area, you can’t go wrong with Gary Liebowitz at Sound Junction. He is phenomenal as he kept the wedding party dancing and moving. If you’re not, this article has tips on finding one.

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
Laura Grace Petersen
Laura Grace Photography

The word “wedding” added to anything tends to increase the cost at least by double if not more, but there are reasonable vendors available available. If you’re in the front range area and are interested in making beautiful memories, I highly recommend:

Laura Grace Photography

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

Wedding Planner, decorations, creative, artists, reception, Hidden Bloodlines, bookclub, Stanley Hotel, Black Friday
Sandy, Karen, & Carlene

The wedding decorations could be a daunting task. You can pay an expert if it’s in your budget, or rely on your very talented friends, as I did.

The perfect wedding cake doesn’t have to cost any where near $1000. Find out how to keep the cost less than a quarter of the cost.

Jacqueline & Elizabeth — Beautiful Bridesmaids — Courtesy of Laura Grace Photography

You’ll want your beautiful bridesmaids dressed to perfection in a dress they can afford and could perhaps use again.

Despite your best efforts, more than likely at least one aspect won’t go as planned, but no one needs to know. In my case, a miscount snowballed… .

Delicious and safe food is a key ingredient for a great wedding. This article gives you key pointers to look for.

 

Beautiful Bridesmaids Dressed to Perfection
The Wedding Party at the Head Table — Courtesy of Laura Grace Photography

The Music — A Requirement for Every Wedding Ceremony, but it’s not as easy as you’d think.

The Wedding Celebrant — Who Do You Want to Marry You? Do you have someone in particular in mind? We did, Father Mbala, and there are no words to describe what he added and the inspiration he instilled in all of us.

The Rehearsal & Dinner Kicks Off the Wedding Events.

 

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
J.C. & Jane

Historic hotels can provide an exciting venue in more ways than one. Check out why.

If your ceremony and/or reception will take place at an historic hotel, there are important factors to take into consideration. Check them out at: The Wedding Hotel Accommodations — Historic vs. Contemporary.

Choose the right hotel for a comfortable and affordable stay for those celebrating with you. The Right Hotel for Your Wedding Guests provides guidelines and a checklist to help you find just the right hotel.

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
The Dance Train – Courtesy of Laura Grace Photography

Most of all, have fun and dance the night away, even if things didn’t turn out exactly as planned. Most likely, you’ll be the only one to know. This will most likely be the last article on the Wedding Planner Series; the bride graduates medical school Sunday and will shortly start her residency in Neurosurgery. Congratulations to my beautiful daughter!

wedding, time, medical student, white coat
Medical Student

(C) 2018 Karen Van Den Heuvel Fischer

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:

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

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

___ 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?

(C) 2018, Karen Van Den Heuvel

The Wedding Celebrant — Who Do You Want to Marry You?

The wedding celebrant has the most important role — marrying the bride and groom. As the wedding planner, my first question to my daughter was, “Who do you want to marry you?” Without hesitation, she replied, “Father Mbala.”

How We Met
wedding, wedding planner, marrying, marry, celebrant, church, ceremony, bride, groom, Our Lady of the Mountains, St. John the Evangelist, missionary
Father Mbala

When we first moved to Colorado, we did what a lot of people do, we church hopped to find the right fit. Father Felicien Mbala was a missionary priest from the Dominican Republic of Congo assigned to St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, our new church home. A brilliant man (he speaks more than a half dozen languages fluently) with a heart for people, he made a big impact on our lives.

The Question
wedding, wedding planner, marrying, marry, celebrant, church, ceremony, bride, groom, Our Lady of the Mountains, St. John the Evangelist, missionary
Thanksgiving

He stayed at our church longer than normal for a missionary priest, and without family, he shared a couple of Thanksgivings with us where we got to know him better. At the time my daughter told me that there was only one person she wanted to marry them, Father Mbala, his assignment was the University of Colorado in Boulder. When my husband and I asked him to marry Victoria and Rob, his response was immediate — he was honored.

Our Lady of the Mountains

The pastor of Our Lady of the Mountains had no problem with a guest priest, especially since he was not available to perform the ceremony. University of Colorado was not far from Estes Park (about 40 minutes), however, Father Mbala got transferred before the wedding to Breckenridge, quite a distance away. Fortunately for us, he still looked forward to performing the ceremony.

wedding, wedding planner, marrying, marry, celebrant, church, ceremony, bride, groom, Our Lady of the Mountains, St. John the Evangelist, missionary
Wedding Rehearsal

Father Mbala was there for the rehearsal and walked us through what would happen along with Deacon George (the new wedding planner for the church) and his wife. From the bride and groom to those who gave the readings, sang, and participated in the bridal party, we were all clear on the expectations.

wedding, wedding planner, marrying, marry, celebrant, church, ceremony, bride, groom, Our Lady of the Mountains, St. John the Evangelist, missionary
Wedding Ceremony with Father Mbala

On the day of the wedding, we couldn’t ask for a more beautiful and memorable wedding ceremony. Father Mbala clearly had an effect on all of our hearts, and made it especially touching for the bride and groom. We all left with his special blessing.

wedding, wedding planner, marrying, marry, celebrant, church, ceremony, bride, groom, Our Lady of the Mountains, St. John the Evangelist, missionary
Rob, Victoria & Father Mbala

Thank you Father Mbala! You truly are a reflection of God’s love.

(c) 2018, Karen Van Den Heuvel