wedding planner Archives

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.

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.

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

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?

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.

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?

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

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.

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.

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.

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

The Music — A Requirement for Every Wedding Ceremony

The music is a requirement for every wedding ceremony regardless of where you have it. As the wedding planner, I never imagined one of my most difficult tasks would be finding the musician for the wedding ceremony. My dilemma arose because of the date — great for some aspects of wedding planning, but a major drawback when it came to the instrumentals.

The Musician

wedding, wedding planner, music, ceremony, River Flows in You, Canon in D - Palchelbel, bridal procession, bridal party procession, piano, organ, maid of honor, bride, videographer, pianist, singers, Christmas wedding — Organ, Our Lady of the Mountains, Estes Park, CO

Organ, piano, harp, guitar,…. your preferred instrument dictates your choice of musicians…so does the date and the church. The church typically has a list of musicians who play for weddings, but they may not be available, as was the case for us. What also surprised me was that very few felt comfortable on an organ.

A Christmas wedding precluded the entire list — they were either out of town, with family, or worked for the post office (the Saturday before Christmas is their busiest time of year). I then tried surrounding churches with similar results. Estes Park is driving distance from 3 major universities with music departments, but alas, it was Christmas break.

The groom’s mother was a pianist, but I couldn’t ask her, after all, she was the mother of the groom and wanted to enjoy the wedding, as she should. With less than a month before the wedding, I contacted Lisa, the Director of Music for my church and fortunately she agreed to rearrange her schedule in order to help out. Although she did not play the organ, she played a beautiful piano. She also agreed to come up before the rehearsal the day before to tune in with both singers. Thank you Lisa!

The Singers

We were blessed with the singers. Where some have trouble finding just the right beautiful voice, we had 2, both bridesmaids — my daughter’s former college roommate, Carleen, agreed to sing Ave Maria (a very difficult Latin song) as well as the Psalms, and the groom’s sister sang O Holy Night. Ave Maria filled the church as the mothers were escorted to their seats. Carleen set the perfect tone, her voice filling our hearts.

After the bride and groom exchanged rings, Sarah sang one of my favorite songs, O Holy Night. Our videographer, Jack Dorfman, did a phenomenal job memorializing the entire ceremony, including the music.

The Procession

I never thought about the music choices available for the procession — one for the bride and the other for the bridal party. Our pianist provided a list, but I contacted a former colleague, Cassandra, who not only had her master’s in music, but was fairly recently married (within the last 5 years, whereas I’ve been married 34 years) and she sent me a comprehensive list as well. Needless to say, the bridesmaid and maid of honor chose the music from Cassandra’s list: Yirma – River Flows in You for the bridesmaids and Canon in D – Palchelbel for the bride’s procession. Although our pianist did not know River Flows in You, she bought the music and learned it. Wow!

I love Christmas music, with Ave Maria and O Holy Night near the top of the list. Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee (or Ode to Joy/Bach) was the Recessional as the bride and groom walked out of the church with big beautiful smiles. Thanks to everyone involved, the ceremony was indeed a memorable success.

What’s your favorite Christmas music?

The Wedding Planner’s Miscount Snowballs

A bridal party miscount has some serious implications. Last week my faux pas came to my attention during the rehearsal dinner when my daughter gave the bridesmaids their gifts and there was one short. The groomsmen were fine — the groom handled their gifts, but I was the only one local. As the wedding planner, my miscount snowballed.

The Head Table

The head table set up would be 2 short, however, with the long head table, that was an easy fix. On the morning of the wedding, after I returned from my trip home to make the maid of honor’s jewelry set, we started to decorate the tables in the Music Room. I told the gentleman in charge about the miscount, and he added one more place setting on each side. It was a little cozier at the head table, but among family and friends, cozy’s good, right?

The Flowers

Wedding, Wedding Planner, flowers, Christmas, date, florist, bridal party, bridesmaids, groomsmen, best man, maid of honor, bouquets, boutonnieres, corsages, mother of the bride, mother of the groom, grandparents, flowers, snow — The Father & Uncle of the Bride

Traditionally, the bride handles the flowers at the church, reception, and for the bridesmaids. The groom handles the bridal bouquet, boutonnieres for the groomsmen, fathers, and grandfathers, and corsages for the two mothers and grandmothers. It was Advent, so the church was easy. For the reception, the only thing I had to worry about was the table decorations because the Music Room was already decorated for Christmas. However, even though the groom’s parents were covering the cost for the groom’s flowers, as the only one present, I found the florist and ordered them. Oops… .

The Florist

The florist was last on my list for vendors because I thought I had the bridal party bouquets taken care of with silk bouquets made by those lovely ladies who came to my rescue. Fortunately, my daughter had her heart set on fresh flowers — simple Christmas bouquets, or the miscount would have been more serious. Those silk bouquets did not go to waste — they were incorporated into the head table decorations (always the original intention, as designed by Carlene), but I was quite late looking for a florist; by now, the wedding was only 2 weeks away.

I had the same problem locating an Estes Park florist as I did the baker — expensive and a limited selection. Since it was easier bringing the flowers to Estes Park rather than the cake, I searched my town and got estimates. The timing made the florists shutter. The only saving grace was the fact we wanted something simple — red and white roses with Christmas greenery. I was again saved by the local grocery store who had a phenomenal floral department. Their prices were reasonable, and they did beautiful work.

Fortunately, when I called after the rehearsal dinner, the grocery store was open even though the floral department was not. I spoke to the store manager about my problem — I needed a bouquet for the Maid of Honor and a boutonniere for the Best Man. He wrote a note for the florist who was due to arrive at 8 a.m., and she called. The florist who did the original design and work was out sick, and I did not have a picture to send. It was boxed up so nicely, I didn’t want to disrupt it and the manager at the Stanley was kind enough to put the large box in their wine room which I did not have access to. I described it — even if it’s a little different (which it was), the Maid of Honor and Best Man could have something a little different. My close friend and neighbor picked it up on her way to the ceremony and no one knew the difference. That was a close call… .

What close call did you have?

Beautiful Bridesmaids Dressed to Perfection

Every bride wants their beautiful bridesmaids dressed to perfection, with specially designed jewelry that sets off the gown and accents each girl’s beauty with just the right sparkle. My daughter chose a beautiful, reasonably priced, Christmas green dress in a style designed for many body types (the dress I was not going to touch, and you know why). Now the jewelry was right up my alley — about the only thing I was uniquely qualified to handle with the necessary experience.

A Little History

It all started when my daughter was just 13 years old. She asked for a small Swarovski Crystal necklace for her birthday. We lived in South Florida and at that time, the going rate was about $200. As a frugal, conscientious mom, my response was brief, “Sweetheart, unfortunately that’s a little steep and not in the budget.”

As a very creative young lady who thought outside the box, she responded, “What if I can find the crystal at a good price and we make it?”

I shrugged, “Why not?”

In short order, she found the Swarovski Crystal in bulk and at a fair price. Although the cost to make one necklace was reasonable, the up front cost to make the necklace with the remaining materials was not. Of course my creative, business minded daughter had the solution … . Since we already enjoyed making jewelry together, we’d make high quality jewelry to sell at art shows. Once we earned back our out-of-pocket expenses, we’d help others in need with the profits.

One of our offerings included original jewelry sets for the bride and bridesmaids …

Victoria designed the jewelry for her bridesmaids and I made it.

Oops

Last week it was all about the wedding cake, but that wasn’t my first major faux pas. My first lulu didn’t come to my attention until the rehearsal dinner. It was toward the end of a lovely dinner when my daughter gave the bridesmaids their gifts — a Swarovski Crystal and sterling silver jewelry set designed by her and made by me.

“Mom? We’re missing a set.”

“No we’re not. I made 6 sets.”

“But there are 7 bridesmaids with the maid of honor.”

“Uh oh… . Give the 6 bridesmaids their gifts and tell your maid of honor (my niece, Elizabeth) what happened. I’ll make the 7th set before the wedding….”

Unique

The designs we make for each bridal party are unique, and in this case, I didn’t know if I had the materials left to make another set. Although we were staying at the Stanley because of the distance, I had to

make it back home before the wedding,
in bad weather,
with the closure of the main road closest to my house.

My husband and I left early the next morning and made it back with plenty of time and materials to make just one more set (and I do mean just one more down to the last sterling silver tube bead). And fortunately, I had a photo of the set from which to work.

But that also meant, if I had the wrong count for the bridesmaids gifts, then I also had the wrong count for … . Stay tuned next week for the next twist of the lemons… .

What was your biggest event planning oops?

The Perfect Wedding Decor that Doesn’t Break the Bank

wedding, wedding planner, books, Hidden Bloodlines, wedding budget — When the Book Worm Is the Wedding Planner

The perfect wedding decor doesn’t have to break the bank and it shouldn’t. In our case, the date made a difference. With a Christmas time wedding, most places are decorated for Christmas, a perfect theme for that time of year. Since it was Advent, the Church required no decorations.

Although I avoid Black Friday shopping like the plague, I made an exception for the wedding, but I confess to procrastinating on THE day.

Black Friday

Originally my goal was to hit JOANN’s when they opened early since they had great sales and I had a 20% coupon off the total purchase. BUT, I had to fight the crowds, so I procrastinated. In this particular case, it was the best thing that could have happened.

As I entered the store, I took a deep breath and grabbed a cart, determined to get done a.s.a.p. But I was drawn to these 2 ladies talking animatedly, grabbing floral garland off the wall and filling their baskets. I couldn’t help but ask what they were doing with all of that garland. It turned out that it was a mother/daughter team and the mother was a wedding decorator. Was this a God appointment or what?

I explained that I was trying to figure out how to decorate a mantle, head table, and guest tables for my daughter’s wedding, but was clueless. They put their shopping on hold to help me. By the time they were done with me, I had a video of the daughter on how to make large beautiful bows, the materials I needed to make it all, and their phone numbers just in case. My basket was piled so high I had to pull it from the front because I couldn’t see over the “mountain.”

The Book Club

With the release of my debut novel, Hidden Bloodlines, one of the local book clubs chose my book and asked me to visit while they discussed it. It was such a great group of ladies, I joined them as a member. That’s where I met 2 of my life savors with their offer of help — Carlene and Sandy.

I was so taken with their offer, that I mentioned it during a call to Kay, a longtime friend of mine from college. She told me in no uncertain terms, “You have to take them up on it.”

Lunch and Crafts

As the wedding approached I felt so overwhelmed, I knew Kay was right and I invited them and another close friend to my home for lunch and crafts. Although I had the “mountain” I purchased from JOANN’s, Carlene, an amazing porcelain artist asked what I had to put it all together. Ahhhh, I make jewelry and have all the jewelry tools, but nothing else. Carlene came with the rest, including tea lights, glue guns, plus … .

We started early, and by the time I served lunch, these amazing ladies created the center pieces, bouquets and decorations for the head table, as well as an emergency supply bag just in case.…

“No man is an island…” and when help and support is available, don’t go it alone or even try. I almost tried. THANK YOU Carlene, Sandy, and Joni for the gift of your talents and creativity! Thank you Kay for reminding me I needed them!

When have you found yourself in a similar situation?

Memorializing That Whirlwind of a Wedding

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

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

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… .

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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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How We Met

The Question

Our Lady of the Mountains

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The Musician

The Singers

The Procession

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The Head Table

The Flowers

The Florist

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A Little History

Oops

Unique

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Black Friday

The Book Club

Lunch and Crafts

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First Stop

Preferred Vendors List

A Monopoly

The Perfect Professionals

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