Saturday, November 8, 2008

Luxury Weddings -Destination Colorado

I just returned from an overnight visit to the Vail/Beaver Creek, Leadville, CO areas.
If you are considering Colorado either as a home or destination wedding I'd like to share three venues that I visited.

Vail is the home of a brand new hotel, the Arrabelle at Vail Square. If you've ever traveled to the south of Germany, in the Bravarian area, you'll swear you are there again. This hotel is a village within the village of Vail.

If you want luxury, there's no place like the Arrabeelle. You are met at your car by the Bell Captain, taken to the front desk, where you are met by your own personal butler (trained in the English manner), escorted to your room, where your butler will do everything from putting your clothes away, ironing out the wrinkles to bring you coffee in bed in the morning.

I could go on and on about this fantastic venue, but want to leave some surprises for those of you who decide to visit there. I will say they have a beautiful ballroom that can easily hold 180 guests for a sit down dinner as well as an outdoor area for weddings.

Whether you are considering a memorable wedding or elopement, this is the place! Let me know and I'll be happy to assist with your planning. www.weddingsbytanya.com.

Nestled in Avon, just before you start up the mountain to Beaver Creek is the brand new Westin Riverfront. If you are looking for a Colorado feel, this is a venue certainly to be considered. They are one of the new "green" hotels, which includes bamboo robes! They have a wonderful, warm feel and would certainly welcome the larger weddings in the area. Also being close by the mountains of Beaver Creek, a beautiful spot for elopements.

If you are a romantic at heart and love the idea of a Victorian Wedding, complete with costumes, then consider the Delaware Hotel, founded in 1886. Leadville, for those history buffs, is the initial home of "Molly Brown". While the elevation of over 10,000 feet may be a consideration, there are so many things to do here from hiking, to biking, to fishing and you are only about 45 minute drive from Vail. This is truly a wonderful little Victorian town that has maintained the feel of the west. This hotel can do a sitdown dinner for 45 guests, has truly maintained it's feel of days past. Great for a small wedding or elopement. Each hotel room is different and very comfortable.

Another "hidden Jewel" in Vail is the Antler's. This facility is all condos, for comfort, is affordable, and has everything from one bedroom to four bedroom condos. Located on the creek and right across from the Vail mountain, this is the place for anyone who wants to experience Vail, but may be on more of a budget. Each room is equiped with a kitchen so you can fix your own meals, but are close enough to walk into Vail should you decide to enjoy the fine dining you can find in the village.

The Antler's also has room for ceremonies and weddings and ample opportunities for pictures in their beautiful courtyard with a wonderful waterfall flowing around two elk. Do check out this venue for your wedding or elopement.

As with any of these venues, I'm available to assist you plan your weddings. Just contact me through www.weddingsbytanya.com or tanya@weddingsbytanya.com. Let's create a wedding you and your guests will long remember! (I'm always happy to take calls after hours and week-ends to fit YOUR schedule.)

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Professional Vendors

Happy November! Just think, in three weeks we'll be having turkey and thinking about wrapping Christmas gifts!

Many couples will be getting engaged during these coming holidays. When you start looking for vendors, start with a reliable, trained and professional wedding coordinator. These are people who have put in the time to learn their trade. Yes, they will cost more, but it will be money well spent. Don't hesitate to ask for references of past brides, then call and talk to them.

Some questions to ask are, will this person listen to me and my dreams?
How available will they be to me during the planning process?
Do they work with reliable vendors?
Is this a person I feel comfortable with? This is important because you'll be entrusting them with one of the most important days of your life.
How long will this person be at the reception? You want to be sure that they won't leave during the reception as things may need to be handled and they won't be there to do so.
Are they willing to assist the groom if needed? (My feeling is that the groom is as much a part of the wedding as the bride! I'm there for both of you to assist in anyway possible.)
How do I feel about this person? Is this coordinator someone who I can trust and work with? After all, it's your wedding and you are in charge!

One of the main areas where a coordinator can save you a bunch of time (and time is money), is in recommending photographers/videographers. There's many people who fancy themselves wedding photographers, but do you want to entrust your once in a lifetime pictures to someone who has picked up a camera and fancies themselves to be a photographer?

This isn't saying that there aren't some good photographers out there who are switching over to weddings or starting up. What I'm saying is be cautious as this is one area where you really get what you pay for. Be careful.

Have an idea of what your budget is when visiting with any vendor. This way they can determine what will fit into it. Again, a coordinator can assist here as they will know, basically, what a photographer charges and will they fit your budget.

Some photographers will include a CD for you of all the pictures, and some won't, at least right away. The reason they don't is that it's the photographer's name and reputation that will be associated with any pictures printed. If they are printed just anywhere and don't come out, then the photographer will be blamed. If you are considering having your own pictures printed, ask the photographer to recommend a good lab so you'll get the quality you should have for these precious pictures.

In these tight economic times, you want to get the most for your money without compromising your dream. Let the professionals help. That's what we do best!