HAPPY THANKSGIVING from Colorado!

It's hard to believe it's already Turkey time! What are you thankful for this year? I'm thankful for all the wonderful brides and grooms I've had the opportunity to work with and be a part of their lives for a short time.

September brought a beautiful wedding at the Dunafon Castle. If you want a beautiful setting, which makes you feel like you are at a medieval castle, this is the place for you. It has ponds, lawns, and even a dungeon, where the groom gets ready! They do have a list of caterers to select from. It's located in Morrison, up a beautiful canyon. I would say if you consider this venue, think about providing transportation for your guests who may not be familiar with Colorado mountain driving!

October I had two fabulous wedding. The first one was in Breckenridge, (hope to have pics soon to post). This couple came from the UK with about 50% of the guests from the UK. We did the ceremony and reception at Mountain Thunder Lodge in Breckenridge. What a lovely place! The rooms are all 1-3 bedroom condos and they have townhouses available. Amy did a fantastic job assisting us with all aspects of the venue and meal.

The night before the wedding, the couple hosted a bar-b-que, provided by Buffalo Gals Catering, from Colorado Springs. What a wonderful job they did, never mind the background snow! The food was delicious. Highly recommend them for any BBQ you might have in mind.

The cake was designed by Janusz, Elegant Bakery in Denver. It was a mountain complete with mountain bikes, trees, bike trails etc. Not only was it a work of art, it was delicious! Janusz uses white chocolate for the fondant so you can actually eat it!

The flowers, which were beautiful, were designed by Alicia Schwede of Bella Fiori in Denver. Alicia worked her magic and the colorful arrangements were spectacular!

Kent Meirers Photography did the photography. I've had a preview and can't wait to share these emotion filled photos. Kent really captured the feelings of the day.

Jeremy from A Music Plus was one of the best DJ's I've had the pleasure of working with. He's easy going and "plays to the guests". He had everyone on the dance floor. He has such a pleasant personality and was wonderful to work with.

Leslie Snyder or Lesliesarts.com did her magnificent work as make-up and hair/artist with the wedding party. If you want to look natural on your wedding day, Leslie is a must for your wedding day hair and make up.

The officiant was Judge Ron Carlson from Breckenridge. Judge Carlson did a wonderful job marrying this lovely couple. I'd highly recommend him to anyone looking for an officiant.

We had Tammie Taylor to entertain the children with her balloon artistry and face painting. By the end of the wedding, every guest had face painting or a "tattoo"! She really brings a sparkle to any event. I highly recommend Tammie for any wedding with children to any adult party who wants to add something different!

The day turned out beautiful, but cool. Somehow we managed to have nice weather around the snow flurries! The Mountain Thunder Lodge is situated so you have the backdrop of the trees and the colors were spectacular.

My second wedding in October, started out with a bang! The rehearsal and wedding were at the Holy Ghost Catholic Church in downtown Denver. During the rehearsal a man slipped into the back of the church and was going through purses. He grabbed the bride's wallet and left, with the bride's father and brother in close pursuit. They caught him and held him for Denver's finest to take. Oh, I didn't mention that the bride's dad is Chief of Police in Broomfield and her brother is also a policeman!

This wedding was a bit different in that we did two ceremonies, the first was the Catholic ceremony at Holy Ghost and the second, a Jewish wedding, was at the Ritz Carlton. This was followed by a wonderful reception.

The Ritz, as always did a wonderful job making everyone feel special.

The music for the ceremony was provided by Levitt Music, who does beautiful wedding stings. We had a violin and cello.

Our flowers were designed by Elizabeth Eberly of Delilah's Flowers of Denver. What a magnificant job they did. They truly turned the ballroom into something special.

Makeup was provided by Danica Jardien. Danica did a beautiful job on the wedding party.

John Hudetz Photography, who I work with a lot, has captured the day with all it's drama (he was at the rehearsal), and emotions of the day. John is wonderful to work with and really listens to what his clients want.

Sky Focus Pictures did the videography. What I've seen of their work is certainly leaving me waiting anxiously to see the wedding! Parish and Chris were super to work with and I'd highly recommend them.

For transportation - actually shuttles from the hotel to church, we had a 1936 touring car, provided by Ambassador's Rolls. They have a fleet of antique and unique cars. Can't wait to see the pictures of the wedding party looking over the opened top!

JSAV took care of the beautiful uplighting we did in the ballroom. They always do a great job creating a feel and anticipation!

It's been a great year! If you have questions about any of the vendors, or want to discuss your plans, I still have a few dates available for next year. I'm currently working on an Orthodox Jewish Wedding, which I'm really looking forward to being a part of!

Check out my website www.weddingsbytanya.com then call or email me to set up a visit to go over your plans. It's not to early to start planning!

A donation will be made to the Denver Rescue Mission for any Full or Partial Plan contract signed in November.