On October 16, 2010, I did a wedding in downtown Denver, The Catholic Ceremony took place at Holy Ghost Catholic Church and the Jewish Ceremony at the Ritz Carlton, where the reception was held.

Flowers were by Delilah's, Special lighting by JS, DJ - A Music Plus, Antique Rolls - Ambassador Limousine.

Mountain Thunder wedding Oct. 10, 2010

This wedding was at Mountain Thunder Lodge. The cake was by Elegant Bakery, http://www.elegantbakery.com/ , the flowers by Bella Fiori, http://www.bellafiori-events.com/ , hair and make up was done by Leslie Snyder, http://www.lesliesarts.com/ , the balloon/face-painter was Tammi Taylor, photographer was Kent Meireis http://www.kentmeireisphotography.com/, Officiant - Judge Ronald W. Carlson ron@collowyers.com.

February, Month of Love and Engagements-Building your wedding

Well, January is just about out the door and February is knocking to get in. February, the month of Love, happiness and engagements!

You wouldn't start planting a garden, building a building or making a birdhouse without plans. The same goes for wedding planning.

Many brides think that once they have the ceremony/reception venue, florist, caterer, officiant, musicians, etc. you are done. WRONG!!! You have just started on the road to a beautiful, wonderful, frustrating trip.

For every decision you make, there are 10 more. Pretty soon, you have all sorts of balloons floating around and you don't have the faintest idea of how to bring everything together. Enter your wedding coordinator!

This is what I do. I work with you to bring your ideas and drams to life (within your budget). Then I'm the one who gathers all the balloons together and on your wedding day you are presented with a beautiful, organized bouquet of balloons. The nice thing is you don't have to worry about where the balloons go or if they will float away. That's my job.

Even before you start dress shopping, your first stop should be at my website http://www.weddingsbytanya.com/ (or my office or email). Here you will get the basics to help build a good platform to start your preparations for your wedding.

While I am not the least expensive coordinator, I have the years of experience as well as the contacts to create the best team for your wedding day. You do get what you pay for.

On the 20th of January, I had the wonderful opportunity to perform a Planned Elopement (tm) at Crystal Peaks in Breckenridge. The day was beautiful (pics to follow) with over 90" of snow base, just outside the glass windows. The couple was from Texas and thoroughly enjoyed the winter wonderland. The rooms at Crystal Peaks are beautiful, complete with fireplace and balcony. Where better to have a romantic get-away?

I've also had the opportunity to meet and tour the beautiful Exquisite Salon and Spa. http://www.esquisitesalonandspa.com/ located in Littleton, CO. It's an exceptional salon and spa, offering every service you can possibly imagine. They have a beautiful room for private bridal parties to have manicures and pedicures as well as massages, etc. As an added bonus, mention you heard of them from my blog or Weddings, Etc. LLC and you'll receive $7 off your treatment!

Classes are starting again. Interested in learning to be a wedding/event coordinator? Check out http://www.weddingsbytanya.com/ The Art of Wedding Coordination.

Stay warm and HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY to everyone!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Here's to wedding planning 2011!

Congratulations to everyone who got engaged over the holidays! This is a wonderful, exciting, exhausting time. Enjoy it!!!

Once you've gotten used to the idea you'll be getting married, the questions start...how and where do I start? Well...Planning a wedding is a lot like assembling a bouquet.

You start with the main flowers (you and your groom) then add the accent flowers (your attendants and groomsmen). By the way, before you rush to the phone to call everyone, read the article on www.weddingsbytanya.com regarding selecting attendants. It will save you a lot of headaches in the long run!

Okay, back to building our bouquet. Once you have your attendants selected and invited, then things really get serious. The next step should be to select a wedding coordinator. This person will help you stay sane! A good coordinator will have many excellent vendors for you to select from. They should do their homework, about each vendor, so you don't have to. When selecting your coordinator, remember that one of the most important days of your life will be in their hands for the next 6-12 months. Do you feel comfortable with them? Do you trust them to listen and make your day yours? Have they been trained through some program? A good coordinator doesn't necessarily have to have a certificate, but this will tell you they took the time to learn about the Art of Wedding Coordination.

Next you need to add "greenery" to your bouquet. This will be your vendors. Whether you are planning to have 10 guests or 500, the same amount of planning applies. You will need a venue to do the ceremony. This can be a house of worship, outdoor site, hotel etc. Then you will need a place to do the reception. (Tip...by having your ceremony and reception at the same place, you can save money.) Think about where you want to get married. If you are both outdoors people, don't get married in a downtown hotel!

After selecting the venues, then comes the dress, officiant, caterer, florist, photographer, videographer, baker, rentals (if not included by the caterer), speciality lighting, musicians for both ceremony and reception and don't forget your hair/make-up artist. (Personally, I like to have the music changed throughout the wedding so by the time the dancing starts, you surprise your guests with the "big bang"!)

Do you need a videographer? This is usually one of the first places a couple cuts, which is unfortunate. Without sounding morbid, we never know how long our parents, grandparents or even the people standing with us will be around and it's nice to be able to do back and see and hear them. Besides, it's a great way to entertain your children when they can't remember how dad looked with hair! It's also a great resource for your kids when they get married if they want to work in some of the things that you did.

Select a caterer whose food you like! Do they listen to what you want? Are they willing to make great-grandma's special salad? Can they do ethnic cooking?

When selecting a photographer, take a look at weddings they have done. Can you feel the emotion of the moment in the picture or do the pictures looked posed? Does the photographer put you at ease? (Tip..I recommend that you have two photographers so that both the bride and groom's activities such as getting ready can be covered.)

Your florist should be able to take your ideas and build around them. Be sure to take a picture of your dress with you when meeting with the florist. You want your flowers to compliment your total look.

How important is a hair/make-up artist? Having them come to you will help keep you on time. A good, commercially trained make-up artist will be able to do a very natural look, but one that will photograph well in all lights. You may be going from a darker ceremony setting, to outside, to inside a tent and you want your pictures to be beautiful and natural for all the changes. Besides, your wedding day is not a day for a glamour look, but one that will enhance your own beauty. (Tip... be sure to do your prelims, allowing enough time to try several looks. If you are having a facial, do it several days before the wedding so your skin will be beautiful on your wedding day.)

Musicians...what type of music do you like? If you are getting married in a church, check first to see what type of music is allowed. Some will not allow the Wedding March or any secular music.

The Wedding Dress... (Tip... Again, before rushing out to buy your dress, if getting married in a Catholic Church or more fundamental church, Mormon church, or Jewish ceremony, ask if there are dress codes you must abide by. Some of these religions require the bride to be covered, which means if you want a strapless dress, you need to have a cape or jacket over it.) Your dress will set the tone of the wedding. You don't want to wear a very formal dress with a chapel train and veil if you are getting married outdoors. The time of day and place will also guide your quest for the right dress. When trying on dresses, take only your mother and maybe maid of honor. To many people just make it harder to make decisions. The same goes when selecting bridesmaids attire. Let this be a fun day. Remember what it was like to dress up as a little girl. Try on different styles. It's generally the one that brides think they would never consider that they fall in love with! You'll know it when you put it on.

The Baker (Tip... Think outside the box. I just did a wedding that the cake was a mountain with mountain bikes and a trail leading to the top. The trees went through the seasons in Colorado.)
A favorite of many brides is to have their dress embellishments on the cake. Each layer can be different. Let your cake be an extension of your personality. For examples go to www.elegantbakery.com.

Couples like to save money wherever possible and some good areas are in the decor. It's amazing how much speciality lighting can add to a room to set different moods. www.thewrightgroup.com or www.pinkmonkey.com are great resources. (Tip... When using lighting, I like to start out with soft lighting for the cocktail and dinner then when the dancing starts build on the light intensity as the evening progresses. I've used lighting to create a night-club effect in a ballroom. The lighting transforms the room totally. Lighting and draping can go a long ways in decor.)

There are many other aspects to wedding planning that I won't address here, but you know, every bouquet is finished with a ribbon. This will be your officiant. It may be the priest or pastor, rabbi from your home church or synagogue, if you attend. Otherwise, there are many good officiants who do only weddings that can make the ceremony memorable for you. After all, the ceremony is the most important part of the day as this is where you pledge your love and devotion to each other for your lives. Don't be afraid to visit with several officiants to find one that fits you.

Remember, that everything mentioned above is just the beginning of your planning process. Before setting out on the fabulous adventure, seek out a good wedding coordinator. For more information regarding my services go to www.weddingsbytanya.com.

Happy 2011 and Happy Planning!

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.

Wedding Pink - Giving Back

I have the wonderful opportunity to be part of a group of wedding vendors, working in tandem with TC Decker of Muse Events, who will be providing a wedding for a beautiful couple. The bride is a breast cancer survivor. Their story is below. Our hope is to be able to provide a wedding, once a year for a bride who has had or has a family member who has fought breast cancer.

Cheryl Ungar, of Cheryl Ungar Photography, herself a breast cancer survivor, initiated this idea and has pulled it all together. If you are looking for an exceptional photographer, check out Cherylungarweddings.com.

To read this couple's story, go to http://www.cherylungargives.com/winner-of-the-wedding-pink-2/.

Our congratulations to Melissa Zannis and Jeff Childs!

Wedding Planning - 101

I've just listened to a segment on Rachel Ray's TV program, about a mother and daughter and the problems they are having planning the daughter's wedding. What came to mind was what they needed was a wedding coordinator. Why? Because we are an impartial third party who can help with coming up with compromises.

Planning a wedding, under the best of circumstances, is extremely stressful, especially for the bride who has had the wedding of her dreams in her head since she was a child. Putting these dreams into reality can be a real challenge, especially if the bride is working with a specific budget.

What may be very important to her, may be frivolous to her mother. Enter the wedding coordinator! Speaking from a personal standpoint, since I can't speak of how other planners work, I like to establish, early on, what are the most important aspects of the wedding. Is it the food? The wine? The music? The flowers? Once this is established then we all have a start in the direction the wedding planning should go as well as the budget. WEDDING PLANNING GUIDE, A Bride's Workbook (c), is a very easy step by step workbook to help you plan your wedding. This is a great guide for both mother and daughter. (Available at www.weddingsbytanya.com.)

Mothers and daughters have a very special relationship and they want to be speaking when the wedding is over! Having a wedding coordinator makes this possible, because we become the "go-to" person for both. They can each speak to me in confidence and know their comments are safe. Often, by just speaking about a problem, the mother or daughter is able to work out the answer to the situation. This is why a good planner needs to be able to listen and not be quick to give advice.

Brides need to keep in mind that a wedding is not a parents' responsibility, but is a gift from their folks. When a parent has a specific amount they can afford to spend, the bride needs to respect this and try to work with it. If her wishes and dreams are larger than the budget, either she and the groom can contribute or possibly the groom's family would be willing to help out, as long as it's not something extravagant and just for "show".

Mothers need to keep in mind their daughter's vision may not be theirs. Many mothers have the tendency to vicariously have the wedding they didn't have, through their daughters' weddings. This is where compromise comes in. If mom wants the bride to wear her veil, but it doesn't match the dress, consider how you can still incorporate it into your wedding wear. If it has lace, perhaps the lace can be attached to a handkerchief the bride is carrying, or maybe it can be wrapped around the flowers and attached with a special pin.

A wedding coordinator is no longer a luxury, we are a necessity. What should you look for in a coordinator?

1) Probably the most important thing is do you "click" with this person? You are entrusting one of the most important days in your life to this person and you want someone you feel comfortable talk to and can trust.

2) Do they have references? If so ask for a list then call a couple of brides to get their input.

3) Do they fit what you want? If you want a destination wedding, will they travel? Can they go to the destination site ahead of time to check things out and start the planning process?

4) Are you limited in time? Personally, I feel it takes as long as it takes to plan a wedding. This is why I don't limit my brides to four hours of planning and eight hours on the day of the wedding. It's not unusual for me to be on site, at the wedding, for 12 or more hours. I don't want brides not calling me with a questions because they are worried it's going to be deducted from their planning time. My clients have full access to me whenever they need me.

5) What services do they offer? Do you need someone to bounce ideas off of? Do you need assistance just finding vendors? You might just want someone who does hourly consulting. If you are going to school full time and working two jobs, you may need a full coordination package. If you have a good start and idea of who you want to work with then a "Partial" plan may work best for you.

6) Do they accept "Kick-backs"? This is a fair question to ask because if they do, chances are they have specific vendors they will direct you to and won't be as objective in finding vendors who may better fit your needs. (For the record, I do not accept "kick-backs". My clients pay me a fee for my services and I direct them to vendors who will do the best job for them.)

Hopefully, these points will help you find just the right coordinator for you. For more information about my services, visit http://www.weddingsbytanya.com/.

HAPPY PLANNING!