Rocky Mtn Wedding Directory

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When It Comes to the Cake, You Can Eat it Too!

When it’s time to book your dream-come-true wedding cake, you’ll be amazed at some of the choices you have; from tons of delicious flavors to luscious fillings and designs. Where once wedding cakes only came in white and maybe cream, and vanilla or occasionally chocolate, today’s creative pastry chefs & cake designers offer incredible selections in colors, sizes, shapes and flavors almost beyond your ability to imagine! If you can dream it, they’ll gladly bake it for you in a dazzling array of possible flavors, colors and textures.

Your wedding cake is as much a statement piece as your wedding gown signifying your uniqueness as a couple and delighting your guests with its beautifully unique design. That beautiful work of edible art will be one of your favorite romantic memories to look back on in years to come. It’s important to choose a design that you really love that is in keeping with your overall wedding décor as well as says “You!” to all your guests.

Noted pastry chef and cake designer Holly Singh suggests that to help your chosen cake designer create the perfect design that you bring a collection of photos and swatches for your big day’s color scheme to show them when you meet. The more information you can provide about your theme for your wedding, colors, preferences, and any designs you have come across that are close to what you want, the easier it will be for your designer to create the perfect delight just for you. Cake designers love to unleash their imagination to match your décor and vision whether its Blingy or Rustic, Nearly Naked or Fresh Flowers with Ribbon trims, and everything in between. True cake professionals will happily work with you to be sure your cake meets your expectations and helps demonstrate your sense of style.

Professional cake designers recommend that there is one important thing to keep in mind when having your wedding cake displayed. When the temperatures soar, as they often do for summer weddings, it’s smart to listen to the advice of your cake professional when it comes to displaying your cake. All that scrumptious and beautifully styled real buttercream frosting can melt pretty quickly if it is sitting some place without good air conditioning. You may find that you have to bring the cake out after the reception starts to keep it at it’s best on a hot day and not let it sit soaking up the warmth for too long.

Just remember that your cake can be fun and playful, elegant or romantic or anything else that helps show off your style as a couple. While there will be many aspects of your wedding to exercise your creativity, the wedding cake probably tops them all when it comes to impressing your guests. The perfect wedding cake will be as unique as the couple getting married.

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20 Unique Ways to Surprise and Delight Your Wedding Guests .
You invite special people to your wedding so they can share in the celebration of one of the most wonderful days of your life. Give them some excitement and fun by planning a few unique details that will make your wedding the most memorable event your guests have ever seen.

Ask guests to bring pictures of their own weddings.
Give guests the opportunity to share their own wedding memories while decorating your venue. Photos from decades gone by are especially fun. You can gather the photos before the wedding day and place them in elegant frames, or you can do something more casual like a corkboard.

Shape your seating.
Wedding seating doesn't have to be in rows. As long as you have freestanding chairs, you can place them in any shape you like. Hold your ceremony in the center of a heart or a swirl. Spell out your initials or create an infinity symbol. The options are endless.

“Create Your Own Magical Forest!”
Use real, or fake, trees.
Create your own magical forest by bringing trees into your venue. You can get real trees delivered in pots, or you can use a piece of art that looks like a tree. Trees are beautiful symbols of family and longevity, making them perfect for a wedding. They also look pretty in pictures.

Hang a camopy of lights.
Lighting is an important part of wedding décor, and strings of white lights can be stunning. Take the drama up a notch by decorating the entire ceiling with a canopy of white lights. It will create a romantic mood and wow your guests.

Plant a living wall.
Greenery and live plants are a current trend in wedding décor. Bring this style to your wedding in an exciting way by standing in front of a wall of plants as you say your vows. Your florist can help you with this if you're not sure how to start.

Build your aisle over some water.
Water can be both dramatic and romantic and will quickly bring your wedding décor to a new level. Choose a venue with a pool or fountain and construct a bridge across the space. You and your wedding party will make a beautiful picture walking over the water.

Show a surprising splash of color.
Adding a pop of color is a great trend in wedding wear. Grab your guests' attention by hiding some color under your dress. Colorful ruffles will peek out when you move, offering a little bit of fun to an otherwise traditional gown.

“Wear a glamorous floppy hat instead of a veil!”
Wear a floppy hat.
Oversized headwear is on trend for brides and a floppy hat would be just the right piece to top off your garden wedding attire. Tie a silk ribbon around the brim or add flowers to dress it up.

Honor special people in a unique way.
As a couple getting married, you probably have many people to thank. Find a way to express your love and gratitude as part of the wedding. This could mean suddenly stopping the ceremony to deliver a big bouquet of flowers to your mom, or it could be using a large photograph of your grandparents as part of your décor.

Create an instant photo guestbook.
Leave an instant camera next to your guestbook and have an attendant ready to take pictures as each guest enters the venue. Guests can sign their names under the picture, and you will have a wonderful way of remembering who was in attendance on your big day.

Create custom courtesy baskets for the restrooms.
Give your guests a surprise in the bathroom by gathering miniature toiletry items to use or take. Include products like mini-deodorants, mouthwash, scented sprays, hand sanitizer, hairspray and anything else you can think of that someone might use to freshen up.

Hang a disco ball.
If you love a party, this is a great way to set the stage for a personalized wedding where guests can relax and enjoy themselves. A disco ball signals fun.

Hire a specialized mixologist.
If you and your guests enjoy cocktails, hire a knowledgeable mixologist instead of an ordinary bartender. A mixologist can create special drinks for your guests and even be a source of entertainment for those who want to learn more about mixed beverages. Guests can let loose, and you will get some fantastic pictures.

“You'll get some fantastic photos!”
Design a tasting bar for beer or wine.
Do you enjoy a great craft beer or a decadent glass of wine? Bring beer or wine tasting to your reception. Set up tables with various beverages for guests to try. Offer local as well as exotic options.

Offer lawn games.
Give guests something to do in addition to socializing or dancing. Set up some lawn games at your outdoor wedding for friends and family to enjoy. Choose croquet, badminton or horseshoes. The experience will be memorable for everyone.

Serve snow cones or hire an ice cream truck.
Summer weddings can be warm and sticky. Cool off your guests by providing snow cone machines offering flavors that match your wedding colors. Or recreate a classic childhood thrill by scheduling an ice cream truck to come rolling up to your reception, inviting guests to indulge in a creamy treat.

Set up a beautiful cupcake display.
A beautiful wedding cake will impress your guests, but an incredible cupcake display is unexpected. Create a cupcake stand that looks like a giant heart, the Eiffel tower or a bride and groom. Use cupcakes with various colors to turn it into a work of art.

Create an anniversary pinata.
Ask your guests to write a special message on a small piece of paper and stuff it into an open pinata. Then add some confetti and seal it up. Save the treasure until your first anniversary, when you can break it open either by yourself or in front of a gathering of family and friends.

Have sparklers for your send off.
Instead of throwing rice, birdseed or confetti, equip each guest with a sparkler to wave as you make your exit from the venue. This is a beautiful way to light up the night, and it will set the stage for some amazing pictures.

Book an imaginative getaway.
Leave a unique last impression by choosing some kind of unusual transportation as you leave your wedding reception. Pedal away on bicycles, ride through the water on a motorboat, hire a horse and carriage or even escape by snowmobile. Any type of transportation will do.
Part of planning the perfect wedding is adding personal details that make the ceremony unique to you. Incorporate some fun ideas to surprise your guests, show off your style, and create personal memories that will make you smile for decades to come.

This article authored by The Rocky Mountain Wedding Directory of www.RockyMountainWeddingDirectory.com the complete locally focused directory of wedding merchants and vendors in Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada and Arizona.

Wedding Insurance – 6 Essential Tips about whether to get Wedding Insurance for your wedding

A wedding day is one of the most important events in your life, and it’s important that you plan and prepare for every eventuality. The cost of a typical wedding can be more than half a year’s salary, and the expense can escalate if things go wrong. Wedding insurance is an effective way to protect yourself against a wide range of financial risks associated with your wedding day.

A typical wedding insurance policy will cover you for costs relating to suppliers going out of business and cancellation of the wedding due to death or illness. Coverage also generally includes loss of or damage to wedding attire and problems with photography of the day. Some policies allow you to select levels of coverage depending on the size of your wedding, and this flexibility is a great way to tailor a policy for your needs. The following tips will guide you to making the most of your wedding insurance.

1) Start a policy early.
You should take out a wedding policy as soon as you start to book and pay deposits for things related to the wedding. This will ensure you are protected against things like the venue letting you down or the cake decorator going out of business. If you aren’t insured before these things happen, any financial losses will come out of your own pocket. You can arrange a policy when the wedding planning is in the later stages, but you won’t benefit from coverage for services booked prior to the policy being enacted.

2) Compare policies carefully.
As with all insurance policies, coverage under wedding insurance products offered by different insurance companies can vary. An insurance comparison service is a great way to test the market, but check a policy wording carefully before choosing a product and compare different companies and policies to be sure you get the best value for your investment. Premium policies can include coverage for problems relating to the weather, such as guests not being able to reach the wedding venue. Some of the more basic policies will exclude this type of coverage. Some policies include redundancy protection coverage, and this can be very useful if the Bride or Groom lose their job as the wedding approaches.

3) Understand what’s not covered.
All insurance policies have exclusions, and it’s important to understand what these are for a wedding insurance policy. If you are having a marquee for the wedding reception, this may need special coverage. It’s not usually possible to claim on a wedding insurance policy if the Bride or Groom has a change of heart about getting married. Any medical conditions or illnesses which were known about before a policy is taken out will generally be excluded from coverage too. A separate travel insurance policy is usually required for a honeymoon following the wedding, and this isn’t part of the wedding insurance package. Things like coverage for fireworks displays at a wedding reception are usually excluded under most wedding insurance policies.

4) Follow the claim process if something happens promptly.
Advise the insurance company as soon as you become aware of any circumstances likely to give rise to a claim. Most policies state a time period in which you must initiate a claim, and waiting to make a claim for too long may mean the policy won’t cover your loss.

5) Keep records of your expenses.
Keeping good records of all costs and bookings related to your wedding makes it easier to collate and submit a claim. A claim will need to be supported by appropriate evidence, and being organised can make things much easier.

6) Check to be sure your ‘public liability coverage’ is adequate.
Public liability is one of the most important sections of a wedding insurance policy. Injury of a guest or accidental damage to your wedding venue could lead to an expensive legal case, and public liability coverage can protect you against this. Some wedding venues specify a level of public liability that you must have in place, so check that your policy meets this requirement.
Wedding insurance can be a wise investment for any couple planning to marry. Compare the options and read through the policy carefully to be sure it covers everything you need. The right policy will protect yourself against a wide range of financial risks associated with your wedding day and could be well worth the cost.

Making Your First Dance Special & Memorable

One of the most romantic moments of any wedding reception, the traditional first dance of the bride and groom, is an often-overlooked important detail in planning your wedding. Planning your first dance together is a significant special aspect to include in your preparations. You’ll both be the center of attention as you gracefully sway to your favorite melody that symbolizes your love for each other and the beginning of your new life as a couple. From choosing the music to being prepared to dance stylishly in front of your guests, here are some tips to help you prepare for your grand entrance into the world of being a married couple.

Work with your music provider and wedding planner, but typically the first dance starts the evenings dancing portion of the reception and begins after the meal is finished. This allows a more relaxed pace while everyone is eating, but then instantly shifts into a higher gear once you hit the dance floor for your first dance. This also signals to your guests that its time to get out of their seats to celebrate your wedding with you.

Some couples prefer to introduce themselves as a couple at the start of the reception in what is often called a grand entrance and then head to the dance floor for their first dance. This can create a great energy in the room but can be more awkward when it comes to transitioning from dining to dancing neatly for your guests. One solution is to then use the Father Daughter and/or Mother Son dance after the meal to signal to guests that the dancing portion of your reception has begun and get the party started.

1. CHOOSING YOUR MUSIC
A good first dance song should have some significance for you as a couple, whether its your favorite love song or not. Music with a clear strong beat to it will be easier to dance to. Do listen to the lyrics of any song you pick to be sure they’re both wedding appropriate and don’t have any hidden, negative meanings or inappropriate language in them. Your band or DJ will probably have playlists and suggestions for songs for your first dance and other important dance numbers (father daughter dance, mother son dance) as well. Ideally the first dance song should be no more than 3 minutes long. With all eyes upon you two, time will seem to move slowly as you show off your skills on the floor. Your emcee or wedding planner may also choose to invite guests to join you on the dance floor after the first minute or so to help take the pressure of your solo performance off of you too.

2. PREPARE for YOUR DANCE
Whether it’s a simple waltz or a sumptuous Samba, you may find this to be the time to take some dance lessons! You’ll learn how to hold a proper dance position and some great moves to give you a more polished look as you make your entrance into the world of married life. Besides being a fun way to interact as a couple for your future life together, taking some couple time to perfect your technique can help with the stress of all the planning details too. Many dance studios offer special wedding dance packages with professional dance instructors for wedding couples that include 2-8 class sessions tailor fit to helping you get ready to dance confidently and elegantly at your wedding reception. Dance lessons are an investment that can benefit you through the rest of your life as well.

3. STAND TALL and SMILE
Make your grand entrance to the dance floor elegant! Stand tall, keep your head up and enter the dance floor graciously with confidence. Once you get to the middle of the dance floor, pause a few seconds while looking into your partner’s eyes to listen to the music before you start dancing. Smile while you keep looking at each other and keep smiling, so the photographer can capture some great images of you two embarking on your new life as a married couple.

4. KEEP YOUR COMPOSURE
Even professional dancers make missteps sometimes. It is fairly common for beginners to use the wrong foot or step on the wedding dress at some point during the dance, but that’s okay. Your guests won’t notice as long as you stay calm, continue dancing and enjoy yourself.

5. PRACTICE a DRAMATIC ENDING
The ending of your first dance can be even more memorable for both you and your guests if you add the flair of practicing a dramatic dip or twirl as your final move on the floor.

Your wedding is one of the most memorable days of your life. With a little planning and practice, your wedding dance can be just as special.

The Victorian Language of Flowers as Messengers of the Heart

During the nineteenth century, the Victorian Era was noted as a prim and proper time that emphasized a formal type of courtly love and romantic sentiments in a society governed by strict rules of conduct. Expressing emotions verbally was frowned upon and not readily tolerated. Feelings like affection were suppressed in polite society leaving young courting couples to look for subtle and secretive ways to communicate their feelings to one another.

Using sentimental symbols like flowers became very popular during this period to overcome society’s stifling restrictions on verbal communication about courtship. Secret messages would be passed between young lovers creatively using a subtle meaning connected to different blooms to communicate their feelings of love, fondness, and even rejection of those feelings without running amuck of the societal rules of conduct based on what blooms and colors were included in a gifted bouquet. Using this language of flowers became so prevalent that books describing the meaning attributed to different flowers and colors were even published to guide young lovers in their covert communication!

Modern brides may find a romantic application of these traditional methods of clandestine communication as they learn the meanings attributed to each bloom and color and then use them in their wedding bouquets. It can also be a whimsical and symbolic way for any couple to add deeper meaning by selecting and continuing to use specific flowers as they progress through life together using their own ‘secret language of love’ with each other.

Here’s a list of flowers with their meanings:

Alstromeria: Prosperity and wealth
Amaryllis: Pride
Anemone: Forsaken
Anturium: Lover
Baby’s Breath: Pure of heart
Bells of Ireland: Good luck
Bouvardia: Enthusiasm
Calla Lily: Magnificence, Beauty
Camellia: Gratitude
Carnations (General): Fascination
Pink Carnations: I’ll never forget you, feminine love
Red Carnations: Admiration
White Carnations: Ardent love, good luck
Chrysanthemums: Cheerfulness
Daffodil: Regard
Fern: Sincerity
Freesia: Thoughtfulness
Gardenia: You’re lovely
Gladioli: Strength of character
Honeysuckle: Bonds of love
Hyacinth: Constancy of love
Hydrangea: Thank you for understanding
Iris: Wisdom
Ivy: Fidelity, marriage, friendship and affection
White Jasmine: Amiability
Jonquil: Sympathy
Larkspur: Fickleness
Lavender: Devotion
Lilac: Humility
Lily: Majesty
White Lily: Purity and modesty
Yellow Lilies: Walking on air
Lily of the Valley: Return of happiness
Magnolia: Dignity and love of nature
Narcissus: Egotism
Orange Blossom: Purity
Orchid: Rare beauty and love
Peonie Rose: Shyness
Poppy: Eternal sleep
Queen Anne’s Lace: Haven
Ranunculus: Radiant with charm
Rose: Love
Red Rose: Love, passion, courage, respect
White Rose: Innocence, secrecy, purity
Yellow Rose: Joy, Friendship
Light Pink Rose: Grace, Gladness
Dark Pink Rose: Gratitude, thankfulness
Red and White Rose: Unity
Orange Rose: Fascination
Peach Rose: Desire
Rosebud: Purity, beauty
Rosemary: Remembrance
Statice: Sympathy
Stephanotis: Happiness in marriage
Stock: Lasting beauty
Sunflower: Adoration
Sweet Pea: Lasting pleasure
Sweet William: Gallantry
Tuberose: Dangerous pleasure
Tulip, General: Perfect love
Tulip Red: Believe me
Tulip Variegated: Beautiful eyes
Tulip Yellow: Hopeless love
Violet: Modesty
Water Lily: Purity of heart
Wheat: Earnestness
Zinnia: Thoughts of absent friends

The Significance of Different Color Options for Your Wedding

When a bride plans her wedding, one of the first decisions a new bride often makes is to choose the colors for her wedding palette. She often pays close attention to some of the common traditions hoping to incorporate her own special meaning in the details. As you decide on your wedding color palette, here are some insights into the different historical, cultural and spiritual connotations of some of the colors you may wish to choose to help you add the meaning and significance you wish to impart at your wedding.

White

Bright white is often the principal choice for wedding gowns in Western cultures and traditionally has been equated to representing purity and innocence. It also represents truth and completeness. An all-white wedding can be stunningly elegant, both during winter months where it can be accented with snowy landscapes and in summer where it can inspire coolness against the heat.

Ivory or Creams

Off white shades, like ivory or creams were once interpreted as tainted innocence but are considered less so in current times. Today’s brides often opt for softer white tones to enhance their natural coloring while keeping to the traditional white wedding gown theme. Creams and ivory shades impart warmth and hope over the more dramatic true white.

Blues

Blue shades, from the palest sky blue to elegant deep navy are the colors attributed to the sky and sea and represent serenity, peace and loyalty. For a wistful, dreamy setting opt for a lighter blue and for a formal traditional ambiance select a darker tone like midnight or navy blue. Midrange tones for most colors are invigorating and energetic. If that’s your intention, go with a royal or brighter blue hue.

Greens

In some cultures, green is used to signify fertility and symbolically it is considered the color of nature, balance and growth imparting a feeling of serenity. From pale spring green that reflects the new birth of spring flowers, to the richness of emerald tones reflecting the maturity of the earth’s bounty, all green shades impart a peacefulness. Traditionally using green in a wedding indicates growth, prosperity and longevity.

Reds

Reds, crimsons and burgundy are dramatic colors that suggests confidence, passion, power and a sense of adventure. In many Asian cultures, red signifies good luck and good fortune and is often used in weddings. Red tones are a perfect color for couples who wish to impart a dramatic and romantic feel.

Purples

Once the color of royalty because purple dyes were rare and expensive to manufacture, purples, plums, violets and lavenders represent imagination, creativity, enchantment, whimsy and luxury, and range from the deep and vibrant to pale and delicate. If you’re looking to impart a whimsical flavor to your wedding, or hope to use a monochromatic palette, purples in different shades compliment each other very well.

Yellows

Often underutilized as a wedding color, yellow as a primary color for your wedding or an accent color has been on the rise in recent times. Yellow’s meaning can change with the strength of the hue and represents sunshine, summer, cheerfulness and wisdom in the brighter shades, while the lighter buttery shades are synonymous with warmth, spring and hope.

Oranges

Ranging in shades from bright and cheery to pale and feminine, oranges represent cheerfulness, optimism, youthful energy and warmth. Infuse your wedding with shades of orange to emphasize the positive energy you wish to impart.

Pinks

From vibrant magenta, to a medium gentle rose to the palest blush, pinks are one of the most popular choices for wedding colors as they traditionally represent love, devotion, gentile femininity and elegance. Pink shades are an excellent way to create a romantic flair for any wedding.

Browns

From deep chocolaty brown to a more neutral taupe, brown is another earth tone and is representative of security, stability, comfort and home and hearth. It can be an excellent accent color to help ground and impart warmth and sophistication to your color palette.

Blacks

Blacks and grays are the height of sophistication in color combinations and add chicness, drama and mystery to a color palette for your wedding. Blacks represent formality, boldness, strength, ambition and sophistication. The pairing of white and black or grey will impart elegance and a dramatic sense of mystery to your wedding celebration.

While styles and fashion trends come and go, every wedding is unique and can have meanings exclusive to each couple. Considering the importance of the day, it makes sense to choose colors that are both harmonious and significant to the individual couple’s dreams for success.

Professional Wedding Dress Cleaning and Preservation

Traditionally, brides kept their dress for both the memories it represented and for future generations to utilize for their own weddings. More modern traditions include some brides prefer to repurpose their dress into cocktail attire or even lingerie, while some choose to ‘trash’ their dress during a fun photo shoot to add to their memories of their wedding.

If you decide you wish to keep the dress that represents so much love and happiness, getting it properly preserved is very important. Wedding Dress Preservation and standard dry-cleaning are not the same thing! A wedding dress is usually intricately designed and made of delicate fabrics that require special cleaning techniques, handling and care. Professional wedding dress cleaning and preservation is key to making sure you dress lasts a lifetime.

Here are some important things to know about cleaning and preserving your wedding dress.

Wedding gown preservation begins with an experienced fabric specialist’s analyzation and assessment to create a unique treatment plan based upon your dress’s fabric, stitching and details. Any stains are analyzed and treated specifically with an overall goal of giving your dress new life without harming any of the details.

Some professional dry cleaners offer specialized wedding dress cleaning and preservation, but its wise to be sure they use virgin solvents which typically are safer and cleaner than the typical solvents used in the dry-cleaning process for most clothing. There are companies that specialize in wedding dress cleaning and preservation and it might be wise to look into those too.

Research the cleaning company’s policies carefully. It is important to know how long they guarantee the preservation process to last, but you also want someone who will guarantee they won’t do any damage in the preservation process and if damage is done, you want to be sure your compensated for the cost of the dress, not just the preservation process.

Pay attention to any specific dry-cleaning instructions on your dress’s label too. Make sure that whomever you choose to clean your gown has the appropriate solutions and can follow the label’s care instructions.

Sooner is far better than later when it comes to getting your dress to the cleaners! It really is important to get your dress into the cleaner as soon as possible before any stains get the chance to set. If you’re going to be off on your honeymoon, perhaps one of your family members or a bridesmaid can drop your dress at the cleaners while you’re gone.

It is a significant expense to clean and preserve your wedding dress. Because of the extra care involved to protect your beautiful gown, the average wedding preservation kit costs $250 to $750.

Once cleaned and preserved, typically your dress will be returned to you in an airtight box for storage. These professionally created storage boxes are made from acid free materials that prevent moisture and yellowing and help keep your dress in ‘like new’ condition for many years. It is highly recommended that you do not break the seal on this box, and you store it away from direct sunlight or moisture. Keeping your specially boxed, cleaned and preserved gown in an acid free dedicated wedding chest is the safest way to store your bridal gown away from light and moisture.

Choosing not to have your gown professionally preserved can lead to yellowing of the fabric, brown oxidation spots or mildew, and permanent creasing of the fabric(s).