Photography
Colorado Concept Photography A+
Karen and Barbara were an absolute blast to work with! They were very relaxed and made the entire process very enjoyable. They also really took charge of the day and made sure that things kept moving and that everyone had flowers, etc. They were basically a day of coordinator but didn't miss a shot. They even bustled my dress when it was time to head to the reception so that we didn't have to worry about it when we got out of the limo.
I only had one must take photo and left the rest in their professional hands and I am not disappointed! I really feel like they caught everything that was going on and went around making sure that we had photos of all our guests.
http://www.coloradoconceptphoto.com/
Karen and Barbara were an absolute blast to work with! They were very relaxed and made the entire process very enjoyable. They also really took charge of the day and made sure that things kept moving and that everyone had flowers, etc. They were basically a day of coordinator but didn't miss a shot. They even bustled my dress when it was time to head to the reception so that we didn't have to worry about it when we got out of the limo.
I only had one must take photo and left the rest in their professional hands and I am not disappointed! I really feel like they caught everything that was going on and went around making sure that we had photos of all our guests.
http://www.coloradoconceptphoto.com/
DJ
Too Much Fun DJ Services A+
I really can't say enough good things about Neil and Beth. They really made the reception a great party. I had a couple people tell me after the wedding that they had been to 2-4 (depending on the couple) different weddings that summer and Neil was the best DJ they had heard by far.
He had a great selection of music and was able to cater to everyone. He pulled out props, glowsticks, and other suprises that made the reception an absolute blast! My friend that was at the wedding wasn't planning on having a DJ at her wedding a few months later, but after seeing Neil in action, decided to hire him! One of my bridesmaids kept saying "okay, after this song I need a break," then the next song would come on and it would be such a great song that we had to just keep on dancing!
If you have the chance, book these guys and you will have a rockin good time!!
http://www.toomuchfundj.com/index.html
I really can't say enough good things about Neil and Beth. They really made the reception a great party. I had a couple people tell me after the wedding that they had been to 2-4 (depending on the couple) different weddings that summer and Neil was the best DJ they had heard by far.
He had a great selection of music and was able to cater to everyone. He pulled out props, glowsticks, and other suprises that made the reception an absolute blast! My friend that was at the wedding wasn't planning on having a DJ at her wedding a few months later, but after seeing Neil in action, decided to hire him! One of my bridesmaids kept saying "okay, after this song I need a break," then the next song would come on and it would be such a great song that we had to just keep on dancing!
If you have the chance, book these guys and you will have a rockin good time!!
http://www.toomuchfundj.com/index.html
Florist
Earle's Floral A+
The staff at Earle's did a wonderful job with the flowers. I really didn't know what I wanted and basically told them my colors and price range and let them do the rest. All the flowers turned out great. I had no idea my bouquet was going to look the way it did but I was very happy with the results. The bridesmaid bouquets came out great as well. One of my photographers told me that those were the best bridesmaids bouquets that she had ever seen. She may have been flattering me, but she didn't over compliment anything else, so I think she was serious.
The staff was very professional and arrived early to set up all of the flowers in the church. They came back after we were done with photos to take down the stands as well and to help my parents load the large arrangements into their car.
The candles in the arrangements were really cool too, the looked like real candles, but they were fake! They were spring loaded, so that they were always burning on top, but this way the candles never got shorter and never dripped. It was really cool!
http://ftdfloristsonline77.rtrk.com/?scid=965886&kw=1930736:12884
The staff at Earle's did a wonderful job with the flowers. I really didn't know what I wanted and basically told them my colors and price range and let them do the rest. All the flowers turned out great. I had no idea my bouquet was going to look the way it did but I was very happy with the results. The bridesmaid bouquets came out great as well. One of my photographers told me that those were the best bridesmaids bouquets that she had ever seen. She may have been flattering me, but she didn't over compliment anything else, so I think she was serious.
The staff was very professional and arrived early to set up all of the flowers in the church. They came back after we were done with photos to take down the stands as well and to help my parents load the large arrangements into their car.
The candles in the arrangements were really cool too, the looked like real candles, but they were fake! They were spring loaded, so that they were always burning on top, but this way the candles never got shorter and never dripped. It was really cool!
http://ftdfloristsonline77.rtrk.com/?scid=965886&kw=1930736:12884
Hair, Make up, Nails, and Spray Tan
We had to divide up everyone that was getting their hair done between 3 different salons
Trendz Salon and Day Spa A+
My Mother, Sister, and I had manis and pedis here a few days before the wedding and they turned out great. They even took extra time with me and gave me a better package (with leg massage) since I was the bride. I also went here for a spray tan and the lady was very professional. She did a great job and after I was able to take my first shower, the tan blended right in with my farmers tan. She definitely didn't over do it and I felt like I look very natural the day of the wedding. I had my tan done on Thursday for my Saturday wedding. If Sara is still at the front desk, just ask to speak with Alyssa, the lady who owns the place. She actually knows what is going on and will give you discounts if you are doing a lot of things for a wedding.
For hair, they opened early to get us in. Our hair and make-up turned out great and I don't have any complaints.
http://www.trendzsalonanddayspa.com/
Trendz Salon and Day Spa A+
My Mother, Sister, and I had manis and pedis here a few days before the wedding and they turned out great. They even took extra time with me and gave me a better package (with leg massage) since I was the bride. I also went here for a spray tan and the lady was very professional. She did a great job and after I was able to take my first shower, the tan blended right in with my farmers tan. She definitely didn't over do it and I felt like I look very natural the day of the wedding. I had my tan done on Thursday for my Saturday wedding. If Sara is still at the front desk, just ask to speak with Alyssa, the lady who owns the place. She actually knows what is going on and will give you discounts if you are doing a lot of things for a wedding.
For hair, they opened early to get us in. Our hair and make-up turned out great and I don't have any complaints.
http://www.trendzsalonanddayspa.com/
The Spa at Scruples A-
This was the second salon we used. My SIL's went here for their hair and make-up. The reception seems a little spacey, so just make sure you call a couple times to confirm your appointment. My SIL's said that the make-up lady was great and that they were very happy with their hair. Their only complaint was that one of the hairdressers was a little rude.
http://www.spaatscruples.com/
This was the second salon we used. My SIL's went here for their hair and make-up. The reception seems a little spacey, so just make sure you call a couple times to confirm your appointment. My SIL's said that the make-up lady was great and that they were very happy with their hair. Their only complaint was that one of the hairdressers was a little rude.
http://www.spaatscruples.com/
Eclips Salon C
Well, I will start off by saying that the lady who owns this did a great job with my bridesmaids hair, but that is where the good things end.
I spoke with her on the phone a couple months before the wedding and she said that if my three bridesmaids showed up at 8am, she would have them done by 10:30am without a problem. She specifically said that would give her 45 min per girl which is plenty of time. I called her the day before the wedding to confirm the appointment and she again said that they would be out by 10:30am. She said no problem and even offered to have mimosas waiting for them.
Well, 10am on the wedding day, my Mom, sister, cousin, and I are done with our hair and make up and are heading to the church. I get a call from the first bridesmaid that was getting her hair done. She had just finished. It had taken her 2 hours to do an updo on shoulder length hair! Luckily, my two other bridesmaids were done by 12pm and able to make it to the church in time for photos.
They said the reason she took so long was because she would put the hair up and then take it out again. Multiple times. She also couldn't multitask. She would start talking to them and stop working on their hair. They said that they stopped engaging her and she would still stop and just talk for a few minutes and then get back to their hair.
When she called around noon (the salons called me after they were done to get the okay to charge my card and to tell me the final amount so I could tip them) I was already having pictures taken and couldn't talk with her. She began to argue with my Mother that it was my fault because I had told her 12:30pm. A couple days later my mother called her again because I was on my honeymoon and we wanted to make sure she got her money, she continued to argue with my mom and kept blaming me. We paid her the full amount (which was actually pretty cheap) since their hair did turn out great, but decided not to tip her because of how late she was and mainly because she kept arguing and pointing fingers instead of apologizing.
So, if you have a lot of time and very few people, she did great updos at a great price, but make sure you have a lot of time.
http://www.eclips-salon.net/
Well, I will start off by saying that the lady who owns this did a great job with my bridesmaids hair, but that is where the good things end.
I spoke with her on the phone a couple months before the wedding and she said that if my three bridesmaids showed up at 8am, she would have them done by 10:30am without a problem. She specifically said that would give her 45 min per girl which is plenty of time. I called her the day before the wedding to confirm the appointment and she again said that they would be out by 10:30am. She said no problem and even offered to have mimosas waiting for them.
Well, 10am on the wedding day, my Mom, sister, cousin, and I are done with our hair and make up and are heading to the church. I get a call from the first bridesmaid that was getting her hair done. She had just finished. It had taken her 2 hours to do an updo on shoulder length hair! Luckily, my two other bridesmaids were done by 12pm and able to make it to the church in time for photos.
They said the reason she took so long was because she would put the hair up and then take it out again. Multiple times. She also couldn't multitask. She would start talking to them and stop working on their hair. They said that they stopped engaging her and she would still stop and just talk for a few minutes and then get back to their hair.
When she called around noon (the salons called me after they were done to get the okay to charge my card and to tell me the final amount so I could tip them) I was already having pictures taken and couldn't talk with her. She began to argue with my Mother that it was my fault because I had told her 12:30pm. A couple days later my mother called her again because I was on my honeymoon and we wanted to make sure she got her money, she continued to argue with my mom and kept blaming me. We paid her the full amount (which was actually pretty cheap) since their hair did turn out great, but decided not to tip her because of how late she was and mainly because she kept arguing and pointing fingers instead of apologizing.
So, if you have a lot of time and very few people, she did great updos at a great price, but make sure you have a lot of time.
http://www.eclips-salon.net/
Cake
Babette's Feast A+
Oh mmmmmmmm. What wonderful cakes she makes! Babette is a wonderful French chef! She takes great pride in her work and cakes are her personal masterpieces. Babette was a blast to work with and she is very concerned about quality. She uses fresh fruit for her fillings "none of that nasty jelly stuff," she said!
We also tried Schmidt's Bakery in Loveland and not only was their quality and taste much lower than Babette's, they cost more too!
I would highly recommend Babette's, at least go and try her stuff! Also her portion sizes are huge!
http://babettesfeastcatering.com/
Oh mmmmmmmm. What wonderful cakes she makes! Babette is a wonderful French chef! She takes great pride in her work and cakes are her personal masterpieces. Babette was a blast to work with and she is very concerned about quality. She uses fresh fruit for her fillings "none of that nasty jelly stuff," she said!
We also tried Schmidt's Bakery in Loveland and not only was their quality and taste much lower than Babette's, they cost more too!
I would highly recommend Babette's, at least go and try her stuff! Also her portion sizes are huge!
http://babettesfeastcatering.com/
Reception Site
Marriott of Fort Collins A+
Very profesional and helpful staff. The coordinators really went out of their way to make your day great and this place does not try to nickel and dime you. Almost all non-alcoholic beverages are included in the package and everything is very accessible to the guests. The food tasted absolutely great and they gave huge portions (plated meal).
For our dishes we chose, Portablla Napoloen, Steak and Chicken Marsala, Salmon, and Chicken Cordon Bleu. We also had chicken fingers for children that only cost us $10, which saved us a lot of money.
I didn't have any appetizers, but our guests said they were good. The staff was barely noticed, but they were always around if you needed them. The cut the cake nicely and packed up the rest for us along with the extra chocolate-dipped strawberries.
The lady in charge just loves weddings and really wanted to make it great. I can honestly say that I expected a lot from them and they exceeded those expectations.
The only complaint that we had was that the serving staff served my parents table and my in-laws table last. When the lady in charge heard about this she was horrified and was very apologetic.
Another nice thing was that we didn't have to mess around with trying to tip any of the staff. We asked how we should do this and were told that they pay their servers a higher than normal amount and that the tips are already included in the price of the package. So that saved us some more money.
I highly recommend using the Marriott. Oh, and the best thing was that the food wasn't cold for anyone! That's always the biggest complaint I hear, so no worries here!
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/event-planning/wedding-planning/ftcco-fort-collins-marriott/
Very profesional and helpful staff. The coordinators really went out of their way to make your day great and this place does not try to nickel and dime you. Almost all non-alcoholic beverages are included in the package and everything is very accessible to the guests. The food tasted absolutely great and they gave huge portions (plated meal).
For our dishes we chose, Portablla Napoloen, Steak and Chicken Marsala, Salmon, and Chicken Cordon Bleu. We also had chicken fingers for children that only cost us $10, which saved us a lot of money.
I didn't have any appetizers, but our guests said they were good. The staff was barely noticed, but they were always around if you needed them. The cut the cake nicely and packed up the rest for us along with the extra chocolate-dipped strawberries.
The lady in charge just loves weddings and really wanted to make it great. I can honestly say that I expected a lot from them and they exceeded those expectations.
The only complaint that we had was that the serving staff served my parents table and my in-laws table last. When the lady in charge heard about this she was horrified and was very apologetic.
Another nice thing was that we didn't have to mess around with trying to tip any of the staff. We asked how we should do this and were told that they pay their servers a higher than normal amount and that the tips are already included in the price of the package. So that saved us some more money.
I highly recommend using the Marriott. Oh, and the best thing was that the food wasn't cold for anyone! That's always the biggest complaint I hear, so no worries here!
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/event-planning/wedding-planning/ftcco-fort-collins-marriott/
Flower Preservation
My actual arrangement
Suspended in Time A
Lisa Ross is amazing at flower preservation. At first I wasn't very happy with my arrangement, but it grew on me after time. I've seen a lot of her other work and I think the problem was the types of flowers that I had. I think they were just too big to do much with! She uses very high quality materials and can get the final products back pretty quick.
One thing that I really liked was the birdseed she included in the arrangement! She said that it was the first time that she had ever had birdseed in a bouquet! I love it! She also only charged me $15 to come pick up my bouquet and DH's bout an hour from her home at 9pm on a Saturday. Lisa is awesome!
http://flowerpreservationpro.com/default.aspx
Lisa Ross is amazing at flower preservation. At first I wasn't very happy with my arrangement, but it grew on me after time. I've seen a lot of her other work and I think the problem was the types of flowers that I had. I think they were just too big to do much with! She uses very high quality materials and can get the final products back pretty quick.
One thing that I really liked was the birdseed she included in the arrangement! She said that it was the first time that she had ever had birdseed in a bouquet! I love it! She also only charged me $15 to come pick up my bouquet and DH's bout an hour from her home at 9pm on a Saturday. Lisa is awesome!
http://flowerpreservationpro.com/default.aspx
Limo Service
Limo Express A
The limo driver was given the wrong address on his paperwork. He kept driving around for an address that didn't exist! My parent's called him after he was a half hour late and were able to clear everything up. We were still taking pictures when he arrived, so it didn't cause a problem at all!
They had a red carpet, "Just Married" sign, and champagne and water in the limo. The driver was very professional and we had a smooth ride!
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 970-532-5559/ 303-838-3055
Ceremony Music
11am Mass Band A+
This is the group that plays at the 11am Mass on Sundays at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church. They are a great group of very talented volunteers and were my first choice when for the ceremony. One of the more emotional times in the ceremony came from on of the girls singing "Hail Mary, Gentle Woman." It was so beautiful that it brought tears to almost everyone's eyes.
To get in touch with them, ask to speak to Mike Teska when calling the Parish office at: 970-635-8500
This is the group that plays at the 11am Mass on Sundays at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church. They are a great group of very talented volunteers and were my first choice when for the ceremony. One of the more emotional times in the ceremony came from on of the girls singing "Hail Mary, Gentle Woman." It was so beautiful that it brought tears to almost everyone's eyes.
To get in touch with them, ask to speak to Mike Teska when calling the Parish office at: 970-635-8500
