A guest blog by our friends, MyWedStyle.com For brides who love fashion—and binge-watching TLC’s Say Yes to the Dress—wedding dress shopping can easily be the most exciting part of wedding planning. What’s not to love about fifty shades of white satin, tons of tulle and every kind of lace imaginable at your fingertips? This is your chance to play the fairy tale princess and pick the dress that fits you best. Wondering what’s hot on the runways for the 2018 wedding season (and what Meghan Markle might be sporting for the royal wedding)? This year’s bridal style trends are all about accessories and showing strategic skin.
It's time once again for the Loveland Wedding Center's annual gown give-a-way! The owner, Dianne, has always had a big heart when it comes to her brides. She sells affordable new and previously loved dresses, and once a year gives away gowns to those who need them! Select gowns are made available for ONE DAY at a first come, first serve basis. Details: Give-A-Way date: Sunday October 4th, 1pm-6pm Types of Gowns: Bridal, bridesmaids, flowergirls, mothers of the bride, formals, and more! Number of Gowns: Approx 140 dresses will be given away! How: You must wait in line to get a number - Only a few people will be invited into the store at a time. Each guest will get a dressing room 20 minutes- and can try 1-2 dresses on at a time. If you find a dress you love- it's yours for FREE! Location:
Loveland Wedding Center 680 E. Eisenhower Blvd Loveland, Colorado (970) 744-5589 http://WeWedWisely.com/ -by Marissa Max The man of your dreams just proposed! Congratulations!! You’ve got the ring you’ve been hoping and praying for and cannot wait to start planning your perfect wedding with your handsome husband-to-be! One of the first things that we recommend that brides begin their search for is their wedding dress. If you were anything like me, you’ve been flipping through bridal magazines or perusing Pinterest wedding gown boards for months and want your dress to be, well, absolutely perfect! To help you in your search for a spectacular wedding gown, we’ve compiled a list of some of the best bridal shops in Northern Colorado! Dora Grace Bridal in Fort Collins, CO Dora Grace Bridal is owned and operated by Timiry, who is originally from Indiana. Her team of associates are fabulous and try their very best to find each bride a dress that fits their personality and budget. This local shop carries the latest styles from many different designers including, but not limited to, Maggie Sottero, Mori Lee, Pronovias, La Sposa, Stella York, and W Too. Not only do they carry a wide selection of wedding gowns, but they also have bridesmaid dresses, tuxedos, and prom wear! You are able to browse and choose some of your favorite gowns to try on, including a sale section of the store where you can find great dresses at fabulous discounts! It has the feel of a very high-end dress boutique, while still offering a wide range of prices to fit many budgets. Encore Bridal in Fort Collins, CO This bridal shop is one of Fort Collins’ oldest independent bridal shops, which obviously means that they know how to do good business and offer brides what they want and need! Located in a fabulous older building off of College Avenue near the Colorado State University campus, Encore Bridal is a great place to start if you are looking for a smaller-shop feel. Each room in the shop is divided by price so that you can browse dresses within your price point. They even have a room devoted consignment dresses! You pick four or five dresses to start with by placing a clip on the dresses you like, and then get to model them for your friends and family. The dress selection is not quite as large as some of the other shops, but they do feature quite a few popular designers including Allure Bridals, Allure Romance, Saison Blanche, Eden Bridals and Ellis Bridal. Like many of the other shops, they also offer tuxedo rental, bridesmaids’ dresses, Mom’s dresses, and more which makes it a great one-stop shop! Blushing Bride in Windsor, CO Blushing Bride has been locally owned and operated since the late 1980’s, making it one of the oldest bridal shops on the list. Today, they carry a wide variety of dresses from designer and off-the-rack wedding gowns to plus size gowns. They also have a good selection of bridesmaids’ dresses, flower girl and first communion dresses, prom and eveningwear gowns, and accessories. As far as wedding gowns are concerned, they have a limited choice of designers, but some of the most popular ones, which include Allure Bridals, Alfred Angelo, and Maggie Sottero. Many of the most popular wedding gowns come from these designers, though, so don’t let the limited list of names fool you! Another plus is that this shop does not require you to make an appointment to try on gowns, however we do recommend calling ahead in order to avoid a line at the fitting rooms! This popular local shop is another great stop in your journey to find your dream wedding gown. Wed Wisely at the Loveland Wedding Center in Loveland, CO One of the fantastic things about this dress shop is the fact that every year, the owner Dianne Carpenter gives away wedding gowns to those who need them. Many of these gowns were either floor models or donated gowns and when asked why she does this, she said it is because she wants to bless others. The wedding gowns could sell for $500 and up when they were brand new, but Carpenter wants to use her shop to help others and does exactly that once a year. When the sale is not going on, she has a wonderful selection of new, donated, and vintage dresses to choose from. Not only does she sell wedding gowns, but she also has a selection of bridesmaids’ dresses, flower girl dresses, Mom’s dresses and also does alterations! It is a wonderful place to start, especially if you live in the Loveland area! The Bridal Connection in Longmont, CO For over 25 years now, the Bridal Connection has been serving brides in Colorado. According to their website, they carry nearly 200 sample bridal gowns from a variety of designers, which means that you have lots of dress options to choose from. Like the other shops mentioned above, they also have bridesmaid, flower girl, and mom dresses, as well as tuxedos. Some of their designers include Maggie Sottero, Mori Lee, Venus, Allure Bridals Romance by Allure, Stella York, and Essence of Australia. Because they have a wide selection of dresses, it makes it fairly easy to try on a variety of styles, especially if you are not sure what might look best on you. This shop also recommends that you start your dress search early as it takes about 6 to 12 months for their dresses to arrive in store and then you must factor in the alterations. They are open Monday through Saturday, so make sure to make an appointment before you go!
-by Jessica Weimer When dressing to go to a wedding you should always check the invitation first, this will tell you the style and theme of the wedding and usually states what dress is required. After you determine this it’s really up to you and your wardrobe to decide what to wear. In the winter months weddings can be harder to dress for because of the cold weather. Depending on the dress code this is some of My Big Day’s winter wedding outfit inspiration!
It’s always good to remember that no matter what weddings require a hint of formality and you should never show up in jeans and a hoodie. It is respectful to put on your nicer clothes and look presentable. Even in winter you can get creative and look your best! Contact My Big Day
Have Fun. Be Young. Let us know how we can help! Original Ideas, superior strategies, your own private party planner... My Big Day llc Phone: 970-613-1455 or 303-886-3068 Located in Loveland, CO As event planners, we serve the entire front range; Northern Colorado, Southern Wyoming and mountain venues. It seems all of Colorado is buzzing over the Bootlegger's Ball! We have guests coming from Denver, Longmont, Berthoud, Boulder, Loveland, Fort Collins, Timnath, Westminster, Greeley, Cheyenne, Thornton, Windsor - and the mountains! We promise not to disappoint! Here are some updates from your planning team:
Don't forget about the decadent dinner being offered at the Embassy Suites' Rocky River Bar & Grill! This special menu is available New Years Eve ONLY! Reservations can be made by calling the hotel at 970-593-6200 and asking for “RESTAURANT RESERVATIONS”. Thank you for celebrating with us! Let's put 2014 to rest and celebrate 2015 in style! My Big Day Events Christine Kovacs Forster, Owner/ Party Planner Phone: 970-613-1455 or 303-886-3068 Located in Loveland, CO Website: MyBigDayCompany.com Just 1 Day Left! Grab your EARLY BIRD tickets for the NYE ball today! They jump up to $60 on December 1st. http://www.eveningattheembassy.com/
Embassy Suites and My Big Day present “An Evening at The Embassy; New Year’s Eve Bootlegger’s Ball” It’s the largest New Year’s Eve party between Denver and the Canadian border! And YOU are invited! On December 31st the Embassy Suites in Loveland will transform their ballroom into a 1920’s themed underground dance hall. Guests can expect an entertaining evening with, hors d oeuvres, DJ, dancing, special tasters of Midnight Moon moonshine, happy hour pricing all evening, signature cocktails, contests, champagne toast, discounts on hotel rooms, and optional childcare provided by Seeking Sitters (for an additional charge). Guests are encouraged to dress in 1920’s style clothing. A portion of all the event proceeds go to the Food Bank for Larimer County. Event Specifics Date: December 31st, 2014 Location: Embassy Suites Loveland 4705 Clydesdale Parkway, Loveland, CO 80538 Time: 7:30pm - 12:30am Attire: Prohibition Era (1920's-1930's style) clothing is encouraged Accommodations: Bootlegger's Ball guests will receive an email after they purchase tickets with a discount code for hotel reservations Tickets: EARLY BIRD SALE ends December 1st! ONLY $55 Website: EveningAtTheEmbassy.com
For more information, contact:
My Big Day Events Christine Kovacs Forster, Owner/ Party Planner Phone: 970-613-1455 or 303-886-3068 Email Us Located in Loveland, CO Website: MyBigDayCompany.com
by Randi Juric, My Big Day Being a good hostess doesn’t take a lot of skill. Being a good hostess is all about the timing and the come one come all attitude. All you need to remember is smiles, full drinks, full plates, great atmosphere. Here are a few structure points to being the best hostess you can be. As a hostess you are the greeter, server, entertainer, problem solver, and cleanup crew unless of course you hire someone for any of these jobs. Even if you hire someone a super hostess still eyeballs the help to make sure it’s getting done right. A great hostess can super charge the room just by their smile and presentation as you greet a guest. Be infectious and make the crowd happy and go lucky with a smile! We call that a Super Hospi Hostess, hospi stands for hospitality. 1. Set a clear start and end: When you send out an invite be sure you list time, place, start and end dates. This will allow people to plan for the event accordingly. This will also ensure your party loving friends don’t overstay their welcome. Be sure to add an RSVP due date for a better had count for your event. 2. Confirmations: Be prepared to make confirmation calls to those who haven’t RSVP yet. Always be sure to ask if you think you may need to make special accommodations for some one. 3. Comfort: When guests start to arrive be sure to make the rules clear “take your shoes off and head on in” or “There is/is not a smoking area out back”. Be sure you keep the environment comfortable for all guests and you too! Welcome them in and shoe them the layout. Everyone loves snacks and drinks, it’s the best part of the party!! Remember as your walking around mingling and welcoming new guests it’s OK to eyeball everyone’s plates and drinks. Be sure to ask in passing if they need a refill on any food or drink or if you can take their plate. Remember to SMILE SMILE SMILE! 4. Mingle, Mingle, Mingle: It is very important to mingle and mix things up. Walk around and talk with your guests, catch up and maybe get people who may not know each other to start a conversation. Keep your background music in mind should you decide to play some. Always put together a playlist that fits your crowd and don’t play it too loud. We want the music to entertain but not blast away! 5. Clean up: Clean as you go! It makes things so much easier as you go to pick up and clean as your walking around mingling. Offer to take some ones trash for them. A hostess never leaves their guest with their hands full. 6. The wind down and long good bye: Read your crowd! Timing is everything on the wind down. About an hour to thirty minutes before your scheduled end time take the time to look around and see if your guests seem to be winding down or going strong. If they are winding down you can turn your music down in the background more and start cleaning up a little more heavily as you mingle and say your goodbyes to those leaving. You can also thank people for coming as you’re cleaning up in their area before you move on, this will give the guest the impression the party is coming to an end politely. On the other hand if your guests seem to still be going strong and you don’t have to be out by a specific time start asking for refills again or if you can get them anything else. You can also turn the music up just a smidge. Mingle and ask your guests if they have met so and so yet and see if you can make some new connections. 7. The morning after: Give some of your guests’ calls over the next week and thank them for coming again and see if they have any feedback for you good or bad, just listen to what they have to say there is always room for improvement. This helps you refine your hosting skills and see what works and doesn’t so well. This also gives you an opportunity to give more invites if you have other events you want to have some guests to join. Your guests will love the follow up and the time you took to say thank you again. It leaves a great impression that you cared to call them and ask if they had a good time. These hostess tips have been brought to you by My Big Day Events! Serving the Front Range, Mountains and S. Wyoming. Parties - Planning - Weddings & More! |
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