My Big Day was honored to be chosen as the planners for this stunning garden wedding. The event was hosted at the lovely home of Gary and Carol Ann Hixon of Fort Collins, near Horsetooth Reservoir. The bride and groom, Nikki & Ryder, were surrounded by loved ones who helped with all the little touches that made the day extra special. Hosting a large event a a private home is no small feat. Not only are you bringing in decorations and rentals to a location vendors haven't been to before, but you need an XXL emergency kit available to trouble-shoot any accessories needed, should the home not be equipped with traditional supplies you would find at a venue. Luckily, My Big Day carries a large amount of supplies with us, AND the Hixons are no strangers to hosting large galas at their home. Aside from some unpreventable weather just prior to the wedding, the day want off without a hitch! Thank you to all the vendors who made Ryder & Nikki's wedding a spectacular celebration of love! Flowers: Florals by Rhonda Cake: Fiona’s Deli & Bakery DJ/MC: Robert Krueger Photographer: BlueHaus Studios Videographer: Forget Me Not Media Caterer: Café Mexicali Bartending: With a Twist LLC MakeUp: Keegan Steele Hair: Alysse Riccio Rentals: Best Event Rentals -My Big Day LLC Every wedding is unique and My Big Day treats every day as such. When planning your wedding, smart brides ask for tips to pull the day off smoothly. The secret to a stress-free wedding day? Giving yourself enough time to prepare for a VERY full day! Get the complete breakdown below to what happens on your wedding day. (in general of course) Getting Ready: Bride's hair: One hour, depending on the style. This gives enough time to get it right and make any tweaks or changes from the trial run. Bride's makeup: 45 to 60 minutes, depending on the makeup style the bride selects Bridesmaids' hair: 30 minutes per person. (depending on style) Bridesmaids' makeup: 45 minutes per person. The order: When your hairstylist arrives, have her start on your bridesmaids first. This way, the bride can go last so that when her photographer arrives, they catch those last-minute 'getting ready' shots, and the bride looks the freshest. Photographer arrival time: One hour prior to formal photo time. This gives your photographer time to walk your wedding site for any last minute photo ideas, and to capture photos of the bride getting ready. 5+ Girls Requiring Hair/Make-up Styling: ask your stylist to bring an assistant to cut down on time. For makeup, add an assistant after yourself plus two. Traveling to a Salon: Double the travel time you anticipate — better to have too much time than not enough. Photos: Pre-ceremony photos of the bride with her family and attendants/groom with his family and attendants: Two to three minutes per shot; more if the groups are very large, and less if they are very small. "You must also consider how punctual the groups tend to be and possibly cushion the schedule to allow for unexpected delays. First look: 15-30 minutes. Groom and groomsmen arrive: An hour and a half before the ceremony. Bride and bridesmaids arrive: An hour before the ceremony. We want to make sure you are hidden before your guests arrive, so they don't get an early peek at your gown! *If the bride won't be taking photos at the church or ceremony site prior to the ceremony, then she can arrive moments before walking down the aisle and wait in the limo until it's time. The Ceremony: Ideal ceremony length: 30 minutes. It's enough time to have meaningful readings and music to make your ceremony unique and memorable. Receiving line: For a ceremony with 100 guests or less, this will take 12-15 minutes. With 150 guests, allow 20+ minutes. If you're expecting more than 150 guests, consider skipping the receiving line and visiting guests at their tables during dinner instead. Maximum gap between ceremony and reception: One hour. Any more than that, and we’d recommend suggesting places for your guests to visit between the ceremony and cocktail hour. Family photos: Two to three minutes per shot — if your family is properly organized! Bridal party: Two to three minutes per shot. Didn't have a first look? Allow 30 minutes post-ceremony for photos of you and your groom. If you did have a first look, you'll still want 15-20 minutes post-ceremony for just the two of you. *Save photos of very large groups (like classmates, coworkers, and large extended family groups) for the reception, when your DJ or band leader can make an announcement to gather everyone. You'll be able to take the photos much faster than trying to track down 50 people during the cocktail hour. The Reception: Ideal event length: Six hours. This will allow an hour for cocktails, two hours for dinner, and three hours for dancing. First dance: This can take place immediately after the bride and groom enter the reception, following the conclusion of dinner, or right after dessert. Father/daughter dance: Immediately following the first dance. Mother/son dance: Immediately following the father/daughter dance. Or, sometimes, this dance is shared with the father/daughter dance. Welcome toast: Given by the father of the bride or by the bride and groom. Toasts: Ladies first! Start with the maid of honor, followed by the best man. Guests invited to dance: Open up the dance floor, and get the party started! Dessert: Two hours before the reception ends. Cake cutting, cupcakes, or whatever you have planned. Bouquet and garter tosses: Right after the cake cutting, or about two hours before the end of the reception. Late-night snacks: A popular trend, many couples start passing around bite-size snacks at this point to refuel guests. Farewell: If you're doing a sparkler farewell, for example, have guests start lining up about 10 minutes before you plan to exit. For more tips and helpful hints, or to hire My Big Day as your wedding planner - Contact My Big Day! Christine Kovacs Forster, Owner/ Party Planner My Big Day llc Phone: 970-613-1455 or 303-886-3068 Email Us Located in Loveland, CO As event planners, we serve the entire front range; Northern Colorado, Southern Wyoming and mountain venues.
The reception was help at the park pavilion. Table were names with their favorite stadiums, and decorated with baseballs, sunflowers, and of course - Cracker Jacks! Guests signed homeplate as the guest book. The snack bar was filled with peanuts and pretzels, and the caterer, Common Link, hosted a smorgasbord of baseball themed gourmet food! The day was simply perfect --- filled with joy and surprises!
My Big Day was honored to be the wedding planners for such a special day. And you know we love a theme! The setting was perfect for this couple's country ranch themed wedding... Bruce and Sherry got hitched at Ellis Ranch in Loveland. My Big Day was honored to be selected as the wedding planners for this fun day! Bruce and Sherry were surrounded with love every moment of their Big Day. From the horse drawn carriage, to the photo booth, to the wagon used as a gift table... the little touches made all the difference! Below are all the vendors in addition to My Big Day that made this beautiful wedding possible. Ceremony: Ellis Ranch, Loveland CO
Reception: Ellis Ranch, Loveland DJ: Trebled Entertainment Photography: Lowercase Imaging Florist: Marioposa Flowers Videography: Elevation Pictures Cake: Batter Up Cakes
TODAY is the final day to enter! The dream wedding contest in Colorado is put on by www.KDVR.com and www.KWGN.com My Big Day loves giving our followers a chance to win BIG THINGS! Entry is easy, CLICK HERE to fill out the online registration form. Good luck!
Do you know of someone who is planning to propose soon? Whole Foods in Colorado wants to help them pop the question! Our friends at Whole Foods Market want their story. Whole Foods intends to make someone’s engagement one they will never forget --- and their wedding day a bit sweeter. As with most contests, stories with emotional impact or adversity overcome are the most compelling. The lucky winner will be contacted immediately. Whole Foods will coordinate with them in secret to show up at the proposal site on February 14 with a professional photographer, musician, a huge bouquet of roses and a giant goodie basket with treats from Justin’s Corvus Coffee, Bhakti Chai, Oogave, Love Grown Foods, LoveBeets and Earth Balance and more. Plus, the lucky couple (assuming he or she says, “yes”) receives a gift certificate for custom wedding flowers and a cupcake tower for their wedding day! The entire package is worth more than $2,000. Email [email protected] no later than 11:59 p.m. Monday, February 10 with the tale of romance. It will be SO worth it! A big, chocolate-covered thank you to all our Pinterest and Blog followers! Our Pinterest page, and blog posts have been blowing up! We're happy to know that our social media has taken off. Keep following My Big Day for more on:
-Cheers! A couple AMAZING giveaways just happened across our desk this morning, and we wanted to share with all of our My Big Day followers! HeidiTown is working with the city of Breckenridge, CO to promote a HUGE giveaway. Estes Park is open! And to inspire traffic, they are promoting a BIG weekend giveaway. Lastly, local florist, Palmer Flowers, are giving away $100 in flowers- now who wouldn't love to give or receive that!?!
Whether you are planning a corporate event, a baby shower, a bridal shower, a birthday party, or a wedding... you have a number of vendors out there to choose from. How to you pick? While referrals are great, how to you widen your options, and easily narrow down the vendors who you'll trust to pull your event off with grace? Easy... You do your research You ask them carefully prepared questions You go with your gut! Here Are The Top 10 Things You Should Consider When Interviewing Vendors: 1. Will the vendor commit to your budget and not push you in the direction of things you simply can't afford? 2. Will the vendor pay attention to the smallest of details? Are they prompt and articulate? (You can gage these things by their promptness in returning phone calls and emails, showing up for your meetings early or on time, and by giving you more information that you even asked for) 3. Can the vendor give you thoughtful and original ideas, showing that they are not only invested in their industry, but experienced? 4. Is the vendor familiar with multiple florists, photographers, caterers, planners, bands, and DJs in your price range? Can he/she explain their strongpoints to you briefly? 5. Can the vendor score you some discounts with any other vendors, help you negotiate pricing, or in the least, speak of general pricing for other vendors in the industry to help you with your negotiations? 6. Is the vendor legit? Do they have a website, a Facebook page, a Pinterest page, etc? Can you find reviews about their company online? Can they give you a list of referrals? 7. Can the vendor counsel you on industry etiquette matters and speak to hot trends on the horizon? 8. For the day of the event, can the vendor commit to working with only YOU (not juggling multiple clients)? 9. Will the vendor act as your advocate, conveying your visions and desires to others when you don't feel up to the task? 10. PASSION. Does the vendor have it? If you ask them about their favorite part of their job, do their eyes light up? If you ask them to tell you about why they got into the industry, do they have a compelling story they love to tell? If they can’t tell you why they love their job, will they put passion into your Big Day? Probably not. Note: A professional should have plenty of questions for YOU too. They should easily be able to determine your wishes, needs, level of maintenance, budget, scope of imagination, and more!
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April 2023
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