Couples Party

Most brides are use to attending numerous Bridal Shows prior to their wedding. This can be an over whelming experience. So many fish in the sea, as to say, and find it hard to choose the perfect vendor.
Ellis Ranch Event Center and Wedding Park host a unique solution to this problem called THE COUPLES PARTY!! The Couples Party offers couples an evening of fun during their hunt for the perfect vendor.
Vendors are helping honor you, the bride, with an exciting and fun evening. Great time to visit with other couples, vendors, and sample food and view their products, which help make your wedding beautiful and memorable. This is not going to be another typical bridal show, but a party! There will be a gift for every bride and drawings for some great prizes. Please join us on May 20th with that special person. Bring your Mom and your Bridesmaids along too. Great time to party and find that perfect vendor for your special day. To RSVP email info@ellisrancheventcenter.com

Carriage Inspiration Board

Vendor of the Week

Imagine your anniversary, showing your wedding album to your children, remembering the fun, the beauty and the emotion of this once in a lifetime event. At Kimball Nelson Photography, we recognize that quality photography has the ability to transport you back to your wedding day. We take the utmost care to portray your day in a manner that will show the laughter, the love and the emotion with images that you will cherish forever.

FUN

We shoot weddings because we like to have fun and weddings are fun, happy occasions. We love to work with people and we love to capture the fun of the day. We like to think you have fun with us as well!

STYLE

Our style is artsy photojournalism. What does that mean? It means we will be there to document your day in an unobtrusive, photojournalistic manner. We work from different angles, with creative lighting, to capture your day in an artsy way. We work with you to get group portraits that are fun and natural. And, we spend the necessary time with you, the bride and groom, to ensure a fantastic portrait, one that you will pass down through generations.

PROFESSIONAL

We understand the trust that you put in us to capture this important part of your family heritage and we would be honored to have that responsibility. With a decade's worth of satisfied couples, we have the experience necessary to make your wedding photography perfect.

Kimball Nelson Photography
Natural Moments - Genuine Images
970-472-1661
5408 N. Hwy 1Fort Collins, CO 80524
www.kimballnelson.com

Why Private Venue vs Restaurants

Rehearsal dinners with the family can be just as stressful as planning the wedding. Generally the groom’s family plans and pays for the rehearsal and dinner and in most cases the groom is out of town leaving the parents with no clue where to host such and important event. They don’t know anything about the local restaurants or the area.

If possible I would try and hold my rehearsal dinner at a private venue or better yet at the venue where you will be getting married.

1) Talk about convientant.
2) Private, not the general public all around you.
3) You have a chance to really visit and enjoy family and
friends in a more intimate setting.
4) Most venues will offer you a package deal making planning
a zip.
5) You have no travel time or have to worry about guest not
finding the restaurant after the rehearsal you are already
there.
6) Many cases you can bring in your own alcohol, which make
the evening less expensive.
7) Most cases you don’t need to limit numbers in attendance
8) Don’t have strangers in the background of your photos.
9) Very convientant to work with the host of the venue in your
planning due to most grooms’ parents being out of town
or doesn’t want or know how to organize such an event.
10) Great time to give your personal gifts to family and the
wedding party.

New Budget Trends

With the unemployment rate being at an all time high and the economy suffering in general, wedding venues are really starting to hear brides talk about doing more of the work themselves to save money on their special day. This can work for some brides and others this can turn into a nightmare.

I think one of the best ways to save money and still be able to hire the vendors of your choice is to consider not hosting your wedding during the peak season. I would really encourage brides to check the off-season prices… THEY ROCK! You can generally get all the vendors and venues at a reduced price.

Hosting your wedding during the off-season doesn’t mean you can’t have a beautiful and memorable wedding and reception.

Destination Choices for Brides "Sweetheart City" Loveland, Colorado

As women, we have thought about our wedding day from the time we were little girls. Now the time has come to choose the perfect wedding location.

In my opinion the perfect location to share your sacred vows would be the romantic town of Loveland, Colorado, the gateway to the Rocky Mountains. A small sweetheart city romantically nestled in the heart of the foothills.

I couldn’t have said this any better than a quote I read from the website of The Loveland Wedding Professionals; “Looking for a wedding destination that has the services you need to help you create the wedding day you have always envisioned? Have you dreamed of a mountain wedding? A wedding ceremony by the water or in a park? A reception in a beautiful garden or an elegant ballroom? http://www.lovelandweddingprofessionals.com

So when considering sharing those scared vows I would recommend the "Sweetheart City"

Cater VS Self Catering. Which is the best choice?

At our venue Ellis Ranch Event Center & Wedding Park we are a facility rental only. Which means to allow self- catering. There are pros and cons on self -catering.

Sometime self catering does save you some money and then I have seen families by the time they rent all the equipment needed, left over food, stress and clean up they wish they had just hired a cater, the liability of self-catering. We have seen Mothers sweating in their beautiful gown, crying minutes before the wedding trying to get everything ready for the reception instead of being in the dressing room with their daughter and having a good time.

We would always recommend a bride to hire a professional cater for their reception. Most caters can customize menus and generally can design a fit to meet your budget and style. They take the stress out of your day. You will be able to enjoy you daughter or son’s wedding. This is a time to celebrate.

If you still feel self-catering is the way you want to go for your wedding you should always do a walk thru with the facility prior to your wedding date. They can show you where and how many pug-ins they have for roasters, where you can do the food preparations, clean up requirements, where and how you need to set up the food line. Every venue has rules and regulations to follow. If organized properly and kept simple self catering can work.

Officiates Role in Your Ceremony

Your Pastor, Reverend, Rabbi or if you plan on having a family member perform your ceremony (from now on I will call them the officiates) play a major roll in your ceremony. The person directing you to say your vows pulls the entire ceremony together.

Many venues offer an in house wedding planner. It is very important to keep in mind they do not replace the importance of what your officiate plays in making your ceremony run smoothly.

With the economy in the state it is we are seeing more and more brides choosing not to have the officiate not being present during the rehearsal, hoping to save a few bucks. Yes, you can save money but big mistake. Just don’t do it, you they need to know how the wedding procession is going to go. They need to know whom is walking with whom down the isle, when any music will be played, lighting of the candles, ect. They will not know unless you have the take part in the rehearsal. They have preformed many ceremonies and can offer a lot of advice and direction.

If you do have a planner for your wedding they should be working with the venue, officiate, musicians, carriage driver, and the wedding party. The clue here is communicate with each other. Everyone has a job to do and everyone wants to do make your day special. Your officiate along with your other vendors can take a lot of stress out of your day by helping everyone in the wedding party do what they should be doing and make sure your special day goes without a hitch.

Another point you need to keep in mind, if you plan on having a family member or friend perform the ceremony you will need to check with your local and state marriage licensing regulations on how this is to be handled, each state can be different. We have heard of many brides that thought they were legally married to find out later the paper were not signed and recorded properly.

Here is a link to help you find out the marriage-license-laws in your state.
http://www.weddingvendors.com/marriage-license-laws/

Take the stress out of your rehearsal and ceremony and include your officiate.

Making a statement with Jewelry Accessories

When one thinks of accessories you generally think of buying jewelry and I’m sure that is what you thought this topic was about. When I think of accessories I think of diamonds, pearls and gems to help bring out the pizzazz to your decorations.

Every bride wants her wedding decorations unique and memorable to you and your guest. If your wedding dress has pearls or diamonds sewn on the gown I would follow thru with attaching some in all the corsages, add some to your bouquet, cake, favors, and centerpieces. Please take note of the beautiful pearls being used in this brides centerpieces.

It is the little details that make your wedding stand out in our guest minds.








Headpiece photo was taken by the very talented Sarah Lee Welch Photography http://www.sarahleewelchphotography.com

The beautiful centerpiece was sent to me from FLEXX Prouductions http://www.flexxproductions.com