The Oxford Hotel Denver, Colorado:Cristina Calabrese and Patrick Porter

Cristina Calabrese...Grace and strength are the words that I would use to describe her, And....maybe.....carisma and whimsy (my favorite traits of hers)...She was a breath of fresh air from the start. So full of life and so fun to work with.

Patrick Porter was so impassioned and, truthfully, one of the few that I believe really should be commended for his efforts to make his popping of the "question" a surprise.

Cristina and Patrick were married at St Elizabeth's on Denver's downtown Auraria Campus.

The Bride and Family were taken to the church in true style. Ambassador Rolls http://www.arlimo.com/ provided the 1955 Rolls with cranberry red leather interior ...so sweeeetttt!

After the ceremony , the same Rolls whisked Cristina and Patrick off to the Oxford Hotel in downtown Denver, Colorado. The Oxford is top 3 on my long list of favorites. The staff (Erin Browning and her super talented crew) are impeccable. When you are looking for a perfect event...look no further then the Oxford... http://www.theoxfordhotel.com/weddings.php

The couple had an extremely classy and truly beautiful reception. Throughout the night it was evident that this couple was loved by all that attended and they wanted to make sure that their guest knew they loved them too.

Again, Julie Harris of Julie Harris Photography captured the day with perfect precision. She is so talented...Check her out http://www.julieharrisphotography,com/

Cristina and Patrick, you made me smile and cry all night. Thanks for a great experience and be good to one another.

Crystal Mackey meets Fred Churbuck 4.25.09

Crystal Mackey has eyes and a smile that light up a room. WOW, she is so fun and great to be around.. no wonder Fred snapped her up when he saw her.
Crystal and Fred got married in April of 2009. They hired me to help them bring their vision to life and I am so glad that they did. They were fun and passionate and they made it a pleasure to work with them.

The ceremony took place at the Holy Ghost downtown Denver, Colorado. This church is amazing, built in 1905 before downtown Denver even really had an inkling of what it would eventually be, Holy Ghost stood tall and proud and beautiful all by it self.
Today, Holy Ghost is literally surrounded by a Denver architectural marvel. Designed by one of my other clients, Fentress Architects

http://www.fentressarchitects.com/1999_broadway.htm, Holy Ghost was preserved as a

historical landmark for our future generations to appreciate.

Having said all of that, the one thing that begs mentioning again is This CHURCH IS BEAUTIFUL!!!

After their ceremony, Crystal and Fred, in true unique Crystal and Fred fashion, brought their guests to a super cool and totally unusual reception site in another part of Denver called the Landmark.
The Curtis Ballroom at the ComdeyWorks Landmark , http://www.comedyworks.com/Content/Landmark,
is a swank new ballroom that features amazing views of the city from a fireplace adorned patio. The background decor is a planners DELIGHT as it is somewhat modern but very understated.
(at least for the next 10 years it will be considered that!)

They danced the night away to the tunes spun from DJ Kieran Browner with D.I.S.Co, Denver Independent Sound Company, Cell:970 389 1051.

On the same list of talented vendors that helped Fred and Crystal was Julie Harris of Julie Harris Photography. She is the tops and she knows that I feel that way. You should check out her blog as she will mesmerize you with her skills:http://julieharrisblog.wordpress.com/
But beyond that, she is amazing for weddings and portraits...

Crystal and Fred, you said we would do sushi...I am ready, willing and able, whenever you call!
Take care and best of luck!

Yes, I know....I'm slack

OK, so, what is a girl to do? I get a hundred calls a day and I try and try to make sure that all those that we work with are super happy, so can you blame me that I let the blog slip several times a year?
Regardless of my belly aching about it, the fact of the matter is, what I do is fun and my friends and family (vendor friends too) are sooooo tired of hearing about it that I am absolutely compelled to blog regardless of the time factor...hense the 7:00pm at night sitting in the studio talking to you guys!
Coming up... a few from earlier this year and why planners are good and why they are not.

Stay tuned

Beaver Creek Westin Wedding, Alicia and Hilario

This past weekend I was lucky enough to have the chance to plan the wedding of two amazing people, Alicia and Hilario. This event was super special and super fun, I really am so glad that I was able to witness it all unfold.

We started the day off with a ceremony at the ever popular and quaint Beaver Creek Chapel, http://www.vailchapel.com/bcchapel.cfm. The ceremony was filled with special personal touches. From the musical interludes provided by the Spanish Choir from Denver's St. Catejan's Catholic Church and the Vail Valley String Trio; http://www.vailvalleystrings.blogspot.com/, to the Spanish traditions of the Lazo and Arras. The ceremony was fantastic...

From there we moved on the the Westin Riverfront in Beaver Creek, http://www.starwoodhotels.com/westin/property/area/index.html?propertyID=1958. Let me tell you that their staff is top notch!!!! I have worked all over Colorado and have rarely found a group of people more dedicated to helping to execute a perfect event. My hats off to Meredith Brewer, Victor and Donny, who really "made it happen".

Anyway, we took the standard but nicely neutral ballroom and transformed it into a billowy winter wonderland, filled with beautiful orchids and crystals...

Of course, we at Alexan Events, love the decor and design aspect of our events, so we handled the floral design and the fabulous lounge rentals, as well as the lighting. All of those things helped to bring it all together , but I have to say the entertainment is what really stole the evening. We had a live band and a the great DJ, Damien of Sweetsounds Entertainment; http://www.sweetsoundsdj.com/, love him!! And to top it all off, we finished out the night with my favorite of all time; Sol de Mi Tierra, the amazing Mariachis; http://www.cccoleman.com/mariachi/.

But the most important part of the whole night was, of course, the bride and groom. Alicia and Hilario were so great to work with. Alicia is much like me, very detail oriented and I appreciated her desire to make this event special through the details. We created fabulous guest boxes, a great itinerary and great favors...The night was magical and their love was so apparent.

All of the fabulous pictures that you see here come from the talented Jared Wilson of Jared Wilson Photography; http://www.jaredwilsonphotography.com/. Check out his website and you will see that he is a real gem. Thanks Jared!!!

Alicia and Hilario, I look forward to keeping in touch with you for years to come. Take care and thanks for letting me be a part if this great weekend.

My love to you both, have fun in Asia.

The DM Guide to Fabulous Cocktail Parties

So recently I wrote an article for the newly popular Denver Magazine. That article came out in December just in time for everyone to use it to plan all of those great Holiday Parties.

Being that I am an event planner, of course I love to throw a great party, whether it is for a small group, a large wedding or a family gathering..I am always trying to make people feel comfortable and working towards creating an environment that will ensure my guests, or yours, have a fabulous time...Check out some of my tips and tricks! You can click on any of the pages below to see it up close.

Floral Design for Events

People ask me all of the time what I like the most about what I do, and though there are so many amazing things that I have the chance to do, I have to say that without a doubt I LOVE WEDDING FLORAL DESIGN!!! Some time ago, Alexan Events expanded it's event design services to include floral design for all of our clients events and weddings. It has been the most rewarding decision that we have ever made.



When we begin the process of planning the decor and design for someones event, we usually start with colors, what colors are they drawn to, what combinations make the statement that they are looking for, what works and what doesn't. I find that when we start that color conversation, my mind immediately wanders to the flowers that fit into that color pallet. The happy gaze of the orange ranunculus, the sophistication and stature of the white with green veined lady slipper orchid, the depth and elegance of the green and burgundy antique hydrangea. I just love it. The color conversation is such a crucial and fun part of the process. I recommend that when you are considering your color palette, you should remain open to suggestions from the professionals that you surround yourself with. True professionals have the amazing knack for envisioning the elements in their heads as their clients speak, or they have tried many of the combinations that you are talking about already and they know what works best and what may be a bit too much!
So as we go through the process of deciding what the decor plan will be, and more specifically what the floral plan will be, we pay close attention to the things that our clients like. Often I find that clients don't necessarily speak in terms of flower types, but yet styles and textures. My staff and I take those conversations and begin to weave a tapestry of color and style that ultimately will be a large part of the event days decor. Once the basics of the design have been constructed, we show our clients many examples of the flowers that we think will create the effect they are going for. Then, we LOVE to create an actual mock up of one of the elements of the design, say a centerpiece or a bouquet.

To often I have found that clients do not know what they are going to get on their wedding or their event day..As a designer, unexpected surprises are my friend and can create the most amazing design, but as a planner they are not...We prefer that our clients know what is in store for them and that we know that we are on the same page. I do however, hold a few details back....Because, after all, in flower design, event design and in being an Colorado Wedding and Event Planner, I are infatuated with the jaw dropping moment when the client sees the whole picture for the first time!!!!

Fentress Architects Event

28 Years and going!

This past weekend I had the extraordinary honor of planning and attending the 28th year anniversary party of Fentress Architects (formerly know as Fentress Bradburn). You know these guys, they designed Invesco Field where the Broncos play and the Denver International Airport, to name a few of their more recognizable projects.

They had a great vision and together we were able to design an event that was contemporary and elegant.

The Event took place in the Sky Garden at the Watermark Luxury Residence on Acoma Street. The Sky Garden has a beautiful infinity edged pool and a view that will not stop!

Epicurean provided a fantastic live action noodle station and impeccable service (as always) http://www.epicureancatering.com/, while the sushi came from the crowd pleaser Sushi Den and the dim sum from the newly popular Super Star Chinese restaurant.

Curtis Fentress spoke a few words to the crowd acknowledging all of those that have helped Fentress to grow and thrive in this community, across the Nation and Internationally.

The entertainment was provided by A Music Plus and is was a treat to be sure. With fire dancers and contortionists, the crowd was in awe!

Alexan Events provided all of the event floral design and arrangement, as well as all of the rental lounge furniture that turned this amazing roof top pool deck into a contemporary zen type environment.

Julie Harris of Julie Harris raphy //www.julieharrisphotography.com/ took the pictures that you see here. As you can tell, she is so talented and such a great shooter!

Thanks Agatha and Agnes for allowing me to be part of this event.