We are so honored that Poonam & Maneesh’s wedding is featured on Style Me Pretty today! Check out the feature here!

Brooke Hill
Owner & Principal Event Designer
The Celebration Studio

I’ve been working on helping the BCH Auxiliary and BCH Foundation put together their Spring Gala Fundraiser this coming Saturday evening at the St. Julien Hotel & Spa. The proceeds from the event this year will benefit the new Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory at Boulder Community Hospital.

This has been a fun event to work on because the theme every year is “An Evening In….”  The theme for this years’ event is “An Evening in Santorini”. That means: Greek-inspired appetizers (Spanakopita, Lamb Meatballs, etc), performances by a local Greek Dance Troupe, a photo station with Greek Columns, centerpieces with flowers and ivy dripping out of Greek Urns, shots of Ouzo for the live auction winners, and tables that are named after Greek Gods and Goddesses.

I’ll definitely post pictures after the event, but just wanted to share a sneak peek of the event – this is one of the table name cards. OPA!

Brooke Hill
Owner & Principal Event Designer
The Celebration Studio

I helped Ryan & Amanda plan their August 2011 wedding, and this week it was featured on COUTUREColorado.com Weddings! This backyard ceremony at a private residence in Boulder, followed by a reception at the Boulder Country Club was simple and elegant. Many thanks to COUTUREColorado for showcasing the wedding! Check out the feature here.

Brooke Hill
Owner & Principal Event Designer
The Celebration Studio

I have been meaning to blog about Reenie Rose for a long time. Reenie Rose is one of the coolest, most unique wedding vendors around – artist/owner Loreen Hospodar creates custom oil paintings of bridal bouquets, offering brides a modern and artsy alternative to traditional bridal bouquet preservation. But the paintings created by Reenie Rose aren’t just any paintings… these are amazingly intricate and beautiful renditions – so realistic that they might be easily mistaken for a photograph.

Personally, I think it’s just a matter of time before owner Loreen Hospodar becomes a star in the wedding industry! I met Loreen while living in Chicago – we lived in the same building and connected once we realized that we were both in the wedding industry. I’ve been following her on Facebook since I moved back to Colorado, and am finally getting around to introducing Reenie Rose to the Colorado wedding scene!

I could go on and on about how incredible Reenie Rose paintings are, but it’s probably best to let you see for yourself how amazing they are. The video gives you an idea about how much TLC Loreen puts into each painting, and the pictures are a sampling of the finished products she creates. Rates begin at $1200 for a 16×20 custom Reenie Rose oil painting.

Enjoy!

Brooke Hill
Owner & Principal Event Designer
The Celebration Studio

Hello again! As you may have noticed, I took some time over the holidays to relax, refresh and rejuvenate! During this time, I was on somewhat of a blogging hiatus… but now I’m back and excited for all that 2012 will bring!

Before launching straight into the new year, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on 2011, which was an incredible year for The Celebration Studio! In 2011, I planned weddings throughout Colorado – everywhere from Aspen to Vail to Boulder. I had my work featured on some highly regarded wedding blogs, became a member of the Style Me Pretty “Little Black Book” of vendors, and planned my first Hindu wedding. I worked with some amazing vendors and some even more amazing couples, many of which I now consider friends.

I feel extremely blessed to have had such a wonderful year and the opportunity to do what I love as a wedding planner in Colorado! Here are some of my favorite moments and pictures from 2011:

Bring it on, 2012!

Brooke Hill
Owner & Principal Event Designer
The Celebration Studio

I am proud to announce that The Celebration Studio has been invited to become a member of Style Me Pretty’s “Little Black Book”! Style Me Pretty is a style savvy wedding resource featuring “only the most chic and style centric wedding related content”.

In a nutshell, SMP is a blog that features insanely beautiful weddings – it’s the kind of blog that, as a planner, you are ecstatic to have your work featured on… and even more thrilled to be invited to join!

According to the Style Me Pretty website, “The Little Black Book is a thoughtfully edited list of only the top quality vendors. The process to become a Little Black Book member is actually quite extensive. First, we prefer recommendations by an SMP reader, a recent bride or an industry professional. We don’t simply look for a referral but rather for a passionate reason as to why a particular vendor deserves to be in the book. Second, we dive head first into the vendor’s business. Their portfolio, their experience, their time in the industry. We look at press that they’ve received, we chat with their industry neighbors, we get to know who they are and why they are good at what they do. We spend hours on the phone with each vendor, screening their personalities while getting to know them, figuring out if they are honest, have a high level of integrity and are truly devoted to their craft. And finally, after feeling completely confident that a particular vendor is fabulous, we invite them to be a part of our book! It’s an invitation-only book that truly prides itself on its commitment to quality above all else.”

So needless to say, I am honored and excited to have received an invitation to become a member of Style Me Pretty’s “Little Black Book”! Our listing in the Little Black Book should be live within the next week : ). In the meantime,  you can check out Style Me Pretty here.

Brooke Hill
Owner & Principal Event Designer
The Celebration Studio

Mandy and Scott are such an adorable couple. I started working with them this past April and have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them throughout the planning process. Lucky for me – they just moved from Kansas to Denver, so I know I will be seeing more of them… even though their wedding is over! Becoming friends with the couples I work with is just one of many reasons why I love this job! : )

Back to the wedding. Unfortunately, September 17th in Vail was not a nice day. And by not a nice day… I mean freezing, raining and even snowing! Bad weather is a bride’s greatest fear… especially when you’ve planned your ceremony on the Wedding Deck on the top of Vail Mountain. Mandy & Scott held out as long as possible, hoping the weather would let up and allow them to have their dream ceremony. No such luck…. Vail Resorts officially closed the gondola due to inclement weather about an hour before their ceremony. Can you imagine the disappointment? I’ve gotten through the entire wedding season this year without one outdoor ceremony being cancelled or delayed due to bad weather. And now, during my last wedding of the season, mother nature decided to step in and break my good weather streak…. what a letdown for Mandy and Scott!

But this happy couple took it all in stride. And obviously, we had a Plan B. As soon as we realized that the Wedding Deck was a “no go”, we quickly transitioned into the “rain plan”, which meant having their ceremony at the reception venue, The Donovan Pavilion. As it turns out, the rain let up at the last minute, and Mandy & Scott were able to have their ceremony outdoors on the back patio of the Donovan. So… although it wasn’t exactly what they had in mind, this awesome couple still got to have their wedding outside, in the beautiful surroundings of Vail, Colorado.

Mandy & Scott have great taste and every detail of their wedding reflected that. The colors were purple, grey and black… LOVE this combination! It is so elegant yet slightly edgy at the same time. The bouquets and centerpieces featured multiple shades of purple and perfectly complemented the shimmery silver linens on the guest tables. Matching shimmery purple linens on the cake, gift and guest book tables brought the entire look together. And hundreds of candles gave the room a warm, cozy glow.

A million congratulations to Mandy & Scott… and welcome to Colorado! Here are some pictures from their beautiful wedding. Enjoy!

Brooke Hill
Owner & Principal Event Designer
The Celebration Studio

A SPECIAL THANKS TO THE VENDOR TEAM:

Venue: The Donovan Pavilion

Caterer: Catering by Design

Officiant: Keith Horstman

Florist: Boulder Blooms

Photographer: Ashley Davis Photography

DJ: Great Time DJ

Rentals: Alpine Party Rentals

Cake: Mountain Flour

Hair & Makeup: Anna Himmes

Vail Wedding Planner: The Celebration Studio

Poonam and Maneesh could not have asked for a more beautiful wedding day. The temperature was perfect, and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky when I woke up (early) the morning of September 10th. I’m not going to lie, when I saw that the weather had cooperated, I said a little “thank you” to whomever might be listening…. weather was one of the many concerns I had about how this day would unfold. But it turns out, the gorgeous weather was a preview of things to come! Poonam & Maneesh’s wedding day went off without a hitch, and it was absolutely amazing!!!

When I started writing this post, I was a little overwhelmed by the sheer amount of detail that went into the day and didn’t know how to convey it all without boring readers to tears. So instead, I am opting for a play by play of how the major events of the day unfolded:

First up was breakfast and lunch for nearly 200 guests who were staying at the Westin Westminster. Next, Maneesh and his family took part in the Sehra Bandi Ceremony, where the traditional headdress was tied for Maneesh.

Then immediately, we launched into the Baraat (Horse) Procession – complete with a mobile music setup, a Dhol Player flown in from Las Vegas, and a white horse in full costume. At the conclusion of the Baraat was the Milni, the welcoming of the groom’s family, where the bride’s side presents the groom’s family with garlands. And then, the traditional Hindu ceremony. The priest started things off with Maneesh, and when Poonam made her entrance, she walked down an aisle decorated with 48,000 rose petals that were (very carefully) arranged in an elaborate paisley design. The mandap (wedding structure, similar to an arch or chuppah) was made out of a shimmery chiffon fabric, hand-picked to match the pink color on Poonam’s wedding Sari, and was adorned with 5 rose pomanders, weighing over 35 pounds each! Now that’s a lot of roses! : )

After the ceremony, it was time for cocktail hour in the Westminster foyer, where guests enjoyed a mix of passed Western and Indian appetizers, along with Poonam & Maneesh’s signature drink { Orange You Glad We Met }. Cute, right? Of course, the colors of the reception matched Poonam’s Sari perfectly…. the purple, lime green and turquoise were a nice contrast to the pink, gold and ivory of the ceremony. An entire wall of the foyer was draped in purple fabric covered with silver bead strands, and this is how the escort cards were displayed. In front of this wall stood a magnificent elephant created entirely of flowers…. the elephant stood almost 3 feet tall and was nothing short of incredible!

After the introductions of family members, Poonam & Maneesh were introduced into the reception, and went immediately into their first dance. It started out as a slow dance, and then in the middle – unbeknownst to the guests – Poonam & Maneesh kicked it up a notch and launched into an upbeat routine. After the speeches, it was time for dinner…. a mouthwatering buffet of traditional Indian fare, followed by a fabulous dessert bar featuring cake pops, mini cupcakes, shooters of berries with chantilly cream, and a traditional Indian dessert of Ras Malai.

And of course, after dinner…. the dancing was ON! This crowd danced until well after midnight, continuing the celebration into the wee hours of morning.

And finally, here’s a video trailer from wedding day:

Honestly, I am so honored that the Hosamani family gave me the opportunity to help plan their daughter’s wedding. In a testimonial that Poonam wrote for me, she said: “We first met Brooke about a year before our wedding, and by the time we got to our special day, she was part of our family.” And you know what? This is entirely true. I consider the Hosamani’s (including Maneesh now!) to be like a second family…. I can’t begin to tally the number of hours I spent laughing with them, crying with them, and talking with them. I know I will keep in touch with them for a long time to come. Thank you all for making this such an amazing experience for me!

And I want to say a special thank you to all of the amazing vendors who worked their you-know-what off to help me make this wedding perfect. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your contribution and expertise! The same goes for all of my day-of helpers (ok, I admit, “day of” isn’t an accurate description… multi day is probably more appropriate : )). I literally could not have done this without you!

And, most importantly, a huge congratulations to Poonam & Maneesh! Thank you for letting me share this journey with you.

Brooke Hill
Owner & Principal Event Designer
The Celebration Studio

A SPECIAL THANKS TO THE VENDOR TEAM:

Venue: The Westin Westminster

Caterer: The Westin Westminster & India’s Pearl

Catering Service: Doug Meentz

Décor: The Celebration Studio & Décor N’ More

Florist: Boulder Blooms

Photographer: Jenna Walker Photography

Videographer: Kyle Hodge Films

DJ: DJ Rhobby Dhillon from Detroit

Sound Design: SSS Productions

Dhol Player: Jaspreet Singh

Baraat Horse: Jeannyne Lyons

Lighting: Lighting & Design by Scott

Rentals: Colorado Party Rentals

Cupcakes & Cake Pops: Tee & Cakes

Hair: Leslie’s Arts

Makeup: Sarah Duffey Artistry

Wedding Planner: The Celebration Studio

Let me just start by saying that planning Poonam & Maneesh’s multi-day wedding celebration for 300 guests was one of the best experiences of my planning career to date. It was an immense challenge: not only were there logistics out the wazoo, a multitude of vendors, several different family members to please, and a bride and groom who lived halfway across the country, but I had never planned a traditional Hindu wedding…. let alone attended one! But orchestrating this celebration was also an incredible accomplishment, and I loved every step of the planning process. This is owed, in large part, to the fact that the entire Hosamani & Gupta families are warm, caring, and just plain fun to be around. I couldn’t have asked for a better family to initiate me into planning my first Indian wedding!

Poonam is a discerning bride, with a whole lot of style. In one of our first phone conversations, she told me that she wanted her wedding to be the most amazing wedding her friends have seen…. so that is what we set out to accomplish. We followed almost all of the Hindu wedding traditions, but framed them with a modern lens, putting a new twist on ancient convention.

Poonam’s Mehendi (Henna) Party was held at her parent’s home, the house she grew up in. Her parents spent all summer sprucing up their house, planting flowers and landscaping. And the result was amazing! We put up three white tents in the backyard, and lined them with red and gold paper lanterns. The atmosphere of the evening was magical, relaxed and inviting.

For her Sangeet, Poonam wanted to go with a “Modern Moroccan” vibe. I LOVED this idea, and immediately set about developing a design plan that incorporated more than 100 multicolored Moroccan lanterns, several Moroccan-inspired lounge areas, and a color scheme of navy and fuchsia to match the Sari that Poonam planned to wear at the Sangeet. Keeping with the global-inspired theme of the evening, the Sangeet featured an array of tapas, including Mediterranean, Chinese and Indian. After a traditional vocal and tabla performance, Maneesh’s brothers surprised the couple with a an a capella performance, followed by a full on Bollywood Flash Mob Dance!!! Poonam & Maneesh were beyond shocked and the smiles on their faces were priceless! And believe me…. if you have never witnessed a Bollywood Flash Mob Dance, there is absolutely no better way to get a party started! The happy couple danced with guests for the rest of the night…. and then went home to rest up for the big wedding the next day!

Pictures of the amazing wedding ceremony and reception will follow in my next post!

Brooke Hill
Owner & Principal Event Designer
The Celebration Studio

A SPECIAL THANKS TO THE VENDOR TEAM:

Venue: Private Residence { Mehendi } and The Chateaux at Fox Meadows { Sangeet }

Caterer: The Taj { Mehendi } and The Mediterranean, China Gourmet & India’s Pearl { Sangeet }

Catering Service: Doug Meentz

Décor: The Celebration Studio & Décor N’ More

Photographer: Jenna Walker Photography

Videographer: Kyle Hodge Films

DJ: DJ Rhobby Dhillon from Detroit { Sangeet }

Sound Design: SSS Productions { Sangeet }

Rentals: All Events Rentals

Lighting: Lighting & Design by Scott { Sangeet }

Transportation: Premier Charters { Sangeet }

Makeup: Sarah Duffey Artistry { Sangeet }

Wedding Planner: The Celebration Studio

Ryan and Amanda were married August 27th in a beautiful backyard ceremony at Ryan’s family home, the house he grew up in. The weather was perfect, the ceremony was beautiful and Amanda looked stunning.

But the best part about the day was getting to be a part of it. I’ve known Ryan and his family since I was 3 or 4 years old, so when I found out he was engaged, of course I was thrilled for him! And when Ryan asked me to help him and Amanda with their wedding, I was beyond honored. It was so amazing to watch Ryan marry the love of his life in a location that was so special to him and his family!

For their ceremony décor, Ryan and Amanda chose to let the gorgeous surroundings speak for themselves, and used a simple color palette of green and white as the perfect complement to the natural backdrop of pine trees that line the backyard. Since the pair reside in California and got engaged in wine country, two flower arrangements displayed on wine barrels framed Ryan and Amanda as they took their vows. A close friend of the couple officiated, and the ceremony was filled with laughter, tears of joy, and more laughter. Overall, just a personal, poignant and perfect ceremony!

After the ceremony, guests piled into party buses which took them to the Boulder Country Club for an evening of dinner and dancing.

Here are some pictures from the ceremony taken by the talented Dawn Sparks. Congratulations Ryan and Amanda!!!

Brooke Hill
Owner & Principal Event Designer
The Celebration Studio

A SPECIAL THANKS TO THE VENDOR TEAM:

Ceremony Venue: Ryan’s Family Home

Reception Venue: The Boulder Country Club

Florist: Fiori Flowers

Photographer: Dawn Sparks Photography

Hair: The St. Julien Hotel & Spa

Makeup: The Face Lab { Jessica Shinyeda }

Wedding Planner: The Celebration Studio