Real Wedding: Colorado
Real Wedding—Colorado Planner: Wanda Bonner, assisted by Kaitlin AmanatullahBlue Linden Weddings and Events, www.bluelindenweddings.comCountry, horses, navy, toile and romance.
Time in industry: 5 yearsPhotographer: Lindy Hickman PhotographyBusinesses involved: Rocky Mountain Catering, Ignight Entertainment, Sun Prairie Films, Your Glam Team (hair and makeup), Abloom, Sedalia Bakery, Rockstar RentalsWedding date: August 11, 2017Guest count: 200
The couple: We have been friends with the bride’s family for years and have used both the bride and the mother-of-the-bride’s dresses (from Compleat Couture in Centennial) in styled shoots. We were elated when we were chosen to plan Katie and Garrett’s wedding because it meant spending even more time with people we already considered to be friends.Involvement: Day-of CoordinationInspiration: The couple is into all things country, including music and horseback riding. They wanted to incorporate this love into their wedding without going too rustic. Highlands Ranch Mansion was the perfect venue, with little touches of ranch-style décor here and there that made the wedding personal without losing the elegance of the mansion.“Aha” design moment: Visiting the venue allowed us to envision the entire day and start putting all of the pieces together.Most unique design element: The couple chose two different linens, one a solid navy and one an ivory color with a navy toile pattern. It looked beautiful, and I wish every couple would consider mismatched linens.Color palette: Navy blue with blush, ivory, and pink flowers.
Budget: $40,000Staff hours: About 20 hours Planning time: Since we were day-of coordination, there were a few months involved. However, we were communicating with the couple long before a typical day-of coordination, as we knew the family and were hired early.Number of meetings: 5-10 “meetings” including conversations over the phone and via email.
Set up/strike details: Set up took about two hours, and was fairly straightforward. The most complicated part was prepping the pony that was pulling the flower girl’s wagon down the aisle. Strike took some time as well, because we were in charge of packing up all décor, florals, and getting leftover food into the family’s cars.Revenue breakdown: 100% planningBiggest challenge: The strike was the biggest challenge. The family had so many beautiful decor items (as well as leftover food and goodies) to take home that multiple cars had to be filled and multiple trips had to be made.Learnings: In the future, I would encourage more brides to think outside the box. This wedding was beautiful because of the extras and the unexpected details. A lot of brides dismiss ideas, because they don’t think they are possible. We love a challenge!
