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Author:
Ashley Thompson
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1/22/03 5:17 PM |
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My husband and I recently got married in Crested Butte (01-11-03) and would like to take an opportunity to send special thanks to all of our new friends that helped us pull it off. As a bride living in Dallas, Texas trying to plan a destination wedding was difficult and I thought it might be even more difficult in a small town such as Crested Butte. Much to our amazement the day was absolutely beautiful. Everyone that helped was so wonderful and gracious of their time. I just thought that my references might help some of you trying to plan a wedding.
First there was Tim Clark of UCC... he is such a joy. Genuinely one of the most kind souls in Crested Butte. He definately made our ceremony intimate. Kelly McGuire was also a great help at the church as the hostess.
The lovely lady that helped us with our ceremony music was Bette Williams and she played brillantly! Soft and classic which was just what we wanted.
Bacchanale was the perfect place to wind down the wedding. We decided to have our reception at the most romantic restaurant in town. The owners of Bacchanale, Peter and Terry, were a pure pleasure to work with. The food was utterly mouthwatering, the service was gracious, and we ended up having the time of our lives that night. If you are planning a reception seriously consider Bacchanale’s it will honestly be a decision you will not regret. Peter and Terry have created the perfect romantic oasis.
We had such a great DJ by the name of Courtney Hensler. I believe the name of her company is Siren Entertainment. We were so impressed by her that i wanted to make sure that if anyone is in need of a dj they call her. She was very professional and genuinely listens to the bride and groom’s likes and dislikes.
The cakes were done by the sweetest woman in gunnison by the name of Kate. She has her own shop called Kate’s Cakes and she made delicious cakes that everyone raved about. She is very responsive to phone messages and letters so i highly reccommend her for any of your bakery needs.
Sarah Brandt was our photographer. She was zoned in on what we as a couple wanted instead of the typical package that everyone provides. She is great to work with and does great candid shots which were important to us.
Our florist was Misty mountain too. They did a great job in making the church and Bacchanle look a little more romantic and soft for the occasion. She is easy to work with over the phone or you can send pictures of things you like and she can duplicate them for you.
And last but not least we also had a sleigh ride by blondie- the horse. Just Horsin’ Around was so generous to drive us in a sleigh to the reception which was so romantic.
I know that this has been a long letter but hopefully it has been helpful. I just wanted to pass along some of the people that helped make our day so magical so that they could help make your wedding day just as blissful.
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Reply By:
Becky
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1/28/03 1:32 PM |
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Hi, Ashley...I loved reading about your wedding! I am getting married in Crested Butte and I was excited to hear how wonderful everything went. Would you email me some information about Courtney Hensler? I am looking for a DJ...
Thanks!
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Reply By:
Genevieve Bachman
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1/28/03 3:20 PM |
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Hi Becky,
I saw your note to Ashley and wanted to give you the email address for Courtney. She and her partner, Laura, own High Moutain DJs. Their email address is highmtndjs@hotmail.com.
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Reply By:
Courtney Hensler
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3/8/03 5:36 PM |
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Hey Ladies!
Actually, Laura and I are no longer partners. Laura’s company is still called High Mountain DJ’s and my new company is Siren Entertainment. We are both available for weddings and I assume that she is just as busy this summer as I am. If anyone would like to get in touch with me, my number is 970-275-0614. Feel free to call me anytime! Although I would love your business, I highly recomend Laura if I’m not available. She is very proffessional and reliable. After working together for so long it is still confusing for everyone in town.
My e-mail is SirenEntertainment@hotmail.com
Thanks Ashley for all of the nice thing that you said about me! (I have Cotton Eyed Joe now!!!)
Sincerely,
Courtney Hensler
Siren Entertainment
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Reply By:
Laura Millman
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9/27/05 11:01 AM |
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Hi becky, this is Laura, the owner of High Mountain DJ's, Inc. I am in business since 2000 as just me as the owner. Courtney has not been a part of this company for several years now. Please make the appropriate changes to the account and I also have a web site www.highmountaindjs.com my e-mail is highmtndjs@hotmail.com thanks for your help on correcting this matter. Laura Millman (owner/operator)
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Reply By:
Ashley
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1/30/03 4:36 PM |
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Hi Becky,
Congratulations on your upcoming wedding and may I say that you have picked the most romantic town to have your celebration. I wanted to respond to you regarding Courtney Hensler. She is wonderful and I would highly recommend her for your reception. She no longer works with Laura at High Mountain DJ’s. Courtney now has her own company by the name of Siren Entertainment. Her phone number is 970-275-0614 and her email is courtincb@hotmail.com. Hope this helps...if you need any other advice please don’t hesitate to write.
Good Luck!
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Reply By:
Laura Seay
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8/14/03 10:03 AM |
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Hi Ashley - I am trying to plan my wedding for March 2004 and wondered how your winter wedding date worked out. I’ve seen so many beautiful summer wedding photos that I questioned if anyone had the guts to try a wedding with snow on the ground. How was your weather in January? Did the snow/weather cause any big problems?
My fiance and I want a small family wedding (9 guests plus 2 small children) so we plan to rent a couple of houses in town & ski all week.
How did you choose Bacchanale for your dinner site? Sounds like the food was wonderful...what types of food did you select for your meal?
What photographer did you use? How did the winter photos turn out?
One more question: how did you arrange a sleigh ride? Did they pick you up at the church?Your letter was very helpful...hope you have a moment to reply.
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Reply By:
Ashley
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10/13/03 8:12 PM |
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Hi Laura- I am sorry that i haven’t replied sooner but i haven’t visited the site in a while. I am glad that my letter helped you and am so happy that you are interested in Crested Butte as your wedding destination.
To answer some of your questions.... the weather was wonderful. It was nice to not have to worry about humidity or rain. The only concern was a blizzard for guests arriving but it just snowed a bit right after the wedding when we rode away in the carriage. It was romantic though to ride to the resturant with snowflakes falling around and then to look out of the windows at Bacchanale and see the snow. One thing to consider is the time of your wedding and pictures. When you call around to book the church and your wedding photographer ask what time the sun sets. That got us in a bit of trouble at the last minute. We ended up doing our wedding pictures proir to the wedding so we would have good lighting.
My husband and I only had like fifteen guests at our wedding so I understand completely. There are a couple places that I would suggest checking out for you and your guests. I would check out Black Bear Lodge and also the Sheraton. They are both vertually ski in ski out and have easy access to the shuttle buses. I don’t know about the houses but i would call the crested butte vacations number and see if they have any information on that.
We chose Bacchanale because of the atmosphere and the service. My husband and i had eaten there on our first trip to Crested Butte and we had a great meal and we were blown away by the gracious service. They have and upstairs that is beautifully decorated with lights and garland on the banistar, a gorgous bar, and just a low lit romantic environment for us to celebrate. They moved tables downstairs so we could have a dance floor and so courtney could play the music. In every way Bacchanale exceeded our expectations and made our day that much more memorable. They even went as far as serving us a special menu for our reception which included a chicken dish and filet minon (which is not even something they cook on a regular basis). Most of the wedding party ordered the filet which came with a red wine sauce,mashed potatoes and steamed veggies and may i say that it was the best steak. (the guests wouldn’t stop talking about how good it was)
Our photographer was Sarah Brandt. She was wonderful to work with and the photos turned out marvelous. We did opt for 90% of our photographs to be in black and white which we both love and i don’t regret it one bit. I won’t lie it was really cold outside when we shot but in hind sight it was worth it. She is a great photographer and we feel really fortunate to have found her. She is someone who went above and beyond what i expected, genuinely listens to the couples wants, and her work in the end is well worth its weight in gold.
My husband arranged the sleigh ride (just horsing around) to pick us up at Union Congregation Church and take us around town for a 10 minute ride so our guests could make their way to the church before we arrived. He dropped us off right in front of the reception site.
I know this is a book but i just got caught back up in the moment.
Congratulations again,
Ashley
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Reply By:
Laura
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10/21/03 10:26 AM |
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Hi Ashley...and thanks for responding with all the information. I have just a couple of other questions. Who did your hair and makeup, and did they come to the church or did you have it done at the salon? What time was your ceremony? What flowers did you have in your bridal bouquet and/or in the church sanctuary? Sorry for all the questions...I’m grateful if you have a minute to reply. (again!)
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Reply By:
Ashley
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1/5/04 7:44 AM |
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Hi Laura,
I did my own hair and makeup on the day of the wedding... wore it very natural. We arrived at the church an hour before the pictures were to be taken so I could get ready. Our ceremony was at 4:00 in the afternoon. I had a special bouquet made for the pictures prior to the wedding that was made up of white tulips. Then inside the church i had a bouquet full of calalillies...and we put white roses on the pews and arranged two small pillars to surround us during the ceremony with a large vase filled with white flowers in each. Sorry that it took me so long to respond but i wish you a wonderful wedding. If you have anymore questions just ask.
Ashley
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Reply By:
Linda
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11/16/03 9:52 AM |
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Congratulations Ashley on your marriage! I too live in Dallas, Texas and just in the early stages of planning a winter wonderland wedding in Crested Butte. I saw your reference for Bacchanale and saw that was an Italian restaurant.(perfect!) I was curious how many guests you had at the reception. I definitely want dancing at my wedding and will definitely check out the DJ you referenced. Could you provide a little more information regarding the reception i.e number of guests, was it a buffet or sit down dinner, dancing , etc. Anything you could provide would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much!
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Reply By:
Heather Buckner
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1/6/04 9:24 PM |
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How exciting!! I also live in Dallas and will be getting married March 26, 2004 at UCC in Crested Butte. Many of the folks you worked with are the same folks I have been talking with. All have been wonderful over the phone... but it is comforting to hear from someone that experienced everything first hand. Yipppeeeeeee! Thanks for taking the time to fill the rest of us in... Heather
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Ashley Thompson
