Stop by 2227 N. Weber Street or call us to place an order 632.4477

We had so much fun designing this arrangement. They wanted texture, bold colors, and the incorporation of gold! We used hyacinth, kangaroo paw, billy balls, roses, and gold magnolia leaves!

The stunning mama-to-be!

Thanks to Sara from Fixer Creative for taking these pictures!

Company Name:

Sarah Viera Event Planning & Design

Business/Website:

www.SarahVieraEvents.com

What do you love most about your job:

I love the design process. I love taking on a project as if it was my own, spending all day finding the intimate details to make that event pop! And, I love being able to take the stress off of the bride and her family and truly allowing them to enjoy their day!

Favorite quote:

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres” -I Corinthians 13:4-8

Favorite food/drink:

Favorite food-Ham/Pineapple pizza! But, I love a good steak and fruit! Drinks-Wine, dirty, dirty martini and a bloody mary! And, my new found love for Pierre water.

What do you do in your “spare” time:

What’s that? I love spending time with my family especially in the spring and summer when the weather is warm. If I am not basking in the sun, somehow I am shopping it up!

Where is your most favorite place to travel:

I went to Australia and would love to go back, but I would love to travel the World! See all that it has to offer in each of its own settings.

Why do you love weddings:

Because it gives the bride, groom and family a chance to be together, happy and enjoy their special day as two families becoming one.

What sets your business apart from others in the industry:

We are who we are! We are down to earth and want brides and their families to feel comfortable with us and enjoy the experience from beginning to end. We love details. Leave the details to the detailed! 

Wedding Spruce Mountain:

Please give a brief history of Spruce Mountain Ranch

In 1871 the land now recognized as” Spruce Mountain Ranch” was once a section of terrain on the “Ben Lomond Ranch”, a successful dairy farm.

In March 1999, Tom and Lois Ames purchased the property. They allocated 100 acres to a housing development “Spruce Mountain Estates”. The remaining acreage was creatively and uniquely renovated by Tom and Lois. Their ultimate goals are to sustain a purebred Angus seed stock operation, as well as create a distinct landscape and resort-like atmosphere for family and guests to enjoy.

How long has Spruce Mountain Ranch been open to hosting weddings and events

In 2010, Tara Ames, with the support of her parents (Tom and Lois), opened the ranch to the public to host weddings, corporate events, and social functions.

What sets Spruce Mountain Ranch apart from other venue locations

Spruce Mountain Ranch is a private estate.  When hosting weddings or events, we treat our brides, grooms, and corporate clients like they are guests in our home, because they are.  We are not a wedding factory, or a revolving door of events.  We take great pride in helping our clients create their special occasion in a warm and caring, immaculate and authentic Colorado environment.

What is your favorite part about working at Spruce Mountain Ranch

There are so many things I love about working at the ranch.  I get to work with beautiful people on a beautiful piece of property, a labor of love, by my father.  My family and I feel that Spruce Mountain has become a family legacy.  We are able to enjoy moments in people’s lives that will never be forgotten.  I now believe what my father has always taught me, when you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life.

Is Spruce Mountain open year round and what availability do you have left for 2013

We are open year round!  Many of our weekend dates for 2013 are booked.  However, we host events 7 days a week, and are already booking for 2014.

Please tell our readers anything else you’d like them to know

Please check out our website at www.sprucemountainweddings.com for more details and to view our photo/video gallery, or feel free to call us at 303-400-2515 or 719-484-0880 to schedule a tour!

Corporate Spruce Mountain:

Spruce Mountain also has a corporate division. They can host events with guest counts from 30-800 seated, but have 400 acres available to accommodate many more. They often host weddings, rehearsal dinners, corporate and non-profit events, and team building conferences, but can host most any other event you can think of!

Brus Osborne, the Director of Business Development at Spruce Mountain, believes Spruce Mountain Ranch is different from other event facilities because it is privately owned, focused on customer service, they have 400 acres of beautiful scenery and 3 fully-stocked lakes that are surrounded by a working Black Angus cattle ranch. She loves working at the ranch because of the friendly atmosphere and beautiful scenery.

If you want to get the full beauty of the ranch you really need to schedule a tour! It’s worth it, I promise. Please contact Brus when planning your special events!

Brus Osborne :: (p) 303.400.2516 (c) 720.560.9507 (f) 303.400.2504 :: email- bosborne@sprucemountainranch.com :: 14470 Spruce Mountain Road, Larkspur, CO 80118

Thank you so very much to Elizabeth Ann Photography for coming and taking these beautiful pictures for us!

This is the beautiful entry piece Catherine created. It had blooming plum branches, James Story orchids, lilies, roses, dahlias, rosemary, privet berry, bay leaf, and roses.

Gorgeous piano piece by Catherine with pussy willow, lilies, orchids, hydrangea, ranunculus, bay leaf, and kale.

I designed an ombre piece for the buffet table. I’m in love with this design concept! The centerpiece included lilies, hydrangea, tulips, ranunculus, godditia, cymbidium orchids, roses, privet berry, artichokes, and victorian birch.

We also did two centerpieces on the kitchen table and coffee table. We truly enjoyed this floral design. It was rich and sophisticated!

Kiwi branch is just such a cool element!

Name or Nickname:  Elizabeth, but friends from my childhood still call me Betsy.

Business/Website: Elizabeth Ann Photography www.elizabethannphotography.org/

What do you love most about your job: I love that it offers me variety.  There are so many unique and beautiful relationships that I feel blessed to be able to photograph.  Everyone always says you should specialize, but my problem is that I really am fascinated by people at all ages.  I think it’s that variety that allows me to remain fresh.  To see each client or subject as something beautiful and unique and to creatively photograph them well, it’s something that I find tremendous joy in.

Favorite quote:  Jimmy Dugan (from a League of Their Own) “It’s supposed to be hard. If it wasn’t hard, everyone would do it. The hard is what makes it great.”  There is nothing like a good motivational quote to get you through some of those difficult moments in your career.

Favorite food/drink:  Coffee and favorite food…hmm, I love too much food.  Favorite salad-California Pizza Kitchen BBQ Chicken Salad. Um, I could eat it every day!

What do you do in your “spare” time: In the winter I am what you would call a book worm. LOVE to read.   My hubby just laughs at me as I’m sitting on the couch at 11:30pm with my nose stuck in a book.  In the summer its gardening, love getting my hands dirty and planting unique flowers in my pots.

Where is your most favorite place to travel:  Chicag0-probably because it’s so diverse and it’s where I grew up.  Well, that and the pizza is the best in the world.  But I would also love to go to Italy someday.  That would be amazing!

Why do you love weddings: How do I list the reasons why in such a small space?!   Well, for one, I absolutely feel the energy and magic in a wedding day. That excitement… Its forever…and that happiness is so apparent in my clients expressions as well as all the sweet family and friends that come to celebrate that special day.  Weddings have changed so much in the last few years and details are becoming more and more personal to the bride and groom…creatively, it’s fun for me to see what each bride and groom find special.   It’s one of the hardest days of work but it’s also rewarding.  A day where I get to photograph beautiful details, a couple all dressed up and everyone is happy…well, call me crazy but that’s my kind of day.

What sets your business apart from others in the industry: 

How I view light-it is one of my signature styles in my portraiture.  I am a huge fan of backlit images and the way it can completely transform an image.   That and my business is completely run on word of mouth.  That I can run a full time business on the happy results of my clients is an honor,  and I strive to continue to offer unique and beautiful images as I grow as an artist.

I’ve discovered that in this crazy journey as a photographer, I need to remember that being me, having a healthy life outside of photography and focusing on my clients instead of what media tells me is important has really shaped my business.   Developing relationships with my clients, local vendors and photographers has not only been rewarding professionally, but personally.   I’m a small business owner and I would not be where I am today without that amazing support!

Business/Website: Day Planner Events

What do you love most about your job: I absolutely love that I am able to take the pressure and stress that accompanies weddings completely off of the bride and provide her with the ability to completely love her day. She has worked so hard to plan and prepare, and she deserves to be blissful, happy and unaware!

Favorite quote: “Faith works by love.” –The Bible

Favorite food/drink: Anything chocolate. Nutella is high up on that list.

What do you do in your “spare” time: These days, my spare time looks like playtime with my two little ones. I’m also a little bit addicted to Pinterest.

Where is your most favorite place to travel: Belize. I went there on my honeymoon and dream often about returning. I’d like to be there now…on a beach with a massage scheduled for right after my pina colada arrives.

Why do you love weddings: What is not to love about watching two people who are madly in lovewith each other plan a party to celebrate the first day of the rest of their lives? Each bride and groom comes with a unique story of how they met, why they love each other and how they want their lives to unfold. I love being part of the beginning of their journey together. And…I love wedding cake.

What sets your business apart from others in the industry: I like to think that I am the most down-to-earth planner a bride could find. I feel that my job is to support and come alongside the bride as she plans what will be one of the most memorable and special days of her life. I am truly honored when a bride-to-be allows me to be part of her wedding, and I feel that I can best serve her by executing her vision (not my own) and contributing advice and suggestions that will help all her dreams for this day come to life. Loving people is what I love to do, and this job allows me to do that in a wonderful and meaningful way.

Anything else you want to tell our readers: Every bride deserves to have the weight taken off her shoulders on her wedding day, and so does every mother-of-the-bride, maid of honor and Aunt Betty. Brides should be brides, moms should be moms, maids of honor should be there to support and love on the bride, and Aunt Bettys should just enjoy the cake. Hire a professional planner to direct traffic, answer questions, troubleshoot and oversee the details. Don’t get swallowed up by stress and worry. Let a planner be the planner, and Love Your Day!

June 2, 2013 at The Venue at Crooked Willow Farms

Twigs and Posies has teamed up with Patty and Matt at Crooked Willow Farms, Kelly with Luxe Weddings, and

Carly with Carly Mitchell Photography!

Let us create a spectacular wedding for you!

Please give a brief history of The Venue at Crooked Willow Farms

Crooked Willow Farms is a premier equestrian property. Four years ago, a vision was created to host events so more people could enjoy the property.  The lower barn was converted into a ballroom and annually different spaces were converted to enhance the guest’s experience.  Over the years, the following have been added:  Wine Room, The Lost Horse Lounge (sports lounge and cigar salon), Photo Booth as well as additional amenities like market lights, a candle wall in Lola’s Loft and more!  In 2012, an abundance of florals in the courtyard and other exterior improvements were added.

How long has Crooked Willow Farms been open to hosting weddings/events?

Crooked Willow Farms is entering our fourth season for events.

What makes Crooked Willow different than other venue locations?

• Crooked Willow Farms offers a great backdrop of beautiful flowers, open prairie and lovely mountains for photos and encourages brides to schedule time on their special day to take professional images while on-site.
• All day use and only one event per day.
• The Pavilion is set atop the property looking down onto the main event space-The Carriage House. This is space ideal for the larger events we host: wedding dinners exceeding 250 guests and corporate dinners exceeding 1,000.   At these types of events, the Carriage House offers a great backdrop for a pre-dinner reception or post-dinner evening of fun!
• We offer the Farm House, which has sleeping accommodations for up to eight.
• Crooked Willow Farms is home to the Zoology Foundation, which is a habitat for exotic and rescue animals.  These animals can be used for programming, for therapy, or incorporated into the Crooked Willow experience through offering guests a tour of Zoology, which invites the guests to engage with the animals.
• For non-wedding events, Crooked Willow Farms offers other great experiences from working with a horse whisperer, viewing a jumping contest, or touring the equestrian facility!  Additionally, The Venue at Crooked Willow Farms offers a full teambuilding program – fun for groups of all sizes and throughout the entire season!

What is your favorite part about working at Crooked Willow Farms?

Knowing we are making dreams come true for brides! Each event is different and we recognize that this is the client’s event and will do whatever it takes to make their vision become a reality. The management team and owner support all ways to “do it right and bring the client’s vision to fruition.” Our venue delivers a high-level experience and our entire team and wonderful event partners are dedicated to delivering that experience to each client.

When is Crooked Willow open and what is your 2013 availability?

The Venue at Crooked Willow Farms is open from late April until mid-November. We have a few Fridays and Sundays available in the fall but our “HOT DATES” that are still available are for June, 2013 and they have HOT RATES!!!  If a bride secures one of these dates, they will get the Crooked Willow Experience at over 50% off.  The dates available and their rates are below.

Please tell our readers anything else you’d like to add

• We require the client to use one of our preferred caterers, we (Crooked Willow Farms) provide the liquor/bar service and we do require clients to have a planner, either one offering full planning services or day-of only.
• Our weekday rates are very reasonable – so a great value if client’s dates are flexible.  We book about 9-12 months in advance so the best thing is to contact The Venue for availability.

For more information please contact Matt Davis, General Manager at mdavis@crookedwillowfarms.com or 303.951.8888.  For more information please visit www.crookedwillowevents.com

What you’ve all been wanting to know-Who is Lola!

Lola is the name of the pig.  This is actually Lola number 2 as the first one we had was acquired through rescue.  The loft, among other things, is named after Lola.  Lola resides in the upper barn and loves events as she often times gets leftovers.  While she has lost some weight she is still well into 900 lbs!  Lola got a friend this year – a second pig, Stella!

Thank you so much to Patty for taking the time to talk with us and we highly recommend The Venue at Crooked Willow Farms for your wedding or event!