Getting Remarried in Style A guide to having a fabulous wedding the second time around

Your Wedding FootprintTips on planning a Green wedding

Global Wedding TraditionsLearn about extraordinary marriage ideas from around the world

Not All Gowns Are Created Equal The most beautiful gowns of the season

Ever Aftercolorado’s guide to unique wedding celebrations

Winter/Spring 2009

Tropical Nuptials Know the hottest places to jet off to this wedding season

complimentary

2 Editor’s Letter

4 Tropical Nuptials Know the hottest places to jet off

to this wedding season

6 Getting Remarried in Style A guide to having a fabulous

wedding the second time around

7 Metal with Mettle Ring engraving tips

11 A Spectacular Setting Discover the most unique

wedding venues

14 Creative Wedding Registration Ideas

Honeymoon Registration- A new idea where the best gifts are memories

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Ever After

19 Not all Gowns Are Created Equal The most beautiful gowns of the season

21 Your Wedding Footprint Tips on planning a Green wedding

25 Marriage Superstitions Around the World

What may happen to you if you see a cat sneeze on your wedding day?

contents i winter /spring 2009

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Features

27 Your Wedding Playlist Information about alternatives to

“The Wedding March”

30 Global Wedding Traditions Learn about extraordinary marriage

traditions from around the world

32 Say “Yes” to No Stress Wedding day survival tips

33 Finishing Touches Choosing your bridesmaid jewelry

37 Wedding Checklist

70 Contact Information

30

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39 Nine to Eighteen Months in Advance •EngagementRings •EventandWeddingPlanners

42 Nine to Twelve Months in Advance •HoneymoonandTravelServices •PotentialCeremonyand

RehearsalVenueSelection

46 Eight Months in Advance •BridesmaidDresses •GiftRegistry •WebsiteLaunch •Photography •VideoServices •WeddingDresses

53 Six to Nine Months in Advance •Entertainment •Flowers •HotelsandFlights

57 Six Months in Advance •FinancialServices •InvitationsandStationary •ShowersandParties •Tuxedo

61 Four to Six Months in Advance •CakesandSweets •Catering •Transportation •WineandLiquor

63 Three Months in Advance •BeautyandSpa •BridesmaidsandGroomsmenGifts •BachelorPartiesandGolf

Wedding Checklist

AnIndextoListingsandSitesofWedding ServiceProfessionals

2 ... EverAfter

27 Your Wedding Playlist Information about alternatives to

“The Wedding March”

30 Global Wedding Traditions Learn about extraordinary marriage

traditions from around the world

32 Say “Yes” to No Stress Wedding day survival tips

33 Finishing Touches Choosing your bridesmaid jewelry

37 Wedding Checklist

70 Contact Information

30

EverAfter ...3

39 Nine to Eighteen Months in Advance •EngagementRings •EventandWeddingPlanners

42 Nine to Twelve Months in Advance •HoneymoonandTravelServices •PotentialCeremonyand

RehearsalVenueSelection

46 Eight Months in Advance •BridesmaidDresses •GiftRegistry •WebsiteLaunch •Photography •VideoServices •WeddingDresses

53 Six to Nine Months in Advance •Entertainment •Flowers •HotelsandFlights

57 Six Months in Advance •FinancialServices •InvitationsandStationary •ShowersandParties •Tuxedo

61 Four to Six Months in Advance •CakesandSweets •Catering •Transportation •WineandLiquor

63 Three Months in Advance •BeautyandSpa •BridesmaidsandGroomsmenGifts •BachelorPartiesandGolf

Wedding Checklist

AnIndextoListingsandSitesofWedding ServiceProfessionals

4 ... EverAfter

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4 ... EverAfter EverAfter ...5

Congratulations on your engagement. Now it’s time for you to begin the exciting and always eventful journey of wedding planning. Most couples don’t want to have a “cookie cutter” wedding or you may have financial challenges to work with. Ever After will give you beautiful and elegant ideas that you can adapt to suit your own budget, expectations, and style. Ever After is not just another wedding magazine, but an in-depth resource that helps you plan a wedding as unique as you are. This will be the publication for anyone and everyone getting married to get information about the fundamentals of wedding planning as well as some innovative new ideas. • If you are marrying someone of a different culture and

trying to figure out how to bring together two families• If this is your second marriage, but you still want a first-rate ceremony• If you are environmentally conscious and want to have a socially

responsible wedding• If you want to honor one of your mother’s heritage and beautifully

integrate a culture tradition in your celebration• And finally, if you just want to throw a wedding and have your guests

walk away thinking it was remarkable and one of a kind

Specific situations like these require more than just your common wedding magazine. We have planned out this guide to cater to your modern day wedding needs. Besides insightful articles the magazine includes a directory of the most reputable businesses and services you need to turn your vision into an amazing wedding reality.

Highlighted in the editorial will be great tips for you on location choices, from the spectacular mountains of Colorado to the gorgeous beaches of the tropics. We’ll share some of the clever, industry secrets from the top wedding planners in the area. Knowing that your dress could possibly be the biggest clothing purchase you will ever make, we filled our pages with beautiful photo spreads displaying the latest fashions. We’ll share with you some wonderful traditions that have been around forever, and some of the latest creations by couples wanting to do it their way. Please enjoy our publication that offers a new and fresh spin on modern day nuptials. We hope you too will have the wedding you have always dreamed of and that it gives you wonderful memories to keep for Ever After.

Ever After

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2. Have the wedding outside, instead of in an energy-inefficient reception hall. If you have an outdoor wedding, you can utilize the natural beauty of the site to have fewer wasteful decorations.

3. Disposable plates, cups, napkins and cutlery can create masses of waste at large wedding receptions. Consider hiring non-disposable cutlery and crockery instead. If that’s not viable, try to use recycled paper products. Bamboo and glass are also great treeless options.

4. Does your wedding dress really need to be new? Consider a pre-owned dress - you can save a stack of cash by doing so! If you do wish to purchase a new dress, try to ensure that it is made from natural, organic materials such as organic silk, bamboo or hemp. Erase the picture in your mind of a “Bride in Birkenstocks” with a wreath of dried flowers on her head. The modern bride wears her “green” with panache. For a completely eco-chic dress, take a look at designer Adele Wechsler (adelewechler.com) who designs amazing silk gowns for the runway.

5. Buy jewelry made from recycled precious metals and stones. Check out a company called Greenkarat (Greenkarat.com) to find beautiful and socially responsible rings. And don’t forget the possibilities of transforming vintage pieces into radiantly recycled classics. After all, everyone needs something borrowed.

Getting married is one of the biggest commitments you’ll ever make. Take into consideration the environmental and social impacts of the occasion and use it to honor your commitment to the environment. You may even inspire your guests to go greener in the process? Share this urgent message that we need to protect our natural resources in the same way that a marriage agrees two individuals to protect and care for each other.

Weddings are often an extravagant affair, with much money, care, attention to detail and time being lavished on creating the ultimate day for the bride and groom. If you are an environmentally and socially conscious couple, you may like to consider sharing your eco-savvy and social awareness with your family and friends by actively demonstrating how it is possible to "green a wedding" and still maintain the essence of elegance and sophistication many expect from such an important event. It’s really not as out of the ordinary as it sounds—last year, Brides.com estimated that approximately 33% of future brides and grooms in the U.S. are planning an eco-friendly wedding. The quality and choice of products has so steadily improved that the green concept is spreading, allowing hosts to embrace the earth without sacrificing style.

Here are 5 tips on throwing a socially responsible wedding:

1. Flowers used at weddings and receptions have a tendency to be out of season and therefore imported. Transportation and care of these flowers requires extra resources. Try to use locally sourced flowers. If you want special floral arrangements that require shipment, consider fair trade flowers. The floral industry is currently under scrutiny for its poor working conditions and fair trade flowers help to ensure that consideration of the worker’s conditions is taken into account.You can also make your own bouquet with local or wild flowers allowing it to be as unique and creative as you are.

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Green?

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Erase the picture in your mind of a “Bride in Birkenstocks” with a wreath of dried flowers on her head. The modern bride wears her “green” with panache.

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The Gift That Goes Anywhere

A great way to continue your socially conscious wedding ideology into your new married life is to create a honeymoon registration. A honeymoon registry is a new and exciting concept where your wedding guests can help you to achieve your dream honeymoon vacation by purchasing pieces of the trip as a wedding gift. With weddings and marriages constantly evolving away from tradition, typical gifts such as china become antiquated. People are getting married later in life, thus less need for an overhaul of home necessities as wedding gifts. There is a great cost to the environment in acquiring unnecessary gifts, which makes a honeymoon registry a great alternative to a regular wedding registry.

Many new companies are coming out that allow you to plan out your honeymoon and have the guests to be a part of your experience by contributing. Websites such as Paradise Registry (paradiseregistry.com), Honeyfund (honeyfund.com) and For The Moon (forthemoon.com) look just like a department store registry but instead of household items you register for a honeymoon vacation. The trip is then broken-down into pieces with many price range options, for guests to purchase as wedding gifts.

Once you have decided on your honeymoon destination, it is time to sign-up for the registry (most registries’ are free or have a small fee). Honeymoon specialists can work with you to select optional activities or tours that you may want to experience on your honeymoon. You can get as specific as “I want a sunset cruise,” an upgrade to a ”luxurious honeymoon suite,” or a ”couples massage.” You can also just request contributions to your overall honeymoon fund. The websites will keep a tally for you along with the names of those guests who have contributed. The gift of travel is a unique option that will truly be a useful addition to beginning your life together!

Wedding Theme Planning - Global Wedding TraditionsA beautiful way to incorporate Celtic symbols into your wedding is with Celtic knot-work designs.

8 ... EverAfter

While some ethnic wedding traditions are rarely practiced today, others are experiencing a renaissance as couples acknowledge the heritage of their ancestors by following certain customs. Many of the nearly 2.5 million couples marrying each year will have formal weddings that incorporate some specific ethnic ceremonies. If you are looking to add a bit of romance and history to your wedding celebration, embrace your background and incorporate one of these distinctive traditions into your wedding:

c In a Vietnamese wedding, the groom leads a procession to the bride’s house, gathering family and friends along the way. When the group arrives, they present the bride with gifts of clothes, jewelry and currency. The groom’s mother is the only one that does not join the procession, an act to show the bride that there is no rivalry between them.

c A beautiful way to incorporate Celtic symbols into your wedding is with Celtic knot-work designs. The designs are formed by using one or several unbroken lines. The more the lines interlace each other, the more they protect against evil. Examples of these are love knots and the triquetra, a three-pronged knot, which symbolizes the trinity (the Celts always connected everything in threes).

c Mexico is a predominately Roman Catholic country and weddings there happen within a nuptial Mass. Godparents have a significant role in the wedding ceremony. The Godmother carries a rope or a rosary symbolizing fertility. The rope is placed on the bride and groom’s head in a figure eight as they take their vows. Some godparents may hold wine glasses for the wedding toast. Mariachi music is also an essential part of Mexican wedding celebrations. Before the first dance, the guests enclose the couple in a heart-shaped ring.

c A Quaker wedding ceremony is quite different from others in that the bride is not escorted down the aisle by anyone. Instead she simply presents herself. Quakers believe that this symbolizes that the bride is not an object that belongs to anyone, instead she belongs only to herself.

These are wonderful customs representing a multitude of legacies passed from one generation to another. The special wedding rituals mentioned are evidence of how much influence ethnic practices have on wedding celebrations to this very day. Whether discovering roots lost over the years of integration or acknowledging familiar family customs, couples are affirming their origins when they exchange marriage vows. Your wedding guests will also appreciate experiencing some of your wonderful cultural traditions.

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Trends are breaking away from tradition and steadfast rules, modern brides are choosing wedding gowns that reflect their personality and vision—not necessarily their grandmother’s. The modern “rule” for wedding dress style is to choose something that makes you feel comfortable and beautiful on your most special day.

Not All Gowns Are Created EqualThe most beautiful gowns of the season

Tulle is back! Tulle was all over the runways this season and was used in many dif-ferent ways. All of them had a look that was light as air and very, very feminine.

Ribbons, ruffles, flowers and bows are finding their way back onto wedding dresses

and taking femininity to a new level.

EverAfter ...9

BoutiquesSwept Away 6045SkyPondDrive,Loveland,CO970.635.2553

Priscilla Bridal Salon Denver,CO 800.664.3309 www.priscillaofboston.com

The Bridal Collection Denver,CO 720.493.9454 www.coloradobridalcollection.com Making dreams come true… we believe that this time in a woman’s life should be full of joy, excitement and wonder.usicGold Rush Entertainment (DJ’s) Denver Metro Area 303.423.1968 www.goldrushdj.com

The Crystal Swing Band 303.774.9426 www.crystalswingband.com

Metropolitan Strings Lisa Kriss 303.703.6549 www.metropolitanstrings.com

Flowers Flower Power 2101E.VirginiaAve. Denver,CO80209 303.777.6266

Delilah’s of Denver 303.864.1678 www.delilahsofdenver.com

Side Effects Denver,CO 303.722.1180 www.sideeffectsflower.com

Palmer Flowers Ft.Collins,CO www.palmerflowers.com

Hotel Steamboat Grand 970.871.5163 www.steamboatgrand.com hotel and events

Sandals Resort 1.877.Sandals www.sandals.com

Hotel Boulderado 303.440.2880 www.boulderado.com

Sheraton Denver,CO 303.626.2592 www.sheraton.com/denver

Colorado Green WeddingsandEvents Denver,CO 800.463.5064

The Magnolia Hotel Denver,CO 303.607.9000 denversales@magnoliahotels.com

The Stanley Hotel EastPark,CO 800.976.1377 www.stanleyhotel.com

Jewelers Cronin Jewelers

1235 Alpine Ave. Boulder,Co www.croninjewelers.com 303.440.4222

ScottKay Denver,CO 303.761.9700 www.scottkay.com

Classic Facets Boulder,CO 303.938.8851

PhotographersColorado Visions Littleton,CO 303.346.2070 www.coloradovisions.com

Jared Wilson Photographers Denver,CO 303.916.6409 303.628.5528 www.jaredwilsonphotography.com

Alive Photography Boulder,CO 303.440.6008 www.Alivestudios.com

Brett Butterstein photo Boulder,CO 970.903.3268

Laura Dembrowski Photography Denver,CO 720.366.2011 www.lauradombrowski.com

Salons/Beauty Laser Cosmetics 4745 Arapahoe Ave. Boulder,CO 303.588.8800

About Skin Englewood,CO 303.756.7546 aboutskinderm.com

JZ Hair Syudio Ultimate Wedding Hair 970.453.6548 www.jzhairstudio.com

Oxford Club Denver,CO 303.628.5528 www.oxfordclubspa.com

Bliss Skincare Studio 303.828.7315

Wedding Resource Directory

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Frontier Ailines Denver,CO 800.432.1359 www.frontier.com

I DO Destination Weddings www.destinationweddings.com 480.759.9855

VenuesThe Chapel at Red Rocks P.O.Box306,Morrison,CO80465 303.697.0270 www.chapelatredrocks.com

Keystone Resort 800.463.5064 NEDenver(Brighton,CO) www.keystoneweddings.com

Mattie’s Historic Banquet Hall Denver,CO 303.297.9600

Sherman St. Event Complex Denver,CO 303.788.0916 www.1770shermanstreet.net

An Occasion to Remember Denver,Co 720.840.9095 www.occasionscolorado.com

Premier wedding and event planning Heather Allen 303.868.3554 www.tablesixproductions.com

Association of Bridal Consultants Denver,CO www.coloradoABC.com

Wedding CakesCustom Wedding Cakes 303.926.1676

Shamane Simons BakeShoppe 303.434.4315 www.shamanesbakeshoppe.com

Babette’s Feast 970.223.0172 www.babettesfeastcatering.com

Azucar Bakery 720.283.3294 www.azucarbakery.com

Katherine’s 303.695.5000

Colorado Cakes Bakery Denver,CO 800.463.5064

Cakes Plus Denver,CO 303.607.9000

20,000 copies will be distributed in locations that soon-to-be brides are sure to visit!

Distribution Venuesc Bridal Events

c Bridal Boutiques

c Tuxedo Shops

c Flower Shops

c Photography

Studios

c Spas

c Bookstores

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Ever After

Colorado Weddings

Ever Aftercolorado’s guide to unique wedding celebrations

EVER AFTERPublished and Distributed in December 2008.

For more information visit us at www.everaftercolorado.com

EVER AFTERis part of the growing Metro Mountain Media collection including:

• Shopping Sense (Your Guide To Smart Money) • Mountain Vacations • Colorado Better Health and Living • EDU Colorado • Front Range Family

Denver Newspaper Agency101 Colfax Avenue • Denver, Colorado 80202

303.954.1434 • www.denvernewspaperagency.com