New Year's Reflections - Tamra + Dustin's New Years Eve Wedding

As the year comes to a close, I find myself reflecting on how I spent the last New Year's Eve. I was so honored to plan Dustin + Tamra's wedding along side them, cultivating in quite possibly the best New Year's Eve I've ever spent.

As soon as she showed me the stunning dress from Italian Designer Peter Langer (purchased at Neiman Marcus Dallas, TX), I knew exactly how this wedding should be styled. Rat pack, old Hollywood glamour and elegance with a Roaring 20’s speakeasy twist.

Too ill to attend the wedding, the bride kept warm with a wrap made from her mother’s wedding gown so that she would be with her throughout the night. The 8pm ceremony took place in the main floor of the historic Grant Humphrey’s Mansion in front of a roaring fireplace in Denver Colorado on New Year’s Eve. Occasions Catering helped welcome guests with champagne and appetizers and classical jazz from the A Music Plus quartet literally setting the elegant tone before the intimate fireplace front ceremony with custom floral pieces in luges of lavender, plumb, blush, and greens from Prema Style. The bride expected to walk down the grand staircase aisle accented with a greenery installation and candles to Trumpet Voluntary, but to her surprise, her groom had arranged for some 13 of her best guy-friends to serenade her down the aisle with a custom-written version of “Isn’t She Lovely”.

With an all-kid bridal party [swoon], the groom’s 3 children served as maid of honor and best men and nieces and nephews the bridesmaids and groomsmen, just before the bride + groom said their own vows to each other, the bride and groom and 3 children shared wedding vows to each other connecting them all as a new family. During a moving wedding ceremony, guests recited as a congregation the words of William Shakespheare, and after, all enjoyed an action-station style reception dinner before moving downstairs to the “House Of W” Speakeasy.

The Mannequin Band and catering staff helped with our 1920’s emersion by singing and serving in fabulous flapper outfits and kept the dance floor pumping all night long. Guest enjoyed a whiskey tasting station and custom barrel aged cocktail from a “House of W” Engraved Whiskey Barrel featuring local Colorado Distillery, Woody Creek Distillers. Amora Event Group helped set the stage by lighting up the exterior of the grand Grant-Humphrey's Mansionand created a speakeasy lounge with feature wall of fabric covered antique books, Edison bulb lamps, candles + heirloom family photos, flappers served late night snacks and guests danced the night away until just before the stroke of midnight. The party moved upstairs for cake, champagne & countdown to midnight as the lovely ladies from the Mannequin Band led everyone in a piano sing a long of Auld Lang Syne right at the stroke of midnight. Lyrics to the traditional song were provided by Platypus Papers on wooden bobbins and friends and family rang in the new year with smiles and toasts! The bride + groom’s grand exit was lighted by guests holding vigil candles as the couple headed for their getaway car.