Northern Colorado Venue Tour Part 1

On Wednesday, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to tag along with members of the Association of Bridal Consultants on their “Fact Caravan”. A few times each year, the group coordinates a day of venue tours that are focused around a specific area in Colorado. This caravan’s focus was on venues in Northern Colorado and Estes Park. It was a long day, but well worth it for all of the valuable information I was able to obtain and pass along to you! I’ll try to let the photos I took do most of the talking, but please keep in mind that I am not a photographer and my camera tends to take more blurry shots than focused ones, which is a neat feature. The folks you see roaming about are the ABC members I spoke of previously. I had a great time getting to know them and the passion they have for the wedding industry! I would recommend each of them! Their names and companies are:

Reverend Chris Mohr Foothills Chapel & Banquet Room
Charlene Hein Everlasting Memories by Char
Norie Hamilton Weddings by Norie
Tom Harper The Food Guy
DJ Ron Michaels Ron Michaels Weddings
Dr. Pat Boone Wedding Officiant
DJ Leonard Kiel Colorado Sound

Now, on to the tour!! The first stop that I was able to join the group was at the Embassy Suites Hotel, Spa & Conference Center in Loveland, Colorado. The tour was given by Catering Manager, Chelsey Penoyer, who is such a pleasure to work with and has a really excellent sense of style that she brings to each event. The Embassy Suites is conveniently located right off of I-25 and near the Fort Collins-Loveland Airport which makes travel convenient for all guests. The venue also boasts over 40,000 square feet of flexible space so it can accommodate weddings of all sizes. Dora Grace was lucky enough to be involved in a photoshoot at the Embassy last year so I’ll include those as I was only able to catch the lunch portion of the tour (which was delicious, by the way!).

The next stop on the tour was The McCreery House also in Loveland, Colorado. This unique landmark building is listed in the National Registry of Historic Places and can host up to 130 guests at a time -perfect for an “encore wedding” or a smaller, more intimate affair.

The garden in the back of the house is where most events are held and the owners did a great job of landscaping and creating a secluded, welcoming environment. The patio space creates the perfect reception area and one can only imagine the lights twinkling at night as the couple takes their first dance!

facing the reception area

There is no in-house catering at this facility which can be a money saver as you are able to hire a caterer that is able to work within your budget or have a talented family member provide food. The house itself also has many charming details including a tower off one of the bedrooms and fully functional historic grand piano that can make for unique photo opportunities.

Chris showing off on the piano

peeking up at the tower, trying not to fall down the steps!

Next stop – Sylvan Dale Ranch. Tucked away just outside the city of Loveland along the Big Thompson River, Sylvan Dale provides couples with a “destination” wedding venue while still being able to enjoy the convenience of a city. This was my first venture to the ranch although I’ve heard many good things from brides and others that have held events there in the past. I liked the idea of having a venue that can sleep most of your guests and provide them with meals and activites throughout their stay.