Francesca DeOrio, Author at Calluna EventsCalluna Events

What a ‘Stellabration’ it was, as Gemma + Alex tied the knot on Saturday in Boulder at the beautiful St. Julien Hotel and Spa.

As the Maid of Honor gave her toast, she read from emails that she and Gemma had exchanged about the evolution of Gemma’s relationship with Alex. Everyone’s eyes welled up with happy tears when they heard about Alex’s romantic gesture. According to the Maid of Honor, Alex filled every room in Gemma’s new apartment with flowers and stocked her fridge with all her favorite foods before she even moved in! If only everyone could love one another like Gemma and Alex do!

Fast forward to their wedding day … it was absolutely perfect. We couldn’t have asked for better weather for our outdoor ceremony centered around a handcrafted cone backdrop made by our very own bride Gemma and her darling mother, Elaine. The backdrop consisted of over 1000 cones strung together, talk about DIY and it didn’t stop there!

As always our phenomenal vendors came together to wow Gemma and Alex in every possible. Every detail was exquisite from one of our favorite florists, Plum Sage Flowers in Denver to Nate and Jenny capturing all of the day’s highlights! The wonderful entertainment ranged from Scott Beach, the Colorado Bagpiper to A Great Time DJ who kept everyone on their feet all night!

Real Wedding: Spott on Love Denver Wedding!

What a great thrill it was for us to be part of Katy and Zach’s wonderful wedding! Katy and Zach are so in love that trying to explain the joy and happiness emanating from these two simply does not do their love justice. Katy’s vision for the day came to life at Blanc in the RINO district of Denver – a perfect space to blend innovation and creativity.

So many wonderful vendors collaborated to make it a perfect day. Lale Florals created the unique and thoroughly original floral installations. Eclectic Hive – one of Denver’s best decor and design studios – transformed the space into a whimsical, magical place that included fabulous set pieces including one of our favorites – the bed swing! Our groom, Zach, a serious food connoisseur, worked with Catering by Design to create an innovative menu made extra special by Zach’s personal love of donuts… in fact, VooDoo Donuts joined us as a new vendor we are happy to add to our list of friends. We were also delighted to work with Fidelis Films, videographers from Florida. And finally, we were overjoyed to once again work with one of our favorite photographers in all of Colorado, James Christianson, who created priceless photographic memories for our bride and groom. We can’t wait to get the photos back from James but until then take a moment to check out our iPhone photos that we snapped throughout the day! xx, Calluna

Yasmin + Chris’s Winter Wonderland Wedding Video by Forget Me Not!

THIS is why we do what we do! To witness moments like these captured joyous video! It will make you feel like a guest at Yasmin and Chris’s unforgettable winter wonderland wedding at Vail’s Sonnenalp Hotel. Forget Me Not Media has brilliantly mixed one of the loveliest wedding toasts we’ve ever heard with the beauty of Vail and the deep love between this wonderful couple. This delightful video is a priceless celebration of the love surrounding Yasmin and Chris on their special day. Enjoy!

Dining Out in Boulder on Valentine’s Day

Flagstaff House might not have any dinner reservations available, but there are still some opportunities to enjoy their special Valentine’s Day Lunch! Beat the dinner crowd and check out the fabulous view from Flagstaff House between 12PM and 2PM. Reservations available at 303.442.4640

Frasca Food and Wine (most romantic and best wine list). Frasca will offering a four-course dinner for $110 per person. Of course, in traditional Frasca fashion, wine pairings will be offered. Limited late night reservations are available. Call 303.442.6966 for reservations.

The Kitchen Boulder will be serving a four-course prix fixe meal for $85 per person. Wine pairings will be available. For reservations call 303.544.5973.

Celebrate Valentine’s Day at Oak. Enjoy one of their extra special pre-dinner cocktails followed by a prix-fixe menu for $75 per person. For Reservations call 303.444.3622.

The Kitchen Upstairs might not be offering a prix fixe menu, but if you visit for dinner with friends or a loved one, you will receive a free order of delicious garlic fries! Reservations are not required, just stop by.

Blackbelly is one of Boulder’s new hottest restaurants. They have select reservations available and you might even be able to sneak in as a walk-in. Blackbelly is offering a five course menu for $75 per person. Reservations can be made directly by calling 303.247.1000.

Salt Boulder Bistro is in the heart of downtown Boulder offering a menu featuring local cuisine. Limited Valentine’s Day reservations are available from 5PM until 11PM for a three-course menu priced at $65 per person. Call 303.444.7258

Post Brewing in Lafayette is hands down the best place for beer lovers…not to mention chicken lovers! Valentine’s Day Weekend Specials will be offered on February 13th and February 14th. The specials include suggested beer and cocktail pairings. For reservations call 303.593.2066.

Next Door Boulder is hosting a Traffic Light Party! Wear green if you are single, yellow if you’ve got options, or red if your heart is taken. Enjoy live music from 9AM until 12AM!

Boulder Burgundy Wine Festival Recap

The Boulder Burgundy Festival brought wine aficionados from near and far together to sample, taste, judge and enjoy the wines of the Burgundy region. Calluna Events was thrilled to be invited to plan three of the festival’s key events; all filled wall to wall with guests brimming with passion about wines.

The creator and host of the Burgundy Festival is Master Sommelier and Boulder Wine Merchant owner Brett Zimmerman. “During this three-day extravaganza we will be able to drink some of the rarest wines of Burgundy due largely in part to the amazing generosity of our supplier partners.”

The three-day celebration of Burgundy wines includes tastings and seminars with winemakers and top U.S. wine directors, as well as wine luncheons and dinners hosted by Boulder’s best restaurants such as Frasca and The Flagstaff House.

Once again Calluna Events was the official organizer and event planner for the Burgundy Seminar with Guillaume d’Angerville of Domaine Marquis d’Angerville, one of Burgundy’s finest estates, the Grand Tasting in the Hotel Boulderado’s fabulous ballroom as well as a Chablis Brunch at the casual, yet elegant The Kitchen Upstairs. The Grand Tasting was a phenomenal experience that brought merchants, importers, sommeliers, trades people, and a host of wine enthusiasts together to taste over 170 different pours. We couldn’t have been more excited to host this event for the Boulder Wine Merchant Boulder Burgundy Festival.

A morning event took place at The Kitchen Upstairs. There we hosted a Sunday morning Chablis Brunch that included 25 different flights of wine paired with an exquisite brunch tasting menu. Although it was less formal than the Grand Tasting, the Chablis Brunch showcased an equally impressive selection of pours.

Thank you Boulder Wine Merchant for trusting us with three of your most important festival events. We were delighted to have a hand in making the Boulder Burgundy Festival such a resounding success.

Manzanita & Calluna Events partner for a Calligraphy Workshop!

Join Calluna Events and Rebecca Caridad for a Calligraphy Workshop on January 24, 2015 from 1-3PM! In this 2 hour workshop you will learn the basics of modern calligraphy. We will review letter structure, spacing, and how to connect letters to begin your journey of making calligraphy your own.

You will also receive paper and custom manzanita calligraphy handouts that will help you review and practice the information at home. There will be refreshments and snacks!

Enjoy some refreshments and snacks after the class where students will be able to chat with me and ask any last minute questions and get to know the class better.

Please be sure you can make the class as once your spot is paid for there will be no refunds for cancellation or no show.

Put on your Yarmulke, it’s time for Hanukkah

Hanukkah may not be as glittery and glamorous as its holiday neighbor, Christmas, but that doesn’t make it any less joyous. As the song says, “There are eight crazy nights…” Every night is filled with another candle on the Menorah that honors the triumph of the Festival of Lights (a phrase that also refers to Hanukkah). In addition to playing the dreidel game, getting “gelt” (silver or gold covered chocolate coins), and eating latkes (potato pancakes), there’s the fun of receiving gifts over eight consecutive days. Gifts for a week and a day? We’ll take a week and a day like that any time of year!

Yasmin + Chris’s Vail Wedding Instagram Sneak Peek

We are so excited to share a few of of our favorite Instagram/Iphone photos from Yasmin and Chris’s Tuscan inspired wedding celebration at the Sonnenalp right in the heart of Vail Village. We don’t claim to be great photographers and we are on pins and needles waiting for the real photos from the oh-so-talented Laura Murray Photography but please enjoy this teaser!

We truly loved working with Yasmin and Chris and we were thrilled to have the privilege of helping them enjoy their special day. Our relationship with some fabulous vendors including The Perfect Petal, Great Time DJ, Vail Interfaith Chapel, Beth Siekmeier (calligraphy and lovely signage) and the Sonnenalp helped us bring Yasmin and Chris’s wedding vision to life!