Cocktails with Calluna Archives - Calluna EventsCalluna Events

Happy Sunday Everyone! We’re so excited as we’re celebrating our wonderful Pia + Trevor’s anniversary today and doubling that joy with another Cocktails with Calluna, spotlighting the ever so lovely Ori with O.Ski Films who captured Pia + Trevor’s wedding in Tuscany, Italy! Ori is a true talent and a ray of sunshine in our industry. Her artistry and creativity shines through everything she does! Be sure to read on as Ori shares so many great insights and inspirations with us today.

I am a wedding filmmaker and have been in this industry for the last 6 years! I actually came into this career by chance. I studied abroad in 2016 in Cape Town, South Africa and brought along my handy dandy Go-Pro. Lucky for my Facebook friends, I posted every single clip I took during my time there, even the super exciting hour-long hikes (eye-roll, lol). The videos weren’t viewed by too many people other than my parents and grandma, but they were also viewed by my first client ever. Their view was the most important one I have ever gotten because they asked me to film their wedding day. The first thing I did was Google “What do I need to film a wedding” and I rented everything this blog recommended (lol). And thanks to my shaky adventure videos on Facebook and a trusting family friend I got to film my very first wedding a month later.

I am forever grateful for this opportunity as it constantly reminds me that as a wedding filmmaker, it all comes down to telling a story. It doesn’t matter that as a filmmaker I know all the technical answers or have the fanciest equipment. Rather, I am there to capture the moments and how they feel to everyone involved. Even though I have graduated from my Go-Pro to some slightly fancier equipment, I will always remind myself that the story is more important than what you have to tell it with.

Even though this may seem odd, my favorite part of a wedding day is when my clients sit down for dinner. It sounds like food has something to do with this which ALSO may be true (lol)… But the real reason is getting the chance to capture the first time of the day that my clients are truly able to embrace the moment and take everything in. After months and sometimes years of planning their day, it’s finally time for them to share some champagne, genuine laughs, and meaningful conversations across the table with the ones they love the most. Watching these moments unfold through my lens are some of the most special.

I usually sleep in as much as I can (not a morning person). I then make my 3 shot iced latte with almond milk (not a coffee snob I promise), followed by a smoothie. Get started on some work and then go for a late morning walk to get some sunshine and fresh air. Mornings are my time to reflect, relax and get ready for my day. I have never thought the phrase “the early bird catches the worm” to be true because some of my best work and most inspiring thoughts come late at night. And I can assure you I will NOT make that 7am Soul Cycle class I so ambitiously signed up for the night before. 😉

I could not be a bigger fan of how many weddings I see using brighter colors for their wedding day. This adds a fun element to pictures and videos while allowing us to have some creative freedom with a unique backdrop. I hope this trend is here to stay because I love it! More color please!

That not every client is YOUR client. I would tell my younger self that you don’t have to say yes to every job that comes your way. As an artist it’s super important to feel connected to your client and inspired by their day. Instead of focusing on the number of weddings booked I would remind myself to focus on what kind of audience I am attracting as a filmmaker. If you are filming work you are passionate about, your ideal clients will always find their way to you.

When I am away from work I love to travel (without camera bags of course, those are heavy!). I love spending time with my partner, family and friends. I am a newly obsessed fan of pickleball (who isn’t these days?!) so you might find me on the court getting far too competitive. I love to go to a cute coffee shop on weekends followed by a day of thrifting. I am a sucker for an action-thriller movie that gives my heart rate a jump. And lastly, I am a BIG foody – I would spend (and do spend) all my money on nice dinners with some yummy drinks to accompany.

Cocktails with Calluna | Ashley Sawtelle Photography

Oh happy day! Today on our Cocktails with Calluna series, we are featuring one of our most beloved photographers, Ashley Sawtelle! From Saratoga, Wyoming to St. Louis, Missouri and everywhere in between, Ashley captures weddings and events so beautifully! Get to know more of what Ashley is all about below!

I collect moments and document how a wedding weekend felt and looked like for my clients. The photographs I create consider the people, the locale, and the stunning details each couple has chosen for their celebration.

Working with couples that want to create a wedding celebration that has meaning to them in a destination that they feel connected to. A one-of-a-kind celebration where the couple can truly be themselves, be present, and lean into the joy with one another. This is a space where I can create the best photographs for my clients.

Anytime the couple can experience the day as it unfolds. I love how each part of a wedding day has its own magic – maybe it’s the stillness of stepping back with your partner and enjoying sunset or the anticipatory energy of getting ready. And I always love the celebratory energy on the dance floor!

It starts off early with a matcha, packing lunches, and sharing breakfast with the family. Next is a pilates class or a nature walk, which puts me in a great place to dive into work.

I love how couples are embracing a celebration that is based on what they want, not what trends or others are saying to do. It’s also great seeing this grand millennial approach to design. Have fun! Be playful! Dance all night and wear 3 outfits if you want to. The day is yours.

I am a wanderlust at heart. I love to learn about different cultures by just walking around and taking it all in (usually with a film camera in hand). It’s also a dream to be able to take these trips and introduce our children to this big, beautiful world. I love seeing it through their eyes.

The Coco Citron is a zero alcohol cocktail served at Lohi’s Noisette. It’s so delicious and I love sharing a conversation with a friend in their dreamy setting.

Cocktails with Calluna | Wallflower Rentals + Decor

Hello friends! We are so excited to reintroduce our Cocktails with Calluna blog series today! Cocktails with Calluna is a series all about our friendors (vendors) whom we love working with and are incredibly talented in everything they do! This is an opportunity for you to get to know them better and hear about all the things that inspire them in their daily lives! Without further ado, we’re kicking it off with the ever lovely Jenni Lietz, the owner of Wallflower Rentals & Decor!

Describe what you do!
Wallflower is a rentals & decor company specializing in vintage & unique lounges. But we are so much more than that too! We help warm up, decorate, or bring to life any space awaiting your next event.

What is your idea of a dream project?
Designing for The Bachelor! Haha- I’m only kidding a little but seriously. I find myself watching these dramatic tv shows wishing our pieces were on set. We know we could do it better 😉 We also love non-profit work, opportunities to give back to the community and anything involving local celebrities or small businesses!

What is your favorite part of any wedding?
The best part of any wedding is watching the vision come to life with the couple’s individuality showing through! There are so many ways you can customize and personalize a wedding and we LOVE that!

What does your morning routine look like?
I’m a mother of a 10 year old 5th grade girl so you can imagine how mornings go sometimes 🙂 But typically I like to get myself out on a walk with my doggos, make some breakfast, and start my day ready to head to my warehouse to see my team and tackle the next beautiful event.

What are some of your favorite trends that you are seeing?
Monochromatic design sets. Give us all the black & white!! We’ve done so many fun boho and colorful designs over the years and my neutral heart totally gravitates towards all black and all white weddings I’ve been seeing.

What advice would you give to a younger you?
Hire professionals to handle the books! They’ll help keep you on track and prepared for any new business changes that come through at the new year and along the way.

What do you like to do when you’re away from work?
I love anything self care focused: yoga, meditation, travel. And family time, of course!

What is your favorite cocktail, or what are you drinking tonight?
Has to be a lemon drop or a blood orange margarita. Tasty and pretty too!

And now we’re craving a blood orange margarita! Love all the insights Jenni shared! Here are a couple of our favorite memories working with Jenni and her team at Wallflower!

Calluna Community | Cocktails with Three Peaks Ranch

Here at Calluna we are always looking for ways to highlight and honor some of the amazing creative partners we get to work with. We feel incredibly fortunate to work with some seriously talented vendors in the industry, and we want to show them off to you in our new Calluna Community Series! We will sit down with some of the fabulous venues and vendors of Colorado and get to know about them, their business and what life is like behind the scenes. Stay tuned for more!

This week for Calluna Community we caught up with Daylene at Three Peaks Ranch! Three Peaks Ranch is a new venue in Westcliffe, Colorado, and is serious mountain magic!

Three Peaks Ranch is a Colorado Wedding Venue in a small old western town called Westcliffe. We have an 85 acre horse ranch with sweeping meadows that rise to the base of three fourteen thousand foot peaks. Our buildings are hand designed by local Denver Architect Karen Sund and the Amish community in Westcliffe has hand built them all. Our lodging is included in your venue rental package and can accommodate 6-8 guests overnight. We have state of the art glamping tents, each with their own bathroom and hot water showers, wood stove, deck and fireplace. There is a gathering space with panorama windows onto the mountains and a stunning indoor outdoor dining pavilion with a fireplace. Our goal is to provide a true Colorado experience that you and your guests will never forget.

Our dream project would be a couple that are seeking to have a weekend retreat experience. We would love to have the guests and family stay from Friday to Sunday and be relaxed and refreshed after their wedding. Having weddings where people want to enjoy the peace and quiet, gaze at the stars, hike and really enjoy the beauty that Westcliffe offers is our dream. We hope to provide 10-20 glamping tents for guests to stay over night and also to add hot water soaking tubs to make their stay even more relaxing.

Our favorite part of any wedding is not only celebrating such a special time but seeing all the creativity that each couple brings and how they use and enjoy our space.

Mornings at the ranch are very quiet, even mornings before the wedding day. We make sure that all of our spaces are clean and beautiful and ready for you to enjoy, and that the ranch is open for vendors and guests to access. We allow access on your wedding at noon so you can relax and enjoy while you get ready for the big day. Personally, my morning routine involves being woken up too early by my two darling daughters, making them breakfast and trying to enjoy my coffee before another hectic day begins!

We have some very creative couples! One of our favorite new trends is the beer burro, we are so excited to see these cute fuzzy creatures at some of our weddings this summer. Another trend we love is the mobile bars in remodeled horse trailers.

Don’t let the fear of failure stop you from trying to do what you really want to do. There is no right way to do things, follow your heart and trust yourself.

I love being outside, recreating. Mountain Biking, Hiking, Snowboarding, Rock climbing, Rafting, Fly Fishing! I rarely get to do those activities these days since we have two small girls but we are really enjoying teaching them to love the outdoors and it is so much fun to share our love of recreating with them.

Probably an Old Fashioned or a Margarita but I’m an equal opportunity drinker 😉

Calluna Community | Cocktails with Cassie Rosch

Here at Calluna we are always looking for ways to highlight and honor some of the amazing creative partners we get to work with. We feel incredibly fortunate to work with some seriously talented vendors in the industry, and we want to show them off to you in our new Calluna Community Series! We will sit down with some of the fabulous vendors of Colorado and get to know about them, their business and what life is like behind the scenes. Stay tuned for more!

This week for Calluna Community we caught up with Cassie Rosch! We’re so lucky to have worked with Cassie so closely over the past couple of years, and love her creative eye and how she captures our couples’ stories so beautifully!

When I’m collaborating with a diverse group of creatives. All creating in their own specialties, cultivating new ideas and showcasing talents. All the while making something absolutely beautiful for others to share. Igniting all the senses!

I worked on a wedding with Calluna a few years ago that was rich in color, florals + attention to detail. The couple wrote personal vows that left everyone in tears. They wore non-traditional clothing and really thoughtfully curated every detail for their guests to enjoy.

Hit snooze 2-3 times. Snuggle my three rescue pups. Make a smoothie. Take dogs for a walk + then make my own coffee or walk down the street to grab a cup!

I’m loving the monochromatic trend with loads of texture. I also love hanging floral installs.

Take advice and council from trusted friends and mentors, but blaze your own trail and create from your own inspiration. Create and build a business from your heart that is rooted in community and not ego. Ask more questions and don’t be afraid to admit when you’re wrong!

Calluna Community | Cocktails with Gray Duck Gifts

Here at Calluna we are always looking for ways to highlight and honor some of the amazing creative partners we get to work with. We feel incredibly fortunate to work with some seriously talented vendors in the industry, and we want to show them off to you in our new Calluna Community Series! We will sit down with some of the fabulous vendors of Colorado and get to know about them, their business and what life is like behind the scenes. Stay tuned for more!

Gray Duck Gifts specializes in creating highly personalized and curated gift boxes for every occasion. Each box is creatively sourced, thoughtfully designed and beautifully packaged.

We take the time to build the perfect gift box so you don’t have to. It’s gift giving at its finest: innovative, memorable and totally stress-free!

I’ve been dying to do a fun high-end outdoor adventurer theme with personalized leather travel tags, custom bandanas, fly fishing gear (the colorful fly ties are to die for!), rustic details, and so much more. There’s nothing better for a Colorado nature-loving couple!

I love the buildup to the wedding and working with amazing vendors in our industry who have the creativity and talent to put together these incredible events. We’re generally on site during set up and installation so we have the opportunity to see the space as it’s being transformed into the couples dream venue.

Most mornings I wake up between 7-7:30. I make my to-do list the night before, but when I wake up I choose my three main goals for the day and I block out time in my day to get them done. Then I hop in the shower and take my breakfast to go. If I’m having a slow morning or I can’t pass up the sun shining outside, I’ll walk down to my favorite coffee shop, The Tokyo Premium Bakery, for a houjicha latte. Once I get to the office, I spend a few minutes chatting with the gals I share the space with, and get to work.

Weddings rooted in sustainability are on the rise and we are here for it. Low and no-waste packaging, reusable vessels, and consumable products are some of our favorite gift trends we’re seeing in 2020.

Be honest and be true to who you are. Don’t worry too much about a decision you have to make, just do what feels right. Focus on one thing at a time. You can have it all, but not all at once. And if you can’t keep focus, you might not achieve anything you set out to. Say what you mean and mean what you say. And never, ever get bangs, they never turn out like you imagine.

In my free time I try to unplug and recharge as much as I can and I’m happiest surrounded by friends and family. I’m an avid reader and travel enthusiast- 43 states, 26 countries, 4 continents and counting- and recently I set up my first backyard beehive!

I’ve only got four requirements that a cocktail be- light, refreshing, seasonal and sweet. Any combination of clear liquor, fresh fruit puree, bubbles and a fresh herb garnish is always a hit in my book.

Calluna Community | Cocktails with Flagstaff House

Here at Calluna we are always looking for ways to highlight and honor some of the amazing creative partners we get to work with. We feel incredibly fortunate to work with some seriously talented vendors in the industry, and we want to show them off to you in our new Calluna Community Series! We will sit down with some of the fabulous vendors of Colorado and get to know about them, their business and what life is like behind the scenes. Stay tuned for more!

I am the event coordinator for the Flagstaff House which is a fine dining restaurant and event venue in Boulder. We are located on Flagstaff Mountain overlooking the city of Boulder and the Rockies, just a couple of miles from Pear Street. I plan everything from corporate events to weddings to everything in between! We host about 200 private events per year and I plan all the little details for our events and assist day-of with weddings as well.

My idea of a dream project would be a collaborative effort between myself and a team of skilled vendors to create the most perfect wedding. Luckily I get to live my dream project fairly often as we have such an amazing network of wedding and event professionals in the Boulder/Denver area! An event can be successful without added partners but when combining the minds of talented people it really exceeds expectations, making the event beyond perfect. I really love when I get to work with a design team to bring in new touches to our venue.

My favorite part of any wedding is doing a final check of our venue right before guests arrive. This is the moment when all of our hard work has finally materialized and I get to see all the details untouched before the festivities begin. That and the first kiss! I tear up every time.

I am 100% a morning person and love to start my day with a routine. I make myself a matcha latte right away and read the news on the couch with my cat to start. If it’s warm enough outside I’ll go on a neighborhood jog, or if it’s a little chilly I will relax a little longer. Once I’m caffeinated I’ll head up to the Flagstaff House to get to work on emails and site tours.

I love seeing vibrant colors! I am excited to be seeing more color in weddings in addition to traditional muted tones. Pops in floral arrangements, color-specific signature drinks and fun tablescapes have me so excited. I also have been seeing smaller, more intimate guest lists which allow for a larger budget in food and décor which I fully stand behind.

Life works out as it should. I unexpectedly moved to Colorado sight-unseen and it was the best thing that ever happened to me. Soon after moving I was hired at the Flagstaff House as a craigslist hire hostess, which unknowingly then put me on track for my dream career. The younger me stressed too much about creating correct paths in life, which is important to some extent, but life works out pretty well when you just let go a little.

I have a hard time sitting still for too long, so I am usually filling my free time with skiing, yoga, mountain biking, or whatever activity the weather allows me to do! I am also a great financial contributor to the Boulder/Denver area restaurants because I love to go out to eat more than anything.

No alcohol for me, so I love when a restaurant has a great alternative drink list. Lately I’ve been mixing up a little bit of orange juice, a lot of ginger kombucha, and a splash of cranberry juice. So tasty and helps keep my immune system in check during the winter!

Check out some photos from Shannon + Luke’s wedding here a couple years ago! We can’t wait to be back at Flagstaff later this year for another wedding!

Calluna Community | Cocktails with Chandlerie

Here at Calluna we are always looking for ways to highlight and honor some of the amazing creative partners we get to work with. We feel incredibly fortunate to work with some seriously talented vendors in the industry, and we want to show them off to you in our new Calluna Community Series! We will sit down with some of the fabulous vendors of Colorado and get to know about them, their business and what life is like behind the scenes. Stay tuned for more!

Elizabeth Carrier left the floral industry for motherhood. After six months and a bout with postpartum, she thought it was time to get back into the industry she loved so much. While working with flowers, she always noticed the amount of candles that ended up in the trash after weddings and began considering solutions. After melting and remaking one candle, she founded Chandlerie. Since launching in May 2019, Chandlerie has rescued over 1200 pounds of waste wax from landfills.

Currently Chandlerie has developed a set line of trending colored candles always with the option for a custom hue. They recently launched in the California and Kentucky markets, and have plans to launch in select markets across the US. The best part? They strive to keep their candles entirely up-cycled.

We create artisan up-cycled candles catered towards the wedding and event industry by collecting retired candles from previous events. Our endeavor is in huge thanks to the amazing wholesalers and florists who immediately supported us and cheered us on. Without their enthusiasm for the project and immense care of artisan goods for their clients, we would never have made the splash we’ve made since launching in May of 2019.

What isn’t our idea of a dream project?! Working in the event industry allows us so much creativity to explore different design principles and styles from event to event. But if we had to pick one, a massive king table with dense ombre styled pillar and taper candles in the hundreds would make us giddy. Anyone have this client on forecast for the next season?!

As our backgrounds are in flowers, it’s been a really amazing experience to provide a wholesale good to florists opposed to designing the flowers themselves. We don’t see the overall vision from our clients aside from the occasional screenshot of flower varieties or palette, so we can match dye lot to the best of our abilities. After the client (most often the florist) and photographer share images with us we are constantly in awe of what our talented clients create. Every wedding and event is so unique, and honestly we couldn’t pick just one as every one we’ve had the honor to be a part of has been a blessing in itself.

My morning routine revolves around a toddler, so I’ll spare you the details – but there’s lots of coffee involved! As a business we are constantly in communication developing our goals and action list for the next round of orders and our agenda to continue the growth of the company. It’s really important to us that the business grows organically and we are able to maintain amazing relationships and quality control.

Color color color! What we do is all about providing an additional design element to our clients’ events. We wanted to provide an accessible fully dyed color candle with hues unique to our industry. Our color line is driven by current trends and newly available flower varieties. Right now, people are loving mustards/antique golds, blushes, an assortment of greens are on the process line, and different shades of dusty blues.

Surround yourself with people who enrich you. Be sure to support and love the people you want to keep in your life and let them know how much you appreciate them.

The dream of what’s next! We are starting to grow and ship to new states and markets around the country and it is thrilling to see our national industry understand us and get it!

Check out these swoon-worthy photos of just some of the colored candles Chandlerie made for our brides, along with their current color line!