Review of Ashley and Aaron’s Wedding

Sylvan Dale guest ranch has gained a reputation around the region of Northern Colorado as being the ideal destination for a wedding. It provides a beautiful and romantic setting that is meant to make any wedding the envy of many. For this reason, Ashley and Aaron chose their wedding location wisely. The date of the wedding was also selected with great detail as it was the beginning of spring when the heat was not too much and the beauty of summer had begun to show. Despite the ranch offering special wedding packages that catered for most of the wedding services, majority of the services were outsourced.

The day began smoothly as I arrived early to check the vendors in. The first vendor to arrive was the horse drawn carriage. Despite the location being a ranch, the outsourced this service for pricing purposes. Being a young couple, they wanted to save much as much money as they could. The carriages were meant to transport the bridal party to the site of the event. Their early arrival was greatly appreciated. The makeup artist was required to arrive early so as to get everybody ready but she came an hour late which caused a derail of events and got the bride in a really bad mood.

               The other vendors arrived at the right time for their respective services. However, the caterers were to arrive later on in the day since breakfast was being offered by the ranch. Breakfast was well enjoyed by the guests and there were compliments of the bacon and freshly baked goods that were offered. The bridal party was ready just in time for the beginning of the ceremony. However, the terrain of the ranch proved problematic for the guests since it is rocky which made it difficult for ladies to walk in their high heeled shoes. The problem was aggravated by the lack of sufficient golf carts to ferry the guests around. This was catered for by increasing the number of trips the carts made, despite it slowing down the event, it helped in solving the problem.

            The location of the ceremony was up a small hill which provided a beautiful view of the mountains and the horse stables. This fit in well with the rustic theme of the wedding. The sheep and horses that were nearby also enhanced the theme making it a beautiful scenery. The five senses were incorporated in the event where the location was beautiful to the eyes and there was soft background music playing during the event. The ranch and the caterers did not disappoint the taste buds of the guests, there were fresh lovely flowers that accentuated the earthy smell of the ranch and finally the fabrics were silky and smooth to the touch which when combined with the temperatures provided the perfect atmosphere.

            The entertainment component of the event was catered for by an outsourced DJ and the couple enlisted the services of one of their friends as the master of ceremony (MC). The music was great and I am sure many guests went home with sore feet from all the dancing. The MC being a close friend, incorporated personal aspects into the programming of the ceremony which made it more entertaining. After the event, guests were free to walk to the nearby stables to view the sheep and horses. Guests who were willing to take horse rides were also free to do so. I believe this added an unforgettable component to Ashley and Aaron’s wedding.

            As mentioned earlier, the caterers made food that was delicious. However, they failed to cater for the vegetarians which called for preparation of a quick meal by the ranch. This was not the fault of the caterers since they perfectly delivered what they were asked for. The alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages were served by the ranch. The staff were not quick in offering the drinks during the ceremony but were quick to clear almost full glasses once a guest briefly stepped away. This occurred many times since guests were constantly going to the dance floor.

The Sylvan Dale guest ranch has a protocol of providing a wedding planner for any couple that shows interest in having a wedding at their venue. Wedding planners are usually present at the wedding but she was not. She had called in sick a few hours to the start of ceremony. I believe if she had been available, she could have helped in solving some of the issues that had cropped up.

            As an events planner, I would have advised the couple to source most of the services from the ranch. This helps in instances where there are deficits. The location of the event however beautiful it was, the terrain was not conducive for the guests. It would have been advisable to choose a better venue. To avoid lateness, the makeup artist should have also slept in the ranch since she is a crucial component of the day.

References

Daniels, M., & Loveless, C. (2007). Wedding planning and management. Routledge.

Silvers, J. R. (2012). Professional event coordination (Vol. 62). John Wiley & Sons.