Visiting the Venue and Weather Warnings

When I first got there, on 10/9/09 around 3:45 PM, it was slightly gloomy out and there was a big white tent on the [ceremony] lawn. I wandered around taking photos for a while, called a friend and chatted on the patio for a good 30 minutes, saw a hawk (and took it’s photo), before heading home via the grocery store to prep and cook shabbos dinner.

The next day (Saturday the 10th), it snowed. That’s not quite true, it started at about 9 PM the night before. There were about 2″ total after 1.5″ overnight and flurries all day. The temperature never got above 24ºF and it was COLD. Just to remind you all, that new record low (17ºF) set that day was set on our -1 year anniversary.

BE PREPARED AND CHECK THE LONG RANGE FORECAST BEFORE PACKING TO VISIT COLORADO. It would be unfortunate if you say packed a sun dress to wear to a wedding accompanied by the first snow of the year, or if you packed something fall/winter appropriate only to find it sunny and 75ºF.

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St. Julien site visit

Here’s my report on my visit to Boulder’s St. Julien hotel yesterday morning:

This is the view that we’d have for the ceremony (imagine the retaining wall with a lattice work the hight of the taller posts, to block the street view better). The chuppah would be in the corner, with a table over the electrical access plate, and the isle running diagonally across the lawn.

This gazebo is where a lot of people set their ceremony. How dull. Who wants a view of a the hotel? The mountains are a much better backdrop than the hotel, IMHO.

This is the far end of the ballroom. There are 3 parts, this is the smallest.

This is one the chandeliers that are in the ballroom. Just thought I’d show off how the ballroom is more modern/contemporary, and less East Coast opulent.

Here’s the closer/front of the ballroom with breakfast table settings on cream cotton waffle table linens.

Here’s a picture of the carpet. It’s a dark bluish charcoal with a leafy motif. Definitely not the plushy paisley  we were seeing on the East Coast.

Here’s the view from the lobby. I LOVE BOULDER!

This is the lobby. The window looking area on the left is a HUGE gas fireplace. It has broken industrial glass on the bottom, instead of the fake logs that you usually see. The reason it looks like a window is that it can be opened on the other to provide a fireplace for the patio (where we’d have cocktails).

The main entrance. I like being pampered at nice hotels. It’s a great touch when they open the door and greet you as you’re coming and going. Such a nice touch.

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Millennium Harvest House

Here are photos of the tour the dude and I went on this morning. The minimum is $10,000, with a $500 setup fee. They only hold one event per day so there’s no need to worry about not having a weather backup plan because someone else got in the way. I’ve annotated the photos. I forgot to take photos of the day room that we would have access to all weekend, but it’s about 800 square feet and has a large bathroom. It also has a wall of windows and they’d bring in whatever furniture we want in there, we only saw it bare. The only rules for the day room: no sleeping overnight in there and no liquor. They would also provide one complimentary “superior” room for Ben and I to have the night of the wedding.

The hotel is totally OK with us using an ice cream cater (though they would rather arrange it, like most other places) as well as having a flambe station. Candles and open flames are fine. There are a bunch of glass/mirror things we can use for no extra charge to make up table decorations, and their regular china is just fine but they have an arrangement with a rental company if we want to upgrade. I wonder if we can have a bonfire too…. That would be icing on the cake.

The Pavilion, or as I like to call it, the yurt, can hold up to 300. They put down a portable dance floor out on the side where the tennis courts are. There are dark green, waterproof canvases (I think they have windows) that can be rolled down if needed. There are also space heaters they can bring out if we want to stay outside even if it’s totally freezing. The bathroom is on the right.

Here’s the covered pathway from the hotel to the pavilion/yurt. The bathroom is on the left. It was locked, so I didn’t get to check it out.

This is the lawn where most people set up their ceremony. You can see the mountains through the frees. The bridge goes over the creek and joins the Boulder Creek Path, it goes all the way out to the synagogue (34 blocks) and up to Boulder Falls (passing Pearl Street, about 1 1/2 miles away). That’s the edge of the pavilion on the far right.

The tennis courts in the background are covered in big white bubbles by mid September.

This is the indoor/snow/rainstorm option. It’s a ballroom. It has windows that overlook the courtyard where the pavilion/cocktail area/lawn are.

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