The Bolero Look

Sophisticated: Picture Audrey Hepburn or Katie Holmes walking down the street with a shawl draped over their heads and the length of the shawl streaming down their backs…with big black sunglasses. That’s sophistication!

Stylish: There are so many ways to wrap, tie and knot a shawl to add an immediate sense of high fashion and elegance to any basic dress or outfit. The bolero look is shown in the photo here. Watch our video on how to wear shawls

Soft: So plush and luxurious you may never want to take it off!

Sensible: Perfect for travel to roll-up your jewelry for the suitcase or wrap yourself in warmth while on the plane.

Summery: Freshen up your wardrobe with honeysuckle pink (shown here), soft lemonade, or garden lilac.

A huge “thank you” to Custom Creations Photography for this beautiful image.

We were so thrilled to be invited to the new Four Seasons Hotel in downtown Denver for “South Beach at the Seasons”. Picture a gorgeous pool deck adorned with tropical flowers and coral, fuchsia, turquoise and tangerine. The Perfect Petal created a fun atmosphere with floral pomanders that floated in the pool and gorgeous centerpieces in clean white square containers. Large tropical trees, provided by Little Eden Plantscaping, made it feel like we were really pool-side in Miami. Check out photos via Kathryn Bacalis Photography!

During the evening, we had a blast in the photo booth, provided by Shutterbooth. Apparently, I (Nil) need some lessons on posing in a photo booth. Most of the photos were of my forehead or caught me unawares. At least I provided some comedic relief for my photo booth buddies.

We were honored to be involved in this event as umbrella and shawl sponsors. We brought our luxurious raspberry and white shawls and our cute raspberry umbrellas.  It was a warm start to the event, but our shawls were a big hit as the sun set. Ladies in sweet summer dresses wrapped themselves in shawls and were able to enjoy the rest of the evening under the beautiful Colorado sky.

The entire event was fabulous. We love The Four Seasons Denver; they always treat their guests like royalty. Their staff is extraordinary, anticipating our every need the entire night. The refreshments were divine: sweet island cocktails and a succulent taco station complete with fresh fish, roasted pig, and housemade salsas and guacamole. A truly five-star experience made a great evening. Thank you to everyone at The Four Seasons for including Splendor for Your Guests.

Thank you to Kathryn Bacalis Photography for these beautiful shots of our products.

We are so excited to partner with Little White Dress shop, a beautiful bridal boutique in our own neighborhood, Highland in Denver. We’ll be there for the 3rd Thursday May Martini Madness on May 19th. We hope you can join us from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. for a fun evening of mingling and shopping. We are proud to be involved, along with Ampersand Wedding Papers, Alchemy Skin Care and Make-up and Intricate Icings. Come peruse their beautiful work, sample martinis for your wedding signature cocktail, and enjoy delicious desserts while you shop for that perfect wedding dress. Reservations are not required.

Thursday, May 19, from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Little White Dress
3420 W. 32nd Ave. Denver, CO 80211
p: 303-814-8972

Here’s a quick video of their shop. Hope you can join us!

We were so excited for our visit to Marie James Dress Boutique yesterday. Owner, Sally Grieser, had offered to loan us dresses to wear to the ISES Denver annual dinner and yesterday was our “shopping” day. Lori and I were treated like queens. Sally hand-selected dozens of dresses for us. From flowy organza to sleek satin, we were wrapped in luxury. After the fun of trying on various styles, We found some great pieces that complement our best features (crucial when finding a special occasion dress).

The dress Lori will be wearing is a gorgeous navy party dress with great floral detail. I have three options: a fun charcoal strapless party dress, a sleek taupe satin fitted number, and a fuchsia number with black floral detail. Love them all! We’ll be selecting the actual dress on Tuesday, depending on which one fits the best. Our first choice is the fuchsia though. I’ll post photos of us at the event. Stay tuned!

If you’re looking for bridesmaid dresses or a special occasion gown, visit Marie James Dress Boutique. They have a wonderful selection and offer a stellar shopping experience. Say hi to Sally from us while you’re there!

*Photos by John Payne Photography for HERLIFE Magazine

Need some fun ideas for your bridal or baby shower? Want a unique design for your wedding reception? We partnered with our Splendor Vendor, All Well Rents, to show a fun way to decorate for this spring season.

We created a centerpiece with a pink parasol anchored in a vase filled with orchids. We also placed shawls on the chairs and tied them with All Well’s chair ties and an orchid.

See it in person in their showroom: 2125 S. Platte River Dr. Denver, CO

Fun Covering for the Table

Shawl on the Chair

We were thrilled to participate in this amazing photo shoot. Thanks to many talented people, we were able to create a modern look at weddings. Most of the vendors who participated in this shoot are Studio Wed vendors, a boutique Denver wedding planning studio.
We hope these photos inspire you to create something unique and memorable with your wedding.

It wouldn’t have been possible without these great vendors:
Wedding Planner: Julie Gambrell, Classic Creations
Wedding Florist: Alicia Schwede, Bella Fiori
Wedding Stylist: Tina Gill, Worthwhile Style
Wedding Hair and Makeup: Kori Schell
Wedding Cake: Slice
Bridal and Bridesmaid Dresses: Bella Bridesmaid
Wedding Invitations: JS Design
Location: Palazzo Verdi
Rentals: Event Rents
Linens: Chair Covers and Linens
Rigging: T’da Designs
Umbrellas & Shawls: Splendor

As an Image Consultant for almost 20 years, I’ve seen how much importance is placed on the color tones for a wedding. I always recommended to brides that color should reflect your personality, yet also set the style and tone for your very special day. First and foremost – choose wedding colors that YOU love and then use those colors in your bridesmaids’ dresses, shawls, decorations, cake, favors, flowers, umbrellas, accessories, table linens and even the invitations! Here are a couple of tips to remember as you select your colors:

1. Consider Your Surroundings. Where is the ceremony and reception? Will they be indoors or outdoors? Choose colors that complement the setting. Consider the venue and its location, (in the mountains, by the ocean, rustic and natural, or elegant and traditional). Also, consider the window treatments, carpet and overall venue décor.
2. Dramatic? Romantic? What’s Your Style? What mood do you want to create? Vibrant colors add drama, while soft colors evoke a more romantic atmosphere.
3. Let the Season Guide You. The time of the year can influence your color scheme, such as spring and summer colors tend to be lighter, while fall and winter colors are generally darker.
4. Make the Most Impact. Also, to avoid having a overly busy looking event, try to limit your main colors to two or three and remain consistent with your colors throughout the wedding site. You can always add a few subdued colors for a more elegant look.

2011 Wedding Color Trends

Popular wedding color choices for 2011:

turquoise, navy, chartreuse, yellow, honeysuckle
deep red, black & white, slate grey, purple, latte

Enjoy selecting your colors and remember Splendor for Your Guests offers shawl and umbrella rentals and shawl purchases in all of these hot colors for 2011 weddings!

- Lori Ryno, Development Director for Splendor

I recently participated in the Wedding Preview Event, a wedding showcase put on by My Big Day Planner in Denver. In addition to visiting vendor tables and chatting, the brides and grooms were able to witness actual wedding ceremonies, gorgeous gowns, and beautiful reception table designs.

I was honored to be asked to help with the reception table decor and jumped on the chance right away. We used the shawls to adorn the chairs, adding color and texture to the design. We heard some great comments about the luxurious touch. One person even said, “that’s so wonderful, every wedding should include shawls for the guests!”.

Here are some photos from the day (a huge thanks to Keri Doolittle Photography)!

We’re so excited to announce Lori Ryno as a member of the Splendor team! Lori comes to Splendor with over 25 years of sales and marketing experience and 18 years as a certified Image Consultant.  As our Development Director and Style Consultant, Lori is available to assist hotels, resorts, and event centers with umbrella and shawl rental quotes for weddings and special occasions along with recommendations in color to compliment a bridal party and offer unique ways to wear shawls.  She also provides color, fashion and style for all Splendor brides at absolutely no extra cost (yes, “free”)!

Lori received her Certified Fashion\Image Consultant education from California State University Long Beach as well as certification from the prestigious Association of Image Consultants International.  She has worked with numerous Fortune 1000 Executives and other high profile individuals globally to assist in defining their personal brand and then through clothing and accessories, create a visual image. Lori has been quoted on Forbes.com, Denver Woman Magazine, In/Ur Magazine and was recognized by Colorado Expressions Magazine as a top Image Consultant.  Lori began her career in corporate America in sales and marketing where she worked her way up to Senior Account Executive for one of the world’s top 5 pharmaceutical companies.  She was recognized with several awards for her performance and accomplishments within the health care industry.

We’re thrilled to have Lori on the team. It’s so much fun to work with her. Welcome, Lori!

What do jelly beans, cupcakes, and doughnuts have in common? They’re all fun, yummy sweets to offer guests at dessert tables. Jaclyn Webb knows this as she’s the owner of Lemon Sprinkle Events, a company completely focused on designing and creating gorgeous dessert tables. Each table is thoughtfully pieced together to best reflect the honored person or couple. Some tables include traditional sweets from childhood while others are simply inspired by favorite flavors. It was so much fun hearing Jaclyn’s excitement and passion for her work. She’s a self-proclaimed “candy aficionado”, especially regarding the 1980s era. We laughed as we remembered enjoying Pop Rocks and Rock Candy as kids.

Photo courtesy of Laura Murray
Dessert tables are a memorable, unique way to treat your guests to the sweetness in life. They offer another way to showcase your colors and theme with the fine details. Jaclyn has such creativity with desserts. Check out the funky white chocolate mustaches! Not only does she work with brides and grooms, but also loves wedding and baby showers, bachelorette parties, and birthdays. I wish I’d known about her for my daughter’s birthday – what a great way to honor someone while offering something yummy to the guests. For more dessert table inspiration, check out Jaclyn’s blog and website. You can also follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

Photos courtesy of Jaclyn Webb