Some of my favorite vendors

There are certain wedding vendors I absolutely love to work with and I thought I'd tell you a little bit about them:)
Wedding coordinators--- TC of TC Muse Events. When I first met TC she was underneath a table chasing a power cord. TC is one of the most bubbly and creative people I know. I love that when I walk into a reception she's designed I can't tell it's her who's done it because they never look the same. She dressed this room up at the Stanley a couple of weeks ago that was so amazing the folks that worked there were bringing in guests to show it off. I normally don't take pictures of the decor but this was just too gorgeous not to. A nice change from chocolate brown and pink!

Debbie with Save the Date Events. Talk about patience... Debbie is one of those quiet women who will surprise you with how organized she is. She's got a great eye for detail as does her staff. If you're looking for a very patient yet creative planner seek out Debbie!

The Sapphire Event gals--- just wow! I've had the pleasure of working with Pam and Angela for years and never once have I been disappointed! A good planner makes life so easy for the other vendors and they can put together an event that will astound!

Florists:
Alicia with Bella Fiori--- Alicia is one of those quiet creative types who's designs are always beyond lovely. She's one of the sweetest gals I've had the pleasure of meeting in this biz and her attention to detail always impresses!

Erin with Plum Sage-- love her! Just love her! Great personality, great creative brain a churning, great at what she does.

Dawn with Hillside Consultants--- Dawn always makes me laugh. I don't think I've ever seen this woman without a huge smile on her face. Dawn is that best girlfriend we all wish we had. And, of course, her work is awesome!

Photographers:
Kevin and Jessica B of Kevin B Photography. Cool, cool, cool people! Their pictures astound me. I'm a stickler when it comes to photographers and I'm just blown away by their talent. I love their personalities as well--- laid back and cool man... they put the room at ease.

Autumn Burke Photography--- Another super talented photographer. I love the colors in her work.

Melissa Rich Photography--- Way awesome gal with loads of talent! I recently met Melissa at a vendor deal and just loved her! A photographer's personality is so important... it's fantastic when they're not only terrific at what they do but you really like them as well!

Places I love:
The Oxford Hotel-- just gorgeous and an incredible location. Erin Browning does a fantastic job of pulling together all of the details.

Boettcher Mansion-- Beautiful inside and outside and not too far off the beaten path.

Grant Humphrey's--- How can you beat a historical setting smack in the middle of Denver? The gardens are fantastic and the inside is fabulous!

The Stanley Hotel--- specifically the Music Room. LOVE IT! What a view, what a room! Your guests won't know where to look it's all so lovely.

The Sanctuary--- Perfection with a stunning view. I'm a Colorado Springs girl and I can't get enough of the view of Pikes Peak from the main room. It's a huge room but the wood and stone make it feel intimate and warm. The staff is wonderful and friendly.

Parker Villa--- Who woulda thought an Italian style Villa would be right there in Parker?! Erika and Wendy have done an incredible job of creating one of the most inviting and unique locations for a wedding. And they're not done... they have big and fabulous plans! How can you beat that and so close to everything?!

Thank you all for making this past year a truly wonderful time. I'm blessed to know so many talented and terrific people!

K

Brides.com party!

Wow that was fun! We were asked to be the cake folks for the big Brides.com bash on Wed. evening. This is an annual gathering the Conde Naste crew holds in appreciation of the vendors. TC of TC Muse Events did a fantastic job with the decor! Great food, drinks, company:) Thanks to Brides.com for allowing Kelley Kakes to be a part of the grand event!
And thank you to my fabulous arm candy for going along with me despite having nothing to do with weddings and all of that girly stuff. You made the evening quite wonderful!

The joys of online dating sites!!

I'm feeling rather giddy today.... I've met the coolest man! A big thank you to okcupid! I can't stop grinning:) He's hot, too! Yep, still grinning:)
Dating has been an interesting experience for me. After a lengthy marriage, the thought of throwing myself out there was beyond frightening. Online dating sites seemed a good solution. It eliminated the bar scene and allowed me the ability to weed out those men who can't spell and lacked a sense of humor. I'm big on spelling... and humor. I'm sort of a dork. I was lucky enough in the beginning to meet some rather lovely individuals, thus quelling my fear of being a lonely and bitter old spinster. I had a lot of fun getting to know these people; and myself for that matter. I had forgotten how much fun I am!
Today I was commenting to this fabulous man how interesting I find it that so many of my clients have met via the wonders of the internet. It's no longer a bad thing to admit to and I love to hear their stories. One of my favorites was of Amy and Kevin. They met on match.com and spent six months chatting back and forth before she was comfortable enough to meet him in person. Amy had gone through a rather tumultuous divorce a year or so prior. She was a bit gun-shy but knew that somewhere out there was the perfect creature. Kevin was beyond patient and understanding. When they finally met he said he felt like fireworks were going off in his head. He told me (with this gleam in his eye that darn near made me tear up!) that to hear her voice for the first time made his knees weak. He had pictured how she sounded for all of those months and to finally have her standing before him and hear her say his name turned him into a puddle. Three weeks after their first meeting Kevin asked Amy to marry him. They had a fantastic ceremony in the mountains; just close friends and family. I remember watching Amy pose for pictures... she had this smile on her face that literally could have lit a city. Her head held high, shoulders up, that woman was on cloud nine. There was no fretting, no worries, just absolute joy. I caught Kevin cheating; he was watching her from a doorway. I stopped to watch him watching her and he caught me doing so. He turned to me and quietly whispered, "I had no idea I could be this in love." Okay, then I cried:) Amy and Kevin have been contently married for four years now. They can be seen regularly holding hands and kissing during football games at their favorite bar.

I'd love to hear your stories as well! Please share!

Dinosaurs!!!

I had a blast making this cake! I enlisted the help of my mom for the sculpting (she's an amazing artist!) and we spent a couple evenings creating all sorts of beings from the past.
When I met Rebecca and John she had created this cool sketch depicting the layers of the earth and the creatures that lived during those periods. It was so fun to see their eyes light up when we started talking details! I love that! I think my favorite layer was the second one up --we got to make some mighty alien looking swimmers. At the last minute I decided to sculpt a Cryolophosaurus to stand behind them. Rebecca had once mentioned that she had spent several years studying this particular fellow and I thought he needed to join the party! Thanks guys for allowing me to be a part of your big day! And thanks mom for all of your help! You rock!!!