Category Archives: Beautiful Celebrations

Beautiful Celebrations, Real events, Receptions

Real Events at Wedding Venues in Utah 02-22-2014

July 1, 2014 Wendy Pettit Leave a comment

Today I’d like to share about this wedding celebration that took place in the cold of winter, but you’d never guess it. Liz and Matt added their touch of style and personality to the classic lines of Ivy House, one of our wedding venues in Utah; thus creating a Utah wedding reception with simple elegance that reflected the love they share together.

Liz chose beautiful pastel peaches and pinks and accented with golds, silvers, and ivory including a touch of lace. It was elegant, warm, and inviting. Not only was this Utah wedding reception a beautiful site, but even the sounds were elegant. Liz and Matt invited a friend to come play the harp as background music before the dancing began with their iPod music. The string instrument definitely added some class to the event that matched the classic charm of the style of this wedding venue.

The tables were covered with ivory base linens and topped with gold pin tucked toppers. Atop this was the centerpiece option of our tall Silver candlestick centerpiece to which Liz accents with color coordinated ribbons, a touch of mirrors, votive candles, and photos of her and Matt within beautiful silver frames. Again, it was absolute simple elegance as you will see in the photos.

Table Centerpiece at wedding reception places in Utah

We are one of the Utah reception centers that allow for self-catering and that is what Liz and Matt opted to do. They brought in a variety of scrumptious desserts and platters of fresh fruit. Loving neighbors kept the serving tables full for the guests.

Simple elegance can include a lot of fun too. They created their own photo booth with streamers in their wedding colors hanging from a garden harbor as the background and a few fun props. These photos were glued into the guest book and signed by all their fun family and friends.

Liz hired Natalie Gray of The Cake Market to create her exquisite cake. It was a unique two tiered ruffly and pearled masterpiece with a beautiful rose bouquet on top. The flowers were done by First Blossom, and her videographer was Dan Kettle with Elements in Motion.

Utah wedding venues are fortunate to have photographers like Lori Romney Photography and we were pleased to have her photograph Liz and Matt at Ivy House. As you can tell, her work is beautiful and we hope she returns with another bride and groom to our reception
centers in Salt Lake City.

Liz’s mother wrote: “Wonderful venue! It was beautiful. All the staff was so helpful. So glad we had it here!”

About Our Venue, Beautiful Celebrations, Planning your event, Receptions

Utah Wedding Venues Near Salt Lake LDS Temple

June 28, 2014 Wendy Pettit Leave a comment

If you are one of those beautiful couples who are coming to the Salt Lake LDS Temple to be married according to your faith and beliefs, you may be wondering what Utah wedding venues are close to the Salt Lake LDS Temple and won’t break the budget. Discover one of the newest most chic wedding venues Salt Lake City now offers to Mormon newlyweds! Discover Ivy House Weddings at Western Gardens Downtown. We are located 1.8 miles or 7 minutes away from the Salt Lake Temple, making less than a handful of turns depending on where you exit temple parking.

Road map Salt Lake Temple to Ivy House — A short 1.8 miles from the Salt Lake Temple to your relaxing beautiful wedding venue Ivy House Weddings – a simple 7 minute drive. Easy access to I-15 freeway too.

Discover inexpensive elegance at our venue. Not all Salt Lake wedding reception venues allow self-catering, but we do. This is usually a big hit with the large but creative & helpful Mormon families that join in with the celebrations. Parking is plentiful and our space is intimate for “family”. We even think of the little people involved providing a children’s room that has a dvd player and large TV on the wall to aid those parents with their tiny tots.

wedding reception centers with children's room — Little people enjoy their own little room with chairs their size and TV/dvd. Parents like it too!

Our old world charm and cozy warm fireplace make it almost a home away from home. Beautiful original artwork by local Utah artists adorn the walls and our warm and friendly wedding planner and event hosts will help as though they were welcomed relatives. Families have gathered around the baby grand piano for sing-a-longs, invited friends to play string instruments, or even hired a jazz band. But many brides and grooms simply enjoy their personal playlist from their iPad or smart phone played on our wonderful sound system. Any music you choose for your celebration sounds incredible in this high-vaulted stunning reception hall.

utah reception centers with family — Professional and kind staff are very helpful additions to help your day run smooth and peaceful!

Utah weddings at the Salt Lake Mormon Temple must consider wedding reception centers in Salt Lake City like Ivy House Weddings at Western Gardens Downtown.

bride on balcony at salt lake city wedding venues ready to throw bouquet — Bride ready to throw the traditional bridal bouquet from the top of the balcony to her family and guests below!

celebration of the union of two families at wedding reception places in utah — This was a beautiful celebration of the union of a couple that made two families one!

Beautiful Celebrations, Ceremonies, How-To Tips, Planning your event, Receptions

Tuesday’s Tip – Utah Weddings Wise to Heed Mother Nature

June 25, 2014 Wendy Pettit Leave a comment

Utah is known for its fickle spring and fall weather phenomenons that can change hour by hour. Utah also can have very hot summers. Knowing this, brides planning Utah weddings would be wise to listen to Mother Nature if they want to optimize their success and pleasantness for all attending their special celebration. Heeding weather warnings and planning ahead will help avoid potential annoyances.

Weddings in Utah weather planner Many guests have been known to leave early from hot tent gatherings or wedding venues in Utah that don’t have good air conditioning. Bugs at certain times of the year can also pose a problem if not attended to by the hosting venue. Spring cloud bursts always seem to catch the unprepared wedding party at Utah weddings, especially those that think they can simply use their backyard garden. Consider wedding venues that will give you a garden feel but you don’t have to worry about getting those emergency tents or canopies from neighbors and friends, or purchase lots of umbrellas and hire lots of neighbor boys to walk your guests from their cars to your home with umbrellas. Wedding reception centers have done it all before and can alleviate your worries and actually can be more cost effective.

Reception centers in Utah with air conditioning for guests — In the well air conditioned Ivy House, the Groom and all the guests won’t be over heated as the party rages on during the heat of the summer!

A great tip is to check out the local news weather forecast history for your area. Utah’s local KSL has a great service where you simply submit the date for which you are planning your event and up pops the information of the chance of precipitation for your given day, the average temperatures for that day, even average hourly temperatures. You can also check out the sunrise and sunset so you can time saying your wedding vows at that perfect photo shot moment with a sunset behind the bride and groom. It is KSL’s “Wasatch Front Outdoor Weather Planner” found on their website.

So remember when planning Utah wedding receptions, listen to Mother Nature and heed her weather tendencies by planning accordingly. Utah weddings are so much more pleasant for everyone involved when this tip is followed!

Utah wedding venues for cool as cucumber couples — The climate is just right inside Ivy House while it can be storming a spring thunder burst outside! Peace and calm inside!

Beautiful Celebrations, Ceremonies, How-To Tips, Planning your event, Receptions

Tuesday’s Tip – Don’t Be Afraid to Ask Utah Wedding Venues

June 3, 2014 Wendy Pettit Leave a comment

You have all kinds of ideas that you have been dreaming of and conjuring up for your perfect ceremony and reception at any of the many wonderful Utah wedding venues. Your ideas are wonderful because they are yours! After all, this is YOUR day, not your mother’s or your sister’s. It’s your enchanting day at your wedding reception venue!

WM Mantel fabric swags IH13 09-28-13 2 — This bride asked to create her own swag and decorations on the mantel to reflect her flair. Beautiful!

Some brides become too timid and are afraid to ask about doing certain things or using certain decorations and such at their venue. Of course using proper etiquette and courteous tones, simply ask your Utah wedding reception center’s coordinator, wedding planner or vendor about your ideas. Most times the ideas are wonderful and the vendor can oblige exactly as you envision. Sometimes it can’t be done exactly the way you wanted, but something similar can happen. Other times, it just is simply against a policy or a building code. But why not ask? The worst they can say is “no”. Be brave. This is YOUR special day. Your reception needs to reflect your style and flair. See some of the unique out of the ordinary styles that our Ivy House Brides have displayed over the past several years. All they had to do is ask and we worked with them where possible.

wedding venues in Utah with hanging lanterns — The wedding party wanted to hang lanterns and tissue discs. This is now allowed from our lofty chandeliers, so they created this stand to frame their serving buffet tables. Turned out beautiful!

Wedding planners at Utah wedding venues should be your most-trusted experts that you will work with in this planning phase. You should feel free to bounce ideas off her or him and trust that they are giving you honest answers and not just putting you off. Having honest conversations with all your wedding reception vendors is crucial. They should be helping you create a wonderful memory of a lifetime while helping you stay within your wedding budget. So don’t hold back. Be bold and ask them exactly what you are wishing for and how they can help you make it happen. Remember to be flexible, but at least you’ve approached the ultimate request.

Utah wedding locations with mirrors and beautiful wedding cakes — Very carefully, this bride hung a wedding portrait from the mirror behind her wedding cake to add another dimension.

So, I encourage you to just ask about the possibilities at reception centers in Utah. Usually the answer is “What a wonderful idea! We can do that!” Plus be ready to be creative when compromise is called for. What an exciting time! Be brave and make it happen!

salt lake city wedding venues with spiral staircase — Though most do not, some brides like decorating the spiral staircase with lights or flowers or ribbons. This bride chose ribbon and lights. Striking!

utah weddings and pasta bar servers — Pasta bar chefs cooked up each guest’s pasta to perfection! This was a self-catered event.

Beautiful entrances at wedding venues salt lake city — Brides have added decals to our front entrance doors for a special elegant touch.

wedding canopies at utah reception centers — This bride hired a company to bring in a beautiful canopy to set up in the corner with a chandelier in the middle.

clever ideas at utah wedding reception — Picture frames hanging from the balcony to “frame” the cake nook.

Beautiful Celebrations, Ceremonies, Photographers, Real events

Wedding Venues in Utah Real Event – Daytime Ceremony

May 29, 2014 Wendy Pettit Leave a comment

Wedding venues in Utah like Ivy House Weddings are busy with real events like this one. This beautiful daytime event is worth highlighting again, especially now that the bride’s photographer shared many of the photos with us. This bride chose to have a daytime ring ceremony for special family and friends. It was simple and stunning. One unique set up feature was Angela set up a guest sign in table in the middle of the room just a bit in from the main entrance. Their guests could enjoy a piece of carmel taffy and write a special note of good wishes to the new couple.

salt lake wedding venues for a classic daytime ceremony — Simple, classic, and elegant colors

Angela kept the ambiance of this Utah wedding venue in the brown classic tones with an accent of ivory with sashes on the chairs, her wedding gown, and her elegant bridal bouquet. The groom and his men were in brown suits and the bridesmaids were also in warm taupe summer dresses with elegant white pearl necklaces. Very classy! I believe that after the ring ceremony, the wedding party departed for a local favorite restaurant. What a relaxing beautiful wedding day with close family and friends!

Wedding in Utah — Father escorting Angela to Chase

Angela and Chase’s photographer is Lauren Adams of LaLas Lens Photography. If you like her classic style, contact her for more information at www.lalaslens.com or lauren@lalaslens.com This event was on June 2, 2012.

reception centers in salt lake city with old world charm — The old world charm of Ivy House Weddings

wedding venues in salt lake city — Elegant Bride in our Elegant Bride’s Room

beautiful brides at wedding venues in Utah — LaLas Lens captures the beauty of this beautiful bride

flower girl at wedding venues in Utah — Flower girl and ring boy after the ceremony

Beautiful Celebrations, How-To Tips, Planning your event

Wedding Planners at Wedding Venues in Utah

May 24, 2014 Wendy Pettit Leave a comment

Booking with wedding venues in Utah that have in-house wedding planners is worth it. One way to ensure that you can enjoy your dream day and free yourself from the stress and hassle of preparations and organizing the day itself, is to hire a professional wedding planner or book with a venue that has one. Here are some reasons why a third party planner is worth the expense or better yet, worth booking with a venue that has one.

Two of you – You can not be in two places at the same time. As talented as you are, you can’t be finalizing the last minute details or solving last minute problems while you are getting your hair done, doing the last minute makeup and hair touched up, or even walking down the aisle. A separate coordinator, a wedding planner, can take care of all those little things so that you can focus just on you and your wonderful man!

Utah wedding reception venues with wedding planners — You have more competent hands available to help in those crunches just before the ceremony.

Time Saver – It takes time to track down ideas and combine all the details together. Wedding planners at wedding places in Utah can help point you into the right directions for what you want. They have already gone through the planning process hundreds of times, so they can help you cut the corners where you can.

Money Saver – Wedding planners are familiar with other vendors in your area. They know who offers a good product at a good value and who are professionals. If your wedding planner is honorable, they don’t accept commissions from those vendors referred by them. Their best interest should be in you, their client, as they are representing the wedding venues in Utah.

Added Knowledge – Wedding planners can give you valuable input as you decide on important aspects of the wedding day. They are already aware of what can possibly happen so that you can prepare for contingencies. They are full of experience and advice, especially those wedding planners at wedding reception venues in Utah like Ivy House Weddings at Western Gardens Downtown.

Reception centers in Utah have helpful wedding planners — Your wedding planner can give you tips on all the choices you have to make so you get what YOU want!

Time-tested Methods – If you know that you’re not the most organized of persons, a wedding planner is highly recommended. After all, they are making a living out of being organized — they have their own methods to ensure that things for your wedding reception are planned and implemented well. Aside from these, wedding planners are also in-the-know with regards to the latest trends in a wedding.

Don’t run yourself ragged and look stressed and tensed up on the day of your wedding. If you utilize a reception center with a wedding planner, you’ll be more apt to arrive at your wedding reception venue in Salt Lake City feeling gorgeous and relaxed for the best day of your life! Your wedding day is your day – you deserve to enjoy it to the fullest!

Beautiful Celebrations, How-To Tips, Planning your event, Receptions

Utah Wedding Venues Can Help Save Your Wedding Budget

May 8, 2014 Wendy Pettit Leave a comment

The wedding budget is a common facet that nearly all couples have to consider when planning their celebrations and looking at Utah wedding venues. Budgets are inconveniently real and can be intimidating and stressful. If you let it, your budget can ruin the entire spirit of your beautiful day. Don’t let it! You can have a perfect wedding at one of Western Garden’s wedding reception centers.

Prioritize Your Utah Wedding Venue Needs – It is important to prioritize what items are the most important to you. You may be able to cut costs on less important things so you can spend more of your budget on those things that are must haves. Here are some tips to consider as you plan and work within your available funds.

1. One way to look at your budget is to see it as a challenge before you. It’s there to stay. Make it a quest to work within your limits.

2. Remain flexible about many of the choices you have to make. Give and take along the way. A lot of headache and stress comes when you insist and demand everything little thing. After all, the most important part of your day will be when you look into the eyes of your man and say “I do!”

3. Seek advice from a wedding event planner at the wedding venue you choose. She has witnessed a lot of weddings and a lot of brides, some with big budgets, some with smaller. She has lots of ideas to share.

4. The reception venue is the first major cost to incur. Seek a venue that offers as much as possible in their base venue rental. Ivy House and Atrium Weddings include just about everything you would need for the venue – linens, tables, chairs, centerpieces, cake cutting tools, beverage servers, parking, etc. When you book with them, a lot of little details are already included.

5. Once you have scoped out all the wedding reception centers and have booked, now it is time to look at your guest list. You can quickly cut your costs if you invite only people that are your closest relatives and friends on both sides of the family. If you can cut it down, you will be cutting costs for invitations, food, flowers for the tables, guest favors, and even the size of your cake.

6. Remember there are a lot of details that you can handle personally. This will save a lot of funds for other things you may not be able to provide, possibly your wedding cake, wedding gown, or special gifts for your bridesmaids, etc.

7. Don’t forget who this party is for. You! It’s to celebrate your union. Keeping this in mind will make it easier to reduce or remove some of the items that can greatly increase your costs.

8. Most wedding venues in Utah can accommodate having your ceremony and your reception or dinner at the same wedding location. This will dramatically cut your costs of paying the minimum for two venues. This will also prevent the stress of transporting everything from one venue to the next. Also, if you reserve wedding venues during off peak season or weekday rather than weekend, you can possibly save additional money. Many brides have booked a daytime ceremony with nice luncheon.

9. Another great idea is to order a smaller two tier wedding cake and then use a sheet cake to serve guests. A gorgeous smaller wedding cake gets cut just as much as a larger one. This is one simple area you can save your wedding budget.

10. You can save a considerable amount of money when planning your dinner or refreshments. Instead of a main course, try finger foods, appetizers and beverages. See if you can self-cater and then have a good friend take charge. (Your immediate family members will be occupied tending to you and guests, so don’t let an immediate family member take on this task.) A full bar can also take a lot from your budget, so consider offering wine and beer instead.

11. Your wedding favors, menu cards, table signs and escort cards can be handmade. With today’s technology, these items can be created and printed very easily and look very professional. Ask a bridesmaid to help you design your stationary needs.

12. Last but not least, making your own flower arrangements can save you money. Simple flowers can have a stunning effect on your guests. Using greenery and flowers that are in season, can also cut costs. So there are a lot of the little details that you can do yourself or have family help you. Remember that Western Gardens reception centers include a variety of candlelit table centerpieces as part of your venue rental. You will not have to spend money on your table decorations. Many brides add a touch of rose petals or a simple ribbon, or even simply place frames of photos of the couple around the centerpiece.

Even when you are planning a wedding on a budget, you can cut costs and not completely destroy your style and flair. Prioritize what you want your money to go towards, then fill in the rest with help from family and friends. Choosing a venue that includes a lot in their base price will help save your budget for other items you want to have. Let the wedding planners of Ivy House Weddings help you plan a memorable wedding. This is a first step to making Utah wedding reception affordable and just what you have dreamed about.

About Our Venue, Beautiful Celebrations, Real events

Helpful Utah Wedding Venues

August 2, 2013 Wendy Pettit 1 Comment

We are coming into fall, a perfect time to celebrate your love. Utah wedding venues include Ivy House Weddings (at Western Gardens Downtown) where you can cozy into a wonderful celebration honoring you during your wedding reception. Ivy House offers everything from allowing self-catering to almost everything a bride needs to prepare for. Your wedding reception will be one that is stress-free and a beautiful dream come true.

Here is a recent comment from a mother of the bride:

“Thank you for your accommodating manner and style. It was so comforting to have everything handled with ease so I could enjoy the full experience of my daughter’s wedding. Thank you for your support & for doing such a lovely and helpful job. Best – Chandra (May 2013)

Beautiful Celebrations, Receptions

Thank You Photos add Personality and Class

June 4, 2013 Wendy Pettit Leave a comment

At their wedding receptions in Salt Lake, many couples capture a photo of the newlyweds holding a thank-you poster or banner. These can be turned into postcards to send to your guests showing a unique thank-you for the beautiful thoughts and gifts they shared with you on your wedding day.

This simple and clever expression shows your thankfulness to not only guests, but also to those who helped with all the details of your wedding day. After such a most important and grand celebration, many notes of gratitude are in order. With the newlyweds on their honeymoon and then the limited time afterwards getting back into new routines of married life, this idea helps you create countless notes that in an instant show your personality and also shows that you were thinking and being grateful ahead of time, rather than just a quick note on a standard thank you card.

Several years ago, my daughter came to me with a thank you postcard from one of her friends. We have remembered it ever since. The couple simply posed with a thank you banner while they were actually standing in their wedding line! The bride’s maid of honor orchestrated the shot and ordered the cards so that by the time the couple returned from their honeymoon, the cards were there waiting for them to write a simple little note, stamp, and send on its way. It was very simple, but very powerful and meant a lot to my daughter!

Many online companies offer the service to print up postcards. A few of them are CarlsonCrafts.com, Zazzle.com, Shutterfly.com, Vistaprint.com, and many other companies.

So don’t forget to take a moment at your Salt Lake wedding reception center, find a little spot, hold up a sign, and click a most memorable thank you note for all our loved ones.

Beautiful Celebrations, Music & Recitals, Receptions

No Regrets for Father-Daughter Dance at Utah Wedding Receptions

May 22, 2013 Wendy Pettit 2 Comments

Your Dad! He has been the main man in your life for many years. He was the first man to love you and the first man you loved. If you can, don’t miss out on a special moment with the first man in your life. The Father-Daughter dance is a tradition that creates a special moment for any loving father as he gives his little girl away to the man who has promised to be her partner for life. For many, this dance is an important part of many Utah wedding receptions and can’t be missed. Don’t have any regrets by not doing it.

For Sharae P., a mother in Draper, Utah, she feels that this dance is “a symbol of a father who has loved and taken care of his daughter for so many years, and now is saying his goodbyes and passing her on to a new man who will assume the duties of making sure she is loved the rest of her life.”

Carolyn G. from Salt Lake City, Utah, never had such a moment with her father but now that she has a daughter of her own, she looks back to her wedding and wishes she would have shared this tender moment between her and her daddy. She feels this special dance is “a way to recognize that [daddy-daughter] relationship and let the father have that last moment where he is his daughter’s ‘handsome prince’ before turning her over to her husband.”

I asked my mother if she had a daddy-daughter dance with her father. She said she didn’t even think about having one. She didn’t have anyone help her with the planning of her celebration so it totally passed her thoughts. She regrets not having that last dance with her dad, especially since he passed away a few years ago.

Ivy House Weddings and Atrium Weddings are two Utah wedding venues that help make dreams come true on a bride’s special day. If she dreams of having such a tender moment with her father, they have dance floors and wonderful sound system are provided to help make this moment everything she imagines.