Another bella notte at Black Hills Receptions!

Chey and Nick celebrated their love for each other on Swan Point. Chey’s vision was a rustic Italian wedding and she brought her vision to life with the reception tent dripping in Italian. It was great fun to travel to Italy for their splendid evening.

The ceremony looked elegant with the touches the couple brought. One idea that will be reflected again is our gilded mirror hand written with “Welcome to Our Wedding ~ Chey & Nick”. The wedding party names were also written on a mirror and displayed at the guest book wine barrel table. On Swan Point was our antique metal window frame arbor draped with champagne chiffon and a 12’ garland of mixed greens featuring olive, bay leaf, and salal with touches of baby’s breath. This designed backdrop was gorgeous and offset the bridal party as the couple exchanged vows.

Barn wood tables were adorned with lace table runners, spring vine and bayleaf garland with baby’s breath covering the length of the table. Snippets of olive leaves were tucked into the garland. The Italian countryside came to life in rustic elegance. Lighted pillar candles placed throughout the garland emitted a warm glow.

At their social hour Italian sodas were served topped with whipped cream. An arrangement of candied almonds, dried apricots and pistachios was the taste of choice. For their photo booth setting, Chey choose our cedar archway draped in champagne chiffon with our metal bench tucked within a wall of grapevine. A lighted rustic chandelier hanging from the archway finished this natural outdoor look.

The bride was stunning in her flowing and elegant gown. Her curled hair was left down. Her bouquet was a perfect combination of blue thistle, ivory roses, artichokes, spiral eucalyptus, white aster and dusty miller accents. Nick looked dapper as ever in a navy tuxedo and champagne tie that matched the bridesmaids beautiful dresses. The bridesmaids dressed in different styled gowns but matched in color. The groomsmen wore suspenders and had fun posing with them for photos.

We enjoyed this wonderful group of people and wish to thank them for letting us host their day special.

Congrats to Chey & Nick!

Professionals:

JD Productions

Anything’s Possible Catering

Flowers by LeRoy

Kirsten Laboyd Photography

Congratulations Christina and Byron!

Christina and Byron exchanged vows this weekend in the beautiful September weather and we were happy to celebrate with them. It was an eclectic country chic wedding with splashes of lime green throughout. The reception tent looked rustic chic with barn wood tables topped with lace runners and chiavari chairs topped with lace chair caps. Our sage napkins were dressed with lace. Christina decorated the tables with pinecones, and various bottles wrapped in burlap and lace with baby’s breath placed gently in them. The head table displayed French votive candles, beads and mossy branches to give just the right rustic touch. The cake, decorated by four artists, was adorned with burlap, lace, and flowers. A delicious cake displayed atop our wine barrel with lace and twinkle lights underneath the glass. Everything came together, Christina we are proud of your planning and hard work in making this day personally yours.

Speaking of the bride, she looked beautiful in a lace long sleeve gown with her hair curled and pulled to one side. Her bouquet was a waterfall of flowers and vines and was amazingly gorgeous. Byron looked handsome with a lime green tie, jeans and a cowboy hat. He presented himself with just the right amount of laid back and dressed up for his wedding.

The ceremony was unique and beautiful filled with a lot of laughter from the bride and groom. You know the couple is happy when they can laugh during their own wedding. Byron was in for a surprise when Christina was handed a microphone and started singing to him! She had an amazing voice and sang a very lovely song for her (almost) husband. Another unique touch instead of a unity ceremony was a beautiful pink rock that lit up. The rock symbolized their foundation and to never let the light go out.

Guests were treated to a cocktail hour and dinner while the couple finished their photos. The meal gourmet grilled burgers, beans, coleslaw and potato salad compliments to Mona of Hill City’s Alpine Inn. It was the perfect laid back meal to complement their style. Guests danced and mingled in our reception area and enjoyed our new outdoor patio while the sunset and the weather turned cooler. It was a beautiful night and perfect for celebrating this wonderful couple…Congratulations Christina & Byron Bohnet.

Happy Wedding Micah and Tim…

Micah and Tim tied the knot on Saturday August 15th. Black Hills Receptions was styled country chic with barn wood tables, lace runners and lace chair caps. Our champagne napkins added soft color and the rose hip garland with pearls popped the tables. Mercury glass candle holders with real candles completed the look and the reception tent had a warm glow. Micah and Tim chose a great look.

The groom and bridesmaids wore cowboy boots to go with the theme. The bridesmaids were dressed in blush pink dresses and each chose their own style dress. Letting bridesmaids choose their own dress style is a great way for your bridal party to show off their individual style yet be able to match the décor. The girls were all gifted gray rose necklaces that unified the look. Micah was stunning in her lace gown and long blonde hair in soft curls. She kept her jewelry simple with a necklace that matched the beading on her dress. The groomsmen looked sharp in gray tuxedos with fun purple paisley patterned ties. The purple and pink flowers in the bouquets and boutonnières tied the bridesmaids and groomsmen together.

Micah and Tim had a cocktail hour in the Grand Gazebo for their guests to enjoy while the couple took photos. We decorated the gazebo with pink Chinese lanterns and cocktail tables. A cocktail hour is a great idea if you plan on completing photos after the ceremony. Guests really enjoy having appetizers to snack on and cocktails to sip while the couple enjoy some alone time before the reception starts. It’s a fun way for guests to mingle and the couple doesn’t feel the need to rush the photos to get to their friends and family.

The photographer brought some new ideas and used nooks and crannies on the property that aren’t used often for photos. It’s great to see new visions and ideas from photographers. One shot that really stood out is our 18 ton sandstone boulder from outside the Calico Mines of Edgemont that was used as a background for Tim. The gray tuxedo with the purple tie and Tim’s model pose come together for a unique wedding portrait.

We had a great time joking with this fun and laid back couple and wish them many happy years together.  Off to Cancun ❤

Josh and Charea’s wedding was flocked with birds!

Joshua and Charea celebrated their wedding with us and had a great outdoor theme, birds! Feeding birds off of their balcony is a hobby that they share and they decided to incorporate their hobby into their big day. Once they toured Black Hills Receptions over a year ago and saw all of our bird decorations they knew this was the perfect location for them. Everything came together and it was such a fun personalized wedding and reception.

Charea made all of the decorations, I would still be on my first bird, and did a wonderful job. The branches were painted white with pink tissue paper leaves and had various birds hanging neatly on them. Her variety of birds was a nice touch; some were in birdhouses while others were inside Christmas ornaments (very clever) and others perched on branches swinging inside mason jars. On the table were little birdbaths and birdcages that Charea had also crafted.

Her gift and guest book table were flocked with birds as well. The card box was three boxes perched on top of each other decorated in beautiful, you got it, bird bedazzled wrapping paper and ribbon. There were (of course) birds on the card box looking elegant. Charea had also made a gazebo with a bride and groom dancing in the middle that said, “Please sign our guest book”. Next to the gazebo were pens that said “Mr. and Mrs.” with top hats and roses on the top of them. She also made a piñata for guests to write a message for the couple and on their first anniversary the couple will pop it and read the notes. In the trees in the reception tent Charea wired bride and groom bird couples…Barb and I played I spy with my little eye…and we counted 7 bride and groom couples…and probably missed a few!

Besides the decorations being amazing, the couple themselves looked stunning. Charea had a beautiful dress that she accented with a Hummingbird necklace, arm band and head piece. Her bracelet had a chain of pearls that attached to her ring finger, which was very unique. Joshua looked great in his tuxedo with lime green vest and tie.

We were very excited to have this couple and all their unique touches they brought to Black Hills Receptions. It’s great to see the bride and groom’s personality shine through on such a big and personal day for them. Congratulations to Joshua and Charea! One last note…Charea had a sign in front of her favors…hearts with bird seed and suet that said “This wedding is for the birds”. Loved it ❤

Last week we set a Milestone at Black Hills Receptions. We had 5 (that’s right, 5!) weddings in a row.  It was a whirlwind and the staff enjoyed every minute of it. All of our brides were gorgeous and showed their unique styles. Our grooms all showed their fun styles as well as they strayed from the traditional tuxedo. We enjoyed decorating and bringing all of these visions to life.

 

Weddings started on Wednesday, July 22, 2015 as Teresa & Jesse said their vows in cowboy and cowgirl fashion.  Our reception tent was decorated in burlap, lace, mason jars, and accented with blue decorative rocks and coffee beans.  Ropes were decorated in flowers to drape over the first two chairs for a simple and elegant way to decorate the aisle.  Something new to us was a tiered cake pop cake. It looked like a traditional wedding cake without having to cut individual pieces. This creation was elevated on our glass top table with twinkle lights and lace underneath.  Country music and cowboy hats was the favorite choice for these guests and kept them dancing into the night.

 

On Thursday Rachel and Brandon added much charm and whimsy with their pink and mint wedding.  The guys looked great in suspenders and bow ties and the girls were beautiful in their different style mint gowns.  The head table was decorated with giant scrabble pieces that spelled out their newly shared last name as well as lanterns and tissue flowers hanging on the front.  Our mint napkins and the two shades of pink rose petals that Rachel brought was the perfect touch to tie everything together for this fun couple.

 

Friday was Brooke and Aaron’s big day and they celebrated with a rustic woodsy style.  They had three different centerpieces that all looked great together and matched the peach napkins perfectly. One style of centerpiece was our wood cookie underneath with 3 mason jars on top. The mason jars had river rocks and water with floating candles that glowed an earthy touch. The two other centerpieces were our rustic lanterns and rustic trees both draped in angel vine and adorned with real candles. The bouquets, as well as the flowers lining the aisle, were wild flowers and wheat spray, popped with sunflowers and orange roses. The groomsmen wore checked dress shirts to complete the rustic country theme. For a twist the ring bearer held a sign announcing the bride is coming, walking back down the aisle, the back of his sign said “Don’t worry ladies, I’m still single”.

 

Next up was our beautiful turquoise wedding with Vanessa and Alex exchanging vows. We had a storm pass through about an hour before the ceremony then blue skies and sunshine came back for perfect wedding weather. The tent dazzled in turquoise chair ties, napkins, table runners and beads and our Vanessa dazzled even more in her lace dress. On the menu were some traditional Native American foods that were very delicious and fun to try including fry bread with blueberry wojape. The couple had traveled from afar (as did many of their relatives) and we were thankful they chose to celebrate with us.

 

Sunday completed the week with a very fun wedding. The centerpieces were purple and sapphire balloons later released as the couple left for the night to go on their honeymoon.  Ashley was Cinderella in her sparkly dress and Brandon charmed her in his grey suit and blue bowtie. The purple and blue looked great together and everyone looked good in those colors. The couple did a beautiful foot washing ceremony during the wedding and had written their own vows.  The kiss at the end was one of the best we’ve seen!

 

Thank you to our fab five for making this a memorable and record setting week, we are thankful for all of you! Welcome to our Black Hills Receptions family.

Wedding Planning

With so many choices for planning your perfect wedding how do you narrow down the details and make your day uniquely yours?

With all of the resources that brides have available today it can get overwhelming planning your wedding day. What should be my color scheme? How will I create the centerpieces?  DJ or live band? Finger foods or 3-course meal? These are just a few questions you will be asking yourself once that sparkly ring is on your finger.

The first step is to decide your theme, this will set the mood for the day and help you decide how to decorate.  It’s best to incorporate your everyday style into your wedding whether it’s casual, classic or trendy. If bright colors aren’t what you normally surround yourself with then go with more muted or darker tones. Simple black and white with a ball gown style wedding gown is very classic and will never go out of style. For a more casual feel you can supply flip-flops for your guests as they dance. If you enjoy staying up on the trends then I recommend corral, mint and gold accents (for a 2015 wedding, we’ll have to see for 2016)!

Once you have decided what mood you would like to set the next step is to decide your colors. This will help you pick bridesmaid dresses, tuxes, centerpieces, flowers and decorations. Most brides pick 2-3 colors and incorporate those into everything (though we have seen more colors).  At Black Hills Receptions and Rentals we have a wide range of options so you can rest assured that we will have want you want. Our sales staff is wonderful at providing ideas and creating the perfect color palette for your personality.

Which brings us to centerpieces. It’s what your guests will admire the first time they walk into the venue and talk about on their drive home. From lace to satin and burlap to beads we have many options for our couples.  Whether you have a clear idea of what you would like or no clue, we will work with you to make sure the entire room looks the way you dreamed. The best part is that we setup and take down the room so you can arrive ready for photos and leave the dance floor knowing that everything will be taken care of. I’ve been to weddings where the bride and groom stayed to take down decorations after they’re already exhausted from such an exciting day.

There is much more to planning a wedding but the most important step is to have someone else help you. I know it’s hard to relinquish control over your wedding day but it’s much more relaxing and exciting when you have a planner going over all of the details so you can focus on the best part – happily ever after. We will ensure that from the first time we meet to the final dance that this will be exactly what you envisioned, perhaps even better.

Nelson and Whetzal Weddings at Black Hills Receptions & Rentals

We had another fun and beautiful weekend at Black Hills Receptions. The weather was perfect and we had the privilege of celebrating with two couples coming together in marriage. First we were seeing black, white and blue violet with Larissa and Nick Martin. The blue violet made everything pop and offset the elegance of the black and white very well. Kelly looked like a princess in her ball gown style wedding dress while the bridesmaids dazzled in black lace one shoulder dresses. The guys looked snazzy as well in their blue violet vests with shoes to match. They exchanged vows at our beautiful Swan Point and the nature background could not have been more perfect. Everyone enjoyed relaxing in the sun on our new patio and dancing the night away.

On Sunday we had one of the more unique weddings that we have seen here. Kelly and Chris Burke put so many details in the decorations and made them all come together perfectly. They had a Star Wars cake topper (complete with red lipstick on the lady Storm Trooper) accompanied by many delicious flavors of cupcakes provided by Star Spangled Batter. The band was a cardboard cutout of KISS and they kept people dancing well into the night. The tables were decorated with yellow table runners with lace over the top and our spheres decorated with angel vines. Kelly provided colorful votive holders and lanterns to put candles in which made the tables bright and beautiful.

They had many touches that made this wedding very personal. The frog and bird pins in the boutonnieres had belonged to her grandmother as well as all of the gems that were in the bride’s bouquet. Herb, the minister that performed the ceremony was also the same minister that had married her grandparents in the 60’s! Their three kids made up the bridal party and they looked very handsome and beautiful in their wedding attire. Their oldest son even played the violin while Kelly walked down the aisle (he had been practicing a lot for this moment). The aisle was adorned with yellow rose petals stretching from the Cinderella Gazebo all the way to the altar. Everyone enjoyed themselves and was truly happy for the couple.

The 2015 wedding season is here!

We have had a busy, exciting and rainy few weeks celebrating Happily Ever After with some amazing couples. We started the season with an off-site wedding in Hermosa as Meghan and Will exchanged their “I do’s” in the country. There were many touches to make the wedding exciting; including a giant chalkboard program, a reading from “Oh the Places You Will go” by Dr. Seuss and cowgirl boots that the adorable flower girls wore. The guests were shaded from the sun in one of our tents while they watched the couple start their journey as husband and wife. The reception was held in a quonset that we transformed into the perfect location for cocktails, dinner and dancing the night away. The couple had a sweetheart table lit by our market light chandelier with tulle and lights draping off.  Other decorations included lace table runners, peacock feathers and our whiskey barrel cocktail tables with lace underneath the glass. It was a great way to kick off our wedding season.

The following weekend at Black Hills Receptions and Rentals we had Jennifer and Hoa traveling from San Francisco to our beautiful Black Hills for their nuptials and they brought some new ideas with them. One of my favorites was the wooden ties that the groom and groomsmen wore; Hoa’s watch even matched them! Another thing that we have never seen is a donut bar instead of a cake or cupcakes. Such a fun idea and the 16 dozen donuts of 16 delicious flavors displayed on the table. “Wow, they (BHR) exceeded my expectations with how they (BHR) laid out the table…in such a fun and unique way…it was almost like exploring the table to see what’s available.  My guests couldn’t get enough”.  Jennifer Fan (Nguyen) via The Knot   The couple’s dogs Lucky and Leonard were adorable walking down the aisle in their little bow ties.

Lace, mason jars and burlap continue to be favorite decorations but the Bohemian look is starting to become popular as well as coral and mint for color schemes. We are excited to bring everyone’s wedding ideas to life to give you the day you’ve always dreamt it would be.  We love to try new ideas and to see your personal touch on your special day. We are very excited for this year’s season and to be able to spend this special day with so many brides and grooms, their families and guests.

Let the celebrations continue…

Black Hills Receptions Beautiful Courtyard…

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

We thought we would let the elegant Courtyard here at Black Hills Receptions speak for itself!