MOTHER OF THE BRIDE

By Bonnie Alexander

Two daughters, two beautiful weddings: a destination wedding on top of a ski lift in Telluride, Colorado, and a local wedding at The Grove Hotel in downtown Boise. The weddings couldn’t have been more different, but in the end they accomplished the same thing. And, although destination weddings may have their appeal, I found that staying local and handing the details over to experts reduces stress and increases the chances of a lovely, relaxed event for everyone involved.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

Boise weather can be gorgeous in September, so we planned the wedding and reception to take place outdoors on The Grove Hotel’s Terrace. Three stories above street level, the Terrace faces south toward the old train depot and accommodates up to 140 dinner reception guests. In our case, the best reason for choosing a local venue was because a large number of family and friends who would be sitting on both sides of the aisle live in the Boise vicinity. They truly appreciated having a short drive to the hotel, and a convenient place to park once they arrived.

For our out-of-town guests, The Grove Hotel provided luxury guest suites and free shuttles to and from the airport. Dozens of other lodging, dining, and shopping options are available within walking distance of the hotel, so guests who stayed elsewhere were still in the nexus of all the wedding activities. Plus, most of Boise’s best visitor sites are easily accessible from downtown by foot, bike, or e-scooter.

Three stories above street level, the Terrace faces south toward the old train depot and accommodates up to 140 dinner reception guests.

PHOTO BY AMANDA ALICE PHOTOGRAPHY

Bring In The Professionals

In retrospect, I have learned that weddings are not the time or place to practice DIY. Granted, The Grove Hotel makes it look easy, but consider the fact that they host 30 weddings a year. They know what they are doing and the entire staff treated us like royalty. During the dozens of times we passed through the lobby during the planning and preparation stages, I was convinced they had mistaken us for family members of the Simplot Idaho potato dynasty. Throughout the evening of the wedding, the professional staff seamlessly transformed the venue from formal nuptials to elegant dining and lastly to a romantic, twinkling dance floor. Every detail was executed to perfection and orchestrated for the comfort of each wedding guest.

Food For Thought

People may come for the wedding ceremony but they leave with memories of the buffet. This is where The Grove Hotel’s chef and culinary team rose to the challenge of pleasing our very demanding, yet appreciative, foodie family. During our pre-wedding tastings they actually listened to what we wanted, not just the quality and quantity of food, but also the presentation. Our high expectations were exceeded. The buffet was artistically arranged and every bite of food was fresh and delicious.

Priceless

Planning a once-in-a-life-time event with no unexpected expenses and everything handled professionally at one place with one quoted price proved to be a brilliant choice. And as for the mother of the bride, I’m still smiling.