Unique Wedding Venues in Colorado: An Italian-Inspired Hidden Gem
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Unique Wedding Venues in Colorado
Transformed from a Twin Movie Theater Built in the 1970’s to an Italian-Inspired Wedding Venue
If you’re dreaming of an Italian-inspired wedding venue for your special day that evokes the romance and charm of Tuscany, but carries a unique story and beginning, let me introduce you to The Bella Sera Event Center. This hidden gem in downtown Brighton, CO offers an enchanting experience that beautifully captures the essence of Italy. As soon as you walk in the door and observe the beautiful winding Grand Staircase and hear the sounds of the Italian water fountain, you immediately begin to imagine how beautiful your wedding photos will be. Unconventional spaces come with their own character and ambiance, which greatly enhance the overall atmosphere of your event. A distinctive venue can make the wedding stand out in guests’ memories; let’s discover why…
The History of The Bella Sera Event Center
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Originally a Twin Movie Theater in the 1970’s
The story behind The Bella Sera Event Center is that it was originally built as the town of Brighton’s only movie theater over 50 years ago with 2 auditoriums. In the 1970’s during a booming time for what are now considered “classic films”, this charming twin theater was unveiled in downtown right in the heart of this once “little farm town”. Movie goers would walk in the front doors to the popcorn and concessions in the lobby, and be directed to one of the 2 auditoriums to see their movie of choice. Movie theaters back then had air conditioning, at a time when most places did not have it. Smoking was allowed, and tickets were about $1.25 during a time when minimum wage was a little over $2 an hour. The auditoriums had the standard velvet curtains, sloped floors leading to the screen, and projector rooms on the second story.
Many, many films from the 1970’s are now touted as classics, such as – The Godfather I and II, Jaws, Carrie, Shampoo, Cabaret, Mean Streets, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Deer Hunter, Apocalypse Now, M*A*S*H, and many more.
“Jaws”, directed by Steven Spielberg was arguably the most iconic summer thriller and was definitely a hit when it was shown at the Brighton Twin Theater in 1975. The Bella Sera owners have had many guests who have attended weddings at the venue tell them they were at the Brighton theater in 1975, and saw the iconic movie there. Jaws was about a small beach town threatened by an insatiable great white shark. This movie pushed the limits of production with art department malfunctions, budget overruns, and missed deadlines, but we all know that the film ended up doing really well in spite of those setbacks, and anyone over 50 remembers the twists and turns of this movie.
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The Architectural Vision for the Remodel of the Movie Theater
The theater was remodeled and redesigned in 2004 by owner John Montoya Jr. with the vision of creating an event venue with an Italian ambiance and subtle Italian architectural touches so not to interfere with client’s décor and themes for their Weddings or Quinceañera’s. Non-traditional venues like this often offer the opportunity for creative decoration and design. Couples can transform the space to fit their theme or style, adding personal touches that make the event feel truly unique.
The once sloping floors in the dual auditoriums were leveled and converted into two beautiful ballrooms separated by large arch ways, and the venue holds up to 250 guests with a very large dance floor. The movie projector rooms were converted into what is now the bridal suite, as well as walk-out balconies for the grand entrances. Walk-out Romeo and Juliet balconies overlook each ballroom creating Bella Sera’s signature “grand entrances” for both newlyweds and Quinceañera girls up above all of their guests. The element of surprise of these entrances always delights guests, resulting in loud cheers and people rising to their feet. There are elegant Italian chandeliers throughout that create a beautiful touch, and the enormous archways between each auditorium/ballroom include sliding 15-foot barn doors that separate the two spaces for a spectacular “room reveal” of the dinner ballroom after cocktail hour. In addition, the ceremony ballroom has dual staircases used for dramatic entrances for the bride or Quinceanera girl, and their bridal parties or court de honor.
Inspiration Behind The Bella Sera Event Center Name
Inspired by Italy, Bella Sera means “beautiful evening”. The event center name was inspired by the beautiful phrase “beautiful evening”, which also happened to be the brand of Italian wines called “Bella Sera” that is based out of California. Their red wines originate from some of the most renowned winegrowing regions in Italy. The venue serves this wine along with many other brands still today.
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Italian Cuisine served at The Bella Sera Event Center
The venue is home to the owner/chef John Montoya Jr. who specializes in both Italian and Mexican cuisine, and prepares dishes that are both delicious and moderately priced for very large parties. For the past 20 years, the Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo with broccoli has been the #1 most requested item on the menu for Weddings at The Bella Sera. Quinceañera girls also fall in love with this dish at their private event tasting, and ask to offer this along with a Mexican dish for their guests.
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Unique Colorado Wedding Venues Offer a Foundational Style From Which you Can Build Upon for Decor
Although the Italian ambiance is felt throughout the venue, the décor and architecture were designed with neutral tones that aren’t overstated. This leaves lots of options for brides and Quince girls to meet with the venue’s designers and create the style and vision they have for their special day. The venue’s endless décor selection, that is included in each of their all-inclusive packages, makes it so easy to transform the space. This sets it apart from traditional venues who only provide a blank canvas or simple centerpiece that clients have to decorate on their own. Unconventional venues can provide a unique ambiance or aesthetic that sets the tone for the event, and The Bella Sera Event Center is definitely one of those venues.
Endless Wedding Photo Backdrops
Thousands of guest photos have been taken on the winding grand staircase at celebrations over the past 20 years. There are stunning photo backdrop opportunities throughout the entire venue, and the state-of-the-art colored lighting literally transforms the dinner ballroom to create the most magical ambiance.
Unforgettable and Memorable Experiences for Guests – Standing Out from the Crowd with this Colorado Wedding Venue
In a world where many weddings follow similar formats, The Bella Sera owners vowed from day one to create weddings that stand out. This is why their expert team focuses on creating celebrations that are very personalized and creative for their couples. They’ll help you create a vision for your celebration that is personal to you, fun for all your guests, and unlike any other wedding. A common vision and request from their couples is that they don’t want the same boring wedding timeline, and want their celebration to be exceptional and unforgettable. The guest experience is important to them. This unique venue and their approach to creating unforgettable experiences makes every wedding both enjoyable and engaging. An extraordinary setting such as The Bella Sera offers is a refreshing alternative to your typical banquet hall feel, and offers an experience that’s different from traditional weddings, making it more memorable for everyone involved.
20 years of Positive Feedback and Comments
Over the past 20 years the owners have heard their clients and many guests at events say or ask:
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“How did you find this place?”
“This is such a hidden gem”
“I never would have imagined this beautiful venue in Brighton”
“Every time we walk in here for our wedding planning meetings you all have it decorated completely different from the wedding before, it’s just amazing!
My parent’s 50th Anniversary was here at The Bella Sera and we all have a very special photo in our homes of our entire family on the grand staircase.
“Wow this lighting is just spectacular”
“I’ve never been to a wedding like this that flows in such a fun way before, and where we never know what’s coming next”
“The room reveal was so fun with the Be “Our Guest Song””.
“We never saw that grand entrance coming off the balcony, what a cool and unexpected surprise.”
“That Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo was to die for!”
“OMG that staircase sold me immediately!”
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Why Choosing A Unique Wedding Venue in Colorado Can Instantly Wow Your Guests
Choosing a unique wedding venue allows couples to offer a distinctive experience and ambiance that stands out, while adding personal meaning to create lasting memories.. Whether driven by personal expression, the desire for an unforgettable event, or the opportunity to break away from tradition, a unique venue such at The Bella Sera Event Center can set the stage for a wedding that is as individual as the couple themselves.
Chosen as one of the top All-Inclusive Denver Wedding Venues by award winning site “Here Comes the Guide”
Unique Wedding Venus in Colorad
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Thank you so much for stopping by our blog, we hope you found this information helpful. We want to use our blog to increase awareness and support for locally owned wedding venues. Locally owned wedding venues tend to provide a higher level of expertise, service and dedication. They also have far less turnover than corporate owned or investor owned venues. As you plan your wedding we hope you will consider a locally owned wedding venue like ours. You can find locally owned wedding venues on this wedding venue map. Below is a shout out to fellow locally owned wedding venues around the country!