Meet Kathie Jacobsen | Chief Wedding Imagineer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kathie Jacobsen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kathie, what’s one piece of conventional advice that you disagree with?
When we first walked on to the property in 2013, we found the views breathtaking. It was so beautiful that I wanted to find a way to be able to share it with others. Secondarily, as I head towards retirement, I was seeking a way to have both social interaction and to keep my mind engaged and sharp. This was of the utmost importance since I watched my dad and grandmother passed away from Alzheimer’s.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
La Joya Dulce is for upscale couples or businesses looking to host their wedding or event in a venue that is classic Colorado Mountain, rustic, ranch style, barn, mountain chic, industrial, BOHO, outdoors and natural with the most spectacular views in Steamboat. Unlike other venues, La Joya Dulce understands how stressful an event or wedding can be and goes above and beyond to provide extra touches, big city customer service and professionalism to the couples and businesses it services. All packages include 3 days at no additional charge. Additionally, the venue can accommodate up to 400 people, where everything is centrally located, allowing timelines to be reliably met. Customers may feel secure in their selection of venue from a company whose measurement of success is trust and complete satisfaction. We are proud of our superior staff that enables the couples or businesses to be present in the moment and relax on their special day. We truly believe in “Your Day, Your Way.” We are transparent. We treat people the way we want to be treated. We get to know our couples on tours, our communications are clear and extensive, and our pricing and what that includes is all laid out upfront. Having worked for myself as a consultant in the learning business, I was well prepared for hard work and bumps in the road. My personal philosophy is there are good experiences and learning experiences, and boy have I learned a lot. Previously from running training and learning business, I learned how to deal with ambiguity which has set me up perfectly for the challenges of dealing with individual weddings as well as the flexibility to deal with a pandemic. At La Joya Dulce, we don’t do cookie cutter. Every wedding is as unique as our couples love.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Steamboat Springs is, hands-down, the last remaining authentic Colorado town. They say your come for the skiing, but stay for the summer. Every season here is absolutely glorious, making Steamboat a fantastic destination. We have world-class restaurants with some of our favorites being small plates at Besame, French onion soup Sauvage, and happy hour at Aurum. For Apres ski drinks, either Truffle Pig at the base of the mountain or Carl’s Tavern in downtown. In the summer, we have one of the best small town rodeos in the United States. You can outfit yourself beforehand at the local store, F.M. Light which has been family owned and operated for five generations and who’s iconic sign greets you from every direction. Additionally in the summer, every Saturday features one of Colorado’s largest Farmer’s Market where we regularly shop for Palisade peaches. Steamboat has a bustling art community. First Friday Art Walk allows you to wander through the galleries and meet the artists in person. As Steamboat produces the most home-grown Winter Olympians, it’s no wonder we are called “Ski Town USA.” Winter activities include skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, ice fishing, snowmobiling, skijoring, and dog sledding tours. In the summer, we are a mecca for summer-time sports, which is why we are also known as “Bike Town USA.” This includes mountain biking, road biking, and gravel biking. Steamboat hosts the “Town Challenge MTB Series” along with the “Tour de Steamboat,” which features two crossings of the continental divide at 10,000 feet, and the SBT GRVL, a world-class gravel race experience held on the greatest gravel roads on Earth. Other summer activities that are fun to do, include hiking to Fish Creek Falls, the original Coors can waterfalls, and Mad Creek which is where we got engaged. Other activities to enjoy include fly fishing, horseback riding, tubing on the Yampa, and hunting, We also have the longest outdoor alpine coaster in North America called the Outlaw Mountain Coaster.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First, my spouse, Wayne Jacobsen who bought this ranch so that we could marry our mutual love of skiing and my love of horses. And secondarily, the American Saddlebred Horse Association for allowing me to pursue my passion as the chair of the Equine Welfare Advocacy Committee.

Website: www.lajoyadulce.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lajoyadulce/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lajoyadulceranch

Other: https://www.pinterest.com/lajoyadulce/

Image Credits
Kristen Hennke Elevate Photography Michael Freas