We just did Loveland over NYE. My biggest tip is to rent ski equipment in Denver and bring it with you. It'll be significantly cheaper and you can start skiing immediately. We skied 3 days and rented from the onsite shop. The wait to pick up gear ranged from 90 minutes to 3 hours.
We also did one 1/2 day lesson through Loveland. That was not enough. 2 full days would've been great. I would recommend a private instructor and you can find them easily on Facebook. I would guess it'd be cheaper also.
Also, leave Denver at 6am if you are driving to Loveland each day. Traffic is no joke. We left at 9am on one day and at noon we turned around because we'd only gone 2/3 of the way.
For clothes, call this lady, she buys up old new stock and worn once ski gear and sells it like 75% off. Another good spot is Ebay. I got a brand new Mountain Hardwear bibs with tags still on them for $100 and retail was $300. I also got a new Helly Hansen ski jacket for $150 ($450 retail). It all came in REI mylar bags so I wonder if it was stolen by REI staff.