Our 2/26/05 wedding review

The best way to describe our wedding day is just Wow! It was better than I could have even imagined. So, without further ado...here is my review. I am not the best at writing or critiquing but here goes.

Hair - A+
The mother of one of my BM's is a hair stylist and she offered to do my hair for me, even though she lives almost 2 hours from my mom's house. I can't even tell you how happy I am that she did. The trial we did came out ok but we both had some changes and the day of it looked great. She got it exactly the way I pictured it to look. So many people complimented me on my hair and a few even said they were going to copy the style. I am so grateful to her for making the trip for me.

Makeup - A
A woman I used to work with at Macy's many years ago has been working at the Clinique counter now for about 8 years - so I asked her to do my makeup for me. Since she knows me and knows that I never wear makeup, she knew exactly what kind of look I was going for. All she needed to do was find the right colors, which she did. I loved the way my makeup came out and the only thing that wore off was the lipstick, which she had given me a sample version of so that I could re-apply during the night. So that wasn't an issue at all. As a person who never wears makeup, I loved it and would wear it like that more often if I only knew how to apply it myself

Veil A
I didn't want a poofy veil and I wanted it to be positioned at the back of my head. So I ordered silk tulle from Hansson's Fabric in the UK. My aunt then took the fabric and made it into a 2-tier just above fingertip length veil for me. It was exactly what I wanted and I loved it!!! And, it only cost a total of $58.

Bridal Suite in Patchogue - A
I got my dress and the BM dresses here. I know there has been a lot of negative comments about them but I must say, I had a wonderful experience with them. From Mary who sold the dress to me (and matched the price from Burton's) to the seamstress (don't know her name), they were all great to work with. I even had a meltdown at my last fitting because I forgot my shoes and slip. I started crying in the fitting room so the seamstress took out a slip from the back that was similar to mine and they waited for me go to the shoe store next door to see if I could borrow a pair of shoes (which they let me do). All of this with no hesitation or attitude. The only thing I was annoyed with is that when I asked for the certificate that comes with Maggie Sottero dresses they told me that they usually throw them away. So anyone buying a Maggie dress there make sure you get in writing that you want the certificate. Luckily, I e-mailed Maggie from her website and she sent me a new certificate. Oh, and I absolutely loved my Maggie Royal Romance gown.

Sal's Tuxedos - A
My DH would only have gotten his tuxes from him. They are located on Broadway in Massapequa. He has used him multiple times and has referred many friends to him as well. He has great tuxes and is great to work with. DH has never had any problems with him.

Somerset Limos - A
They are located on Broadway in Massapequa. We got a 10 passenger limo to bring my mom, the girls and me to the church and then take the mothers and kids to the reception after the church. We also go a Hummer to take the guys to the church and then take us and the bridal party to the reception. The limo that came to my mom's was awesome. It was brand new and my wedding was the first time it was being used. Both that one and the Hummer were clean and in excellent condition. The drivers were very professional, on time and we did not need to give them any directions at all (even though someone still did). I showed up for the reception 10 minutes early and just waited in the limo for a few minutes. There prices were very reasonable and they threw in a complimentary pick up from the reception at the end of the night and a complimentary ride to the airport for the honeymoon the following Monday morning. I would definitely use them again.

Crystal Blue DEJA - A+
Bob Price, the owner of the company is a friend of DH's brother and wife so they referred us to him. We were initially happy because we were getting a discount but we were even happier after we met with him. He was so great to work with. At the wedding, he played the CD of music we gave him and kept the music upbeat so that everyone danced all night. He only talked during the appropriate times and if anyone made a request that he was unsure about, he asked us first. The only complaint we heard about him was that the music was too loud at one point. But other than that, he was great and we still are getting compliments about him.

Flowers - A/D
This is the only vendor that I was disappointed with at all. The A is for their customer service. They were great to work with and I felt so comfortable with them prior to the wedding. They threw in extras at no charge and upgraded (no charge as well) the toss bouquet to a full bouquet when I told them that I wanted to use it to put at my father's gravesite the day before the wedding. As for the actual product, that gets a D. My bo-k was blue hydrangea with white mini calla lilies, the MOH had white and blue hydrangea with mini roses and the BM's had white hydrangea with blue delphinium. From the moment they were taken out of the box, they were wilting. They weren't bad enough so that they looked bad yet but by the time the ceremony was over they were horrible. By cocktail hour you couldn't even tell the type of flower some of the BM's had because the petals were so shriveled. DH's bout was 2 mini callas with a tuft of blue hydrangea. Before the ceremony even ended, the hydrangea had not just wilted, but had fallen completely off. There were other things about the flowers that I was unhappy with but I just can't believe that before the reception the hydrangea was practically dead. Fortunately, the pictures don't show how bad they really looked.
With that said, they still get an A for customer service. I called them on Sunday, the day after the wedding, to let them know that I was disappointed and the owner felt so horrible. He couldn't have been more apologetic and swore up and down that he will make it up to me. He said that they looked beautiful when they left the store and that he never has had this problem with hydrangea before. I understand that sometimes you can't control the flowers, but it ***** that it happened to mine. The one thing he thought was that they might have froze overnight and were affected by the heat of the truck...who knows . I have to call back today again but he should be refunding some of my money.

Lana Rowe Photography - A+
We were referred to her by someone DH works with and are so thankful for the referral. From the moment we walked into her office we felt comfortable with her. She used to work at a larger company and then decided to go on her own. The main thing that sold us is that when we were looking through her photo albums we knew it was her that took the pictures and not one out of a possible few. She wasn't pushy and is flexible with the packages, which we thought were very reasonably priced. The day of the wedding she arrived about 15 minutes early and went to work on getting pics of my dress hanging up, my shoes and just some candids of me getting ready. We also really liked that she didn't make us say any silly words to get us to smile, it was just more natural. We had about 2 hours after the ceremony to take pictures before the cocktail hour started and we were finished a half an hour before the CH. I never felt rushed or like she was leaving out any poses. The best part is that we picked up our proofs last night. I couldn't believe how fast they were ready and they all look great. There are about 1,000 shots to go through. We decided to upgrade to a magazine style album which has 100 pics. Of course this costs and extra $500, but it is worth it. Anyway, she was great and we definitely recommend her. She only works on referrals (does not advertise) so if anyone wants info, let me know. Since I just got the proofs last night, I haven't been able to scan any but here is a link to my LIW album with some pics family and friends took. The last picture is actually what Lana sent in the e-mail to let me know the proofs are ready.

Timeless Treasures Videography - A
We only decided to get a videographer the week before the wedding. Our photographer recommended this guy Ray, so I called him to set up an appointment. Little did I know, he is a LIW vendor, which was even better . We met with him, saw samples of his work and booked him on the spot. We liked that it was just him and that he claimed to not be intrusive. Well, his claim was 100% true. From the moment he stepped in my mom's house to get pre-wedding footage, I kept forgetting he was there. He was so not in your face and I liked that. Many guests from the wedding didn't even realize we had a videographer because he was so subtle. I can't wait to see the video. I have to say, I highly recommend getting a videographer. DH and I originally weren't going to get one but are so happy we changed our minds. Thanks Ray!!

Ceremony at Maria Regina - A+
The ceremony was wonderful. Having my mom walk me down the aisle (and my dad there in spirit) was so wonderful. My uncle (dad's brother), just him with his guitar, sang 'The Wedding Song' during the offertory and he was amazing, so emotional. It was great to have other family members involved like that. And the best part, of course, was exchanging vows with DH and becoming his wife

Jericho Terrace - A+
I really can't say enough about the staff at Jericho Terrace, the Garden Room for CH and the Dome Room. The staff were so wonderful and attentive. I wanted a cake with snowflakes on it and that wasn't one of the options. But, they were able to make the change for me no problem and no extra $. I did not think about anything other than having a good time the entire night. From the moment I stepped out of the the limo, my 2 bridal attendants were there to help me out in any way necessary. These 2 girls were so amazing. They brought food up for me from the cocktail hour that wasn't already in the bridal suite, they helped my sister bustle my dress, got hairspray when they saw a curl coming loose in my hair and much much more. I really felt that they treated me like a princess.
As for food, can I say absolutely delicious. I had the Shrimp for dinner and it was so yummy. We got the Deluxe Menu and I could not believe how much food there was. There was no way anyone could have been hungry at the end of the night. They were also very accommodating. My boss is a raw foodist and at the meeting to finalize the menu I asked if they would be able to bring him a plate of uncooked veggies. Well, you should have seen the size of this plate. Needless to say, my boss was impressed. As was everyone else with JT. Guests are still telling me what a wonderful place Jericho Terrace was and how they had a great time. They definitely exceeded all of my expectations in hosting our wedding.

Pipe band - A++++
DH and I were planning on getting one to come in during the reception and play a few songs. Well, time ran out and we never got around to booking them...or so I thought. At 8:00 DH took me back up to the dais and told me to look at the door. Just as I looked, they started walking in playing their music. There were 3 pipers and 2 drummers. I was so surprised and excited to see them. The best part is that they were from the Nassau County Police. My late father was a Nassau County Police Detective and I had mentioned to DH when we were initially thinking of getting them that it would be great if we could get the Nassau County Police pipe band in, in memory of my dad. Now they don't just come and play for anyone so luckily one of his GM's is an NYPD and helped him with the hookup. I am so lucky to have such and awesome DH.

Well, that's all for now. If I think of anything else, I will update.

Re: Our 2/26/05 wedding review (long)

great review! Can't wait for some pics!

Re: Our 2/26/05 wedding review (long)

Glad everything went well (except for flowers) I can't wait to see some pics girl!!!

Re: Our 2/26/05 wedding review (long)

Great review. Now for the pictures. What about yor honeymoon? Didyou go away?

Re: Our 2/26/05 wedding review (long)

Sounds great - except for the flowers - I'm anxious to see pics also! Thanks!!!

Re: Our 2/26/05 wedding review (long)

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Posted by marc_rai

Great review. Now for the pictures. What about yor honeymoon? Didyou go away?

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OOOOPs, I forgot about the honeymoon . We went to Sandals Regency in St. Lucia. It was incredible. I will be back, probably tomorrow to do a full review on that. This one took up all morning to write and I guess I should get some work done.

As for pics, I put a link in with the photographer review but I guess it got a little lost with the rest of the wording. Here is the link to my LIW album, no professional ones yet excpet for the little montage the photographer sent.

Pics link

Re: Our 2/26/05 wedding review (long)

Great Review! Sorry about the flowers but if they don't look wilted in pics then it ended up being minor in the end. Especially if you get some money back!

Sounds like a beautiful day!

Re: Our 2/26/05 wedding review (long)

What a great review! Your pictures look beautiful. I can't wait until you post your proofs.


Congratulations!

Re: Our 2/26/05 wedding review (long)

excellent review!!!!!!!!!! tracy you were one beautiful bride!!! i loved all your details!!! can't wait to see those proofs! that sneak peak looks great!

Re: Our 2/26/05 wedding review (long)

what florist was this? And where are your pics@!!!

It sounds like everything went well!

Re: Our 2/26/05 wedding review (long)

Congrats! You looked beautiful! Can't wait to see your proofs!

Re: Our 2/26/05 wedding review (long)

Great review. So glad you had an awesome day!

Re: Our 2/26/05 wedding review (long)

Great Review!

Congrats!

could you tell us who your florist is?

Re: Our 2/26/05 wedding review (long)

glad to hear that everything went ok except for the flowers....congrats

Re: Our 2/26/05 wedding review (long)

CONGRATS and beautiful pictures! I'm sorry about your bo-k but it looks nice in the pictures!

Re: Our 2/26/05 wedding review (long)

Congrats!!!

Re: Our 2/26/05 wedding review (long)

Congratulations Tracey! You looked beautiful!! Love your gown!

Re: Our 2/26/05 wedding review (long)

CONGRATS!!! SOOO pretty!

Re: Our 2/26/05 wedding review (long)

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Posted by treilly13

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Posted by marc_rai

Great review. Now for the pictures. What about yor honeymoon? Didyou go away?

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OOOOPs, I forgot about the honeymoon . We went to Sandals Regency in St. Lucia. It was incredible. I will be back, probably tomorrow to do a full review on that. This one took up all morning to write and I guess I should get some work done.

As for pics, I put a link in with the photographer review but I guess it got a little lost with the rest of the wording. Here is the link to my LIW album, no professional ones yet excpet for the little montage the photographer sent.

Pics link

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Oh, please let me know details about Sandals Regency! That's where we are going too!

Re: Our 2/26/05 wedding review (long)

Wonderful review - so glad all went well !!
overall

now....pics