My Magical August 2010 Wedding: Featuring Westbury Manor, Lina Jang, Pennylane Productions, Music by Michael, Stepping Stone Ceremonies, Maira Ortiz, Capriccio Ensemle and more, TONS of Pics!!

I can’t believe I am writing this review. It feels like yesterday that I discovered this website which was such an enormous help in planning my wedding. I am rating vendors on a letter grade scale and the highest grade is an A.


Save the Dates: MagnetStreet.com – A
I wanted magnets that I could customize to my colors and theme. Magnet Street was great because it lets you change colors and fonts so that the magnets look exactly the way you want them to. Shipping took two weeks and the magnets were of a good quality. Recommended !



Engagement Party:
This was held at my family’s home so I can’ really rate it. I will say that my mother did wonderful job at preparing the food and the house looked great.



Engagement Party Invitations:
Wedding Paper Divas: A
I choose something with purple to match our color scheme. The invitations were very pretty and printed on a durable card stock. I needed them quickly and the quick shipping option was very effective.






Engagement Party Photographer- De Nueva Photography- A

I heard about Nicki of De Neuva Photography through a friend. Nicki was great to work with; she was polite, reasonably- priced, professional and hard working. She got all the shots I wanted and was very flexible about taking any spur of the moment photos. We got our proofs back promptly. (all Engagement party photos here were taken by her)
Her is the link to a few of her photos:
http://www.liweddings.com/community/album/?ID=29805





Engagement Party favors, Pippy’s Sweets: A
We got customized tea bags. They came quickly and were cute and of good quality.











Bridal Shower: My mother organized this event and held it in her home. The food she made was wonderful and she decorated everything beautifully.











We used these invitations from Storkie.com. They were so pretty and everyone complimented them.






Favors : Lulu’s Bakery, Jamaica Estates,NY : We had rainbow cookie cakes as favors purchased from Lulu’s. They were absolutely delicious! Lulu’s is a wonderful bakery









Invitations Tessa of E.v.e.n.s.t.a.r P.a.p.e.r.i.e: A

Once I saw T.e.s.s.a’s work on Long Island Weddings I knew I wanted to work with her. She created a customized invitation that perfectly captured my purple, rose theme. They came out beautifully and I was just delighted with them. We got numerous compliments once we mailed them out. In addition, to being talented Tessa’s is sweet, helpful and well organized. She emailed me back rapidly and was happy to answer any question I had. She also finished the invitations earlier than expected. Finally, I thought the price was quite reasonable compared to other vendors who offer customized, pocket fold invitations.












Day of Shirt : Customizedgirl.com A

I knew I wanted a customized tee to wear while getting ready. Customized girl was very user friendly. The shirt was on sale and shipped very quickly.





The Wedding Salon of Manhasset/ Wedding Dress and Veil: A

The Wedding Salon has an exquisite selection of wedding gowns in a variety of styles and designers. The shop itself has an elegant, relaxing atmosphere. It is a great place to shop for your gown. The service is friendly and attentive. My consultant was Rosemary and she could not have been sweeter or more patient. She was very honest with me and helped me in my selection of dresses. I ended up choosing the Pronovias Helio gown in a sample size with a matching cathedral veil. Months later, I returned for alterations. I was very nervous about this since my dress had to be taken in 4 sizes. However, my fears were unnecessary because my seamstress Julie did an amazing job. The dress fit perfectly and I had no issues with it at all.
I also loved my beautiful cathedral veil. It matched my dress perfectly and made me feel very glamorous on the day of.
























Day of Bracelet, Earrings and Headpiece. A I bought my earrings at Lord and Taylor and my headpiece and bracelet at a shop in the Riverside Mall in NJ. Everything was reasonably priced and looked good.








My Shoes , Amazon.com and Coloriffics: A

I wanted a relatively simple pair or shoes that would be comfortable on the big day. I choose the Coloriffic’s Melissa shoes because they were pretty, low heeled and the right shade of pure white. I found the best price on Amazon.com and ordered from them. The shoes arrived in a few days and were extremely comfortable on my wedding day.









The Wedding Salon of Manhasset/ Bridesmaid Dresses: A –

The Bridesmaid’s section also has a wide variety of beautiful dresses. We choose to buy an Amsale dress in a flowing, chiffon style, as I found that a comfortable lightweight style was essential for August. I also liked that the dress wasn’t “bridesmaidy” and could easily be worn on other occasions. The dress also came in a beautiful shade of Aubergine that matched my color scheme. The dresses came in very fast ( within two months ) and looked gorgeous on both girls. The only reason that I give it an A- is because the service in the bridesmaid area isn’t quite as good as the rest of the Wedding Salon. Things were a bit hectic and there wasn’t much in the way of help. Still, the overall experience was fine and I loved the dresses!











My Mom's Dress and Shoes, Lord and Taylor: A

After trying on literally 50 dresses my mother finally found an Adriana Papell dress that she loved. It looked fantastic on her and was a great price. She didn't even need any alterations aside from a hem. She was able to find gorgeous shoes by Caparos at Lord and Taylor. They matched perfectly and were gorgeous!










Maira Ortiz, Hair and Makeup : A

I already had a makeup trial I wasn't happy with before my trial with Maira. After my trial with Maira, I booked her immediately as I loved the look she created for me. However, my picky DH wanted to make a few changes, so I had a second trial. Maira absolutely nailed what we were looking for both in trial number 2 and on the day of. Furthermore, she arrived early and completed her work in a timely fashion so we never felt rushed. She also did a beautiful job on my mom's hair and makeup. We both used airbrush, which was completely tear-proof and lasted all day. My hair also lasted until the end of the night. In fact, the curls were still there the morning after ! My mom also reported that her hairstyle held up the next day. Maira is a very sweet person and was great to have around on my wedding day. I hope to use her for special occasions in the future.



















Alexis Limosines: A
We rented one 10 passenger white Lincoln stretch limo for a pickup and drop off. The car came early and was immaculately clean. The driver was a sweetheart; so friendly and cheerful. We enjoyed our 20 minute ride from my house to the RH.

















Westbury Manor – A
From the moment I saw photos of Westbury Manor online I strongly suspected that I would have my wedding there. Once I saw it in person, this suspicion was confirmed. I absolutely love the stunning gardens and the beautiful, elegant indoor space. The manor has an intimacy that was perfect for my small wedding. You feel as if you are in someone’s home rather than at a catering hall. Our decision was confirmed, when we ate at their excellent restaurant Polo Lounge.
Over the months leading up to the wedding I communicated with different banquet mangers and everyone was polite and helpful.
On the day of, things could not been better. Pam was our Maitre D and Naomi was my bridal attendant. In addition to being incredibly efficient and professional, both women were lovely people. They wait on you hand and foot and do everything they can to make the day run smoothly. There were no really no hitches of any consequence. I brought many things to WM ( rose petals, personalized menus, place cards, programs etc) and everything was put in the right place. The whole event ran like clockwork thanks to the excellent staff.
In addition, I vowed I would eat at my wedding and the Pam / Naomi made sure this happened! They brought a huge assortment of cocktail hour food for us to while taking pictures and directly after the ceremony. I was able to sample almost everything from the CH because of the enormous amount of food that they gave us. This meant so much to me as I love food and did not want to miss it at the wedding.
Speaking of food, Westbury Manor’s did not disappoint!! I am quite picky and enjoyed almost every dish. Some items were better than others, but there was nothing that wasn’t at least good. I loved the cocktail hour food ( I had too many things to list here) I had the Sea Bass Provolone for dinner and it was delicious; very fresh and well-seasoned. According to my guests, the other best dishes were the salmon and the veal. The desserts were wonderful! We loved the heart of Sorrento ice cream dish and the chocolate fountain/ the taste Viennese. All great !
One of the best things about the day was the beautiful weather that allowed us to use the gardens for photos, our ceremony and our cocktail hour. It was absolutely magical to get married in such a gorgeous,romantic setting. The abundant flowers, fountains, bridges and shrubbery make for a very special atmosphere and a great photo backdrop.
Essentially, I cannot say enough wonderful things about Westbury Manor. If I had to get married all over again I would choose them again without thinking!
















































Officiant: Dr.Roberta Koepher of Stepping Stone Ceremonies: A

Dr. Kopher is a former Biology professor who became a wedding Officiant following her retirement. She is a very sweet person and was a pleasure to work with. She has you fill out a detailed questionnaire, which she uses to write a personalized ceremony. Dr. Koepher created a very unique, poetic, romantic ceremony that really honored our vision and captured our spirit as a couple. Everyone loved it. In addition, she was very organized and professional. She always answered emails right away and was on top of everything. I highly recommend her!



















Ceremony Music, Capriccio Ensemble : A
DH and I are both huge classical music lovers so we knew from the outset that we wanted a string ensemble to play for us. In addition, my mother is an opera singer and planned on singing a piece by Mozart during our ceremony. This meant that she needed the string quarter to accompany her.
Natalie heads the Capriccio Ensemble and she was a pleasure to work with. She and her team accompanied by mother beautifully; Also, she learned music from one of DH and my favorite opera’s that we used for the bridal entrance and recessional. The quartet also played during our hospitality hour and I heard wonderful things about their performance.









DJ: Music by Michael : A

Choosing a DJ was a difficult thing for us. We knew that we didn’t want anyone cheesy who made numerous annoying announcements. Also, we have more unusual taste in music and wanted a real variety of different genres from big band, to traditional Italian songs, to the Beatles. We also dislike certain styles of music (anything country or rap etc) and absolutely didn’t want them played. Michael has an online planner where you submit your must play list, your play if possible list and your do not play list. You can also note any special requests that you might have. We found the online planner very convenient and easy to use. It was a great way to organize all of our requests. On the day of, Michael was wonderful. He played everything we wanted and nothing we didn’t want. He followed all our wishes to a tee and really captured the musical atmosphere we were looking for. I would gladly use him again if I never needed a DJ.











Flowers, My Mother : A

My mother love gardening and flower arrangement and been doing both as a hobby for years. When she volunteered to do the flowers for my wedding I couldn’t say no! She knows many people in the wholesale flower district and purchased all the flowers and vases from _________. This seller is excellent. We picked the flowers up the day before the wedding and they were all in perfect condition. No problems at all. They lasted beautifully throughout the day.
The centerpieces and bouquets were exactly what I wanted and turned out beautifully. My theme was roses so of course roses were the dominant flower. I loved the beautiful pinkish/ purple color too. An added bonus was the fact that I had lovely, all high centerpieces for a fraction of the cost. I couldn’t have been happier. Thanks Mom !!
























ETSY Seller : BGDesign Studio Table Numbers: A-

This seller was very pleasant to work with and replied quickly to emails. The only problem was that the table numbers came out in a plum purple when I wanted a lilac color to match the rest of my wedding day stationary. Despite this, the table numbers were beautiful and looked good on the table.


Etsy Seller StickerCaboodle aka Lani: Menus, Programs, Place Cards: A

I knew that I wanted all of my wedding day stationary to match my invitations. I put out an alchemy request on Ebay and Stickercaboodle was one of the first people to answer me. I am so glad I went with her. I provided her with the graphic and color information that was used on my invitations and she was able to perfectly recreate the image. Lani was always quick to answer emails and was always ready to make any necessary changes to meet my vision. At the end, everything came out beautifully and we got lots of compliments.






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Card Box, Marshalls: A
My mom and I spotted this bird cage card box while shopping one day at Marshall’s. It was $20, looked good and served its purpose on the day of.


Table Sashes, Efavormart: A

Westbury Manor doesn’t provide any purple linens and I knew I wouldn’t be happy with Ivory so I decided to search for table sashes online. Efavormart offered the color I was looking for at a reasonable price. The sashes were of good quality and added a lot to the look of the room. I am definitely glad I bought them.




Pennylane Productions : A ( pending video)
We haven’t seen the video yet so I can’t give a complete review. However, judging on the work I’ve seen I have no doubt ours will be something very special. Adam was wonderful to work with. He spent hours with us answering any and all questions we had and was always accessible via email. On the day of, we had three videographers. They arrived early and were extremely professional, well organized and courteous. They seemed to be everywhere at once while remaining discreet. I will update my review once I have my video.

Favors, Costco Lindor Truffles: A
I bought several bags full of assorted flavor Lindor truffles and chocolate covered almonds. I put them in boxes, added purple ribbons/ our favor labels and voila our favors were ready! The truffles were delicious and reasonably priced. Our guests all liked them. No problems there.




Petals Cones, Momentsofelegance.com

These pedal cones were pretty reasonable in price compared to other sellers and arrived fully assembled. They looked very pretty. Unfortunately, many of our guests forget to take one and those who did didn’t know that they were supposed to throw them at us.












Favor Labels: Etsy Seller DesignDelightzdiva: A
This seller was wonderful to work with. She was very quick to respond to email and quite accommodating. I showed her photos of our invites and she was able to make the labels to match. She also made my bridal shower favor labels and envelope seals. I highly recommend her.






For Your Party.com: A : I used them for personalized napkins for both my engagement party and my wedding. The quality was very good and the napkins came out exactly as I wanted them. They were a great vendor if you are looking to add a personal touch to your wedding.







Photographer, Lina Jang : A

Finding a photograher was not easier for us. My husband is a talented photographer himself and extremely picky. We saw Lina’s work in the wedding review of another LIW bride and fell in love. After looking at her work we knew we had to book her. Lina is extremely well-organized and had me submit a detailed list of all of my must take photos. On the wedding day, Lina arrived early and ready to go. She was incredibly efficient and got every photo I wanted. We just got our proofs back and could not have been happier. Her style is artistic, creative and beautiful. She took many amazing photos that we will cherish forever. In addition, to her talent Lina is a lovely person to work with. She put us at ease right away and we really enjoyed having her around. Here is a random sampling of just a few of my favorite photos :


























































Our Honeymoon: A We spent 10 days in the Riviera Maya in the Secrets Maroma Beach Resort. It was fantastic!! I am going to copy and paste the review I put up on trip advisor.

After much research, we choose Secrets for our honeymoon and we could not have been happier with our choice. The resort was outstanding in every way . I have decided the break things down into categories.

Service: This was probably the highlight of the trip. We did not encounter one employee who wasn’t kind, upbeat, attentive, respectful and helpful. Everyone seemed genuinely happy to be working at Secrets and they were all more than ready to go above and beyond to make the hotel’s guests happy. There was no request that wasn’t responded to quickly and with a smile. We loved hearing “ hola” everywhere we went. I think that the service might be the most special thing about this place.

Pool: There were two very large pools. One was attached to the swim up bar and the other one was the infinity pool with a beautiful view of the ocean. Neither pool was ever crowded even in the height of the day. We also had no trouble finding a lounge chair. The pools were very warm and incredibly clean! I never saw so much as a hair or even a leaf floating in the water. It was wonderful! Since the temperature was so warm you could spend hours in the water without getting chilled. My husband and I enjoyed going in late at night when things were completely quiet. We preferred the infinity pool as it offered a great view of the ocean.

Beach: The beach was just excellent. The sand was powdery soft and golden with no shells or rocks to scratch your feet. There were tons of lounge chairs available and a very attentive wait staff walking around to offer drinks and food. (you could also walk to the bar with swings for chairs) The water itself was very, very beautiful, clear and warm with many lovely shades of blue. I loved the small waves which were perfect for body surfing.
We also enjoyed kayaking and wind sailing in the gorgeous waters.

Room:
We stayed in an Ocean View Preferred Club Junior Suite. The room was everything you could wish for: huge, spotlessly clean, beautifully decorated and very luxurious. The bed/ pillows were soft and comfortable. The duvet & sheets were satiny with what felt like a high thread count. We loved the bathroom, which was done in gleaming marble and wood. We had a large Jacuzzi tub that was wonderful to soak in, and a large separate shower area. Our patio had a stunning view of the grounds, pool and ocean. There was a comfortable coach area to sit on and an outdoor soaking tub.

Food:
I am a bit of foodie and have gone many wonderful restaurants in NYC, so I am pretty picky. However, the food was just excellent! It was beautifully presented, well-seasoned and made with very fresh ingredients. There were some classic dishes and some more unusual combinations of flavors but all were delicious. Secrets also excels at creating wonderful desserts ( I thought the best desserts were at Bordeux) Our favorite restaurants were Bordeux and Oceana with Portofino coming in second. The only disappointment was the Asian restaurant which we would mediocre. We usually ate our breakfast in the preferred club , but we did venture to the World Café once and had a great experience. There was an enormous selections of hot dishes ( eggs, waffles, crepes, sweet desserts, fruits, sausages, bacons and other meats)

Spa: The spa was one of the highlights of our trip. First, the place is gorgeous and built in beautiful stones and marbles. As in the rest of the resort, everything was immaculately clean. We did the Couple’s massage ( neck, back and shoulders), a body scrub and a reflexology foot massage. All were the treatments were incredibly relaxing and done well. We just loved relaxing on the beds the spa provides while drinking a glass of their lemon flavored water. The best of the spa is the hydrotherapy area. It is heaven to sit in the steam room then run into the cold plunge pool then go into the Jacuzzi or regular pool. We definitely recommend using the spa at least once.

Grounds: Absolutely gorgeous! There were palms everywhere, and a beautiful array of flowers and shrubbery. There are also beautiful mini pools with tables and lounge chairs floating in them. As expected, everything was incredibly maintained. The place is also teaming with natural life. We saw tons of geckos, lizards, iguanas and ravens.

Re: My Magical August 2010 Wedding: Featuring Westbury Manor, Lina Jang, Pennylane Productions and many more

Wow! Everything looked so beautiful!!! I love the stuff they did with your veil! The pictures came out amazing! Congrats!

Re: My Magical August 2010 Wedding: Featuring Westbury Manor, Lina Jang, Pennylane Productions and many more

Your review is so awesome. Thank you for taking the time to write it and share it with us. I have to say that I love the fact that you did not use alot of vendors that every other girls uses on this site. You made your wedding yours and it looked beautiful!!!

Re: My Magical August 2010 Wedding: Featuring Westbury Manor, Lina Jang, Pennylane Productions and many more

GREAT REVIEW!!

Re: My Magical August 2010 Wedding: Featuring Westbury Manor, Lina Jang, Pennylane Productions and many more

absolutely gorgeous!! I loved every picture, every detail, love the colors! and your puppy! so cute! :)

Re: My Magical August 2010 Wedding: Featuring Westbury Manor, Lina Jang, Pennylane Productions and many more

everything looks beautiful!

that's a great review you just did!

Re: My Magical August 2010 Wedding: Featuring Westbury Manor, Lina Jang, Pennylane Productions and many more

Wow! You got some really great pics! Beautiful! Congratulations!!!

Re: My Magical August 2010 Wedding: Featuring Westbury Manor, Lina Jang, Pennylane Productions and many more

great review!!! I love all the photos!!! you looked amazing!!! andI love your invites!!!

Re: My Magical August 2010 Wedding: Featuring Westbury Manor, Lina Jang, Pennylane Productions and many more

beautiful review!

congrats!

Re: My Magical August 2010 Wedding: Featuring Westbury Manor, Lina Jang, Pennylane Productions and many more

thank u so much for the review! LOVE the flowers!

Re: My Magical August 2010 Wedding: Featuring Westbury Manor, Lina Jang, Pennylane Productions, Music by Michael, Stepping Stone Ceremonies, Maira Ortiz, Capriccio Ensemle and more, TONS of Pics!!

Thanks ladies !

Re: My Magical August 2010 Wedding: Featuring Westbury Manor, Lina Jang, Pennylane Productions, Music by Michael, Stepping Stone Ceremonies, Maira Ortiz, Capriccio Ensemle and more, TONS of Pics!!

Re: My Magical August 2010 Wedding: Featuring Westbury Manor, Lina Jang, Pennylane Productions, Music by Michael, Stepping Stone Ceremonies, Maira Ortiz, Capriccio Ensemle and more, TONS of Pics!!

Awesome review! Your wedding was beautiful! I cant wait to get married at WM

Re: My Magical August 2010 Wedding: Featuring Westbury Manor, Lina Jang, Pennylane Productions, Music by Michael, Stepping Stone Ceremonies, Maira Ortiz, Capriccio Ensemle and more, TONS of Pics!!

Great review..Love hearing about WM

Re: My Magical August 2010 Wedding: Featuring Westbury Manor, Lina Jang, Pennylane Productions, Music by Michael, Stepping Stone Ceremonies, Maira Ortiz, Capriccio Ensemle and more, TONS of Pics!!

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Posted by Im getting Married

Great review..Love hearing about WM

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Have no worries ! You will have a great day.

Re: My Magical August 2010 Wedding: Featuring Westbury Manor, Lina Jang, Pennylane Productions, Music by Michael, Stepping Stone Ceremonies, Maira Ortiz, Capriccio Ensemle and more, TONS of Pics!!

Great review!!

Re: My Magical August 2010 Wedding: Featuring Westbury Manor, Lina Jang, Pennylane Productions, Music by Michael, Stepping Stone Ceremonies, Maira Ortiz, Capriccio Ensemle and more, TONS of Pics!!

Everything looks incredible, thanks for sharing!!!!

Re: My Magical August 2010 Wedding: Featuring Westbury Manor, Lina Jang, Pennylane Productions, Music by Michael, Stepping Stone Ceremonies, Maira Ortiz, Capriccio Ensemle and more, TONS of Pics!!

Thanks for all the kind comments!

Re: My Magical August 2010 Wedding: Featuring Westbury Manor, Lina Jang, Pennylane Productions, Music by Michael, Stepping Stone Ceremonies, Maira Ortiz, Capriccio Ensemle and more, TONS of Pics!!

didnt you love the westbury manor? they treated me so nicely, and everything was perfect! i also went to rivera maya as well! congrats!

Re: My Magical August 2010 Wedding: Featuring Westbury Manor, Lina Jang, Pennylane Productions, Music by Michael, Stepping Stone Ceremonies, Maira Ortiz, Capriccio Ensemle and more, TONS of Pics!!

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Posted by msshelley2707

didnt you love the westbury manor? they treated me so nicely, and everything was perfect! i also went to rivera maya as well! congrats!

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Yes, they were amazing !