My 2/25/06 Wedding - Temple Chaverim, NYC Swing, Mya Cosmetic Artistry, Pedestals, etc.

I rated everything on a 1-10 scale and added a couple of pluses where I felt it necessary to emphasize. If you have any questions or just want some more insight/information, please feel free to FM and I'll be happy to answer any and all of them.

We had a fantastic, awesome, incredible wedding. (Did I mention it was great?) The weather was amazing for February; we were even able to take pictures outside. The day after the wedding we had so much fun we said that we were ready to do it all over again, lol. I truly have no regrets and believe the wedding was worth every penny. It is not often you have the opportunity to get all of your friends and family together, so I truly appreciated being able to celebrate our special day with everyone. The day does fly by, so we tried our best to enjoy every minute.

A little bit of advice:

1. Try not to focus on the little things that go wrong, because you don’t want it to take away from the bigger, much more important things that are going on! Have fun and enjoy every minute of the day!

2. Negotiate everything. Weddings are expensive and I found all vendors to be very negotiable. This leads right in to my next piece of advice.

3. It never hurts to ask a question. If you have any doubts or just want clarity, ask. This goes for anything. You want to know how many flowers because you forgot to ask when you met with them, call. You think you are interested in a vendor that is too expensive, call and discuss anyway (see band review). You would be surprised at some of the answers you may get. Don’t think to yourself that you may be annoying or that you are bothering them. You are paying for services and you deserve good service. Ask a million questions if necessary.

LIWeddings.com – 10++++
Can one even put a rating on this website? Fact is I don’t think there was any tool more helpful with my wedding planning than this site. It is such an amazing forum for information and support and it is one of the best things I found while wedding planning.
I am grateful for this website as it helped me to find my DOC, my hairdresser, and many great new friends.

Bridal Shower:
Orchid, Garden City - 9
My Mom & Sis (MOH) get a 10++ for all of their work
The Orchid has a private room and great Chinese food, so my mom and sis thought it was a good choice for my shower. My mother and sister did such a beautiful job putting everything together, including, centerpieces, towel cake, wishing well etc. The only thing they were a little disappointed in and the reason I did not give them a 10 is because my mom and sister felt that the service was a little slow.


Engagement Rings & Wedding Bands:
Signed Pieces - 15 West 47th St., NYC - www.signedpieces.com - 10
DH and I actually found out about Signed Pieces as we were looking at jewelry on Ebay.
Let’s just say that we really won that auction because I cannot say enough great things about Signed Pieces. We visited the Signed Pieces store on 47th and we worked with Isaac. Not only is he wonderful, but all of his jewelry is amazing. They only deal in top quality stones that are GIA certified. Isaac worked with me to redesign my engagement ring, which is truly unique and stunning. He also provided us with my platinum wedding band.

Signed Pieces is a very legit company. As I mentioned before everything they sell is top quality and they don't play the games that they other people on 47th St tend to play. They are straight players and I think that is one of the reasons I really liked dealing with them. If you have the chance, work with Isaac. He is a great guy and won't steer you wrong.

Invitations , Engagement Invites, Thank Yous, Calligraphy, etc:
Letters by Lonnie, Woodmere NY - 10
Everything I ordered was exactly what I wanted; delivery was fast; great products. Lonnie is great to deal with and really knows here stuff. She is easy to work with, provides great advice and even discounts.


Gown Alterations & Veil:
Blanchee, East Rockaway - 6
Blanchee did the alterations for both my gown and my mom’s. I don’t want to get into all of the details here because there are quite a few stories. Let’s just say that if I had to do it again I would not have had the alterations done here. That said, the alterations came out beautiful. I simply was unhappy with the customer service. Feel free to FM for details regarding Blanchee.

Bridesmaids’ gowns:
The gown itself – Amsale Red Tafetta – 10
The gowns were gorgeous and everyone complimented them. The girls were comfortable all night and loved the dresses as well.

Bridal Salon of Manhasset - 4
My SIL ordered her gown through the Bridal Salon of Manhasset. Our first visit there they were lovely. The dress came in on time, with no problems. Things started to change with the fitting appointments. They gave her a really hard time with alterations and some of the staff there were rude and inappropriate. Feel free to FM for more details.

MOB gown:
Sugar Plum, Lynbrook - 10
The staff here was very attentive. Their selection was very good. Mom found exactly what she liked and took it home that day. She could have done alterations there, but decided to go to Blanchee because my dress was there as well.

Shoes:
The Bootery/Pamela’s Shoe Warehouse, Hewlett – 10
I knew that I didn't want anything crazy expensive and I wanted closed toe shoes since the wedding was in February. They have a large wedding shoe collection. They offer free dying (diamond white) and everything was timely and prices were very fair.

BM gifts:
Mirror Jewelry Box
QVC.com – 10
I purchased the Gold & Silver Safekeeper Mirrored Jewelry Cabinet which was Today’s Special Value. Fast shipping, great product. Everyone went crazy over them. I love QVC

Tuxedos:
Tuxedo Park, Carle Place – 10+
We went to Tuxedo Park on a whim. The salesman was SO nice and SO helpful.
They even shipped one tux to Virginia for the Best Man. My husband was very happy with the service.

Room block and wedding night suite:
Plainview Sheraton – 10+
The Plainview Sheraton was a great choice. Less than 2 miles from Temple Chaverim, it worked out perfectly. In addition the entire hotel is newly renovated, the rooms are really nice, and the staff was wonderful.

I worked with Michael Papierno on the room block; he was great! When I just stopped by the hotel one day, they took the time to show me all of the different types of rooms as well as the wedding night suite. He responded to emails from both my MIL and I promptly.

Day of the wedding we offered shuttle service and the staff was very helpful with providing the information for my guests. They distributed the OOT bags to all guests upon check in.

We had booked over 24 rooms in the hotel for our wedding. In fact my wedding was 98% of the total rooms booked for the weekend and Mike really went out of his way to make everything great for us. Post wedding they kept the bar open until 4am. Everyone hung out at the bar and it was a nice casual space for us all to laugh and continue the party. In addition Mike threw in the romance package for our honeymoon suite, which included champagne, roses, etc. Mike also picked up the tab on dinner for my mom, sister and I who stayed there on Friday night before the wedding.

Overall, I highly recommend the Plainview Sheraton!

Toasting Flutes:
Fortunoff -10
I loved my Vera Wang toasting fluted. I registered for them and they were purchased as an engagement present by our friend. They were shipped and arrived in perfect condition.

Favors:
Bouquets-to-Go & Bakery-to-Go – 10++++
In lieu of traditional favors we provided Bouquets to go and a Bakery to Go. Both were a huge hit! The caterer had some of my centerpieces broken down so that all ladies received a bouquet of flowers on the way out. In addition, we offered a Bakery to Go which is basically a Viennese table full of muffins, bagels, cakes, large pretzels, cookies, etc, etc and everyone is provided a bag to take items home with them.

OOT Bags:
My MIL, MOH and I - 10
The OOT bags were a big hit. My MOH made the monogram labels for the front of the bags and they were beautiful. Bags were filled with water and an assortment of snacks as well as a welcome letter and shuttle information.
Many of the out of towners commented on how much they liked the bags.

Limos & Shuttles:
Royalty – 10+
Overall Royalty was a pleasure to deal with. I booked my limos last, after everything else was in order. Royalty provided us with transportation for my bacholorette party (Hummer Stretch) as well as for the day of the wedding (Shuttle Bus and Limos). We worked with Manny who was excellent. Overall - great prices and great service.

We had nice new, clean limos, with lovely drivers who took all of us from the hotel to the Temple and another limo taking my husband, FIL and Best Man from his parent’s house in the five towns to the temple in Plainview.

The day of the wedding we offered shuttle service to and from the hotel and Temple Chaverim. The shuttles worked out really well and made multiple trips in either direction. All of the guests loved being able to drink and party to the wee hours and not having to worry about driving.

Everything was on-time and perfect.

Make Up:
Makeup by Michelle – 10+++
Michelle is awesome! She works for Laura Mercier and runs the counter at Bloomingdales Roosevelt Field. She is really easy to get along with and was the first person I called to book the day after I booked my hall. Michelle does incredible makeup and I have used her in the past for other weddings as well as for my engagement party. She is an excellent make-up artist and never disappoints. Since I went to Bloomingdales for my trial I didn’t even have to pay for it. Although I did buy some Laura Mercier product, granted I am a huge fan of the make-up and own practically the whole line. In addition my Mother, Sister, MIL, and SIL went for trials (free) with Michelle as well.

Day of the wedding Michelle did makeup for my mom, my MIL, my Grandma, My MOH and Bridesmaid as well as for me. She did apply false eyelashes for me and they looked incredible and I looked flawless. As always, Michelle was on time, she got along well with everyone, and even helped to keep me calm and collected. Everyone thought grandma looked 10 years younger – literally. The makeup stayed on all night long and everyone was really satisfied and got many many compliments. I definitely recommend her!

Hair:
Mya Cosmetic Artistry -10 ++
I used Mya Cosmetic Artistry, she is a vendor on here and she is simply wonderful. Fact is I had 6 trials before finding Mya (spent many days in tears) and she was a huge find for me!! Her prices were VERY fair, next to other quotes I received. I actually had two trials with Mya because I wasn’t 100% sure of what I wanted. In addition my MIL had a trial with her as well. She came to me for my trials and the day of she came to my hotel. All of the trials went great and Mya was so patient and kind. She was on time and ready to roll the morning of my wedding. Day of she did my hair, my moms hair, my MOH/sisters hair, as well as my MIL’s hair. She was incredible! Everyone loved their hair. I loved my hair so much I didn’t take it out until I arrived in Costa Rica, lol. I highly highly recommend Mya!!!

Photographer:
Click Photo Company, NY -
10 before the wedding, wedding day 10
actual final album 10
working with the Click team post wedding (customer service, layouts, etc) - 4 (and that is generous)

Danny and the entire Click team were very easy to work with before and during our wedding. They have a very professional style, not your traditional wedding photographer - more of a magazine editor city style. Which I love!!!

We actually found Click through some close family friends. In advance of meeting with them I had met with a long list of photographers, including Patken, **************, Sherwood Triart and Duet, (and that was only some of) and my husband and I had a really difficult time finding what we were looking for. I demanded that I had two photographers for the day of the wedding and we both loved non-traditional style photos. In addition we needed 3 parent albums in addition to ours and of course it was all on a budget.

When we met with Frank and Danny from Click we knew it was the right fit.
Frank did our engagement sitting as well as our wedding. Our engagement pictures came out incredible and were fun to do as well. We went to Central Park and even brought along our Yorkie Bailey. We got our wedding proofs quickly (which I hope to post soon) and they are stunning. I cannot wait to have the completed album!

Update #1: We still do not have our albums and it has been a very big hastle and mess dealing with them post wedding. We can no longer recommend Click Photo Co.

Update #2: We did finally get our album and it is stunning. That said I would not use them again. The fact that they are only in NY once a month or so made it very difficult to get things done. They were somewhat unorganized and we had to deal with a couple of different people along the way. End of the day we loved our pictures and our album is amazing....but the experience overall left much to be desired.

Videography:
Kornfeld Studios, Rockville Center – Ethan - 10 for Day of and unedited video. Edited video 10+++++
I have seen quite a few wedding videos and none of them thrilled me. I was recommended to Kornfeld and once I saw Ethan’s work, I was sold. Ethan was very unobtrusive and was actually extremely helpful. His work is top-notch and award winning. I highly recommend Ethan from Kornfeld Studios and cannot wait to see the edited video!!

OMG our edited video is off the charts incredible. We absolutely love it. Our recap is more of a rock/mtv style video and it is out of this world. I have to give Ethan accolades. He is so incredibly talented and I recommend him 200%. You will not be disappointed!

Officiants:
Rabbi Hecht of Temple Chaverim - 10
Rabbi Hecht was easy to work with and was very accommodating with the requested changes that my husband had. He provided us with a perfect ceremony. It was the perfect length, was very light-hearted and even had a few laughs. I would definitely recommend Rabbi Hecht should someone require a reform Rabbi for their service.


Band:
NYC Swing 10+++
NYC Swing blew us away! My husband and I were crazy when it came to music and photography. So, similar to our photography hunt, we attended showcases and met with almost a dozen bands before talking to NYC Swing. NYC Swing actually did both my husband and my sister-in-laws bar and bat mitzvahs (many years ago). We knew they were fabulous, but hesitated calling them because we also knew they cost big money. After searching and searching, we still weren’t completely happy, so I told my husband to give them a call. I figured we had nothing to loose. Well let’s just say that was the best thing we could have done. NYC Swing worked with us to make it fit into our budget. They were great to deal with and they certainly delivered.

We had a 13 piece band, with a jazz trio for cocktail hour, and a flute trio for the service.
I have to say that NYC Swing was one of the best wedding related decisions we made! They truly made the wedding and I absolutely cannot say enough about them. The dance floor was beyond packed all night. They are not a typical wedding band – they are so much more! We are still getting calls on how amazing they were and I highly, highly recommend them. You will NOT be disappointed.

DOC:
The Brides Best Friend, Judy – 10+++
Judy is amazing. As soon as I met her, I knew that I'd hire her to help me on my wedding day. Hiring Judy was one of the best wedding decisions I made. When I needed to vent, she was available. In advance of the wedding I met with her multiple times, she even joined me for my fitting. The day of she arrived early at my hotel early and was with me until the very end. My mom and MIL LOVED her and even those who doubted the need for Judy were praising her at the end. I can't begin to list the things that she did for me the day of; she just took care of it all (and the list is long). Judy was able to handle all of my different family dynamics and kept everyone in check. She was on top of everything. Anything I needed, Judy was there and I’m truly grateful to her for working so hard on my wedding day. She is the only reason I actually got to eat anything from my cocktail hour and she even packed up some of our Bakery-to-Go so that my husband and I had a snack for the late night. I don’t think she sat down the entire day!

A wedding day is stressful in general and having someone there whose sole job is to make it go smoothly is worth every penny – especially considering how much you spend on a wedding. Did I mention that Judy was half the price of all the other DOC’s I met with? Regardless, she would have been worth double the price because she truly was worth every penny and then some. She handled it all with grace and professionalism. I 150% recommend her!

Flowers:
Pedestals – 10++++
We loved Pedestals. We loved our flowers. We loved working with Robert. We have nothing but rave reviews on this florist. If you haven’t met with Pedestals yet, then you are missing out. Robert is so easy to work with and is full of wonderful ideas. He actually listens. They went the extra mile in everyway. We actually had them make up a second sample centerpiece because we weren’t completely happy with the first and they did so no questions asked.

I was blown away by my flowers the day of the wedding. My chuppah was incredible. My bouquet, which was like 20 pounds, was absolutely stunning, as were the bridesmaid’s bouquets. Robert even saved the day by snazzing up my cake to make me happier, since I didn’t get the cake of my dreams. Pedestals was a pleasure to work with and completely exceeded my expectations! Meet with Robert – you won’t regret it!


Catering Hall:
Temple Chaverim – Hasson Caterers – 9
I saw many halls as well as Temples before I made a decision and my head was spinning.
Chaverim is a lovely Temple. The entire place is all newly renovated and simply elegant and beautiful. Once we saw it and sat down with Scott (caterer) we new it was where we wanted to get married.

We had an absolutely amazing wedding and everyone loved Chaverim!

There were definitely a few things that I was not 100% happy with regarding Chaverim, which is my reason they did not get a 10, however it was nothing that the guests had any clue about, nor would most people even notice.

1. They gave me the wrong cake: I asked for a square cake with a big draping bow and got a plain round cake with a simple bow on top. When I saw the cake and questioned what happened they told me that my cake was dropped and that this was all they had. Call me crazy but I think it is a little weird that they happened to have a round one with the same filling inside....so I truly believe that I was lied to. That said if this is the worst thing that happens at anyone’s wedding than that is a good thing because in the grand scheme of things it is minor.

2. The sanctuary at Chaverim is absolutely stunning. The only problem was that the aisle wasn't wide enough. My husband actually had to walk behind his parents instead of between them because they couldn't fit across. My MIL had lots to say about this, lol. Granted this is not the fault of the caterer just thought it was worth mentioning for those who may look at this temple.

(Ok, you are probably thinking I am a total fanatic and absolutely crazy, and I feel the need to preference one more time that the wedding was amazing before I continue with my rant, lol.)

3. We cut the cake really really late. People were actually leaving and we had yet to cut the cake. I don't know what was going on behind the scenes, but if my DOC hadn't stepped in and made demands that we wanted to cut the cake I am not sure what would have happened.

4. They never served our challah from the motzi. Again, no big, but it was noticed.

5. In advance we had requested armchairs for the hora (it was even in the contract) and when the time came they were no where to be found. You should see my face during the hora ....pure fear of falling off the chair as I slide around in my satin gown, lol.

6. We asked to have some food sent home, possibly the dessert we never had the opportunity to eat or something from the bakery to go that we paid a lot of money for, but they sent home nothing. Instead the told my MIL that they had never seen a group eat and drink the way ours did. They told us that my group went through over 21 bottles of Grey Goose alone. Granted this might be true (it was a really good party), but I am not sure why it was necessary to tell us that nor can I imagine what would have been so tough to pack up our dessert or send us home with a couple of finger foods. Again, this truly had no bearing on the wedding itself.

7. They were definitely a little under staffed. I noticed that the table to the right of me had not gotten there dinner and other tables were finished. Someone actually asked if they were supposed to be getting a main course. I was a little upset that people had to wait so long.

I also have to mention for anyone who considers getting married at Chaverim that I had 200 people and thank goodness that I didn't end up with more (I invited 300) because it was definitely a little crowded, particularly during the cocktail hour. It turned out fine, but anything over 200 would not have been too comfortable.

Ok, enough banter. Fact is the wedding was awesome. As I mentioned everyone loved the place, the food was GREAT, and the bakery to go was a huge hit. It was an amazing day for me... everything was beautiful and all of my vendors were incredible

If I had the opportunity to do it all again...I would do it in a heartbeat!!

I loved every minute and I love being married!!

Honeymoon:
COSTA RICA, 10+++
We loved Costa Rica. The trip we took not your super relaxing lay on the beach everyday kind of trip, but that was by choice. We spent 2 weeks, went to 4 different parts of Costa Rica (would recommend doing on 3 places in 2 weeks because we spent a ton of time traveling).

We did an action adventure trip....hiking, zip lines, hanging bridges, ATVing, Fishing, and some Spa treatments. We only laid out at Punta Islita on our last 2 days. We loved every minute of our honeymoon.

The hotels we stayed at were amazing. Some were very boutique style. My favorite Makanda by the Sea, in Manuel Antonio only has 11 rooms and serves you breakfast in your room each morning. It was fabulous! They have a beautiful pool, but as with 99% of the hotels in Manuel Antonio it is not on the beach. The beaches are about a 10 min taxi away.

Punta Islita is a private resort we stayed in that is simply beautiful, but not cheap (figure $450 a night).

Another place we visited was Arenal. It has natural hot springs & spas and is very beautiful. We stayed at Tabacon and it was beautiful.

Costa Rica in general has seen a huge surge in tourists, especially because of how close it is to the US. That said some of it is very 'touristy' and they definitely try to cater to tourists. I 100% felt safe. Granted I was with my husband and wouldn't roam the streets alone at night.

As for nightlife there is a good night scene in Manuel Antonio, but we didn’t really partake. It was all we could do to stay awake after dinner, since our days were packed with activities.

We found the food to be ok, nothing truly blew us away, but we are VERY PICKY NY'ers. Plus both my husband and I have traveled quite extensively (South Africa, SE Asia, etc etc)....so it takes a lot to impress us.

Things are affordable, but they are not super cheap. Granted it depends where you stay. We stayed at mostly 5 star resorts and based on that nothing was 'cheap'. Honestly, it really depends what you consider expensive. All breakfasts were included, but that meant different things in different hotels.

The weather was perfect. We were there at the end of Feb, begin of March and it was amazing.

I highly recommend a group called Memorable Costa Rica. Speak to Meni, he was a pleasure. www.memorablecostarica.com

Should you decide to book Costa Rica, I recommend not booking any activities until you get there, because it very easy to do all of that from the hotels.

Costa Rica was an amazing experience and I would definitely recommend it. However I will say that if you are expecting a Caribbean style all inclusive type feel, then this is not really the place.

That is my quick review on Costa Rica; please feel free to FM for additional details.

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Re: My 2/25/06 Wedding - Temple Chaverim, NYC Swing, Mya Cosmetic Artistry, Pedestals, etc.

More pics....all non-professional....

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Re: My 2/25/06 Wedding - Temple Chaverim, NYC Swing, Mya Cosmetic Artistry, Pedestals, etc.

More pics to come.

Re: My 2/25/06 Wedding - Temple Chaverim, NYC Swing, Mya Cosmetic Artistry, Pedestals, etc.

Congrats on your beautiful wedding!!! You look stunning and I wish you all the best in the future!

Re: My 2/25/06 Wedding - Temple Chaverim, NYC Swing, Mya Cosmetic Artistry, Pedestals, etc.

fabulous review! you looked beautiful. glad you had an amazing day!!!!!!!!

Re: My 2/25/06 Wedding - Temple Chaverim, NYC Swing, Mya Cosmetic Artistry, Pedestals, etc.

Great review!!!!! Glad you had a wonderful day and didn't let the little thngs bother you!!! Your flowers are beautiful, everything really is!!!!!!

Re: My 2/25/06 Wedding - Temple Chaverim, NYC Swing, Mya Cosmetic Artistry, Pedestals, etc.

it prob took you 3 months to write that! wow!! :)

glad you had a great day...you looked great! loveeee your hair!!
Congrats!

Re: My 2/25/06 Wedding - Temple Chaverim, NYC Swing, Mya Cosmetic Artistry, Pedestals, etc.

Great review! It was worth the wait. You were a gorgeous bride!

Re: My 2/25/06 Wedding - Temple Chaverim, NYC Swing, Mya Cosmetic Artistry, Pedestals, etc.

congrats! You look gorgeous and your flowers are amazing!

Re: My 2/25/06 Wedding - Temple Chaverim, NYC Swing, Mya Cosmetic Artistry, Pedestals, etc.

Such a thoughtful review --- Thank you!

Re: My 2/25/06 Wedding - Temple Chaverim, NYC Swing, Mya Cosmetic Artistry, Pedestals, etc.

great review!
i'm getting married at chaverim on sunday!!

Re: My 2/25/06 Wedding - Temple Chaverim, NYC Swing, Mya Cosmetic Artistry, Pedestals, etc.

Great review! We already talked about Temple Chaverim but I'm still just so surprised at some of the things that went wrong for you. I had no idea that you didn't get CH food. At our wedding, as CH was ending, our maitre D sat us down at a table alone, even put bibs on us and fed us. I'm glad that in the grand scheme of things you had a great wedding.

Re: My 2/25/06 Wedding - Temple Chaverim, NYC Swing, Mya Cosmetic Artistry, Pedestals, etc.

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Posted by ssdbk

Great review! We already talked about Temple Chaverim but I'm still just so surprised at some of the things that went wrong for you. I had no idea that you didn't get CH food. At our wedding, as CH was ending, our maitre D sat us down at a table alone, even put bibs on us and fed us. I'm glad that in the grand scheme of things you had a great wedding.

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Kerie, You are right. Now that I think about it, we did get to sit down right before we made our grand entrance to be fed CH food. Granted I was so crazed with everything else I didn't bother to put anything in my mouth, lol. I think I was to busy drinking cocktails

Re: My 2/25/06 Wedding - Temple Chaverim, NYC Swing, Mya Cosmetic Artistry, Pedestals, etc.

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Posted by evnme

great review!
i'm getting married at chaverim on sunday!!

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I am sooo excited for you. You are going to have a wonderful day!! Good Luck!!

Re: My 2/25/06 Wedding - Temple Chaverim, NYC Swing, Mya Cosmetic Artistry, Pedestals, etc.

Awesome review...you looked gorgeous!

Re: My 2/25/06 Wedding - Temple Chaverim, NYC Swing, Mya Cosmetic Artistry, Pedestals, etc.

Great pics so far, wonderful review, very detailed

Re: My 2/25/06 Wedding - Temple Chaverim, NYC Swing, Mya Cosmetic Artistry, Pedestals, etc.

wonderful review, sorry to hear about the temple. the pictures came out beautiful, you look gorgeous. congrats again.

Re: My 2/25/06 Wedding - Temple Chaverim, NYC Swing, Mya Cosmetic Artistry, Pedestals, etc.

Your dress was beautiful! Congrats on a wonderful wedding and thank you for such a thorough review!!