3/25/12 wedding review at Carlyle at the Palace

I haven't been on LIW in forever, but the Bride's Review was always really helpful when I was planning. LIW has it's problems, but I wold still suggest any bride join it. The advice and vendor recommendations are priceless.


74 Events/DJ Gaza A-
We did not want a “typical” DJ (nothing about our wedding was “typical” anyway). We do not like when the MC is very loud and intrusive, and we don’t like most pop music. Gaza used to be a club DJ, so he was more in tune with what we wanted. He is by far the most professional of my vendors. Extremely punctual and organized, he seems stiff until he starts talking about music, and then his passion really comes out. He also handled some unusual requests really well. We had a special guest DJ come the last half-hour of our wedding to play hardcore (see below). He let her use his equipment, set up all of the logistics, and stayed late for her, all without an extra charge. Instead of a speech, our best man wrote us a cello piece. Gaza spoke with our best man directly to set everything up and miked him perfectly, again without an additional charge. I gave him a minus because the dance floor was not as crowded as I would have liked, though that may have been my guests.

Anni Bruno/NYC Faces (Makeup) A+
Anni is sweet and personable, just the kind of person you want around on your wedding day. But I would not have booked her if she was not also awesome at her job. I have been burned by MUA in the past. I am VERY pale and the last time I had my makeup done, the girl didn’t listen and tried to make me look “tan”. Well DH said I looked like an umpa lumpa and I had to agree. But Anni is very good about customizing to your particular skin tone. She actually mixed a few foundations together to get the right one for my skin. She used airbrush on me and my girls and we all looked flawless. Also, she does individual lashes for all the girls and customized each look for each girl. She is on the pricier side, but you totally get what you pay for. Highly recommended!

Beau Coup (Favor jars) B-
We ordered late and they were good about rushing our favor jars, of course they charged us an arm and a leg but that was to be expected. However, the jars were very inconsistent in quality. Some of the seals were tighter than others; some of them were just plain dirty. If we had had more time I might have complained but that late in the game, we just washed them and tried not to use the crappy ones.

Bridal Elegance (sash and veil) A+
Not much to say, everything was really easy. They had the best prices around, my accessories came earlier than I expected and they shipped straight to my house.

Bridal Reflections (Bridesmaids’ dresses) A for ordering, C+ for alterations
Ordering was fine. They kept saying they don’t negotiate but in the end, they did come down on the price to the same price as RK, and they were on LI so I thought it would be easier for my girls. The dresses came in on time and the order was correct. However, I was not happy with their alterations at all. My sister asked for bra bones (they are sewn into the top of the dress and tuck into the bra so the dress doesn’t slide down), they kept telling her she didn’t need them. Well the day of her dress was so loose in half of my pics you can see her bra. The bridal attendant literally had to sew the dress to her bra to keep it on. My other friend’s dress was too big, even after the alterations. Luckily she had straps added so it wasn’t falling down. Bottom line, they didn’t listen to what their customers wanted!

Brilliance Lighting B+
The owner is so lax we didn’t have a contract until 2 days before my wedding, but if you want to use any of the awesome lighting at the Palace (one of the main reasons we booked), you have to go with them. There communication sucks, but they were great the day of. The woman who actually did the work at my party did a great job. The color of the room was constantly changing and she played our engagement shoot pictures and civil wedding ceremony video on the giant screens surrounding the room. We didn’t tell her about our surprise DJ at the end of the night (forgot, oops!) but she didn’t skip a beat, she made the lighting work with the different type of music easily. Since the lighting was my main décor element, I was really happy with the dynamic job she did.

Cakes by Taste A
The owner can be a little cold, but it is totally worth it. She NAILED my vision for the cake, both inside and out. It was a showpiece and everyone loved it. It was exactly what we had discussed and it was delivered early!

Candywarehouse.com (Escort card lollipops) A
Another easy purchase. Instead of traditional escort cards, we gave each guest a giant old fashioned swirl lollipop with their name on one side and their table on the other. They had the biggest selection and the best prices on the web. If you are doing a candy bar, check them out. They even organize their candy by color to fit your theme.

Cardsandpockets.com (Invitation supplies) A
We ordered the empty pocketfolds, envelopes and card stock from here. They came in early which was great, but they forgot to put the RSVP cards in. I emailed them on Christmas Eve prepared to wait until after the holiday for a response. Well they sent my RSVP cards express that same day. Everyone can make a mistake, but it is how you react to the mistake that really shows what you are about. They were terrific about fixing there mistake, they went above and beyond.

Carlyle at the Palace (Hall) B+
(No NOT Carlyle on the Green, though they are owned by the same company).
I really wish I could give them an A. We looked for a long time to find a venue. As I have mentioned, our wedding was…quirky. A traditional venue would not have worked with our wedding. Ideally, we would have liked a loft in Manhattan, but that was prohibitively expensive. I was starting to get really frustrated, but the second I walked into the main ballroom at the Palace, I was sold. The room is covered in reflective tiles and has an intelligent lighting system, so you can make the walls and columns any color you want. It also has five projection screens that will display anything. It was modern and clubby, with a reputable caterer and great food.

The main reason they didn’t get an A was because of my Banquet Manager. To say that she was annoying is to put it mildly, I hated the phony-nice act she was always putting on, but I could have dealt. However, she made things difficult for me. I must have spent a month trying to schedule a tasting. She only works from 10-3 three days a week. She asked me, several times, to take off of work to meet her. I believe it was her job to alter her schedule to meet me, not the other way around. I would email her and she wouldn’t get back to me, etc. Towards the end they just gave me a new BM because I was so unhappy with her.

The day of was mostly smooth. They were adamant that we couldn’t have gum in the bathroom basket because “people stick it everywhere”. Well the maître de handed out gum before the ceremony, to both employees and my BP. When we were in that same room later I noticed my train got stuck. Turns out someone had put gum on the floor and it got on my train. I am sure it wasn’t anyone from my BP. I got over it pretty quickly (you couldn’t really see it after I bustled it), but the fact that they made such a stink about no gum, then they handed out gum and it got on my dress really irked me.

The food was incredible, as was the wait staff. My bridal attendant was extremely attentive and patient. It is in a very convenient location and it is simply beautiful. Plus it has capabilities you just don’t find anywhere else. I would absolutely recommend Carlyle at the Palace, but I would suggest you ask for a different BM.

Cheeky Glam (Day of Coordination) A+
Words cannot express the difference having two day of coordinators can make on your day. They made everything so much easier, which meant I was able to enjoy my day without having to deal with the inevitable problems. From running out to get coffee, to placing everything where it needed to go, from confirming vendors to bustling my dress, there is nothing they said no too. They were the only vendor that I felt undercharged, they were worth way more than the pittance they were asking for. Unbelievable enthusiasm and organization. GO BOOK THEM NOW!

Coach Outlet online (BM gifts) A
I am still amazed at the deal I was able to get from this site. You need to sign up and wait for an email invite, which is really annoying. However, I was able to give each of my girls $300 bags for $100! It made me so happy to see the looks on their face when they opened their gifts. They weren’t little clutches either, they were full size leather hobos. The deals were so good, I bought myself a bag too!

David’s Bridal (headpiece) B
I saw the headpiece I wanted in the store, but when I asked the consultant she said it would take 8 weeks to ship, which meant it would not get to me in time. I was disappointed but still had my original HP so I was resigned to wear that. I went online to show my friend the pic of the David’s HP. I noticed that online it said I could get it within 2 weeks, so I ordered it online. It came 4 days later, which is great, but I still don’t understand why the consultant told me so much longer. It’s a good thing I showed my friend or I wouldn’t have known.

DH (stationary) A+
My husband went to FIT and is super creative. He insisted on doing the invitations, programs, thank you cards, STDs and website. They all came out great! They were so “us” which was what I was looking for.

DJ Jen Mas A+
Jen Mas is far from a traditional wedding DJ. She spins hardcore and jungle at clubs and parties. When we first got engaged seven years ago, I told her I wanted her to play at my wedding and she said she would love too. At the time, she was just trying to get her career started and did a lot of free shows in the park. Since I first asked, her career has exploded! She now plays at the biggest clubs in the world and I am sure gets paid quite handsomely for it. We had assumed she had become too successful to play at our wedding, or her prices would be so expensive we couldn’t afford it. But she immediately said she still wanted to come and insisted on charging us the same price per half hour as our regular wedding DJ. She snuck in for the last half hour of our wedding, completely surprising our guests and my friends went nuts. It was a major shock to see a super successful DJ at our wedding and it was a moment I will never forget. She may play nasty (in a good way) hard music, but she is the sweetest woman ever! I will always be grateful, she really made the night.

Esquire Tuxedos A+
I have heard nothing but horror stories about tuxedos. I was convinced that it was not possible to find a reliable vendor. DH has rented tuxes in the past that were stained, missing pieces, ripped, smelly or ordered wrong. Esquire has totally restored my faith in tux places! The owner was extremely personable and accommodating. DH wanted morning suits instead of traditional tuxes, and he was particularly interested in a double breasted vest. Esquire managed to find all the pieces and gave us a great price. The tuxes were clean and available on time. I will not go anywhere else for tuxes now.

Georgette’s (bra and body shaper) A+
This store screams old lady from the second you walk in and see the grandma nightgowns. Don’t be fooled, those ladies know boobs better than anyone! They fit me and my sister and had larger sizes in stock. What it lacks in ambiance it makes up for in knowhow. This is the only place I will buy my bras!

Hidden Essence (Florist) A-
Michelle is an absolute doll. She is just so sweet and easy to work with, I had to hire her. The flowers were fresh, beautiful, on time, inexpensive and exactly what I asked for. She did not express as much creativity as some other florists I visited, but she was able to execute my fully formed vision perfectly. I would suggest going to other florist consultations to figure out what you want first, then going to Michelle and hiring her.

Monica’s Bridal (Bridal Gown) D
I should have known better! I was a bridal consultant for three years so I am very familiar with the industry. This made finding a gown very difficult. Things many brides wouldn’t care about (or even notice) were deal breakers for me, but I didn’t have the budget my taste would allow. I must have tried on 100+ gowns! When I finally found Pronovias Formentera, I seriously debated upping my budget because I just loved it. I decided to keep looking and see if I could find something cheaper. When I went to Monica’s, I told them about the dress I liked and they said they had a sample in my size and color that they were selling. I got the dress of my dreams for half price and was very happy with it. If I had just taken the gown home and never looked back, they would have gotten an A in my review.

Unfortunately, I still needed alterations. I looked into getting alterations on the island because Monica’s is in Brooklyn and I didn’t want to schlep that far if I didn’t have to. Many of the salons on the island refused to alter gowns from other stores and those that would wanted a tremendous amount of money for it. So in the end, I had to go back to Monica’s (which still had a $400 cap). The girls that worked at the salon were, for the most part, obnoxious and ineffectual. Out of my three appointments, two of them were never written down. The first time they actually said I would have to reschedule, but I threw a fit because I had just driven two hours in rush hour traffic to get there. My sales consultant was the worst of them all. As I said, I was a bridal consultant, I understand wanting to go home early if you can. But I would NEVER give a bride an attitude if I couldn’t.

All of the attitude and money would have been worth it if they had done a good job with the alterations! Admittedly, I brought them a $25 shrug from Forever 21 to alter and they did a good job with it (I changed the neckline, hemmed it shorter, took up the arms and got rid of the shoulder pads). But my gown was way too long. I told the seamstress that after she hemmed it the first time. She said “I don’t like when you see the bride’s feet”. Frankly, I don’t care what SHE likes, this is MY wedding! I told her to make it shorter, which she begrudgingly did. At the final I said it was still too long and she told me she would have to charge me more to hem it again. Now if I had said I liked the length at first then changed my mind, yes she would have had a right to charge me twice. But I told her from the beginning I wanted it shorter and she refused. So I didn’t pay to have a second hem and I fell during my hora, twice. My bridal attendant had to keep pinning the dress up because I kept slipping. There is no excuse for that.

In addition, I told the seamstress the kind of bustle I wanted and she pinned it that way. When I got to my next appointment and tried it on, the bustle was a different style. When I asked about it she said “I didn’t like the other bustle so I did it this way”. What? Again, it’s my dress I don’t care what she likes! And the kicker was that she didn’t even call me to see if I was okay with her changing styles without even seeing it, she just went ahead and did it.

To top it off, they refused to steam the train because “it will just get wrinkled anyway”. I told them there may be a few wrinkles but not the way it is now, having never been steamed. Again they told me they would only steam the train if I wanted to pay them more. Ridiculous! I had to pay for it to be steamed on the island, but at that point I just couldn’t give Monica’s any more of my money.

Mya (Hair) B+
My sister paid for my hair as part of her present. Mya was very punctual and professional. My hair was okay, nothing amazing but not bad either. Same with the two girls she did, good but nothing wonderful.

Photo Pink (Photographer) A+++++++++++++
I hate when girls do the whole plus plus plus thing, but Photo Pink really does deserve them. We hired the owner, Liesl and she brought Conrad with her as a second shooter. I am not going to lie, they are not cheap. But it was worth every single penny. My photos look like art, all 1007 of them. She took amazing pictures of people who are far from photogenic. Liesl made me feel beautiful and confident. She was unobtrusive but still managed to cover everything. Plus, she is a really cool person in general. I can’t say enough good things about her; I was simply blown away by her work. One of my two favorite vendors (along with Cheeky). Save your money somewhere else and hire Liesl! I am not posting pics for privacy sake, but if you want to see some, send me a message.

Interesting fact: Photo Pink also did the Rock the Dress shoot for a group of 2010 brides, including the Cheeky girls.

Rabbi Marci Bellows (Officiate) A+
Admittedly I had trepidations about hiring a female rabbi. I grew up modern Orthodox and although I am no longer so observant, some of those lessons are still engrained in me. However, my parents are a member of Temple B'nai Torah which meant that she would marry us for free. I did not have the budget to hire someone else, and I am so glad I didn’t. Rabbi Bellows doesn’t just go through the motions; you can tell she really believes in what she is doing with every fiber of her being. From meeting with us several times to get to know us, to crafting the ceremony together, everything she did was personalized for us. I am still getting comments about how wonderful the ceremony was. She made it a holy, entertaining, fairly traditional ceremony. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house. What a pleasant surprise!

Sandra Johnson (Florida Photographer) B+
We are both obsessed with The Simpsons. We wanted to have them in our wedding somewhere but we didn’t want a Simpsons themed wedding. When we got invited to a friend’s wedding in Florida, we decided that the perfect compromise would be to have a second e-shoot at the Simpsons ride in Universal Studios. We found Sandra through a Florida wedding blog and had a Skype interview before we went down there. I had called Universal multiple times and they said it would not be a problem to shoot there. However, when we actually arrived, it was a huge problem. We spent close to three hours waiting to get in to the park; we really didn’t think it would end up happening. Sandra and her husband patiently waited to see if we could get in. She was very understanding, which I really appreciated since I was flipping out. We finally managed to get in to the park and took some really fun pics. DH wasn’t happy with them; he kept comparing Sandra’s work to Liesl’s (Photo Pink). I do not think that is fair. Sandra charges a quarter what Liesl charges for an e-shoot. She isn’t on the same level talent wise, but I wasn’t expecting her to be. However, she got some fun shots, everything was well lit and in focus, which was all I was really expecting.

Skullcap.com (Yarmulkes) A
They had the biggest color selection we could find. The imprinting came out well and they were delivered on time.

The Clay Collection, Etsy vendor (Cufflinks) A-
There is an episode of the Simpsons that takes place in the future, where you see Lisa get married. Homer gives the groom a pair of pig bride and groom cufflinks. I knew DH would love to wear a replica if I could find them. The Clay collection made a spot on replica; it looked just like it did in the TV show. DH was ecstatic with them. Unfortunately, the groom’s head fell off; but it was in the hotel as he was getting undressed after the wedding so I think he may have been too rough with them. They are great for quirky gifts, they have a big selection.

Unique Visions (Video)–
I will give a review when I get my video.

Re: 3/25/12 wedding review at Carlyle at the Palace

Congrats, thanks for the great review.

Re: 3/25/12 wedding review at Carlyle at the Palace

Congrats Hun! I saw your pics and you looked beautiful. Great long review! Lol. Mine is almost done. Waiting on some pics from Thomas Paul.

Re: 3/25/12 wedding review at Carlyle at the Palace

Congratulations!

Re: 3/25/12 wedding review at Carlyle at the Palace

congrats!!!!!!!!

Re: 3/25/12 wedding review at Carlyle at the Palace

Great review..very informative! Thanks for sharing :)

Re: 3/25/12 wedding review at Carlyle at the Palace

Congratulations

Re: 3/25/12 wedding review at Carlyle at the Palace

Congrats!!!

Re: 3/25/12 wedding review at Carlyle at the Palace

Nice Review!!!

Re: 3/25/12 wedding review at Carlyle at the Palace

Congrats!

Re: 3/25/12 wedding review at Carlyle at the Palace

Re: 3/25/12 wedding review at Carlyle at the Palace

Congrats hun!!! Great review!!!!

Re: 3/25/12 wedding review at Carlyle at the Palace

Congrats again!

Re: 3/25/12 wedding review at Carlyle at the Palace

Congrats! Love the coach bag idea for your girls :)

Re: 3/25/12 wedding review at Carlyle at the Palace

Congratulations!!!!