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Wedding Forums > The Brides' Review > 6/30/2012: Land's End, Imagine Studios, Lovin' Oven Florist, After Hours Entertainment, Cheeky Glam...
6/30/2012: Land's End, Imagine Studios, Lovin' Oven Florist, After Hours Entertainment, Cheeky Glam...
kitt6katt Posted: Oct 04, 2012 10:03 PM+
kitt6katt MEMBER SINCE: 9/11 TOTAL POSTS : 1076 WEDDING DATE: Jun 30, 2012
Posted: Oct 04, 2012 10:03 PM bride-minus.png

6/30/2012: Land's End, Imagine Studios, Lovin' Oven Florist, After Hours Entertainment, Cheeky Glam Events, Legend Limos

Pictures!

It's hard to believe its been over three months since my wedding day. I'd love to say that its been three months of wedded bliss, but its far from them. I came back to a major change in my company and the risk of the company not making payroll. My hubby and I had been living with my MIL to save money for a house but it's been a rocky road there. Then, my FIL suffered a massive stroke. It's been insane...but...for better or for worse, right?

Here's the good news. I now get to spend sometime reminiscing my wedding to to share all my reviews with you lovely ladies! I hope you all find this helpful.

Engagement: (A)
Hubby popped the question during September 4, 2011. I went to the yankee game with my dad, and DH and I met in Long Island City, Queens (I lived there early on in our relationship and we love it there) for dinner. When my dad dropped me off, he went to go shake DH's hand/give him a hug and ended up kissing him on the shoulder. It's a huge family joke now and we make my dad kiss him on the shoulder every time they see each other.

Anyway, DH scoped out a nice bench in Gantry State Park overlooking the East River and the entire Manhattan skyline. He was so nervous! He just kept asking if I was okay and if I was happy. Then, he told me that I was the best thing that ever happened to him and some more nice things...but was too nervous to ask the question. I wanted to tell him to just DO IT! He finally did, I said yes, and that was that!

We wanted to go to our favorite asian restaurant in LIC, but it was closed for - get this - a wedding reception, so we went and got italian before driving out to my parents house on Long Island (spur of the moment) to celebrate with them, before going home to our apartment in New Jersey.

Engagement Ring: (A)
DH got my engagement ring in Florida while he was visiting with his grandma. They went to her jeweler and was able to get a great deal on a 1.3 carat diamond solitaire and its absolutely gorgeous!

Shower: Bob's Place A
My mom and sister threw me the best shower ever! They had it at this restaurant in Floral Park because it was in between NJ and Long Island. It wasn't a surprise - I knew the date but didn't know the location and the theme. First of all, don't let the name of the restaurant scare you - it was AMAZING. The Food was off the hook good and the decor was beautiful. Sadly, the restaurant has since closed. I wanted to go there for my birthday this year and was so upset!!!

The theme for the shower was SHOES! I love shoes. The centerpieces were shoe boxes wrapped with adorable wrapping paper, with a funky shoe on top. They had shoe shaped cookies and shoe shaped chocolates and even a GIANT shoe cardboard we used as a step and repeat. It was beyond awesome. We registered at Bed Bath and Beyond and Macys. We were happy with both - we especially loved the Macys rewards program.

Bachelorette Party: Miami!!! (A)
What can I say? I grabbed a few of my best girls and went to South Beach for a weekend of sun and fun. It was a perfect mix of girls - no fighting, arguing or anything. The weather was amazing, the accommodations were top notch. It was beyond perfect and I am so blessed.

The weekend started off right when my girls and I shared a row of airplane seats with Teresa and Juicy Joe Guidice from Real Housewives. We stayed at the Marriott on South Beach - the rooms were gorgeous balcony rooms with ocean views. The pools and beach was awesome. On the first night, we went to The Forge Bar for the Veuve Cliquot happy hour and had such a great time. It was such a classy establishment and we fit in at first....but then we got rowdy, I was pinching buns with my bun puncher, and we met some basketball players. We had bar snacks that were beyond belief amazing. We finished the night at a local cuban restaurant were the girls made me stand and the whole restaurant clapped for me.

The next two days we split our time between the pool and the beach. On the second night, we went for a delicious dinner at Rosa Mexicana, and then went out to The Perry and then the Clevelander, and on the third night we went to dinner at Bongos restaurant and then to Mangos Tropical Cafe for dancing. On the walk home, we yelled at people to watch out for the creepers! Creepers are scumbags who comb the beach at night looking for couples hooking up - and then they steal their wallets. It was silly and fun.

Boudoir Shoot: French Kiss (A-)
Irina was really great. So friendly and sweet - great eye - made me look amazing beyond belief. I got my hair and makeup done by her girl and she did a good job but took FOREVER. I definitely could have and should have done my own hair, and probably my own makeup. Irina got to work and things were going great, but I started to get tired (I can't blame this on her, can I?), so we didn't get as many shots of my last few outfits, which was disappointing. Regardless, FH loved the book I had made for him.

Invitations: Sweet Stuff Designs (B)
I knew the invitations I wanted - I found them online - but they were too expensive. I got a great price through Sweet Stuff Designs and I was thrilled. They came out fantastic and my guests loved them. I am only giving her a B because it was at times a challenge to communicate with her - which could have been because of me just as much of her. Overall, very happy with the result!

Rehearsal Dinner: 21 Main (B)
We originally wanted to have our 'welcome dinner' (we weren't having a rehearsal) at Blue Restaurant in Blue Point. I visited there on one of my many trips to Long Island during the planning process, and loved the place but didn't book it right away because they told me I could call even as late as 2 or 3 weeks in advance to book it. When I called back about 6 weeks later (and 6 weeks before the wedding), I was told they were no longer doing private or semi-private parties. So, we went back to the search and fell in love with the place. They cut us a deal since they are Lovin' Oven and we were very happy.

On the day of, I had a little bit of decor to set up and had the most delicious and amazing bride and groom cake pops made (by my talented pastry chef neighbor - contact me for her info) for everyone to take back to their hotel rooms with them. However, two of my family members invited extra people and so we had to quickly have extra tables set up, and the staff at 21 Main at first gave us a hard time. Plus, we paid a little extra for appetizers and after about 30-40 minutes, they still weren't being served. When we asked about it, we were told that we never ordered them! Luckily, my mom had the contract with her and it clearly stated that we ordered them. 21 Main quickly got some plates together - not what we ordered - and took the apps off our bill. Our guests never knew the difference, but we were disappointed nonetheless.

Hair: Maureen in Medford (A)
Maureen has been doing my mom's hair for years. She has a small salon in her home and is a total mom-type. But man, oh man, can this woman do hair. She was AMAZING. Every one of my girls had a completely different look and everyone was beyond pleased. The best part - she was VERY reasonably priced.

Makeup: David Hicks (A)
David did the makeup for one of my friend's weddings a few years ago (when I was a bridesmaid) and it was the best my makeup had ever looked. After three trials that I was less than pleased with, I contacted David and went to his apartment in Manhattan for a trial. My makeup was GREAT and his price was the same as any Long Island artist. What's more, I decided I wanted a different look four weeks before the wedding so we did another trial and he didn't charge me for either. He's totally fun and beyond talented. Check him out, you won't regret it.

MOB Dress: Bridal Paradise Patchogue (A)
My mom stepped out of her comfort zone with her dress and was a complete knock out. She looked amazing!!!!

Bridesmaids Dresses: David's Bridal (A)
I wanted navy blue dresses for the girls for my nautical themed wedding and I knew I wanted them to be reasonably priced. I stopped by a David's Bridal and saw a few dresses I liked and ended up trying them on myself! I loved the one I selected - a one shoulder dress with black details and a tie at the waist. It was the perfect fit for all the girls and only $99. It wasn't even a bridesmaids dress - it was a cocktail dress!

Tuxedos: Men's Warehouse (A)
The guys went to Men's Warehouse for their tuxes and had no problems. I ended up paying for them all to get an extra shirt in case it was a really hot day and they ended up sweating through their shirt...but the idiots all left their extra shirts at the hotel!

Dress: Amsale Lauren, purchased and fitted at Kleinfelds (A)
What can I say about the Kleinfeld's experience? It was amazing!! Keisha was our consultant, and we also had an intern helping us out as well and I think my mom cried when we found out we had Keisha. She was so fun and helpful. When I tried on the Amsale dress (Lauren), I had a feeling it was the one - but we went back to another one I had liked before and I knew Amsale was the one! I loved that it had a different looking neckline. A friend of mine told me it looked like a napkin when I showed her a picture, but Angelina Jolie wore a dress with the same neckline to the Oscars this passed year! I was ahead of tread. I got a belt and veil to go with it at Kleinfelds.

I also had my fittings and alterations at Kleinfelds. I had Mariella as my seamstress, and Vera helped as well - which made my parents happy!!! Nothing but great things to say about the whole experience.

Shoes: Hey Lady (C+)
I specifically sought out Hey Lady shoes because I read rave reviews of how comfortable they were! I found a sample sale at a bridal boutique in Brooklyn and went. I found an awesome pair of shoes and placed my order. After paying over $200, I got them home and they looked a little discolored - but they still worked. I loved them. But all day, the straps kept falling down and they were NOT comfortable. I switched to my wedge flip flops during the cocktail hour.

Mother Nature: (B+)
The day of the wedding was HOT. It had to be close to 100. Omg, it was so hot and sweaty under my dress. Also, my period showed up the day before, so i was NOT happy about that. But somehow, mother nature took care of me and my normally heavy, painful period was very light!!

Transportation: Legend Limos (A)
We booked a party bus for the whole day and it worked out great. We used it to transport the guys to my parents house for pictures. Then it drove the whole bridal party to Land's End. Then it started make trips back and forth between the hotel and Land's End. It sat in the parking lot all night - this was important to me as a lot of 'shuttles' will go make trips for other parties - then made trips at the end of the night. Great service, nice people, easy to work with.

Hotel #1: Courtyard by Marriott Ronkonkoma (D)
We originally booked the Courtyard because we liked the way it looked. It turned out to be a nightmare. They would only give us 15 rooms, and no free room for the bride and groom. I was really unsure of what to do because I knew we would need more than 15 rooms, and I ended up deciding to change hotels (long before the invitations were finalized, whew).

Hotel #2: Hilton Garden Inn Ronkonkoma (A)
I was so happy we switched! HGI was amazing to work with. We got all the rooms we wanted. DH and I had our room for free that night. We had the bar stay up very late. We arranged for breakfast for our guests. Absolutely nothing to complain about. GREAT Experience.

DIY: (A)
Okay, I took on a TON of DIY stuff. It was fun and my mom and I enjoyed doing it. Here is a lust of what we did:
--hotel goody bags with water, chips, candy, gum, Long Island magnets, homemade wedding cake cookies (made by my talented mom), advil, door knob hangers, an oopsie emergency kit, and an info brochure
--programs
--aisle decor
--nautical garland (ETSY)
--bar menus with specific decor for each
--matchboxes (THE KNOT)
--cocktail napkins (THE KNOT)
--Message in a bottle escort cards
--pinwheel escort cards for kids
--table number notebooks (guests write in them for DH and I to read on our anniversary)
--Menus with mini starfish on each
--photobooth props
--sparklers with tags with saying relating love to sparks and such
PS - I order ribbon from ribbon retreat - great deal - and the glass bottles from e-bottles.com. highly recommend both!

Bridesmaids Gifts:
I got my bridesmaids a number of gifts. I got them each a bottle of their favorite perfume, jewelry for each of their personalities (not doj), a jewelry box, a hand mirror, lotion, champagne, and other odds and ends

Grooms Gift:
In addition to the boudoir photo album, I made him a day of emergency kit that included socks to prevent cold feet and other super cute things. :)

Coordinator: Cheeky Glam Events (A)
The ladies of Cheeky Glam were phenomenal as I planned my wedding. I hired them as day of coordinators, but they were much more than that. Any time I had a silly question, a concern, or completed one of my DIY projects, I emailed them and, like magic, a response arrived in my email within minutes. And not just a response - everything they said and did was with such enthusiasm, it was is if was THEIR special day as well. Leading up to the wedding, I put a lot of thought into the details of the day and created a meticulous plan for how everything should go. The Cheeky Glam girls made sure everything ran smoothly - including distributing gifts to some of my cousins who were celebrating a birthday or a graduation. They were even right by my side when we were search for my new husband for Greek dancing. The biggest downside of getting married is not having an excuse to email these girls!

Photographer/Videographer: Imagine Studios (A)
From the moment I met Lia, I had a feeling I'd pick her to document my big day. She is sweet and easy going and all around adorable. Not to mention super talented. Her team was beyond fabulous on the day of the wedding. The hours of pictures went smoothly, and they stayed patient with us when we started to loose our cool in the heat. I am so grateful for them. The pictures came out phenomenal, and I cant wait to create our album and video!

Florist: Lovin Oven Florist (A)
I knew exactly who I was hiring when I booked Land's End. The basketweave ceiling decor was up when I visited and it took my breath away. Once we decided to get married at Land's End, I knew my florist would be Lovin Oven. And let me tell you...Keyth was AMAZING! I am a girl who knows nothing about flowers other than 'that's pretty.' I gave him an idea and he totally made it come to life...UNDER BUDGET!!! I was beyond thrilled with the bouquets, bouts, corsages, and of course the centerpieces!!! Talk to Keyth! You won't regret it.

Entertainment: After Hours (A)
I knew I was going to use Phil after our first meeting. He had such a pure energy about him you could tell he loves his job. Beyond that, he gave me everything I wanted AND MORE for less than they other guys were charging. I'm not kidding. Here is what we had:

A. Ceremony: Live musicians, mic for officiant
B. Cocktail Hour: Live musicians indoors, piped in music outdoors
C. Reception: DJ, MC, percussionist (OFF THE HOOK!!!!)
D. Lighting: We had uplighting all around the room - gorgeous with the ceiling drapery.
E. Photobooth: My guests loved the photo booth - phil provided props, a guest book, a USB with all the pictures and an attended. the only downside was that my name was spelled wrong on the picture strips. I forgive that though because it was such a hit! I provided some of my own props as well, including cardboard cut outs of my and DH's heads when we were nine years old - on a stick - so people could take picutres with them
F. Snack Truck: This was the best! The truck parked outside of Land's End and was stocked with drinks and EVERY time of candy and baked good you could imagine. This was AWESOME!!! A huge hit!

Venue: Land's End (A+++++++++++)
Last, but certainly not least, my favorite...Land's End. What can I say? Every time I go there, I have this overwhelming happy feeling. The grounds are gorgeous - lush greens, beautiful landscape, sand, water, docks, ferries - it is the quintessential long island and i love EVERYTHING about it.

I love that it is one event at a time. The cocktail hour arrangement for the warmer weather can't be beat. The ceremony location is breath taking. The ballroom is massive. They have an awesome back room/smoking lounge. It's awesome.

We got a great deal on it because we were flexible on dates and willing to plan our wedding in 9 and a half months. SO WORTH IT. I loved everything about the Land's End experience. EVERYTHING!

A. Ceremony: Our ceremony was short but sweet. We had a family friend, supreme court justice John B. Collins marry us and he did a great job. We had a beautiful reading by one of my friends and the music added a lovely touch to the whole thing.

B. Cocktail Hour: After signing the marriage license and taking 5 minutes to ourselves, Larry and I went down to the cocktail hour. We wanted to EAT!!!! But our guests kept stopping us and we were thrilled to great them. But we missed most of the food. Our guests, however, raved that everything was out of this world amazing and SO plentiful! THey loved the indoor/outdoor option and that there was seating for everyone. By then, though, the weather cooled down, so most people stayed outside. We also had an ice sculpture/vodka bar that was a major hit!

C. Reception: What a magical reception. I wish I could live it again and again and again. The food was amazing, service impeccable, and the dance floor was hoping. Most of our guests told us it was the best affair they had ever been to.

D. Staff: Jen Barnett was our BM and she was great. She made sure all of our special requests got handled. My mom wrote to her to see if there was anything that could be done about a cracked window and cracked wow floor - when we met with her we were told it was on the list but wouldn't happen before the end of the year. Well, Jen waived her magic wand and when we went to drop off all our stuff two days before, BOTH were fixed. My mom and I were giddy with happiness. GREAT customer service. On the day of, my attendant, Kim, was amazing and so was the matre d, Caesar. They took great care of us and our families.

E. Cake: Audrey's bake shop did an outstanding job on our chocolate cake with chocolate chip cannoli filling. Our topper was a giant bow made by them - adorable! We also had a chocolate fountain...we love chocolate!

Honeymoon: Hawaii A++++++++++++
Okay, I am EXHAUSTED but Hawaii was amazing! A few quick highlights:
Honolulu: Pearl Harbor, Roy's for dinner, Diamondhead Hike (hotel: Hyatt Regency A)
Maui: DUO restaurant!!!!!, Lahaina grill, Haleakala sunrise, Cheeseburger in Paradise, Ululalani's shave ice (hotel: Hyatt Regency A++)
Kauai: Captain Andy's (hotel: Grand Hyatt A++++++++++)
Pictures!
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KDNY133 Posted: Oct 05, 2012 09:43 AM+
KDNY133 MEMBER SINCE: 7/11 TOTAL POSTS : 951 WEDDING DATE: Sep 02, 2012
Posted: Oct 05, 2012 09:43 AM bride-minus.png

6/30/2012: Land's End, Imagine Studios, Lovin' Oven Florist, After Hours Entertainment, Cheeky Glam Events, Legend Limos

Sounded like a great day
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katnwill Posted: Oct 05, 2012 10:04 AM+
katnwill MEMBER SINCE: 10/11 TOTAL POSTS : 2405 WEDDING DATE: May 26, 2013
Posted: Oct 05, 2012 10:04 AM bride-minus.png

6/30/2012: Land's End, Imagine Studios, Lovin' Oven Florist, After Hours Entertainment, Cheeky Glam Events, Legend Limos

Congrats... Great review!!!

Hope everything else works out.
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lauren1802 Posted: Oct 05, 2012 10:40 AM+
lauren1802 MEMBER SINCE: 10/11 TOTAL POSTS : 5335 WEDDING DATE: Sep 20, 2013
Posted: Oct 05, 2012 10:40 AM bride-minus.png

6/30/2012: Land's End, Imagine Studios, Lovin' Oven Florist, After Hours Entertainment, Cheeky Glam Events, Legend Limos

great review!
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Serenalee13 Posted: Oct 05, 2012 12:09 PM+
Serenalee13 MEMBER SINCE: 4/12 TOTAL POSTS : 563 WEDDING DATE: May 23, 2014
Posted: Oct 05, 2012 12:09 PM bride-minus.png

6/30/2012: Land's End, Imagine Studios, Lovin' Oven Florist, After Hours Entertainment, Cheeky Glam Events, Legend Limos

Awesome review! I like that you gave your Husband socks for 'cold feet' that was cute!
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kitt6katt Posted: Oct 05, 2012 01:32 PM+
kitt6katt MEMBER SINCE: 9/11 TOTAL POSTS : 1076 WEDDING DATE: Jun 30, 2012
Posted: Oct 05, 2012 01:32 PM bride-minus.png

Re: 6/30/2012: Land's End, Imagine Studios, Lovin' Oven Florist, After Hours Entertainment, Cheeky Glam Events, Legend Limos

They are his favorite socks now. He says they are very comfy!
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deedre2013 Posted: Oct 05, 2012 05:17 PM+
deedre2013 MEMBER SINCE: 8/12 TOTAL POSTS : 46 WEDDING DATE: Nov 09, 2013
Posted: Oct 05, 2012 05:17 PM bride-minus.png

6/30/2012: Land's End, Imagine Studios, Lovin' Oven Florist, After Hours Entertainment, Cheeky Glam Events, Legend Limos

congrats! your pics are beautiful!
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Sdegennaro2 Posted: Oct 05, 2012 08:19 PM+
Sdegennaro2 MEMBER SINCE: 2/12 TOTAL POSTS : 1636 WEDDING DATE: Nov 01, 2013
Posted: Oct 05, 2012 08:19 PM bride-minus.png

6/30/2012: Land's End, Imagine Studios, Lovin' Oven Florist, After Hours Entertainment, Cheeky Glam Events, Legend Limos

Great review! That lady that did your hair does she also work at Cosmo prof?
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ChristineNorah Posted: Oct 05, 2012 09:03 PM+
ChristineNorah MEMBER SINCE: 10/10 TOTAL POSTS : 2182 WEDDING DATE: Dec 28, 2012
Posted: Oct 05, 2012 09:03 PM bride-minus.png

6/30/2012: Land's End, Imagine Studios, Lovin' Oven Florist, After Hours Entertainment, Cheeky Glam Events, Legend Limos

Congratulations!! Great review, thank you for sharing. Fantastic pictures, you made a beautiful bride.
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kitt6katt Posted: Oct 06, 2012 09:44 AM+
kitt6katt MEMBER SINCE: 9/11 TOTAL POSTS : 1076 WEDDING DATE: Jun 30, 2012
Posted: Oct 06, 2012 09:44 AM bride-minus.png

Re: 6/30/2012: Land's End, Imagine Studios, Lovin' Oven Florist, After Hours Entertainment, Cheeky Glam Events, Legend Limos


Posted by Sdegennaro2

Great review! That lady that did your hair does she also work at Cosmo prof?



No, she only works out of her home.
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kitt6katt Posted: Oct 06, 2012 09:44 AM+
kitt6katt MEMBER SINCE: 9/11 TOTAL POSTS : 1076 WEDDING DATE: Jun 30, 2012
Posted: Oct 06, 2012 09:44 AM bride-minus.png

Re: 6/30/2012: Land's End, Imagine Studios, Lovin' Oven Florist, After Hours Entertainment, Cheeky Glam Events, Legend Limos


Posted by ChristineNorah

Congratulations!! Great review, thank you for sharing. Fantastic pictures, you made a beautiful bride.



Thank you so much! You are so sweet. :)
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