The Brides' Review - Long Review of 7/11 wedding ... W/ PICS

2bewedin04 Posted: Jul 24, 2004 11:27 AM+

2bewedin04 MEMBER SINCE: 8/03 TOTAL POSTS : 140 WEDDING DATE: Jul 04, 2004

Posted: Jul 24, 2004 11:27 AM

Long Review of 7/11 wedding ... W/ PICS

First of all ... thank all of you wonderful ladies. My day was truly fantastic, and I owe it in part to the wealth of information that is on this site. I know only few of you personally, only one or two via email, and have posted relatively infrequently. However, I found the advice, information and just plain distraction factor of this site to be invaluable. Thank you again, and here is my post in case it helps any of you. I'm going to rate on a scale of 1 to 100 ... gives me more options. Bear in mind that I'm a tough, tough critic but it's an honest evaluation.

The Water's Edge in Long Island City ........... 89

This place is simply amazing. You sign onto the Water's Edge if you are looking for ambiance ... plain and simple. The view of Manhattan is absolutely breathtaking, and the food is delicious. It was exactly what we wanted. The ceremony was tremendous, with Mother Nature lending a hand in giving us one of the most beautiful days this year. We were married on the pier, overlooking Manhattan. It couldn't have been a more perfect ceremony, which was for us the most important part. As for the rest, from the moment I arrived at the Water's Edge, an attendant was there to assist me ... and she was worth gold. She not only taught me how to wear stockings in a way that would help me pee (invaluable) but was amazingly adept at handling all sorts of crises that managed to creep up during the evening ... from broken shoes to wardrobe malfunctions. The cocktail hour was supposedly great and the affair was lovely overall.

All of this said, the day was not without a few drawbacks ... for one, there was another event ending as we were still doing pictures, and there was a sense of rush because I could not get into the bridal room right away. Perhaps because of this, the bathrooms (which are the same one's used by the prior guests) were not the cleanest when I did arrive upstairs. Additionally, the boat which we hired to transport guests across the river from Manhattan was late, leaving the guests to wait a while. One of the main course dishes, which was delicious at the tasting, was dry at the wedding. Finally, we ordered a cupcake cake, but wished that someone had told us that it meant speeding up the time when you actually serve dessert at the wedding so that the cupcakes can be boxed and sent home with the guests. Had I known we'd be serving cake what seems like minutes after dinner (which is the first opportunity for guests who are not night owls to leave), I'd have chosen a regular wedding cake.

Problems aside, I'd have another affair there again, just do things a bit differently.

Channel One from Creative Music Consultants in Westchester ........... 95

The most undereported best kept secret on this board is channel one from CMC music. I found it on the Knot after my first band essentially broke apart and I was in a a major crunch to find a band. They were superb. Whatever small mess ups occurred (the Hora went on forever) was probably due to a lack of communication rather than any bad showing on their part. They played well, were unobtrusive and were accommodating to special requests such as when I asked a friend to sing 'New York State of Mind' at the last minute. I don't know why more people on this board don't use them, but I'd give them a look. They are fantastic.

Bridal Accent in Glen Cove ............. 96

My dress kicked a$$. Plain and simple. I bought it off the rack, and the owner gave me a tremendous discount. Even with the discount, I was treated like royalty for fittings (they were pricey though so ask in advance) and the fitter was outstanding. This place is clean, has great dresses at not outrageous prices and excellent service. Watch out of the attempt to get you to come in for a 'trunk show' for accessories though. It was nothing more than an invite into the store to look at overpriced (but beautiful) headgear. I wounded up getting suckered into it, and my veil and tiara were beautiful, but I probably could have gotten away with cheaper accessories elsewhere that were nice.

Tania at Swank in West Village ............. 96

Tania kicks a$$. If there is such a thing as a make up genius, she is it. She was able to do mine and my decades older mother's hair and make up virtually perfectly, mine natural looking and my mother's more sophisticated looking. The make up stayed all night, despite pervasive sweating from the previously mentioned really long Hora. My only complaint is that she put the veil in too tight and it was hard getting it out after the ceremony. But, the hair still managed to stay up and in place when we finally got it out.

Simple Silhouettes in Soho ............... 92

My bridesmaids were all in their 30's. One is a lesbian, one has three kids, one is a newlywed and one is single. Two are bigger boned, and two are thin as rails. That said, I needed a place that would allow the girls to pick out what they wanted. Simple silhouettes fit the bill ... however they are too expensive for what you get in my mind. One girl who purchased out of California (they have a store there) was not happy with the service and they all needed alterations. But, for the most part except for the price this place is great.

Foresto Tuxedo in Mineola ................ 98

My now husband looked like a stud. We went there thinking that we were only going to rent, but when Dominick took one look at my husband's build, he picked out the perfect tux for his body shape and we were sold. We also rented the groomsmen's vest/ties from there and were happy with everything. They know how to dress people, from the selection to the alterations.

Owen Photography in Syosset

Can't rate yet, but he's a sweetie.

Rabbi Fenster ............. 100

I'm not sure if Rabbi Fenster is an online recommendation sort of guy ... not even sure if he does weddings for people other than his former congregants, as he is retired. I will say that our ceremony was one of our favorite parts of our wedding. He was warm, sweet, and all and all terrific.

Dalsimer Florist in Cedarhurst .............. 100

Our flowers were incredible. The bridesmaids were wearing navy blue and the flower girls were in baby blue, and the florist just tied everything in incredibly. There were breathtaking arrangements of different colored pinks, blues and whites and there were A LOT of flowers. I used to think that flowers were a non-important part of a wedding. But, if you are looking for a florist that will do an excellent job, this is it.

Reena Kayit in Upper West Side and Queens ........... 100

I'm not sure if I'm spelling her name correctly, but I got Reena's name from a girl on LIW who can probably give the correct spelling and I'd be happy to email her number. Reena is terrific. She choreographed our first dance for us, taught us a myriad of other dance moves and steps and was just a joy to work with. I highly recommend dance lessons ... it is a great way to remove stress before the wedding and the work will pay off. We were actually cheered at our first dance ... how fun!

Marriott Courtyard Midtown East (3rd and 53rd) .............. 100

This place never gets mentioned on this board, perhaps cause there aren't too many planning NYC weddings here, but if you are, consider this place for your guests. It is primarily a businesspersons hotel, and perhaps because of this, they are great with wedding parties. The rooms are immaculately clean, fairly large and many have really good views. The hotel itself is extremely well placed ... our guests (many who were transplanted NYers) kept telling us how much fun they were having going to shows in Times Square or walking the city when there weren't wedding related events. They gave me a bridal suite for regular room rate, threw in champagne and strawberry's, helped us arrange for transportation to and from the wedding, and were all around fantastic.

Bellini (52nd between 2nd and 3rd) ................. 95

We had a rehearsal dinner here, primarily because it was located across the street from the Marriott. It turned out to be terrific, again except for the price. In their defense, though, we had tried to argue that a July night would be empty and the place was full all night. The food was extremely tasty, the wine was good quality and the service was pretty good. They left us alone to talk or give toasts when not serving food and it was a perfect way to start off our wedding festivities. Only complaint was that they separated us from another party with an accordian looking separator that kept falling down ... didn't hit any of our guests but the guests sitting closest to it became adept at shoving their arm up just in time to catch it.

Honeymoon (Aruba)

Bucuti Beach Resort in Eagle Beach .......... 98
Hyatt Resort in Palm Beach ............. 93

The Bucuti is terrific ... I almost don't want to say how great it is for fear that the quiet charm of the place will be altered if too many people learn what a gem this is. There are two main areas for vacationers in Aruba, Eagle Beach, where the low rise resorts are and Palm Beach, where the high rises are. We spent the first week at the Bucuti and the last three nights at the Hyatt. While the Hyatt is gorgeous, we really did enjoy the Bucuti more. The staff at the Bucuti is utterly friendly, the beach is beautiful and serene, the food is good, the price is reasonable, and the overall feeling is one of relaxation. The Hyatt is more high maintenance ... you have to get up at 6 A.M. in order to get a lounge chair with a shade because people start reserving them that early. There are tons of people everywhere, and the beach and pool areas both feel cramped. The place is gorgeous, the pool is gorgeous, the food is incredible, and the staff is cordial. But, the feel of the Bucuti was more our pace after a year of wedding stress.

Hope this helps ... and hope everyone's wedding is a magical as ours was!

groovypeg Posted: Jul 24, 2004 11:50 AM+

groovypeg MEMBER SINCE: 2/03 TOTAL POSTS : 3700 WEDDING DATE: Nov 21, 2004

Posted: Jul 24, 2004 11:50 AM

Re: Long Review of 7/11 wedding

what a great review!!!! do you have any pictures???

christy Posted: Jul 24, 2004 11:55 AM+

christy MEMBER SINCE: 1/02 TOTAL POSTS : 6763 WEDDING DATE: Apr 18, 2003

Posted: Jul 24, 2004 11:55 AM

Re: Long Review of 7/11 wedding

Thanks for sharing! Congrats!

bogiedmb41 Posted: Jul 24, 2004 01:37 PM+

bogiedmb41 MEMBER SINCE: 12/03 TOTAL POSTS : 1205 WEDDING DATE: Mar 26, 2005

Posted: Jul 24, 2004 01:37 PM

Re: Long Review of 7/11 wedding

Sounds like a great day, Congrats!

Janine24 Posted: Jul 24, 2004 01:46 PM+

Janine24 MEMBER SINCE: 7/03 TOTAL POSTS : 3943 WEDDING DATE: Nov 07, 2004

Posted: Jul 24, 2004 01:46 PM

Re: Long Review of 7/11 wedding

congrats...

I liked the numbering system you used for the review...

dkwife Posted: Jul 24, 2004 04:20 PM+

dkwife MEMBER SINCE: 1/04 TOTAL POSTS : 2132 WEDDING DATE: Sep 11, 2004

Posted: Jul 24, 2004 04:20 PM

Re: Long Review of 7/11 wedding

Congratulations, it sounds great! Looking forward to seeing pictures...
I bought my dress at Bridal Accents as well, I love the place, although I just found out about the alteration costs.