Magical wedding day!! Updated with Photos!!June 13, 2014 WEDDING REVIEW CREST HOLLOW

Our wedding was a magical experience on Friday, June 13. 2014. The day went by so fast but we enjoyed every minute! We had beautiful sunny pictures in the afternoon at our house with my girls. We opted for an indoor ceremony and cocktail at CHCC since there was high chance of rain in the evening, which turned out beautiful!!! Here is a quick review of all the companies used.


Invitations
Black Tie Occasion A+
I chose an etsy vendor by the name of Black Tie Occasion. I dealt with Katrina who was an absolute doll to work with. She worked with me diligently via email for several months until we got it right! The invitation featured lace, satin and a blingy fleur de lis brooch. The fleur de lis was the symbol of our wedding. Each invite was placed in a white box that had a strip of rhinestone across the front as well as the inside inner lid which held down the directions and RSVP. I also had a cute little fuschia business card (made on Vista print) with our website info that I included in the box. This blinged out box was then placed in another pizza-like white shipping box (from Staples) which I attached linen address and labels on. It turned out beautiful - all my guests kept raving about them! I kept 2 of them as decorations in our living room armoir. I know I went all out on these but this was one feature that I really wanted to shine!


Camelot limousines C
I chose a 1957 Rolls Royce and a white Cadillac stretch limo for my bridal team. These were gorgeous limousines and the drivers were very friendly! However the reason for my C was that there was no real AC in the cars!! I was never warned about this by the company. I was sweating like a pig in the car and on top of that it, a 25 minute ride turned into over an hour due to traffic. I fanned myself for dear life to avoid my makeup from rolling down my face. I felt so bad for my poor parents who were also with me trying to tolerate the crazy heat. I believe that the company should have warned me about this before I signed the contract. I was not prepared at all for that!

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Ceremony runner A+

This was something I wanted to be special. I saw the runner on etsy with the design that I wanted! It was gorgeous! The seller is great to work with and she personally hand painted it. It had an Old English look to it. I was so happy how it turned out!! The best thing was that it wasn't too expensive like some other runners I've seen for like 1000 dollars!


Ceremony Unity Candles
I purchased these beautiful candles from an etsy vendor named JorgeiaWeddingEvent. They are so gorgeous that I cried when I received them! The seller is also very nice. When I purchased the additional candles for our mothers, one was broken and the other bent. I quickly communicated this to the seller who apologized and noted that she would be sending 2 new ones in the mail. She was awesome to deal with. Now this candle set is displayed in my living room armoire and it looks quite nice there! :)

Wedding dresses A+
New Genesis Bridal
My Mother and I were on our way to RK bridal sometime in September last year on a rainy afternoon. We happened to stumble across a small boutique on 33rd street. We walked in and saw 'the gown' - pure white satin ball gown with lace detail and a long train. My dress originally had straps but we opted to have them removed so it would be strapless and added appliqué cap sleeves and a rhinestone accent piece at the front waist. I wanted the puffy ball gown look so I purchased a 5 hoop slip online which helped create that look. What a slip can do! I was able to create the dress I dreamed of. Sometimes you have to improvise on things to create your vision! I wasn't sure on getting a 2nd dress but when I went to pick up my dress
2 weeks prior to the big day, there stood my gorgeous mermaid dress in diamond white. After a long while of searching online for my veil, I also purchased my veil from them -fingertip length with gorgeous crystal rhinestone designs. It was a pleasure dealing with Yolanda, the store owner - she became like family! Rosalie, the seamstress is also very sweet!





Bridesmaids dresses
Jordan couture in color mulberry
Purchased on different websites by my girls.
I was extremely lucky to find the dress for my girls online! In fact some call me risky for choosing an online dress that actually turned out to be perfect. I chose a dress that was not only pretty but practical! My plan was to have the girls pin up their hair and showcase the necklaces I bought them which had fuschia and clear rhinestones that totally popped with the dress! I also got them beautiful fuschia rhinestone bracelets.My girls looked so beautiful that day!


Groomsmen attire
Foresto A
This place was great! The only issue was that the measurements that were originally taken by the tailor a month before the wedding ended up being erroneous - as it turned out that most of the guys needed their pants let down - other wise, their pants would have been high waters! lol luckily they were quick to fix them the day before. The owner of the store is awesome. I chose black for the groomsmen and satin fuschia ties and pocket squares which I purchased separately. I loved how a 4 point folded pocket square looked inside the pocket over the boutineer since both looked too busy. My hubby was dressed in an all White tux that looked great against his caramel complexion- he looked soooo handsome!!!




Crest Hollow Country Club. A
They did a great job - we worked with Nevin and Carol n our wedding day who were very attentive to us. We picked a few expensive upgrades for our ballroom which was worth every penny as I look at a few pictures. The details certainly do matter! All along, I thought I was overkill, but I totally wasn't! Brides - go all OUT for the details- it will pay off TRUST ME!!!
My banquet manager was Mitchell who was great to work with considering all the emails I bombarded him with for the whole year. I was really counting on a perfect sunny day for my ceremony and cocktail hour but it is what it is. It rained and poured right before our ceremony so we opted for an indoor ceremony which turned out to be quite pretty! I had already prepared myself mentally if this were to happen - u gotta always think ahead! My candlelight stayed lit so I didn't have to worry about the wind blowing it out. My musicians really turned up the scene several notches. My reception room, the Plaza Room was decked out and I loved it. I purchased fuchsia plate chargers to add some color to the table - also bought menu cards (i added bling) fuchsia napkin rings, huge candelabras, blinged Mr & Mrs Sign - all my purchases i made throughout the year paid off nicely. I can see it in the pics - DECOR DECOR DECOR!!! My upgraded ceiling drapes with the lights transitioned the room to a magical setting. I am so happy I decided to do that.
The food upgrades however are not always justified because so many of it goes to waste! I bared touched my dinner and I didn't get my dessert or cake at the end but I was so busy running around, greeting and dancing. What Bride actually gets to eat all her wedding food?????





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MENU CARDS /WEDDING PROGRAMS/ GUEST BOOK TREE
Zazzle.com A+
This is an awesome website! I purchased my menu card that had my wedding colors (fuchsia) and decided I want to pump them up with some bling so I added to strips of bling to them. I also got my wedding programs from them that turned out lovely. The site is pretty easy to use and they ship very fast! AS for my guest book, I wanted something a little less traditional so I opted for a leaf tree which everyone signed - I purchased a frame separately from ebay and it worked perfectly together! I placed that on an easel and voila! Also bought a traditional guest book that people can leave their messages in as well. Check out my pretty feather pen!
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Flowers by Bryan A-
I paid a pretty penny at this vendor but they did do a wonderful job with the decor. I worked with Danielle who knew exactly what I wanted though she probably thought I was a little excessive but I cant help it! I was pleased with our extra tall centerpieces with hanging crystals and tea lights. The only thing that I did notice was that my centerpieces were not as full as I had seen them when I went to see my sample. My mother and hubby noticed that too. Hence the A -. The ceremony decor was also very pretty. Our guests didn't get to take home the centerpieces but that's what u get when you go for the extra tall pieces. FBB also decorated our house very nicely with tulle all around our gate which was a very nice touch! We were the neighborhood spotlight ;)




Officiant
Keith Gugliuzza A+
He is so awesome! I would recommend him in a heartbeat! He has a wonderful personality and will make you feel quite at ease. He has a great sense of humor! He did a wonderful job at out ceremony and added all the personal touches that made our ceremony memorable. I am so glad I found him!


Capriccio Ensemble A+ (CEREMONY MUSIC)
My musicians for the ceremony were a violinist and a harpist! They sounded beautiful at the ceremony. Natalie worked with me throughout the whole process - she is a great communicater and will work with you closely via email to come up with the perfect song layout! Just from her emails, her sweet personality emanates from them. When I met her in personal after our ceremony, she was an absolute sweetheart!! I'm so happy I used them!!
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The next level band A+ (COCKTAIL MUSIC)
I loved this vendor! They were amazing! My guests are still talking about them. My husband and I quickly passed by through our cocktail hour just to get a glimpse of what was going on and I was very satisfied!! They had my crowd pumped!! Tyrone, the band leader is who is also a steel band player was a pleasure to work with! Our singer had an amazing voice!


DJ Playboy / Black Rhino Sound A+
My best friend, is a big reggae DJ from Texas. He flew in to New York the night before just for the wedding. He hooked us up and played some great selections! We partied all night til 2 in the morning to reggae and soca tunes!


Jaylim photography A +
I chose this vendor because I was impressed by their studio and what others were saying about them on wedding websites. I dealt with Joseph, Eric and Jean- they were awesome. I can't wait to see my video - psyched!! The best advice to me is that you communicate with your photographer throughout the time because sometimes things can get missed. Make sure you relay everything you want to capture before. Also tell them the style you are looking for - whether classic or creative or a combination of both.






The Cake!

Dortoni Bakery
I knew that I wanted a 5 tier all white cake - with flowers and lots of bling!! I purchased my own bling, jewelry and topper for the cake and gave it to my banquet manager. I actually drew the cake design I wanted and submitted it to the venue who then gave it to Dortonis.
The cake turned out fabulous - I chose vanilla with banana creme filling for most of our tiers and it was absolutely delicious!!! I am saving one of the tiers for our first year wedding anniversary.
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Bride's Accessories
A+
I searched online for 'the necklace' and ended up with literally 15 at the end - I ended up picking the final verdict and then went to Roosevelt field mall 2 days before the wedding and purchasing 'the earrings' and then found yet another necklace that I decided to change to. Ironically, on the wedding day, I resorted back to the original necklace! I can be so indecisive at times!
As for bracelet, I bought a beautiful piece from the wedding outlet.com for a very good price!!! My shoes were white satin peep toe sling backs that had a little sparks design in the front. Of course, I had to attach fuschia 'I do' stickers on the bottoms! :)
I danced all night in them with no problem!





Bridal makeup
I decide to do my own makeup...I ended up buying a luminess air brush system and did a few trials with it before. It was relatively easy to get the hang of and I think it turned out pretty good on the day of! My hair was done by a local Dominican hair salon - I was pretty pleased with the results! I had it sweeped to one side and hanging down - to me this was a style that complimented my face best.




Bridesmaids gifts
I purchased blingy fuschia rhinestone necklaces and bracelets. I wanted a wow factor presentation so I purchased separated leatherette boxes to display them in. I also got them satin fuschia bridesmaids robes that were embroidered with BRIDESMAID on the back which we wore during our getting ready phase. My girls loved them!!




ISHPHOTOboothrental - Photobooth A

THis was a fun and fantastic feature!! Looks like a lot of my guests took advantage if this and want in a few times. My hubby and I only went in once but it was fun!!!! I got a free leather guest book at the end which was a good deal.

All in all, it was a day to never forget!!! There were minor flaws here and there but nothing is perfect in life. I am so grateful that there are awesome wedding websites, such as this one that offer so much invaluable advice. THANKS to ALL FOR YOUR INSPIRATION!!! I am happy that I am now a married woman with very happy memories to live on for a lifetime….

June 13, 2014 WEDDING REVIEW CREST HOLLOW COUNTRY CLUB

Sounds like you had a great day! Congrats!

June 13, 2014 WEDDING REVIEW CREST HOLLOW COUNTRY CLUB

Thank you for your review!!

June 13, 2014 WEDDING REVIEW CREST HOLLOW COUNTRY CLUB

Sounds like a great day!!! Makes me more excited for my wedding in the same room soon :) Can you FM how much the drapes on the ceilings were? Also, for your cake did you have to pay extra for them to add the bling even though you brought it with you? What about the cake design? Everything I mentioned, they told me was like $150+ more.

Re: June 13, 2014 WEDDING REVIEW CREST HOLLOW COUNTRY CLUB

I'm also working with Danielle at FBB. I love her!

June 13, 2014 WEDDING REVIEW CREST HOLLOW COUNTRY CLUB

Thanks girls!!! :)
Enjoy the Anticipation!!! :)

June 13, 2014 WEDDING REVIEW CREST HOLLOW COUNTRY CLUB

You have FM boridizzy!

June 13, 2014 WEDDING REVIEW CREST HOLLOW COUNTRY CLUB

PICS PLEASE!!

Re: June 13, 2014 WEDDING REVIEW CREST HOLLOW COUNTRY CLUB

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Re: June 13, 2014 WEDDING REVIEW CREST HOLLOW COUNTRY CLUB

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June 13, 2014 WEDDING REVIEW CREST HOLLOW COUNTRY CLUB

you look amazing!!

June 13, 2014 WEDDING REVIEW CREST HOLLOW COUNTRY CLUB

Thank you!!!

Magical wedding day!! Updated with Photos!!June 13, 2014 WEDDING REVIEW CREST HOLLOW

Loved your hair and all the bling and details..beautiful unity candle, scripted words cards and mr and mrs.. Congratulations you looked beautiful

Magical wedding day!! Updated with Photos!!June 13, 2014 WEDDING REVIEW CREST HOLLOW

Congrats. You looked stunning. Please Fm the price of the drapery too bc I thought it was included. Did the bakery have many options to choose from and did they charge extra for the 5th tier.

Magical wedding day!! Updated with Photos!!June 13, 2014 WEDDING REVIEW CREST HOLLOW

Thank you ladies!!! I can't believe its been 2 months already!

Magical wedding day!! Updated with Photos!!June 13, 2014 WEDDING REVIEW CREST HOLLOW

Thank you ladies!!! I can't believe its been 2 months already!

Re: Magical wedding day!! Updated with Photos!!June 13, 2014 WEDDING REVIEW CREST HOLLOW

Beautiful wedding!

Magical wedding day!! Updated with Photos!!June 13, 2014 WEDDING REVIEW CREST HOLLOW

Thank you!! :)

Magical wedding day!! Updated with Photos!!June 13, 2014 WEDDING REVIEW CREST HOLLOW

I love the straps on your dress (and your dog!!)

Magical wedding day!! Updated with Photos!!June 13, 2014 WEDDING REVIEW CREST HOLLOW

Thanks - i added the straps actually!! lol The dress was originally with regular straps but I had them removed so that it would be a strapless sweetheart top. I bought the lace trimming online and had my seamstress add them on the dress. The bling piece was also added. I just wanted to make the dress my own!