*My 6/30/2012 Wedding* Bellport CC, Fade to Black, Once Upon an Event, Rolling Pin, Paradise Bridal,etc..

Finally sitting down to do my review, and I still can’t believe it’s all over. Take a second at your wedding to stop and look around at everything that is going on for you and your FH. I will never forget the experience of planning my wedding and the few amazing friends I’ve made in the process.


My Shower Don Ricardo’s Restaurant (Babylon): A-
My shower was April Fools Day 2012 at Don Ricardo’s. Although I was not surprised by the day, I was so taken back by what an amazing day my mom and my bridesmaids pulled off. The food at DR’s was so good that I saw several guests taking their entrees home in ToGo boxes. The only reason I gave them an A- was because they told my mom she could get there at 12 the day of my shower, and they did not show up until 12:20. I am a stickler for timeliness!

Bachelorette Party NYC: A+
For my bachelorette party, my bridesmaids booked a hotel in NYC, I think it was a Holiday Inn- it was brand new and very nice and clean. They had it all decorated and stocked with booze! We went out to a really nice dinner, and then they surprised me after bar hopping with going to my favorite bar Joshua Tree. That place is so much fun!

Engagement Ring
Libutti Jeweler (Huntington): A+
I had no say in my engagement ring, and I didn't want a say. It was important to me that my DH use an heirloom diamond from my great grandmother, which he did! He brought it to Libutti and got what i think is the prettiest setting they have (but maybe I am bias ;)). When we went in to get it sized, they were so nice, asking us about the engagement story, and sized it in about an hour, while we went to Starbucks! I loved that I didn't have to drop it off.

My wedding band
R & J Jewelers (Attias Flea Market): A+
For my wedding band I wanted a ring that would sit flush with my engagement ring. Because of the style of my engagement ring, this was somewhat difficult. Most regular rings would leave a space because the stone on my engagement ring was wider than the band. I wanted to wear my engagement and wedding bands together on my left hand, so DH and I decided that i would go the custom route. Being that my engagement ring was an heirloom, I was DEAD SET against leaving it with someone during the custom process. One jeweler at Attias actually told me 'you're never going to get a ring to match that without leaving your engagement ring.' Well I basically went to R&J in tears, and they were very sympathetic to my concerns. They assured me that although it may take a few more trips back and forth for me, they would be able to do it without me leaving my ring. It was a long process, but worth it! They hit the nail on the head. I will be going to them exclusively for any future custom work. The price was also very reasonable.

DH Wedding Band
Amazon.com: A+ You really can't beat this. My DH wanted a plain platinum band, and amazon is easily hundreds cheaper than any jeweler. Two day shipping and great return policy. Can't beat it.

Hotel Block
Crowne Plaza (Holtsville): F There are a limited amount of hotels in Eastern Suffolk, and so in June of 2011 I set up a meeting to look at the Crowne Plaza, since we were expecting a lot of OOT guests. I arranged a meeting with Dana, and my DH missed time from work to go. When we got there, Dana was not even at the hotel. I should have taken this as a sign, but we went back the next week for another appointment. We decided to book the hotel block there, and Dana said that we would be able to start booking our rooms after the 1 year mark to our wedding. Well in the middle of July, i tried to book our suite, and it wasn't working. I called up the Crowne Plaza and after a while they realized no one had ever put our block in the system! They never took responsibility and said it must have been a computer glitch. Well I try to book my suite again and it says there are only double bed rooms available. They assured me that it was another glitch in the system. I decided to cancel my block there because I couldn't imagine more glitches on my wedding day. After canceling with Dana, apparently she never unbooked us in the system either, because i got a TON of phone calls and emails from them asking why no rooms were booked closer to my wedding. I would not recommend them to anyone.

Hotel Block
Springhill Suites Marriott (Bellport): C After all the drama the Crowne Plaza was causing us, DH and I decided to look around for other hotel blocks. One night we were browsing around online, and saw that the Mariott in Bellport had rooms for $100 a night! We were ecstatic and immediately booked a block through their online system. It said it went through and we could start telling our friends about the rooms. Fast forward to a few days later, they called us and said that it was a mistake and they weren’t able to honor it. My DH argued with the lady (Lisa) saying that it was their mistake and they should honor it. She insisted no, saying, “no one uses the online system”. My DH then said fine, we are going to stick with our original hotel and we will be writing a letter to corporate to complain about them. That’s when Lisa changed her tune and agreed to match what the Crowne Plaza was offering us.
She was good with correspondence up to the day, and met me to get my OOT bags, storing them in her office. The hotel was very clean, the rooms were nice and there were no complaints about that. The issue was that the check-in time was 3 p.m. I can understand that early check-in can not always be accommodated but the day before my wedding, DH and I got there to check in to our separate rooms at about 3:15 and we were told that there were not any rooms available. The guy at the desk said we should come back at 4- 4:30. I immediately pulled the bride card, and got the rooms, but it didn’t stop there. The next day, my bridal party and guests had such a hard time checking in. Luckily my DOC worked her magic and got everybody in, but honestly, don’t say check-in is at 3, if you don’t have rooms at 3!

Dance Lessons
LI Ballroom Dance: A+
I am a dance teacher, and so it was important for me to find a great ballroom dance teacher to choreograph our first dance. John is absolutely amazing. He made the class fun for both me, an experienced dancer, and my DH, who has never danced in his life. He choreographed our dance to a country song, picked by my DH, and our guests loved it! We had so much fun during the classes, it was really great time to bond with each other. He taught us stuff like turns and lifts that i never imagined DH and I would be able to do. I would take classes with him for fun again anytime!


Rehearsal Dinner
Brickhouse Brewery (Patchogue): A+
Our RD was absolutely perfect. The food was great, we were able to get there an hour early to set up, and the service was excellent. I wish I could remember our main waitresses name but she was fantastic! The service was great and they did an awesome job keeping my grooms cake a secret. The food was so good all my guests loved it. I would definitely recommend them to anyone.

Grooms Cake
Audrey’s Bakery (Sayville): A+
My DH loves poker and so I wanted to get him a poker table cake. I found one on Audrey’s website and went in to place the order. The process was simple and painless, and the price was definitely fair. My BIL picked up the cake the day of my RD and when I saw it I was just blown away. It was more than I imagined. My DH LOVED it. It was delicious too! It said the cake fed 30 people, but we had 30 at our RD, and there was a TON left over. DH and I, along with my mom, were eating it for days before the HM.

Bridal Gown/BM Dresses
Paradise Bridal (Patchogue): F
I wish there was a lower grade to give them than F! My experience with Paradise Bridals was an absolute NIGHTMARE.
The one and only good thing about this store was my consultant Marge. I think she should look for work elsewhere because she is seriously too good for them.
I paid for my dress to be ordered in March of 2011 for my June 2012 wedding- AND I told them my wedding was in May 2012.
Well in March 2012, when my dress still wasn't in, I called. They gave me the run around and told me my dress would be in the first week in April. When I called the first week of april, they told me it would be in the second week of April. This is when I started yelling, asking for managers and threatening the BBB.Miraculously after all the threats it seemed there was a huge mixup and my dress had been there all along. Well when I went in, Paradise tried to pull a fast one on me- they gave me a dirty dress covered with makeup and pulls.The beads were falling off. My consultant even agreed it was NOT a new dress. When i complained they said 'we will fix it'.Uh no- sorry- you shouldnt need to FIX my brand new dress! After putting up a huge stink and having my wedding coordinator called them they ended up getting a replacement dress sent.
My bridesmaids dresses miraculously came in on time, but they were just so rude to my BMs. Telling my MOH they wouldn’t ship her dress, when they had told me they would. When FSIL went to get her dress they told her they couldn’t find it, and they’d have to order her a new one, meanwhile it was hanging on the back of the office door. Seriosuly?
I took my new dress and ran out of that place like it was on fire. They were rude to my bridesmaids, and me and never took responsibility for anything.
I would buy my dress at the thrift store before this awful place. STAY AWAY!

Hair
My normal hair dresser: A
My normal hair girl and another girl from her salon took off and came to our hotel. They did awesome. I loved my hair. I was determined not to look like a ballerina as I was a dancer my whole life, and she executed it. The girls did fall, when we were at the beach, it was so windy, but my DOC fixed it, and I actually liked how it looked with them not as tight.

Makeup
Christine Martin: A+
Christine is just amazing. Her talent for makeup is so professional and flawless, and on top of it, she is a great person. I am picky about people, and I clicked with her on the phone even before my trial. She is the kind of person you want around on your wedding day, so warm and caring. She did my makeup for my bridal shower, and she was like my therapist, calming my nerves in the process haha! I am a nut about time, and another thing I loved about her, was she said, if anyone is late to their time, I skip them. I absolutely HATE running late, so this was perfectly fine with me. On the day of, she was super early, so nice, and everyones makeup was just PERFECT. I have never felt so beautiful in my life. When she showed me my makeup, I started crying because I felt like a princess. I will be using her anytime I can find an excuse to get my makeup done.


Invites
My Custom Wedding Shoppe: A+
One of my favorite vendors! All i knew in the beginning was that I wanted certain colors, and Kristyn came up with my design 100% on her own. I loved them! Any time I wanted to change something she did it quickly and happily. Any emails I sent her were responded to within hours. Everything arrived on time and in great condition. The quality of my invites is fantastic!!! I got so many compliments as soon as people started getting them, and I'm still getting compliments to this day!!! I would, and DO recommend her to everyone!

Ceremony/CH Music
Cassandra House: A+
I found Cassandra through a friend by chance. She was exactly what I was looking for, and a real sweetheart. She happily learned any song I wanted her to, and gave me a ton of ideas. On my wedding day, she was early, and played beautifully. I got a ton of compliments on her. She is truly a talent, I wouldn't be surprised if I hear her on the radio one day.

Florist
Perfect Rose Floral Design (East Islip): A+
When I first got engaged, I didn’t really care about flowers. As I began looking online I found that I had a different style from the typical Long Island wedding and wanted to do something a little unique. I knew a huge wedding factory florist wasn’t for me, and so I stumbled upon the florist down the block from where I grew up. The minute I met Tina, the owner, I knew I was going to use her. As we were talking about my ideas, she got so excited and started bouncing ideas off of me, and suddenly I was so excited about my flowers. She took probably an hour out of her day for our initial meeting, and before I even left, I knew I had to use her. I went home, talked to my DH and when he saw how excited I was about using her, he gave me the go-ahead to book. I messaged Tina probably 8,000 times through the course of my engagement, and every time she responded reassuring me that yes, we can do this, and it will look great. In the end, I felt like she was my friend, but a friend that I would trust with such an important part of my wedding. On the day of, she did not disappoint. My bouquets were exactly what I had asked for, and the ceremony designs looked amazing. The CP’s were really what I felt like were my babies, and when I walked into the reception room and saw them for the first time, they literally took my breath away. My CP’s made the entire reception room. I will never buy flowers anywhere else again. Tina and her team are dedicated and passionate, and it shows in her work.

DOC
Once Upon an Event: A+
I was convinced that I didn't need a DOC because I had a fantastic reception hall and am extremely organized. Boy was I wrong!
About 2 months before my wedding I started having issues with my bridal salon. They would give me different dates that my dress was going to arrive and then it would never show up. At this point I decided to inquire about Once Upon an Event and the girls immediately started giving me advice and telling me how to deal with the problem. When I went to the store to see my supposed dress- it turned out to be old and dirty, and I called Once Upon an Event- crying from the store. Before I had signed anything or paid these ladies a dime, they were on the phone making sure that the salon took the loss to pay rush shipping to get me a new dress in 48 hours! Donna, who was never my DOC, even came with me to see the new dress, which was amazing.
Every question I had during the last month of planning (believe me, there were a TON) was answered almost immediately by one of the DOCs. They thought of forms and things that I would never even have fathomed- and I am one of those OCD brides.
On the day of my wedding, Once Upon An Event was just a life saver. We were having issues with the hotel regarding check-ins and after a quick text to Mara, she was on the phone with the manager taking care of it, before she even was scheduled to be working. One of my main concerns throughout the day was keeping everything on time- and it was- thanks to Mara. She was a total rock star.
Girls who do not think they need a DOC- I would highly recommend hiring these ladies. They are worth triple their pay. On the day of your wedding you do not want to be handing out tips, checking in vendors, and dealing with issues. Once Upon An Event is awesome!!!!

Officiant
Rev. Deb: A+
What can I say about Rev. Deb that hasn’t been said already? When we met her, I felt like I had known her for years! She is such a sweetheart, and her talent for creating beautiful ceremonies is amazing and effortless. DH and I are not religious, but still wanted a special ceremony. The whole process of working with Rev. Deb. was easy and enjoyable. I remember getting my ceremony draft and balling my eyes out. My ceremony was honestly my favorite part of my wedding. I cried through the entire thing. I got so many compliments, and still do, but nothing can compare to the fact that I married the man of my dreams exactly as I imagined it, and it was perfect. I actually spilt the sand during our sand ceremony, and Rev. Deb totally improvised and made it into a comment about overflowing love, it was so funny and perfect! I will never forget my ceremony because of her.

DJ
High Voltage Sounds: A
Vinny was the only DJ we met with. I knew before we even got engaged we would eventually use him. He did our friends wedding and it was the most fun wedding we had ever been to. He is a great guy, and he doesn’t give you the BS of trying to sell you stuff you don’t need. I absolutely hate when the MC is on the floor dancing with your guests and talking non-stop. Vinny is NOT the type of guy to book if you want this- and he was perfect for us! He played all the songs I wanted, got everyones name right, and I might be bias, but our wedding was probably the best party I’ve ever been to. The dance floor was packed the whole night! The only reason I didn’t give him an A+ is because there was a short time during dinner where there was no music playing at all. It was probably 30 seconds, but it made me so nervous. Luckily it was taken care of right away! He listened to everything I said, not taking weird requests without them asking me, and when I wanted upbeat music to start again, he got right on it. I would definitely recommend him to others.

Photography
Fade to Black NY- A+
Photography was something that I had no clue what I wanted to do when we got engaged.. I started looking around and got an idea of what I like and what I don’t like. I met with one photographer who just gave me bad vibes, saying I NEEDED traditional shots, even though I didn’t want many. He said he would only take artistic shots when he was done with “his” shots. Which I didn’t like. Then, I met with Gil. He is just awesome! He knows that brides have strong opinions and he knows how to deal with them. He made me feel like he would actually give me exactly what I wanted. He showed me his different photographers styles and let me explain what I liked and what I didn’t. He let me customize my package with things I wanted in our price range. Correspondence with Gil throughout the process was awesome! He replied right away and always gave me answers. A few times I sent him business and he would give me some kind of upgrade every time. The day of my wedding they absolutely delivered. He truly treated my DH and I like family. Jodie was great- she got in all my must-take shots that I had pinned off pinterest (lol). I have to admit I did feel ridiculous in some of the poses, but I trusted them and I’m so glad I did because my pictures are AMAZING. I was seriously blown away with how in love with our pictures I am. They far exceeded my expectations. I must have looked through the proofs 50 times. I can’t think of anything I would change about my wedding photos.

Photobooth
Fade to Black NY- A+
I always wanted a photobooth, but didn’t actually know I was going to have one until weeks before the wedding. And I am SO GLAD I had one. I was worried that it would take away from the party, but it definitely didn’t, as my dance floor was packed all night. Their photobooth is INSANE. I always feel cramped in the traditional photobooths, but this one was perfect. It fits like 10 people or something crazy like that, and they customized the lighting inside to be my wedding colors. I have to give the guys credit, we are a rowdy bunch, and they were awesome. The book I got was an amazing alternative to a guestbook, DH and I laughed our butts off looking at it for the first time!

Cake
Rolling Pin Bakery: A
I ended up using Rolling Pin because the other bakery our RH included had terrible customer service. But my experience with RP ended up being great. The samples were OK, but not great honestly. But they more than made up for it with the cake the day of my wedding, OMG the cake was AMAZING! And exactly as I asked for it. No complaints here!

Reception
Bellport Country Club: A+!!!!!!!!!!
Before I even got engaged, I was a wannabebride, and came across Bellport Country Club on the Internet. I actually sent the website to my best friend and said, “I want to get married here”. Well after we got engaged, I told DH the story, and he laughed and said, “fine, book it”. We looked at about 10 places, and in the end, there was NO comparison with any of the other places we went to.
I had the wedding of my dreams thanks to them! From day one we were treated like gold, and it never stopped. We fell in love with the character, and the food is just out of this world. It was definitely a splurge, but it was well worth it. You can’t beat the ambiance and incredible views. The correspondence was always pleasant and timely. I think I drove poor Robert crazy the month before our wedding, and he was still always happy to answer my 5000 questions. I have to be the only bride on here who has never been told “No” by her RH. Everything I asked for, I got, with NO problem.
As soon as we got there the day of the wedding, the bridal party was brought food and drinks. I forgot my bridal attendants name, but she was wonderful!
I had a ton of stuff to be set up, and everything was just as I imagined in my head. I honestly kept crying when I walked into a different room in the place because each part was more perfect than the next.
The food was amazing, our guests are still raving about it. Everything i asked was addressed and perfect. I was a neurotic bride and I can't think of one thing this place did wrong. Ashley was an awesome MD- my DOC and her worked great together. And throughout the night, my attendant, Ashley, and Robert would come around and make sure everyone was ok- not just my husband and I- but our families and guests too!
We forgot the top of our cake there when we went to pick everything up after the wedding, and Robert actually dropped it off to us, so we wouldn't have to drive out there again. I couldn't believe how nice they were, even after our event was over. Well beyond the call of duty!
I plan on dragging my husband back to the restaurant soon! I really don't know what else to say, except- they are worth EVERY penny!

Honeymoon
Excellence Riviera Cancun A+
Most amazing vacation ever!!! We stayed in the Excellence Club, in a swim-up room, and it was truly the best week of my life. The food was fantastic, which is not typical for an all-inclusive. The service was out of this world. THe resort itself was beautiful. Amazing, amazing,amazing. If anyone wants more information about this resort, please FM me!

Re: *My 6/30/2012 Wedding* Bellport CC, Fade to Black, Once Upon an Event, Rolling Pin, Paradise Bridal,etc..

Yay Jill! Great review!! It sounds like everything worked out beautifully, congrats :)

Re: *My 6/30/2012 Wedding* Bellport CC, Fade to Black, Once Upon an Event, Rolling Pin, Paradise Bridal,etc..

Great review!!! Sorry about your dress. People suck sometimes!!! Congrats again!!

*My 6/30/2012 Wedding* Bellport CC, Fade to Black, Once Upon an Event, Rolling Pin, Paradise Bridal,etc..

Great review.

Re: *My 6/30/2012 Wedding* Bellport CC, Fade to Black, Once Upon an Event, Rolling Pin, Paradise Bridal,etc..

congrats Jill!!!! you were a gorgeous bride! I'm glad you had the time of your life <3

*My 6/30/2012 Wedding* Bellport CC, Fade to Black, Once Upon an Event, Rolling Pin, Paradise Bridal,etc..

Great review, you helped solidify my decision to hire Once Upon an Event. Thank you

*My 6/30/2012 Wedding* Bellport CC, Fade to Black, Once Upon an Event, Rolling Pin, Paradise Bridal,etc..

Congrats & thanks for sharing!

*My 6/30/2012 Wedding* Bellport CC, Fade to Black, Once Upon an Event, Rolling Pin, Paradise Bridal,etc..

Great review Jill! I'm also using Once Upon an Event & Rev Deb. Glad they were both great!

Re: *My 6/30/2012 Wedding* Bellport CC, Fade to Black, Once Upon an Event, Rolling Pin, Paradise Bridal,etc..

great review!! and congrats!
i am meeting with Once Upon an Event this week- they sound great!

*My 6/30/2012 Wedding* Bellport CC, Fade to Black, Once Upon an Event, Rolling Pin, Paradise Bridal,etc..

Congrats!!!! great review :)

*My 6/30/2012 Wedding* Bellport CC, Fade to Black, Once Upon an Event, Rolling Pin, Paradise Bridal,etc..

Thank you for the great review! Congratulations!

*My 6/30/2012 Wedding* Bellport CC, Fade to Black, Once Upon an Event, Rolling Pin, Paradise Bridal,etc..

Congratulations!! Great review!

*My 6/30/2012 Wedding* Bellport CC, Fade to Black, Once Upon an Event, Rolling Pin, Paradise Bridal,etc..

Great review... Congratulations!!!