The Brides' Review - My 8/18/12 Wedding: Mini-Review

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My 8/18/12 Wedding: Mini-Review

Skinewyork Posted: Aug 20, 2012 08:18 PM+

Skinewyork MEMBER SINCE: 2/11 TOTAL POSTS : 379 WEDDING DATE: Aug 18, 2012

Posted: Aug 20, 2012 08:18 PM

My 8/18/12 Wedding: Mini-Review

Gonna make this short and sweet since we have a very early flight tomorrow for our honeymoon!

Lancelot Limos A++++
This vendor was by far the most surprising of the day. The limo driver somehow became invaluable, holding my dress, holding my flowers, coordinating the photographers, fixing boutonnieres, shuffling guests, coordinating the processional...there wasn't anything he didn't do!! I STRONGLY suggest you give Rob, the owner, a call.

Bella Flowers A-
They did a great job during our first meeting, and the end result was absolutely beautiful. They got a minus only because they were a bit difficult to get a hold of between then, didn't seek me out when I forgot to schedule an appt to see a mock-up, and the driver called me the day before and again the day of because he couldn't find the house. But again, Christina worked wonderfully with me to create something that was exactly what I wanted - despite my initial description. The end result was absolutely beautiful!

Duet pending photos!
I hope what everyone says about them (they're often described as 'ninjas') is true, because I didn't even notice they were there most of the time. So I hope they still managed to get the shots! My only concern at this point is that they weren't very helpful in setting up the shots. In particular, the fun bridal party pictures were challenging to direct ourselves, and they just waited until they saw a shot to take it. I would have appreciated some direction from them.

Electrifying Productions (DJ) A+
Brian and his team did an absolutely incredible job with the music and lighting. We trusted him from day one, and boy were we glad we did! He managed to match our teal color perfectly in uplighting the pillars around the dance floor, I was amazed at how significantly he was able to alter the feel of the room simply with lights! Most importantly to us, he did an absolutely amazing job reading the crowd and keeping the party going.

The Watermill (reception venue) B+
Before we booked they were amazingly accommodating. After we booked they were very easy to get in touch with, and always easily answered questions. However, when we went in to meet with them, they were often very firm in their disapproval of something we wanted (like the table cards at the entrance of our reception hall instead of in the cocktail hour room), and we had to fight to get our way. There were also a few complaints from guests and vendors about how they were treated, although we only found out about this afterwards. I think they simply didn't give themselves enough time to turn over the spaces between parties, and it made it difficult for the vendors to set-up things as we wanted. The maitre'd and bridal attendant were absolutely wonderful to myself and my husband, however, and we didn't notice any problems at all!

ITM Video A
Neil works from NJ, where we live, but he was a last-minute addition, and we are so happy about it! He gave us the unedited footage at the end of the night and we are thrilled to have already been able to watch our ceremony and the speeches again! Best mind-change of the day!

Cheeky Glam (DOC) A
Heather and Jamie were invaluable to me in the weeks and months leading up to our wedding. I left every meeting or conversation with them with a sense of relief and excitement, even when I usually went into it with stress and anxiety. Despite having only been hired as day-of coordinators, they really seemed like they wanted to be there for my every step of the way. That day, Heather and Gina came to my house and again brought a valued calmness and optimism to the day. They did exactly what we asked of them, in particular setting up the ceremony space and coordinating photos. I definitely recommend them, and in hindsight wish I had hired them earlier and for more than just day-of coordination.

Snyder's Formal Wear B
This one kinda hurts me, because up to the day they were wonderful. Their price couldn't be touched by anyone else, they had a huge selection, they never rushed us, and were extremely helpful. Their hours enabled even our out-of-state groomsmen to get fitted and pick up their tuxes without any hassle. However, I found out afterwards that the groomsmen and my husband were given the WRONG tuxedos. I specifically chose one without pleats, after having my husband try on their recommended ones which had pleats. Somehow they ended up giving the guys the original tuxedo they recommended, the ones with pleats. My husband noticed, and went back to switch his, but it was too late for the others to do the same.

I also used a bunch of web-based companies to help me with my numerous DIY projects:

-Vistaprint (out of town bag labels, escort cards) B
While everything came out beautifully, exactly as ordered, and it arrived fairly quickly, I found their design requirements for creating your own design quite difficult to meet. It requires a proficiency in either Photoshop or Illustrator, both programs that are really difficult to figure out without help. I ended up relying on the talents of others to make my designs using those programs, and everything came out beautifully. So either be prepared to choose a pre-done design, or have some serious skills with one of those programs!

-Tulle Shop (lined aisle) A+
Their price was phenominal, the delivery was quick, and the product high quality and exactly as expected. I highly recommend them.

-The Younique Boutique (custom cake toppers) A
They created the cake toppers you can see below, mine was a standard body and custom head, my husband's was completely custom (I had them made as a surprise for my husband). They were very communicative, and sent me proofs every step of the way. The only complaint I had was that I ordered these eight months in advance, but they did not start working on them until June (two months out). This didn't allow me to request certain changes I would have liked, since we simply didn't have the time (despite them advertising that there are unlimited adjustments). The final product, however, speaks for itself. They arrived on time, packaged safely, and exactly as seen in the final picture proofs.

-PaperandMore (paper for programs, vellum for votive wraps) A++
This website was extremely easy to navigate, and had a ton of information for people who are first-time DIY'ers like myself. I was able to easily compare and contrast the different paper weights and transparencies to find the perfect ones for both of my projects. The paper arrived very carefully wrapped, and the product was perfect even after being left in the rain by the delivery guy. It shipped very quickly, and the company kept me informed about its progress through their system and checked on its proper arrival afterwards. I will absolutely be using them again, and highly recommend them!

-Quick Candles (Votive candles and glass holders) A-
The price and speed can't be beat, but the glass holders came extremely dirty and required individual cleaning (all 144 of them). Other than that, it was very easy to find exactly what I was looking for, and I would use them again.

-efavormart (table runners, overlays) A+
I was surprised at the great price they had on table runners, especially since it was impossible to find runners long enough for my large oval tables. I was able to get a bolt of fabric that was pre-hemmed, and cut it in half, hemming only that one edge to create two runners that were the perfect size. The fabric was much higher quality than I expected, and the color was consistent across different bolts, and even on the overlay for our sweetheart table.

-Save on Crafts (rehearsal dinner centerpieves) A
We got tall vases and some decorative stones. The vases arrived as expected and packaged well. We couldn't find a price that even came close to what they were selling them for. The stones, however, were deceptive in the photograph and ended up being absolutely tiny - way to small for our purposes. My fault, since I didn't look at a ruler to see what the measurement really looked like. I was going to return them, but the return shipping was more than the stones cost! I would use them for vases again.

-ETSY:
Rustic River Designs (boutonniere memorial pins) A+
Laura was an absolute pleasure to work with. She created the most incredible boutonniere pins for my husband and his brothers to wear, memorializing their dad. She was extremely responsive, easy to get in touch with, and did beautiful work. In addition, she worked with me on pricing since I was ordering multiples of the same item (I also got the charm for his sisters and mom to wear on a bracelet). I highly recommend her!
A Pretty Stitch (handkerchiefs for MOB, FOB and MOG) B+
Anna was easy to work with, and did exactly as I asked. However, somehow the handkerchief for my mother-in-law arrived stitched onto a men's handkerchief instead of a ladies'! Since I waited until fairly last minute to order these, there wasn't time for me to complain and see if she would rectify it. But overall, that was my fault for waiting so long!