My Fabulous Wedding 11/27/2013 Sand Castle Caterers,Dj Genesis, Abbey Photography, Distinctive Floral, Christine Martin, Firemonkey

Here it is, sorry for the length! Pics in my Album!

LI Weddings – A++++++++++
I joined this site a little after I got engaged in 2011 and I spent almost every day on this site. I loved looking through all the vendors and all the forums. All your help on here from all you ladies has not gone unappreciated. Any questions I had, I was able to ask them here and get answers or they were already asked. I did not need a day of planner because of this site!

Overall – A+++++++++++++
It truly was a fairytale. From the beginning planning til the very end. I really put a lot into this wedding and I believe everyone loved every detail I added. My theme was Disney but only subtle touches as I did not want to make it childish. I really worked hard on all the small touches to bring Disney to our wedding. As people say the day truly does fly by. My day was about a 12 hour day that went by like it was nothing. We started at 9am getting ready for a 230pm ceremony and a 7pm cocktail hour. Guests did not complain or seem bothered by the gap inbetween the ceremony and reception. We had a Wednesday evening wedding (Day before Thanksgiving) and yes we did have some people who were unable to attend because of the day, but most people did not even act like Thanksgiving was the following day. We partied the night away. We were dancing and going on until 1am.
If there is one negative I would say it would be that as the bride and groom you do get pulled in so many different directions the day of. It was a little annoying and a little hard to enjoy every part of the wedding. Out of the 4 hour reception, I believe I spent about 2 hours in it due to being pulled for pictures or other things. Just a heads up to either be prepared for it or just say I don’t want to do that.

Bridal Shower:
7th Street Café Garden City, NY A++++
My mother and bridesmaid threw this shower for me and it was beyond anything I expected. They had Mickey and Minnie as the theme not knowing I was doing Disney for my wedding. (that’s how obsessed I am LOL) The food was outstanding and the room we were in was downstairs so we were secluded from the restaurant. We had our own bathrooms. They even had their own beautiful wishing well they supplied. The service is fabulous as well. I would recommend this for any occasion even just to go and eat dinner it’s amazing. I go here a lot as my friend manages the restaurant and I try to order something different every time and I am never disappointed.


Venue:
Sand Castle Caterers- A+++++++++++++++++++++++
I cannot even begin to describe how happy I was with them. I booked with them in August 2011 for a November 2013 wedding. From August 2011 they had been in contact with me, from inviting me to their showcases or just emailing me. When we booked we had dealt with Loula. She was great, she was able to work with our price point and when 2013 came around and we were discussing our contract (because their menu had changed) we reminded her of our menu and what she had told us was included and she had no problem and was happy to get it for us. For the day of and anything with the wedding we dealt with Mohammad who is outstanding. Anything you want or need he gets for you no questions asked. I had a list of things I wanted changed or added and he did not give me a hard time at all just said “okay you got it”. The hall itself is so beautiful. After leaving the Sand Castle after viewing it the first time we knew this was the place and we had to look no further. It is immaculate and the reception hall is beautiful. They really know how to make it look elegant and romantic. THE FOOD OMG there is so much!!! From the hospitality hour they serve passed apps and then cocktail hour could be your dinner that is how much food is there. Everything tastes amazing. Then there is dinner which we had 7 options for our guests which I don’t know how they could eat since cocktail was so amazing but the dinner food was just as good. We got the full Viennese hour as well which blew my mind. Any dessert you could possibly think of they had including a chocolate fountain and cappuccinos. They have these tables that roll out into a big display, well when they rolled them out my guests saw what they were they went crazy. So many people came up to us saying “omg I cannot believe this are you kidding me?” The maître’d and all my bridal attendants I couldn’t ask for anyone better. I remember all their names and their faces as well. From the second you walk into the building they introduce themselves let you know they are there for you. Emma my bridal attendant was by my side through the entire night. She was fluffing my dress, holding my bouquet, getting me drinks. They all came up to us asking if we were okay. At one point my husband and I said to them “are we okay? Are you okay? You are working your butts off go take a break and have something to eat we are okay”. The service wasn’t like anything we have received before it was that good. Do yourselves a favor and good look at the Sand Castle, you won’t be disappointed.

Hair:
Dusti Fire Monkey- A+
Dusti is such a great person to talk to. She is so personable. She was very easy to get in touch with and just book my hair trial. I had went and told her what I wanted and she nailed it right there. Then when she came the day of she really knocked my hair out of the ballpark. I was so happy I didn’t want to touch or tweak a thing. I couldn’t believe she could improve on the hair trial but she did. She also did my mother and cousins hair as well. My mom is a very picky lady and is very stuck in her ways so she knew exactly what she wanted and Dusti nailed it on the first try. My mom was so happy as well. My cousin couldn’t stop talking about her hair as well. She can do anything from your hair down to up dos We were all impressed.

Make-up:
Christine Martin – A+
Okay so I was very picky when picking my hair and makeup. I love hair and makeup and when I go out now to bars and stuff I like to do it up. So when looking for this I knew I had to find exactly what I wanted since I am going to be having these pictures forever. I knew so many people could do the “natural” look so I was looking for someone who could do the smokey eye and dramatic look. I came across Christine’s page on LIWeddings and I saw her pics and I said this is it. I emailed her no problem she called me back and we set up the trial. She would not let me go until I loved it and it wasn’t hard because the first thing she did I loved. IT was a purple smokey eye but I normally wear browns so as the wedding came closer I was hesitant and told her I wanted to switch to browns. She had no problem did the brown on the day of and nailed it again on the first time. The makeup lasted all night I didn’t do one touchup. I dance like a crazy person and with all the sweating nothing came off! I was sooooo happy.

Florist:
Distinctive Floral Design- A+
We did our shopping around and then came here because my mom knows Maria. We were able to come to her with a price and ask her to beat it. I knew exactly what I wanted (I’ve had two years to think about it). I described what I wanted and they actually had a sample on display in their shop when we went in so I basically pointed to it said “that” and gave my critiques. The day came for the sample viewing. There was some miscommunication and the sample came out incorrect. I told Brian (the owner) what it was exactly that I wanted, he went downstairs made another sample and fifteen minutes came back with what I wanted to a T. My girls bouquets and my bouquet I described what I wanted and gave some pictures and I did not see them until the morning of. Well when they dropped off the pieces at my house, I was so happy. The girls bouquets came out better then I expected and so did mine. It was so big and full and beautiful. Then we saw my centerpieces and I did not want leave the reception room. I was in awe at how beautiful they came out. I had received so many compliments on them I can’t even count.

Photographer and Videographer:
Abbey Photography-B+

The photographer and videographer were very nice guys. I just felt a little rushed during the day and I feel like there were some photos that should have been taken that weren't. But overall my photos came out great and I cannot wait to make my album!

Limo:
Trans Star Executive-A+
We did a lot of shopping around for limos because I really wanted a party bus since we had a large bridal party but a lot of places were quoting us such high numbers. We went to Trans Star and dealt with Mary who is such a sweet girl. She gave us such a great price we couldn’t turn it down. She also sat with us and gave us quotes on all other possibilities if we wanted a limo or town car or specialty car. Any questions I had, I was able to call or email her and she got back to me right away. The day of the cars were clean and fully stocked. The drivers were very nice and accommodating. They helped in the church and with our flowers as we needed flowers brought from the church to the reception hall. It did rain all day on my day of and they did not have umbrellas which was a bummer as I figured they would but we did have our own so that was good. But I was very happy with their service.


DJ:
DJ Genesis-A++++
They are one crazy crowd and I love it! They have such energy and really know how to draw a crowd and work the crowd. We saw them at the venues showcase because they are the house DJ and we knew with only seeing them they were the ones. Their pricing was great and just their attitudes as well. We had Fabio as our MC who was able to get everyone on the dance floor even my 93 year old grandmother who had a blast dancing with him. They played every song on my “please do play” list and just knew which kind of music we wanted. They played everything from early 50s to today’s music. The dance floor was not empty once. After the Viennese hour we only had about 30minutes left and people were starting to pack up. I asked him if he could give us one last dance set but of all house/techno music as it is my favorite but I didn’t want to bother anyone with it. Well he did the dance set and my friends and I went crazy it was the best part of the night!

Wedding Bands:
The Little Booth – TriCounty A+
We were a little hesitant as it being Tri County and all but overall we were so please. The man at the booth is really nice and really tells you about jewelry. I was able to get the ring I wanted and one my husband wanted in our price ranges. Anything else I need with jewelry I bring it right to him and he does it for me right their in front of my eyes. I love wearing my wedding band with my ring!

Invitations:
Carlson Crafts – A
One of my dad’s friends is a reseller for Carlson Crafts so he gave us his books of invitations. We were able to sit down, pick out the one we want it then change it around with him. I wanted to change the color and position of things. He was able to do so with no problem I was so please with them. I received so many compliments.

Tuxedos
Foresto’s Mineola, New York– A+
We went here because my husband’s grandmother’s friend works here. We were very pleased. My husband was hesitant with tuxes because for another wedding he was in they used men’s wearhouse which did not fit him at all. My husband is 6’4” with a bit of a belly so he need a large jacket to fit his statue but then he was swimming in it. So when we went to Foresto’s we were pleased to know he would tailor the jacket to all the men. The store itself is so clean and well organized. They have vests and ties in all colors and we were able to match the guys ties to my girls dresses perfectly! I was so happy.

Shoes:
Sandys Shoes Massapequa, NY-A
I love this store, they have every shoe you can think of. They are organized by color. I was able to pick out the shoe which were peep toes. She stretched the toe part for me because they were a little tight on my big toe. The only reason they do not get the plus is because I had to bring them back about a month before the wedding to stretch the toe opening again but they also stretched my whole shoe even though I stressed to the woman I only wanted the one shoe stretched only on the toe opening. So when I got the shoes back they were too big and I had to buy shoe grips to put in the back of the shoe so they would stay on. I only wore them til the pictures were over then they were off because of that reason.

Dress:
Princess Bridals Farmingdale, NY-A++++

I fell in love with my dress the moment I put it on and did not want to see any others. My mom works at princess bridals (her name is Tere is you go ask for her !). She truly loves what she does and it shows. She comes home every day talking about how she saw such beautiful brides and what their dresses were like and how she wanted me to try them on. Well when we went and I tried mine on we were so happy. Their alterations department did an amazing job as well on my dress. I did a few changes and additions to my dress and they came out so beautiful I think I may go home and put my dress on today ? hahah

Favors:
www.favorwarehouse.com - A
I love my favors. I was having a hard time coming up with something. I wanted something that people would use. I figured with December being the next month I could get an ornament for people to use on their trees. I found these adorable beaded snowflake ornament for such a low cost. I bought them and the thank you tags with out a problem. I was very happy with the way they came out. Although, the beads on the ornaments were held together by hot glue which didn’t look so good on all of them so I had to cut some of the glue so it wouldn’t show. Also some of the pieces came off of the snowflake as we know hot glue doesn’t hold everything. But it was an easy fix.

DOJ
Earrings www.weddingfactorydirect.com great sight just go look!
Bracelet was from Estelles. I love the bracelet but I did find it at other places for a lot less.

DIY
Programs: My friend from work sent me the template for hers and I just changed it around to add my information. I was able to print them at work. I bought nice cardstock paper from Michael’s Art Store and they came out great.

Table Numbers: I did these on Microsoft Word. I did a black and white water mark of a picture in Disney. WE did all of our favorite places in Disneyworld as the black and white photos. Then I overlayed that with a number in my color schemed. I saved the picture to my computer and uploaded them Walgreens and had them printed as 5x7” pictures. They were great!

I ordered cocktail napkins off of Amazon to match our theme as well. They came out great.

There were so many other DIY projects I did but nothing needed here. You’ll see in pics.

Registries:
Macy – A+
We went to this thing called “sip and scan”. I had received an email about it. They had it at the Roosevelt Field Mall Macys. They had a dj, drinks and appetizers and little desserts. It was so fun. We got to sit one on one with someone to discuss then we went around on our own choosing what we wanted while eating and drinking and jamming to some music.
Bed Bath and Beyond – A+
Nothing much to say, it’s the usual go in the store scan what you want they print it out for you. I do like that you can do a lot of it on the internet which I did as I didn’t want to keep going back and forth to the store.

Honeymoon:
Majestic Elegance Punta Cana – A+++++++++++++++++++++++
This was not my first all inclusive experience but it was for my husband and boy was he blown away. All I can say is AMAZING!!!!!!!!! This place is immaculate. It has its obvious wears and tears that a resort will get over time but we said to each other how amazed we were that every morning we saw people cleaning and landscaping and just up keeping the place. It is large but not large that you cannot walk it. The lobby was so breathtaking I have never seen anything like it before. The beach is sooooooooo beautiful. They have people coming around and waiting on you day and night if you need a drink while at the pool or at the beach. The rooms were nice I loved having the private Jacuzzi bath in the room as well. We did do the elegance club which I would recommend as the pricing isn’t that bad and I did like having the secluded pools and bars to go to. The food was surprisingly really good. They had 4 restaurants to go to, a buffet , and another buffet by the beach. The main buffet we did most of our breakfast’s and lunches there because there was so much food we just couldn’t get over it. I had such a great time and met so many wonderful people on this trip. We did excursions as well. I did a review for the resort on trip advisor if you want a full review. But take a look at it because this resort is outstanding!

Well there you have it. I think I got to everything I wanted/suppose to. If you have any questions please FM me no problem! I wish I could do it all over again it really does fly by I can’t believe its already been over a month since I’ve gotten married.

My Fabulous Wedding 11/27/2013 Sand Castle Caterers,Dj Genesis, Abbey Photography, Distinctive Floral, Christine Martin, Firemonkey - Long Island Weddings

Sounds like you had the wedding of your dreams! Congrats!

My Fabulous Wedding 11/27/2013 Sand Castle Caterers,Dj Genesis, Abbey Photography, Distinctive Floral, Christine Martin, Firemonkey - Long Island Weddings

Nicely done! Super excited to be a Sand Castle bride!! And ive been to Majestic Elegance last Nov, it was absolutely gorgeous!!! Glad you had a fabulous time!

My Fabulous Wedding 11/27/2013 Sand Castle Caterers,Dj Genesis, Abbey Photography, Distinctive Floral, Christine Martin, Firemonkey - Long Island Weddings

What a great review! I'm so happy to be a Sand Castle bride and I'm so happy you had a fantastic day!!!

My Fabulous Wedding 11/27/2013 Sand Castle Caterers,Dj Genesis, Abbey Photography, Distinctive Floral, Christine Martin, Firemonkey - Long Island Weddings

Great review!!!! Congrats!!!

Re: My Fabulous Wedding 11/27/2013 Sand Castle Caterers,Dj Genesis, Abbey Photography, Distinctive Floral, Christine Martin, Firemonkey

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Posted by Lisa and Steven

What a great review! I'm so happy to be a Sand Castle bride and I'm so happy you had a fantastic day!!!

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Lisa you are going to have such a wonderful time!! I cannot stress enough how amazing everyone who works there is. Joe, Ali, Emma and Frank are such amazing people. They take care of you the entire night. You feel like such a princess. At one point I felt bad that they were waiting on me hand and foot but they know what they are doing and they really look like they enjoy it. I wish I could go back an do it again. I love looking at all my photos and reliving the night. I can't wait for yours to come and see your pics and review!

Re: My Fabulous Wedding 11/27/2013 Sand Castle Caterers,Dj Genesis, Abbey Photography, Distinctive Floral, Christine Martin, Firemonkey

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Posted by annem13

Nicely done! Super excited to be a Sand Castle bride!! And ive been to Majestic Elegance last Nov, it was absolutely gorgeous!!! Glad you had a fabulous time!

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Annem13 you are not going to be disappointed at all!!!!! Such a magical night it really is. Their hall and their staff are soooooo amazing. I don't think it could have gone any better.

My Fabulous Wedding 11/27/2013 Sand Castle Caterers,Dj Genesis, Abbey Photography, Distinctive Floral, Christine Martin, Firemonkey - Long Island Weddings

Congrats!

My Fabulous Wedding 11/27/2013 Sand Castle Caterers,Dj Genesis, Abbey Photography, Distinctive Floral, Christine Martin, Firemonkey - Long Island Weddings

Congratulations!! Great review!!

My Fabulous Wedding 11/27/2013 Sand Castle Caterers,Dj Genesis, Abbey Photography, Distinctive Floral, Christine Martin, Firemonkey - Long Island Weddings

I love your review. Congratulations! I am a Sand Castle bride as well and I am so glad to hear you loved them.

My Fabulous Wedding 11/27/2013 Sand Castle Caterers,Dj Genesis, Abbey Photography, Distinctive Floral, Christine Martin, Firemonkey - Long Island Weddings

I too am a sand castle bride and it just reassured what i already knew lol :) cant wait

Re: My Fabulous Wedding 11/27/2013 Sand Castle Caterers,Dj Genesis, Abbey Photography, Distinctive Floral, Christine Martin, Firemonkey

Congrats and great review

My Fabulous Wedding 11/27/2013 Sand Castle Caterers,Dj Genesis, Abbey Photography, Distinctive Floral, Christine Martin, Firemonkey - Long Island Weddings

Yayyyy another happy Sand Castle Bride!!!! I'm so glad everything was spectular... Great review.