My May Wedding Review: Chateau Briand, Joshua Dwain Photography, Old Westbury Gardens, Fairy Tale Events, Kiss the Bride Films, and much more!

LIW: A
First, LIW was a GREAT resource. I was a combination of both a lurker and participant on this site. I didn't post as much, but really logged in almost every day. I really enjoyed the supportive and amazing resources that all of the brides provided. Thanks LIW girls!


Jewelry-Tejani: A
Their website was great and the selection in the showroom was amazing! I loved their sales associate (I forgot her name). Although I went with a game plan and knowing exactly what pieces I wanted, once I got there, and tried on others and got a better idea of what looked better on me. The sales associate was able to help me out in making a few selections. I also liked that they had different sizes for their jewelry. They had in stock what I was looking for, but because my wrist was smaller than the size of the cuff, they had to order and mail it to me. The cuff came in a couple of days and it was perfect! The quality of their jewelry was impeccable. I highly recommend Tejani!
Advice: Make sure that you try on your jewelry before you purchase!


Shoes: Kate Spade: A+
After going through 4 pairs of possible wedding shoes, I found the right ones. They were comfortable and charming! I loved them! The style of the show is 'charm'

Photography: Joshua Dwain: A+
I saw Joshua Dwain’s (JD) work via someone else’s wedding pictures . My husband and I (at that time boyfriend) said to each other, “when we get married one day, we HAVE to check him out”. After our engagement we did just that! We met with Joshua and Anyeka (2nd photographer) and we immediately clicked. He brought a personal and creative aspect to his photography that we had not experienced when meeting with other photographers. Others seemed to care more about selling us their packages, the cost, and the logistics of their photography. Although those things are important, we didn’t feel like they cared about US as customers. We felt that we needed to feel comfortable with whomever we booked as a photographer because they were going to be around us most of the time during our wedding.

We booked Joshua and Anyeka and BY FAR, they have been THE BEST VENDOR to work with. They put their heart into our engagement and wedding photos. The way they “told our story” through photos was impressive! They were also very knowledgeable and creative. Anyeka brings a great balance and her own set of skills that pleasantly complements Joshua’s creativity. They mostly came up with the concepts for our engagement shoot and listened to our suggestions. During our wedding reception, he had a slideshow of the pictures he had taken throughout the earlier part of the day and all of our guests were so impressed. This was a nice touch because those who were not able to be with us before the reception, got to experience our day. His prices are reasonable and for the kind of QUALITY photos we received, we were extremely happy with having booked him.
You can see a lot more of my wedding pictures here, Wedding Pictures on blog

Bridal Reflections: Wedding Dress: A+
5th Avenue Location
Designer: Stephen Yearick
What can I say…this store was amazing and my bridal consultant, Lynne, was excellent! I had visited 3 other bridal salons (including highly televised ones) and none compared to the type of customer service, selection, and treatment that I received at Bridal Reflections. Every single dress I tried on was amazing and it was the first time that I felt great in each dress that I tried on. Their prices were reasonable and the quality of their gowns was impressive. I bought a Stephen Yearick gown during a trunk show at their store and met the designer of my dress. He was so helpful and I thought that it made the dress that much more special.

The alterations department was excellent and it was capped at a reasonable price. What I liked about them was that I tried on their sample sized dress and it already fit me well. They weren’t slick and tried to order me a larger size to capitalize on my potential alterations bill.

Videography: Kiss the Bride Films: A
Looking for a videographer was a task! We wanted a person who was a professional, used a cinematographic style to their shooting, and gave us a good value for our money. We met with a few videographers and through our experience; many of them are a little extreme with their charges. We met Leslie from Kiss the Bride Films and in all honesty, we were ready to book with her on the spot. We decided to take a few days to think about it, but ended up booking her pretty quickly. She was not only nice and personable, but very knowledgeable and meticulous. I loved that she was so laid back and easy going. From meeting with her, I could tell that she was relaxed, yet very energetic and passionate with her work. We just watched our video and it had us smiling from the moment it started until the end. You can see her blog with sample of her videos here: Kiss the Bride Films Vimeo

Advice: Most people underestimate the importance of a videographer. I would say that it is a good investment, as this person will capture many things that the photographer does not. Even if he/she captures the same footage as the photographer, it will be a different product, as your day is being captured with different eyes.


Day of Coordinator: Fairy Tale Events: A+
I knew I didn’t need event planning services because I enjoyed the wedding planning process with my fiancée and we both had previous event planning experience. I hired Chrissi for her Full Day of Coordination services well in advance. My FH told me to go ahead and put it as part of our budget so I don’t worry about anything the day of the wedding. I had a few DOCs who I wanted to interview, but after meeting with her, I knew I had to hire her. Although I only hired her for DOC services, she was there for any questions and any dilemmas that I had prior to the wedding. She is VERY knowledgeable and resourceful. It was helpful that I could not only count on her as a professional, but as a “regular person” who I could ask her honest and unbiased opinion. Everyone who was around me was either getting ready or running around to take care of things; therefore, having a person to make sure the church was arranged properly, the venue was all settled, my BMs and GMs were on task, etc was very helpful. Plus, she thought of SO MANY little details that without her, I would’ve forgotten. Chrissi was one of my favorite vendors to work with.

Advice: This, I have to say, is one of the most underestimated vendors amongst brides. However, I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE anyone who is able to hire a professional who will help you during the day of your wedding. If you are having a wedding where the ceremony is at a different location than your reception (like mine), a DOC is GREAT help!


Reception: Chateau Briand: A-
We visited a few reception halls and did countless hours of research prior to booking Chateau. When my hubby and I visited this place, we were so impressed. We wanted a place that didn’t have the “banquet/catering hall” feel or look. We wanted someplace that looked different from others. With Chateau’s décor and their south beach garden style grounds, we were sold.

Overall, Chateau was a pleasure to work with. Prior to the day of the wedding, they were fairly attentive and helpful. As the wedding got closer, they were very helpful with some details that I needed changed. They were very customer-service oriented! Lisa L. was actually one my favorite people to work with (although I didn’t work with her as much). I really liked her because she was good at quickly following up with me on any questions or matters I needed to discuss.

My Maitre D (Paul) was absolutely amazing. He was so lively, caring, thoughtful, and easygoing. It was JUST what I needed during the reception. I enjoyed having him. The attendants were also great! I have to say; however, the staff was so helpful and willing to cater to you that at times, it got a little overwhelming. As a bride/couple, you MUST put your foot down and tell your Maitre D or attendants “no..I want to finish dancing this song!” We did just that, and it was respected by their staff. There was an unfortunate accident that happened during my reception. Although I have been in communication with them about taking care of it, I am still waiting for a final follow up. I will make sure that I update this review once the matter is entirely settled.


Bakery: Francesco's: C
This was the bakery that Chateau Briand used.
Although they provided the cake, we knew that we wanted something different. Therefore, we met with Francesco 3 times to discuss and finalize our cake. We were doing an upgrade to fondant and gave him a picture of the exact cake we wanted (thanks to one of the LIW girls)! We paid a lot of money to do this upgrade. We were very reassured and couldn’t wait to see our cake the day of our wedding, since he called himself “The Cake Boss of Long Island” during one of our meetings.

When we saw our cake the day of the reception, we were disappointed. I was underwhelmed and NOT in love with the cake. The fondant was dry so it was cracked in different places. The placement of the cake embellishments were not carefully placed, and some of the tiers were uneven. The whole cake looked amateurish. I was so unhappy with it, although my husband assured me that it “didn’t look that bad.” I did agree with him in that it didn’t look that bad from far away, but once one stood right in front, you saw ALL of the imperfections.

I have to say that his portfolio of work looked good. Sadly, I am not sure what happened in our situation. Nevertheless, Francesco was very nice and attentive to use. His shop was always busy and the cakes he made (within the shop) tasted very good!


Flowers by B U R To N S: A+
We LOVED our flowers! When we met with Mike, he gave us a quote, which by far was the cheapest we have seen for tall centerpieces. He was so flexible and didn’t try to nickel and dime us for the kind of flowers we wanted. The quote he gave us was for ANY KIND OF FLOWER we wanted. Which is something that many other florists DO NOT DO. I sent him pictures of what I wanted later on and after meeting with them again, we came up with how the bridal party’s flowers were to look like. I went a 3rd time for a sample centerpiece and after having a bad day, it brought the BIGGEST SMILE TO MY FACE! The centerpieces were exactly what I was looking for..a classy mix of flowers, with a pop of tropical! They accomplished our vision.

Invitations: Even S T A R Paperie: A
Tessa’s work really got me to love wedding invites. Before booking her, I really didn’t care about what kind of invitations I had. I booked with her because I really didn’t want to bother with designing or wording any invitation. However, once I started the design process with her, I fell in love with the beautiful and detailed effort that went into producing a beautiful wedding invitation. It really set the tone for our wedding! She listened to my suggestions provided me with a few ideas and somehow, put it all together and made it happen (all by the deadline!) I liked her work so much that I was not going to have programs designed for our ceremony. However, after I received my invites, I knew that I had to order other stationery. I was a little late in ordering my programs and she was quick with it! She made it happen for me in a matter of a few days! I really appreciated her responsiveness, talent, and QUALITY! Also, her prices are very reasonable and she gives you a variety of options for any amount of money you would like to spend. I highly recommend Tessa!

PS. Her blog and her contests are so cool! I loved knowing the process of my invitations through that resource!

Hair: Tiffany Joy Designs: A
I had approximately, 5 hair trials before Tiffany. From the start, I knew Tiffany was very talented and KNEW exactly what I wanted. I really appreciated her professionalism and easy-going personality. I felt so comfortable having her do my and my MOH's hair. My MOH was so happy with her hairstyle. Tiffany was great!

Limousines: Royalty Limo:
Pre-Wedding: C/ Wedding Day: A
I have to admit, their customer service was borderline rude and very impersonal at times. When we visited, it felt like the person who spoke with us (who I think is one of the head managers), was mad at something else or someone (which affected his mood with us). It wasn’t until we decided to indicate that we wanted to book their limo that he became slightly more personal. I am normally a stickler for good customer service, but we had looked at reviews and we knew what we were in for. Most of their reviews indicated that their management customer service is mediocre, but their day of service is phenomenal. This is exactly what we experienced. We decided to book their Cadillac DTS and their Bentley Flying Spur after we saw it in their showroom (which was VERY IMPRESSIVE) and found out their price quote (which was within our budget). All of their cars looked really good on the outside. We were going to book another model of the Cadillac, but the interior was a little worn and less modern. It was nothing big, but my FH was very particular with the kind of transportation we booked. Their drivers for the day of were GREAT! They were on time, flexible (I ran late), and accommodating. They helped me with the processional, pictures, organization, etc. We realllly LOVED their drivers and their customer service.

Picture Location: Old Westbury Gardens: A
The place is breathtaking. There was NO DOUBT in knowing where I wanted to take my pictures. I was satisfied with their customer service. Kim, the wedding photography coordinator, was very nice, but a little overbearing at times. Nevertheless, I was very satisfied with their professionalism, assistance and flexibility.

(My pics are too big and i can't upload. But see the blog for some of my wedding pics, Wedding Pictures! )

Kiss the Bride Films Videos

Sorry!

Re: My May Wedding Review: Chateau Briand, Joshua Dwain Photography, Old Westbury Gardens, Fairy Tale Events, Kiss the Bride Films, and much more!

Congratulations and thank you for the great review. Everything looked beautiful and those shoes are HOT!

Re: My May Wedding Review: Chateau Briand, Joshua Dwain Photography, Old Westbury Gardens, Fairy Tale Events, Kiss the Bride Films, and much more!

wow, love your dress! congrats, what a beautiful bride

Re: My May Wedding Review: Chateau Briand, Joshua Dwain Photography, Old Westbury Gardens, Fairy Tale Events, Kiss the Bride Films, and much more!

You made a gorgeous bride!

Re: My May Wedding Review: Chateau Briand, Joshua Dwain Photography, Old Westbury Gardens, Fairy Tale Events, Kiss the Bride Films, and much more!

loved the photos! you looked gorgeous. im also looking into Joshua for my wedding photos. :)

Re: My May Wedding Review: Chateau Briand, Joshua Dwain Photography, Old Westbury Gardens, Fairy Tale Events, Kiss the Bride Films, and much more!

Great review - and you made such a gorgeous bride, and the photos are amazing. Btw, your shoes are RIDICULOUS (in the best way possible )

Re: My May Wedding Review: Chateau Briand, Joshua Dwain Photography, Old Westbury Gardens, Fairy Tale Events, Kiss the Bride Films, and much more!

Great review. I'm getting married next June and we are going with CB, I'm in the middle of getting some mock ups from E venst*** Paperie, We're using ***************** and are taking pics at Old Westbury Gardens as well.


Going to look at your pics now. :)

Re: My May Wedding Review: Chateau Briand, Joshua Dwain Photography, Old Westbury Gardens, Fairy Tale Events, Kiss the Bride Films, and much more!

Thank you, everyone!

@PinkChick: You will have such a great time! I hope you have as good of an experience as I did!

Re: My May Wedding Review: Chateau Briand, Joshua Dwain Photography, Old Westbury Gardens, Fairy Tale Events, Kiss the Bride Films, and much more!

Great review!!!!! Great pictures and agree the shoes I LOVE!!!! Congrats!@

Re: My May Wedding Review: Chateau Briand, Joshua Dwain Photography, Old Westbury Gardens, Fairy Tale Events, Kiss the Bride Films, and much more!

Great review and lovely pictures!

Re: My May Wedding Review: Chateau Briand, Joshua Dwain Photography, Old Westbury Gardens, Fairy Tale Events, Kiss the Bride Films, and much more!

Congrats, you looked gorge!! Thanks for sharing your review!!

Re: My May Wedding Review: Chateau Briand, Joshua Dwain Photography, Old Westbury Gardens, Fairy Tale Events, Kiss the Bride Films, and much more!

Gorgeous!!!! that dress was to die for

Re: My May Wedding Review: Chateau Briand, Joshua Dwain Photography, Old Westbury Gardens, Fairy Tale Events, Kiss the Bride Films, and much more!

great review and love the pics!! thanks for sharing

Re: My May Wedding Review: Chateau Briand, Joshua Dwain Photography, Old Westbury Gardens, Fairy Tale Events, Kiss the Bride Films, and much more!

Congrats!!!

Re: My May Wedding Review: Chateau Briand, Joshua Dwain Photography, Old Westbury Gardens, Fairy Tale Events, Kiss the Bride Films, and much more!

I just bought the charm kate spade shoes to wear!!

Re: My May Wedding Review: Chateau Briand, Joshua Dwain Photography, Old Westbury Gardens, Fairy Tale Events, Kiss the Bride Films, and much more!

Re: My May Wedding Review: Chateau Briand, Joshua Dwain Photography, Old Westbury Gardens, Fairy Tale Events, Kiss the Bride Films, and much more!

wonderful review!

Re: My May Wedding Review: Chateau Briand, Joshua Dwain Photography, Old Westbury Gardens, Fairy Tale Events, Kiss the Bride Films, and much more!

great review, i love your pictures!

Re: My May Wedding Review: Chateau Briand, Joshua Dwain Photography, Old Westbury Gardens, Fairy Tale Events, Kiss the Bride Films, and much more!

Congratulations, wonderful review!

Re: My May Wedding Review: Chateau Briand, Joshua Dwain Photography, Old Westbury Gardens, Fairy Tale Events, Kiss the Bride Films, and much more!

Can i ask how much did they quoted you per person, Im planning on having it there too.