NIna 1010's May 1, 2010 WCC Wedding Review, Pastor April, Nick G., Party Booths, FM Entertainment, Oksana, Flowers and Designs by Gina, Hawaii, True Love, Camelot and more....

Nina1010's WCC May 1st Wedding with Pastor April, FM Ent, Oksana, Flowers by Gina, Camelot, True Love, Nick G, OWG, Hawaii and much, much more.


LIW Wedding Review
It took me a while to figure out what I was going to write. This site has been such a great resource for my planning. I love the honesty and energy from our boards, not to mention the occasional drama. It kept things interesting, but mostly the boards were a safe place to get advice and exchange ideas, making friendships and really being able to chat Wedding-Speak 24hrs a day without complaints…well, that is just priceless.

In the spirit and nature of the boards, I am going to start out with some advice for future brides.

* Always go for trials with your vendors, shop around before committing to a contract. You don’t want to doubt your decisions, especially with the dress.

* Always get things in writing, even if you trust your vendor. Highlight key information; dates, hours, overage charges, insurance and back-up information. Keep copies of everything and make sure to bring it with you the day of.

* Hire a Videographer. Your wedding day will fly by. Quite literally you will be torn in a few different directions and will not remember most things. Having it on video will capture the memories and the energy of the day / evening and give you the chance to see some people and moments you may have missed. I had some doubts about this, but I am so glad we did hire one because it was over so quickly I didn’t remember all of it. You won’t regret it.

* Do not let the stress of planning become bigger than you and FH as a couple. It just isn’t worth the pain, fighting and tears that may end up hurting your relationship.

Do not stress over the little things, really try to enjoy the planning. Honestly, you’ll be on a natural high that day and most things will not register on your radar. Hopefully all will run smoothly. But should something go wrong, let someone else deal with it. Oh and bring an extra pair of shoes to change into at some point. ;) My ratings below vary in the amount of As and +s. No particular reason, but I was more excited about certain things or service and expressed it this way.

The Back-Story
My new DH & I started dating back in 2003. We weren’t searching for “The One” but we were dating and getting to know each other. After a couple of months of dating, my mom passed away suddenly. I then adapted a new attitude….”life is just too short for games”. I basically started to get serious about my future, thought about what I wanted and who I wanted that future with. This definitely affected our dating relationship. It so happened we were on the same page and although it wasn’t pure bliss for 6 years, it was real, genuine and definitely close to bliss any couple can get. I was finally truly happy.

The Proposal – January 19, 2009
DH and I love to travel. We take about 4-5 vacays a year. We both decided to return to one of our favorite places, Breckinridge, CO but this time to invite a group of friends for a great time in the Rockies. Leading up to the trip, there were the holidays. This was the 1st Christmas DH really didn’t put any effort in. I really had a feeling it would be the time for him to propose and perhaps he had second thoughts. Seriously, he like ran out Christmas Eve and bought stuff from the Dollar Store… it was pathetic. That should have been clue 1 but I laughed it off and took it with a grain of salt considering we were going away less than a month later and my cousin’s wedding was 2 weeks after the ski trip. In hind sight, it turns out he was going to propose on Christmas Eve but remembered that was when my cousin got engaged the year before. He didn’t want me to share a holiday and special occasion, so he held out.

Anyway, the day of the proposal started out perfectly, the weather was gorgeous and we went dog sledding with our closest friends. We had a blast and then hired a photographer to take some photos of us around the ski hill, etc. We skied, went for Aprés ski hot chocolates and drinks and played some games at the bar. We cleaned up and DH swept me off to a wonderful restaurant in town. At the end of dinner, during dessert, DH turned to me and seemed to want to say something. He grabbed my hand and asked if I enjoyed dinner and was having a great time. “I said yes, the food is great and the place is really nice”. He looked at me intensely with the sexiest smile on his face, reached out and placed a wrapped gift in my hands. He told me it was a late Christmas gift. As I unopened my lil box he asked me “what do you think of spending the rest of our lives together? Will you do me the honor of being my wife?”


The Date – May 1, 2010
We had a difficult time picking a date. We really wanted an October date, mainly because it is our favorite time of the year, and the date10.10.10 was looking really great, hence the name Nina1010. The bad thing for us was that fact that it was the most popular date this year and then DH decided he wanted a Saturday night, not Sunday. The other thing not in our favor was the fact that my brother is in the Navy and usually changes commands in late summer with a 90-day no travel restriction upon arriving at the new command. My brother had to be present, so we decided to keep an open mind about our date and would let the RH factor into selection process.


Selecting the RH – can I actually rate this?
DH was really great with this process and basically only wanted me to bring him my top choices. We initially wanted a loft-type of venue with a great view of the NYC skyline. I visited a bunch of places, but didn’t get that feeling. I would scour the wedding websites for places in the boroughs and then ventured out to LI. You definitely got more for your money out here and could customize a lot more options…it was promising. I visited over 25 places with a couple of BMs before taking DH to his first one. I went to 5 places with DH. Two of them before walking into WCC. At this point, WCC was like the 28th place I’ve visited and DH and I looked at each other and knew it was the one.
Everyone recalls the time when WCC wasn’t booking weddings passed August 2010. I was one of the people who could not book then. One of the dates they did have available was the one we chose, May 1, 2010.

Save the Dates – Ebay - A
DH and I wanted to change it up a bit from the usual STDs we received. We went with magnets. I created 2 different designs in Powerpoint. One had our photo and the other a design with our color scheme, Balck, White and Red accent. I bought them on eBay, a box of Gartner 50 magnets for $7. It was a breeze to do on our ink jet and they came with envelopes. Vendor offered a smooth transaction and a great deal. This pic isn't a good example though. They are much nicer in person.





Invitations – Michael’s BRIDE’S line of invitations by Gartner – AAAA+++++
After searching for months for affordable invitations that reflected our style, and color scheme, I decided I may have to do them myself. DH and I went to so many places and gave up to move onto a few DIY projects. We went to Michael’s and came across the Printable invitations that really suited us perfectly. I only bought one box because I wanted to see the quality and test the printing and mailing. It served as a “Fake” engagement invite for us to our friend which was really for her baby shower. I mailed it to a few people she would speak with and we were all impressed. I truly fell in love with our invitations and it was so easy to put out. I customized them and had such freedom that it really was less stressful than the process some of my friends went through. Best part, 50% off coupons for Michael’s on each box. Score.









DIY - Table Names – AAAAAAAAAA+++
I registered on a site called WeddingDNA and was granted access to many template designs for various projects. I used one of the templates for our table names since the design was exactly our color scheme. It was a PowerPoint presentation that I sized to print on a 5x7 photo paper. DH and I are into wine and decided to name our tables after wine varietals rather then numbering the tables. I loved how they came out and framed them in plain black 5x7 frames purchased at Ikea. All this under $25.







WeddingDNA.com – A+
Great resource for a DIY’er.



Escort Cards – Escort Cards were clean edge perforated printable black and white escort cards from the Brides line available through Michael’s. I knew we didn’t want to spend a ton of money on things like this, but we still wanted it to look amazing. This did it and it cost under $10.





Slipper Basket – A+
I don’t have a pic of this, believe it or not. I could swear there were a few, but just cannot find it. I bought the baskets at AC Moore with a Michael’s 40% off coupon. I love that they accept each other’s coupons. The baskets are re-purposed now and I love them.



Flip Flops – A+ I purchased about 50 pairs of flips at Old Navy during a major sale. I ordered only black or white flip flops in various sizes. The sale was about 30% off and the costs were already below $1.50. Coupled with free shipping, I scored big time.



Flip Flop Tags – A+ A DIY project. Had some Name Badge tags available to use and thought of possibly using this for the slipper tags. I tried it out in the template provided and it worked like a charm. I added two pics from clip art in Word and hole punched the corner of the tags. DH tied them to the flips with red ribbon.




Out of Town bags – A+ Bought the bags at Michael’s. Plain white kraft bags – 13/$5.99. I added the Monogram label to the front of the bag. I created our OOT guest message using the same PowerPoint presentation to keep the theme alive. I copied the slide 3x, having 4 slides total and I printed them out 4 pages per sheet on bright white cardstock. I then used my paper cutter to cut 4 equal messages to hang from a black ribbon on the OOT bags.



Wedding Guest Timeline – A+ Created it in PowerPoint. Left the slide white with black ink. I did the same as above, copied the slide 3x and printed 4 per page on red bond paper. I cut them and attached both the timeline with shuttle info and the OOT Guest Message to the bags.





Photo Sharing cards – A+ I bought clean edge perforated business cards, designed the image I wanted in PowerPoint and saved it as a JPEG file. I opened the business card template and inserted the JPEG file in one of the business card slots. I then copied and pasted it in each slot and printed them out. I used my hole puncher to punch the hole in the corner of the card. I slipped a red ribbon into the hole and tied it around the wine bottle top so every guest goes home with a reminder of the Photo Share website.

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Marriage License – City Clerk’s Office in Brooklyn – B-
Not the worst place to get it, but you should go earlier than later, like 8:30am. In fact, I would recommend anyone with intent to go there to log onto their website first and complete an internet application. Print out your form and confirmation number and bring it with you. It truly speeds up the process. You won’t regret this decision. Although we arrived prior to 2:30pm, we did not make it to the counter before 4pm. We missed it by 1 couple ahead of us. That is why they receive a B-. I think they should close the doors at a certain time so not to give false hope to people anxious to get their license. Seriously, it isn’t fair since most of us have to take off of work to be there. Vent over.


My Shower
March 21, 2010 @ Gino’s Restaurant, Brooklyn, NY – A
From day one I said I wanted my shower to be a surprise, however when you consider my sisters that is quite near impossible. I’m very intuitive and although I try to ignore some things, I had a strong feeling when my shower was going to take place. As for Gino’s, one of my favorite restaurants in Bay Ridge, the place, service, food was all fabulous. The party was wonderful and non-traditional as we had a Honeymoon registry and didn’t have a ton of gifts to actually open. My BMs and family were creative with thoughtful gifts and generous with laughter. I loved my Shower but they only receive an A, because despite how great they are, they tend to not be flexible with the end time and you feel ‘rushed” to leave. They aren’t hurting for business as there is a line that consistently flows out of their doors. They don’t have a separate party room either.


Rehearsal Dinner Invitations – Evite.com – A+
Just one of those times I didn’t think a formal invitation was necessary. I opted to go green and often do whenever we can. So we turned to Evite.com and it was a breeze. I think most people respond to it and the reminder set-up is a great feature to utilize without feeling like your hounding people to respond.


Rehearsal Brunch – Greenhouse Café, Brooklyn, NY – A+
I’ve been going to brunch at Greenhouse Café for years. Since our BP was spread out from NJ to Greece, we opted to have it the weekend before our Wedding on a Sunday afternoon. DH’s family wouldn’t arrive until the night before and to me, that was not something I wanted to manage. We did something separate for his family since they were staying a few days after the wedding. It was wonderful. Most of our BP and family were there for the brunch and we spent quality time with our VIPs over great drink and food.


BM Gifts – Coach Outlet in Riverhead, NY – AA+++++
Sign up for special promotions via email and you won’t be disappointed. I receive 20% - 30% off coupons weekly now. My friends and sister are very different in style, personality and where they are in life. I knew it called for different bags for each lady. So I was able to find the perfect gift for each of them around the same price range. With the coupons I had coupled with the deals they offer, I was able to get them great bags for an even better price. Also, customer service there is amazing. I had doubts on two bags and was able to return them months later no problem at all.


GM Gifts – Kenneth Cole watches – Century 21 – Brooklyn, NY – A+
DH and I wanted to get the GMs something practical. We knew the watches would reflect each guy’s personality and Century 21 had a great selection. Each GM thanked us over and over for their watch.
A great find and a great deal. Century 21 is worth checking out for various items.


Bachlor/ette Party – Jack n’ Jill style – April 17, 2010 – Fun but just a B
DH’s family lives in FL and my bro is in Greece. Since he would not have had many guy friends to do it up, we combined and made a great time out of it. We love to go out with family and friends and often do so we knew it wouldn’t be the last hoorah anyway. We went to dinner at Brother Jimmy’s BBQ and caught a comedy show nearby at Stand up NY.

Brother Jimmy’s – B A very casual place much like Down the Hatch – college and post college crowd, good energy and decent food. The drinks are plentiful and flowed easily. Not the best BBQ and DH doesn’t like BBQ, but our BMs didn’t know that when selecting the location.








Stand up NY – C+ It was just okay for me. The comics varied and 2 missed the mark altogether. I would not order food there even though they offer it. My friend went to the restroom and noticed rat traps on each step on their way down. They were renovating the place, but really should have closed until it was complete. Our group ordered a bottle of champagne and bottled beer, so we were good. But I probably won’t return there.


The Weather – A++++
Since the moment we decided on the date, I prayed every night that it wouldn’t rain. I did not want to stress about the weather and needed a back-up plan to be safe. I cannot control it so I did not want the added stress, just figured I would roll with it. A week before the day, the forecast was IDEAL…. 74 degrees, sunny little or no humidity. It changed everyday after that and even on the day. LOL…. It didn’t help that 4 different people would text me the weather updates everyday. Thankfully it was in the mid-80s but gorgeous. I wasn’t sweaty and shiny like I feared I would be. I know that is due in big part to Oksana….love her. In perfect time for the ceremony, the weather cooled down to about 73 degrees with a slight breeze. Dreamy.



My Dress –Catherine by Enzoani – AAAAAAAA++++
I LOVE my dress. I started by looking at everything and anything online. I then ventured out to RK Bridal thanks to some feedback I read on here. I picked my initial five dress picks and went into the dressing room. No privacy here and no chance to take pics, but the Bridal Attendant was awesome. She listened to what I wanted, asked my price range and came back with an additional 12 dresses. The 2nd dress I tried on from her choices was the one I chose. I walked out of the dressing room and everyone waiting to enter stopped and gasped. They shook their head in agreement that this was THE DRESS. I knew it was too. Since this was a huge decision, I wanted to continue to look and then shop around for price. RK Bridal offered the dress for a reasonable price but you had to pay for alterations. I heard not so great reviews on the alterations from RK Bridal, so the search continued.




Bridesmaid Dresses – Bill Levkoff – Style 454 – A+
My vision kept changing, but I knew I wanted the color scheme to be Black and Ivory with accents of red. Very classic, very elegant and sophisticated. This dress complimented all body types and fit into my vision perfectly. The ladies were so surprised and really loved the dress. I was just happy that they were happy… lol




Valentina Bridal – Brooklyn, NY – AA+++
Many of my friends bought their dresses and ordered their BM dresses at Valentina’s. I was familiar with their quality, their great customer service and really solid alterations. I already have 5 BM dresses from them, so it was a no brainer that I would call them for the dress. Unfortunately they did not have the Catherine dress there to try on. I had to return to RK to confirm my choice, size and color then return to Valentina’s for pricing and to order the dress. They came in about $150 more than RK Bridal, but the price included alterations, a headpiece and a simple 1 tier veil. The fact that it was so close to my apartment made this an easy decision….SOLD.

They were able to order my dress in a custom length since I am vertically challenged at 5 feet short. I was a bit nervous since the work appliqué work was around the hem and waistline however, I had faith and I ordered my dress on July 18, 2009.

I got the call that the dress was in on February 1, 2010. I went in on February 6th for my 1st fitting. It was a bit loose and not quite as form fitting as it was suppose to be. However the length was on point. The dress was still gorgeous but needed some modifications. So on April 3rd I went in for my 2nd fitting and it was so much better. I had the complete look since I just had my hair trial and picked up my veil and shoes. Still the dress was not quite as form fitting as I expected, but so much better, I told Daniella how I wanted it to be, where it needed to be taken in and that was that. My dress was ready and perfect on April 29th. They even steamed my veil (that I bought on eBay).











Headpiece – Pearl and Crystal on sterling silver head band. Very pretty…love it. Free with cost of dress.

I just want to say that Deborah and Daniella from Valentina’s Bridal were always so wonderful and there to greet you with a smile. They didn’t try to up sell you on anything but were totally genuine and a pleasure to work with. Thank you for making the process easy and enjoyable.




Veil – Ebay Vendor: CuteBrides – A
I really didn’t want to wear a veil. I like them, but prefer a flower or something else in my hair. A veil was something I didn’t have to have. So I shopped around and tried on many different ones to figure out which would look best with my dress. I read someone on here found theirs on eBay so I started to search there. I found a 1 Tier Ivory Bridal Illusion veil with Swarovski rhinestones scattered throughout. It was 26” in length and 72” in width which for me was ideal. I have some nice detail work on the back of the dress I didn’t want hidden by the veil. The vendor was quick, inexpensive and offered really good quality, the same as I tried on for 10x as much money. I paid less than $20 for it and am so happy I did. My BM left the veil in my suite the day of. I didn’t remember to put it on. After photos at OWG, I remembered about the veil and wanted it for the ceremony. People jumped hurdles to get it to me and my sister fails to tell me she placed it in my Bridal Suite before I walked down the aisle. Anyway, it didn’t make it and I didn’t miss it, but it was a pretty veil. The one from Valentina’s was also very nice, and free, but I kept looking since I needed it to be perfect.




DOJ – Earrings, Bracelet, BM Earrings, Sophia’s Jewelry - AAAA++++
A bit biased here as my friend’s mom works here. She isn’t in sales, but she places orders and works with places like RK Bridal and Kleinfeld’s. The jewelry is much less by going straight to her, so this is what I did to see what they had for my 7 BMs and for myself. I bought the ladies a long fan like earring similar to the popular Kite earring. They all loved it and it complimented their dresses that day. I didn’t get them necklaces or bracelets.

My Day of Bracelet was a three string Pearl and Crystal piece that I received many compliments on.




My Day of Earrings were also pearl and crystal to match the bracelet and my head piece.

My Day of Necklace was my “Something Old”. It is a beautiful white gold heavy XO like design chocker that DH gave me for our first Valentine’s Day together.



Shoes – eBay; Coloriffics (Style Name Carol) – A
Dyed them at Madlen Shoes in Brooklyn, NY on 86th Street – A
I don’t wear heels often. When I do decide to wear them, they aren’t higher than 3”. It was important that I find a pair that I could wear all night; comfortable, dyeabe to match my Ivory gown and had to have some style. These fit the bill and found them at various stores for $79+. I searched the style and size on eBay and found them for $45 shipped. They arrived in 2 days brand spanking new and perfect. DEAL.

Brought them to Madlen where they dyed them to match my Ivory Dress. They charged $20. DONE






“I Do” decal for shoes – Good Things Wedding Favors – 39 W. 14th St., Suite 204 A+
My Something Blue and what a great find. I walked there on my lunch break and checked out all of their wedding favors. What a great place and was not stuffed to the gills like most wedding favor stores. It is mostly an internet based company that I came across online and lucked out that they were in Manhattan. I paid less than $4 for them and they were sold out everywhere else.






Tuxedos – Men’s Wearhouse – B+
We decided to go with MW because DH’s brothers and nephew live in FL, 2 other GMs live in NJ, 1 in Staten Island, 1 in Brooklyn and my brother in Greece. It just made sense. You can rent and pick up the tux at one store and drop it off at any of their other stores. DH opted to buy his own tux from them as part of a promotion they were offering. They gave him $400 credit toward a regular priced tuxedo. He bought their Calvin Klein 2 button tuxedo which looked amazing on him accented by a White Tuscany vest set and white tie. Very sharp.

The Groomsmen wore Calvin Klein style 1865, 1 button tuxedo with black vest and ties and rented shoes.

The only reason I didn’t give them an A was because none of the MWs we visited had any samples for people to try on. Nothing is kept in the store and all of the tuxedo rentals are housed in Texas, which is not very convenient. It was a bit challenging to visualize all of the GMs in their full gear as well as DH in his so this reflects the rating. Service was great though, especially at the Financial District location. Kevin and Bresley went above and beyond with no attitude, just smiles. Thanks.




Ring Bearer / Banner Holder Tuxedos – S & L at Staten Island Mall – AAA+++
The staff here were very helpful and they had two very cute styles of tuxedoes for me to choose from. We bought the kids their gear as part of the gift for being a part of our wedding. They had everything you needed and were pretty reasonably priced, better than a rental. The tuxes came with the shirt, vest, jacket, pants, ties and socks. Their parents had their black shoes so we were set.




Flower Girl Dresses
Dress 1 – Cinderella ivory pearl adorned dress – Burlington Coat Factory - $24.99. A+
Dress 2 – Black and White dress with Red rose – Century 21 - $39.99 A+

I picked up Dress 1 because the dress I wanted didn’t come in toddler size. I loved Dress 1 anyway…just gorgeous. However, DH and I were in Century 21 picking up GM gifts and came across Dress 2. He insisted on buying it and having her match with the color scheme. It was also a very cute FG dress, so we bought it and Giana wore this one.

Flower Girl Basket – my Something Borrowed




“Here Comes The Bride” / “Just Married Banner – A+
The black and white banner fell perfectly in line with our wedding color scheme. We picked it up at AC Moore for under $15. We also had 2 Banner holders in the form of RBs. It was the cutest thing to watch them walk down the aisle holding the banner one way then the other.







Photo Card box, Etsy Seller – Austin14 – A+++
This card box is just beautiful and you can keep it long after the wedding. It is practical and serves a dual purpose, love it. DH and I received so many compliments on it and even passed along the seller info to a few people who asked. The best part of this, the card box arrived fully assembled, wrapped tightly and sound in an oversized box. Seller is nice, easy to work with and shipped really quickly.






Makeup ( Me + 6 BMs and MIL) – Oksana AAAAAA+++++++

I don’t really wear make-up so it was important that I still looked like myself but enhanced a bit. She totally understood wear I was coming from and was truly a gem to work with. She is a true artist and really takes many things into consideration when she does your face. My trial with her was the day of our Engagement photos. DH loved the way I looked but wasn’t used to the lashes and all of the make-up. I had a stress breakout that day so it couldn’t be helped, I needed extra and my skin was dry, but still, she did an amazing job considering and I needed to know someone could work with my sensitive and temperamental face the way she did. I completely trust her and let her do her thing. She didn’t disappoint.

On the day of our wedding, she arrived early, set up her space as soon as she found the perfect lighting and was ready to go. Two of my BMs wear make-up and are very picky so I was interested to see how they responded to her. They loved her. They took some tips and really just enjoyed her company that morning. She is so down to earth and was so calming which is always great to have. At one point as I was sitting in her chair getting my eyes done, my sister brought up my dad and him wearing a tux being a reminder of my mom’s death. She listened, watched closely, paused and asked me if I was ok. She looked at me, felt me and understood what was going on and just comforted me without anyone else in the room realizing I was affected by this. She changes the topic of conversation swiftly without skipping a beat or being rude. She was wonderful.








Day of Hair – 3 stylists were hired since we had OOT guests and close family staying the night before at the hotel.
Ericca Rios of Salon Da Noi Brooklyn – AAAA+++ ( Bride + 2 BMs)
Tina AAAA+++
Carla Sangiorgio – AAAA+++

I was very fortunate to have access to three fabulous stylists. At first I was going to use Carla for my hair. I just didn’t have much access to her for trials since she lives in SI while I live in Brooklyn. Not to mention my hair isn’t the best to work with so I needed options. DH works with Ericca so I knew I was going to her to do my hair trial for ideas to feed Carla. She had a lot of good ideas and worked with what I gave her. I liked the first hair style she did for me, which was mostly up, romantic and swept to the side, but didn’t love it with my dress and headpiece. For our second trial, we did my hair down and I absolutely loved it and took many pictures knowing it was the look I wanted. At that point, although I still wanted to use Carla, I just thought it would be weird to go to her after trials with Ericca so I stayed put.

Tina is a hair stylist my friend and BM uses all of the time. She did my hair for Lisa’s wedding and lives in LI. Again, loved her work, just couldn’t get to her for trials as easily. She did work on a few people in the BP so it was an easy decision to hire her. I always love her work.

Carla worked on my 2 BMs, FG, niece, 2 sisters and friend of the family. She was fun, professional and did an amazing job with their hair. It lasted throughout the night and my nieces never looked better.


Embroidered Sweatshirt for getting ready – Old Navy.com – A+++
White short sleeved zipper sweatshirt. It was less than $20 and I scored free shipping. It is very comfy and I wish I ordered more of them.

I received it in the mail and brought it to SI Mall to be embroidered. I couldn’t find the stand that used to do it and out of curiosity I went into the Life Uniform Store and asked if they offered that service. They had just started to offer it and it was done in a week. I LOVE it! They also receive an A+ rating.




Engagement Photos – Nick G. Photography A+
When we first started meeting vendors we were very conscious of our budget. Based on LIW praises for Nick and his work, DH and I drove out to meet with him. We instantly liked him and booked him on the spot for our wedding. Within days, my father surprised us with an engagement gift by buying our photo and video package from a neighborhood vendor who we both loved and couldn’t afford. I called Nick to see if there was anyway to back out of the contract and perhaps use the deposit we left towards a credit for an Engagement shoot. He was more than accommodating and willing to work with us.

On November 7, 2009 DH and I met with Nick G in Bay Ridge to start our shoot on Ft. Hamilton Army Base. We made our way to Brooklyn Bridge Park in DUMBO for more photo fun. Nick is very easy to talk to and work with. It was a great day. He is affordable and clearly loves what he does. He burns all of your photos in HI-Res to a DVD for you as well.










The Photographer / Videographer– True Love Wedding –A+
Photographer – Chao
Photographer Assistant – Lidia
Videographer – Oscar

We worked with Chao for our Engagement Shoot at Central Park. He was so much fun, made everything light and easy for us. DH and I aren’t very shy, but we don’t seek attention either, so this was a different kind of experience for us. We figured we had to get used to it though. After seeing the final product and how well Chao worked, we were confident our wedding day photos wouldn’t disappoint and they haven’t. His Assistant Lidia was just as amazing and everyone asked us who they were and how they can get his info. Oscar our Videographer was just as professional, unassuming and great to work with. They all interacted with everyone, were so funny and weren’t intrusive but caught the moments that counted. I cannot say enough good things about them.










Photos at Old Westbury Gardens – A (worth the site fee)
The place is just beautiful. The pictures I’ve seen on LIW of some weddings really influenced my decision to take DH here and check it out. We really liked it and picked out the locations we would want to take pictures at on the Big Day. I sent in an application more than a year in advance and secured the 3:30 – 5pm slot for lighting reasons. It is also a great time for us and gave us enough time to travel to the RH for pictures there before the ceremony. The guard who escorted us to the different locations was nice enough. They had to shuffle our locations b/c we were almost 30 minutes late due to DH. We lost one location, but honestly, the ones we did get were the places we really wanted anyway. We still had three different backgrounds for our photos as the one location we used wasn’t a choice, but rather on our route from one location to the next. They were gracious to allow us some extra time after 5pm to finish up.














The Flowers – Flowers & Designs by Gina – AAA+++
[email protected]
From the day that we met Gina, we both knew we were going to book with her. We live in Brooklyn but knew most of our vendors would be closer to or in LI since we chose our venue out there. This wasn’t a problem, but what was important is that we make as few trips out there as possible. I contacted several florists on LIW and made appointments. I sent them my thoughts and color scheme and attached some photos of ideas I liked to the email. I met with all of them and Gina was the last one we met with. She was highly recommended by another bride on the boards and I just had to meet with her. I am so glad we did. She was the only vendor out of the 6 that actually pulled together 2 sample CPs and a BoK for our consideration. She let us keep a CP even though we did not sign a contract with her that day. The other places showed us their portfolio, but she showed us her actual work. Her work is just beautiful and reflects her perfectionist attitude and pride. We booked with her soon after that meeting. We knew that she would take care of us and really execute a beautiful job. She is truly AMAZING!!!!

Throughout the process, Gina checked in on us regularly returned calls and emails within hours, not days or weeks like other vendors. She was always friendly, genuine and down to earth. She offered ideas and helped you realize or pull together your vision. She always made time to speak with us if we had questions or to meet with us in a pinch. She even offered to listen to my wedding planning stressors if I just didn’t sound okay. She really shows how much she cares for her brides and ensures they are happy with her work. She was a true pleasure to work with; I am so happy we found her. I thought we would have a problem giving away our CPs at the end of the night, but we didn’t have enough to give it seems everyone wanted one. She really went above and beyond for us, perfecting it all.














The BoK Memory Charms - Michael's - A=





The Limos – Camelot Limo, LIW Vendor – A+
www.camelotlimo.com
Joe from Camelot was great to work with. His staff was always very friendly and courteous when I called and when we met, DH and I knew we were booking them. Their vehicles were clean and in great condition. We felt confident that they would be wonderful the day of and they were.

The day of our wedding our driver was Anthony. He arrived early, and we were late, but he was friendly, had a big smile on his face and helped where he could. He made sure to give us his mobile number so we were always in contact. We booked a 2009 black party bus but Joe upgraded us to a 2010 white limo party bus and it was perfect. It was a big hit for all of us, nice and comfortable with no one on top of each other. We used the bus to shuttle guest from the hotel block to the RH and then booked the same party bus to shuttle our guests back to the hotel at the end of the evening. It truly became the PARTY bus with our crazy family and friends. Anthony stopped at the store to pick up beverages with no problem and really was great to our guests. You will not be disappointed with them!!












Engagement Ring – Tanzanite stone on Platinum band – Galleria - Brooklyn, NY – A+
I L?VE my ring. It is perfect for me. Since our first cruise to the Caribbean I fell in love with the very rare Tanzanite gem. I have to say, it is the perfect combination of two of my favorite colors and it is just brilliant. DH did an amazing job picking it out and overall, remembering that I wanted a Tanzanite ring.

Wedding Bands – Galleria- Brooklyn, NY – A+
Not so easy to find a band to compliment my Tanzanite engagement ring without taking away from it. I went with a platinum half eternity ring which sparkles and brings out the beauty of Tanzanite.

DH went with a custom Platinum two tone band, hard for me to describe. It is heavy and excellent quality. We buy from Galleria and Orofino (Lil Galleria) all of the time. Service is excellent and the prices are more than reasonable for the quality. We are never disappointed.




The RH – Woodbury Country Club or WCC – Woodbury, NY – A+
Banquet Mgr – B
Maitre D’ – A++
Bridal Attendant (BA) – A
Overall Service and grounds – AAAA+++

As I stated above, DH and I just knew this was the place we wanted as soon as we walked in. They hold no more than 2 events at a time and the events are separated with a main floor in between them. The events have their own bridal suites and set of bathrooms, along with staggered starting times so there was no chance of our guests running into the other party, especially with our separate outside space.

The day we first arrived at WCC, it was impromptu b/c we figured there would be an event going on and we really wanted to see service in action, not staged. We wore clothes that would blend better than just jeans and were able to get a meeting with Carolyn, the BM on duty.
BM – Carolyn – We liked her and could tell she would execute a great event. I rated her a B for a few reasons, and truly, we like her but I want to be honest. She didn’t have a personal email address before this year. I would email the general email box or call and leave a message for her and didn’t receive a response for days or at all. I always had to chase which just added to the stress. Another reason for the B is I felt she didn’t always have answers that she should know…like how long the aisle runner should be or if we wanted to tweak something. Simple things Jeff or Bob seemed to know for their brides. She seems to have been working there for many years but didn’t know answers to common questions. She also gave us contradicting information sometimes. The most recent thing was our BA issue. Neither DH nor I recall her highlighting to us that the BA would only be there until the toasts were made. This has to be the only venue that does this. I’ve been in 7 weddings and have attended double that. I’ve always known the BA to stay with the Bride from the moment she arrives to the moment she leaves along with the MD. She assists with the bustle, dress issues and other personal things. So when our BA informed me she was leaving and that Chris, the MD would take over for her, I was okay with it, but confused. Carolyn was off the night of our wedding so we didn’t clarify until we returned from the HM. We’re okay with it, just which I knew prior b/c I would have hired a DOC. You can’t exactly go to a make with a dress issue, ya know?

The things I wish were different….I wish WCC would have provided a WCC timeline on when we should expect things to be coordinated or when we should reach out to them for things and when they will contact us on other things. Every RH should include a FAQ sheet for the newly engaged couples who sign so we have the most common answers to questions at hand. Generally, most people are not familiar with wedding planning and have no clue. This would have been extremely helpful especially since all RHs are managed differently. We also didn’t realize that out of the 18 acres they house, you are limited to certain areas depending on which room you book. Having heard so many wonderful things about the personal treatment other brides were receiving from their BMs weighed in on this feeling for Carolyn as well. Although she did get things done, she wasn’t very warm until the very end. I also follow WCC on Facebook and read how certain BMs congratulate certain couples. I just think it should be done for all couples married there if they are going to do that at all. It seems Carolyn never really entered the FB world, but still, whoever is in charge should keep things on an even keel in my opinion.

Bridal Attendant: Linda – Although she left us right after the toast, she was very sweet and wonderful. She catered to our needs, smiled constantly and was on top of everything. I would have loved if she stayed on longer.

Maitre D – Chris – He was just awesome, laid back but on top of everything. He knew what he was doing, what had to be done next and made sure it got done without stress. He took over BA duties when Linda left. We really liked Chris.

Overall Service and grounds – Despite what I mentioned above on what I wish to be different with our BM or overall things leading up to the big day, we truly had a wonderful wedding. There were no ill feelings at all because most of this is in reflection and happened months before. WCC pulled everything together beautifully. DH and I felt like we walked into a Platinum Wedding, in large part to our florist, Gina in concert with our MD Chris. Our guests had no complaints at all and the food was excellent, fresh and seasoned well. Drinks were flowing quickly and easily, no long waits at the bar. They really set out to impress and give you top notch service. For that, we are extremely grateful.

The grounds are gorgeous. Many of our family and friends couldn’t stop taking pictures at various spots and truly had a great time. WCC brides will not be disappointed on their Big Day.




















The Cake – Dortoni Bakery, Levittown, NY – AAAA+++ (paid through our RH)
www.dortonibakery.com
I had a vision of what our cake should look like but nothing solid in print. DH and I met with Rudy from Dortoni’s and he took us through the process. We tried a series of different flavors with the different cakes. We made our decision and he asked us what design we wanted. I gave him pictures of what I had in mind but not exactly. He had the chef take it to another level. The cake was on point, moist, delish and so pleasing to the eyes. I LOVED our cake and everyone else did too since we have dozens of photos of it from different friends. We agreed on white cake with layers of Chocolate Cannoli filling and also bananas in fresh custard. The tiers alternated between round and square in shape and it was able to accommodate my two different cake toppers.





Cake Topper 1 – RK Bridal – Manhattan, NY – A+
My search for a brunette couple for a cake topper was a long one. I did find a few online but really needed to see them in person. I found a cute one at RK that depicted a couple feeding each other their wedding cake. The only thing is they were in a seated position, but it was totally cute so I bought it.



(Notice the smudge on the cake from my nephew being curious... ;) )

Cake Topper 2 – Etsy Vendor: AffordableCakeTopper – A+
Since our original cute brunette couple were in a seated position, I thought we should purchase a 2nd cake topper – making it an Initial T covered in crystals. I found a great vendor on Etsy who was able to produce a T that didn’t have a lot of swirls and curls to make it look like a J or I or something other than a T. I LOVE it. Great job and pretty reasonable turn around time. Cost less than $40.



Cake & Knife Cutter - Lenox Opal Innocence - via EBay Seller - A

Great deal, new, never used.




Candy Dishes for Hershey Kisses around cake table – Century 21, NYC, NY – A+
They were functional and had some style. They cost about $2 each – great find

“WE DO” 4” White wooden letters – AC Moore – Staten Island, NY – A+
Perfect for the cake table and we left them unpainted since it worked well with our color scheme. They never made it home with us though. Not sure why.



Candles – Black and White Votives & Black, rectangular candle holders – IKEA, Brooklyn – A+
GREAT DEAL and it really added something to the cake table. It tied the black and white theme together and really looked amazing. Too bad the candle holders never made it back home from the RH. No one knows what happened to them either.





DJ: FM Entertainment – LIW vendor – AA++
We met with a few different DJs and saw some in action as various wedding expos. It is not easy to choose a DJ. I relied on LIW for real reviews with this and have to say we were not disappointed. We met with Frank, the owner, and booked the same day. We purchased the LIVE Package through them which included, MC and a DJ, CH musician or singer, 4 hr reception, all digital sound system, club lights and vertical truss lights, a customized nameplate (BoGo), a Percussionist, Photo Montage, Candid Zap Shots, Live feed of dance floor with a light technician, 2-50” Plasma Screens and complete event planning. We added Ceremony music for an additional but reasonable price and enjoyed it. We switched from the Percussionist to a Female Vocalist closer to the date and they didn’t give us any trouble.

MC – Frank – AAAAAAAAA for Awesome – worked the crowd and everyone was dancing the whole night. For the Father / Daughter dance, my dad’s knee was acting up from the walking at OWG earlier. I informed Frank that my brother would now be dancing with me and without hesitation, announced it as if it was intended to be this way. He also offered guidance on our Photo Montage. Told us there was a 40 pic limit if they scanned, 80 if we scanned. So I gave them a USB of all of the photos we wanted. They did a great job and played the montage during the first course. My SIL was so emotional and touched by it. She came up to us at the DAIS afterwards crying and telling us how beautiful it all was. They gave us the CD of the montage that evening.



DJ – John – A+
During the reception he played all different kinds of music, but most if not all of it was on our must play list and kept us dancing the entire time! He had smooth transitions and really read the crowd well.

Candids – Joey – AAAAAAAA+++++ He was fun and had a great eye. Some ladies would even call him eye candy. He was sweet and really caught some great shots. I’m so happy we had him. At the end of the night I went to thank him and he handed us the BoGo and a DVD of our Photo Montage and our Zap Shots. This was the best.



Chico – Steel Drummer – for Cocktail Hour – A+
We heard everyone singing, saw them bopping to the island rhythm. He was really great and the energy for the CH was perfect.





Deirdre – Co-Owner and Event Planning – A+
Although she wasn’t part of our actual day, she was the point of contact and was in charge of coordinating all of the details that went into it. She was fast to reply and was really accommodating when we asked to have a female vocalist rather than the male they usually go with. It isn’t something they normally do, so I was really happy they made the exception. Also, a few days before the wedding, DH decided to add one last picture of himself in his Navy uniform to the Photo Montage. I emailed Deirdre and it was no problem at all. She also assisted us with song selection. Thanks!



Donna Lee – our Vocalist – A
Donna performed during our dinner and many of our guests really enjoyed her. She did a great job with the song list we provided Deirdre and was really entertaining.











Party Booths
Theory - AMAZING
Results - FUN, FUN, FUN!!!
Attendant - D-

The Props we used - Party City - A Excellent options and cheap

Our Party Booth Attendant was just rude. He told some of our guests that they could only go in once. He didn't even address some others. He closed down 20 minutes early, refusing my request to take a pic with my DH. DH was beyond upset and we don't have one pic of him in the photo booth. Bill left early, not coming over to us to give us the scrapbook. He just left it on the table. So I guess he didn't expect a tip.

I called Party Booths HQ and they were fantastic. They felt terrible about Bill's behavior and compensated us for our dissatisfaction. I was told Bill no longer works for Party Booths. This happened something in late June, but who knows if this is true. Just heed the warning, Bill is a lump on a log, mopey and shouldn't be working weddings. Ask who your Attendant will be or ask them NOT to assign Bill. You won't be disappointed. ANYONE would be better for your party.


That being said, this was one of the biggest hits at our wedding. Eveyone had so much fun since it sells itself. I had a huge party crowd that did not need to be instructed, but had a mind of their own anyway. More than 20 of our friends / family made their photo booth pic their default pic on Facebook. That speaks volumes. I'd recommend the photo booth, not the Attendant.










Menus, Personalized Wine and water bottle labels, Door Hangers and OOT bag labels - eBay vendor – HeartfeltWrappers4u – A+++
Janet is the person who sells her talent on eBay. I ran a search on eBay when I was determined to design and print my own wine labels. She came up on the search and I hit the jack pot. While other vendors were quoting $2 per label, she was charging $37.50 for 100 labels, shipped and designed with a photo uploaded on it. She is flexible and easy to work with. Her work is good and she ships pretty fast. I approached her on other things once I saw the quality of the wine and water bottle labels.










I asked if she would take my door hanger design and my menu design and improve on it. She did and printed and shipped them for about $.40 each. My RH wanted to charge $2 per menu which was just scary expensive in comparison. Instead, she designed our menu with our colors and made them look amazing for us at a reasonable price.





Favors – Full size bottle of wine – A+++

DH and I knew we were giving away wine as favors. We love wine, knew it was a sustainable favor not to mention fun and edible. People will use it for themselves or serve it to someone. We bought the wine in bulk at Trader Joe’s after taste-testing a few different varieties. We picked out our top 2 wines and bought cases of them. I removed the labels and replaced them with the Personalized ones bought through Janet. I added the photo sharing cards to the neck of the bottle. WCC staff members set up a table with our gorgeous CP and handed them out to our exiting guests at the end of the evening. We received so many compliments on everything about the wine. We day tripped to the vineyards the next day and some guests opened up their bottles and shared the love.










Hotel Block – The Melville Marriott – A+
I reserved a block of 10 rooms for the night before the wedding, 30 rooms for the night of the wedding and 5 rooms for the 2 days following to cover those family and friends who traveled near and far. Since the beginning, my experience was excellent. I dealt directly with Ilene Millman and her Assistant when needed. I always received a prompt response, service from the staff was great, always friendly and the size of the suite we had was perfect. No complaints.





Honeymoon – Hawaii – 12 nights / 13 full days.
Oahu 2 nts
http://www.outrigger.com/hotels-resorts/hawaiian-islands/oahu-waikiki/outrigger-reef-on-the-beach
Outrigger Reef – A+++ We loved it. Right on the beach and they have really good restaurants. The rooms are great and pretty big. We would have liked to have stayed longer here as Pearl Harbor was an all day affair.



The Excellent Waiter took our photo and surprised us with it a few moments later with free dessert.





After dinner, this awaited in our room:




Kauai – Outrigger Waipoili - 4 nts – A++
http://www.outrigger.com/hotels-resorts/hawaiian-islands/kauai/outrigger-waipouli-beach-resort
What a Beautiful resort. It was a condo, so we had our own kitchen and it was a 2BR upgrade for us. The beach and the pool are great, but it is the windy side of the island. As great as it was, we would love to return and stay in the Poipu - the sunny side of the island. They are pretty close to everything and have great sunsets.









We did a Catamaran Snorkeling tour with Holo Holo Charters, early morning which was a lot of fun. We saw approx. 90 -100 spinner dolphins, 2 Bottle nose dolphins, a mother and baby Humpback whale and quite a few sea turltes before we reached the Napali coast snorkeling site. It is so beautiful. We also did a helicopter tour which was breathtaking.

A Portion of the 100 or so Spinner Dolphins we came across on our snorkeling cruise. It was very cool.



The Baby Humpback....Mama was swimming close by along the Napali Coast



A BIrd's Eye View








George Clooney was filming a movie on the northside as we were there. We drove to Hanalei (LAND BY THE SEA - Puff the Magic Dragon) snapped a s hot of a lighthouse.
Ate at Bubba Burger - good burger.

Maui – Hyatt Regency Ka'anapali – 6 nts - A
maui.hyatt.com
This is the area you prob where you want to stay in. Calmer beaches, great sunsets and more Resort like. Let me say that although the Hyatt is gorgeous on the outside, the rooms have not been updated since the 80s. They still have stained wallpaper and popcorn ceilings. Our first room had a lot of ants. We complained and they were great to move us to a different tower and actually although not classified, a better room. They have great restaurants here, Macy*s in the lobby, a really great pool with waterfalls, etc. The have 2 shows to see onsite - I'd pass on Cirque Polynesia though.






Great review..thanks for all the details

Everything looked great