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Our INCREDIBLE 09/07/14 wedding: North Ritz Club, Fire Monkey, Makeup Artistry Oksana, Hidden Essenc...
tanulik Posted: Oct 08, 2014 10:01 AM+
tanulik MEMBER SINCE: 11/13 TOTAL POSTS : 135 WEDDING DATE: Sep 07, 2014
Posted: Oct 08, 2014 10:01 AM bride-minus.png

Our INCREDIBLE 09/07/14 wedding: North Ritz Club, Fire Monkey, Makeup Artistry Oksana, Hidden Essence, Tran-Star Executive, Iris Photobooths

I would like to thank all brides on this forum. As we started planning our wedding, we didn’t know much about anything. However, I found this site through google search and always used it for any resources and just to share the progress or even the frustration.
As most of you know – the wedding day would fly by so fast, however, I was able to take every minute in. During the day, I kept looking at everything and tried to take it all in: wonderful smiles, faces of our guests, music, and fun.
I have to say that it has been a month and guests are still calling and texting us of how much they enjoyed the wedding. I think that we did an awesome job because WE enjoyed every minute of it: my husband and I ripped that dance floor apart, we were laughing with our guests, having shots, ate food, and, honestly, were so open about our feelings for each other. As we had our first dance, 70% of the guests were in tears as we were just genuinely happy.
My advice to all future brides: take is all in, enjoy every minute of it, and don’t pay attention if something goes wrong or someone acts like a fool. This is YOUR day!!!

I will add more reviews later but please see the few below:

North Ritz Club: A

We looked at 12 places in Long Island, and once I spoke with the owner and tasted the food – we booked it on the spot. The place is a one event place and even though I didn’t care about it in the beginning, trust me – it does make a huge difference. The whole place is yours and your guests are free to walk where they want and when they want. During the planning process, the management worked with us on every little details: nothing was too difficult for them to do. We had so many special requests that even we were going nuts of how detailed we planned the wedding, however, NRC helped us with everything. They were truly one of the best vendors at our wedding. We call it a hidden gem of LI as the place doesn’t do too much advertising but yet amazingly awesome!
The day of was perfect – we had a bridal assistant who was always by our side and helping with everything: drinks, food, dress, special requests. George helped us to communicate special requests to the band, our photographer, and guests.
The food was fantastic as well as the service. So many guests are still sending us messages how they loved everything because it was that good. We had a few last minute cancelations and we didn’t meet our min, however, NRC was so understanding and didn’t force us to fulfill the contract
Cocktail Hour – our guests arrived half hour before the start. NRC was ready and let people into the cocktail room
Reception: everything was made to order (I am saying this because I looked at the kitchen before our wedding). If someone ordered steak medium, it was medium. Nothing was pre-cooked, which is a huge advantage. Our special drink was made with exact proportions and so many guests were drinking it because it was our version of Mojito and NRC used only fresh ingredients to make it (fresh mint and actual sugar cane).
After the reception, they gave us a huge box of food that our families ate for the next 3 days. We came the following morning to pick up items and they gave us more food – it was great because you actually don’t’ get to appreciate the food at your own wedding as you are too stressed or don’t eat. We did eat but we were just too hyper to think or to realize the taste of anything.
We were tipsy and hyper by the time the cake cutting came along, so after the cake cutting we actually fell on the floor as my groom stumbled. One of our guests took a video of it and you can see how the entire NRC run to us when we fell. We keep laughing about it because they were really watching our every move and making sure that we are ok with anything.
Honestly, the wedding was a huge success because of NRC.
We can’t recommend this place enough and we would definitely use it for the baptism (once we have a child in a few years). ?


Fire Monkey: A

I booked with Dusti without even doing a hair trial based on reviews. Then I rescheduled the trial at least 3 times and finally got it done 6 days before the wedding. Just to be clear: I did use Fire Monkey but the girls who were doing our hair were Gina and Brittany, while Gina and Dusti worked together on my hair during the trial.
Dusti: amazing person, who is calm and extremely sweet. I communicated with her over the email and facebook and I trusted her completely to figure out my look. Although I was sad that she couldn’t do my wedding (she had to fly to CA for her friend’s wedding), I loved how she guided me through the process.
Gina and Brittany: these girls came before even the bridal party showed up: they set up everything and worked their but*s off as my bridal party was sooo demanding ?. I think they changed styles for every girl at least twice because the girls didn’t know what they wanted. At some point I felt bad for Gina and Brittany because they were working so hard and my girls were a pain. Gina did my hair and – wow! It was amazing!! Honestly, I washed my hair 4 days after the wedding: we flew to Hawaii, had another photo-shoot there, and only then I finally was ready to let it go. The style stayed almost the same as on the wedding day and pins didn’t hurt when I was sleeping. I danced so much at the wedding and I didn’t’ worry a bit about the hair.
P.S. There were no min required and the prices were very reasonable!
I only wish I lived closer to them to do my hair for the special occasions.


Makeup Artistry Oksana: A

WOW! WOW! I promise to put the professional pictures up when I get them! I loved Oksana and her work. I booked a trial with her and was drawn to her immediately because she is very sweet and knows her stuff! I canceled all my other trials and just stayed with her. I had a mini breakdown during the planning process and since I friended her on Facebook before, she saw my status and told her to call her if I needed a shoulder to cry on. I did….because no one else could understand what I was going through…she calmed me down and gave some valuable advice.
On the day of, she was begging me to trust her and do a different look from the trial. I finally gave up and WOW! Girls, don’t go by the trial as a true artist knows her/his stuff. She didn’t transform me into something I wasn’t, she just made me look so much better – I honestly looked like a star. Oksana also did makeup on my mom and my sister and they looked stunning: I have never seen my mom looked so good (she did professional makeup before), she was the Queen of the night!
Highly recommend Oksana!
I am lucky to live close to her, so I will use her services for special occasions for sure. It was just WOW!!!

Hidden Essence: A

We met with Michelle from Hidden essence without even knowing what we wanted for the wedding. During the process, she was so patient working with us: I think we changed the centerpieces at least 4 times and she was always positive and always willing to help. A few days before the wedding, we changed the seating chart and eliminated a table, so we asked to put extra decorations in the house instead of that extra centerpiece. Her crew came on the morning of and just did everything without asking us any questions. It was a breeze: the flowers for the bride (me) and bridesmaids were delivered in vases and the centerpieces at the venue were stunning (we had 3 different styles)
The cost didn’t break our wallet and flowers were fresh and so pretty. On the day of, as a bride, you want to rely on vendors who would just do everything and deal with any issues without even asking you and a groom and that’s what we got. We never even thought about how/when/where and etc. everything was just done perfectly. Thank you, Michelle, from the bottom of our hearts!


Tran-Star Executive: A

We spoke with about 5-7 limo companies, and once we received all the quotes, we did some research on quality vs prices. I must say that we made the right choice with Tran-Star. We communicated with Amanda through the process and she was always very responsive as she answered so many questions and she emailed us pictures of the cars. I liked communicating over the email as it was just easier rather than calling her all the day. I counted and she responded to 45 of my emails. Wow!
Anyway – since we were new to the whole process, Amanda was very-very patient with us and changed our cars without problems.
We booked a hummer limo, huge party bus, and 4 cars for family to get home. Our other guests booked transportation with them as well and received special pricing.
On the day of – the drivers were extremely professional and showed up half an hour before the scheduled time. They helped me at the church and you could see how genuinely they cared as they took care of me before the ceremony as they were my dads. The vehicles were spotless and stock up with champagne and water. We danced during the ride from the church to reception, blasting the music, and the driver was calm and got us to the venue safely.
They upgraded our cars: we ordered simple Lincolns but family got SVUs and we got a limo, again. Oh, and we got a free ride, which we used for other family members. Tips were included in the pricing and, I must say, it was the best thing as we didn’t have to worry about carrying $$ and tipping.
Highly recommended.

Iris Photobooths: A

I must say – I was hesitant to get a photobooth as everyone was saying that it’s getting old. But I gave in as my fiancé really wanted one. We did some research and then found Danny from Iris Photobooths, and then my whole attitude just changed as Danny was so helpful: he answered any questions we had, designed our special photo strip, and he was so dedicated to provide a great service. On the day of – guests were occupying the booth, so whoever says or thinks that photobooths are getting old – no way! I think the big advantage with booking with Danny is his custom-made booth – it’s huge and can fit 14 people and more. We have so many funny pictures of people and everyone loved taking group shots. I think at some point they got 17 people in and took the most amazing pictures. We didn’t worry about the service as they just showed up and handled everything on their own. Also, they were so sweet and stayed extra hour just to wait for us to take a picture: we were so busy dancing that didn’t’ want to step away and they were just quietly and patiently waiting for us. Once we got back from the honeymoon, we found an envelope with our pictures and digital copies! That was so sweet but also professional as we didn’t have to chase anyone.
We highly recommend Iris Photobooth because of the service, quality, and the size of the booth!


Exclusively Weddings:
After researching multiple vendors: Zazzle, BBnB, David’s Bridals, and a few others, we ordered a sample from EW. We liked the simplicity and quality and the pricing was so great as there was a great sale during which we got 30% off. We ordered 200 invitations and RSVPs. However, the thank you cards weren’t as nice as we hoped for, so we returned them and received full refund. We did order proofs and were working with a team on a final design, changing some things 2-3 times.
My only disappointment was when we were running short on invites, I called customer service and was told that 25 invited would costs 1/3 of what we paid for 200. It is our fault as we should have ordered more if we knew that we would end up in a situation like this.
My advice: order more because extra 25 invited wouldn’t break your wallet ($10 difference or so) but at least you would have peace of mind and wouldn’t have to overpay later.

P.S. Pictures from the wedding and more reviews later...
The ones you see are from the honeymoon - we took the dress and the tux with us.
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JessicaP07 Posted: Oct 08, 2014 10:21 AM+
JessicaP07 MEMBER SINCE: 7/14 TOTAL POSTS : 701 WEDDING DATE: May 07, 2016
Posted: Oct 08, 2014 10:21 AM bride-minus.png

Our INCREDIBLE 09/07/14 wedding review: North Ritz Club, Fire Monkey, Makeup Artistry Oksana, Hidden Essence, Tran-Star Executive, Iris Photobooths

Congrats! Sounds like you had a great day & were really able to enjoy it! I agree about the photobooth. I don't think it's getting old. My fiance really wants one too. We've already booked it & i'm really excited about it.

You look gorgeous in your dress! Beautiful shots! Can't wait to see pics of your wedding!
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summerbridejen2015 Posted: Oct 08, 2014 11:12 AM+
summerbridejen2015 MEMBER SINCE: 4/14 TOTAL POSTS : 1131 WEDDING DATE: May 03, 2015
Posted: Oct 08, 2014 11:12 AM bride-minus.png

Our INCREDIBLE 09/07/14 wedding: North Ritz Club, Fire Monkey, Makeup Artistry Oksana, Hidden Essence, Tran-Star Executive, Iris Photobooths

sounds like a perfect day! I love your dress!! I have always heard fantastic reviews of your venue...congrats!!
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ypharmacy Posted: Oct 08, 2014 12:50 PM+
ypharmacy MEMBER SINCE: 7/13 TOTAL POSTS : 353 WEDDING DATE: Sep 21, 2014
Posted: Oct 08, 2014 12:50 PM bride-minus.png

Our INCREDIBLE 09/07/14 wedding: North Ritz Club, Fire Monkey, Makeup Artistry Oksana, Hidden Essence, Tran-Star Executive, Iris Photobooths

wow nice pics.i did hawaii for our honeymoon and I wish I would of thought of your idea about taking pics there with my dress. Beautiful hawaii will always deliver a stunning backdrop..I used Dusti, hidden essence and exclusively wedding for invites.. Guess we have similar ideas/taste..congratulations
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FutureMrsPonce Posted: Oct 08, 2014 01:50 PM+
FutureMrsPonce MEMBER SINCE: 1/14 TOTAL POSTS : 550 WEDDING DATE: May 24, 2015
Posted: Oct 08, 2014 01:50 PM bride-minus.png

Our INCREDIBLE 09/07/14 wedding: North Ritz Club, Fire Monkey, Makeup Artistry Oksana, Hidden Essence, Tran-Star Executive, Iris Photobooths

Congratulations. Everything sounds amazing and your pics came out beautiful.
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barrymore14 Posted: Oct 09, 2014 06:43 AM+
barrymore14 MEMBER SINCE: 9/14 TOTAL POSTS : 33 WEDDING DATE: Jul 10, 2016
Posted: Oct 09, 2014 06:43 AM bride-minus.png

Our INCREDIBLE 09/07/14 wedding: North Ritz Club, Fire Monkey, Makeup Artistry Oksana, Hidden Essence, Tran-Star Executive, Iris Photobooths

Very Nice I am also getting married at the North Ritz Club even ore excited after your review. Anything you did not like?
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ls2015 Posted: Oct 11, 2014 04:45 PM+
ls2015 MEMBER SINCE: 12/13 TOTAL POSTS : 192 WEDDING DATE: Jul 04, 2015
Posted: Oct 11, 2014 04:45 PM bride-minus.png

Our INCREDIBLE 09/07/14 wedding: North Ritz Club, Fire Monkey, Makeup Artistry Oksana, Hidden Essence, Tran-Star Executive, Iris Photobooths

Congratulations and great review! Stupid question...how did you get your dress to Hawaii?
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tanulik Posted: Oct 13, 2014 09:46 AM+
tanulik MEMBER SINCE: 11/13 TOTAL POSTS : 135 WEDDING DATE: Sep 07, 2014
Posted: Oct 13, 2014 09:46 AM bride-minus.png

Re: Our INCREDIBLE 09/07/14 wedding: North Ritz Club, Fire Monkey, Makeup Artistry Oksana, Hidden Essence, Tran-Star Executive, Iris Photobooths

Thank you! :)
We didn't plan to take the dress, it was a very last minute decision.
One if our bags splits up on the middle, so we just put it in one half and zipped it (Samsonite has a full zipper on one side). It was very easy, once we got to Hawaii, we hang it and it aired out. Very easy! Don't be afraid to travel with it. :)
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KSRUSSO15 Posted: Oct 14, 2014 12:28 AM+
KSRUSSO15 MEMBER SINCE: 7/14 TOTAL POSTS : 354 WEDDING DATE: Feb 07, 2015
Posted: Oct 14, 2014 12:28 AM bride-minus.png

Re: Our INCREDIBLE 09/07/14 wedding: North Ritz Club, Fire Monkey, Makeup Artistry Oksana, Hidden Essence, Tran-Star Executive, Iris Photobooths

Amazing!!!! This is quite funny Bc I am Getting married at North Ritz and also your dress looks like mine too! Lol! So happy to hear you had an amazing day!!!! Btw.... Who does make your dress lol I'm so curious now !
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tanulik Posted: Oct 14, 2014 12:49 PM+
tanulik MEMBER SINCE: 11/13 TOTAL POSTS : 135 WEDDING DATE: Sep 07, 2014
Posted: Oct 14, 2014 12:49 PM bride-minus.png

Re: Our INCREDIBLE 09/07/14 wedding: North Ritz Club, Fire Monkey, Makeup Artistry Oksana, Hidden Essence, Tran-Star Executive, Iris Photobooths

Hi KSRUSSO15,

I got it at Pronovias. I actually went just to try the dresses but felt in love with this one, so I didn't go to any other stores. Good luck with the planning. lemme know if you have any questions.
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booie135 Posted: Oct 15, 2014 09:07 AM+
booie135 MEMBER SINCE: 4/14 TOTAL POSTS : 531 WEDDING DATE: Apr 11, 2015
Posted: Oct 15, 2014 09:07 AM bride-minus.png

Our INCREDIBLE 09/07/14 wedding: North Ritz Club, Fire Monkey, Makeup Artistry Oksana, Hidden Essence, Tran-Star Executive, Iris Photobooths

Awesome review! never thought about taking the dress on my honeymoon but what an awesome idea!
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