The Brides' Review - Review- 3-31-12

Royalgem21 Posted: Apr 09, 2012 02:19 PM+

Royalgem21 MEMBER SINCE: 8/11 TOTAL POSTS : 885 WEDDING DATE: Mar 31, 2012

Posted: Apr 09, 2012 02:19 PM

Review- 3-31-12

I remember searching through reviews for so long and here I am writing my own... amazing how time flies!

Engagement Party:

Sergios of Massapequa: A
We had a small party that we hosted ourselves with only family and the bridal party. We went with Sergios in Massapequa because of the amazing price and private room. This is the 2nd party we have had there.
The restaurant is dark and a little dated in the decor but over all, I still give them an A.

Bridal Shower:

Vittorios of Amityville: A+
It was supposed to be a surprise but 'whoops!'
I am going by my experience as having my shower there but I did not deal with the booking at all. The food was excellent as well as the service. The space was perfect and very cozy without being too cramped.

Bachelorette Party:

Disney's Old Key West Resort A+
Myself and some of the bridal party took a Disney vacation and spent most of the time in the parks. The hotel was very spacious, clean, and nice. We had an amazing time!

Wedding Bands:

Milano & Son's (Tri County) A+
This is where we got my band as well as a new setting for my engagement ring a year after we were engaged. We found a matching set instead of having to get a custom band made. The workers there were very helpful and entertaining. We visited practically every booth in the whole place. They reset the diamond for free and also reset my original setting with a birthstone.
My husbands band was purchased at Macys.

Bridal Gown:

David's Bridal of Westbury: A+ for management B for supporting staff and D for alterations.
Massapequa: A+ for alterations and D for floor staff.

Massapequa did a great job with the alterations. I will explain a problem I had with the bustle but I don't know that it was their fault, as when the girls tried to bustle it- I don't think it was the way it was supposed to be.

As some of you know, I ordered a gown from Florida from a custom dress maker who I have references for. However, she disappeared into the night and I still have yet to know what ever happened with our orders. Credit cards are still in dispute. I had to buy a dress off the rack at Davids. Over all, I was very happy with my dress but the bustle broke while dancing when someone stepped on it and it was a real hassle to fix. I don't know if the bustle loops could have been stronger. It really put a damper on the rest of the reception having my dress dragging behind me and having to literally sow it back up. I don't think it was bustled correctly as it was still dragging a little on the floor and that's why it got stepped on. It was very hard for me to see behind me when they were trying to get it right. Ladies, practice this multiple times before hand!

Bridal day-of Jewlery:

Estelles: A

I was there for 5 hours picking out my jewelry as well as BM earrings. When I got home, 2 stones were missing from my very costly tiara! I went back and the seamstress fixed it, no problems.

Shoes:

Craft Shoes in Commack: B-

Not good customer service. In the end, I didn't even wear the shoes I bought there even though I loved them and they were beautiful! They did not have my size and I settled for the size smaller and they were too tight to wear all day. If anyone needs shoes, let me know, size 7.

Hair:

Bridal Styles by Jacqueline: A+

Jac is amazing and very affordable! I was very happy with the way my hair came out as well as my other bridesmaid who I thought would be hard to please. She did her hair so beautifully as well. She is a hidden gem in the hair styling world!

Makeup:

I did my own so I will rate the products:

Stila Beauty Balm: F as a primer but A when used alone
Smashbox 15 hour Studio Skin Foundation: A
Glominerals Pressed Powder: A+
Glominerals blush in Innocent A
Urban Decay Lip Primer: A+
Urban Decay Wallflower lipliner: A+
Urban Decay Perversion eyeliner: A+
Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray: A+
Bare Escentuals Flawless Definition Mascara (waterproof): A
Benefit Lipcolor Lady's Choice: A+
Eyeshadows: YSL (the makeup artist for the bridesmaids helped me with this one because I could not focus!!)

Reception Hall:

Venetian Yacht Club: A

Eric was our banquet manager. He is wonderful and has a lot of experience in the catering field. The place is very beautiful inside and the view of the bay and bridge is lovely. We wanted to see the view and we also wanted to save money so we chose to have a daytime reception. The prices were great as we go married before Easter. We also chose to not have alcohol at the cocktail hour for personal reasons which helped us to save a little money as well. We had frozen non-alcoholic drinks served which seemed to be a hit with the guests. There was an over abundance of food that people are telling us they almost could not believe! I requested a specific Bridal Attendant who was originally a server, she was Brittany and she did a great job.

Cake:

Rolling Pin Bakery: A-

Our cake was included in our wedding package. It was a little bit confusing to get the samples, and they were not labeled when we received them. I had to guess what they were. The day of, the cake looked very pretty and tasted great! We got chocolate cake with a layer of cannoli chocolate chip and a layer of mocha.

Cocktail hour music:

Jahpan: A

Steel Drums who played using cocktail hour. It was not cheap but it was definitely needed as we extended the cocktail hour to 90 minutes. The other bands we found were less expensive but not insured and so we went with Jahpan.

DJ Who? Entertainment: A

Julio was great, entertaining, and lively. He did everything I asked as best as could be done in the time frame. (I had asked the venue ahead of time to speed up the time between dinner and cake) He traveled all the way from the Bronx and gave us a great deal. We wanted a Christian DJ and he was able to deliver both charisma and excitement in a entertaining but 'clean' way.

Videography:

MVS Films: A

Alex did a great job and was on time. We found him through liweddings but I later discovered that he happened to share office space with our photographer! We look forward to seeing his work and I hope to add a PLUS to that A.

Matthew Adam Photography: A+

Matthew has a great personality and we are so happy we ended up going with him. Our previous photographer will remain nameless and although they were not bad, we felt like the creativity Matthew had to offer was worth the switch. Our engagement pictures were ready in 3 days! Matthew was able to add on a 2nd photographer when we asked last minute named Jack Roman who was great to work with as well. We are looking forward to seeing the pro pictures!

Ovation Photobooth: A

We booked our photobooth a year in advanced at a Bridal Showcase. We felt that we got a good deal for the package. We agreed later that the day of, they would bring the King Booth because there was no elevator to bring up the Apple Booth. I'm glad because the King is nicer and more spacious. The attendant was very good and the guests said he was working hard to keep everything organized with the scrapbook and all.

Florist:

Argyle Flower and & Garden Shoppe: B

We booked with the original floral designer almost a year in advanced and then about a month before the wedding, she resigned. We had to go back and re-sketch everything for hours to be clear on what we wanted. It was challenging to explain to the new person what I wanted, as it takes time to grasp what people like and don't like. I also had a bridesmaid dress color change (read above) which made it challenging for me to decide on what colors I wanted.
According to them, we got a deal from the original designer that was under retail value so maybe we got more out of it? Not sure on exact details of the cost value. Over all, on the day-of, the bouquets were amazing and looked exactly like the picture I gave. They made me a wrap with crystal broaches for my bouquet that I thought was stunning. The centerpieces were pretty and arranged in a very elegant way. The curly willow was supposed to be coming out of the top and not the sides but I'm sure I am the only person who noticed.

Next Day Lunch:

Villa Lombardi's: B

The food is amazing there and the place is so pretty. I did not have a good experience at all with the Maitre'D and staff handling the event shortly after I arrived. The food and ambiance saves it from a lower grade. The guests were very impressed and loved it.

Honeymoon:

Oasis Marigot Bay, St. Lucia: A+

This place is paradise! We are so happy we went here! The view is beautiful and we had our own private pool at a great price! Marigot Bay is so beautiful and the local taxi driver, born and raised there, said it is the prettiest place on the island. This was an amazing honeymoon! I could not have asked for much more!