Re: My OCTOBER 9 SandCastle WEDDING REVIEW! Really Long...with advice!

SandCastle, Franklin Square - Reception - 9.0


I swore up and down before the wedding that I would not miss my cocktail hour. But I did. I mean, I saw it all and I ate a few bites of the AMAZING food, but not nearly as much as I had wanted to. We tried to get some family shots during the CH inside the SC and we did, but that was mainly why I missed the CH. You don’t realize how long it takes to get all those people together to do pictures. Especially with two huge families. I had planned on doing the pics during the first ½ hr of the CH and then enjoying the last ½ hr. But little did I know that about 15 mins prior to the reception start, SC gets everyone doing the entrance into the bridal suite to prepare and you pretty much have to stay in there until it’s time to make the grand entrance.

So I spent the first 15 mins or so of the CH in the bridal suite because I had wanted to be in there with my BP and hang out with them. But had I known SC was going to do that, I wouldn’t have stayed in there in the beginning. Lesson to Be Learned : The cocktail hour goes by extremely fast! Spend some time in there FIRST. The motto of the day, as I said once before, “Not later, NOW!” There won’t be a later.

Anyway, from what I hear, what little I saw and tasted, SandCastle delivers an incredible cocktail hour. The food quantities and selections are amazing. And it was soooo beautifully laid out. I’ve never seen a nicer a cocktail hour!

SandCastle does two events at a time. I know that there was another wedding booked on my day, but I could not tell AT ALL!! I felt like I had the whole place to myself and never saw the other wedding’s guests or the bride or anything. I don’t know HOW they did it – but that part was EXCELLENT and it was one of my concerns. You could not tell there was another wedding going on there at all!

Well, we made our grand entrance and the rest of the night is a blissful whirlwind of fun. Jim and I spent most of our time on the dance floor and we got to dance with & greet most of our family and friends this way.

SC treated us like a true king and queen all night. Our table was lavished with everything: champagne, red and white wine, tons of food. My water glass was never empty and boy was I chugging water that night. Mike, our Maitre ‘d was amazing – we never lacked for anything. He kept things on time and made recommendations for when things needed to get done like the cake cutting and bo-k & garter tosses. I had both the stuffed chicken AND the stuffed shrimp (I’m a piggie! ) and both were excellent. Jim had the Filet Mignon of which I had a bite too and it was also excellent. All the food was amazing. SandCastle brides have NOTHING to worry about in the food or service department. All I’ve heard from my guests is how wonderful the food and service was. The service to my guests and for us was truly impeccable – everything a catering hall should be.

The ice sculpture I was totally surprised to see at my CH.... the pic doesn't do it justice...



Part of the Cocktail hour spread...



My GMs goofing off in the bridal suite...

Re: My OCTOBER 9 SandCastle WEDDING REVIEW! Really Long...with advice!

... SandCastle Review Continued...


The guests got a huge kick out of the two plasma screens. We just watched the video SandCastle gives you the other night and you can see them all loving being on “TV”. Another great thing about this video/plasma screen thing is that we got to see all our guests filing in as the reception was beginning. I did the votive placecards and SandCastle kept the lights dimmed so that when the guests walked in, they were carrying their candles lit - OMG – it looked Sooooooo beautiful...

The video quality itself is not great because it is a webcam (and VHS - not DVD) but it is an uncut, uneditted full version from start to finish of your reception with a bird’s eye view of everything – it is truly a PRICELESS thing that SandCastle gives you by having those plasma screens and cameras working the night. Jim and I basically relived our entire reception when we watched that tape – in real time. It was surreal.

Plus, since you are the stars of the show, the camera was on us most of the time so we were able to see EXACTLY what we did all night. Who was there, who we talked to, who we danced with. After the wedding, you constantly ask yourself “omg, did I talk to so and so? Did I get to dance with my grandpa? Did I remember to stop by this table?” The video answered ALL those questions for us and put our minds at ease. It also made us realize that HEY, everyone else gets to have way more fun at your wedding than you do!!! But that’s a good thing.

That video is truly irreplaceable and you can’t get it anywhere else (hello, your videographer doesn’t sit there all night with the camera on! And he doesn’t have the aerial view that the SandCastle cameras have) so for that I thank SandCastle a thousand times and know that I made the right decision when I chose them.

Re: My OCTOBER 9 SandCastle WEDDING REVIEW! Really Long...with advice!

... SandCastle Review Continued...


So why the 9.0 score you ask??? Well... our cake. Our cake was nothing like what I asked for and quite frankly, it looked very unprofessional. Of course, that day, I didn’t really care that much and didn’t let it get to me, but afterwards... I do feel a little sting every time I see a picture of it.

I had heard all the horror stories about SandCastle’s cake and in a panick I went to them and asked for a credit so I could go with another baker. They assured me that their cakes were blah blah blah, etc and refused to give me the credit. The cake didn’t taste BAD, but it wasn’t that great either. I was dissappointed. With everything else being so perfect there, how can they allow their image to be tarnished by having an inadequate cake?

Anyway, Laurie from LA Blossom deserves all the credit for making the cake look even halfway decent. Had it not been for the flowers, the cake would have been total disaster. But, whatever, worse things could be and they weren’t so for that I am thankful. SandCastle will be receiving a letter from me regarding the cake.

I would STRONGLY STRONGLY (can’t emphasize this enough!) recommend to any future SandCastle bride that they get their cake from a different baker (I would tell you the name of the bakery they use but I don’t remember it). I was going to, but decided I was just being fussy and told myself to trust them. I did trust them, even after hearing many first hand bad reviews about their cakes (my MOH went to a wedding there a couple of months before mine and also reported a bad cake), and they let me down.

My only other recommendation is that if you are getting the Viennesse hour, then don’t worry about your cake, because no one will really be paying attention to it anyway.

So as to not end off on a negative note for the SandCastle - - I must re-emphasize how extraordinary their service was on the day of my wedding. Their organization of the event, the food displays, quality and portion sizes of the food, drinks, linens, chair covers, everything was impeccable!

They treated us like royalty all day. Our guests were greeted with Champagne and fresh strawberries. Our napkins and menus were folded just the way I wanted. They did everything they could to meet whatever I wanted. They were reasonable at negotiating prices in the beginning and toward the end. So... in the end.... my reception was fabulous and my guests are still talking about it and they all had a great time and great food. SandCastle brides have nothing to worry about (except for the cake )

Re: My OCTOBER 9 SandCastle WEDDING REVIEW! Really Long...with advice!

All good things must come to an end...

The reception went by fast, but not really that fast. We definitely enjoyed it. We danced almost every song. I had planned to extend it one hour but when the time came – I realized it wasn’t necessary and probably wasn’t even a good idea. Most people were very tired from a long day – especially the bridal party who was totally keeping the party going all night. I also decided against the Viennesse hour and I totally don’t regret it. It would have cost me a lot more money that was better used on the Honeymoon, in my opinion. But I hear that SandCastle throws an awesome Viennesse so if you’ve got the cash - go for it!

I never came up with a last song and my DJ surprised us by playing “All My Life” by KC & JoJo – it was the PERFECT end to the evening. My Dad cried at the end of the night when he said goodbye to me. Every one kept telling us that we should be so happy because our day went perfectly and it really did. So all in all, my wedding day gets a big fat TEN!!!

Re: My OCTOBER 9 SandCastle WEDDING REVIEW! Really Long...with advice!

A FEW OTHER TIPS AND ADVICE FOR FUTURE BRIDES:

(Okay some of these are repeats from another post I made on BHB but in case they were missed)

At the end of the night, we kind of got pulled into a second receiving line. It was okay by me because it gave me the chance to personally say hi to all the people I missed during the reception because we DID NOT go around to the tables. BUT.... watch out for this. People were interrupting us while we were dancing the LAST SONG!!! I thought it was soooo rude. Watching the tape, Jim got so annoyed!! We kept screaming at the TV – “Leave us alone!!!!” They could have at least waited for the song to be over. So here’s my advice – and it applies during the night too – if you don’t want to be bothered while dancing a special song with your DH – dance in the MIDDLE OF THE FLOOR. No one will cut through the crowd to bother you if you are in the middle. If you stay around the edges of the dance floor, people WILL mob you.


There just will never be enough time for pictures!!! I wish I could have had one more hour between the ceremony end time and the CH start time for pics. So PLEASE estimate your time and pad everything by half an hour (I did this and it kept me on schedule) and THEN add another hour for pics if you can. Don’t worry about your guests in between the ceremony and reception – they will be FINE. They’ve gone to weddings with a gap before. You only get one chance at these pics. I had a 3.5 hr gap and I could definitely have used another hour.

Re: My OCTOBER 9 SandCastle WEDDING REVIEW! Really Long...with advice!

Tips continued...


Take a moment to go see your reception room all set up before it gets filled with people. Jim and I did this and it was a wonderful moment. You get a moment to take in all your hard work and see it there, just as you envisioned it for all these months. It’s one of the best memories I have of that day.

I didn’t cry all day because I wouldn’t allow myself to. (You pay for that later, trust me) But I was glad that I didn’t... had I allowed myself to cry one tear, it would have been Niagara falls. I also, amazingly did NOT have to go to the bathroom ALL DAY! There’s just really no time for any of these things so you don’t even think about it.

Kiss your new husband often and stay close all night. Don’t let him out of your sight!!

It will be difficult, but try to eat.... shove some food in your mouth whenever you get a chance. I didn’t really get to sit down and enjoy everything, but at least I can say that I had a couple of bites of every course that was brought to us!

If someone is getting on your nerves, get them away from you asap, I don’t care who it is. I hate to say this but at one point my Mom really started bugging me. I kept away from her for awhile and then everything was fine later and I danced with her and had a great time. But had I not gotten away from her when I did, she could have spoiled my mood.


Have the DJ make an announcement regarding the table cameras. Some of them didn’t get finished (about 5) and some people actually took them HOME!!! So have your DJ say something about it. And have your Bridal Party table hop and use the cameras at other tables too. My BP took it upon themselves to do this and I am so thankful for it. They finished a lot of cameras that would not have been done.


If you don’t have a lot of singles at your wedding, don’t bother with the bo-k and garter toss. Make a special presentation to someone or do the anniversary dance thing. We didn’t have that many singles so our tosses were a little weak! Plus people RUN for the door when this part comes. Have bouncers at doors to hold them back, he he.

Re: My OCTOBER 9 SandCastle WEDDING REVIEW! Really Long...with advice!

Tips continued...


Some people say the little details in a wedding don’t matter, some people say they do. I honestly did not know what I was going to come out of this thinking but I was leaning more toward “don’t matter”. But, it was my experience that they DO matter. In my case, all the little personalized touches – the named tables, the votive placecards (big hit!), the menus, etc etc... all were noticed and all made the difference. It’s weird... the day of, none of it really matters... nothing matters except the happiness of the day....nothing really matters even if your programs aren’t perfect, your cake is a flop, or your flowers aren’t just right.... but still.... all the fussing we do about these details BEFORE the wedding does matter a little. Just don’t worry about them THAT day or THAT much.


Last but not least, just remember the motto “Not Later, NOW!” It will help you capture a lot of moments, pictures, and memories that would otherwise get lost in the hecticness of the day. If you remember that every time you think “oh, I have to say hello to so-and-so and I need a pic with auntie” etc.... you’ll do it right then and there and you won’t worry that you missed out on it.

Re: My OCTOBER 9 SandCastle WEDDING REVIEW! Really Long...with advice!

And now you probably think my review is over right??? Not quite.....


Wingate Inn, Garden City -Wedding Night Hotel - 9.0

The Wingate Bridal Suite is beautiful! We stayed there the wedding night and then dropped to the Junior Suite the second night. The service was good and they gave us champagne, chocolates, and a continental breakfast in the morning. It was $349 for the Grand Bridal Suite and $249 for the Junior. If money is an issue – the Junior suite will definitely do!! It was really nice too!

MSW Travel -Travel Agent for HM - 8.5

We booked our Bora Bora HM with them and got a decent deal, I believe. Seven nights at the Pearl Beach Resort in Bora Bora for around $7600. The only problem we had with them was that we were trying to save money and they suggested taking a ferry from Tahiti to Bora Bora. It would have saved us hundreds in flights but they couldn’t confirm it even existed. Well, THANK GOD we didn’t book it. When we got to Bora Bora, we found out that it’s a 7 hour crossing!!! After traveling for 22 hours to GET there, we would have lost our minds if we had to do that too.

Anyway, they were adequately knowledgeable in the French Polynesia and that helped because many, many other agents we checked with were clueless. We haggled a decent price with them and their service was pretty good. I would recommend them.

Re: My OCTOBER 9 SandCastle WEDDING REVIEW! Really Long...with advice!

Bora Bora - French Polynesia -HONEYMOON!!!!! – 11

That’s right. That’s an ELEVEN! I have tons of pics for that and I want to give a good review so I will update this with my HM review very soon!


Being Married - No Grade Available

Because it’s absolute bliss!!! Ladies, it’s all so worth it! I LOVE BEING MARRIED AND I LOVE MY JIMMY!!!!!


And now this is the end of my review for now. I hope I didn’t bore you and I hope it was helpful!! If I think of anything else, I will add, you can be sure of that! And I promise to add pics as soon as I can!! I can’t wait for my proofs!!!!

Re: My OCTOBER 9 SandCastle WEDDING REVIEW! Really Long...with advice!

What a great review and thank you for putting so much time into it. I can't wait to see pictures!

Re: My OCTOBER 9 SandCastle WEDDING REVIEW! Really Long...with advice!

Great review, congrats!!

Are the plasma tv's included in the package or did you pay extra for them?

Re: My OCTOBER 9 SandCastle WEDDING REVIEW! Really Long...with advice!

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Posted by May152005

Great review, congrats!!

Are the plasma tv's included in the package or did you pay extra for them?

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They are included when you book the ballroom (the larger of the three rooms) at SandCastle

Re: My OCTOBER 9 SandCastle WEDDING REVIEW! Really Long...with advice!

What a terrific review! Thanks for all the detail and advice. Sounds like you had a fantastic day. Congrats!

Re: My OCTOBER 9 SandCastle WEDDING REVIEW! Really Long...with advice!

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Posted by JimmysBride

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Posted by May152005

Great review, congrats!!

Are the plasma tv's included in the package or did you pay extra for them?

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They are included when you book the ballroom (the larger of the three rooms) at SandCastle

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That's such a great detail, once again, congrats!

Re: My OCTOBER 9 SandCastle WEDDING REVIEW! Really Long...with advice!

WOW!!!! Jimmy'sWife, congrats on your beautiful day! I look forward to seeing your proofs. And thank you so much for taking the time for such a detailed review- I was taking notes.

Re: My OCTOBER 9 SandCastle WEDDING REVIEW! Really Long...with advice!

This was an AWESOME review!!!! Thank you for putting in so much time on this review. Your tips are really helpful. And you painted such wonderful pictures in your recollections of your day. All I can say is, WOW.

And more importantly, Congratulations

Re: My OCTOBER 9 SandCastle WEDDING REVIEW! Really Long...with advice!

Thank you , thank you for your great review! I was waiting to hear about the ceremony since we ahve the same church and are using Deacon Phil Mills too. I'm so glad you gave them a good review. I was semi worried about the church as I think I told you before, but I'm RELIEVED to hear he did a great job!!!

Also, Congrats, it sounds wonderful and no major problems...who could ask for more!!

I cannot WAIT TO SEE pics!!!

Re: My OCTOBER 9 SandCastle WEDDING REVIEW! Really Long...with advice!

Wow, that was an awesome review! Everything sounds like it was spectacular. I can't wait to see pics, I know you had to have been a stuning bride!

Re: My OCTOBER 9 SandCastle WEDDING REVIEW! Really Long...with advice!

THANK YOU so much for writing such a detailed review. I was literally on the edge of my seat when you were writing about your nerves hitting you when you arrived at the church! It was like reading a suspense novel - will she make it down the aisle? LOL.

Truly though, the information you provided was very helpful and a treat to read. I am so glad you had a wonderful day. I have some of the same vendors as you, so I am thrilled to hear you were happy with them. And I can't wait to see your proofs (as I am a Duet bride too and am using Sung as one of my photographers!)

Congratulations!

Re: My OCTOBER 9 SandCastle WEDDING REVIEW! Really Long...with advice!

Wow!!! What a thorough and extremely helpful review. I haven't enjoyed reading something so detailed in such a long time. I really appreciate your honest remarks and comments. Your wedding sounds amazing and I can't wait to see the pics! CONGRATULATIONS!!!