My 8/5 Wedding @ Milleridge! - PART I (very long)

We did it and just got back from our honeymoon in Aruba which was great!! Below is all my info. on my wedding on Sun. 8/5 at the Milleridge Cottage. It was a perfect day and everything was fanatastic!!! Sorry if I ramble on, I'm posting in 2 parts b/c it's so long. I may not go into specific details on all vendors but pls feel free to email me at [email protected] if you'd like any other info/reviews/advice... Our wedding ceremony was held in the Atrium of the Cottage at 11:30 am. I got up with my MOH at 4:45 am to get our hair done at 7:00 am. (We ended up only getting 2 hours sleep b/c we were so wired the night before). 7 AM: Cactus Salon in Plainview...Melissa did my MOH's hair and it was beautiful and she was so nice. Angela did mine and after a little argument it worked out fine. Pls email me for further info. 9:15 AM: Got dressed at the Milleridge Cottage...We actually didn't utilize the bridal suite but just ran right into the huge bathroom located in the parlor. It was very big so it worked out great, were able to take pictures outside the cottage w/my BM's and family before the service. 11:30ISH: Ceremony started a few minutes late. It went so smoothly though and was so beautiful in the Atrium. Everyone commented on how great it was and loved the poem we used 'Hands of the Bride and Groom' as our reading. 12:00 - 1:00ISH: Cocktail hour and pictures. Because we didn't have the travel time between a church and reception we really didn't have too much time for pictures. We missed most of the cocktail hour but I didn't mind so much. We also did not have a receiving line due to time and that was a very good idea. None of our guests thought it was rude since we did take moments to speak to each one of them at the reception. Guests commented on the food particularly the baby lamb chops during the cocktail hour. RECEPTION@COTTAGE: Steve was our matrie'd and we were blessed to have him. He was fantastic. We also had Jill, who I think was a bridal attendant and she was also very helpful and very sweet! Both of them were continuously asking if we needed anything. The Cottage was perfect. It was set up beautifully, everyone said how nice it was there. Word of advice for brides-to-be: My husband and I were so busy at the reception b/c we felt it very important to greet everyone that we literally ate a bite of our appetizer, a bite of our main course, and a bite of our cake. For me, the food wasn't as important to me as it was for our guests to enjoy so I was perfectly happy not chowing down. However, depending on your preference, make sure you do whatever it is you want to be doing. The day flies by and it's a whirlwind so be prepared, but let it go once the day arrives and ENJOY every minute of it!!! FLOWERS: Chris@Milleridge Florist. I cannot say enough about him and the flowers. The Milleridge Florist was easily our best vendor and the easiest and most accommodating to deal with. They were reasonable, and the flowers were perfect! Honestly, I couldn't thank them enough. Not just because of there work but because of their kindness as well. We had clutch bouquets, 1 small 'toss' bouquet which I dedicated to one of my BM's, etc. Again, they were PERFECT...highly highly recommend them. DRESS: Bridal Garden in Bethpage. It's a small mom and pop shop. They did an absolute perfect job. The price of my dress was very reasonable, the alterations were done beautifully, I picked it up 1 day before and it was professionally handled from start to finish. I recommend them! One note: I got my shoes at David's Bridal. They were sandals and they were so uncomfortable that it was actually painful for me to walk by the end of the day. DO yourselves a favor...I'm sure you've heard it before but BUY comfortable shoes! It makes a huge difference in the way you walk and stand and it'll be worth it. BM'S DRESSES: David's Bridal Mix-and-Match sets. They were perfect. I had periwinkle and they looked beautiful. Luckily we didn't experience any problems at David's. HEADPIECE: Bridal Boutique in Massapequa. I also bought my ringbearer pillow there. Reasonably priced, very easy to deal with. Highly recommmended. PHOTO/VIDEO: Miller Studios. We also used kodak disposable cameras at the table which were totally worth it!! We got some great shots! We already have our proofs back too and will be updating my website, www.robandlinda.com as soon as we can with tons of pics. I will post once the site is up! You'll be able to see my dress, flowers, headpiece, the whole deal. DJ: Parameters Entertainment (Eddie Teryn). Pls email me if you'd like details. HARPIST: Janet King. Beautiful from what I heard. I honestly didn't hear the ceremony music b/c I was concentrating so hard. Guests did say though that the harp was a great idea. too be continued...