OUR DECEMBER WEDDING AT THE JERICHO TERRACE!!!!!!! FINALLY our review! Filled with pics - Took me forever, but I think i got everything! lol. Enjoy!

OK LADIES!!!! FINALLY my review!!!!! I was going to wait untill we got our actual album & video...but hey i can always edit & show pics again later right? ANYWAYS, to the review!!!!!!!!! Here we go :

Rehearsal Dinner: A++++!!!!!
The Avalon Pines Clubhouse

I was so happy we went with this option!!!! This is the beautiful clubhouse in my mom’s development….and it was just so “homey” and nice…..FMIL had it catered, had centerpieces made, and everything was just so nice for the HUGE amount of people we had involved in the RD. Couldn’t have been nicer... It was so great to have time to hang out with everyone and feel so comfortable & laid back two days before the big day!




Weather: C : rainy AND windy! but read on for how blessed we were!

-If there was one thing i learned on our wedding day, it was that 1) You can't control the weather , and 2) not a THING could bother you on the greatest day of your life! (okay maybe that was TWO things!) The weather was so crazy the day of! All the days that led up to the wedding, all i said was 'I JUST WANT NICE WEATHER!'....well - there were hurricane winds, and RAAAIIIN!!!! but here's the thing that's SO neat.... ANYTIME me & the hubby to be had to be outside, the rain stopped!!! When my BM's came to my house in the after noon - they said it was pouring but when we had to get in the limo, it stopped...same for when we got to the church (it stopped), going from the church TO the limo (stopped!) and from the limo to the RH(again-STOPPED!).....the craziest thing was that when we got to RH me & the hubby wanted to take pictures outside jericho terrace up on the terrace above the fountain.....my photographer said he wanted to get all the BP pics out of the way FIRST so we said sure....thank GOD we didn't climb our way up the terrace, because as soon as we started taking pics with the BP - Thunder clapped and the rains POURED!!!!! talk about a miracle!!! could u imagine if we were stuck up there taking pics in a thunder storm?!?!!! we ended up being able to sneak out of the reception for a minute to get the pic we wanted anyway ....


God definetly blessed us that day and held off the rain anytime it needed to be! The only thing i was a little upset about was that we didn't get to do the rose petal toss leaving the church...people were running to their cars because it was SO windy and about to rain(it was so windy that one of my BM's lost her shawl!!!)...but hey - what are you gonna do right?!





To be honest, that day the weather really was not a thought in my mind!!!!
(altough it might have been on my bridesmaid's mind lol - look at their faces compared to mine!)



DOC : B
Friend

I actually used a woman from my church who is known as the wedding nazi!!!! Haha. Anyway, She was fabulous. From the rehearsal dinner until the end of the ceremony (I only used her up until that point) everything went smoothly and she made sure everything was taken care of!!! Whether it was getting things to the church, or yelling at the secretary to let us in at such and such a time, things were taken care of!!!! Now you’re asking “so why are you only giving her a “B”??? Well – here is my one MAJOR complaint….I was supposed to have an 'almost' candlelit ceremony….very dim and romantic…and while it still gave off that vibe because it was a december wedding at night with tealights and roses all around, she never dimmed the lights!!!!!!! I didn’t notice that day, however once I saw photos and videos it got me upset. I had told everyone I couldn’t wait to have a “different” ceremony, and the whole reason we had our ceremony at 5:30 in the evening was for that alone!!! (although the time worked out anyway, because for a Friday our church was PACKED OUT…any earlier and I don’t think as many people would’ve shown because of work). Regardless of that HUGE mistake – lol – she did a job well done. I guess we’re all human and make mistakes.

PASTORS: A+++++++++++!!!!!!!!!!
Pastors Joe & Linda Lecci

I can not even express how much I love these two people!!! They have been the pastors of my home church since I’m born & they are just amazing human beings. I’m not just saying this because it was our wedding, but people really still do talk about how beautiful our ceremony was. Pastor Linda was so helpful with helping me pick out our readings, songs, unique ideas etc. Our ceremony was something that was so important to me & the hubby being that we were both raised in the church, and I can’t even explain how blessed we were on that day. Besides all the songs and readings we picked out, the things that they said made the whole thing very personal and very touching…and the order of things worked out so nicely They’re simply the best!


Attire: A+++++++++!!!!!!!!!
Fantasia Bridal

I do not have enough wonderful things to say about Fantasia. From the very beginning they were so wonderful….the selection of gowns they had were unbelievable!!!! I tried on about 45 dresses (without a complaint from the staff!) and they were just so nice & so reasonable ALL the time. I actually found my gown cheaper somewhere else and they beat the price! Not only that, but I had found my BM dresses at another bridal shop, and Fantasia special ordered the dresses (because they didn’t carry the line) AND made sure they would come in because they were just about to be discontinued! They sewed extra roses on my dress at no additional charge when i wanted 'more' lol, and my bustle was just so beautiful!(i have yet to get the great photo of it from my MOH)... anyways - We ended up getting all of our shoes, along with all the attire for the men as well through them. Their seamstresses are renound on Long Island, they constantly stayed in communication with me about what was going on, their prices are literally unbeatable(because they’ll beat whatever price u bring them!), and the staff always had a smile on their face….even when I should’ve been driving them crazy! I recommend them to EVERYONE.









MOB Dress: A++++++!!!!!!!!
Estelles

I was shocked to see not only the selection they had, but the friendliness of the staff and their selection of price. My mom looked so beautiful Unfortunately Estelle’s doesn’t do in house alterations, but my mom didn’t need them anyway!

FG Dresses: A++++++++!!!!!!!!
Adrienne’s and EBAY

I was SO pleased with all of my FG dresses. The two older girls got their dresses from Adriennes and I have no complaints! Everything was on time schedule wise, and the alterations were perfect for these little cuties The younger of the three got her dress from an ebay seller. The dress arrived brand new with the USangels tags attactched just as described!!!!! What a deal we got - They all looked SO adorable!









Ring Bearer: A+++++++!!!!
Attias Flea Market!

Believe it or not, attias is perfect if u have a toddler coming down the aisle ? I was so happy to find the price we got….it was a FRACTION of what the tux place wanted and he looked SO adorable! I also got the girls little fur capes from attias as well...the gloves and haircombes for the older girls were DIY.





Limosines: A+++++++++!!!!!!
Serenity Limousines

Loved them, loved them, LOVED them!!!!! We had such a huge bridal party and me & the hubby had gone to them with ideas about how WE wanted to do things and how WE thought we’d save money.…they went on to tell us how they had a better solution and almost cut our price in half!!! WHO DOES THAT?!?! Especially when we went there saying “this is what we’re going to do”….they told us NO! and came up with even better ideas to slash the price. Since me & the hubby were both only 5 minutes from the church, and I didn’t want a party bus for pictures, we ended up having 1 excursion (as opposed to two) pick up the boys, drop ‘em at the church and then come get the ladies.. Then the AWESOME party bus picked us up at the church for the 45minute ride to Jericho Terrace! I was SO pleased with the service, the limos, the friendliness of the staff, and was SO happy we went with them...and for those with a huge bridal party - a party bus is DEFINETLY the way to go....because we had such a long ride to our RH, it was definetly nice to have room to stand up & walk around, and even pee if we needed too! Our BP loved it & so did we




Florist: A!!!!!
Honeysuckle & Roses

Debbie and her husband are two of the nicest most talented people I've ever met. I had seen their work and gotten their reccomendations from friends and family that were past brides....her work was always stunning and reasonably priced. For anyone that needs to save a little bit of money but doesn't want to give up the quality of their flowers I HIGHLY reccomend her! Her & her husband do everything straight from their home so you save a TON on storefront overhead charge. Only in my dreams did I think we'd be able to afford candelabra centerpieces but she made it happen!!! She really does work with your budget to do exactly what you envision. I couldn't have been more pleased :) The only reason I gave her an A instead of an A+ is because partway through the planning she scared me a little by not returning my calls! lol.luckily she ended up calling me AND emailing me apologizing for simply being SO busy (she does celebrity weddings along with out of state weddings and in NY alone goes from the hamptons to manhattan on a daily basis!) Besides that, I was completely satisfied. In the end she delivered and gave me EXACTLY what i wanted at EXACTLY the price we had set :)









Makeup & Hair: A+++++++++++++++++++!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mia from B r i dal l o unge

MIA IS AMAZING!!!!!! She did my hair & makeup as well as just makeup for my MOH. I can’t say enough good things about her. Not only is she SO talented, but she is such a great person as well. She was SO patient throughout my trials, and she just knows what looks good! She is HIGHLY recommended not only by me, but by just about every bride that has ever used her…you will only find raves! There is NOBODY like her!!!!









Videographer: A++++++++!!!! (so far!)
Patken

We used Patken….and I am SOOO excited to see the video (yes – I’m reviewing before seeing the final product lol) Lord knows I can’t remember my video guy’s name, but he was SO nice, SO patient, and SO professional. I have family that used them for video and they’re finished product was BEAUTIFUL!!! My guy ended up getting almost 3 ½ hours of raw footage! I am so excited I can’t even wait….I will definetly post more once I see the finished video…should only be another 2weeks!!!!

DJ: B+ to A
Tommy Tunes
We danced all night long!!! My only gripes were that I had to have the Matre D tell Frankie that he was playing the wrong dinner music(he was supposed to be playing classical….this annoyed me, but it was fixed) and then during the bouqet/garter toss, we were doing something a little unique, and a little different, and I found myself re-telling him everything we had gone over at our meeting the week before in the middle of the dance floor. He also kept refusing to announce the Viennese saying that the staff at JT didn’t want him saying anything until it was ready to come out…..but when he announced “cake & coffee” and some guests “had to leave” I was so mad!!! Finally I told him “ LISTEN…I’M THE BRIDE, AND I WANT YOU TO ANNOUNCE THAT THERE’S 35 YARDS OF VIENNESE TABLES COMING OUT!”(my only bridezilla moment of the day lol) ….he listened Besides the few things that me & the groom noticed, everyone at the wedding raved about how much fun they had and how awesome the DJ was….and I must say the Dance Floor was ALWAYS packed….I’ve been to a million other weddings & parties where Tommy Tunes were great…so I still recommend them and like I said, music wise they were fabulous and the MC was great. But the few little things left me about 80% satisfied....even if i was the only one that knew.







Christmas Carolers: Stan Weist Music : A+++++++!!!!!!!

These peolpe were the cutest, nicest people I've ever met! They added SUCH a nice touch to the cocktail hour....everyone loved them!



Bakery: A++++++++++
Dortoni's (through Jericho Terrace)

I drove this poor bakery crazy with our cake!!! lol but it came out absolutely beautiful and was SOOOO delicious. I WISH more people would've thought to eat it from the HUGE viennese selection...but we did & it was SOOOOOOO freakin' good! (and so pretty!)




Photographer: A++++++++++++++++!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thomaspaul Photography

Booking the right photographer to me, was crucial. Josh & I met with a LOT of photographers…searching for the right style we wanted for the right price and making sure we were going to be 200% satisfied with their work was important to both of us….after searching high and low, Tom and Colleen at Thomaspaul photography were AMAZING!!!!! I can’t even begin to tell you how in love we are with our photos….I still haven’t narrowed down the pics for our album! From the very beginning Tom was so enthusiastic about his work, and SO eager to get to know us as a couple... The day of he was so patient and I barely knew he was there! Every photo shows the emotion of our day and truly captures the happiness and blessings we felt.. We could not have been happier with booking him…I HIGHLY recommend him to everyone!!!! As you can see - the majority of the pictures posted throughout the whole review are pro pics from Tom....i have SO many favorite shots!!! i'm sure i'm missing some lol but i'm SURE i have enough! lol.




Reception Hall: A++++++++++++++!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Jericho Terrace


I can’t put into words the wonderful job that JT did to make our day INCREDIBLE. Every single thing from the bridal suite, to the cake, to the reception room, the cocktail hour, etc.etc. etc. was just so beautiful and detailed. AND OOOOH THE FOOD!!!! Everyone was taken back by the variety and quality of EVERYTHING. The CH was stunning(u just HAD to see it!), the menu delicious(7 entrée choices!), and the Viennese unforgettable(35 yards!!!!!). From the very beginning Robert (the general manager) worked with us to make sure we had everything we wanted for the price we could afford. He came up with awesome christmas ideas like cauldrens of eggnog & hot chocolate at the Viennese….peppermint martinis with candy cane stirrers…and even found me Christmas carolers for the cocktail hour!!!!!! Everything was just wonderful….Al (our maitre d) & Linda (his asst. for the night) were always there by our side to make sure all our needs were met….I could go on & on & on & on…..needless to say, Jericho Terrace is a phenomenal place, and will always hold our approval :)


Hotel for Guests: A++++++++!!!!
The Wingate Inn

I was so happy with how everything worked out! They gave my guests a reasonable rate which included breakfast, free shuttle service to & from the RH, and held an afterparty at 3:00 in the morning for my guests that still had partying left to do! They stayed in communication with me throughout everything and made sure all the transportation and everything else ran smoothly. Couldn’t have been happier :)

Hotel for the Bride & Groom: A++++++!!!
The Garden City Hotel

WHAT A GORGOUS PLACE!!!! They made Josh and I feel like royalty even arriving at 3am! Our room was just beautiful and the staff so accomadating. The only thing that stunk was that we couldn’t get an extended check out – but the room was so beautiful and the people so nice!



Custom Table Cards: A++++++++!!!!!!
Whiteaisle.com

I HIGHLY recommend this site for brides!! They have so much neat stuff & my cards came timely & beautiful! I had used the word “Love” in different languages :)




Favors: A++++++++!!!!!

I was SO happy with our personalized Christmas ornaments…I searched high & low because I wanted something that was affordable but still elegant! I came across this website and was so pleased. They were so flexible when I changed my mind a million times, and they were done & sent within 2weeks. They came out SO pretty! I can’t believe I don’t have a picture! But they were flat brass ornaments in the shape of a christmas ball - it was gold & red...and red 'Taryn and Joshua' then our wedding date, and then a scripture that we picked....they really were so beautiful!!!

My Garter: A!!!!!
Allsportsweddings.com

LOVED MY GARTER & SO DID THE HUBBY!!!! ORDER IN ADVANCE if u use them because it does take a week or two (i waited untill the last minute)....i freaked out but it ended up coming 2days before the wedding!!!!!! it was worth the anxiety though because it was SO adorable :) i was so happy it came out at cute as it did.



My DYI programs: I’m so proud !!!!!



BM Jewelry was ordered through Partytimejewelry.com - the site is SO reasonable, has a HUGE selection, and the jewelry came within a week!

My fur wrap along with pocketbooks i got for the BM's and the flowergirl's jewelry were all from David's Bridal...awesome buys!

Engraved compact mirrors from theknot.com - so cute & practical...came timely as promised :)

I also got personalized backpacks from mybambino.com for the younger flowergirl & the ringbearer - SUCH a practical gift for a reasonable price....although i do have to say that the writing has come off of them a little since december...but i guess they wont use them forever anyway!

I got little sweatsuits made for the FG & RB from attias flea market - pretty cheap - and SO cute!

We got GORGOUS personalized leather duffle bags for the groomsmen from thinkwedding.com - i wish i had a photo because they were SO nice & all the guys really loved them! I do however believe they're discontinued.????

Slippers for the slipper basket I got were from MySisterUSA - again, another reasonable and speedy delivery company. And the slippers were adorable!


Our Thankyou Card from Thomaspaul


Bridal Shower: A++++++++++++++!!!!!
The Meadow Club

I don’t have enough good things to say about the meadow club and their staff. My mom went above and beyond to make that day SO special & the meadow club was just beautiful.


Bachlorette Party: A+++++++++++!!!!
The Garden City Hotel/Posh Ultra Lounge

I highly recommend the GCH for a bachlorette party! You have SO many options while your there! Besides our wedding, it was one of the best weekends of my life! SO INCREDIBLE! We had booked a smoking room because some of my girls smoke, and they accidently gave us a non-smoking.....so because they messed up, they upgraded us to two penthouse suites(fully loaded with dining room,fireplace,etc!!!!) at NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE!!!!!! crazy i know!
i do have a ton of pics from it - but only a few on this computer...i wish i had all the photos of the room to post up! Just know that it's a great place & it's gorgous!!! I'll post them if i get the chance to edit....i'm sure i'll hear it from my BM's that there's no picture up of our sick room OR the 'backlorette mobile' (yes - my girls DECKED out the car we took there!)


Honeymoon: A++++++++++!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sandals/Regency St. Lucia was AMAZING. I never want to go on a vacation that's not all-inclusive ever again!!!! There was never a dull moment, it was BREAKTHTAKING, and we didn't have to worry about a budget because everything was already paid for!!!! Can't wait to check out all the other locations :)






THANKYOU SOOO MUCH IF YOU READ THIS ALL THE WAY THROUGH! lol. i know it was long - hopefully i didn't miss anything!

Re: OUR DECEMBER WEDDING AT THE JERICHO TERRACE!!!!!!! FINALLY our review! filled with pics - took me forever! But I think i got everything! lol. Enjoy!

you look gprgeous and the pics are amazing

Re: OUR DECEMBER WEDDING AT THE JERICHO TERRACE!!!!!!! FINALLY our review! filled with pics - took me forever! But I think i got everything! lol. Enjoy!

OMG You look gorgeous and your pics were absolutely beautiful!!! Thanks for such an awesome review!!!

Re: OUR DECEMBER WEDDING AT THE JERICHO TERRACE!!!!!!! FINALLY our review! filled with pics - took me forever! But I think i got everything! lol. Enjoy!

You looked AMAZING! What a beautiful wedding day!

Thanks for an awesome review - it was great to hear such positive reviews about my hall, the hotel my guests are staying at, the hotel we are staying at, LOL even where I got my garter from!

I am so going to be bugging you in the future - I have so many of the same vendors! LOL

CONGRATS and enjoy married life!

Re: OUR DECEMBER WEDDING AT THE JERICHO TERRACE!!!!!!! FINALLY our review! filled with pics - took me forever! But I think i got everything! lol. Enjoy!

You looked beautiful. The pics came out great. You wedding looked so pretty. Thanks for the review.

Re: OUR DECEMBER WEDDING AT THE JERICHO TERRACE!!!!!!! FINALLY our review! filled with pics - took me forever! But I think i got everything! lol. Enjoy!

Congrats, you look beautiful. Look like you had an amazing time.

Re: OUR DECEMBER WEDDING AT THE JERICHO TERRACE!!!!!!! FINALLY our review! filled with pics - took me forever! But I think i got everything! lol. Enjoy!

That's a great review! You looked gorgeous! I love the caroler idea. That was a great touch. Congratulations!

Re: OUR DECEMBER WEDDING AT THE JERICHO TERRACE!!!!!!! FINALLY our review! filled with pics - took me forever! But I think i got everything! lol. Enjoy!

i have to say, i never really read through all of these...YOURS WAS BEAUTIFUL..from the pics to the whole day..your girls looked gorgeous and you were absolutely STUNNING!!

Re: OUR DECEMBER WEDDING AT THE JERICHO TERRACE!!!!!!! FINALLY our review! filled with pics - took me forever! But I think i got everything! lol. Enjoy!

congratulations ~ you look AMAZING! Your wedding looks like so much fun!

Re: OUR DECEMBER WEDDING AT THE JERICHO TERRACE!!!!!!! FINALLY our review! filled with pics - took me forever! But I think i got everything! lol. Enjoy!

GREAT review!!! you looked absolutely gorgeous!!! and your pics are AMAZING!!!

Re: OUR DECEMBER WEDDING AT THE JERICHO TERRACE!!!!!!! FINALLY our review! filled with pics - took me forever! But I think i got everything! lol. Enjoy!

Thank you for such a great review! Love your pictures! And you looked great!!! Congrats!

Can i say that when I glance at your pictures, you look like Jessica Simpson!! Hehe.

Re: OUR DECEMBER WEDDING AT THE JERICHO TERRACE!!!!!!! FINALLY our review! filled with pics - took me forever! But I think i got everything! lol. Enjoy!

great review!!!

you were a gorgeous bride!!

Re: OUR DECEMBER WEDDING AT THE JERICHO TERRACE!!!!!!! FINALLY our review! filled with pics - took me forever! But I think i got everything! lol. Enjoy!

YOur pics are amazing...have to be one of my favorites cuz im biased of winter weddings with Red dresses

Re: OUR DECEMBER WEDDING AT THE JERICHO TERRACE!!!!!!! FINALLY our review! filled with pics - took me forever! But I think i got everything! lol. Enjoy!

I love your pictures, you look so beautiful!!

Re: OUR DECEMBER WEDDING AT THE JERICHO TERRACE!!!!!!! FINALLY our review! filled with pics - took me forever! But I think i got everything! lol. Enjoy!

So beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Did you dance with your Mom at the reception? If so, so cute!

Re: OUR DECEMBER WEDDING AT THE JERICHO TERRACE!!!!!!! FINALLY our review! filled with pics - took me forever! But I think i got everything! lol. Enjoy!

Beautiful pictures. Loved everything,dresses, look all of it). Loved your hair too.

Re: OUR DECEMBER WEDDING AT THE JERICHO TERRACE!!!!!!! FINALLY our review! filled with pics - took me forever! But I think i got everything! lol. Enjoy!

Taryn,
GREAT review!!! I can't wait to have my photos taken by Thomas Paul!

Re: OUR DECEMBER WEDDING AT THE JERICHO TERRACE!!!!!!! FINALLY our review! filled with pics - took me forever! But I think i got everything! lol. Enjoy!

Really beautiful! You were a stunning bride. Congrats.

Re: OUR DECEMBER WEDDING AT THE JERICHO TERRACE!!!!!!! FINALLY our review! filled with pics - took me forever! But I think i got everything! lol. Enjoy!

What a fantastic review, you looked gorgeous and your photographer seemed to be amazing, I want to recommend them to my sister in law.

Re: OUR DECEMBER WEDDING AT THE JERICHO TERRACE!!!!!!! FINALLY our review! filled with pics - took me forever! But I think i got everything! lol. Enjoy!

great review, and your gorgeous!