LONG: Our wedding, Brett Matthews photos, and more
Hi everyone,
Our wedding was last month. It was a beautiful sunny day. The ceremony and reception took place at the Harrison House and (thank God) all turned out better than I'd hoped. So, here's the scoop on some of our experiences.
1. Harrison House - they did a fabulous job. The house is beautiful (especially for the photos) and the way they decorate the grounds for events makes it magical. The service was professional and prompt, everyone raved about the food and it satisfied the elegant, but fun atmosphere I wanted to create. Make sure you and your husband have a private place to go to immediately following the ceremony. I think this is a common, but it was one of the best things we could have done. There was champagne and shrimp waiting for just the two of us in a small library, just outside the cocktail hour areas. We had some private time to absorb what just happened and that is truly a precious thing. Afterwards, you're going to be so busy with everyone else.
2. B rett M atthews was our photographer and videographer. Our photographer is Sheri, the owner. As soon as we got back from our honeymoon, the proofs were already ready! (less than three weeks) There were hundreds of black and white and color shots.
I gotta tell you, they're photos were outstanding. Really. Are already knew she'd be great from the engagement shots, but the wedding shots were straight out of a story book. Each one is better than the next, and it's going to be impossible to limit ourselves to the album set amount. The best part is she tells a story with her camera. I was pretty nervous when I was getting ready and didn't realize a ton of pictures were being taken. There were pictures of my dress, my bouqet, my bridal sweet, my bridesmaids helping me get dressed, getting my hair done and the ceremony and reception candid shots are fantastic. I plan to arrange my album so that it tells a story. The pictures look like they came straight out of a story book. I know several hours of makeup and hair styling had something to do with how I looked, but she captured more. There are shots that exude happiness, love...you get the idea. We're buying a scanner soon (friends are asking to see photos) so as soon as I have the capability I'm happy to show you all a few pics. I'm writing this because I know there was some concern in previous post regarding B rett M atthews. But honestly, the bottom line is they do a fantastic job and for anyone looking for a great photographer, I highly recommend Sheri. Oh, we also got our video (raw footage) but it still needs to be edited, so I'll let you know how that goes. If it's anything like the video they showed me when I contracted them, I'll be happy.
3. Band - New York Edge - ok, everyone in Long Island I asked had never seen or heard New York Edge, which is a Manhattan band. When I met with the band leader, Rich, I thought he was professional
and I loved the promo video he showed me. Still, I was a teeny bit concerned b/c I, nor anyone I know, had ever seen them live. My gut instinct was right - they were terrific. The energy, chemistry and talent were in full force. Everyone complimented me on the band, and one friend's daughter already booked them. So, if you're looking for a band, give them a try. We had ten pieces, with four horn section, and three singers (one female).
4. The flowers. Burtons. Okay, everyone at the wedding loved the flowers and thought everyone was lovely. I also must say that everything looked lovely. The only thing is that the flowers did not look like fresh, budding flowers. Harrison House had warned me to make sure I ask for budding flowers so that they look fresh and vibrant throughout the ceremony. Although the arrangements looked good, I must say they started to sag about 1 1/2 hours after the reception started. Also, the tall candles he used for the reception tables AND the candles he used for the cocktail tables were VERY poor quality. I had also asked him to make sure he get long-burning candles for our wedding. These were all out in no time and melted over the flowers. The guests had to blow them out because of the mess. Again, not an obvious problem and everyone tells me the decor was lovely, but these are things that could have been averted if they'd used better quality candles. But for what Burtons gave me, I would have paid thousands more with other florists. I'm only saying you get what you pay for. Oh, also, although the bridesmaids bouquets were lovely, my bouquet arrived dead looking- the periwinkle flowers in my white bouquet and the groom's bouteniere (sp?), which was the same periwinkle flower, looked pale and dead. So, luckily, they were able to change my bouquet (at my request) before the ceremony and reception. Final word - I'm not saying don't use Burtons. Michael is very nice, they did they're best, and overall everyone liked the flowers. Just make sure you insist on fresh, budding flowers and beware of their candles.
Finally, make sure they adjust the flower centerpiece securely on the candelabra or whatever you're using. On almost every table, the flower arrangement tilted to the left or right and on one table, actually fell on the guests as they were eating. Oy vey!
I gotta say, the best part of the wedding was marrying the man I love. It's funny, you plan and plan, and sometimes forget that's what it's really all about. But that day, when I saw him for pictures, it all hit me. Once I saw him, I really did let go (flower mishaps and all) and focused (despite initial nerves) on enjoying the special day.
So thank you all for indulging me in this final posting. I enjoyed (and appreciated) the help I received from all of the brides. I'm not fully de-toxed from all that wedding planning, but I'm working on it. If you have any questions, though, please feel free to ask. Best to all of you.
Our wedding was last month. It was a beautiful sunny day. The ceremony and reception took place at the Harrison House and (thank God) all turned out better than I'd hoped. So, here's the scoop on some of our experiences.
1. Harrison House - they did a fabulous job. The house is beautiful (especially for the photos) and the way they decorate the grounds for events makes it magical. The service was professional and prompt, everyone raved about the food and it satisfied the elegant, but fun atmosphere I wanted to create. Make sure you and your husband have a private place to go to immediately following the ceremony. I think this is a common, but it was one of the best things we could have done. There was champagne and shrimp waiting for just the two of us in a small library, just outside the cocktail hour areas. We had some private time to absorb what just happened and that is truly a precious thing. Afterwards, you're going to be so busy with everyone else.
2. B rett M atthews was our photographer and videographer. Our photographer is Sheri, the owner. As soon as we got back from our honeymoon, the proofs were already ready! (less than three weeks) There were hundreds of black and white and color shots.
I gotta tell you, they're photos were outstanding. Really. Are already knew she'd be great from the engagement shots, but the wedding shots were straight out of a story book. Each one is better than the next, and it's going to be impossible to limit ourselves to the album set amount. The best part is she tells a story with her camera. I was pretty nervous when I was getting ready and didn't realize a ton of pictures were being taken. There were pictures of my dress, my bouqet, my bridal sweet, my bridesmaids helping me get dressed, getting my hair done and the ceremony and reception candid shots are fantastic. I plan to arrange my album so that it tells a story. The pictures look like they came straight out of a story book. I know several hours of makeup and hair styling had something to do with how I looked, but she captured more. There are shots that exude happiness, love...you get the idea. We're buying a scanner soon (friends are asking to see photos) so as soon as I have the capability I'm happy to show you all a few pics. I'm writing this because I know there was some concern in previous post regarding B rett M atthews. But honestly, the bottom line is they do a fantastic job and for anyone looking for a great photographer, I highly recommend Sheri. Oh, we also got our video (raw footage) but it still needs to be edited, so I'll let you know how that goes. If it's anything like the video they showed me when I contracted them, I'll be happy.
3. Band - New York Edge - ok, everyone in Long Island I asked had never seen or heard New York Edge, which is a Manhattan band. When I met with the band leader, Rich, I thought he was professional
and I loved the promo video he showed me. Still, I was a teeny bit concerned b/c I, nor anyone I know, had ever seen them live. My gut instinct was right - they were terrific. The energy, chemistry and talent were in full force. Everyone complimented me on the band, and one friend's daughter already booked them. So, if you're looking for a band, give them a try. We had ten pieces, with four horn section, and three singers (one female).
4. The flowers. Burtons. Okay, everyone at the wedding loved the flowers and thought everyone was lovely. I also must say that everything looked lovely. The only thing is that the flowers did not look like fresh, budding flowers. Harrison House had warned me to make sure I ask for budding flowers so that they look fresh and vibrant throughout the ceremony. Although the arrangements looked good, I must say they started to sag about 1 1/2 hours after the reception started. Also, the tall candles he used for the reception tables AND the candles he used for the cocktail tables were VERY poor quality. I had also asked him to make sure he get long-burning candles for our wedding. These were all out in no time and melted over the flowers. The guests had to blow them out because of the mess. Again, not an obvious problem and everyone tells me the decor was lovely, but these are things that could have been averted if they'd used better quality candles. But for what Burtons gave me, I would have paid thousands more with other florists. I'm only saying you get what you pay for. Oh, also, although the bridesmaids bouquets were lovely, my bouquet arrived dead looking- the periwinkle flowers in my white bouquet and the groom's bouteniere (sp?), which was the same periwinkle flower, looked pale and dead. So, luckily, they were able to change my bouquet (at my request) before the ceremony and reception. Final word - I'm not saying don't use Burtons. Michael is very nice, they did they're best, and overall everyone liked the flowers. Just make sure you insist on fresh, budding flowers and beware of their candles.
Finally, make sure they adjust the flower centerpiece securely on the candelabra or whatever you're using. On almost every table, the flower arrangement tilted to the left or right and on one table, actually fell on the guests as they were eating. Oy vey!
I gotta say, the best part of the wedding was marrying the man I love. It's funny, you plan and plan, and sometimes forget that's what it's really all about. But that day, when I saw him for pictures, it all hit me. Once I saw him, I really did let go (flower mishaps and all) and focused (despite initial nerves) on enjoying the special day.
So thank you all for indulging me in this final posting. I enjoyed (and appreciated) the help I received from all of the brides. I'm not fully de-toxed from all that wedding planning, but I'm working on it. If you have any questions, though, please feel free to ask. Best to all of you.
