My Wedding Review at Woodbury Country Club, Duet, Gorgeous Faces, Hair Genie (Better Late than Never)

I had been very busy and I haven’t had the chance to post but I wanted to share my wedding day. I also never realized how long does it take to write a review plus I wanted to make it detailed so that it’s helpful to others. ( I hope! )
It was by far the most amazing, beautiful, fun, and emotional day of our lives. And so, it was as well for many guests at my reception.
I don’t think I can find the words to describe all the emotions, the love, and the commitment that was felt. Our reception was so much fun and I was so glad that it did because it reflected “us”. After planning for a year, it is wonderful to see how everything comes together so beautifully. My Theme for my wedding was “Hearts and Romance” and I think this made it easier for me to plan everything else around it. My wedding colors were yellow (spring and all) and ivory and some items I used gold tones like the print on the matches since the Centerpiece base was gold tone as well. Everything was exactly how I envisioned it and more. The day of my wedding was raining but I didn’t let that bother me. I thought I had no control of the weather and I’m one of those who believe that there’s always a good reason for something even though it might not make sense at the moment. I already thought of a reason for it. One of the reasons we chose our reception place was because of the beautiful grounds.
The view from the Terrace Mills Room (upstairs room) was amazing with the fountains and the rain falling. Since it has such beautiful grounds, it’d be my guess that some of the guests will venture out to take pictures, or to see the grounds. Because of the rain, everyone was inside having a great time. It was such a fun wedding. Everyone was on the dance floor having a great time. I guess this will be a good reason and I guess I will probably find other reasons as time passes by.
I am giving my review and I’m being completely honest. I hope that my review is helpful to other brides because when I was planning my wedding, every review and opinion was important because you wanted to see others’ experiences and especially how the vendors delivered the day of. I can tell you that my vendors went above and beyond considering not only the weather we had but also how great they were. I am going to give the review based on a 1 to 10 scale. I am going to include a picture of the items so that it’s helpful to envision what I am reviewing. And I know how we all love pictures…..
I am going to start with the little details and then the vendors…….

Freeweddingcameras.com
I wasn’t too sure if I was going to have cameras on every table. I debated this issue back and forth for awhile. Debated them so much that I ordered them very close to the wedding date. I was also uncertain of the quality of these cameras until I saw a review by a magazine vendor that is very recognized. I am so glad I ordered them. I got to see the fun, and things that happened at the wedding. Some of the pictures did not come out too clear but it was not due to the quality of the camera but rather because they forgot to put the flash. I have some great shots of my guests and I was able to see things that happened while my dress was being bustled in the bridal suite for example and I wasn’t in the reception room. All the pictures show the great smiles and the fun they were having. I also liked the fact that some of my guests took candid pictures of other guests’ at the table table so you really get to see how much fun they were having. I ordered one per table and the vendor was very quick in delivering them to me. I ordered them April 19th and I got them right away (about 4 days later) and they were packed nicely. I didn’t have to pay extra to get them on that time frame. I ordered the one with the hearts because my theme was “Hearts and Romance”. Here is a picture of them.
Their Website www.freeweddingcameras.com

Jean M
Customer Service: 10
Quality of Products ordered: 10

I really enjoyed ordering from here. Customer service was phenomenal. They really do take time to review with you what’s being ordered and they also help envision it for you especially if you are ordering something that it’s not printed in the catalog with the colors you are ordering. I ordered some items from here. Here is a mini-review for each of the items I ordered from there:

Memory Candle
My husband and I wanted to do a special mentioning of our grandmothers so I ordered from here a memory candle to be used at the church. Our priest made a special prayer and mention and my husband and I lit up the candle.
The candle was inscribed with the following:
“In Loving Memory
This light shines as a symbol of a Life and Love Remembered “ and then their names followed.
This was a very touching moment and my husband and I were very glad we did this during our Nuptial Mass.

Matches
I knew I wanted to do the matches from the get go until I saw the labels for Tic Tac mints that they had as well. But it was too late for me because I already had ordered the matches. I ordered the matches in ivory with a gold lettering. They came out really nice. It was a nice added touch.
I don’t have a picture of ours scan, but as soon as I do, I will replace this one. The ones that I used are the matches on the left.

Mints
I saw the Tic Tac labels and fell in love with them. I also thought how sometimes you go to weddings and after eating dinner or having a few drinks, you want something with mint in the event you forgot to bring gum or mints. So I thought that this was nice for the guests either to be used at the wedding or afterwards. I ordered the personalized labels. On one side they said “Simply Mint to be Together” and the other side our names and wedding date. They came out really good and it was very easy to do. I bought the Tic Tac candies at Costco. And then put the labels on the candies. This was an easy task and it came out really great.
really nice. I don’t have a picture of ours scan, but as soon as I do, I will replace this one. The ones that I used are these ones but the background was a gold tone and the lettering in white.

Garter
I ordered my something blue from here. I ordered a blue garter. I didn’t do the bouquet/garter throw but I still wanted to wear a garter and also for the pictures. The garter was going to be my something blue until I saw the personalized handkerchief. Quality of the garter was very good. It had a little heart pendant attached, which went with my theme.

Handkerchief
I was certain that I was going to have tears of joy so I decided to buy me a handkerchief. I’m glad that I did and you will understand why as you continue reading the review. (Hopefully you are still reading it and not getting bored).
The white handkerchief was personalized in blue with my first name initial. “ J “
Quality of it was very good.

Cake Topper
I wanted something simple and I was going to use it not for the top of my cake but to put it on the table. Here is a picture of the cake topper I used.

Heart Pen
I got the pen for everyone to sign a signing book(similar to the Polaroid Book) that I got and the Signing Board that Duet had made for us with our Engagement Picture.
The Pen is really nice and now I’m using it on my desk at home. Quality is good as well. The base of the pen is heart shaped.
Other items that I got and you will see from where as you read:

Menu Easels
I bought the easels from a LIW Girlie from here. She had ordered them but did not use them. They were brand new. We met up and made the transaction during my lunch hour in the city. I wished I had tried the easels with the menu as soon as I printed them but the final weeks were hectic and I just assumed. Please Never assume. Try everything out and see how it looks. The easels were too small and they were not able to use them at the reception. They were CD easels but I thought they would have been big enough to hold a half sheet of 8x10 cardstock ivory paper but I was wrong with my assumption. I had 3 menus per table so they placed them on the side instead which still look nice.

Menus
I saw Peabody’s menus for her wedding on a post. (Thank You !! )
I absolutely loved them. And I thought it was a great way for the guests to see some of the engagement pictures. I also liked the fact that your guests can read what’s being offered instead of hearing it from the waitstaff. I’ve really appreciated to the weddings we’ve been to when they have them. So I decided to do them. She was so gracious and sent me the template. I picked the engagement pictures that I was going to use and uploaded them and set up the menu. I did the most I could until we chose the menu and then typed up our menu selections. I was thinking of printing them but things were hectic and it took awhile to print because it had three pictures. I went to Kinkos found out pricing, which wasn’t bad at all, took them the paper, (another way to save $$) that I wanted the menus printed on and a copy of the menu that I had printed. They copied them in one day and they came out really good. They did a proof copy for me to make sure I was happy with it before they printed out all of them.
( I really suggest you do this). Also what saved me money was that there were two menus per 8x10 cardstock paper, which was good. They wanted to charge me a high amount though for cutting them in half so we have a cutter at work and I did that there and saved some $$$. I bought the paper at Staples and the price was reasonable.

Invitations
I was going to order them from Jean M but the one I really liked was a bit pricey. This was one thing that I really didn’t want to spend too much money on it because I feel people look at them, and then after the wedding is over, they throw them out. So I wanted something reasonable but yet something that look nice and convey the feeling for my wedding. I ordered mine from a Regency vendor in my area and they came out beautiful. I wanted one that looked simple yet elegant and convey the formality of the occasion and I found the perfect one. They took about 5 business days to process the order. Here is a picture of one that I found online.

Invitations
I was going to order them from Jean M but the one I really liked was a bit pricey. This was one thing that I really didn’t want to spend too much money on it because I feel people look at them, and then after the wedding is over, they throw them out. So I wanted something reasonable but yet something that look nice and convey the feeling for my wedding. I ordered mine from a vendor that sells Regency Invitations and they came out beautiful. I wanted one that looked simple yet elegant and convey the formality of the occasion and I found the perfect one. They took about 5 business days to process the order. Here is a picture of one that I found online.

Programs

I also did my programs. I had seen one that I liked and searched some websites but found them they wanted it too much $$ for it. So I decided to do them myself. I found a template online and did them. I bought the paper at a place in the city called Paper Access. It’s located at 23 West 18th Street and their phone number (212) 463-7035 that sells papers thanks to Ang&Rich. (Thank You !!) It was perfect. I found the cover plus the sheet that went inside to match it. And it was not expensive at all. I wanted to put labels on the outside as well to match the one I’ve liked but I felt with the paper that I got was going to use it looked too busy. So I opted not to do it. I prefer simple elegance. I also downloaded some fonts from the Internet for the cover page which had our names so that it stand out a bit more. After Precana, and after choosing the Readings and everything else, I put all the information and printed them at work. They came out nice as well and it was a nice touch. I saw that some guests kept them as mementos of my wedding, which was really nice I thought. Once I am able to scan a picture of this, I will post it.

Now on to the Vendors:

Hair Genie: 10
I had a hair trial with Jenn and it was the only I had. I loved her and I knew I wanted someone like that around me on my wedding day. I took her a picture of the updo that I wanted and she created it exactly. I was so happy with it that I booked her on the spot. My updo stayed all night and I had nothing to worry about. I was also glad that I had an updo because it was rainy so that was really great. I absolutely recommend her. She’s not only a great, sweet person but she is very talented and creative
Her website: http://www.liweddings.com/vendors/hair/thehairgenie2/

Makeup
This is one of the things I was a bit worried about. My skin is a bit oily. I went to three trials and was not really happy about them. One of them was not a vendor even from here. She does makeup for top models even Bush’s daughter but I wasn’t completely thrilled as I felt my skin didn’t really match the foundation she used for the airbrushing. This trial was a disappointment not only because she was a bit expensive but also because I was really eager to have my makeup done with this person who came highly recommended and I did not even like. Two of the makeup, were airbrush and one of them was regular.

Engagement Pictures
Marie Katz - 10
Marie was really great. I needed at last minute someone to do my engagement makeup and she agreed to do it for me. I went to her home and was very happy with her and her work. Because of some traveling, she was not going to be able to do it for my day of but I recommend her as well. She is such an affable person and totally works with you.

Please see the link below for my engagement pictures so that you may see her work.
Here is a link to her website:
http://www.liweddings.com/website/?URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.mariekatz.com

Wedding Day - Gorgeous Faces: 10
Jillian arrived earlier than her scheduled time. Jillian did my makeup. It lasted all night. I only had to apply lipstick, which I bought from her because I liked how it looked on me. When I met Jillian, I already had done a few makeup trials. I was getting a bit worried about not having to find someone for the day of until I had my trial with her. Jillian is such a nice person and so calm and collected that she also gives you that sense when she’s around you. And she is so fast as well. She applied the makeup for me, my mom, MOH, and, my three bridesmaids. My makeup stayed on all night and I only had to reapply my lipstick throughout the night. Without a doubt, I absolutely recommend her as well.
The link to her website:
http://www.liweddings.com/vendors/beauty/gorgeous05

Duet Photography – 10+++++
They were one of the first vendors we booked and were very excited about. After we saw their work and compared it to others, we really liked them. Plus we felt we were getting a lot more for our money. Some people mention a language problem with them. I had none. We met Eric and Nicole the first time we visited them and we were really happy. I also loved that they were not pushy at all because they know their work speaks for itself. I fell in love with their work after seeing some great pictures on this site from those of you that have shared. We asked about the photographers and they told us to look at the albums and decide which style we liked better. I really love Alberto’s work. After visiting other photographers, we booked them and asked for our Alberto to be our photographer. When we met him for the engagement pictures, he made us feel really comfortable. I always think I’m not the most photogenic person but when I saw my engagement pictures, I was very pleased. And we got so many pictures too.
The day of the wedding, they arrived on time and were capturing every moment. They didn’t miss a beat. They were like where the action was but yet there were also unobtrusive. Many guests mentioned how they were everywhere and how hard they worked to capture all those special moments.
Here are a few of my proofs…I don’t have a scanner and someone was kind enough to scan these few for me. I absolutely love how my pictures came out and I have so many as well. And they really capture the day. When I got my proofs, it was like reliving the day once again. I also love the fact that when you have a question or concern they address them right away via telephone or email. I provided them a list of must takes and they took those pictures plus a ton more of other pictures. I absolutely recommend them.

Betty’s Total Events – 10 +++++++++
My sister had used Betty’s services for her wedding as a florist even before she had the Catering business she has now. I also thought I was going to use her as well. And I also went to other florists but was not very pleased with their centerpieces. I really do not like too much greenery and noticed some of them used that a lot to fill up the centerpieces or they used babyfresh which I do not like either so I made sure they did not use any of those neither on my centerpieces or any of the bouquets. I was so glad that I booked Betty. She is a total sweetheart and will work with you. She also is a very creative person and helps you envision the day with the flowers. I took her pictures of how I wanted my bouquet and she recreated it exactly. She also advised me on which colors look great for the Bridesmaids’ bouquets. My bouquet was heavy because she made sure it was full, something that I wanted. The day I went to see her for the final meeting before the wedding, I was not too sure about my husband’s boutonniere. The day of….She sent two…one with calla and one with a rose so that he chose the one he liked the most. I thought that was really nice of her. She also sent me an arrangement of flowers to congratulate me for the day of. Totally sweet of her too. Betty decorated my church, which I loved, the pews, our chairs (which I really wanted) and the arrangements on the altar. Even the priest commented as to how beautiful the church looked. And for our reception, the room looked so elegant and the centerpieces were exactly as how I envisioned them. Also,let me tell you, I was a bit skeptical when I chose my cake because I thought I chose it too plain and was worried a bit….until I saw it. Woodbury Country Club provided the cake but I had asked Betty to decorate it for me. . I absolutely loved my cake and how it looked. It was yummy and we now have the top part on the freezer waiting for that First Year Anniversary. :0)
Betty was a lifesaver as well. RK Bridal forgot to put my veil with my dress and I thought I had double-checked everything when I went to pick up my dress. When it was time to do my hair with Jenn, I went to get my veil that was supposedly with the dress….it was not there. I didn’t panic though and I called Betty’s and told her what had happened. I told her how I wanted my veil. She sent me two veils for me to choose from. She said and don’t worry about the $$$ when you come back from your honeymoon, you can pay and take care of that. If it had not been for her, I’d probably not wear a veil to the church because to go into the city and pick up the veil from RK Bridals was just impossible at that moment. I was a bit disappointed when this happened but I didn’t let this ruin my day. Everyone (including my bridesmaids) was so surprised as to how cool and collect I was about this. I always think that there could be something worse that can happen. My husband does not call me Ms. Positive for nothing. :0)

I absolutely recommend her as a florist and you can go to her store as well because she sells wedding items as well. She sells favors and wraps them beautifully as well. I didn’t have her wrap mine because I had already taken care of that. Here is the link for her business and she has pictures you can see as well of her work plus my pictures. Also, she makes sure she puts everything in writing and so you don’t have any guessing for your day and also she does not give you extra anxiety that you do not need as I heard other florist vendors had done for others. And she will do even more if she has to. She will make sure that everything is set up nicely at your reception.. After she handled the veil situation the way she did, I know she’d do just that for anyone in terms of helping and making your day going smoothly. She is definitely, at least in my opinion, a vendor you’d like to book because you don’t have to worry one bit about anything concerning the flowers and if there is anything that she can do to make your celebration even better in terms of how things can look better set up, she will do it for you. Please let her know that you read Jackie’s review and saw pictures of her work. I am so very grateful to her for how wonderfully she set up everything for me but also how she saved the day with the veil situation and as to how amazing my bouquet, boutonieres, and BM’s flowers were. We’re planning to use her for any other occasion as well. .
Absolutely recommend her.
Here is a link to her website. http://www.bettystotalevents.com/

RK Bridals – 8
If it had not been for the veil incident, they would have probably gotten a 10. This was the first place I went to look for dresses. Their staff is knowledgeable, helpful, patient, not pushy, and their selections is pretty huge. They are also very reasonable in terms of pricing. I really wanted a beautiful dress but I’m one of those brides who did not want to spend a lot of money for a dress I was going to wear for only one day. I preferred to spend that money on our rings or our honeymoon, which we ended up doing. I never went here on a weekend and considering how big the place is and all the selections, I can imagine the place getting a little crazy. I’d definitely recommend that you go on a weekday instead.
When I went to try dresses, I worked with a lady named Nicole. She was a sweet person, not pushy, and left us alone from time to time so we can discuss things about the dresses I was trying. When I arrived she asked me if I was looking something in particular and I told her no. I wanted to try different designs to see what works for me better and my body type. So she let me choose some dresses and then she helped me as well to pick some more dresses. I had told her that I had seen a dress on a magazine that I really liked a lot. I forgot to bring the picture with me. She asked me to describe it to her. She showed me the exact dress I told her about. It was an Eve of Milady gown but it had the tag of $3000 dollars, which I really did not want to spend. She then showed me another designer dress for less money. I tried two dresses that I love and was not too sure about. I put my dress a second time and I just knew this was the dress. Even some people that were at the store trying on dresses said how it looked so nice and beautiful.
I bought my dream dress here and they schedule the fittings. When I arrived for my appointment with the fittings, they always took care of me right away and on time. The ladies that help you get dressed are very nice and very helpful. I needed no alterations either. My dress fitted perfectly. I only paid for the bustle, which was really great. I bought my veil here as well. It was I thought the perfect compliment to my dress but I guess it was not the perfect veil for me to wear. When I went to pick up my dress, I thought I had checked for my veil. Jenn from the Hair Genie could not believe how calm I was about this when I realized my veil was not there. I am really glad that I thought of Betty’s right away my veil was not there. I am really glad that I thought of Betty’s right away because not only she saved the day but she sent me options too. I told her I wanted my veil not to be too puffy on top and with satin on the bottom. She sent me one just like that but even better. I was going to put my veil on top. This veil that Betty had sent me I could have worn it either or. When I tried it on, I had to put it on the back and I was sooo glad that it was like that. I guess it was a blessing in disguise. I absolutely loved how it looked, and how visible my face was all the time. You really want to make sure you don’t pick a veil that covers your face too much I also ordered my Tiara and my Bra from RK Bridals. Even though I probably would have gotten at a better price somewhere else, I really do not have the time to shop around to different places. Plus I loved my Tiara and how it looked. And I thought the time and money you spent driving around shopping, it comes to the same money you spent at one place anyway. My Bra was fitted also perfect there.
After I came back from my honeymoon, I called RK Bridals and I told them what happened with the veil situation. They apologized and refunded me the money that I had paid. No hassles or questions asked. I was happy about that..
I still recommend them just make sure you double check everything before you leave the store the day you go to pick up your dress.
Here is a link to their website. http://www.rkbridal.com/

My Wedding Shoes
Craft Store – Commack – 10
I went to a lot of places but didn’t really find anything I liked and if I liked it then the heel was too high. My husband is only a bit taller than me so I didn’t want heels that were too high. I found the perfect shoes here. The heel was not too high plus they were super comfy. I bought white slippers with rhinestones to wear in the event that my shoes bothered me. I was standing all day, danced like crazy, and my shoes did not bother me at all. I even forgot I had them on. They were very courteous and prompt in getting me the shoes that I tried on. And the price for my shoes was very reasonable as well.

Favors
Vendor: My Wedding Favors
Their Website: http://www.myweddingfavors.com/heart-stopper-in-box.html

Besides the Tic Tac candies, and the matches, I wanted to give a favor that is useful and that everyone would like. So I decided on a wine bottle stopper.
I ordered them from this vendor from which my sister had ordered my shower favors, which were the Heart Measuring Spoons
I called and placed my order and I received them within 7 business days. Their customer service was good and they take all the information right away. It’s best to call in the morning instead that at night. You will get a faster response. No complaints at all from this vendor. They were wrapped nicely with an organza bow but I wanted to make them more elegant and to go more with my theme. I took the organza bow off and left them in the box they came into. I went to Hallmark and bought white wrapping paper with a shiny finish. I also got paper like this from Michael’s as well. I wrapped each favor in white satin paper and wrapped a gold tone ribbon around it and made a bow on each. It looked a lot better like that and more presentable plus it went better with my decorations of the flower’s centerpieces and the other nice touches that were already on the table like the matches and the Tic Tac candies.

DJ/MC ---- EJ The DJ Entertainment Company. --- 10+++++

I had seen them in action at other two weddings and my husband and I thought how professional they were and how they kept everyone on the dance floor. We were so right. They kept everyone on the dance floor the whole night. Some of my guests had called to let me know how their feet hurt a day after from all the dancing. They provided background music for the Cocktail Hour and they provided the music for the reception as well. I had a special request for the MC as I don’t think I’d have been able to do it myself as I think I’d have gotten too emotional. Before I danced with my father, I asked him to read something that I wrote for him. I was even emotional when he started reading it let alone for me to read it. My father shed tears of joy too and many of my guests as well. I wrote a mini letter to my father honoring him and my mother that day and also to let him know how much I loved him and that when I had children, I’d like to raise them just the same way I was…with the same values…with the same love. And the song that I picked was a song my father and I used to hear and it was a song that I used to hear on the background as I played with my brother and sister which is something I mentioned in what I wrote. Everyone thought that it was so emotional and so sweet of me to honor my father. I am one of those who think that you have to let know those you loved how much you do while they are with you and before it might be too late. Everyone was crying. It was really beautiful.
DJ/MC did a great job as they played different types of music. I didn’t even give them a list of what to play and what not to play. I told them what we wanted and they did a great job. I’d absolutely recommend them and the MC that I used was Rick. You can get in touch with him and mention my name. They were totally awesome. By looking at some of the shots that I got from cameras from the table, I know they were having a great time while dancing. They were also pretty reasonable in terms of pricing as well. They were totally great.
Their contact number is (800) EJTHEDJ

Rehearsal Dinner Restaurant - Astoria, New York
Ponticello - 10
We booked Ponticello for our rehearsal dinner. It is a fine Italian restaurant located in Astoria. Our church was in Queens so we had a little hard time trying to find a place there until I read some reviews from another bride here. And when I mentioned it to my husband, he had been there previously for dinners that were work related previously and didn’t even think of it. They gave us our own room and we had our own waitstaff. They put wine (white and red) on the table. The food there is amazing. Sooo delicious. Our Bridal Party really enjoyed the food and the drinks. Besides the wine, they also ordered drinks as well. I highly recommend this place. The ambiance of the place is sophisticated elegance and it is really beautiful and the service is absolutely great and the food is absolutely delicious.
Their Website: www.ponticelloristorante.com


Gifts for Ushers and Bridesmaids

We wanted to give them something useful and nice. We had three ushers and we gave them each a Kenneth Cole Watch. We had two Best Men and they also got Kenneth Cole Watches but we spent a little more money on theirs.
I got the girls the jewelry to be used for the day of. I got them at Macy’s and they were on sale so I got the necklaces for a good price. I really had a hard time trying to find the jewelry because I found every conceivable color except mine.. BM’s were wearing yellow dresses so I didn’t find many options. So I bought the necklace at Macy’s and the earrings and bracelets around work. I got the MOH the same bracelet and necklaces like the others but MOH’s earrings were made of Citrine….I love this stone. I wanted to give her something of more value and an original stone. They were all the same colors and everything matched beautifully. I also see the BM’s now wearing the stud earrings in citrine color that I got them so it’s nice to see that they used them other than for the wedding. I also got each of them a Coach Wristlet, which they absolutely loved. I got the Wristlets in Bloogmindales in the city.
For the MOH I also got this bag from the Lillian Vernon website and it was personalized.
Each one of them loved their gifts and had a real great time at the Rehearsal Dinner. We were very happy with our choices for them because they were happy and really loved everything we gave them.
I was also very happy with them because my BM’s and especially my Matron Of Honor whom is my sister went out of their way to help me with anything that I needed and to make things special for me. Even when I chose their dresses or when there was time for an appointment, they told me just let us know the date and time and we will be there. They said you could really see people true colors during wedding planning and this is so true. I was really blessed though that whomever I needed was there for me…anytime I needed them. Just a word of advice, just go with the flow and do not let anyone doubt your decisions….after all it’s your wedding day and you and your husband should be the one that are happy about everything that you plan and decide to do.
I really cannot complain about my Bridal Party. And neither can my husband. They were all really nice and very helpful.
I got my Ring Bearer two gifts. He absolutely loved them and they were both personalized with his first name
The truck with cars I got from Lillian Vernon website www.lillianvernon.com
and the piggy bank I got from Jean M Essentials. www.jeanmessentials.com
Here is a picture of them.

Cake Knife
I got this from JeanM as well. Service was great and the quality of the items were really good. And they went perfect with my Hearts theme.

Tuxedos
I went to Helen’s in Commack to pick up a bridesmaid dress for a wedding I was going to be part of. My husband went with me. While I was trying the dress and paying, they have other vendors in here. He went and check the tuxedos and the person there was very courteous, helpful, and knowledgeable. My husband decided when it was time to book this for our wedding; he was going to return here. The person who helped my husband was Vito. They have a great selection of tuxes. All the ushers were fitted there as well. Prices were reasonable. Tuxes were ordered in the right fit. They were clean and pressed. He was a great vendor to work with.

Bridesmaids

I picked a dress for my bridesmaids. My MOH wore a different dress in the same tone of colors. A more subtle yellow. I really wanted everyone to be comfortable so I was very flexible in this sense because I know everyone does not have the same body type. My MOH was the only one who had sleeves because she felt a bit uncomfortable with a strapless dress. . I know a real good seamstress. Each of their dress was custom made. She did a fantastic job. The bridesmaids were very happy because the price was very reasonable, The dresses were fitted perfectly for each of them. The seamstress and I went over about all the details and then I chose the fabric. She did a great job. Here is a picture of the dress that I chose for them.

Woodbury Country Club – 10+++++++

It was one of the first places we visited and one of the first places we fell in love with. We fell in love with the Tuscan, mahogany look plus we liked the ambiance of the place and we loved the grounds. We also felt very comfortable with their staff that was very helpful each and every time. From the moment we arrived, they took care of us. They are truly professionals and truly know how to care for their guests.
Since the moment the limo pulled in at WCC, they took care of myself, my bridal party, our parents and even some guests that followed us to the reception after the church since WCC told me that the guests can start coming in at 5:30pm. My cocktail hour started at 6pm.
They were absolutely great and everyone that has booked this place, do not have one thing to worry about. They were absolutely amazing in making sure everything was running on schedule and everything was coordinated.
My Maitre’D was Tina and she was nice. Our Bridal attendant was Jessica or Sarah and she was a sweetheart. I actually kind of wished she was the Maitre’D because she was extremely nice. Thanks to one LIW Bride advice from here that told me to Keep a key copy of the bridal suite and give it to someone in the bridal party that will keep it safe. That way if you or anyone from the bridal party needs to get in, you don’t need to get the key from the Maitre’D or search for them. I did
that and it worked out great. This really saved a LOT of time whenever anyone from the Bridal Party or myself or my husband wanted to get into the Bridal Suite. My husband wanted to go to CH. I wasn’t too crazy about it but felt we could get a few hellos out of the way. I wished I had listened to my intuition. I couldn’t eat anything during CH and when I went back to the Bridal Suite, I hardly had a chance to have a few bites. We did get a few hellos out of the way but I didn’t really enjoy the yummy food. Now I want someone to get married there and that I get invited, so that I can truly enjoy the cocktail hour. :0) If I was to offer advice to anyone about going to the CH, I’d tell them to stay in the suite and eat and enjoy with the Bridal Party and then go briefly table by table to say the hellos.
You also have nothing to worry about the food. From the Cocktail Hour to the Dinner, Everyone raved about the food. I heard great reviews from some of guests about the Caviar stations as well. My parents and my MIL got calls on Monday about all the guests raving about it. My MIL was in a phone marathon because she was on the phone all day of everyone calling saying how great the food was, how much fun it was and how everything looked so beautiful and elegant. Everything was exactly how I envisioned it except with the rainy weather but I didn’t let that bother me either. I said I couldn’t control that so I was going to enjoy my day either way and so I did. I always say things happen for a reason so God must had a reason that I don’t understand for the rain. I said to my husband that in a way the rain was a blessing in disguise My wedding was so much fun. Everyone was in the dance floor. I had a fun, dancing crowd. The good thing also was that it didn’t rain when I was going into church and leaving church. And everyone said that the rain is good luck and I guess for us it was. We were truly blessed with how everything came out. And our guests were really generous and some other guests were unbelievably generous....We were really astonished. And the majority of all of my guests, who did not attend the wedding, send us gifts and gift checks as well. We were very happy. I think it has something to do with the rain we had on our wedding day. I read somewhere here that “wet knots are harder to untie” so that’s a good thing but I also read somewhere that “For every drop of rain that falls on your wedding day, a blessing is on its way”.
On another note, We debated for awhile about having a Viennesse Hour but then debated against it. Instead we got a Touch of Vienna, which was a mini-Vienesse hour. They had all sort of cookies, cakes, fruits, ice cream etc and everyoAlso, they have two events but I did not see anyone from the other party at all even when I came in or around the place when we were taking pictures inside. They do an excellent job in staggering their events so that you do not run into the other party. Some of my guests also thought we were the only party there since the Cocktail Hour was on the first floor and the reception in the second floor.
The guests mentioned that drinks were always flowing, and food was delicious. They also said there was a lot of variety during the Cocktail Hour and the food was served hot and not at a cold temperature. I made sure I mention that to them because to me that’s so important. I think food that is cold that is meant to be be eaten hot is just bad and it takes away from it. The presentation of the food was really great as well for the Cocktail Hour and also for the Reception Dinner.
They also said that the waitstaff was prompt in removing glasses that were not being used anymore, bringing drinks, and also folding the napkins as guests got up from the table. I had one of my friends take pictures with my digital camera as guests were coming in and signing a Guest Book that I had gotten at Target. She got a few signatures and many pictures. And all of her pictures came out great. We had a signing board from DUET with our Engagement Picture at the entrance of the Cocktail Hour Room and everyone loved it.
I’d recommend Woodbury CC in a heartbeat to anyone. Absolutely wonderful.
Their website is http://www.woodburycc.com/

Our Honeymoon

It was awesome !!
We stayed at the Paradissus Hotel in Coco Beach in Puerto Rico. It is an all inclusive resort and it was unbelievable. The service was awesome. The suites were immaculate. The grounds and the view were sensational. It was the best thing we did to relax before we headed on our second part of the honeymoon and after the wedding. We also stayed here in Puerto Rico because we wanted to take a cruise. Great resort. It’s a bit expensive but so worth it.
The second part of the honeymoon was a Royal Caribbean Cruise for 7 more days and we visited San Maarten, St. Thomas, Antigua, Barbados, Saint Lucia. We were so happy we did this. We had an unbelievable time and really enjoyed ourselves. Definitely recommend it.

And last but not least, to each and every one of you on this LIW website that made the planning the more joyous, more fun, and so creative, I just wanted to say “Thank You”. Everyone here is so helpful and I’m grateful to each and every one of you for your help and your ideas. Thanks so much for being so Helpful, for Sharing, but most of all, for Caring. If any of you have any questions, or need help with anything, please FM me. I’d be glad to respond to all of your questions.





And here are a few more pictures....

And.....

great review!!! congratulations!

What a wonderful review!
I am so happy you posted this especially how descriptive you were about WCC. Your pictures are gorgeous, I love the one with you and your DH at the piano.
Congrats to you both!

Congratulations!!!

You both look absolutely beautiful and your wedding sounds like it was perfect. Congratulations and thank you for a great review!!

Congratulations!

What a great review...I am so happy to read about Paradisus as I'm dying to go there...it's the only other AI that I know of that belongs to 'The Leading Hotels of the World'...it sounds amazing! We chose not to go only because I'm from PR but I can't wait to go.

Everything sounds perfect and you looked gorgeous...loved your hair!

Best wishes!

Congrats!! Sounds like your day was perfect! You looked beautiful!!

Thank you for letting me know about your review!! A few more months to go..

You can sneak into our cocktail hour if you want!!!

December 10th 630pm (they will never know)

Jackie, thanks so very much for your FM telling me of your review. I don't come onto these boards any more and it was such a treat following up on so many things we discussed with eachother.
You are as beautiful as I envisioned and you and your husband make a gorgeous couple. How wonderful to read that everything went so well. I wish you both the same health, happines and good fortune in your marriage that we have enjoyed in the past 38 years of our own.
I would love to see more pictures. Please consider putting more up.
Again, thanks for sharing. Now I really 'know' you. LOL!
Mary

congrats and great review