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Help...I'm in desparate need of ADVICE!

calbride Posted:

Help...I'm in desparate need of ADVICE!

Hello Brides,
My name is Alexandra.....And I just recently started diving into this whole wedding planning phenomenon and I just feel so OVERWHELMED! The only thing I have right now is a Reception Hall and photographer...Everything else remains to be seen! Any suggestions on music - band vs DJ, florist, etc. I just don't even know where to start. Thanks in adavance for the help....
JennyAPH Posted:

Re: Help...I'm in desparate need of ADVICE!

Are you looking for vendors in the nassau or suffolk area..or do you not care?

calbride Posted:

Re: Help...I'm in desparate need of ADVICE!

Well...I would say I'm pretty open right now...I just need a good starting platform...

TheLadyJ Posted:

Re: Help...I'm in desparate need of ADVICE!

We're getting married around the same time. I just booked my DJ last night.

The vendors you should book first are DJ and photographer (which you have). If you are getting married at a church, consider if you need to hire a separate musician and get them booked as well.

Then you should find a florist, and limos.

Then start thinking about what kind of make-up you like, and ask on this site for recommendations.

Do you have a dress in mind? I would say by January you have your dress ordered.

it is easy to feel overwhelmed, but put everything in order of priority. Get yourself a nice day planner to write everything down in.
JennyAPH Posted:

Re: Help...I'm in desparate need of ADVICE!

What RH and Photo did you go with?

As for everything else, here are some pointers i used when picking a vendor:

1. I chose a limo place close to my home in Suffolk county so I wouldnt have to worry in the AM about them being late because of traffic etc. That might help you narrow down your choices.... Camelot Limos are great (they are in western nassaua), also alot of ladies on here like Sir Oliver limos. I am using Legend Limos, they seem accomodating and are decently priced.

2. DJ or Band...a band is going to cost more so if money is going to be a factor a DJ would be better but thats your preference. I am using After hours, they have DJ's and Bands. Also I know that In the Mixx DJ and LI Sound are good... again its what you prefer.

and no idea about flowers.. sorry I am lost on that one too!
Vineyard72509 Posted:

Re: Help...I'm in desparate need of ADVICE!

Well... lets see, We booked out Photographer first because I had seen thier work at other weddings and I knew I had to have them... then Florist, cuz I had alot of reccomendations on that too... the hardest for us was a DJ- I would reccomend checking out a few and seeing what style you like the best. I know that popular ones advertised on here are FM entertainment, Tommy's Tunes, and LI Sound (we went with Tommy ) As far as florists: my main thing was that flowers die... and if you are working under a budget (what bride isn't!?!) you might want to check out Burtons - thier quality is wonderful and they charge you per bo-k, not flower... so its like you are getting rose quality at carnation prices.


Another really important thing to consider is a dress... it can take a while to get a bridal gown in so don't forget that! Have you been to any bridal shows??? it might help having everything in one place so you know what else you still have to do- its also a great way to collect info from Vendors. Aside from being a bride, I've been in the business now for almost 6 years... FM me if I can help
Vineyard72509 Posted:

Re: Help...I'm in desparate need of ADVICE!

It was also fun to go to Borders books and get a wedding planner/journal to jot down ideas and have a checklist of what to do when. You might want to treat yourself to something like that to ease your stress a bit. I would also say to take advantage of all that LIweddings has to offer- the girls on here are the same as you; just as overwhemed cuz we are all doing it too - no questions are ever stupid and chances are there is someone out there that was wondering the same thing. GOOD LUCK!

grrulz Posted:

Re: Help...I'm in desparate need of ADVICE!

well since you are less than a year away i really suggest that you go to showcases that way you will meet many vendors and djs. I feel this would be helpful for you i hope you are also looking into your wedding gown!!! good lukc
Maria31 Posted:

Re: Help...I'm in desparate need of ADVICE!

Congratulations!!!

Wedding planning is definitely overwhelming but soooo much fun!!! I LOVE all of my vendors and highly recommend each of them!

Photo/Video - Duet
Band - Paris
Florist - Pedestals
Limos - Royalty
Vineyard72509 Posted:

Re: Help...I'm in desparate need of ADVICE!

Yay! I'm a DUET bride too - I love them <3

FYI There is a bridal Expo @ Sunset Harbor next Thursday and another one @ Villa Lombardi's on the 21st!
MELABELLA82 Posted:

Re: Help...I'm in desparate need of ADVICE!

My suggestion is to narrow it down by city/town you want to visit first. Then, make appointments for different vendors in that area for the same day. You will be going crazy running from town to town like I did on a few occasions that the FH wanted to kick my butt.



Attend Bridal shows as well too. They are very helpful.

Best of luck!
FallBride2010 Posted:

Re: Help...I'm in desparate need of ADVICE!

Ask your RH if they offer a wedding coordinator service. Many of them provide a coordinator that can help you with a timeline, recommend vendors etc.

curiousgeorge Posted:

Re: Help...I'm in desparate need of ADVICE!

Hello! Congrats. I remember coming on here saying the same thing...and in the end everything just fell into place. The first thing we booked was our pastor..we checked the dates he was available then booked the hall. After that we made many phone calls to tell people in person the good news and to save the date. Especially since we booked a holiday...in the end worked out very well and we saved half the price. Then came the photographer/video and the dress. After that there are so many awesome djs to choose from we didnt worry about it till 3 months before ( I dont recommend ) waiting tooooooooo last minute for this especially if you are very picky...we just got lucky with everything. We chose FM and we had Frank...he actually is doing 3 other weddings after word of mouth from my wedding!! Highly recommend them. Flowers we did mostly on our own and booked 2 months before. Make sure to set a budget...and stick to it. We put all of our savings into a 1 year cd that we couldnt touch to make sure we didnt use it...and boy are we glad we did that. After all of that we did favors/bridal gifts/rehearsal bbq!! We didnt stress and we had so much fun.....so relax and enjoy...and dont worry about the little things!

marriedinmontauk Posted:

Re: Help...I'm in desparate need of ADVICE!

I would pick what is most important to you....and where you want to save money. I think most of us have had a combination of budget items and splurges.
When you start planning, knowing where you want your money to go, and not go will be a big help.
Also read through reviews...it's interesting to see where people have had problems with vendors.
It seems like limo's are the trickiest, for some reason a lot of people have problems.
I also think dress/hair/makeup has a big impact on how the bride feels at the wedding.
Another good tip, I read on here,bra shop before you dress shop, it's easier to find a dress than a bra.
This one is from me...be realistic about what sort of wedding will work well with your guests.
I think sometimes a lot of us have unrealistic expectations about what the BP can handle, as well as guest travel and lodging.
People's travel plans gave me fits in the days before.
I also think if you are unsure about how big a bp to have, go with smaller, it always seems to be that one borderline BM that causes heartburn.
This one is just me....I would try to pick a venue that will not bust your budget if more people RSVP than you expect. You don't want to have to fight the battle if someone wants to bring a date.
Also be realistic about your minnimum....lots of brides here had very high RSVP rates, but some of us had less than 50% yes's....and we don't quite tend to post as much.
The two issues that are the most common problem, RSVP's and kiddie guest issues.
Have an early rsvp date, and start letting people know early if you are not allowing kids at the reception.
I also think a blog or website is very helpful.
Also leave a little wiggle room in your budget, something will come up!

Good Luck
BoxOfRocks Posted:

Re: Help...I'm in desparate need of ADVICE!

Break it down--what's most important to you? To FH? To your families? What are you willing to be flexible on? Decide on that and budget accordingly.

And get FH as a full planning participant. There is no need for this to fall all on your shoulders.
Espo22 Posted:

Re: Help...I'm in desparate need of ADVICE!

Posted by calbride

Hello Brides,
My name is Alexandra.....And I just recently started diving into this whole wedding planning phenomenon and I just feel so OVERWHELMED! The only thing I have right now is a Reception Hall and photographer...Everything else remains to be seen! Any suggestions on music - band vs DJ, florist, etc. I just don't even know where to start. Thanks in adavance for the help....


well first off i want to say that you are doing great so far. Dont feel overwhelmed and know that all this will get done, dont feel like everything has to be booked already. Make a list of when you want to get things done so it makes you feel better knowing by when it will be done. Maybe see 1 vendor a week or every 2 weeks.

You can do alot of research on here on vendors. Reading the brides reviews is good bc you can hear their experiences with vendors. ALso just posting on here and asking about particular vendors you might be interested, you'll get alot of feedback.

Florist i used pedestals, they were great to work with it, and they did a great job the day of. Other vendors on here that other girls have used are flower michelle, burtons, flower barn, verbana and many more

DJ i used starlight express and LOOOVED them, they did an amazing job, and stuck to my play list and kept the dance floor packed. Other dj's i hear about alot on here are FM entertainment, Tommy tunes, get in tune and many more that im sure other girls will suggest

Limos- i used royalty and they were so great. They even showed up early, were so helpful and helped with other things and great personalities. Limo's came very clean and had no problems. Other limo companies ive seen many other girls use are all-star, camelot, sir olivier

good luck and welcome
MyLobster Posted:

Re: Help...I'm in desparate need of ADVICE!

Ok here's my advice...sit down with FH and make a list rating the details from most to least important. That's what we did. The most important to us was the music. So our splurge was on a band. That's a good way to prioritize. Then go from there. Do a LOT of research and ask many questions on this site...it will help narrow down choices without the leg work cause we've done it!

Good luck and enjoy the planning it goes SUPER quick!
Deeglasser Posted:

Re: Help...I'm in desparate need of ADVICE!

i would ask your RH for a list of their recommended vendors!

marriedinmontauk Posted:

Re: Help...I'm in desparate need of ADVICE!

Alexandra...I started a thread for you and the other newbies...it is five things I wish I knew before my wedding!

Hope everyone posts lots of good stuff!

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