Vendor review for my 9/14 wedding-extremely long

Have some time this evening before we leave on our honeymoon so I thought I would post about vendors. We had a wonderful time, and couldn't have had a more beautiful day.

We had a small rehearsal party (17 people) at Leo's restaurant in Manhasset. The cost was $30 per person, which included tax and tips. The food was superb and the service attentive.

Our Wedding bands: Molinari Jewelers of Manhasset on Plandome Rd. [516] 365-3275. We ordered our bands, and they made them for us. They gave us the best deal of any store we went to; the stones were better quality and clarity and the price was lower. They made our matching bands themselves, so if you have a style in mind, it is worth the trip into their store to see what they can do for you. JoAnne was fabulous to deal with.

My dress: Lynbrook Bridal [516]-599-1151 I dealt with LaVida and the owner Rose, who were very concerned I was 100% satisfied with my dress. The seamstress, Maria, did an excellent job fitting the dress and was very patient.

MOH and BM dresses: Talbots. My MOH and BM were older, and I wanted them to have beautiful dresses that they could absolutely wear again, and the Talbots dresses fit the bill. Elegant was the word I heard guests referring to their dresses as.

Make-up: Lisette Bugeja, [516] 459-9581. Lisette does the make-up for the NBC morning show with Jane Hanson. She was prompt...actually a few minutes early which was great! She is personable, professional, and she did a wonderful job. My sister who is a tomboy and never wears make up looked gorgeous! She didn't overload the make up, and my sister looked very natural. I overheard my sister-in-law comment that her make-up looked airbrushed. They were oohing and ahhing...and my sister NEVER oohs and ahhs over make-up! My make-up looked flawless. After the trial I decided I wanted a slightly darker lipstick, no problem. She did exactly what I wanted. She was fun and put me at ease. The sign of a true professional: I noticed my hair started to droop when she was showing me my final make-up, so she took a curling iron and redid my hair that the salon did! She wouldn't accept any money for it either! A+++

The church: The Church of St. Aidan's in Williston Park. If you are a Catholic who has been away from the church for a while, but want to be married in the church, you may want to look into this church. Fr. Bob Hayden was warm and gracious, and every single office worker and volunteer was welcoming and kind. PLUS! I wanted to get to the church early to hear the organist, violinist, flutist and soloist...all provided by the church under the musical director, Mr. Garrett (flute and violin were extra). They sounded exactly as I wanted: beautiful.

Tuxes: Dantes Tuxedo 516-334-0009 Great to deal with and the guys looked wonderful. All the tuxes fit perfectly...not the bad fit you sometimes see. Only problem is they didn't have a Sunday drop-off for out-of-town wedding party members. Not a problem if you leave on your honeymoon on Monday or have an in-town party member.

DJ: DJ Joey and Co. 516-798-4468 We LOVED him and so did our guests. I received emails today and many commented on how great the music was. He was a super MC, got our small wedding up and dancing. At the end of the evening he presented me with a CD of all our songs we requested. One class act!

Flowers: Wick's Florist in Baldwin (516) 223-8600
Wick's is the house florist for Coral House. I saw many posts while I was planning about house vendors...I had NO problems with the ones I used, and all gave me GREAT PRICES! Wick's was one of those places. My centerpieces were gorgeous, my bouquet was exactly(!!) like the picture. I couldn't stop looking at the MOH, BM, and FG bouquets they were so lovely! I saw posts where people were paying literally thousands...some over $5000 on flowers. If you are on a budget, check out Wick's. They did high quality work, and I got exactly what I asked for at an excellent price. Delivery was prompt...almost to the minute! Couldn't have been happier!

Photographer: Wright Studios: 718-359-1600. Photgrapher was Chris. He was great to work with. He asked me what I wanted...posed or photojournalist...and we agreed on a mix as there were many family pics I wanted. Pleasant, professional, and after we finished the posed shots, he was very unobtrusive. He would just give me a hand gesture if he wanted me to look in a certain direction to get a shot. I liked him and his assistant a lot!

Favors: Follow Your Heart in Lindenhurst:(888) 204-8971 Cathy and her family run one class-act business. If you are looking for a favor or any item for your wedding...check them out. Nicer and more conscientious business people you will not find! We ordered crystal clocks. My husband asked if they came with batteries and the clocks set to the correct time. They received the clocks, and they didn't have batteries in them, so they went out and bought batteries, set the clocks, and never charged us a cent! I am sure some vendors would have just wrapped them up figuring we wouldn't know til there was nothing that could be done--at the wedding! Not these people. When it came to above and beyond the call of duty, these people were the ones. EXCELLENT business practice, warmth, and great presentation with the wrapping.

Limos: Coachman Limos:516-367-1500 Prompt, friendly driver who was professional yet fun.

Last but certainly NOT least: Coral House: I cannot say enough about how the staff at CH has treated us from day one.
We dealt primarily with Kristin and with Lori. Both are professionals which know their jobs and how to keep an anal bride happy
On this board I often saw places like CH called 'wedding wharehouses.' If this is your worry in planning, let me reassure you that even though there were many parties going on, in no way did it affect our party. We were in our own world in our reception, and paid little to no attention to the other parties going on. Nor did they seem to pay any attention to ours. Service by the staff was flawless. Food was abundant, and everyone raved about the quality of the food. When we were doing table rounds after the main course I saw almost all entirely empty plates. The cocktail hour food was more than ample, and they give the wedding couple enough choices from which to choose to make sure there is something for everyone. The atmosphere was elegant. Our maitre D`, Erin, was attentive, professional, and kept things rolling. At one point, when my husband ran out of cigarettes, she found out what his brand was, and actually ran out to the store to get him a pack of what he wanted! I was floored when I heard she did that! He didn't know she was going to do that, nor did I, but it showed the type of committment to making the bride and groom happy that they had. I still am stunned to hear that she did that.
The service staff was superb. You asked, you got. What more can I say.

The day was perfect. My husband is wonderful. Life is good.

Re: Vendor review for my 9/14 wedding-extremely long

My reception will be at the Coral House! Thanks for the review, you made my heart flutter & you put a big smile on my FH's face as he read this with me!
All the best on your marriage & have a safe & happy honeymoon!
Where are you going?

Re: Vendor review for my 9/14 wedding-extremely long

Congrats, Diana!!! Kristin was my banquet manager, too!! She was a doll from start to finish!!

We also loved DJ Joey!! He was fantastic even with my 'non-dancing' crowd!!

Sounds like you had a beautiful day!! Enjoy your honeymoon!!

Re: Vendor review for my 9/14 wedding-extremely long

Congratulations!!! So glad to hear everything went so well for you and your new husband!! Enjoy your honeymoon and post pics when you return!!

Re: Vendor review for my 9/14 wedding-extremely long

Congrats!! I am so happy to hear a wonderful review about the Coral House!! I can't wait for my wedding reception!!

Jen

Re: Vendor review for my 9/14 wedding-extremely long

Sounds like you and your husband had a wonderful time - congratulations to both of you!!

Re: Vendor review for my 9/14 wedding-extremely long

Sounds like your day was everything you'd hoped and dreamed for - CONGRATULATIONS!

Re: Vendor review for my 9/14 wedding-extremely long

Congratulations! Sounds like a perfect day! All the best...