5/15/10 Wedding - Di Re, Dazzling Moments, My Daughter's Wedding III, Eco Friendly, Green Vendors and More!!

I wanted to register and post this review because while I used some very well known vendors, I also used many that were fairly unknown but excellent and deserve to be recognized. My wedding was at a house of worship, and the reception was at a well known catering hall which is known for excellent service. I'm leaving these out for anonymity, and because I have nothing new to say about my catering hall. It was great. I also haven't gotten my pics yet so I can't review my photographer. I also wanted to add information about green and eco friendly vendors because there are not many on this site.

Engagement Ring, Wedding Rings - Brilliant Earth - A+

My husband and I were very concerned about blood diamonds and the environmental impact of mining. We got our beautiful rings at Brilliant Earth and could not be happier. Not only are they gorgeous, we feel great knowing that no one was harmed in making them and that the environment and rights of the workers were respected. The customer service was excellent and we may use them again if we ever purchase jewelery for someone as a gift or decide to get rings on a big anniversary.



Engagement Party Invitations - Vista Print - A

Excellent quality invites at a fantastic price. I would have used them for my wedding invites, but I wanted recycled paper ones and when I emailed and asked them what percentage of their paper came from recycled content, I received no answer.

Engagement Party and Bridal Shower Venue - Cork 'N Board, Malverne - A+

The food and drinks are wonderful and the price, including an open bar, buffet style meal and occasion cake cannot be beat. Great service.

Save The Date Cards - Invitations and Beyond Oceanside - A

We found a save the date card we liked for a good price, but there was not a very good selection of recycled/eco friendly options that were also aesthetically pleasing.

Invitations - Dazzling Moments A+

Kelly helped us pick out invitations that were Green Seal certified and also beautiful.

Wedding Dress Alterations - My Daughter's Wedding III, Great Neck - A+

Jan was the most amazing seamstress. I wore my mother's dress, but needed major alterations. We are about the same size but have different body shapes and I wanted to update the style a little. I brought her in a picture and she did exactly what I wanted. I felt so happy and beautiful in my dress. It was perfect. My mother also got her dress there and was also very satisfied.

Bridesmaid's Dress - Beautiful Bride, Lynbrook. A+

After shopping around looking for an off the rack dress, my BFF and I went to this shop. The service was prompt and courteous and we wound up going with an Alfred Angelo dress that one of the women who worked in the store picked out. The alterations were done on time and my friend was the most beautiful bridesmaid ever.

Tuxedos - Di Re - Franklin Square - C-

This was the worst vendor experience that we had. It was truly an example of a Vendorzilla.

All of the men in the wedding party got together to get fitted for their tuxedos on the same day. My BIL had flown across the country for the occasion. I thought it would be a good time to have some bonding time with my mom and MIL so I arranged for us to get coffee at the same time.

I've been playing around with the color scheme for a while and settled on lilac and mint with a little bit of violet and white.

I wrote down a quick summary because my Husband wanted to make sure he remembered. So I wrote down black tuxedos for everyone (except my brother, the man of honor, who had a snazzy Andrew Fezza number picked out) and the appropriate colors of ties and vests/cummerbunds for the guys. I told them it was up to them if they got bow ties or long ties and if they got vests or cummerbunds. I sent him off with a kiss and a plan for my day.

My mom and MIL in tow we pull into the coffee shop parking lot in Bayside and my phone rings and it's my Dad. I thought they would have a problem finding what my brother wanted. Apparently the man at the Tux place would not rent my Husband a vest or tie that was not white or black unless I showed up because he never saw a groom in colors in 35 years. My Husband and I don't like wedding pictures where the groom looks the same as all the other men so we wanted to do something that would make him stand out. Just our opinion.

So we had to go to the tux place. It's so stupid to think that a is so stupid that he can't dress himself (even though we already discussed and agreed on what to get.) The guy said he didn't want me to yell at everyone or leave my husband at the altar when he showed up in a violet tie. I was so frustrated that I had to show up and say 'Yes, this is what we want' as if I was his mother or something. It was a huge waste of my time. I got home and did a quick image search for groom on google. Most were in black or white ties, but there were plenty who matched the wedding party as well.

The tuxedos were pretty cheap and my BIL's tie kept falling off all day. (They thought they were getting actual ties, but they were clip-ons.) We didn't actually get the vests and ties we asked for - we wanted the BM and GM to have solid lilac and my husband to have solid violet. The vests were all lilac and my husband had a tie that was lilac with black stripes. Also my husband got a rash on his leg because the seam inside the pants was very abrasive.

Bridesmaids Gift - The Rainforest Site - A+

I got my bridesmaid fair trade pearls from The Rainforest Site. They were beautiful and shipped on time.

Rehearsal Dinner - Wall's Wharf Bayville - A+

This spot is a little out of the way but has a spectacular view and great food. The staff was excellent.

Groom's Cake - Nana Pearls Wooden Spoon, NY, NY- A

My husband and I had looked into getting an organic wedding cake but it was too expensive, especially since our catering hall included one. However, I decided to get a groom's cake to surprise him from the organic baker we were considering. Lali worked with me via email and over the phone, and made a red velvet cake, my husband's favorite. It was great looking and delicious, and delivered on time to our rehearsal dinner, albeit a bit expensive.



Limos - Royalty Limo - A
Everyone got where they needed to be on time. The drivers were polite and professional.

Bride's Hair and Makeup - FOS Living, Salon and Spa, Garden City - A+

I have recently switched to natural cosmetics, and was wondering if I could find someone who uses them for my wedding. Just by chance my family was going out to dinner in Garden City and we drove past FOS a few weeks after it opened. I got a hair and makeup trial and a facial. All of the products are organic. I felt gorgeous so I decided to go with them. They came to my house and I was ready on time looking great.

Florist - Gardenia Organic - NY, NY A+

It was very important to me to have organic or fair trade flowers, preferably both. Gardenia Organic is the only organic florist in the New York metro area. The prices are comparable to other florists. Hannah met with us several times to talk about what we wanted and the results were gorgeous.





Favors - CocoZen Chocolates from Dream Green Weddings - A

We knew we wanted something our guests could use and that was also eco-friendly. We looked at several organic chocolate companies but this was the best chocolate at the best price. We also looked at Red Thread Confections. Their chocolates were the best I've ever had, but it was just too much money.

Re: 5/15/10 Wedding - Di Re, Dazzling Moments, My Daughter's Wedding III, Eco Friendly, Green Vendors and More!!

I FORGOT TO ADD:
Dance Lessons - Don Jacobs - A+
I got Don's card at a Bridal Expo at our catering hall. I remember he was very debonair. About 6 months before the wedding we called around for prices. Don spoke with me very frankly about how you get what you pay for. Arthur Murray would not give me a price over the phone, since I didn't want the hard sell I scheduled a lesson with Don. It was expensive but if you buy lessons in packages of 5 or 10 you get a discount. We went through the basics of fox trot, swing and salsa and were amazed at how well we were doing. My husband did not dance at all beforehand and I'm only ok but we had do much fun at our lessons and practicing in our living room we are going to go back for more. My friends took me salsa dancing for my Bachelorette party and my Husband and I went our dancing on night on our honeymoon and it was so amazing.

Don specializes in people (especially men) who think they can't dance or have had problems learning before. One of our friends is a ballroom dancer and after 2 hours of trying she could not get my Husband to do a basic salsa step. Don had him going in 2 minutes. He works at your pace, and is great at explaining what to do. I can't say enough good things about him. His enthusiasm is contagious - you will work hard but you will be laughing and smiling at the end of the day.

Re: 5/15/10 Wedding - Di Re, Dazzling Moments, My Daughter's Wedding III, Eco Friendly, Green Vendors and More!!

I LOVE the Whals Wharf! FH has a house around the corner and it is fabulous.

Your flowers are gorgeous!

Re: 5/15/10 Wedding - Di Re, Dazzling Moments, My Daughter's Wedding III, Eco Friendly, Green Vendors and More!!

Thanks. A lot of people didn't know what I meant when I said I was getting organic flowers, people thought that meant I didn't like flowers (nothing could be further from the truth) or that I was getting silk ones. It just means that when they are grown, pesticides aren't used. This is better for the environment, water supply and the health of the people who work on flower farms.

Here are two more pics of the flowers from my photographer (the above were taken by friends and family) Gray Studios. We got the pro pics last night. I think they did a great job, and was really happy with the proofs, especially because I really hated our engagement photos. I'm glad I didn't switch photographers!

Re: 5/15/10 Wedding - Di Re, Dazzling Moments, My Daughter's Wedding III, Eco Friendly, Green Vendors and More!!

LOVE the groom's cake!!! It looks awesome! Congrats!!

Re: 5/15/10 Wedding - Di Re, Dazzling Moments, My Daughter's Wedding III, Eco Friendly, Green Vendors and More!!

Thank you for sharing and congrats to you and DH! Love the flowers, they're gorgeous. And I'm with you on the Cork & Board...

Re: 5/15/10 Wedding - Di Re, Dazzling Moments, My Daughter's Wedding III, Eco Friendly, Green Vendors and More!!

Thanks for sharing!! Congrats!! That groom's cake is awesome!

Re: 5/15/10 Wedding - Di Re, Dazzling Moments, My Daughter's Wedding III, Eco Friendly, Green Vendors and More!!

The flowers are beautiful, congrats!