9/24/05 review...Watermill, flower michelle, Franklin Square Photo, and more, *link to pics*

LIW…A+….Thank you to everyone! I did not post a lot but I did get a lot of useful information and ideas. Everyone on this site is very informative, kind and creative.

Riva Grill…A+… We had our rehearsal dinner here. It is in Glen Cove and was perfect because it was right across the street from St. Patrick’s Church where we were getting married. DH and I had eaten dinner there twice and decided that we loved it so much that we wanted to have the RD there. They have two small dinning rooms and were able to give us the back room for the party. We were only about 25 people. We became friendly with the owners and they were beyond kind to us. All there dishes are amazing and they even surprised us with a few things. There was so much food that our guests had to take home doggy bags. We can’t wait to go back for dinner! I suggest that everyone try this restaurant.

Weather…A+…The forecast the week of my wedding was predicting rain so of course I was upset. But I am happy to say that the day was absolutely gorgeous! The sun was shining bright and it was the perfect temperature. I was so happy.

Jenn the Hair Genie…A+….Jennifer came to us at 7:30 am and got right to work. She did my hair, my mom, MOH and 1 bridesmaid (the other girls got ready elsewhere.) Everyone loved how there hair came out. We were all so happy. And our hair held up and didn’t move all through the day and night. I didn’t start taking out bobby pins until 2:00 in the morning! We all got many compliments. I highly recommend Jennifer.

Jillian- Gorgeous Faces…A+…Jillian got to us at 8:00am. By 10:30 everyone was done with hair and makeup and everyone looked outstanding. We all had a different look we were trying to achieve and she captured every one of them. I was getting compliments all night long about how great my makeup looked. Keep in mind that I NEVER wear makeup so I didn’t want to look like I was wearing a lot. Jillian did a great job! She made me look gorgeous! I wish she could do my makeup everyday. I highly recommend Jillian

Garden City Hotel…B… I stayed at the GCH the night before the wedding with my MOH and then my DH and I stayed there the night of the wedding. I needed a place to get ready and take pictures at before the wedding. The GCH has big pretty rooms. We got the executive suite so there would be plenty of space and a separate bedroom which there was. The room was very nice but they need to fix up there bathrooms. They are very old looking and just not very nice. They look like bathrooms in a cheap motel. The morning of the wedding while taking pictures we actually had to call maintenance b/c there was a problem with the toilet. Not good when there are 10 women in the room! But maintenance came within 10 minutes and fixed the problem. I had arranged for food and drinks in the morning through room service. Bagels, fruit, coffee, juice. My suggestion, bring it in yourself. I couldn’t believe the bill when I saw it! When we came back after the wedding they set up champagne, chocolate covered strawberries and rose petals on the bed. We realized too late that we weren’t going to drink anymore and there was no room for any more food! It was very expensive and it went to waste.

Wingate, Garden City…A…The OOT guests stayed here. Very friendly staff. Nice rooms. And they offer breakfast in the morning and a bar and munchies at night. My guests enjoyed staying there.

St. Patrick’s R.C. Church, Glen Cove…A+…The church was Beautiful. Father Thomas Costa performed a beautiful ceremony. We used the church organist and singer, Fran Howlitz. She did a beautiful job as well.

Alexis Limousines…A…We had the white and silver Phantom Rolls Royce and 3 ten passenger stretch Cadillac Devilles. The cars were exactly on time and very clean. The drivers were very friendly and helpful. They helped with bags and baby carriages and helped all the girls get in and out of the limos. We chose to have the car pick us up at the hall to bring us to the GCH at the end of the night. It was supposed to be a town car but instead they sent a limo which was very nice. We were happy with the service

Bell Formals…A…We got the GM and fathers’ tuxedos from here. They are on Bell Blvd. in Bayside. We went here because our cousin used them 2 years ago and was happy with them. There prices were very good and had a nice selection. They were also accommodating with the OOT people. My brother who was a GM and my father got measured elsewhere and Faxed in their measurements. When they got to NY, two days before the wedding, everything was perfect.

Esquires…A+…(Stienway St. Astoria) DH gets all his suits and dress pants and shirts form here. So he had his tuxedo custom made. I had nothing to do with his! I didn’t see what it looked like until I saw him standing at the altar. I do know that he looked amazing! The tuxedo was made in Italy and a representative from the company who worked with him was very kind and helpful in picking out the right fabric and style. I was very nervous not knowing what he would be wearing, but he did a great job.

Linda’s Lovelies…A… Linda is great. I found her from this site. I ordered my Flower girl dresses from her. I was in love with a US Angels dress. But it was very expensive in the stores and I couldn’t ask the moms to pay that kind of money. When I saw Linda carries them I asked the price and ordered it right away. Her prices were great. The dresses came in plenty of time and they looked great. I later found out that my MOH had used her for the shower favors and the printed ribbon. She was also pleased.

Bridal Reflections, Carle Place…A…I got my dress and veils, 4 BM dresses, MOG dress, my aunt’s dress, and a grandmother dress from them. WE have used them for many weddings and parties in the past and have never had a problem. The girls were in Bill Levkoff and my dress was Eve of Milady. The BM dresses were perfect in every aspect, as well as all the other dresses. Lee was my seamstress and I had no problems until the day I picked up my items. The problems were fixed, thank God! All I will say is make sure you are VERY clear on what you say. I was, and they made an error and tried to blame it on me. So please make sure everyone around you is listening. Also make sure you look at the dresses before you bring them home. WE did and it was a good thing because they weren’t pressed very well. We asked to re-press them and they did.

Barron’s Tri County…A… I got my Tiara from them. I wanted something small and simple. They have a very big selection and their prices are very good.

Sandy’s Shoes (Massapequa)…A…I got my shoes from them. I thought they had a big selection. And after looking at other places I was getting disappointed. I decided to take the trip and I’m glad I did.

747 Music Productions (Ridgewood, Queens)…A… We wanted a band and needed one who could do American and Italian music. There weren’t many choices and we went by word of mouth. We went to listen to them twice and they were very accommodating when we made requests to hear certain songs. We thought they did a great job with all types of music. We were very impressed. They are one female lead vocal, one male lead vocal, two guitarists, 2 keyboard players, and 1 drummer, all of whom sing. The day of the wedding they did an amazing job. They followed my instructions and were great. I jokingly told them that if I heard any “party” songs that I wasn’t going to pay them. We got a lot of compliments and most of my guests took their card.

Inkspun…A… Bill at Inkspun was a pleasure to work with. He did my outer envelopes for the invitations and my menus. He was very quick to get everything back to me and was very patient with all my questions.

Flower Michelle…A+….John is amazing! From the moment I met him I knew he was excited and passionate about what he does. He was so much fun to work with and had great ideas. My flowers came out gorgeous. When they told me my bouquets had arrived I was excited and nervous. But when I looked in the box I almost cried! They were beautiful! Exactly what I had wanted. The church looked beautiful. And when we got to the hall I went to check out the main ballroom and the centerpieces were perfect. They looked great on the tables. The guests were continuously complimenting us on them.

Franklin Square Photographers…A++++…These guys are great! A cousin of mine used them for her wedding 3 years ago and loved them. Then she used them for her sons’ christenings and baby/family portraits. My other cousin used them 2 months ago, and my best friend used them last year. They are great to work with and do a fabulous job. So we didn’t even look at other photographers. We went right to them. They are a family run business which we liked because it made the experience more personable. Part of our package included our engagement pictures. We went to a location outside the studio and they took so many great pictures it was hard to choose.
For the wedding day we had one photographer, one photo journalists, and two guys doing video and one photographer for only one hour to take pictures of the guys getting ready before the ceremony. The entire staff is great to work with. We were laughing and giggling and smiling the entire day with them. They were not in our faces all night and yet they still got the most beautiful pictures. These guys are basically family to us at this point. Gregory, Keith, Dawn, Daphney (photo), Marty (video), and the assistant (which I feel bad that I forgot his name) are all amazing. I know I sound repetitive but I don’t know what else to say about them. I picked up my proofs two weeks after the wedding and they took my breath away. Their work is all digital and it is amazing what they can do with the pictures. DH and I are going to have a tough time picking which ones we want in the album because each one is nicer than the next. I highly recommend Franklin Square Photographers.

The Watermill…A+… What can I say about the Watermill that hasn’t already been said? They did such a great job I wish I could plan another party soon just to go back there. We were able to have the cocktail hour outside which I was so happy about. There was so much food that I could have invited the entire town. We had the Gourmet Menu which included everything! The set up was beautiful and everyone raved about it. The Martini bar was a big hit as well as the raw seafood table. Bob and Shawn were our Matre d. They were great. They were on top of everything and would let us know when things were about to happen such as courses being served or it was time to do the cake. During cocktail hour (which DH and I did attend) Bob even came over to me towards the end to pull me away so I could go in the bridal suite and taste some of the food since he knew I wouldn’t be able to eat anything. He sat me down and covered me with napkins! Bob even helped my MOH bustle my dress. I did have a bridal attendant who did a great job and got me everything I needed. I feel really bad that I can’t remember her name. She made sure I was ok during the night and would ask me if I needed a drink or anything. She even noticed when one of the buttons broke on my bustle and she was right there with a safety pin. The food during the party was out of this world. The wait staff moved so smoothly and discretely that you didn’t even know they were there. People came up to us at the end of the night to say how much they loved the food and the service. We also had the Viennese tables at the end. There was so much dessert plus the wedding cake that it was overwhelming. The guests couldn’t get over it. Bob and Shawn boxed the top of our cake and even boxed up all the cookies, pastries, and cakes that were left over for us to take home. We almost couldn’t fit everything in the limos! The Watermill did a superb job and deserves the A+ that they got.

Honeymoon…Hyatt Aruba…A+++….We decided to go to Aruba since it was Hurricane season. Aruba is safe since it is below the hurricane belt. The weather was gorgeous and hot! We stayed on the beach all day long. We went for walks along the beach and just hung out on the rafts in the crystal clear water. We did exactly what we wanted to do…nothing!!! WE wanted to relax. One day we rented the wave runners for an hour which was scary and fun at the same time. We also did a sunset cruise on a catamaran one night. The sunsets are beautiful there.
The food in the hotel was great! All the restaurants there are amazing. We did try some restaurants outside the hotel. I highly recommend The Flying Fishbone, Madame Jeannet’s, El Gaucho and there was an Italian place across the street from the Hyatt that I can’t remember the name but it was very very good. Definatly eat at the flying Fishbone during sunset. It is a beautiful scene.

Well I hope I didn’t leave anything out! If you have any questions please FM me. Here is a link to some of the professional pictures on my Photographer’s web site. Enjoy!

link to pictures

Re: 9/24/05 review...Watermill, flower michelle, Franklin Square Photo, and more, *link to pics*

Congratulations! You looked beautiful. Your pictures were great and I loved that veil.

Re: 9/24/05 review...Watermill, flower michelle, Franklin Square Photo, and more, *link to pics*

Great review

Re: 9/24/05 review...Watermill, flower michelle, Franklin Square Photo, and more, *link to pics*

GREAT REVIEW!!!! LOVE ALL THE PIC'S
congrats!!!

Re: 9/24/05 review...Watermill, flower michelle, Franklin Square Photo, and more, *link to pics*

Congrats date twin! You look great and we did have amazing weather on our day

Re: 9/24/05 review...Watermill, flower michelle, Franklin Square Photo, and more, *link to pics*

CONGRATS!!!!

You looked beautiful, and I love your dress!

I am so glad to hear how much you loved Jillian I am using her too

Re: 9/24/05 review...Watermill, flower michelle, Franklin Square Photo, and more, *link to pics*

Congratulations! I agree, the day was perfect. Your pictures are absolutely beautiful!

Re: 9/24/05 review...Watermill, flower michelle, Franklin Square Photo, and more, *link to pics*

beautiful!! congratulations! where did you take your pictures?

Re: 9/24/05 review...Watermill, flower michelle, Franklin Square Photo, and more, *link to pics*

Beautiful. Yay another watermillie bride

Thank you for the review and congratulations