9/29/07...Timberpoint, Thomas Paul, Legal Eagle Events, High Voltage, Bridal Elegance, Bridal Reflections, Burtons and Jim Hjelm

I finally had a chance to post my review. I want to thank everyone on this site for all your helpful advice and creativity. With that, here goes...

Dress: Jim Hjelm, Bridal Reflections at Carle Place

My dress! I loved my dress. I purchased it at Bridal Reflections after spending an afternoon with a salesperson there named Jackie. I tried on gowns by Jim Hjelm and Alvinia Valenta from their 2006 lines. I love those two designers and I wanted one of their dresses. I probably paid more than I needed too but I had a great experience at Bridal Reflections. The dress came in early and the alterations went smoothly. I even had her add more fabric to the bust line since the original bust line of the dress was really too low cut for me. It looks nice on the runway, but I was literally falling out of it and uncomfortable in it.

In the end, it fit me perfectly.



I did however, make a horrible mistake tying my sash the day of the wedding. Ugh, I could kill myself for this! At each fitting, they showed me how to tie the sash. Basically, it wraps around your waist twice and ties at the end of the second wrap. On the day of the wedding, I completely forgot to wrap it twice. I just wrapped it around my waist once and tied it and fixed the broach! Duh! I hold the Bridesmaids partially responsible because they were at the last fitting and she showed them how to do it too! Haha! We all forgot. There are some pics that look terrible because the sash it wrong and its hanging too low (around my gut! Argh!) Oh well! I still loved my dress and it looked alright at the church and in the pictures that were taken earlier that day.

Bad sash photo:




Veil: OccanseyDesigns.com- Custom Wedding Veils

Based on the reviews of many other LIW Brides, I ordered my very simple, two tier veil from Occansey Designs. It came super quick and was perfect. Oh, and it was very reasonably priced.



Shoes: Zappos

What can I say that has not been said about Zappos. Huge selection, free shipping, etc. These were comfortable and reasonable priced at around $60. I was going to get them dyed black but the satin got destroyed with grass stains on the golf course so I will probably never wear them again.





Bridesmaids: Phyllis at Bridal Elegance
DH and I decided that we would pay for all of the day of attire for the Bridal Party. I know that this is unnecessary, but I was uncomfortable asking my girls to pay for a dress that I picked out for them to wear to my wedding. I know it’s perfectly acceptable to ask people to do this and sure, I have been in countless bridal parties where I paid for my own attire and thought nothing of it. We just thought it was best for us to pay for this and to go easy on bridal party gifts instead. Well, let me tell you, as an unintended consequence, I was the superstar bride! Everyone was so absolutely thrilled that we offered to pay for this stuff that I really believe they would have done anything for us! It was really cute and they kept thanking us and thanking us! In the end, I don’t think we spent anymore than we would have if we purchased them all regular gifts.

Searching for a dress that would compliment three different shapes and complexions was not easy. I spent more time looking for Bridesmaids (three trips) than my own wedding dress (one trip)! Eventually, we ended up at Bridal Elegance in Elwood. I went in and told Phyllis the trouble that I was having fitting the three girls and she walked to her racks and pulled out two DiVinci dresses. She said, “These two dresses compliment all body types. See if you like one.” Well, she was right and we picked one of those two dresses right then and there. The girls loved them and they all looked good in it. I ended up choosing black because that was the color they all looked good in and it went with everything else and I was so sick of Bridesmaids dresses by that point I could have put them in paper bags. Thanks Phyllis for saving the day!

The dresses were ordered through Bridal Elegance and came in on time. Two of the three girls did their fittings there and they had no problems.

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Bridesmaids’ Necklaces: Alfani at Macys

I ran out a few days before the wedding and got the girls these clear crystal bead necklaces by Alfani. Unfortunately, they were not on sale and I ended up paying full price but I thought they were simple, elegant and something they could wear again. They were about $40 each.

Tuxedos: Men’s Warehouse in Patchogue
Seriously, I had to drag DH and his brothers to get their tuxedos on time. We went to Men’s Warehouse in Patchogue and they ordered something that they liked the same day. They were about $125 each. My Dad went to the Men’s Warehouse in Huntington and picked the same tux up over there. From what I understand, there was a slight mix up when my Dad went to get his tux because there was another bridal party with the same last name (but a different wedding date). Anyway, my Mom caught it and the confusion was worked out in the store before they left. (Thanks Mom!) Other than that, everything else was fine. The guys picked up their tuxes the Thursday before and returned them the day after. There were no problems.




Calligraphy: Rachel Lockwood: [email protected]
I wanted hand calligraphy for my invites. I ended up using Rachel Lockwood after seeing her work and hearing rave reviews from another LIW Bride. Rachel was wonderful and her prices were fantastic. Her handwriting is so unique and I could not believe how quickly, and accurately, she got the invites done. She was a pleasure to deal with. The pics I took are not the best but you can see her work. Highly recommended!

Rehearsal Dinner: Shandon Court, Montauk Highway, East Islip, New York.

Wonderful! Really, wonderful! Shandon Court was really easy to work with. They even let me make changes to the menu because their RD package was the same as my Wedding Menu and I wanted to change things up a bit. We had Prime Rib, Tilapia and a Chicken dish. They gave us a private room even though we did not think we would meet the minimum for that room when we booked it. (We ended up with the minimum when a guest from Ireland surprised us and thought it was perfectly okay to bring his friends from Ireland with him to the RD!! Actually, it was really okay, neither DH nor I were mad or anything since they turned out to be nice guys and we had a good time with them that night.) The private room upstairs had its own bar and bartender. No one had to wait fro a drink or anything. It was really nicely done.

Girls Day Out: Queen Nail on Larkfield Road in East Northport

On the Friday before the wedding, I took the Bridesmaids to Queen Nail in East Northport for manis/pedis and massages. They were really wonderful to us and when they found out that I was getting married the next day, they ran to the florist down the block and got me flowers!!! Then they all got together when I was in the back getting a pedicure and put on wedding music and presented me with the flowers! How cute are they?

P.S.: I wanted to mention this place in my review because of how lovely they were to us. This is a spotless local salon that does really nice manicures and pedicures! Good prices too!

Hotel: The Smithtown Sheraton, Smithtown, New York
I was able to negotiate an excellent rate for my out-of-town guests for a Saturday night stay. We booked a suite for the weekend so that I could get ready there as well. We ordered room service for lunch before the wedding and I have to say that the food was really good! On the night of our wedding they set up champagne and chocolate covered strawberries for us. (I have a vague recollection of eating these in the middle of the night.) They also kept the bar open pretty late for our guests. I think they closed around 2:30 a.m., long after I was in bed!!!

Guest Transport: Coastal Charters Motor Coach
DH and I decided to rent a 55 person bus to shuttle our guests from the Hotel to the Reception. I contacted a few vendors and many of them were booked months in advance. Coastal Charters was available and gave me a pretty good price. In the end, I was glad I got the larger bus because twice as many people went back to the Hotel on the bus. I guess they wanted to continue the party. Anyway, Coastal was on time and our driver Jennifer was very sweet. Highly recommended.

Hair & Makeup
A friend of mine did our hair at the Hotel on the morning of the wedding. She is a professional hairdresser over from Ireland for a few months and she wanted the extra side work. She did everyone’s hair in record time and did my hair exactly how I wanted it. I was impressed that the curls stayed in all day without much hairspray. (I have pin straight hair). She used hot rollers on me and on my MOH and did two up-dos for the bridesmaids. Our hair was perfect throughout the entire night. I think she is interested in doing other side work so FM me if you like what you see and want her contact info. Did I mention that her prices were beyond reasonable??? Well, they are so let me know if you want to talk with her.

Makeup: PGG Makeup (Patricia Kelpie)
A friend on mine did my makeup and the makeup for the entire Bridal Party. She used to work for Estee Lauder and then went on to a fantastic career as a marketing executive. She does makeup for the sheer joy of it and it shows. She and I met and did a trial and I loved how she did my make up for the wedding. All the Bridesmaids were happy with their make up as well. I think she is also interested in doing some more of this work on the side so FM me for her info if you like what you see.


Photographer and Video: Thomas Paul Photography
I really spent a lot of time looking for the right photographer. Like every other bride, I knew that I would cherish my photos and I spent days, weeks even, pouring over photo websites checking out photographers and their work. Honestly, there are so many talented photographers working in our area that I was not sure that I would be able to choose between them all. So, I also scoured the Boards looking for reviews to see if the photographers actually lived up to their client’s expectations. That is how I narrowed down my search and ended up meeting with Tom from Thomas Paul Photography. He was wonderful from start to finish. First of all, his price was not ridiculous. He also gave me the rights to my pictures so I can have them printed anywhere I want to and do not have to spend a fortune getting all of those fun candid shots printed for friends and family. I can send them a link to my photo account and they can go and purchase whatever they want. He did a wonderful job on our engagement shoot (see three pics in my album) and blew me away with my wedding photos. Within two weeks, I received my regular proofs in a nifty proof album, 5x7 prints of some photos that he enhanced and all of the CDs containing all the photos. They’re beautiful! I love my photos and I loved taking my photos. DH also liked Tom’s personality. It’s unobtrusive but instructive. All I can say is that he needs to tell you how to pose but you don’t feel like you’re posed. Finally, he was so friendly with our families and everyone really had a great time taking photos with him. Highly recommended!


I am also getting a video from Thomas Paul. The video guy was also really nice but I have not seen the video yet. I will update my review once it comes in!

I also decided to go with Thomas Paul for Thank You cards. He gave me a great price and I plan on ordering them in the next week or two. Since we got married at the end of September, I thought it would be easier to send the Thank You cards out around the holidays and have them serve as Thank You cards and Holiday cards. That way, I don’t have to write out two sets of cards this year! I asked Tom if he could put some holly berries or something around our picture to make it look more festive. He said it was no problem. I am going to order them shortly so I will post the Thank You when I get it.

Day of Coordinator: Kerie from Legal Eagle Events

Last year, I had a lot of trouble getting a hold of a DOC when I started this planning process. I left a message for two really popular DOCs and they never called me back. I tried calling Kerie at Legal Eagle events and she answered her phone the first time I called her. We talked for about a half an hour about my wedding and I was sold. I booked her immediately.

About a week before the actual day, Kerie and I met for about an hour or an hour and a half and we went over a timeline for EVERYTHING! Honestly, I showed up at her house so frazzled and left her house that night so calm, I knew I was in good hands. Kerie also confirmed some of the Vendors the week leading up to the wedding. She would have contacted all of them but I was calling some of them anyway (for final payments and stuff) so I did some too.

On the day of my wedding she was also fantastic. I do not know what I would have done on the morning of without her. She made sure all of the girls were ready, the limos we waiting and organized all of the men’s boutonnieres and flowers for the readers. She left the hotel where I was getting ready and went ahead to the church to make sure the programs were handed out an that they readers had their flowers. She also went ahead to the Reception Hall before we arrived and made sure everything was set up according to my directions and that the cocktail hour was exactly as we had contracted for.

She also helped us avoid a major disaster by calling the hotel (we forgot to lock the door to the suite) and made sure that they sent someone to our room to secure it! I realized this as we were waiting to go into the church and I have no idea who I would have asked to do this for me because everyone I was with was in the wedding! Thank goodness she was there or I would have been worried about this during the ceremony.

It was really nice to have her by my side. Highly recommended.



Cocktail Hour Music: Gerry Finlay and Ed Ryan
My DH is from Ireland and he has known Gerry Finlay for many years. Gerry owns Shandon Court in East Islip and it’s where we had our Rehearsal Dinner. (See Review above.) Ed Ryan is also another local musician that DH has known for awhile. Since DH wanted some Irish music at the wedding, they played during our cocktail hour. Honestly, this was one of my favorite parts of the day. The sun was setting on the terrace and we were all gathered around listen to live music having a few cocktails. Some couples got up and started dancing. The sunset while we were out there and Timberpoint lit up all of these little white lights – it was beautiful. Gerry and Ed have wonderful voices and did a perfect job revving up the crowd.





DJ: Vinny from High Voltage
I booked Vinny based on his reviews here on LIW. He is really a nice person and easy to get along with. He is also responsive to emails and telephone calls. He did a great job on our intros and played almost all of the songs on my must play list. He did get in all the dance songs I requested. I only selected the DJ package and in hindsight, I should have requested the additional MC as well. In any event, the dance floor was packed for most of the night! Highly recommended.

Flowers: Flowers by Burton, Huntington, New York
Timberpoint’s price per person also includes centerpieces for the tables. However, you need to use their vendor for these centerpieces and I had to upgrade because the centerpieces that are included were not like the ones that I wanted. I met with their vendor and was unimpressed with their work and astonished by the price that she gave me. I asked them for a quote for the centerpieces and flowers for the Bridal Party and it came out to more than the quote I received from Burton’s (despite the fact that part of the centerpieces were included in the price for the reception hall.)

I ended up at Burton’s. I worked with Jill at Burton’s and she is really creative and friendly. You can tell that she really likes her job and that she knows what she is doing. All in all, I got about 20 low centerpieces, the Bridal Party’s flowers and flowers for the Church and the readers. They delivered everything early on the day of the wedding.

Okay, here is the one problem that I had. First, I must say that Burton’s delivery guy offered to take all of the flowers back and fix them but I refused because I did not want to have to worry about them fixing them and getting them back to me on time. Originally, the colors were supposed to be green, pink and yellow. When I went back to confirm all the details, I met with someone else and told him that I did not want the yellow and he suggested orange rather than yellow. I was not so comfortable with the orange but he promised it would look beautiful. After I left that day, I really was nervous about the orange so when my Mom went down with the final payment she talked to them about pink, green and white. They said that was okay and not a problem. However, the centerpieces were just green and pink and there was no white (except for some lame baby breath) anywhere in the centerpieces or the Bridesmaid’s bouquets. I was not offered a chance to see a sample centerpiece or bouquets and this is what I should have done. The problem would have been avoided entirely if I asked for a sample. Live and Learn! (ASK FOR A SAMPLE!!!!!) (And, I did not make things easier by changing my mind so much.)

Having said all of this, they really are a pleasure to deal with! The flowers lasted for at least a week after people brought them home so they were of pretty good quality too. Despite the little snafu, I would still recommend Burton’s to anyone; just ask to see a sample.

Re: 9/29/07...Timberpoint, Thomas Paul, Legal Eagle Events, High Voltage, Bridal Elegance, Bridal Reflections, Burtons and Jim Hjelm

Wedding Cake: Black Forest Bakery in Lindenhurst, New Youk

The cake looked wonderful but unfortunately I did not get a chance to eat any of it because I was too busy dancing. I guess I can come back at our 1 year anniversary and let you know because the top tier is sitting in my Mom’s freezer. Anyway, everyone that had the cake said it was wonderful. Given all the chocolate we had at the Viennese hour (see below) we ordered a vanilla cake with chocolate mousse and fresh raspberry filling.




Limos: D-
About 9 months before the wedding, I booked two limos and Princess Rolls Royce from a company that sold its business to a vendor on this site. No one informed me of the sale. The limos were on time and clean but there was a major problem when one of the drivers refused to let DH’s sister get into the limo after the church. We were going to take family pictures at the Bayard Cutting Arboretum after the Ceremony. DH’s sister was not in the wedding party but she was instructed to go into his family’s limo after the church. The Driver of that limo refused and told her that there was no room, which was not true, because there were about 8 people in the limo and it was an Expedition (holds 15 or so). I learned of this at the Arboretum when I noticed that DHs sister was not there. I also learned that the Best Man and DH’s mother were actually arguing with the Driver and he still refused!!! Unfortunately, we could not track DH’s sister down because she was visiting from Ireland and does not have a cell phone that works in the US. And, to top it all off, she was angry at us because she felt that we did not make proper arrangements to insure that she was included in the day!!!! Argh! So, we have a bunch of family photos for DHs family that are missing his sister! (Mind you, this is the first time they have all been together in the same country for about 5 years!)

When I called up to speak with someone a few days after the wedding, I got the new company. The individual who answered the phone was rude and kept interrupting me. She also kept denying her responsibility for the situation by telling me she only bought the Rolls and was only responsible for what happened with the Rolls Royce and not responsible for the behavior of the limos. he passed me off to another company who provided the Expedition and she said that they were responsible. I called this company and spoke to someone there. He was apologetic but at this point, there was nothing that anyone could do to fix the situation since we could not get DH’s sister back in those pictures.

My point: When you contract with a Vendor make sure they are not sub-contracting some or part of your work. It’s annoying when you get the run around and its annoying when you’re trying to figure out who was responsible for mix ups. I never knew the company was sold or that a different company would perform on the contract.

St. Lawrence the Martyr RC Church, Sayville, New York
This is DH’s Church. We chose it because it was close to the RH. We did their in-house Pre Cana program which lasted four weeks (one night a week) and we met at the home of the couple that conducted our pre-Cana. The pre-Cana program was wonderful as was the Parish. All in all, it was a terrific experience that brought us closer together.

Timberpoint Country Club in Great River, New York
Before the Wedding:
Okay, I will admit, that I only looked at two places before I booked my wedding and I knew would book one or the other. Timberpoint and The Bourne Mansion, both of which are operated by Lessings. My family trusts Lessings because my brother and my sister both got married at Lessings’ establishments and my parents were thrilled with the service they received for both of those weddings. I loved the Bourne Mansion but the Banquet Room was a little small for my guest list (250) and a little out of my price range because of the site fee, so I booked Timberpoint instead.

My BM at Timberpoint was Neal Chen and he was fantastic and very helpful from beginning to end. He responded immediately to my questions via telephone and email and helped me pick out a wonderful menu. Timberpoint’s base price was so reasonable that I was able to add on Lamb Chops, Bottled Beers, a Chocolate Fountain, a Truffle Bar and a Full Viennese Hour and still come in under budget! Yum!

Week Leading Up to the Wedding:
I called Timberpoint and met with Jennifer for my final headcount the week before the wedding. My DH’s was not sure if a friend of his and a guest could make it to the wedding because DH’s friend was having a biopsy that week. I informed Timberpoint of this and they said not to worry and to just get back to them when we knew for certain, which was not until a couple of days before the wedding. Unfortunately, DHs friend was not able to make it and Timberpoint ended up not charging us for their plates. I thought that this was a really nice gesture on the part of Lessings. Some catering halls really hold you to your final guest count that you need to give them a week before the wedding. I think most Brides experience last minute cancellations or no shows.

Day Of:
My maitre d was Isaiah and he was wonderful. Everything ran smoothly on the day of the wedding with one funny exception that I will point out below. The cocktail hour was outrageous and the dinner service was fantastic. The guests really enjoyed the outdoor patio with its beautiful views and the live music. They also set up and kept a bar open outside for people all night. It was a beautiful night out so a lot of people chose to sit outside under the awning and enjoy the evening air.

The snafu: someone in the Bridal Party set off the fire alarms by smoking in the Bridal Suite. I was standing outside with DH and this awful alarm starts going off and lights start flashing inside the dining room. Honestly, I almost started to freak out but Isaiah came up to us immediately and said they shut the alarm off but had to wait for the Fire Dept to show up and inspect the building. Luckily, he did not have to evacuate my guests as their dinners were being served. The guests clapped when the firemen came in to the Reception Hall in all their gear. DH and I took a picture with one of the firemen but I do not have it on this computer so I will have to upload it later. The music did not stop during any of this and neither did the Dinner Service. Now, it’s just a cute story! Thank Goodness they were able to handle it all so well.

I have to include some of the pics that Tom took of the desserts. They set everything up in the cocktail hour room and it smelled like a chocolate factory! I was so busy running around that I only had a chance to eat one truffle dipped in almonds. It was good but I wished I sat down and enjoyed it like everyone else!

Re: 9/29/07...Timberpoint, Thomas Paul, Legal Eagle Events, High Voltage, Bridal Elegance, Bridal Reflections, Burtons and Jim Hjelm

Re: 9/29/07...Timberpoint, Thomas Paul, Legal Eagle Events, High Voltage, Bridal Elegance, Bridal Reflections, Burtons and Jim Hjelm

Re: 9/29/07...Timberpoint, Thomas Paul, Legal Eagle Events, High Voltage, Bridal Elegance, Bridal Reflections, Burtons and Jim Hjelm

Our favors

Were these cute little nightlites that we got from ShopIrish.com.

Re: 9/29/07...Timberpoint, Thomas Paul, Legal Eagle Events, High Voltage, Bridal Elegance, Bridal Reflections, Burtons and Jim Hjelm

Oh, how could I forget. The flower girls dresses were from mygirldresses.com. They were about 40 each. Too cute!

Re: 9/29/07...Timberpoint, Thomas Paul, Legal Eagle Events, High Voltage, Bridal Elegance, Bridal Reflections, Burtons and Jim Hjelm

Programs: DIY with the Help of my SIL

Re: 9/29/07...Timberpoint, Thomas Paul, Legal Eagle Events, High Voltage, Bridal Elegance, Bridal Reflections, Burtons and Jim Hjelm

possible Thank you photo....

Re: 9/29/07...Timberpoint, Thomas Paul, Legal Eagle Events, High Voltage, Bridal Elegance, Bridal Reflections, Burtons and Jim Hjelm

Forgot to include a sample photo of the calligraphy.....
I loved it and it was really reasonable.

Re: 9/29/07...Timberpoint, Thomas Paul, Legal Eagle Events, High Voltage, Bridal Elegance, Bridal Reflections, Burtons and Jim Hjelm

and I will leave you all with this photo....................................................

Re: 9/29/07...Timberpoint, Thomas Paul, Legal Eagle Events, High Voltage, Bridal Elegance, Bridal Reflections, Burtons and Jim Hjelm

Great review!!!! Im going to my fsil's wedding at Timberpoint next weekend! It sounds like it is great there. Congrats on your big day! You looked beautiful!!

Re: 9/29/07...Timberpoint, Thomas Paul, Legal Eagle Events, High Voltage, Bridal Elegance, Bridal Reflections, Burtons and Jim Hjelm

Thanks for the great review! You looked beautiful!!

Re: 9/29/07...Timberpoint, Thomas Paul, Legal Eagle Events, High Voltage, Bridal Elegance, Bridal Reflections, Burtons and Jim Hjelm

Congrasts!!!!!!
Love you pics!

Re: 9/29/07...Timberpoint, Thomas Paul, Legal Eagle Events, High Voltage, Bridal Elegance, Bridal Reflections, Burtons and Jim Hjelm

Your dress was beautiful and so were ypu. I like the picture of you kissing your dad? Its sweet and goofy-definelty one to frame. Congrats.

Re: 9/29/07...Timberpoint, Thomas Paul, Legal Eagle Events, High Voltage, Bridal Elegance, Bridal Reflections, Burtons and Jim Hjelm

Congrats! You were an absolutely gorgeous bride! Thanks for the review!

Re: 9/29/07...Timberpoint, Thomas Paul, Legal Eagle Events, High Voltage, Bridal Elegance, Bridal Reflections, Burtons and Jim Hjelm

Beautiful! Congratulations!

Re: 9/29/07...Timberpoint, Thomas Paul, Legal Eagle Events, High Voltage, Bridal Elegance, Bridal Reflections, Burtons and Jim Hjelm

Congratulations and Best Wishes To The Both Of You. Everything Looked So Beautiful Wedding Date Twin. We Got Married At West Sayville Country Club also owned by Lessings. We basically were next door neighbors with you and Lools.

~dancer and chef~
charlotte and michael

Re: 9/29/07...Timberpoint, Thomas Paul, Legal Eagle Events, High Voltage, Bridal Elegance, Bridal Reflections, Burtons and Jim Hjelm

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Posted by Toots123

Our favors

Were these cute little nightlites that we got from ShopIrish.com.

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Tara I READ THIS 3 TIMES before the pic loaded and thought you bought
NIGHTIES
for your guests' favors. And i'm like, hmmm, that's pretty original.... More coffee please!!!!

Re: 9/29/07...Timberpoint, Thomas Paul, Legal Eagle Events, High Voltage, Bridal Elegance, Bridal Reflections, Burtons and Jim Hjelm

your dress is gorgeous!

Re: 9/29/07...Timberpoint, Thomas Paul, Legal Eagle Events, High Voltage, Bridal Elegance, Bridal Reflections, Burtons and Jim Hjelm

congratulations ~ everything looks gorgous! I love your favor Adorable idea!