The Brides' Review - Finally- My April 16th Wedding at the Carltun REVIEW!

randella Posted: Jun 14, 2005 11:31 AM+

randella MEMBER SINCE: 8/04 TOTAL POSTS : 4681 WEDDING DATE: Apr 16, 2005

Posted: Jun 14, 2005 11:31 AM

Finally- My April 16th Wedding at the Carltun REVIEW!

Ok—my long awaited wedding review. It took me a while cause A- I was totally weddinged out and B- I got so super busy that I did not have the time to dedicate to this. So, without further adieu, here is my review!!

Wedding Dress
Kleinfeld. Of course about a month after the wedding it was announced that Kleinfeld was moving to Manhattan- would have made my life a lot easier.. but, they were very helpful patient and extremely skilled in dealing with neurotic brides. For purchasing my dress- I worked with Audrey and Magaret. For my fittings- I worked with Stella- Stella is the bomb! So sweet and very helpful—and made all the little extra nips and tucks I requested.

BM Dresses
Jenny Yoo. These dresses are amazing. Every one of my girls loved their dresses and WILL wear them again. They all looked great on them too. I had them pick whatever style they wanted, as long as it came in the same fabric. It created a great look and every girl felt beautiful and comfortable.

Tux & Accoutrements
DH got his tux at Victor Talbots. We worked with Mark there. He was so helpful and really great to work with. All the boys, we had them wear their own tuxes, but they rented vests and ties from Talbots. This place is definitely pricey- but they have beautiful stuff.

Flowers
Flowers By Brian. Everything looked AMAZING the day of the wedding. Working with Brian was hot and cold- but, in the end he pulled it off. My ceremony room was gorgeous and romantic- and my CP’s were EXACTLY what I wanted- something different, subtle, timeless and romantic. Brian even showed up before the wedding to make sure all was in place. We had an issue with my bouquet- but it was promptly fixed.

Band
Jumpstreet- Steven Scott. What can I say, they rocked. The dance floor was packed- even during dinner and the Steely Dan medley… They did screw up a couple of announcements and the timing of the ceremony songs- but no one knew but us. All in all- it was a kick a$$ party.

Reception/Ceremony.
The Carltun. They were amazing. Everything was how I requested it to be. It was a first class affair from start to finish. My guests said the filet was the BEST they ever had tasted- and I got comments like the food was the best wedding food they ever had. They did an amazing job. Anyone who is having their wedding there—do not fret- even if your Banquet Manager is not good about returning your calls. My one complaint is that I am a vegetarian. All the food from cocktail hour and other things were brought up to the bridal suite so we could get a chance to eat—all they brought that I could eat- although I specifically picked menu items that were vegetarian- was potato pancakes and pierogies. My stomach then blew up from all the salty carbs and I was VERY uncomfortable—I left the wedding craving protein and vegetables.

Limo
We used Royalty. We got a limo bus to transport bridal party and guests from the hotel to the Carltun. I never saw it- but everyone loved it. They were great to work with on all counts.

Wedding Coordinator
Corina from Detailed Elegance. She was awesome- very helpful and great to work with. She made my life easier, and DH and I enjoyed spending time with her. It was such a load off having her there the day of the wedding- and knowing all the details of everything so I did not have to worry. She works her butt off for her brides and her fee is VERY reasonable. She also does make-up and did my mom’s- and she looked amazing. I interviewed a lot of coordinators and we 150% made the right choice. Corina is awesome and I recommend her to anyone.

Rehearsal Dinner
Diane’s in Roslyn. What a great restaurant- the service was great, the food was amazing and they have a perfect party room for RDs. Perfect place for this.

Photography
Glenmar. Glenmar was great to work with. I am not in love with my video- but how many times am I really going to watch it. My proofs came out great—I think after we go through everything and see a finished album, I’ll be able to assess everything. All my friends used them- and they all have fab albums—so, I am sure I will be pleased with mine.
ETA: I just went this weekend to do my album-- I sat with Joey for THREE AND A HALF HOURS.. She was so helpful and patient and really helped us get through an overwhelming task. After seeing all the pics I had selected--I think the album is going to be great... Just be prepared-- whenever you go in and order prints, etc., just plan to spend a little more $$$$.

OK- I am sure I left some stuff out… Here are some links to pics that I had previously posted. Feel free to FM me with any questions!!

ETA:
I realized I left out some important vendors..

Wedding Day Dance
This is where we took our dance lessons for our first dance and it went over VERY well.. Ann Marie was great to work with and we looked great- when we could have looked BAD.

Wingate Hotel
They were fab to work with- They helped us out and gave me everything I asked for. Jessica and Cynthia rock over there! Only thing was that they promised us early check in for important wedding guests- like my mom and MOH. They allowed them to check in- but if they had reserved a non-smoking room- and they only had smoking rooms-- they did not honor the early check-in with their reservation as it stood. Anyway- all in all- they were very helpful! And we had our brunch there the next day.

Hair and Make-Up
I used Nelson D'leon and his sister Maria. They know exactly how to bring out the best in every girl and made me look and feel absolutely beautiful. They were expensive- but I felt worth every penny. I also have pics of my trials in my photo album in the community section.

http://www.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=22179948/t_=4378997

http://www.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=21950228/t_=4378997

http://www.snapfish.com/share/p=49431115178484468/l=47466877/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB

Rehearsal Dinner

lanabean Posted: Jun 14, 2005 11:42 AM+

lanabean MEMBER SINCE: 11/04 TOTAL POSTS : 2355 WEDDING DATE: Mar 19, 2005

Posted: Jun 14, 2005 11:42 AM

Re: Finally- My April 16th Wedding at the Carltun REVIEW!

Beautiful!!!! Congrats!

SomethingBlu Posted: Jun 14, 2005 11:47 AM+

SomethingBlu MEMBER SINCE: 10/04 TOTAL POSTS : 10523 WEDDING DATE: May 27, 2005

Posted: Jun 14, 2005 11:47 AM

Re: Finally- My April 16th Wedding at the Carltun REVIEW!

You made such a stunning bride! Glad to hear everything went a planned...and your pictures show what a great party it was! Wishing you the best!

TreAnt425 Posted: Jun 14, 2005 11:51 AM+

TreAnt425 MEMBER SINCE: 1/05 TOTAL POSTS : 4433 WEDDING DATE: Apr 27, 2007

Posted: Jun 14, 2005 11:51 AM

Re: Finally- My April 16th Wedding at the Carltun REVIEW!

Congratulations!!!

Anghuy1 Posted: Jun 14, 2005 01:14 PM+

Anghuy1 MEMBER SINCE: 4/04 TOTAL POSTS : 569 WEDDING DATE: Sep 24, 2005

Posted: Jun 14, 2005 01:14 PM

Re: Finally- My April 16th Wedding at the Carltun REVIEW!

Evertyhing looked beautiful and you did such a great job with everything. Congratulations!!!

MrsA814 Posted: Jun 14, 2005 01:37 PM+

MrsA814 MEMBER SINCE: 2/04 TOTAL POSTS : 4669 WEDDING DATE: Aug 14, 2005

Posted: Jun 14, 2005 01:37 PM

Re: Finally- My April 16th Wedding at the Carltun REVIEW!

congrats and great review

jimmysgrl Posted: Jun 14, 2005 02:27 PM+

jimmysgrl MEMBER SINCE: 10/04 TOTAL POSTS : 3543 WEDDING DATE: Dec 03, 2005

Posted: Jun 14, 2005 02:27 PM

Re: Finally- My April 16th Wedding at the Carltun REVIEW!

Wow, those pictures are beautiful and you have such a great smile! Everything looked perfect and I'm so glad that it sounds like eveyrthing went how you wanted it to go!!! Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Donna&Joe708 Posted: Jun 14, 2005 03:01 PM+

Donna&Joe708 MEMBER SINCE: 3/04 TOTAL POSTS : 2903 WEDDING DATE: Jul 08, 2005

Posted: Jun 14, 2005 03:01 PM

Re: Finally- My April 16th Wedding at the Carltun REVIEW!

Congrats! You looked beautiful!

adioguardi Posted: Jun 14, 2005 03:03 PM+

adioguardi MEMBER SINCE: 2/05 TOTAL POSTS : 1382 WEDDING DATE: Sep 16, 2005

Posted: Jun 14, 2005 03:03 PM

Re: Finally- My April 16th Wedding at the Carltun REVIEW!

What a wonderful day you had! Many, many congratulations to you and your husband!

slwh2005 Posted: Jun 14, 2005 03:32 PM+

slwh2005 MEMBER SINCE: 9/04 TOTAL POSTS : 1912 WEDDING DATE: Oct 08, 2005

Posted: Jun 14, 2005 03:32 PM

Re: Finally- My April 16th Wedding at the Carltun REVIEW!

Great review!! You looked so gorgeous. I love your dress. Did you have a professional photographer at the rehearsal dinner? There were so many great pictures from it.

Soon2BMrsA Posted: Jun 14, 2005 03:51 PM+

Soon2BMrsA MEMBER SINCE: 11/04 TOTAL POSTS : 2855 WEDDING DATE: Jun 18, 2005

Posted: Jun 14, 2005 03:51 PM

Re: Finally- My April 16th Wedding at the Carltun REVIEW!

Thanks for the review! Your pics and wedding look beautiful! You were a beautiful bride! Congrats again!

randella Posted: Jun 14, 2005 04:00 PM+

randella MEMBER SINCE: 8/04 TOTAL POSTS : 4681 WEDDING DATE: Apr 16, 2005

Posted: Jun 14, 2005 04:00 PM

Re: Finally- My April 16th Wedding at the Carltun REVIEW!

Posted by slwh2005

Great review!! You looked so gorgeous. I love your dress. Did you have a professional photographer at the rehearsal dinner? There were so many great pictures from it.

Thanks!

Yes- we decided to hire someone last minute and found a guy on Craig's list. Of course- everyone showed up early- and then he was late-- so he missed a lot of 'welcome' shots.. oh well.. we still got some good ones.

orchid24 Posted: Jun 14, 2005 04:44 PM+

orchid24 MEMBER SINCE: 8/04 TOTAL POSTS : 1646 WEDDING DATE: Sep 04, 2005

Posted: Jun 14, 2005 04:44 PM

Re: Finally- My April 16th Wedding at the Carltun REVIEW!

nice to see you on the boards again! how's married life treating you????!

randella Posted: Jun 14, 2005 04:52 PM+

randella MEMBER SINCE: 8/04 TOTAL POSTS : 4681 WEDDING DATE: Apr 16, 2005

Posted: Jun 14, 2005 04:52 PM

Re: Finally- My April 16th Wedding at the Carltun REVIEW!

Posted by orchid24

nice to see you on the boards again! how's married life treating you????!

It's good-- I have really been so busy- we have not really focused on being married. It's amazing that we were looking forward to things being quieter after the wedding and HM- and we have like hardly had any time together on the weekends and stuff! Tonight we are going out for a nice dinner though-- a late birthday celebration- as I have had a real busy time at work in the past three weeks--

I know I need to get back to you with tipping.. I really can't remember what we tipped.. Um, I think Maitre D- $6 a head, did not tip the BM- as she makes commission. Florist- $40 for delivery guys, band- $50 per band leader (there were 2) then $25 for each member, Photog- $50 a team. I think that's it.. I got my wedding coorindator a gift cert to the Carltun- she got married there as well, so I thought it would be nice for her and her husband to have a meal on us there. All in all- tips came in at like 2 grand-- INSANE.

orchid24 Posted: Jun 14, 2005 04:57 PM+

orchid24 MEMBER SINCE: 8/04 TOTAL POSTS : 1646 WEDDING DATE: Sep 04, 2005

Posted: Jun 14, 2005 04:57 PM

Re: Finally- My April 16th Wedding at the Carltun REVIEW!

Posted by randella

Posted by orchid24

nice to see you on the boards again! how's married life treating you????!

It's good-- I have really been so busy- we have not really focused on being married. It's amazing that we were looking forward to things being quieter after the wedding and HM- and we have like hardly had any time together on the weekends and stuff! Tonight we are going out for a nice dinner though-- a late birthday celebration- as I have had a real busy time at work in the past three weeks--

I know I need to get back to you with tipping.. I really can't remember what we tipped.. Um, I think Maitre D- $6 a head, did not tip the BM- as she makes commission. Florist- $40 for delivery guys, band- $50 per band leader (there were 2) then $25 for each member, Photog- $50 a team. I think that's it.. I got my wedding coorindator a gift cert to the Carltun- she got married there as well, so I thought it would be nice for her and her husband to have a meal on us there. All in all- tips came in at like 2 grand-- INSANE.

wow---(gulp). looks like i have a lot more saving to do... thanks for the numbers!

randella Posted: Jun 14, 2005 05:01 PM+

randella MEMBER SINCE: 8/04 TOTAL POSTS : 4681 WEDDING DATE: Apr 16, 2005

Posted: Jun 14, 2005 05:01 PM

Re: Finally- My April 16th Wedding at the Carltun REVIEW!

the Maitre D was really what killed us-- the Carltun reccos 4 to 7 a head..

Also the Bridal Attendant, etc.

Plan to put aside 1500 for tips- and then you won;t be surprised later/

suebride Posted: Jun 17, 2005 11:34 AM+

suebride MEMBER SINCE: 12/04 TOTAL POSTS : 651 WEDDING DATE: Jun 11, 2005

Posted: Jun 17, 2005 11:34 AM

Re: Finally- My April 16th Wedding at the Carltun REVIEW!

Posted by randella

the Maitre D was really what killed us-- the Carltun reccos 4 to 7 a head..

Also the Bridal Attendant, etc.

Plan to put aside 1500 for tips- and then you won;t be surprised later/

hi randi!
how are you? i am actually on my honeymoon --at an internet cafe in greece and saw your review...the carltun was awesome! they did an incredible job --i think we went a little low on the tip to the maitre d though...will post pics soon...oh --brian did an amazing job on the flowers --way beyond my expectations...take care...

randella Posted: Jun 17, 2005 11:56 AM+

randella MEMBER SINCE: 8/04 TOTAL POSTS : 4681 WEDDING DATE: Apr 16, 2005

Posted: Jun 17, 2005 11:56 AM

Re: Finally- My April 16th Wedding at the Carltun REVIEW!

Posted by suebride

Posted by randella

the Maitre D was really what killed us-- the Carltun reccos 4 to 7 a head..

Also the Bridal Attendant, etc.

Plan to put aside 1500 for tips- and then you won;t be surprised later/

hi randi!
how are you? i am actually on my honeymoon --at an internet cafe in greece and saw your review...the carltun was awesome! they did an incredible job --i think we went a little low on the tip to the maitre d though...will post pics soon...oh --brian did an amazing job on the flowers --way beyond my expectations...take care...

Sue-- FM me when you get back-- we can trade stories!!

Congratulations!

seta Posted: Jul 04, 2005 10:13 AM+

seta MEMBER SINCE: 6/05 TOTAL POSTS : 3927 WEDDING DATE: Oct 21, 2006

Posted: Jul 04, 2005 10:13 AM