Future Mulligan's December Wedding at JT with Angelica Glass, Timeless Treasures, M*i*a, Roseanna Amador, Flower Barn and more! Lots of Pics!!

As a future bride on this site I looked forward to seeing many weddings and reviews. I especially looked forward to seeing other Jericho Terrace brides and as each one got married it meant that my day was just a little bit closer. Because I was one of the last brides of 2008 I was able to watch just about every bride from the 2008 board have their special day and it was a great way to help me countdown the days to my own wedding.

I know it has been said before but I really don’t know what I would have done without this site. My DH has worked countless weddings for a DJ company and he really knows his stuff when it comes to weddings but the ideas and advice that I found on this site were priceless. Long Island was unchartered territory for us since my DH only works weddings in New Jersey - which meant that the connections he had were pretty much useless in Long Island. Without this site we would have been more than lost.

I actually stumbled upon LIWeddings during a google search for Jericho Terrace and I was addicted from the start. I would like to thank Ron, Liz and the entire staff of LIW for creating this site - and an even bigger thanks to each and every single one of you that has helped me along the way.

*A special thanks to Denise (Espo 22) for always being so helpful - not only is she LIW’s most popular poster but she’s also a sweetheart to everyone! Denise was always able to help me when I sent her a question via FM and without Denise I may not have found our photographer Angelica Glass (after seeing Denise’s engagement session images I immediately checked out Angelica’s site) - so thank you Denise for always being so helpful to not only me but to all the brides of LIW!*

*A special thanks to Cindy (NapaValleyGirl) for recommending Tessa for invitations - out of all the wedding vendors I spent the most time working with Tessa and she was great- she did our invitations, place cards, and menus!*

*I can’t forget this bride either - thank you to Taryn (Jtgarsik) for writing an amazing review about your December wedding at Jericho Terrace - DH and I both knew we wanted to get married at JT and since we love the holidays we thought December would be an awesome time for us to get married. It was after seeing your review that we were sold on having a December wedding at JT. Your review is one of my all time favorites!*

There are so many other brides that have helped me with my planning - whether it was a picture they posted, a random question they answered or just while chatting away on the boards - I just wanted to take a moment to thank all of the brides - ESPECIALLY the 2008 girls - without them LIW wouldn’t exist and I wouldn’t have had such a fabulous wedding!

On to the review:
*Just wanted to note that this review contains non pro pictures, pro pictures and pictures that may have been edited by me (b/c I love photo editing)*

Our wedding literally evolved into something that was more than I could have ever imagined and it’s all because of the inspiration I got from this site – reading reviews, looking at pictures, asking questions - little by little it all came together and I finally had a vision of what I wanted our wedding to be. It’s because of all the ideas and advice I received from the brides on this site that I am writing this review - I hope you enjoy reading my review as much as I enjoyed reading others while I was planning!

Proposal
A+

On NYE 2006 DH said the sweetest thing to me - he told me that 2007 was going to be a good year - I asked him why and he told me that 2007 was the year we would be engaged. It was very sweet and I was so excited. From then on we talked about marriage seriously and our plans for the future. I knew he was saving for a ring so I teased him a lot and he was always trying to throw me off. It’s not that easy keeping a big secret when you live together so I had my suspicions but I was REALLY surprised when he proposed to me. I am shocked at how well he kept the proposal and the ring a secret!
I imagined the proposal happening in my head at least 100 times but when it really did happen it felt like a dream, especially because I was caught completely off guard :)

Engagement Ring & Wedding Bands - Kathy’s Jewelry, Paramus NJ
A+

Kathy was recommended to us and she is fantastic! She is out in Paramus, NJ but if you’d like her contact information send me a FM.

Engagement Party - Alice Austin House, Staten Island NY
A+

Two months after we got engaged we had an engagement Party was at The Alice Austen House in Staten Island, NY. This place is EXTREMELY sentimental to us because it used to be our hang out spot when we first started dating (and we still hang out there when the weather is nice!).

We both would have LOVED to have an outdoor wedding here but unpredictable weather made us too nervous to go through with it - instead we settled for an engagement party at the location.

We didn’t want to spend a lot on the party so we rented the cheapest tent, table and chairs we could find (from Empire Tent Rentals) and we did a Chinese buffet (Chinese is one of our favorites!). We also hired a DJ and he was fantastic (DJ Jason Jani from Sound Connection Entertainment).

The party was casual - nothing crazy - just laidback fun with our immediate family and some friends. It was a perfect way to kick off our wedding planning.
Engagement Party Photographer - Noelle P. Wilson
A+

I found Noelle on Craigslist and she was looking for couples to use in her portfolio. She shot our engagement party for FREE and she did an amazing job. She was professional and she got a lot of really nice photos. She also did an E-Session with us (again for FREE) and those photos came out really nice as well. We went with a non traditional wedding photographer so it’s nice that we also have some more traditional photos as keepsakes.

Boudoir Pictures - Angelica Glass
A+

In November 2007 I did a boudoir session with our wedding photographer Angelica Glass. Angelica is amazing and I felt very comfortable with her. If you want tasteful, sexy photos BOOK her. It was an amazing experience - lots of fun. I would do it again in a heartbeat! My DH loved the photos and he was so surprised that I did them. Like I said, awesome experience and it is a great gift for your FH/DH.

Bridal Shower
A+

My Bridal Shower was held at Oriental Plaza (my favorite Chinese Restaurant - if you haven’t guessed by now I love Chinese food). My Bridesmaids threw an amazing party for me. My SIL and best friend (along with help from my Mom in Florida) did a great job with everything. I was really overwhelmed when I walked in and saw everyone - especially my sister and Grandma (they both live in Florida and I didn’t think they would be there). I was so overwhelmed that I cried. The food was delicious, the decorations were adorable and the best part is that we got everything we wanted from our registries (except for some knives which I plan on surprising DH with for his birthday!). My bridesmaids made up some cute baskets and a lingerie line and my MIL made some really nice seasonal baskets. It was such a great time and I can’t wait to own a home so we can use all of our gifts!

Rehearsal Dinner
A+

Our rehearsal dinner was thrown by my in-laws. I cannot remember the name of the restaurant! The food was good and everyone had a great time.

Bridal Party Gifts

Figuring out what to get our Bridal Party was HARD. We wanted to get them all really nice gifts but with each person having a different personality and with us having a budget it was hard to come up with ideas.

We ended up getting the groomsmen The Flip Ultra and they all seemed to really enjoy it - they even took videos the night before and the day of the wedding. We also got them each a small personalized gift.

We got the bridesmaids gifts from Coach. We went to the Outlets in Riverhead and stood outside in the freezing cold on a really long line for what felt like an eternity but it was worth it! I also gave each girl a cream colored pashmina to wear on the wedding day and I paid for each of them to have their hair done.

I think that everyone liked their gifts which made us very happy!

Weather
A

Considering that we got married in December I have to give the weather an A. It was in the 40’s, there wasn’t any rain or snow, and it wasn’t windy - you really can’t ask for much more in the winter. I always said I didn’t care about the weather but truthfully I am SO happy that there wasn’t a storm, rain or ice!

Hotel - La Quinta Inn and Suites, Garden City
A

The hotel was really nice. I had the bridal suite 2 nights in a row - it was really roomy! Our parents and bridal party stayed over with us the night before the wedding and they all had nice rooms as well.

Some of our family and friends stayed over the night of the wedding and everyone met for breakfast the next morning in the lobby. It was really nice having breakfast with everyone.

We asked the hotel staff to hand out some gift bags with goodies that we had made for our guests (water, cookies, chips, mints, gum, candy, tylenol, etc.). As far as we know everyone received their bag.

One of the bridesmaids had a problem with maid service (slow to come to her room) but other than that there were no complaints that I know of.

Save the Date Magnets - Magnet Street
A

We ordered save the date magnets from Magnet Street. The graphic designer and I emailed back and forth until I was satisfied with the proof and then they went to print.

People thought they were cute - and I saw them on a lot of refrigerators BUT they aren’t really necessary. Honestly the only reason I got them was because I thought they were cute and I wanted one as a keepsake.

Invitations - Tessa at E*v*e*n*s*t*a*r P*a*p*e*r*i*e
A

Tessa, Tessa, Tessa - what can I say about Tessa.
Well, I think I drove the poor woman nuts!
Tessa is a doll, a real sweetheart and part of me feels terrible because my invites were really out of control. It was funny because everything that could go wrong with them did but through it all Tessa was awesome and in the end I got some amazing custom invitations.

Our wedding didn’t really have a “theme” because I wanted every part to be something different and something that reflected us - we wanted a romantic ceremony, a holiday spirited cocktail hour and a winter wonderland atmosphere for the reception. Needless to say figuring out the perfect invitation was hard.

I knew I wanted something different that most of our guests probably never saw before but I also wanted something that was simple and elegant. In the end my bridesmaid dress became the inspiration for the invitation. The ribbon matched perfectly and the little rhinestone accent resembled the brooch on the dress.

Tessa did an amazing job of putting all of my ideas together and she did it within a reasonable budget which made me (and DH) very happy. My DH and I put everything together once the package arrived - we had to put in the inserts, seal the envelopes, wrap the invitations up in tissue paper, label the boxes, put the boxes together and stamp everything - it was a project!

After the invitations went out we got tons of compliments so it was definitely worth all of the extra effort.

I have to say that my favorite thing about working with Tessa was that I felt like I was working with a friend. I had a great experience and I totally recommend her.

Place cards - Tessa at E*v*e*n*s*t*a*r P*a*p*e*r*i*e
A

About two weeks before my wedding Tessa was able to make me coordinating place cards to match the invitations - I told you I drove the poor woman crazy!

Menu’s - Tessa at E*v*e*n*s*t*a*r P*a*p*e*r*i*e
A

Tessa also made up menus for me at the last minute. I had her make the menus to match our reception - she used the same font and graphics as the invitations and place cards but instead of doing taupe and ivory the menus were white, with silver and black ink.

Photographer - Angelica Glass
A+

Angelica was the first vendor we met with after we set a date and booked JT. We checked out her website and blog and we both really loved her style. DH and I are a little on the untraditional side and one thing we did not want was “traditional” pictures.

Within the first 5 minutes of meeting Angelica we both knew she would be our wedding photographer - we felt like we were hanging out with a friend. Her work sells itself and if you love it, you have to have it. We were both sold before we even got there but we wanted to meet with her to be sure, and like I said, after 5 minutes of hanging out with Angelica we were 100% sure.

If you book Angelica Glass you have to trust her - and as far as I am concerned she can do whatever she wants, no must take list or certain poses you want or anything like that - we just trusted her and we got some amazing images that I will treasure forever.

The day of the wedding Angelica arrived on time and from that moment on I started getting really excited. During the planning I kept telling DH that the wedding wouldn’t feel real until Angelica arrived at the hotel - and I was right - the morning felt VERY surreal and it wasn’t until Angelica arrived that I started to get that nervous butterfly feeling.

DH and I saw each other before the ceremony and took pictures all day long. We really had a blast. When DH and I talk about the wedding we both agree that our favorite part of the day (aside from the getting married part) was taking pictures together. Being together the entire day was amazing and the day actually felt long because we were together for so many hours - so we really got to enjoy our entire wedding day - seeing each other before the ceremony was one of the best decisions we made.

When I saw our pictures up on Angelica’s blog I was in tears - I was so happy with them, I felt like she really captured us being “us”. Angelica is sweet, fun and TALENTED. She is another vendor that I would love to work with again and I recommend her 110%.

I still have to submit my pictures for our album but once I have the layouts I will post them!

Second Photographer - Colin Michael
A+

I told DH that I thought it would be awesome to hire a second photographer through Angelica but he brushed it off and said we were spending enough money on the wedding. I had a feeling he might get one anyway (because he knew that I really wanted one!) but the closer it got to the wedding the less sure I was.

To my delight DH ended up surprising me with the second photographer and I was SO EXCITED when Angelica brought Colin Michael with her to shoot our wedding. She showed up and said, “Surprise, here is Colin, James got you a second photographer!” and I was psyched.
Colin came out from California. He has such a great personality. He took some really great pictures and I especially love the ones he took of DH. He was so great to have around because he hung around with the guys all morning and got some really great shots of DH. We were so glad that he was there.

Angelica and Colin were a great team that day and I couldn’t have asked for anything more from them.

Makeup - M-I-A (from the B*r*i*d*a*l-L*o*u*n*g*e)
A+

Originally a friend of the family was supposed to do my makeup but he got a job going on tour with Madonna (go figure!) so with about 5 months left to the wedding I had to find a new makeup artist. I was pretty devastated because I didn’t think I would find someone who could do my make up as well as he did.

I had a few trials with some vendors that were recommend on LIW but I wasn’t happy. You can FM me for more details if you are curious.
Luckily M-i-a was still available for my date so I set up a trial with her.

I had gone on a few trials and always asked for the same look - so for my first trial with M-i-a I decided to ask for something different - I asked for dark and smoky - I ended up not liking the make up for the wedding but you can always tell if someone is talented by the way they apply the makeup. I ended up booking a second trial about 2 weeks before the wedding (which M-i-a did free of charge!) and she nailed the exact look that I wanted for the wedding.

After so many trials and trying to explain how I wanted my makeup I was so glad that someone finally got what I was saying! I didn’t want to look like I was trying too hard - but I still wanted to feel glamorous and M-i-a totally understood what I meant.

The day of the wedding I was so happy that M-i-a was there with us because she is a SWEETHEART. Everyone loved her. She arrived on time and she really has this calming presence about her. Everyone’s make up looked great and I especially loved mine! I really think that my eyes looked incredible that day and the makeup lasted ALL day and ALL night.

In the end I am so glad that the other artist had to cancel because M-i-a was more than amazing the morning of the wedding. I couldn’t imagine having any other makeup artist there.
I recommend her 110% and I really hope I can use her again in the future because I felt like a model after she was done with me!

Hair - Roseanna Amador
A

I saw Roseanna twice - once when I had very long hair and wanted a half up/half down style and then again after I cut my hair short and decided to wear my up instead. I had two very different trials and at both my hair looked nice but neither style was exactly what I wanted.

The day of the wedding I gave Roseanna a new picture and I tried to explain exactly what I wanted. What helped is that my sister had her hair styled first and her hair was very similar to what I wanted for myself - so I was able to use my sister’s hair as an example.

The day of the wedding Roseanna did an amazing job and my hair was exactly how I wanted it to be. To be honest, I was a little nervous that I wouldn’t like my hair that day BUT in the end I LOVED it and it was absolutely PERFECT.

Roseanna also did the hair for the bridesmaids as well as the Moms. I thought that everyone looked great.

I would like to note that I love Roseanna because she doesn’t do hard or stiff looking hair - I like a more natural style - even though I wore my hair up I didn’t feel like my hair was hard or crunchy looking. All of us girls had a more natural look to our hair - and that was important to me.

Roseanna’s prices are on the high side but overall I was really happy with the job she did - especially on me!

Headpiece/Hair Comb - Thomas Knoell “Elegance” & “Helena “
A+

I really did NOT want to wear a tiara. I was really excited when I found out about Thomas Knoell because his stuff is gorgeous and it’s different (just like me!). I loved that his pieces looked a little more vintage and antique.

After seeing the Elegance in a magazine and on other LIW brides I knew I had to have it.
My SIL saw how much I loved the piece so she purchased it for me as a gift. I truly have an amazing SIL.

A few months later I couldn’t resist treating myself to the Helena hair comb!

I loved how my hair looked with the two pieces. I felt like they really complimented my simple hairstyle. I felt SO ELEGANT wearing them!

Wedding Dress - Demetrios Bridal Salon, Macy’s Menlo, NJ
F

They get an F. I hate to even waste my breath on this place!

I almost missed my rehearsal dinner because I was at the bridal salon having my dressed fixed the entire day before my wedding - it was so horrific that my DH actually saw me in the dress the day before the wedding and he demanded that everything be perfect for me. Thank God he was there or else I probably would have had a nervous breakdown right there in the bridal salon.

I had a horrible alteration process. After 5 or 6 fittings with a rude and lazy seamstress my dress finally fit and I made an appointment to pick up the dress 2 days before the wedding.

When I went to pick up the dress they took it out of the bag so I could inspect it. This place should really be embarrassed of themselves because I found multiple stains on it - the worst stain was PINK and it was in the middle of my sweetheart neckline! After several employees tried convincing me that I was seeing things another customer in the store came over to tell me that I was not crazy and she agreed that the front of my dress was pink and that was when I nearly lost it and called DH to come see the stain and help me figure out what to do.

There were some other things that I found while inspecting the dress (like loose beadwork and hanging strings). The manager assured me that the stain would be cleaned and that everything would be fixed. DH and I were fuming.

The next day I went to pick up the dress (DH accompanied me) and the manager wanted me to try it on again before I left - she said that she noticed something wrong in the sewing that she wanted the seamstress to “fix”. When I tried the dress on (remember this is the DAY BEFORE our wedding) it didn’t fit correctly. The neckline was CROOKED, my boobs were squashed, the beadwork along the hip was CROOKED - needless to say I was in tears and I couldn’t understand why they would alter my dress after it fit me perfectly and after it took so many fittings to get it right!!! DH and I came to the conclusion that they tried to hide the stains by re-altering my dress - it is the only thing that makes sense.

I spent the entire day before my wedding having multiple fittings with my DH there for all of it. It was a nightmare.

Alterations were horrible from the very start and I had a horrible experience. The seamstress we dealt with was beyond rude and she was totally incompetent. I still can’t believe what a nightmare I had.

In the end the dress did fit - but there were a lot of things that I was unhappy about with my dress that should have been perfect but weren’t.

I would also like to mention that Roseanna Amador, my HAIRSTYLIST had to re-sew one of my cups back into the dress as I was putting it on! It was sewed in so poorly that it fell out as I was putting the dress on (Thank you Roseanna)!

If that wasn’t bad enough the other cup needed to be safety pinned into my dress before the ceremony started because it had become loose as well!

In all honesty the day of the wedding I could have worn rags and I wouldn’t have cared - I was so excited to marry DH that day and even though the dress situation was upsetting I truly felt gorgeous when I put it on. I loved the way I felt in it (like a princess) and I loved the way DH looked at me (like I WAS a princess). It didn’t ruin anything about our wedding day but nonetheless I don’t think any bride should have to go through what I did the day before their wedding.
Veil - Demetrios Bridal Salon, Macy’s Menlo, NJ
A+

I really loved my veil. It’s the only thing that the bridal salon didn’t ruin.


Bracelet (Nadri) purchased at Nordstrom & Earrings purchased at Theresa’s Bridal
A+

I have gotten A LOT of FM’s about my earrings and bracelet. I loved my jewelry and I am so glad that so many other brides liked my pieces as well - I can’t believe how many questions I still get about them!

I wanted vintage/antique looking jewelry that would complement my Thomas Knoell pieces - I also wanted jewelry that would stand out against my simple gown without being overbearing.

I am really indecisive and I changed my mind twice when it came to my jewelry but in the end I am really happy about the choices I made.

The bracelet was purchased at Nordstrom (it’s part of the Nadri line). The earrings were purchased at a bridal salon in Staten Island BUT I have also seen them while browsing online for bridal jewelry - so if you like them search for bridal earrings and I bet you can find them.

Shoes - Nina
A+

I LOVED my Nina shoes. I wanted fun shoes - not typical bridal shoes. I chose Nina because their shoes are really comfortable and they aren’t expensive. I loved them and the best part is I still get to wear them!

Jade by Jasmine - Mother of the Bride Dress

Theresa’s Bridal, Staten Island - Bridesmaid Dresses
A+

I wanted my bridesmaids to be in synch with the Holiday theme but the one thing I did not want was red bridesmaid dresses. If you have a wedding around the Holidays everyone will expect that your bridesmaids are wearing red and I wanted to do something different and unexpected for our wedding.

I saw style#265 on Bill Levkoff’s website and I fell in love. The dress is taupe, it has a slim/mermaid cut and I thought it was perfect because it had a really pretty brooch in the front. It was simple and elegant and all the girls were happy with it.

The bridal salon was great - they were a pleasure to deal with and they helped out my SIL after she found out she was pregnant. No complaints here.

Florist - Flower Barn

*Reviewed in 3 sections(bouquets A+/ceremony C+/centerpieces A)*

We checked out Mike at Flower Barn about a year before the wedding because we heard that he had really great prices. Out of all the big vendors we wanted to spend the least amount of money on our flowers. I really wanted to have calla lily bouquets, a chuppah for the ceremony (I always loved the way they looked) and branch centerpieces for the reception. Mike was very friendly and gave us the best price so we booked with him.

Bouquets A+

When my flowers arrived the morning of the wedding I was speechless. They were exactly what I wanted and they were beautiful. I loved all of the bouquets. This is not a complaint but my bouquet was really big and it was SO HEAVY! If I would have known how big it was going to be I would have asked for something smaller because my bouquet was huge (at least compared to me it was)!

We received SO MANY compliments about the flowers - especially when it came to the bridesmaid’s bouquets. I was more than happy with how the bouquets looked.

Groomsmen Tuxedo’s - Tuxedo World, Staten Island NY
C

DH picked out a Calvin Klein Tuxedo for the Groomsmen to wear. The tuxedos were nice but there were some small issues. We kind of hoped we wouldn’t have any problems but really, what can you expect when you are renting?

Groom’s Suit - Hugo Boss
A+

DH bought a gorgeous 3 piece Hugo Boss suit for the wedding. I loved his suit, it fit him perfectly and I thought he looked beyond handsome in it.

Groom/Groomsmen Ties - Burberry

I bought DH the grey Burberry check tie to wear for the wedding. DH wears Burberry ties a lot so I thought it was something that he could wear on our wedding day that was very “HIM”.
I couldn’t picture DH wearing the typical “groom tuxedo” and I am so glad that he got a great suit and tie - everything he wore that day was HIS style and it showed - he didn’t look like a “groom” he looked like my hot hubby!

The Groomsmen also wore Burberry ties but they wore the classic tie which ended up matching nicely with the bridesmaid’s dresses.


DH Wedding Gift - Breitling Super Avenger (purchased at Kenjo)
A+

I actually wanted to get DH a Breitling watch as an engagement gift (I always teased him and said that when I got my bling he’d get his watch!) but because he proposed so much sooner than I expected (and because I had just bought him a watch one month before for his birthday) there was no way I could afford it as an engagement gift.

I made it up to him by getting him the watch he loved as a wedding gift. We shopped around at a bunch of authorized dealers and we felt the most comfortable going with Kenjo. Talk to Sec - he gave us a great price and the customer service was outstanding.

Limos - Camelot Limo
A

This is a tough one.
Our limo was on time and the driver was great - I don’t remember his name but he was about our age and he was a total sweetheart.

We also hired a party bus to shuttle our guests to the ceremony. I didn’t find out until the next day that the party bus was late to our ceremony and about 30 guests walked in late and missed me walking down the aisle. This was really upsetting because there were a lot of people on the shuttle who missed seeing me walk down the aisle (my aunts, uncles, cousins and friends).

Guests on the shuttle said that there was some traffic and the driver took the long way to Jericho Terrace (I’m not really sure if that had anything to do with the tardiness).

The reason I am still giving Camelot an A is because I felt that SOMEONE (especially our parents or DH) should have noticed that ALL of our hotel guests were missing before they gave the okay to start the ceremony.

I don’t want to give Camelot a bad grade because they were only a few minutes late - I just wish that SOMEONE would have noticed that these people were missing. It hurts me to think that our hotel guests may have been insulted that we didn’t wait for them to start the ceremony -when all we would have had to wait was 5 extra minutes.

Flower Barn
Ceremony C+

The ceremony décor was okay. We did a candle lit aisle (we provided JT with the supplies) and Flower Barn put rose petals in between all of the hurricane vases for us. The room lighting was dim and there were a lot of candles. The aisle looked AMAZING.

However I wasn’t crazy about the fabric on the chuppah. I actually would have asked my Maitre D if he could have taken down for us but it wasn’t until the ceremony started that I realized how much I didn’t like it.

When we got the pro pictures back I was even more upset with how it looked. It looks a little sloppy to me - maybe I am just being really anal and picky - but the fabric was heavy looking and the top was all bunchy. I guess I was envisioning and expecting something less heavy with more flow.


Celebrant - Bettina Yiannakorou
A+

Wow. Bettina is AMAZING.
I know there is a lot of talk about Pastor April on LIW but let me tell you all about Bettina!
Our ceremony was unbelievable.
We met with Bettina once at her place in NYC. She asked us a lot of questions about our relationship, our family and the type of ceremony we wanted. After the session she had us fill out some questionnaires which she used to help draft our ceremony. The first draft was incredible. DH and I both had tears in our eyes the first time we read it - it was beautiful.

Bettina suggested that we write and exchange our own vows and I am so glad that we did because it was such a moving part of our ceremony. DH cried while reciting his vows to me and it was a very emotional moment (and he had the majority of our guests in tears - men included!). Even Bettina had a tear in her eye.

Our family has Italian/Roman Catholic roots and many of our guests told us that our ceremony was BETTER than a Church/Mass which is SHOCKING to say the least. I still can’t believe how many compliments we received about the ceremony - honestly almost every guest complimented us on the ceremony when we were saying our hellos during cocktail hour.

Bettina really made the ceremony about us - it was personalized, it held people’s interest, it was romantic, it was funny, it was sincere - it was perfect.

If you are looking for a lighthearted, romantic ceremony look up Bettina!

String Trio
A+

I barely heard them play but I am giving them an A+

I was adamant on walking down the aisle to Canon in D but 30 minutes before the ceremony I asked the string trio if they could play a different song for me. Instead of using Canon in D like I had always imagined, I walked down the aisle to “Once Upon a Dream” from Sleeping Beauty (my favorite Disney movie). They played beautifully and I am so glad I changed the song at the last second!

The string trio also stayed to play during our cocktail hour. It was noisy in there so not everyone noticed them (which I knew would happen) but I still thought it would be nice to have them stick around to play some Holiday music.

Table Numbers
We really wanted to include our dog Pumpkin in the wedding so we decided to use some of our favorite photographs of her as our table numbers. This was another big hit. People loved the pictures of Pumpkin and a few guests even took her picture home with them!

Jericho Terrace
A+

JT made us feel like a celebrities the day of our wedding. Everything looked amazing. From what I hear the service was excellent and the bartenders were great.

Guests raved about the cocktail hour and I was so glad that people enjoyed it - they give you so much food! We also had some extras - a seafood bar, a fresh mozzarella station and a martini bar - it was awesome. The amount of food is overwhelming - DH and I took a tour of the room and even WE missed some stations that we heard about after the wedding.

The Viennese Hour was equally amazing - they had every dessert - cakes, pies, flan, puddings, cookies, waffles and ice cream, a sundae bar, a chocolate fountain, cotton candy, popcorn - it was almost ridiculous how much food they brought out.

Jericho Terrace does an amazing job. Sal was our maitre D and my bridal attendants were Camille and Karl. I loved my bridal attendant Camille - she was AMAZING and she was on top of everything. Camille, if you find this review, thank you again so much! You are the BEST and I think you deserve a RAISE!

JT did an extraordinary job - we were there early for pictures and from the moment we arrived it felt like everyone was at our service. It was so much better than I could have ever expected. I’m not kidding when I say that we felt like celebrities on our wedding day.

We also got our wedding cake through Jericho Terrace (Dortoni’s) and we loved it. We did a silver metallic design and it matched our reception perfectly!

Flower Barn
Centerpieces A

I loved the centerpieces! They were so elegant and were exactly how I pictured them to be.
Overall Flower Barn did an excellent job - the flowers and centerpieces were gorgeous and I would definitely recommend them.

Favors - Lenox Winnie the Pooh Christmas Ornaments
We knew that we didn’t want to give out a personalized favor and since our wedding was right before the Holidays we thought an ornament would be a cute idea. We got Winnie the Pooh ornaments from Lenox and wrapped them up in wedding paper that we thought would match the reception. I have to thank my sister in law because she wrapped all of our favors for us!

DJ - Dash Of Class - Vito
A+

DH has been working with Dash of Class for a long time and it was nice to have someone we know and trust as a vendor (Vito Namio).
The lighting around the room looked phenomenal. The guys did an amazing job with the set up and the up-lighting looked awesome.
We had 4 plasma TV’s - two behind us at the sweetheart table and two up in the front by the DJ booth. Everyone was able to see the screens from their seats and people really enjoyed the candid photos that Vito was putting up on the screen. Immediately following our first dance a slideshow of our guests dancing along with us was playing on the screens - a lot of our guests got a kick out of that.

Vito is a great MC. He ran the show and our introduction into the room was awesome.
DH made two montages that Vito played during the dinner courses. It was nice because DH made our photo montage and it was a surprise for me - I didn’t see it until it played at the wedding.

Vito also took video during the ceremony (which he edited himself) and played it up on the screens during dessert. Our ceremony was very emotional and it was nice that our guests who missed it were able to see us recite our vows to each other. It was also nice that DH and I got to see ourselves as well.

DJ - Sound Connection Entertainment - DJ Jason Jani
A+

DH started working with Jay about a year ago - not only is Jay a good friend but he is an AMAZING DJ. All of our guests were up and dancing right from the start.

Drums - Dave
*(I think Dave can be reached through both Dash of Class and Sound Connection Entertainment, Dave also provided the string trio for us)*
A

Dave did a fantastic job like always. He is another guy that DH has worked a lot of parties with. A lot of our guests interacted with him, including DH and I. I am really glad we decided to add a live musician to the mix.

Card box - For the Modern Bride
A+

We ordered a card box from For the Modern Bride and we were 100% satisfied. The box was set up behind our table and so many people complimented us on how beautiful it was! I didn’t think it was something that people would notice but so many people liked it. You can see it in the background of some of our photos.

Cake Topper - Toppers with Glitz
A+

The cake topper was on the expensive side BUT it looked great on the cake.

Video - Timeless Treasure Films
Day of - A+

I am saving one of the best for last!

I LOVE Ray’s videos - they are pieces of ART and I think I am one of his biggest fans.

Ray was the first vendor to arrive after hair and make up the morning of the wedding. I told him he could do whatever he wanted with my things and I tried to stay out of his way.

DH and I kept forgetting Ray was there the day of our wedding because he was so quiet! He's not in your face and I LOVE that.

Our wedding day re-cap is up on Ray’s blog (Nicole + James) He caught so many moments that I don't even remember him being around for (like my DH and I singing to eachother during our first dance ) - so he must be very sneaky! We received our video within a year of our wedding and it was beautiful. My advice is DO NOT skip out on the video!

You can check us out on the blog at:
http://timelessfilmsny.bigfolioblog.com/

That is it! My only advice is enjoy the day, take time to look around and take time to be alone with your husband. Enjoy the months of planning and enjoy looking forward to your day because you’ll never get that back. Once the day comes the feelings of anticipation are gone and that is what I miss, the wedding is over in a flash and the months of preparation are long gone.

Just remember when it’s over all that is left is you and your husband. So if you have drama during the planning, really don't sweat it - the wedding is ONE day but hopefully your relationship lasts a lifetime :)

Now that the wedding is over we are on to a home, maybe some babies and whatever else life throws at us! Happy Planning!

Re: Future Mulligan's December Wedding at JT with Angelica Glass, Timeless Treasures, M*i*a, Roseanna Amador, Flower Barn and more! Lots of Pics!!

one of the best reviews i have read!! Beautiful!!

Re: Future Mulligan's December Wedding at JT with Angelica Glass, Timeless Treasures, M*i*a, Roseanna Amador, Flower Barn and more! Lots of Pics!!

great review! your wedding was beautiful and you look stunning in your pictures congrats!!!! much happiness to you and dh!

Re: Future Mulligan's December Wedding at JT with Angelica Glass, Timeless Treasures, M*i*a, Roseanna Amador, Flower Barn and more! Lots of Pics!!

You and your DH are HOT! I love your pictures ... so unique! They look like they really reflect who you and DH are as people, which is so nice to see.

Congrats!!!

Re: Future Mulligan's December Wedding at JT with Angelica Glass, Timeless Treasures, M*i*a, Roseanna Amador, Flower Barn and more! Lots of Pics!!

I loved your review!!!!! You were a gorgeous bride and much luck to you both!!!

Re: Future Mulligan's December Wedding at JT with Angelica Glass, Timeless Treasures, M*i*a, Roseanna Amador, Flower Barn and more! Lots of Pics!!

I LOVED ur review! You looked stunning! And your wedding is beautiful. Your photographer did an amazing job. Every shot pops out. I'm sure you had a gorgeous wedding album! Thanks for sharing your review.

Re: Future Mulligan's December Wedding at JT with Angelica Glass, Timeless Treasures, M*i*a, Roseanna Amador, Flower Barn and more! Lots of Pics!!

loved ur review!!! beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!

Re: Future Mulligan's December Wedding at JT with Angelica Glass, Timeless Treasures, M*i*a, Roseanna Amador, Flower Barn and more! Lots of Pics!!

awesome review!! what a beautiful couple! congrats again xoxo

Re: Future Mulligan's December Wedding at JT with Angelica Glass, Timeless Treasures, M*i*a, Roseanna Amador, Flower Barn and more! Lots of Pics!!

wow love this review 'bookmark' lol thanks for this review

Re: Future Mulligan's December Wedding at JT with Angelica Glass, Timeless Treasures, M*i*a, Roseanna Amador, Flower Barn and more! Lots of Pics!!

Thank you for your wonderful review. God Bless you guys always! What an amazing wedding!

Re: Future Mulligan's December Wedding at JT with Angelica Glass, Timeless Treasures, M*i*a, Roseanna Amador, Flower Barn and more! Lots of Pics!!

Fantastic review!!!

Re: Future Mulligan's December Wedding at JT with Angelica Glass, Timeless Treasures, M*i*a, Roseanna Amador, Flower Barn and more! Lots of Pics!!

Great review! Congratulations - you were a very beautiful bride!

Re: Future Mulligan's December Wedding at JT with Angelica Glass, Timeless Treasures, M*i*a, Roseanna Amador, Flower Barn and more! Lots of Pics!!

Great review Nik!!! And of course everything was gorgeous!

Re: Future Mulligan's December Wedding at JT with Angelica Glass, Timeless Treasures, M*i*a, Roseanna Amador, Flower Barn and more! Lots of Pics!!

Stunning Nicole! Thank you so much for the shout out. This review is great and will help so many future brides!!!!

Re: Future Mulligan's December Wedding at JT with Angelica Glass, Timeless Treasures, M*i*a, Roseanna Amador, Flower Barn and more! Lots of Pics!!

awesome review!!!!!!!!!!! sorry to hear you had such a crappy experience at that bridal salon, but you looked grgeous regardless!!!everything looked amazing congrats!

Re: Future Mulligan's December Wedding at JT with Angelica Glass, Timeless Treasures, M*i*a, Roseanna Amador, Flower Barn and more! Lots of Pics!!

you were a beautiful bride- congrats- looks like everything turned out perfect

Re: Future Mulligan's December Wedding at JT with Angelica Glass, Timeless Treasures, M*i*a, Roseanna Amador, Flower Barn and more! Lots of Pics!!

great review, I feel awful about what happened with your dress, but you look beautiful, I love your hair!

Re: Future Mulligan's December Wedding at JT with Angelica Glass, Timeless Treasures, M*i*a, Roseanna Amador, Flower Barn and more! Lots of Pics!!

You looked absolutely stunning! Thanks for the review.

Re: Future Mulligan's December Wedding at JT with Angelica Glass, Timeless Treasures, M*i*a, Roseanna Amador, Flower Barn and more! Lots of Pics!!

I love your review!!!!!

Re: Future Mulligan's December Wedding at JT with Angelica Glass, Timeless Treasures, M*i*a, Roseanna Amador, Flower Barn and more! Lots of Pics!!

AMAZING....I was waiting for this one and was far from disappointed. Thank you so much for taking the time to write this, you have been so helpful already!!