Labor Day 9/3/06 Review-21 Main, Audrey's, Lovin Oven Floral, MAS Music, Concours D'Elegance, Bright Pictures, Hilton Garden Inn, Susan DeHaven, The Port Pub, and Lindsey DiPietro with Pictures

I can’t believe how late I am in writing this review, but in the process of getting married and going on our honeymoon I also moved from Florida to Seattle and started a new job right away so it’s been hard to fit this in. I hope I don’t miss anyone.

Hilton Garden Inn-B+ The Hilton Garden Inn in Ronkonkoma was our choice of hotels for out of town guests, including ourselves, since this was an out of town wedding for us. I did call the Hilton over six months in advance to secure a discounted rate for Labor Day weekend since I knew they might fill up. I have to say they gave me a rate of $139 per night, which wasn’t bad for a Labor Day weekend, but one of the reasons I gave them a B+ is because it was ultimately cheaper for everyone to book directly through their internet site. Everyone ended up getting a rate of $98 on the low end to $118 on the high end per night. Those that tried to book directly by calling, constantly got conflicting rates so I just ended up calling everyone and telling them to book on the internet. The hotel is very nice and clean, which is most important to me. They put all of my guests on the same floor, which was nice. The parents with kids definitely enjoyed the indoor pool. Breakfast is not free, but I do have to say the breakfast and the presentation was great. They made up some nice plates with pancakes, whip cream, all the works etc… for the kids. It’s not a full service hotel so we often had to run out for items like milk for the kids. In fact, we saw several guests doing this and offered them some of ours. They also don’t have a bar. They say they do, but it’s really just 3 stools in the breakfast area so if your guests want that then this wouldn’t be a good place to stay. The other reason I gave them a B+ was due to service. Nobody at the front desk seemed happy. They never smiled and I often felt like we were bothering them by asking a simple question. I did not have a large wedding at all so I know we weren’t overwhelming them. All in all it was a pleasant stay aside from the hassle of booking on the internet after getting a “discounted” rate and the friendliness of the employees.

The Port Pub-Port Jefferson (Rehearsal Dinner/Out of Town get together)-A+
I must admit I had help with this since my aunt’s boyfriend Brian just opened this pub in Port Jeff as a partial owner, but it really was a nice place for a get together the night before the wedding for all of the out of town guests and some family. We didn’t have a big wedding so the Pub was the perfect size for us and it was nice for the out of town guests to be able to walk around Port Jeff if they wanted to. Brian also arranged for some food from a local pizzeria and it was delicious. I don’t know where he got it from, but the pastas and salad were excellent. The Pub is brand new and he can arrange food for anyone so if you want a nice place for a casual affair or somewhere to go after a wedding this is a nice place.

Concours D’Elegance-A+- Maria was awesome. I flew into town a few months before the wedding and she did a trial that I loved, but then I decided an updo wasn’t for me. I never had a chance to come back to Long Island for another trial, but she did an awesome job re-creating a half up, half down hairdo that I brought a picture of. She’s also very reliable.

Lindsey DiPietro-A+- Lindsey was actually recommended to me by Maria of Concours D’Elegance. They used to work together so I decided to try her out. She also did a trial for me while I was visiting Long Island and she did a great job. She and Maria are very familiar with one another so they took turns helping me get ready. While Maria set my hair, Lindsey applied some makeup and vice versa... I was very happy with my makeup for the day of.


Lovin Oven Floral-A- I also met with Keyth during my visit to Long Island and really liked him. I don’t know if I can give much of a review on Lovin Oven Floral since I didn’t really go all out on flowers, but what I did get was nice. I got married in the courtyard area of 21 Main so I had Keyth do a large arch and it looked beautiful the day of the wedding. My only complaint is that when we went to take our family pictures outside it was already gone and we had planned to do them all in front of the arch. They removed it immediately after the ceremony, which was kind of irritating. I assumed it would be there for a while so if you’re renting an arch and plan to use it don’t forget to ask how long it will be there. My bouquet, the corsages, and boutonnières were all pretty and they showed up when promised. I arranged for my own centerpieces to save money. I bought some really pretty hanging candle holders and used them with rose petals and votive candle holders. I also got some beaded garland. It looked beautiful and cost me a lot less than flower centerpieces. Keyth was generous in the fact that 21 Main, where the reception was held is also run by Lovin Oven so he does their flowers anyway during the week and he made sure they matched my colors and I didn’t have to pay for that.

MAS Music (Marie Stack)-A+ Unfortunately I didn’t get to hear the two violinists for very long since I was the bride, but all my dealings with Marie were very professional and her prices are GREAT! She and another violinist were scheduled between 11am and noon, but the wedding started late due to the set up not being complete and she stayed anyway and did not ask for extra money. My husband said they were very good. They played some selections while people were waiting in addition to the ceremony music. Marie also made it a point to find me after the ceremony and congratulate me, which was very nice of her. We had never met in person before.

Susan DeHaven-Officiant-A- I was very lucky in planning this wedding to have some hook ups. My aunt works for the Town Clerk in Smithtown and Susan is her co-worker. Susan and another woman that works there often officiate at weddings so she offered to officiate for us for free. We really wanted a short simple ceremony. We’re not every religious so she sent us an outline and we modified it. Susan and the other woman I mentioned do more religious ceremonies also for those that want it. They don’t charge as much as the other officiates. If you’re interested in contacting them I’ll include my contact information at the bottom. The nice part was also that they took care of our marriage license at the Clerk’s office also.

Tana with Bright Pictures Photography-B- Where do I start about Tana? She was an absolute trip and everyone at the wedding loved her. She was recommended to me by another bride on liweddings.com and I liked her pictures on the internet so I decided to go with her. I was planning long distance so I had to just go with my gut and recommendations. We decided that we just wanted the proofs and pictures on CD so we could do our own albums and Tana was willing to do this at a reasonable cost. She promised all day coverage and 600 pics for a good price. She also brought her assistant/boyfriend to cover as a second photographer. She is definitely interesting and a bit eccentric so if you don’t like that then you might not want to go with her. She’s definitely not what most people would call a “professional” wedding photographer. I have a really friendly family who are pretty quirky themselves and it was a small wedding so she fit in great. The only reason I give her a B is for the following reasons. Her boyfriend really isn’t a photographer. She is definitely good at what she does, but she kind of just bosses him around and he listens. He just served as backup, but we were disappointed because he did my husband’s pictures with his family before the ceremony and he did them all inside for one thing and it was a beautiful day out. In some of the pictures he put my husband in the back, which we couldn’t understand. He took some on a staircase and my husband is in the back like he just came down the stairs and happened upon some people. My husband could of spoke up, but the day of your wedding you’re not really thinking too clearly. As for Tana, she had some great candid shots of everyone including the guests, but we weren’t that happy with the posed shots. She often told my mother to give her the “Princess Diana” look so my mother looks weird in a lot of the pics and she would also tell the men to “look like the king of Prussia”. My grandpa had no idea what she meant. That’s where her quirkiness comes into play. I believe that if I had been on Long Island and able to meet with her for a detailed conversation we could have gotten better posed shots, but alas it was too hard in the middle of moving. I also didn’t have my bouquet in some of the pictures and people aren’t lined up well. That’s where a professional wedding photographer would have been more vigilant. I will say I don’t know if I would have chosen otherwise because she definitely was part of the day and she did get a lot of nice shots. The pictures and CD were also waiting for us when we got back from our honeymoon. I think if you want someone fun who can take nice pictures and you have time actually set aside for a lot of pictures she would be great. We didn’t set aside a lot of time for pictures after the ceremony because we wanted to enjoy ourselves. She would also be good if you already have someone doing more traditional pictures and want someone photojournalistic also.

21 Main, West Sayville-A-We had a very hard time finding a facility where we could have both our ceremony and reception and where we could have a smaller wedding. We only wanted to guarantee 50 people, which was the exact amount we ended up having. I did a lot of research on this website before narrowing down a few places that hosted smaller weddings. The Riverview was beautiful and you can get married by the water, but the room for 50 guests was very small and had no view. If you have at least 75 they have a nicer area with a water view. The prices were good though. The Country House in Stony Brook is pretty and has great food, but they want a lot of money in my opinion for a brunch. I also checked out the Gatsby, but after visiting 21 Main we knew it was the place. They have a nice outside courtyard for ceremonies and they also offered a Sunday champagne brunch package, which is what we were looking for. It was a great price for all the food we got. The inside is very classy so we didn’t feel the need for a lot of decoration either. They also have a beautiful upstairs area that would have doubled for an indoor ceremony area had it rained. I started out working with one Jessica and ended up with another Jessica. Most of my communication was by e-mail since I live out of state. I really never had a problem with anyone getting back to me or worrying about anything. The only thing we had a slight problem with was finding out if we could hook our laptop into their sound system since we were doing our own music. That took a lot of calls and we didn’t get an answer until a week before the wedding. Everything worked out fine, but I think the person in charge of booking weddings should really know that since it’s becoming a more popular thing to do, especially at smaller weddings. Two days before the wedding we met with Jessica to go over everything regarding the ceremony and set up. We dropped off a lot of things to be set up and they took care of it all. I wish she had asked some more questions about how things should be laid out. I felt like I was talking and she wasn’t writing any of it down. The day of the wedding there were little things I wanted laid out differently, but it wasn’t a catastrophe and everything looked nice. My only other complaint was that they started setting up for the ceremony too late and we had to delay the ceremony be a half hour, but I don’t think that’s uncommon. They provided all the chairs, which was nice and the courtyard looked beautiful for the ceremony. If you’ve never had dinner at 21 Main the food is excellent and the brunch was well liked by everyone. I wish I had gotten time to have more than one plate, but everyone remarked on how good it was. The champagne punch was also very good. We had the whole restaurant to ourselves for 4 hours and that was just enough time. Jessica definitely didn’t stand by our sides all day, and that was okay with me, but I know some brides want a bit more attention during the reception. Because we had a smaller wedding with just friends and family we couldn’t have chosen a more perfect place. I highly recommend them to anyone having a smaller wedding, a shower, rehearsal dinner, or just for a nice dinner.

Audrey’s Bakery-A+-A cake was included with our package at 21 Main since Audrey’s is also owned by Lovin Oven so I asked if we could have cupcakes instead and a small cake to cut. They agreed to that and I didn’t have to pay for anything extra. Everyone loved the cupcakes. I got vanilla and chocolate ones with raspberry filling and a small cake for Grant and I filled with raspberries. Everything was delicious and as you can see by the pictures the kids loved the cupcakes.


LIweddings.com-A+-Had it not been for this website it would have been very hard to plan a wedding from Florida, while in the middle of moving to Seattle. The reviews and recommendations were a huge help.

Ebay-A+-I got so many things from E-bay. My hanging candle centerpieces were only $6 a piece and they looked great. I also got my flower girl dress for $25 and it was adorable!

If anyone needs more info please feel free to e-mail me at [email protected]

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Re: Labor Day 9/3/06 Review-21 Main, Audrey's, Lovin Oven Floral, MAS Music, Concours D'Elegance, Bright Pictures, Hilton Garden Inn, Susan DeHaven, The Port Pub, and Lindsey DiPietro with Pictures

Congratulations! Great review. You looked beautiful. Many wishes for a long and happy life together.

Re: Labor Day 9/3/06 Review-21 Main, Audrey's, Lovin Oven Floral, MAS Music, Concours D'Elegance, Bright Pictures, Hilton Garden Inn, Susan DeHaven, The Port Pub, and Lindsey DiPietro with Pictures

You looked beautiful. I love your hair!!! Would you mind FMing how much she charges for hair. TIA!

Re: Labor Day 9/3/06 Review-21 Main, Audrey's, Lovin Oven Floral, MAS Music, Concours D'Elegance, Bright Pictures, Hilton Garden Inn, Susan DeHaven, The Port Pub, and Lindsey DiPietro with Pictures

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Re: Labor Day 9/3/06 Review-21 Main, Audrey's, Lovin Oven Floral, MAS Music, Concours D'Elegance, Bright Pictures, Hilton Garden Inn, Susan DeHaven, The Port Pub, and Lindsey DiPietro with Pictures

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Re: Labor Day 9/3/06 Review-21 Main, Audrey's, Lovin Oven Floral, MAS Music, Concours D'Elegance, Bright Pictures, Hilton Garden Inn, Susan DeHaven, The Port Pub, and Lindsey DiPietro with Pictures

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Re: Labor Day 9/3/06 Review-21 Main, Audrey's, Lovin Oven Floral, MAS Music, Concours D'Elegance, Bright Pictures, Hilton Garden Inn, Susan DeHaven, The Port Pub, and Lindsey DiPietro with Pictures

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Re: Labor Day 9/3/06 Review-21 Main, Audrey's, Lovin Oven Floral, MAS Music, Concours D'Elegance, Bright Pictures, Hilton Garden Inn, Susan DeHaven, The Port Pub, and Lindsey DiPietro with Pictures

Re: Labor Day 9/3/06 Review-21 Main, Audrey's, Lovin Oven Floral, MAS Music, Concours D'Elegance, Bright Pictures, Hilton Garden Inn, Susan DeHaven, The Port Pub, and Lindsey DiPietro with Pictures

Re: Labor Day 9/3/06 Review-21 Main, Audrey's, Lovin Oven Floral, MAS Music, Concours D'Elegance, Bright Pictures, Hilton Garden Inn, Susan DeHaven, The Port Pub, and Lindsey DiPietro with Pictures

congrats!!!!

Re: Labor Day 9/3/06 Review-21 Main, Audrey's, Lovin Oven Floral, MAS Music, Concours D'Elegance, Bright Pictures, Hilton Garden Inn, Susan DeHaven, The Port Pub, and Lindsey DiPietro with Pictures

You look georgous! Your FG is too cute for words! Glad you had a wonderful day!

you have fm.

Re: Labor Day 9/3/06 Review-21 Main, Audrey's, Lovin Oven Floral, MAS Music, Concours D'Elegance, Bright Pictures, Hilton Garden Inn, Susan DeHaven, The Port Pub, and Lindsey DiPietro with Pictures

Congrats

Re: Labor Day 9/3/06 Review-21 Main, Audrey's, Lovin Oven Floral, MAS Music, Concours D'Elegance, Bright Pictures, Hilton Garden Inn, Susan DeHaven, The Port Pub, and Lindsey DiPietro with Pictures

Congratulations!!!! You look gorgeous and so happy in your pictures! Everything looked incredible. I wish you and your husband a lifetime of happiness.:

Re: Labor Day 9/3/06 Review-21 Main, Audrey's, Lovin Oven Floral, MAS Music, Concours D'Elegance, Bright Pictures, Hilton Garden Inn, Susan DeHaven, The Port Pub, and Lindsey DiPietro with Pictures

wow...you look beautiful..i love your hair for your wedding..i am getting married at Lands End in Sayville..i am so excited to work with Lovin Oven...

Re: Labor Day 9/3/06 Review-21 Main, Audrey's, Lovin Oven Floral, MAS Music, Concours D'Elegance, Bright Pictures, Hilton Garden Inn, Susan DeHaven, The Port Pub, and Lindsey DiPietro with Pictures

congrats date twin! you looked beautiful!!!!

Re: Labor Day 9/3/06 Review-21 Main, Audrey's, Lovin Oven Floral, MAS Music, Concours D'Elegance, Bright Pictures, Hilton Garden Inn, Susan DeHaven, The Port Pub, and Lindsey DiPietro with Pictures

you looked stunning! congratulations!

Re: Labor Day 9/3/06 Review-21 Main, Audrey's, Lovin Oven Floral, MAS Music, Concours D'Elegance, Bright Pictures, Hilton Garden Inn, Susan DeHaven, The Port Pub, and Lindsey DiPietro with Pictures

I did a search for Tana with Bright Pictures and came up with your review. I am looking to do a photo shoot for a really good price of my family and someone told me to call them. Do you recomend them for something like that? I am asking you because you didn't seem to be 100% with them... hum....