My 10.23.09 Review! Bourne Mansion, Thomas Paul, Burton's, Spotlite Video, Jenerations, Audrey's Bakery and More!

Hi ladies! Reading the other brides’ reviews really helped me with my planning immensely and I found so many of my vendors on LIW thanks to you all…I’m grateful to have found this site! Thanks to everyone for their opinions and feedback during this process!! I hope some other brides-to-be may find this review helpful! Here goes…

Save the Dates
Wedding Paper Divas A+
I ordered STDs from this site because I wanted something simple, classy and inexpensive. They were easy to customize and shipped quickly. My mom also ordered my shower invites from here. They’re great to work with and always have some kind of sale going on.



Invitations
Bella Figura A
For invites, I assumed DH would want to do the least expensive option but he liked the idea of letterpress invites after I showed him some samples. Someone on LIW suggested Bella Figura and I fell in love with their designs. They customized the Tuileries design (below) with our colors (wine, pewter) and they did a great job. The first batch they sent us had a printing error, but they quickly sent us new ones within a week. Their customer service was wonderful, the stock was super high quality and we got many compliments on the invites!






Wedding Bands
Zingale & Co A++
http://www.zingaleco.com/
This private jeweler, Gerard, was recommended to us by a friend – he’s on Madison & 54th. He works by appointment only, and we thought he would be expensive but his prices were super reasonable since he’s not “retail.” DH got a white gold band with hammered detail and I got an eternity ring. DH has returned since to buy earrings for me, so I think we have a jeweler for life!




Rehearsal Dinner
Giardino’s in Douglaston A+
We visited several restaurants in the Bayside / Douglaston area, where DH is from, as his parents were hosting the dinner. They have a couple of private rooms and the price was very reasonable. The service was amazing, there was more food than we could handle, and everyone loved it. I would definitely recommend this venue for a private party of any kind!
http://www.giardinos.com/

Hotel
Hilton Garden Inn, Ronkonkoma A+
This hotel is less than a mile from the airport and train station, and also gave us the best rate. It is a newer hotel and the rooms are really nice. Their suites are just adjoining rooms and they don’t have a 'honeymoon suite' per se, but it worked perfectly for us and our guests (2/3 of our guests stayed here).

We ended up hosting a breakfast the next morning as well, and instead of renting the private room we just took over the main dining area...the food was delicious and better selection than if we paid for the private b-fast!! I would recommend negotiating as much as possible on this option if you have a lot of rooms blocked.


B-Pics
Jenerations A+++
I had never heard of Bpics until LIW…and was intrigued!! I knew DH would go crazy (in a good way) for pics like these. I must have contacted Jen in the nick of time because she only had 1 slot left on a weekend before my wedding. She fit me in and the shoot went great!! I made an album on MyPublisher and DH looooved it.






Wedding Dress
Macy’s / Demetrios (Wayne, NJ) A+
I liked many of the Demetrios styles, and made an appt at the Herald Sq Macy’s since I live in the city. Unfortunately, they didn’t have any of the styles I wanted to try on, so I called around and found out the Macy’s in Wayne, NJ had several of them since they were about to host a trunk show of new styles. They were sooo friendly and accommodating – they gave me the trunk show discount even though I couldn’t come to the actual event. Since I live in NYC and don’t have a car, it was a challenge to get out there for fittings, but worked it out and I’m glad I got it there…also, no sales tax!




Veil
Macy’s (Service A, Quality C)
I picked out my veil the day I bought my dress, but wasn’t sure I loved it. I bought a longer 2-tier veil as a back-up when deciding if I wanted a blusher, but ended up wearing this one from Macy’s. The crystals started falling off less than an hour after putting it on!! My sister was able to sew it and stop the unraveling but I was really disappointed with the quality.


DOJ
Etsy Vendor herecomesthebride A++
I saw this necklace for sale and the seller made custom crystal earrings for me to match!




Shoes
David’s Bridal A+
I didn’t want to spend a lot on shoes but wanted something with embellishment. I saw these at the store in Manhattan and they happened to have my size and I bought them on the spot. They were on sale for $39 and they dyed them ivory for $3. They were pretty comfortable and I wore them all night!



Hairpiece
WeddingFactoryDirect A+
I ordered my hairpiece and flower girl baskets & ring pillow from Wedding Factory Direct – highly recommended!! Everything was very well-made, reasonably priced (actually - very inexpensive!!) and shipped quickly.





Hair
Off Main Salon in Sayville A+
My friend got married the month before me and used this salon – it’s her regular place and she’s raved about it for a while. It’s very close to the Bourne, so it worked out well! The updo girl is Anna and she’s amazing! She did 8 girls in 4-5 hours. She also does make-up if needed.

Make-up
Dani Jones A++++
Jen from Jenerations arranged for Dani Jones to do my make-up for that shoot over the summer, and I loved her so much I used her for my wedding as well. She is a huge sweetheart!! I don’t know anything about make-up, but it looked like she used mostly MAC. She didn’t use airbrush and it lasted all day and night. FM me for contact info!





BM Dresses
RK Bridal – Belsoie A
I went to David’s Bridal, Macy’s and RK Bridal in the city with 3 of my bridesmaids to try on dresses in one day. RK Bridal had the most selection, and their no-frills program worked perfectly for us since I was ordering them all together and paying for $100 towards each girls’ dress. They arrived exactly 3 months later and each girl got theirs tailored. This particular designer cut with a very small waist, and some of the girls had to get them taken in up top quite a bit, but they all came out very nice.




BM DOJ
TheKnot.com A+
Our gift to our bridal was $100 towards their attire, but I wanted the girls to have some jewelry to remember the day as well. I found this nice set on TheKnot.com.



Tuxes
Men’s Wearhouse B
The convenience of MW is really unmatched, but the service is just really unreliable. We went to the Chelsea location and it was a little discombobulated in there…but we finally got our order in and I think it came out fine in the end…we ended up getting a suit for the ring bearer for a lot less (instead of a tux) and it worked out great!


Flowergirl Dresses
David’s Bridal A+
These dresses arrived within days of ordering them…I think they were $75-100 depending on the size. David’s Bridal “wine” color sashes matched the BM dresses perfectly so we lucked out.





Cake Topper
Ebay A
I ordered this topper last minute and paid for expedited shipping ($20). It came within a few days and worked well. The two anchor posts were a little flimsy but it did the job.



Cake
Audrey’s Bakery A+
The Bourne gives two choices for bakeries (included with reception cost) – Audrey’s and Black Forest. Audrey’s was literally 1 mile from the Bourne so we went there. They reluctantly let us do a tasting and I’m really glad we did...I thought I would love cannoli filling w/choc chips but..not so much. We went with vanilla cake (DH’s favorite) and chocolate pudding filling, and it was delicious. Audrey’s lets you choose from about 7-10 standard designs (not fondant) and anything else is an upcharge, so we just went with their Meridian design in ivory buttercream with chocolate swirls, and it came out beautiful!



Favors
Beaucoup A+
I knew I wanted to do edible favors and saw someone post these brownie pops on LIW and had to have them! We ordered 2 different styles and each pop came individually wrapped with a bow. They tasted a bit more like truffles than brownies (very fudgy - absolutely no complaint there) and everyone was raving about them!



Florist
Flowers by Burtons B
I met with Pedestals, James Cress and Burton’s, and Burton’s gave the best quote and seemed very straightforward. We didn’t get exactly what we asked for (and part of the problem was not being clear enough), but the owner made it up to us. If you want more details, FM me.





Wondering where the dahlias are...


MOH bouquet


Photographer
Thomas Paul Photography A+++++++++
Most of the photos in my review are pro pics from Thomas Paul. I give credit to past TP brides posting on LIW so we could find him! We pretty much knew instantly after meeting Tom we would book with him – he’s super personable and his package was a great value. Beyond this, his style is distinctive and unique! After I booked Tom, I recommended him to my friend whose wedding I was in the month before mine. She had John as her 2nd photographer, and I knew I wanted him shooting our wedding as well. He was rolling around on the ground to get the perfect shot, and we sincerely appreciate their hard work. Tom even put some of our pics on his new web site – yay!
http://www.thomaspaulphoto.com/











Videographer
Spotlite Video A+++++
We initially weren’t going to get a video but knew we would regret it if we didn’t…I saw (stefandken)’s video clip and immediately called Vinny at Spotlite. He worked with our budget and we actually just received the DVD this week! He did an AMAZING job with the editing…we are incredibly happy with the final product and how he caught our day. I wish I could show you – but check his web site for examples. Hands down recommend him!!!


Limo / Shuttle
North Fork Express C
Dealing with this company from start to finish was difficult, but DH insisted we work with them because they gave us the best quote. The limo and bus were on time to pick us up, but they both got lost going to the Bourne from the hotel (don’t they have GPS??). This caused a delay in a our photo shoot earlier in the day AND the ceremony.

Venue
Bourne Mansion A+
We were looking for a mansion-type venue with nice grounds for pictures, and the Bourne fit the bill and then some. As soon as we saw the ballroom we knew this was the place! The incredible ceiling at the Bourne…


We dealt with Ben for the booking and planning, and he was straightforward and very responsive to any questions and changes in our contract. The day of, we had Steve running the show. He was pretty strict in how the day would go…which was good because things went fairly smoothly, but bad in a way because we felt like we were on a very rigid schedule with Steve telling everyone what to do - and he is in waaay too many of my photos because he was everywhere, all the time!!! Luz was my bridal attendant and she was great too – not only did she take care of me, but she took care of both parents like VIPs. She was a true professional – as were all of Bourne’s staff members. Our reception ended at 12:30AM and everyone was great up until the end!

Lessings did a great job with the food – we had the filet, mahi mahi and chicken florentine entrees, all of which were AMAZING…all of the food was so good; I tried to sample as much as I could!!

Brides considering this venue should know that the ceremony room is a little small. We had 150 guests and there was spillover into the “coat room”…with standing room only. Luckily our ceremony was fairly short, but if you had many more people it probably wouldn’t work. The room is also quite dark, which didn’t bother me, but a few people commented on that.

We were very pleased overall with the Bourne, and our guests raved about the venue. Our favorite aspect was being able to take pictures here, and our photo/videographers took full advantage of the backdrop. Overall, this is one of the most unique venues on LI and completely worth the site fee.

Ceremony room at night









Can you spot Steve? ?


DJ
Tommy’s Tunes A+
We had a DJ only, Dominick, who did a great job keeping the dance floor packed. I’m not sure if we just didn’t have enough time, but he didn’t play a few things we requested, like the Tarantella (Italian tradition) and an “anniversary dance”…but we didn’t even notice until afterwards!

We also used Tommy for uplighting to accentuate the architecture of the Bourne ballroom. The Bourne provides this service for about $1K but we were able to get the same effect for about half that price...This was a splurge that we really didn't need, but I am really glad we did it!


Calligraphy
Inkspun A++++++
Bill is amazing. He’s reliable and efficient and his prices are very reasonable. I highly recommend him!! He did both our invitations and place cards with superfast turnaround time.


Unity Candle
TheKnot.com A+
I liked this engraved floating candle unity candle that can be used as a vase after the wedding. TheKnot did a great job!




DIY PROJECTS

Programs
Friend A+++++
A friend offered to make programs since it is a hobby of hers and she did a phenomenal job…I couldn’t have done them myself. She ordered the paper and cardstock from PaperandMore.com and I got the ribbon at Michael’s.



Guestbook
Kodakgallery A
I got our e-pics a few weeks before the wedding and made a photobook with lots of blank space for people to sign. It shipped quickly and came out nice!



Menus
I didn’t want to spend a lot on these and I’m not that crafty so I made a template with two menus on a 8X11 page and then printed it out at Kinko’s and had them cut it in half. I got silver card stock at Paper Presentation on 17th St & 5th Ave in the city and had them printed with wine-colored ink. The entire project was less than $40!

Table Names
Piknik & KodakGallery B
I knew I wanted our tables to be named after places we’ve visited together, so I went to work compiling a good photo of the two of us in each place (we needed 15). I used Piknik.com to write the location on the photo and then uploaded them into Kodakgallery to order prints. Some of the photos were cut off when the 5X7 arrived but for the most part they looked great. DH wrote descriptions for each table name and we printed those out to explain the name. I got frames at the Dollar Tree in Babylon.

OOT Boxes
We ordered gable boxes from Box & Wrap and filled them with snacks from BJs. I also contacted Tanger Outlet and got 50 free coupon books in case guests planned on shopping that weekend. We got labels/stickers made on zazzle…they came quickly and looked great.
http://boxandwrap.com/gablewhite-kraft.html

More TP pics (more in my album too):











HONEYMOON
New Zealand & Australia A!
DH was dying to go to Australia for the HM (the farthest place he could think of), but since I had already been there a few years back, we chose to go to areas in Oz I had not seen (Hamilton Island in the Whitsundays / Great Barrier Reef and Surfers Paradise) and add on New Zealand as something totally new. We planned the entire trip ourselves (no travel agent = exhausting!).

We swear by TripAdvisor.com whenever booking hotels and our accommodations in all cities turned out better than expected. Our only hiccups were things beyond our control, such as the weather…we got stuck in L.A. on our way to New Zealand and had to lose a day of the trip waiting for our next flight. It also rained quite a bit in NZ and Australia, but we made the best of it. We had planned to go scuba diving but the conditions weren’t ideal so we couldn’t ?. And we were surprised by how expensive things were in NZ & Oz…the exchange rate was much better when we originally planned the trip!! We still enjoyed it immensely…the scenery was unreal and the people are sooo friendly down under! Definitely tell everyone you’re on your honeymoon!! We got small upgrades here and there and people just love to congratulate newlyweds!! ?

New Zealand (North Island)
A-Kahu House (B&B) A
There are a ton of B&B’s in Rotorua right on the lake (a 3 hour drive southeast from Auckland). The area has some unique scenery and we were looking for a relaxing retreat after the wedding – it gave us that! It wasn’t high season yet so it was pretty quiet and a bit chilly, but we saw and did a ton while in the Rotorua area. If we had more time we would have gone to the South Island, but this was a nice location…we just wish the weather was a little better - it was cold/rainy. Also, this area was very pricey…i.e. restaurants were more expensive than NYC! Recommended activities: Polynesian Spa, Wai-O-Tapu, Waimangu Volcanic Valley.











Australia
Hamilton Island in the Whitsundays
Panorama 11 condo A+++++
We booked this apartment through Stayz.com. The rate included a golf cart buggy to get around the island (it’s very small)! Hamilton Island is a great jumping off point for the Reef – we recommend FantaSea Cruises – they have a day-long trip that worked out great for us – you can scuba, snorkel, helicopter and go on a glass-bottom boat to see the coral and its inhabitants…it was an amazing day! We loved everything about the Whitsunday Islands.





The way you experience the Reef with FantaSea Cruises


Heart Reef <3




Another recommended excursion is Whitehaven Beach…FantaSea also does a trip here! It’s a low-key, relaxing day on an uninhabited island.






Surfers Paradise
Watermark Hotel A
This hotel is located right next to the “Q,” the largest residential tower in the Southern Hemisphere. Short walk to the main “strip” and there are tons of bars/restaurants/shopping with a few minutes’ walk. The beach is awesome, but we only got to hang there for a bit before rain rolled in…sigh. We went to a koala/kangaroo sanctuary and also got to watch the Yankees win the World Series from here – live! So we found things to do in the rain…I would recommend this hotel for the location/staff…rooms were OK.




Wow, this is long….Thanks for reading and I hope it’s helpful! Best of luck to future brides!

Re: My 10.23.09 Review! Bourne, Thomas Paul, Burton's, Spotlite Video, Jenerations, Audrey's Bakery and More!

everything look gorgeous congratulations!!!

Re: My 10.23.09 Review! Bourne, Thomas Paul, Burton's, Spotlite Video, Jenerations, Audrey's Bakery and More!

I love this!!! CONGRATSSSSSSSSSSS

Re: My 10.23.09 Review! Bourne, Thomas Paul, Burton's, Spotlite Video, Jenerations, Audrey's Bakery and More!

Beautiful pics, I love your favors and you are going to make me change my mind at letterpress. Thanks for sharing.

Re: My 10.23.09 Review! Bourne, Thomas Paul, Burton's, Spotlite Video, Jenerations, Audrey's Bakery and More!

Gorgeous! Congrats!

Re: My 10.23.09 Review! Bourne, Thomas Paul, Burton's, Spotlite Video, Jenerations, Audrey's Bakery and More!

Beautiful and congrats!

Re: My 10.23.09 Review! Bourne, Thomas Paul, Burton's, Spotlite Video, Jenerations, Audrey's Bakery and More!

your pictures are beautiful! Congratulations!

Re: My 10.23.09 Review! Bourne, Thomas Paul, Burton's, Spotlite Video, Jenerations, Audrey's Bakery and More!

thanks for the great review! congratulations everything looks beautiful!

Re: My 10.23.09 Review! Bourne, Thomas Paul, Burton's, Spotlite Video, Jenerations, Audrey's Bakery and More!

Lovely review!! Congrats and I love your dress, it's the same one I am wearing!!!

Re: My 10.23.09 Review! Bourne, Thomas Paul, Burton's, Spotlite Video, Jenerations, Audrey's Bakery and More!

Sooo gorgeous! Congrats and thanks for a lovely review!

Re: My 10.23.09 Review! Bourne, Thomas Paul, Burton's, Spotlite Video, Jenerations, Audrey's Bakery and More!

What a beautiful wedding! Congrats!!

Re: My 10.23.09 Review! Bourne, Thomas Paul, Burton's, Spotlite Video, Jenerations, Audrey's Bakery and More!

Beautiful! Thanks for the Review, very helpful info about Lessings.

Re: My 10.23.09 Review! Bourne, Thomas Paul, Burton's, Spotlite Video, Jenerations, Audrey's Bakery and More!

thanks for your review and for sharing all your gorgeous pix! Its bc of your pix that I decided that we should check out Thomas Paul when the time comes to book a photog. I absolutely LOVE your pictures! Love your favors too - those look divine! Congratulations, you looked beautiful!

Re: My 10.23.09 Review! Bourne, Thomas Paul, Burton's, Spotlite Video, Jenerations, Audrey's Bakery and More!

awesome review! Beautiful dressss

Re: My 10.23.09 Review! Bourne, Thomas Paul, Burton's, Spotlite Video, Jenerations, Audrey's Bakery and More!

congrats, I love your dress!

Re: My 10.23.09 Review! Bourne, Thomas Paul, Burton's, Spotlite Video, Jenerations, Audrey's Bakery and More!

Great review. You looked stunning!!! Your HM pictures are unreal.

Re: My 10.23.09 Review! Bourne Mansion, Thomas Paul, Burton's, Spotlite Video, Jenerations, Audrey's Bakery and More!

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Posted by Noelsgirl

Lovely review!! Congrats and I love your dress, it's the same one I am wearing!!!

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Yayyyy!!! It's going to look amazing on you!! I didn't want to take it off

Re: My 10.23.09 Review! Bourne Mansion, Thomas Paul, Burton's, Spotlite Video, Jenerations, Audrey's Bakery and More!

Congratulations and eveything looked lovely!!!

Re: My 10.23.09 Review! Bourne Mansion, Thomas Paul, Burton's, Spotlite Video, Jenerations, Audrey's Bakery and More!

Congrats!!! Everything looked beautiful!!!

Re: My 10.23.09 Review! Bourne Mansion, Thomas Paul, Burton's, Spotlite Video, Jenerations, Audrey's Bakery and More!

Your review was great! I really enjoyed reading it.