My 5/14/10 Wedding- Jericho Terrace, Body Rock, Duet, Camelot, Designs by Rose, Partybooths, Sandra Baldini, DIY candy buffet, and many, many more! LOADED with PRO pics!!!

First and foremost I would like to thank LIWeddings!! Thank you Ron and Kim for making this forum for us!!! Thank you to all the ladies who have shown endless support, given great advice, and inspired me in SO many ways! Our wedding truly wouldn’t have been what it was without the help of LIW! I don’t consider you ladies just my fellow brides anymore, I consider you friends! I cannot thank you all enough!!!

E-Ring/Wedding Band- -A++++

DH picked out my e-ring and wedding band completely on his own! I knew he would be proposing some day soon, but I hadn’t given him any hints and he didn’t ask for any. He did a wonderful job, it’s exactly what I would’ve wanted!!





DH’s Wedding Band- El Dorado Jewelry New York, NY- A

DH wanted a plain white gold band. It was a lot more difficult to find than I would’ve thought! Most places wanted to sell me something with some kind of edging at an exorbitant price. This place, though kinda slimey , gave me the best price. However it did take some haggling and then took twice as long as it should’ve to come in.




Sizing/Cleanings- Fast Fix Jewelers- A+

Unfortunately, DH didn’t ask me my ring size before purchasing my e-ring/wedding band. They were huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge. So, we went right away to a jeweler in the Queens Center Mall. We asked how long it would take and they said 2 weeks! I just got the ring, I wasn’t giving it up for 2 weeks! So we asked them why and they said they send it out. We asked to where and they said Fast Fix Jewelers. We went to them (also in the Queens Center Mall) and they sized it right in front of us. It took about 20 minutes tops. Since then, I’ve gone back to have a loose stone fixed, the ring cleaned/dipped, a watch fixed, and DH’s band sized as well. I’ve never had a single issue with them and will continue to bring jewelry there for repairs/cleanings.

My Bachelorette Party- A++++

I booked my bachelorette party myself so I got exactly what I wanted and I have a lot of information about it. I hope it helps someone!

Expedia.com- B-

Expedia.com was by far and away the least expensive site for my bach. Party and trust me, I shopped around! However, I had saved a trip on my account so that I could okay it with the other girls before booking it. When I went back an hour later to book, it said all the info was the same until it came through in a confirmation e-mail. The flights were changed (from a direct flight to one with a layover) and the price was an extra $15 per person. It’s partially my fault, I should’ve refreshed it or something to see if there was any price change, but whatever. We still got to Vegas and back on the cheap!

Flights- United- A+; US Airways- D

Flying to Las Vegas, we flew United Airways. Such a great experience! We had complementary headphones, pillows, and blankets. They had great in-flight movies (Where the Wild Things Are) and a few good tv shows (30 Rock!). The seats were comfy and roomy, the plane was very clean and newer. It was an exceptionally smooth flight. We had a short layover in Los Angeles and that went extremely smoothly as well.

Obviously our United flight was very comfy. Here I am sleeping like a baby.


US Airways is a different story. I don’t think they had any in-flight entertainment, the RUDEST workers, the sorriest looking plane I’ve ever had the misfortune to board, and we were about an hour late boarding that plane. I will NEVER fly US Airways again in my life!

Hotel- MGM Grand- A

The MGM Grand was gorgeous!!! I think it was a great location, though many people will argue that it’s not at the heart of the strip it’s still on the strip and very convenient. We could walk anywhere we were going or take a short cab ride. We had some luck in the casinos, got to see the lions in the hotel lobby, and had a delicious dinner at Fiamma! Sooooooooo good! The reason I’m giving it an A and not an A+ was someone called hotel security on us at 4 AM. Granted, we were being loud, but c’mon it was a Friday night in Vegas!!





Blue Man Group at the Venetian- A+

I’ve always wanted to see the Blue Man Group so what better place than in Vegas?! One of my BMs purchased the tickets ahead of time at a discounted price. The show was great, very different!



Pure- Caeser’s Palace- A+

We put our names down to get into Pure on the VIP list. When we got to the club there was a crowd around the security guards. We pushed to the front and told them our names were on the list and they let us right through. It was paaaaaaaaaacked, but they played a great variety of music and it was a really nice place. We had a blast dancing the night away!




My Bridal Shower!- A++++++

I have a lot less information on my bridal shower since I had NO hand in planning it. (Thank God! LOL!) But, I think the place was perfect for our needs and definitely not your typical bridal shower location. So, again, I hope this will help someone in the future!

Invites- DIY- A+

The invites to my bridal shower were adorable!!! My mom and my sister came up with the idea and bought all the supplies from Michael’s for it. They even came up with the little poem on them! (Still searching for a pic, I know I have one somewhere!)

New York Irish Center- A+++++++++

I cannot say enough good things about this place!!! First and foremost, this place is incredibly inexpensive. This was one of the only places my mom was able to find that had a kitchen (so she could do her own catering) and did not require you to use their liquor. Also, the fact that it’s located in Long Island City was a huge bonus! This place also has a small “tea room” (which can be used for a small meeting room for clubs and the like) and an internet café which we thought would be good for the kids at the shower, but they were too busy partying! My mom and aunts catered the event, some making dishes, others purchasing pastries. The owner of the place was a sweet little old man. He came in at the end of the event, brought our cars around from the parking lot in the back, helped us load all the gifts up, and helped us clean up the place. He also was playing with our two flower girls and it was adorable!





Favors- A+

These were my mom’s baby!! Haha! I loooooooooved them! My mom purchased the tea/coffee cups and saucers from www.foodservicewarehouse.com (more info below). In each cup she included a variety of either tea or coffee, small black organza bags with sugar cubes, “mini-moos” (small creamers), and either a milk chocolate dipped or honey dipped spoon (depending on whether you got coffee or tea). The spoons were DIY, for a little extra flavor, my sister drizzled white chocolate on the face of the spoon in the shape of an “O” for my new last name, O’Connor. For the FGs, my mom got mugs with butterflies and put hot chocolate mix with mini marshmallows in them. Honestly, I have never ever seen a better bridal shower gift. So cool! DH looves that coffee mug- he uses it all the time!





Here’s the info for where my mom purchased all the stuff for the favors:

Cappuccino Cups - http://www.foodservicewarehouse.com

Individual cups for Hot Cocoa from Marshalls


Coffee- BJ’s- I was looking at the personalized coffee but did not have time, or buying coffee in bulk & putting in the tin bags/Baileys Irish Crème Sugar cubes in a black organza bag/Chocolate covered spoon.

Tea- Different flavors of tea from Bigelow link to personalize them http://www.essortment.com/lifestyle/maketeabagwed_ttmu.htm
Tea Forte are the fancy triangular shaped tea bags. Sugar cubes in black organza bag/ Homemade Honey/lemon spoon.

Hot chocolate- Land O’Lakes individual Cocoa’s in White Chocolate/Dark & Milk/Mini marshmallows in small plastic bag (to keep from drying out) and then put in the black organza bag. Chocolate covered spoon.


Most of the other stuff from the bridal shower was DIY- the games, the drinks, the cake, the wishing well, the decorations (including CPs) were all DIY. Most supplies were purchased from Michael’s and implemented by my mother, aunt, sister, and other BMs. If you are interested in where anything was purchased, please feel free to FM me!

Monograms- Pink Design Events- A+

Once we decided to have a theme of apple green with black and white damask, the first thing I ordered were monograms. I came across the website www.pinkdesignevents.com and had her make my monograms. I believe they were $5 each or 3 for $12. I purchased 3. She did them very quickly and sent them to me in both hi and low resolution for various uses. There was a mistake on one monogram and she corrected it promptly with her apologies. She’s been closed for awhile on “maternity leave” but I don’t know if she’ll ever be coming back!



Save the Dates- DIY- B+

When we first began to design the STDs, I wanted to do something very different that I had seen on the Martha Stewart website. (If you’re interested, here’s the STD: http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/article/save-the-date-ribbon) Well, we purchased all the supplies from Michael’s, we printed the STDs, we cut out all the numbers, glittered them with apple green glitter, and then found out we had no idea how to attach them to the cards. Yeah, tie a bow, you have NO idea how difficult that was to do! So we scrapped the numbers part and just used the base card for the STD. No one missed the glittery numbers and I’m glad I didn’t have to tie a bazillion ribbons!!




Rehearsal Dinner- Danny Boy’s- A-

The RD was MIL’s baby. I would’ve been completely and 100% okay without having a rehearsal dinner at all, but we had a ton of family come in from Ireland/London from DH’s side so MIL felt we needed to have a RD and the OOT guests needed to be invited. She offered to host it for us. It was held at Danny Boy’s which is a pub/restaurant in Middle Village. The food there is great however it was incredibly confusing!!! We had pretty much the entire back room but none of the tables were put together and nobody got there on time (despite the fact that we were all coming from the church together, but whatever) so there was a lot of shuffling around. Also, they were planning on charging people for apps/drinks! We had an open bar/buffet but we asked to open a tab for appetizers/desserts or any other extras that guests might order. Either way, it worked out. The food was great and the place was exactly what we needed.




Wedding Party Gifts- A++++++

I’m SO happy with the gifts we gave the WP! I’m going to separate them into the guys and girls gifts since they are so very different.

Bridal Party Gifts- Coach Wristlets- Coach Outlets at Tanger- A-

I wanted to get all the girls Coach wristlets but I know how expensive that can get. We decided to go on Black Friday with our coupons and get them their wristlets. It was horrendous. It was pouring rain, ice cold, and the line stretched on forever. 2 hours and many coffees/hot chocolates later we got into the store. The cashier line moved surprisingly quickly and they had a pretty good selection of bags. I got matching black wristlets with “C”s in different shades of silver and a larger black leather clutch for my MOH. However, I would never do it again. My time/effort/comfort wasn’t worth the savings!

Bridal Party Gifts- Day of Survival/Pampering kit- A+

I could not have been more pleased with the way these turned out! I wanted to get the girls tote bags that say “Bridesmaid” and “MOH” but they were all either really ugly or really expensive. So I purchased plain white totes, black ribbon, and iron on decals to create my own custom bags. They probably came out to $5 each and they looked perfect! They were so easy, we made them for the FGs, too! In the BP bags, we included a ton of different things. Most were purchased from Michael’s, the Christmas Tree Shop, and AC Moore and if anything was purchased elsewhere I’ll make a note. I’m going to try to remember everything we put in, but I’ll probably leave some stuff out:
-Apple Green Pashminas (Purchased on the street in Manhattan)
-Black Flip Flops (Old Navy)
-Mini Champagne/Toasting Flute
-5 Hour Energy
-Mini Hair Spray Bottle
-Travel manicure kit
-Aspirin
-Mints
-Mouth Wash
-Hand sanitizer
-Wisp Tooth Brush
-Shout Wipes
-Sewing Kit
-Sleeping Mask
-Bath Bombs
-Monogrammed Luggage Tags
-Back Massager
-Purse Valet (Purchased from Wrap With Us in Syosset)
-Heart Compact Mirror (Purchased from Wrap With Us in Syosset)
-Keychain
-Customized Water Bottles
And tons more stuff!



One of our GMs playing with the BM’s gifts.


Groomsmen Gifts- Black high top Converse sneakers- Factory Brand Shoes at Deer Park- A+

The guys at this store were so helpful!! I called and gave them a list of sizes and they had all but one. They put them all to the side for DH to go pick up. Unfortunately, they were regularly priced. DH also purchased them each a money clip with a $2 bill for good luck. I have no idea where he got them because boy did he do that last minute.




Flower Girl Gifts- Woot.com- A+

I ordered the main FG gift from www.woot.com. I had never heard of this site until a fellow LIWer posted it! There’s at least one new deal every day and I check it daily! I purchased the Disney Hannah Montana Flix Video Camera. It retails for about $80 and I think I got them both for $45 including shipping. They came within a week in perfect condition and my FGs were very pleased with them. One was filming away at the wedding!



Flower Girl Gifts- Day Of Survival Kit- A+

We kept going along with the survival kit theme for the FGs. We purchased them smaller totes with iron ons and stuffed them full of goodies from the dollar bins at Michael’s and AC Moore. We put in different coloring books, a TON of little wooden characters that come with markers and stands to color, jump rope, bubbles, Disney Princess playing cards (Games like Go Fish and Old Maid), crowns and wands, glo-stick necklaces, yo-yos, silly putty, little books, fake make-up kits, etc., etc. They absolutely loved all the stuff! It really saved us at the RD where they were bored to tears! Once we broke out the stuff to color they sat quietly!

Wedding Invites- Brides Damask Kit from Michael’s- A-

Originally I was going to give this kit an A+, but then I remembered something! This kit doesn’t come with envelopes!!! The invite itself folds up and comes with damask seals so they maker of this kit assumes brides will mail this invitation without enclosing it in an envelope. Are they crazy?! As if that little sticker is going to hold everything in?! Anyway, we purchased envelopes from envelopemall.com (A+, by the way) and everything was right in the world again. The templates were very easy to get offline and incredibly easy to tweak to whatever way you’d like. The RSVP cards were a little difficult to print but I think that was more my issue than theirs. We opted not to use the ribbon on the invites but we did purchase black Martha Stewart flocking powder and black glitter and flocked/glittered all 132 invitations, RSVP cards, even the little sticker to close the invites. I wish I could take credit but I did about 10 and wanted to cry- my Aunt Lisa did the bulk of the work at home. If you’re reading this, THANK YOU AUNT LISA!




Now FINALLY! Onto the wedding day itself!!!

Mother Nature- A+++++++++++++++++ times infinity.

This was my biggest concern before the wedding. The entire week before the wedding was bitter cold (I’m talking 40/50 degrees was the high) and May 14th was supposed to be cold with thunderstorms all day long. The morning of the wedding was relatively warm but cloudy. We went to the nail salon to get our nails done and it started to pour. I made my peace with having a rainy wedding day but it was completely unnecessary. By the time we got out of the nail salon, the rain had stopped, the sidewalks were dry, and the sun was SHINING! It didn’t rain again all day and I heard not one clap of thunder!

I just love this picture of the church with the sun shining through the trees!


Onto the fun stuff! I’m going to do the ladies first!!

Bridal Attire:

Day-of Wear- Bride Tank Top & Hoodie- Michael’s- A

My mom purchased my bride hoodie and tank top at Michael’s and gave them to me as a shower gift. They were relatively inexpensive (especially with a 40% off coupon) and were just what I was looking for. The sizing runs REALLY weird though- I think the ones we purchased were a large and they fit me (5’3, 117 lbs.) just right.




Bride’s Dress- Blue by Enzoani “Accra” purchased from Paradise Bridal in Patchogue- Sales- A++++++, Alterations- A-

When I first began my search for my wedding gown I knew, just KNEW I was going to end up in a Maggie Sottero gown. I loooove her dresses and they are so reasonably priced. I went to several stores (Village Bridal, RK Bridal, Doris Fashions, Lestan Bridal, David’s Bridal, Charisol Bridal) and tried on many, many Maggies as well as many other designers (my faves included Demetrios, Allure, and Casablanca gowns) but none of them ever seemed to be the one. At Charisol Bridal, I was cruising the Maggie Sottero rack and picked up this one dress that I had never seen before. Instantly my jaw dropped and I knew it was a contender. I tried on my many Maggies and there were a few I really liked (Harlow & Mirabella were stunning!) but then I got to that last one and put it on. Immediately I said “THIS IS A MAGGIE?! Which one?!” But the sales girl knew it wasn’t- she checked the tag and told me it was Enzoani but wouldn’t tell me the style name and left out the “Blue by” part. At least she told me the designer though! I knew it was the one. I felt like a million dollars in this dress! My sister looked at me in the mirror and said “Awww you’re gonna cry aren’t you?!” Haha thanks sis! My mom insisted that I go shopping one more time to be sure. I called around because I wanted to find a store that had a good selection of Maggies and also had the Enzoani dress for comparison. So I rounded up the BMs, my mom, and MIL and went to Paradise Bridal. I tried on about 20 dresses there, working with Patty. She was so sweet! She stayed well after the store was closed, undressed a mannequin for me, never pressured me, and made some great suggestions for dresses! My mom was so happy with the customer service she said we should get it that day! And we did!!

These are pictures from the day I purchased the dress!



As for alterations- I was a little put out by the fact that they only do alterations on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It made my life a little difficult, but I got in for 3 fittings. The seamstress was very nice though I can’t remember her name. She altered it to fit me perfectly!! However, she didn’t give an option for the bustle and I would’ve much preferred a different kind of bustle. Also, she had a very hard time explaining to my sister how to bustle the dress. My sister winged it on the wedding day and nailed it though! Not to mention, the bustle broke about .5 seconds after bustling it- that might’ve been the fault of DH’s aunt who stomped it though. She ripped a button clean off! Also, when she put on buttons for the bustle, they stuck out. They looked like the buttons on those butt flap pajamas. If my mom hadn’t said anything, she wouldn’t have covered them in any way. But my mom pointed it out and the seamstress cut pieces of lace from fabric scraps and covered them nicely.





The one and only picture of my dress fully bustled.

My half-bustled dress.


Veil & Hair Accessories- Barron’s Bridal- A+

I was a little put off by this place looks wise, but I’m so glad I put that aside and purchased my hair accessories from there! I wanted a veil with lace or embellishments on the body and not on the edge of the veil and I didn’t want to spend a fortune on it. I went to Barron’s with my mom and my sister and tried on several veils. I tried on one that I loved the design (fingertip length with scattered beaded flowers) but it was a little long and frumpy on me and it was missing something. Fortunately, Barron’s lets you customize your veil whatever way you want! We had the veil made in light ivory, shortened to somewhere between elbow and fingertip length and we added scattered rhinestones throughout. It came out to $110. When I went to pick it up about a month and a half later, I was floored by how beautiful it was. I never originally wanted to wear a veil at all and here I was in love with this stupid piece of tulle. The same day I picked up the veil, I chose my hair combs from Barron’s. I tried on a few pieces and decided on a comb with a rhinestone and pearl floral spray to tuck into my side ponytail hairstyle. That was $42. My mom noted that the other side looked a little bare so we also picked up 4 rhinestone flower hair pins for $2 each. I’m glad we did! We just stuck them in where ever on the other side of the ponytail and it looked gorgeous!

This is a great shot of the veil, you can really see the beading here!



DOJ- Gift from DH- BJ’s- A+

I purchased a necklace from Tri-County for $10. It was fake pearls and rhinestones. DH scoffed at it and told me he wanted to buy me something REAL to wear. I was a little worried since he had obviously never seen my dress or anything. Fortunately, my SIL went with him to approve his choice. I’m so happy with the jewelry! The necklace was a gift from DH while the matching earrings were a gift from MIL/FIL. The set was purchased from BJ’s, surprisingly enough! The bracelets were some that my mom had picked up as a just in case accessory.




Shoes- Bear with me, I had 3 pairs of shoes on the wedding day!

Martinez Valero “Candy” from www.endless.com- A+

As always, Endless.com is wonderful. I got free overnight shipping. Purchased in ivory, shoes were received next day in perfect condition. They were actually quite comfy considering they were about 4” with not more than an ankle strap and a bow over the toes. Very pretty, matched the dress great!





Converse- DSW/DIY- A+

I stumbled across these blinged out Converse sneakers on the web. I was in love! But not with the price tag!! An adult’s pair cost around $160!! So I purchased the Converse sneakers and flat back green Swarovski crystals from Michael’s and glued them onto the white toe of the sneakers. It was incredibly easy and it probably came out to about $65 for the shoes! So worth it!




Platform Flip Flops- Old Navy- A+

The week before the wedding I was picking up flip flops for the BM’s totes and while standing at the register paying for theirs, my mom pointed out a pair of white platform ones with silver rhinestones on the straps tossed to the side. They happened to be 50% off and my size so I bought them, too! They were a little shorter than my heels so my dress dragged a little, but at least I was comfy!



Garter- Michael’s- A+

My mom purchased my garters from Michael’s. They were very pretty and lacey and the toss garter had a blue ribbon which served as my something blue.

MOH putting my garter on.


Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue-

My something blue was a blue ribbon on my garter, my something new was my dress, and on the morning of the wedding I remembered I didn’t have my something old or borrowed!! My sister ran upstairs and got these gorgeous ceramic rosary beads that she received as a gift from my mother at her Communion. We wrapped them around my bo-k and it was perfect!


Make-up- Sandra Baldini- A+++++++

Originally, I planned to have a friend do my make-up for me. She’s done it before and done a nice job, but this is my wedding we’re talking about here! I got nervous and so about a month before the wedding I contacted Sandra Baldini. After one issue or another I never got to do a trial but I still really wanted to work with her. Due to personal reasons, Sandra told me she was afraid she would not be able to do my make-up for the wedding and didn’t want to commit only to leave me hanging on the big day. I was disappointed but at least I still had my friend to do it for me. The Wednesday before the wedding, Sandra called me up to tell me she’d been worried about me and to make sure I had found someone for my make-up. I told her I hadn’t really and was counting on a friend to do it. She said that just wouldn’t do and that she would be available after all if I would still have her! I was SOOOO happy, you have no idea!! Sandra had originally given me pricing for more girls but with the confusion one of them decided to go get her make-up done elsewhere. Sandra still stuck to her price and offered to do any last minute additions if I’d like. She arrived early, set up her work station and chatted with my mom while I finished my hair appointment. She was such a sweetheart and did a phenomenal job on both my make-up and my sister’s! The BMs who didn’t have their make-up done by her were kicking themselves for it later! I will absolutely be working with Sandra again in the future!



Hair- Celtic Hair Design- A++++++

I’ve been going to this salon for years and years now so it was a no brainer who was going to be doing my hair for the wedding. Anytime I went in for a cut/color none of the girls would get any work done because they’d be hanging out with me while I was under the dryer chatting and discussing wedding plans. They’re all SO sweet and talented over there! I went for a trial about 2 months before the wedding and it came out great! I loved it! I took pictures with the veil and hair combs and it looked beautiful. The Tuesday before the wedding, the salon called me and told me that my hair stylist had gone home sick. I said “Okayyyyyyyyy…. And?” They then explained she went home… to Ireland. They apologized profusely and offered me a free trial with another stylist. I knew I had no time and that it was completely unnecessary. I think every single girl in that salon has worked on my hair at one point or another and I’ve never been disappointed. Turns out they did an even BETTER job on the wedding day. It was beautiful and lasted all through the night!! They also did three of my BMs and my FG when originally they were only supposed to do my hair and 2 of my BMs!


Airbrush Tan- Beach Bum Tanning- A+

I did an airbrush tan at Beach Bum Tanning 2 days before the wedding. I had gone before and it looks so natural! I did a mixture of the two lightest shades (I think it’s “Natural” or 1 and “Beach” or 2.) and it came out just right. I’m definitely going to be getting a package from there and doing the spray tan for any big events! Just some advice for any of you considering it- shower and exfoliate before you go, try to go in the late afternoon, don’t plan on doing anything afterwards, wear loose fitting clothes, no bra, and a thong! Oh and be prepared- it’s REALLY cold.

Bridesmaid Dresses- B2 Style# 2078 by Jasmine from Alexandra Boutique- A+
MOH Dress- Dessy Style# 2015 from my closet- A

Alexandra Boutique had by far and away the best selection of BM dresses and the best prices. I knew I wanted the girls in black chiffon dresses. I wanted the BMs in tea length and the MOH in floor length. Originally, my sister had liked a dress from the B2 line (She had seen and tried it on when we were in Charisol Bridal) and since I liked it also, I told the girls to choose any chiffon dress from the B2 line. All of Jasmine’s dresses come in any length- floor, tea, or knee. When we went to Alexandra Boutique, all the girls wound up liking the same dress so I had the 4 BMs in the same dress. I planned on having MOH in a floor length dress but she gave me a hard time at every turn. Eventually (2 months out from the wedding) I found my dress from when I was a BM for my cousin. It was black tea length organdy dress and it was her size. I had her try it on and she loved it. At first I was a little iffy about the different material but I felt in the end that it was similar enough and just different enough to work since she’s the MOH. The dresses originally cost $195 but since we were purchasing 5 dresses (we wound up only purchasing 4 because of the MOH issues) they gave us the dresses for $165. I thought that was very reasonable. The dresses came in a timely manner and fit pretty well. A few of the girls complained that they were large on top but they went to their own seamstress and had it altered to fit properly. Alterations were minimal.

As for BM hair, make-up, jewelry, and shoes- I let the girls choose their own accessories/styles. The only request I had was that the shoes were to be black.

Great shot of the BM dress in action!

MOH Dress


MOB Dress- Totally You- B+

My mom and I went dress shopping for her about 2-3 months out from the wedding. We had been looking online and browsing through Macy’s and JC Penney for awhile to no avail. Someone on LIW recommended Totally You to us so we figured it was worth a shot. When we walked in and said MOB for a May wedding, they FREAKED! They told us that our choices would be extremely limited because that’s just NOT enough time to order a dress. They marched us straight through the store without giving us a chance to look and brought us to the back room aka the room with only $400+ dresses. We found maybe 2 dresses that were okay back there (but they were and kinda old lady-ish). We asked if we could browse around the rest of the store and they advised us against it! They said we won’t find anything in the regular store part since those are all less formal dress and are not appropriate for MOBs. Well, we found a rack of dresses that were all $200 and under. There were 3 dresses my mom liked on that rack and I was pretty much sold when my mom pulled her beautiful blue dress off the rack. The color was so vibrant and beautiful! My mom tried on all the dresses while the saleslady harassed her. I literally had to stand in the dressing room and hold the curtain shut so the lady would stop walking in on my mom changing and flashing the entire store. My mom came out in that blue dress and my jaw dropped! She looked amazing!! The saleslady seemed incredibly displeased that my mom had taken such a shine to the cheap dress but we were SO very happy with the purchase! My mom looked like a million bucks!!



Men’s Attire

Tuxes- Men’s Wearhouse- B

DH was a groomsman in a wedding in April right before ours and there were MAJOR issues with Men’s Wearhouse. So, we were prepared for the worst. However, they weren’t so bad. I have to say as far as sizing, there were minimal issues. For communication, there were many issues. Mostly it stemmed from DH was supposed to get a free tux rental but there was mass confusion about it. They charged him and then refunded and him and charged him again. I have no idea what the end result was, I was busy with my own wedding related issues at that point. But, the tuxes looked great (they were Calvin Klein, not sure on style number!) on the guys, they all fit really well, and we only had one button casualty on my brother’s jacket. I also wanted to add that the GM’s wore Sage Green vests/ties, DH wore ivory vest/tie, and FOG/FOB wore platinum vests/ties.


My daddy!

DH!

BM!



Groom’s Gifts- “Game Over” Shirt- Etsy Seller: Something Blue Designs- A+

I saw this shirt and knew it was a must have. I ordered it just after Christmas hoping it would be here in time for DH’s bachelor party in Vegas. Unfortunately it wasn’t, it arrived while he was away. This was totally not the vendors fault, but my own, it was Christmas and I was broke so I had to wait to order it. The vendor was great, the design is usually printed on the front but I requested to have it printed on the back and that was no problem at all. DH loved it and has worn it a few times, most notably when he dropped me off at my bridal shower. Everyone got a kick out of it!



Monogrammed Cuff Links- A

I ordered DH classic cufflinks from the Wedding Channel Store. They had sent me an e-mail that they were on sale for $9.95 down from $16.95 and I had a code for free shipping from retailmenot.com. So I went ahead and ordered them. The reason they get an A and not an A+ is simply because they just say $16.95 per pair and Personalize It! Underneath the photo. What they don’t tell you is it’s another $5 to personalize it. What’s the point of them without the personalization?! I thought that was a little shady. They came in perfectly and DH loved them.



Watch- Caravelle Bulova from JC Penney- A+

I wanted to find a silver watch with just a hint of bling since DH is a flashy sort of guy to say the least. I looked on JC Penney’s website and found this watch on sale from $130 to $100. I also got a code for free shipping and another 10% off so the watch was only $90 and he looooved it! He wears it everywhere, except work because I’d murder him.



Party Bus- Camelot Limos- A+

We had such a large WP that finding transportation was difficult to say the least. Even after getting a 30 passenger party bus, we unfortunately couldn’t invite dates of the WP on the bus which is something I would’ve liked to do. We had our entire WP (15 BMs/GMs, 2 FGs, 2 readers- though only 1 opted for the party bus) as well as us and our parents. The bus picked up DH and the GMs then dropped them off at the church and came back to pick us up. We got there so nice and early that I had to wait on the party bus with 2 of my BMs and my photographer while the guests filed into the church! The buses were clean, well stocked, they allowed us to bring our own coolers, and the driver was SO nice. Originally we had booked the black party bus with the bathroom, but Joe called in February to let us know they had just gotten in a brand new 2010 white party bus and if we wanted it, it was ours for no additional cost. We jumped at the option! It’s no surprise that we were extremely pleased with Camelot from the second we met with them until the end of the night when they sent a car for us to go back to the hotel. The driver at the end of the night was such a sweetheart, too. He and Jose (our Maître’d) loaded up the car and the driver helped us unload and bring everything into the hotel when we arrived.



On the party bus, waiting for the guests to head into the church.




Coach Bus- Omega Express Bus- A-

This one was also MIL’s baby. As most of the OOT guests who required transportation were from DH’s family, MIL offered to rent a coach bus for the day for us. We waited until the very last minute to book and, as it was prom season, ALL of the places were booked solid! One of the lovely LIW ladies recommended this company to me and they had several buses available! Now, the only thing I can tell you is do NOT, I repeat do NOT, speak to the woman who answers the phone. The only word she knows in English is “Yes”. Every question we asked she said yes. MIL tested her by saying “And then after we bring the cooler on the bus I think I’m going to throw myself off of the Brooklyn bridge” and the woman replied “yes”. So, MIL asked to speak to the manager and he was extremely helpful. He got us the correct pricing and drew up a contract and quickly sent it out to us. We verified all the questions with him and overall we were very pleased with the service. The bus was on time, clean, they let us bring our own coolers on board, and the driver was friendly. The bus was 54 passengers and it was PACKED! Everyone was happy to have a ride there and back.

Church- Our Lady of Mercy Roman Catholic Church- A+

This was surprisingly one of the most difficult vendors to book for us! I didn’t want to get married in my childhood church for personal reasons and DH doesn’t belong to any church in our neighborhood. Most churches will not allow you to marry unless you are part of their congregation. This makes no sense to me- DH and I both received all of our sacraments and are both practicing Catholics. But, Our Lady of Mercy was different. We met with Msgr. McGuirl and he was nothing but welcoming to us. He didn’t want to know why we didn’t want to get married in our own parish, saying that it was our business and not his and that he couldn’t see any reason why we shouldn’t be married here. Every time we would go in to discuss with him he was very friendly and we’d end up staying and chatting for awhile. We did have to get our baptismal certificates (and we had to get DH’s Confirmation certificate since it was done in a different church and wasn’t noted on his baptismal certificate) and we had to get a letter from my church stating that it was okay for us to be married at OLOM. We also were required to attend Pre-cana, but that was expected. They did almost give me a heart attack when I got a letter in the mail stating “Please make an appointment to discuss music/readings for your May 10th, 2010 wedding.” But it was nothing more than a typo! Haha! It’s a beautiful church and I’m very glad that this is where we had our ceremony.






Programs- DIY- American Crafts Wedding Program Kit from AC Moore- A+

These were an extremely last minute detail, I’m talking 1 AM the morning of the wedding last minute. I was ready to just let them go, but my mom purchased them and they weren’t cheap (even with the 40% off coupons) so I was using them! The template was easy to find online, easy to download, and easy to print. I wish all my DIY projects were as easy as this one!




Aisle Runner- DIY- A+

Unfortunately, this is one of those DIY projects that we didn’t get to use. We had done a “practice” monogram on a cheap plastic runner that we had in the house from a neighbor’s wedding. We blew up the monogram on posterboard and purchased fabric paint and paint brushes from Michael’s. We traced the monogram onto the runner which was surprisingly easy! It came out great so we purchased a nice fabric aisle runner with a swirl pattern in it to copy the monogram again. Unfortunately that second runner never made it out of the house! Oh well, no one missed it. I didn’t even realize it wasn’t there until I got halfway down the aisle.



Flowers- Designs by Rose- A+

I will start off by saying I am not a flower person. I do not know anything about flowers, I don’t garden, and I probably have a black thumb. That being said, I left the florist until the very end. We started looking for a florist in January/February. I e-mailed a few places to get quotes. Designs by Rose was the least expensive option and for a change, thankfully, located in Queens! I e-mailed back and forth with Rose discussing ideas and made an appointment to meet with her and her mother, Doris. She made me not one, but two sample CPs using different planters, which she nailed! I wanted to have white cherry blossoms but given our date, Rose wasn’t sure if they’d be available in white. She told me that no matter what I’d have white flowering branches in my CPs even if she had to do hand attached white orchids. In the end, she wound up doing white dogwood with the white tulips and wheat grass and it looked beautiful! I knew exactly what I wanted my bo-k to look like and she did a perfect job. I told her I didn’t want one of those GIANT bo-ks since I’m such a little person! I had no idea what I wanted to do for bouts/BM bo-ks so they both really helped me brainstorm and came up with such great ideas! The BM bo-ks were all white stock and they looked so pretty and ethereal! The bouts were green berries which I was very pleased with since most bouts get withered and mushed in about 10 minutes. The day of, all the flowers were gorgeous- fresh, vibrant, and sweet smelling! These held up all night long! My only regret was I was at my hair appointment when Rose delivered the flowers! I wish I had gotten to see her and thank her again for all her hard work!



Groom’s Bout



Jericho Terrace- A++++++++++++++++

When we began our search for RHs, DH and I were dead set on having our wedding in Queens/Brooklyn/Manhattan. After visiting several locations, we knew we wouldn’t be able to have the kind of wedding we wanted (with all the extras) in the city. So we spread our search further out to LI. Our first appointment with any LI RHs was with Jericho Terrace. We met with the General Manager Rob and instantly we clicked. He kept offering us food, drinks, anything and everything we could’ve wanted. He also made it very clear that while Jericho Terrace hosts many, many weddings, everything can be tailored to your vision. We had an Irish mixed grill station at CH which was completely Rob’s idea. Another idea of his was to have Bass and Guiness available for the Irish crowd. Rob then took us around through JT showing us some photo locations, the CH room, and even the kitchen!! We said our goodbyes and headed off to Westbury Manor for our next appointment. We never made it to that next appointment. DH and I turned the car right around and went back to sign the contract. It was so exciting and scary and I had many second thoughts along the way but I don’t think we could’ve possibly chosen a better location. You get SO much included in your package at JT- we had NINE, yes NINE, entrée choices! I had never heard of such a thing in my life! That’s not like going to a wedding, that’s like going to a restaurant! And each dish was better than the last! And don’t worry if you can’t choose just one dish, the waiters came around offering seconds or a different dish to our guests! I just can’t say enough good things about this place. Every single person in the place is so helpful and polite- from the valet to the receptionist to the general manager to the bathroom attendant! We met with Linda to go choose our menu, cake, and go over any details. She was such a sweetheart! She had some great ideas and was so accommodating. They even let me have my own special dish since I’m such a picky pain in the arse! She even got me Twisted Tea for the reception and everyone made sure my glass was always full! She really helped get us pumped up for the wedding despite all the last minute stress!

Our matire’d was Jose and he was fantastic. I felt SO bad for the guy because he was blindsided at our final appointment. We rolled up with two minivans PACKED with stuff for the reception. I mean the lobby was filled with boxes of candy, jars, candles, menus, picture frames, linens, our giant damask board. Everything and anything! There were a few things out of place but I can’t blame him. He did an amazing job setting everything up exactly how we wanted it. JT usually doesn’t leave the candy buffet out the entire reception but we requested that they leave it out and Jose came up with a way to make it work. When we first saw JT’s suggested maitre’d tip of $4-$6 per person, we scoffed! But he did such an amazing job that we wound up giving him just under $6 per person as a tip. He earned every penny! As soon as our bus arrived, Jose and the bridal attendants were there to greet us with a smile and a drink! They were SO sweet and always there to hold my bo-k, fix my dress, grab something from the bridal suite (which is HUGE and gorgeous!), help me with my bustle, fill my drink, etc. JT really makes you feel like a VIP, I wish I could get married there everyday!

As for the food, guests are STILL raving about it. MIL and I were talking the other day saying we wish we could just go to dinner there. CH was AMAZING- many of the guests (especially the England/Ireland people) thought that was the entire reception! JT also threw in the martini bar at CH as a surprise for us and added wine bottles on the tables.








Martini Bar at CH.

Something to make you drool!






Champagne March

Guinness & Bass

Fishies!

Ice sculpture at CH.


Dazzling Affairs- Francesca- A+

When booking with Jericho Terrace, you get complimentary wedding planning help from Francesca. At first I wasn’t going to meet with her, but I figured why not? It’s free, what could the harm be. I’m so glad I did! She came up with some great ideas and even helped me narrow down our DJ choices and helped me make a list of what was done and what still needed to be done. Even after meeting with Francesca, she was always available to call and answered all the random questions for me that I didn’t want to bother JT with like what size are the tables or what color the chair covers are. If I was going to have a DOC, I definitely would’ve gone with Francesca!

Cake- Dortoni’s Bakery- A+

This was by far DH’s favorite part of wedding planning. The day of our semi-final appointment, we called up Dortoni’s to see if we could come in for a tasting. They don’t accept appointments but told us to come on in. We got there, and DH was amazed by the whole place. They have these amazing cakes in the windows and display cases and every pastry you could ever think of. In fact, they had a big cake made entirely of rainbow cookies that I will definitely be going back for. YUM! We told them we were here for a tasting and they brought us right out a menu to choose a few flavors from. We tried 6 different flavors- chocolate ganache, cannoli cream, vanilla cream, raspberry mousse, natural raspberry and I can’t think of the other one. They also gave us four slices of cake- 2 chocolate and 2 yellow cake. We wound up choosing raspberry mousse and chocolate ganache with yellow cake and buttercream frosting. It was SOOOOOOO good. Hands down the best cake I’ve ever had. They wrapped up the leftovers for us to take home. We wanted to let other people try it, but the left overs never made it that far.



Cake Topper- Etsy Seller Blue Butterfly Designs- A+

This was one of my favorite wedding purchases! I stumbled across a picture of a cake topper with a bride and groom laying face down in the cake with champagne bottles under their arms. I loooooooved it and knew I had to have it. I had it custom made through seller Blue Butterfly Design. She was great to work with- very detail conscious, asked tons of questions, even asked for pictures to help her design them. They came out awesome, she shipped them neatly and in a timely manner. I purchased the champagne bottles separately from Michael’s.



We added these champagne glasses filled with sugar balls because it looked too bare on the top.



Linens- Efavormart.com- A+

Unfortunately, the one thing JT didn’t have was a variety of linens to choose from. From the start, I knew I wanted colored linens. JT happens to be the one and only place I forgot to ask if we had our choice of linens! After some research, we found it’s actually cheaper to purchase the linens than it is to rent. Efavormart.com delivered very quickly and at a reasonable price. The only downside was the linens needed to be pressed when we got them. They’re beautiful though! We ordered the 90” round in “Willow”.



Table Runners- La Flora- A

Originally, we planned to DIY these table runners. We bought a bunch of material and started sewing away! We sewed 3 or 4 runners and went to go get more fabric and found out that it was discontinued. UGH! Well that went out the window. At least we used those runners on the sweetheart table. So we decided forget it, we’ll just rent them. La Flora had great designs and they were very reasonably priced. They dropped the runners off to us and picked them up from the reception hall at the end of the night. One thing I will say is we had a little accident with a menu and a candle and one of the runners had a burn mark on it. They took our WHOLE deposit for that one little burn mark. I agree that it was burnt and I would’ve gladly replaced it, but I think they overcharged us like whoa. Whatever though, the runners looked great and they were very nice.



DJ- Body Rock Entertainment- A+

We had no idea where to begin for our DJ. How do you judge a business based on a highlight DVD they show you? We got a little advice from our friend Francesca over at Dazzling Affairs and met with Body Rock, a house vendor at Jericho Terrace. We were pleased by their highlight DVD and their prices. We booked the basic DJ/MC package with intelligent lighting and a gobo. Our MC was fantastic! He was so nice and so lively! He only spoke minimally to get the crowd going which is exactly what we wanted. He was attentive to song requests and made sure to come to the dance floor and make sure we were pleased with the music. They played some GREAT Irish music which I was surprised at because DH was supposed to give them a CD of Irish music to play and never did. They winged it and they were great! All of our guests raved about the DJ!




Photography- Duet- Jay’s Team- A+++++++++++

I remember driving to the meeting with Duet and telling my mom I want 2 photographers for 10 hours, this, that and the other thing and I want it for x dollars. My mom laughed and said “Good luck!” Well it turns out Duet gave us all that and more!!! I knew on the spot that I wanted to book with them. I made another appointment to go back and get the okay from DH and he loved them, too! He even requested that we add in albums since he loved them so much. At first we left it open as to which photography team we’d be using. My first choice, TJ, was booked for our date and I was having a hard time deciding who else we’d like to use. Alberto and Jay were my other two top choices and after seeing some of Jay’s work on the LIW boards, I was sold.

On the day of the wedding, the guys were GREAT! They knew the name of every bridesmaid and most of the groomsman (which is saying a lot since there were 15 in total). They were all incredibly creative with their shots and would do anything and everything to make sure they got the shot. I mean these guys were climbing on things, laying on the ground, running inside, outside, all over! They were great and they were everywhere. I won’t lie, but because so many people use Duet, I was afraid they would be a “factory” and just churn out the same pictures with different faces, but this was so not the case. Every picture was unique and beautiful! Our package included 500 proofs but they actually printed about 600 for us and the editing job they did was amazing. I’ll include some here so you can be the judge!

I have no idea what’s so funny, but I love this pic!


Her face is priceless!! This is when I walked down the stairs in my dress.








Why is she so cute?! I can’t take it!!




eta- and I love the DIY trees- remind me to get the details on those.. I want them!!!

Re: My 5/14/10 Wedding- Jericho Terrace, Body Rock, Duet, Camelot, Designs by Rose, Partybooths, Sandra Baldini, and many, many more! LOADED with pics!!!

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Posted by Im_My_Own_Princess

ohh jill, i love it!

can you please explain the champagne parade??
and how was the honeymoon???

when I have more time (I'm leaving work 30 seconds ago) I'm gonna read all the details, I just looked at pics and rates.

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Haha I have no idea what the champagne march is about. But before the MOH and BM do their speech, all the wait staff at JT marches out with their champagne bottles and fills up everyone's glass. It's pretty cool, the guests really loved it!!

I wouldn't exactly call it our honeymoon, DH refuses to! Because we went with all of DH's family. But it was a great time!!

Re: My 5/14/10 Wedding- Jericho Terrace, Body Rock, Duet, Camelot, Designs by Rose, Partybooths, Sandra Baldini, and many, many more! LOADED with pics!!!

YOU LOOKED AMAZING!

Re: My 5/14/10 Wedding- Jericho Terrace, Body Rock, Duet, Camelot, Designs by Rose, Partybooths, Sandra Baldini, and many, many more! LOADED with pics!!!

LOVE YOUR REVIEW!!!! I am going to save it and refer to it all the time! SO exicited for our JT wedding... LOve the Damask!

NEVERMIND! I was asking about the linens but found your info on it!

Re: My 5/14/10 Wedding- Jericho Terrace, Body Rock, Duet, Camelot, Designs by Rose, Partybooths, Sandra Baldini, and many, many more! LOADED with pics!!!

wow jill!!!!! lo i love everytihng...you were sooo beautiful. great dress and love the damask details...all of your details were amazing!! great review1!

Re: My 5/14/10 Wedding- Jericho Terrace, Body Rock, Duet, Camelot, Designs by Rose, Partybooths, Sandra Baldini, and many, many more! LOADED with pics!!!

Looks like an amazing time!!!!

Love all the DIY stuff!!!

Yay!!!

Re: My 5/14/10 Wedding- Jericho Terrace, Body Rock, Duet, Camelot, Designs by Rose, Partybooths, Sandra Baldini, and many, many more! LOADED with pics!!!

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Posted by FutureMcBride

LOVE YOUR REVIEW!!!! I am going to save it and refer to it all the time! SO exicited for our JT wedding... LOve the Damask!

NEVERMIND! I was asking about the linens but found your info on it!

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That makes me so happy to hear! I'm so glad you are all finding it helpful!! Any other questions, just FM me!

And thank you to everyone else!!

Re: My 5/14/10 Wedding- Jericho Terrace, Body Rock, Duet, Camelot, Designs by Rose, Partybooths, Sandra Baldini, and many, many more! LOADED with pics!!!

That was a GREAT review! Everything looked great!!

Re: My 5/14/10 Wedding- Jericho Terrace, Body Rock, Duet, Camelot, Designs by Rose, Partybooths, Sandra Baldini, and many, many more! LOADED with pics!!!

Oh wow! I loved your review! You look absolutely beautiful!

Re: My 5/14/10 Wedding- Jericho Terrace, Body Rock, Duet, Camelot, Designs by Rose, Partybooths, Sandra Baldini, and many, many more! LOADED with pics!!!

Wow Jill, what a great review!! You know I love everything about your pictures but it was nice to see it put together like this so I can imagine the day even more!! I so wish I could have been there. You made a beautiful bride!!

Re: My 5/14/10 Wedding- Jericho Terrace, Body Rock, Duet, Camelot, Designs by Rose, Partybooths, Sandra Baldini, and many, many more! LOADED with pics!!!

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Posted by DWKSwed

Wow Jill, what a great review!! You know I love everything about your pictures but it was nice to see it put together like this so I can imagine the day even more!! I so wish I could have been there. You made a beautiful bride!!

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Aww thanks Dana!!! You were missed!!! Don't worry though we'll make up for it at yours!!!

Re: My 5/14/10 Wedding- Jericho Terrace, Body Rock, Duet, Camelot, Designs by Rose, Partybooths, Sandra Baldini, and many, many more! LOADED with pics!!!

Great review love all the damask details. My colors are red, white and black so I may take program and escort cards idea.

Re: My 5/14/10 Wedding- Jericho Terrace, Body Rock, Duet, Camelot, Designs by Rose, Partybooths, Sandra Baldini, and many, many more! LOADED with pics!!!

Yayyy Jillian! Congrats again!!!!

Re: My 5/14/10 Wedding- Jericho Terrace, Body Rock, Duet, Camelot, Designs by Rose, Partybooths, Sandra Baldini, and many, many more! LOADED with pics!!!

what a great review!!! thank you so much for taking the time to put this together...it's so helpful to other brides on the site!

you looked absolutely stunning, and everything came out amazing! i love all the little details, and how everything fit in the theme...it's the little things!

congrats on being a mrs!

Re: My 5/14/10 Wedding- Jericho Terrace, Body Rock, Duet, Camelot, Designs by Rose, Partybooths, Sandra Baldini, and many, many more! LOADED with pics!!!

Awesome review, beautiful pictures and gorgeous wedding!!!!!!

Re: My 5/14/10 Wedding- Jericho Terrace, Body Rock, Duet, Camelot, Designs by Rose, Partybooths, Sandra Baldini, and many, many more! LOADED with pics!!!

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Posted by futurestevens

what a great review!!! thank you so much for taking the time to put this together...it's so helpful to other brides on the site!

you looked absolutely stunning, and everything came out amazing! i love all the little details, and how everything fit in the theme...it's the little things!

congrats on being a mrs!

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Thank you so much!!! It means a lot to me that you say that! We worked really hard to coordinate everything and it's nice to see it come together!!

Thank you everyone!

Re: My 5/14/10 Wedding- Jericho Terrace, Body Rock, Duet, Camelot, Designs by Rose, Partybooths, Sandra Baldini, and many, many more! LOADED with pics!!!

Your review is incredible and very detailed and amazing! I am beyond impressed with all of your DIY projects! They look professional!
Your wedding sounds amazing and looked incredible from all of your photos!

Re: My 5/14/10 Wedding- Jericho Terrace, Body Rock, Duet, Camelot, Designs by Rose, Partybooths, Sandra Baldini, and many, many more! LOADED with pics!!!

great review Jill!!! The pics are gorgeous!!

Re: My 5/14/10 Wedding- Jericho Terrace, Body Rock, Duet, Camelot, Designs by Rose, Partybooths, Sandra Baldini, and many, many more! LOADED with pics!!!

AMAZING REVIEW JILL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And WHAT a beautiful wedding!!! OMG!!! LOVE the colors, LOVE the damask accents, love the crystal trees and all your DIY's. The candy/dessert bar is just too perfect!!! Bravo!!!!