My 7/4/08 wedding review! LOTS of LIW vendors: CLM, FM Entertainment, Konrad Kolen, Bellarino, Verbena, Sir Oliver and more!

I don’t post here too often, but I use this site a lot for research. I got great advice from so many of you girls, and I used a lot of LIW vendors as well. Thanks to everyone for their advice and support during the planning process.

Save The Dates: A Giftful Heart – A+
www.agiftfulheart.com
I originally ordered the butterfly antique magnets with a white attachment card. Almost immediately, Kathy contacted me via email to let me know that they usually recommend the ivory colored cards with the “antique” style magnets because it matches. But she told me she would go with whichever I wanted. I was so grateful she told me this, and I immediately changed the order to ivory attachment cards. I received the proof right away and the magnets arrived within a week. And Kathy was right, the ivory cards match perfectly. Great service, great price, I was very impressed. Definitely would recommend.

Invitations: Wilton Invitations (“Happy Day” design) – A+

I bought these invitations at AC Moore. I was pretty picky about invites because the ones I did like I felt were extremely overpriced and I’m not very DIY savvy. So this was a great alternative. Right away, DH and I LOVED these invites and since they’re somewhat DIY, we saved a lot of money.

Dress: Macy’s Bridal, Smithtown (Demetrios) – A+

To be honest I had a lot of anxiety about dress shopping. I was convinced I would hate everything I tried on and that it would take me a long time to find THE dress. I was completely wrong (thank goodness!). Macy’s was the first bridal shop I went to. I met with Doreen and I just loved the Demetrios gowns. The dress I chose was about the 6th or 7th I tried on. I looked around at a couple more stores but I was sold on this dress. I didn’t have any alterations, just a bustle – but the seamstress was very nice and my bustle stayed in place all night!

Veil: Barrons (Tri-County Flea Market), Levittown – A+

For me, the veil was not so important since I didn’t plan to wear it after the ceremony. So I was definitely looking for something affordable. I wanted something simple to complement my dress. We worked with Yanna who was very patient with my lack of knowledge about veils (cut, beading, length – there are so many little details to remember!). She let me try on so many before I made up my mind. She was very nice and very honest when I asked for her opinion.


Hair Clips: Michael’s
I got these because they matched perfectly with my dress and it was only $20 for 4 of them. I really didn’t want a tiara so I felt they were a nice alternative!

Shoes: Coloriffics (www.coloriffics.com) – A+

I am very tall, and I’m actually a little taller than DH. So I really didn’t want to tower over him on the big day. But it’s very difficult to find pretty flats that are comfortable. I was so happy when I found these. I ordered directly from the website, shipping was free, and they arrived the NEXT DAY! Super comfy and really affordable. I love these shoes!


Hair: Khouloud’s Beauty (Rosemarie) – A+
http://www.khouloudsbeauty.com/

Rosemarie did my hair, as well as all my bridesmaids, my mom, and the MOG. I showed her pics of what I wanted for my hair and she instantly got it. I had these hair clips that matched my dress but no idea where to place them. Rosemarie put them in for me and they were perfect! Couldn’t have been happier!

Makeup: Khouloud’s Beauty (Zoreida) – A+
http://www.khouloudsbeauty.com/

Originally, Kacey was supposed to do my makeup. But the night before the wedding something came up and she sent Zoreida in her place at the last minute. She did an amazing job! I was eating, and drinking, and sweating and my makeup stayed perfect – I felt so pretty! I’m pretty picky about hair/makeup but I really loved it!

BM Dresses: Bridal Suite (Centereach) – A- for selection and service, B for alterations
Bill Levkoff Style #279 in indigo with ivory sash

2 of my BM’s were living out of state when I started to look at BM dresses. So it was really important to me to find a place that had the dress I wanted, was affordable, and would ship the dresses for me if needed. Bridal Suite did all that! I came into the store without an appointment, not knowing exactly what I wanted. I walked out having found a BM dress I loved. I shopped around but the best price was at Bridal Suite AND they offered to ship the dresses directly to the girls for only $10 each.

My problem with the alterations was that the dress is supposed to be longer in the back than in the front. I went to one of my BM’s fittings and everything went well, the hem was done correctly. I was told the 2nd BM’s dress would be hemmed the same way but it wasn’t. They cut the hem straight across so the dress looked different from the other girls. I was a little annoyed since this was the whole point of having their alterations done at the same place.

Tuxes: RSVP Tuxedos (Bay Shore) – A+
http://www.rsvptuxedos.com/

The salespeople were extremely helpful and we got exactly what we wanted. And you can’t beat the price! We were very pleased with this vendor.


BM Gifts: American Bridal (personalized tote bags) www.americanbridal.com
JC Penney’s (butterfly necklaces)
AC Moore & ME! (DIY jewelry boxes – supplies bought at AC Moore)

The bags came right on time, all the names were spelled right, and I love them!

The necklaces were ordered online and also shipped right away. They are even prettier in person and I got a great price for them. And they went with my butterfly theme!

GM Gifts: Amazon (Gameboy Micro) www.amazon.com
We wanted to do something different for the GM presents. DH is a HUGE videogamer. And so are most of his friends, so we thought this would be perfect as something the guys would actually use. This was totally DH’s idea, and I think it was great. The only place we could find these was on Amazon, and they arrived in less than a week!

Flowers: Verbena Designs – A+
http://www.verbenadesigns.com/

I love Jen’s work and I was convinced I wouldn’t be able to afford her. We wanted good quality flowers but at the same time, I didn’t want to spend a ton of money on them. We ended up doing candle centerpieces to cut the cost of flowers.

Thankfully I found Verbena thanks to some recommendations from LIW brides! Jen was so sweet and had great ideas (my knowledge of flowers is very limited). I was so happy with our initial meeting, I booked her soon after.


Photographer: Konrad Kolen (Kolen Weddings) – A+
www.kolenweddings.com

DH is an artist, so I truly value his opinion on the more artistic side of wedding planning (mainly photography and videography). So I need to mention that he helped TREMENDOUSLY in picking those two vendors. Konrad was the first photographer we met with. His prices were great but our wedding was in Suffolk County and he lives in Jersey so we were a little hesitant. But as soon as we met with him, we loved him. He has such passion for his work and his prices are awesome. He was so sweet through everything. Any time I called him, he answered the phone. Whenever I emailed him, he emailed me right back and always answered all of my questions. He was incredibly patient. We just felt super comfortable with him.

Our e-pics were shot in my backyard. We really had a great time, Konrad even arrived a little early (again, allll the way from Jersey).

We love our professional pics – Konrad is extremely talented and excellent at his job. We got our DVD of proofs 2 weeks after the wedding. One of our favorite vendors!

Limos: Sir Oliver – A+
http://www.siroliverlimo.com/

Great customer service, very helpful and friendly drivers. Limos were on time and clean. Great price too! Can’t ask for anything more!

Rings: Kay Jewelers - A+

We went to the Kay at Smithaven Mall. It was the first place we went to look. Very affordable and we both love the rings. The guy who worked with us was very patient and very knowledgeable. Would definitely recommend!

Videographer: Bellarino Productions – A+ (so far, pending video)
www.bellarino.com

Again, I really relied on DH’s opinion for video. We felt Bellarino offered gorgeous videos at a price we could afford. I love their work and Phil and Kate were so sweet and easy to work with. The day of, they were not at all intrusive which was great. I can’t wait to see the final product!

DJ: FM Entertainment – A+
www.fmdjs.com

Another favorite vendor! We loved Frank’s private showcase and you absolutely can’t beat his prices. He was always really nice and answered all of our questions, very accommodating.

We got so many compliments about the music played at our wedding! And I didn’t give him too many requests because I figured this is what he does for a living – he knows best. He really impressed everyone and we were up dancing all night!

Placecards: We used CLM’s placecards but I wanted an extra something. So I bought these vellum butterflies (again, our theme) from ScrapbookSuperCenter.com. We used glue dots for scrapbooking to attach them to each placecard. And I used the leftovers for the menus and our wedding scrapbook.

Menus: DIY (Supplies bought at Staples)

This was one of my big DIY projects and I was very happy with the way they came out!

Favors: Wedding Favor Collections (Good Wishes Heart Glass Coasters) – A+
http://www.WeddingFavorCollections.com

I love these favors and this site had them for the best price. They shipped right away and arrived in perfect condition!

Favor boxes: Paper Mart – A+
http://www.papermart.com

Loved these boxes, elegant and unique! Their customer service was very helpful when I had questions about the sizes, etc. I received the boxes within a week after ordering.

Cake: Campbells Bakery (Brentwood) – A+

The cake was beautiful AND it tasted soooo good. We had yellow cake with chocolate mousse and raspberry filling with whipped cream icing. It tasted even better than I expected!

Cake Topper: Nicole W Clark – A+
www.nicolewong.com

I saw another LIW bride post about these cake toppers and I thought Nicole’s work was just so adorable! She answered all my emails immediately. And I was shocked at how fast she made our cake topper! Everything arrived in perfect condition. If you’re looking for a cute & unique cake topper, I highly recommend her!


RH: Chateau La Mer – A+

Originally our wedding was supposed to be in my parents’ backyard. I had even started to book vendors before we decided against it. We figured it was going to be about the same cost as a catering hall and a lot more work. We looked at a few halls but LOVED CLM. We were so sure we could never afford it but Lou gave us a great price. We brought our families to the tasting and the food was AMAZING. That was it, we were sold. The view is fantastic! And the boat ride is a unique touch!

CLM brides – you have nothing to worry about, the staff is wonderful and everything went so smoothly! If you can afford it, I definitely recommend the Viennese hour. So many people have said to us how it was the biggest and best Viennese hour they had ever seen and I have to agree! You will not be disappointed.

Honeymoon: Couples Swept Away (Negril, Jamaica) – A+

Travel Agent: Tom Varghese – A+

Initially, DH and I were planning to go on a cruise for our HM because we didn’t think we could afford an all-inclusive. I contacted Travel Tom because of all the great reviews I read on LIW. I gave him my budget and he got us a fantastic deal for Couples! I was very impressed by his knowledge of so many all-inclusive resorts that I had never heard of. He was great to work with, not at all pushy, and very helpful in the planning process. Best part is we paid very little for travel insurance and it allowed us to cancel for any reason and get a full refund up until our flight to Jamaica departed. That was so important to us because unfortunately we were going to the Caribbean during hurricane season so we had to be prepared for anything! Highly recommend him! FM me for contact info.

The honeymoon was fantastic! All-inclusives are the way to go if you can do it. We didn’t have to worry about a thing. The food there is delicious, the staff is so friendly. The beach is GORGEOUS! All the watersports are included too! We had a wonderful time!

Well that’s it, I hope I didn’t forget anything. I hope this review is helpful! I know it’s been said a million times but it’s so true – the stress and aggravation leading up to the wedding is TOTALLY worth it. And I was a bride who did NOT like planning the wedding. But in the end, I wouldn’t change a thing.

Remember to relax and enjoy your wedding day and have a great time!

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Re: My 7/4/08 wedding review! LOTS of LIW vendors: CLM, FM Entertainment, Konrad Kolen, Bellarino, Verbena, Sir Oliver and more!

More professional pics:

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Re: My 7/4/08 wedding review! LOTS of LIW vendors: CLM, FM Entertainment, Konrad Kolen, Bellarino, Verbena, Sir Oliver and more!

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Re: My 7/4/08 wedding review! LOTS of LIW vendors: CLM, FM Entertainment, Konrad Kolen, Bellarino, Verbena, Sir Oliver and more!

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Re: My 7/4/08 wedding review! LOTS of LIW vendors: CLM, FM Entertainment, Konrad Kolen, Bellarino, Verbena, Sir Oliver and more!

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Re: My 7/4/08 wedding review! LOTS of LIW vendors: CLM, FM Entertainment, Konrad Kolen, Bellarino, Verbena, Sir Oliver and more!

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Re: My 7/4/08 wedding review! LOTS of LIW vendors: CLM, FM Entertainment, Konrad Kolen, Bellarino, Verbena, Sir Oliver and more!

Gorgeous!!!!!!

Re: My 7/4/08 wedding review! LOTS of LIW vendors: CLM, FM Entertainment, Konrad Kolen, Bellarino, Verbena, Sir Oliver and more!

You were SUCH a beautiful bride! Thanks for your review! Congratulations!

Re: My 7/4/08 wedding review! LOTS of LIW vendors: CLM, FM Entertainment, Konrad Kolen, Bellarino, Verbena, Sir Oliver and more!

congrats!!!

Re: My 7/4/08 wedding review! LOTS of LIW vendors: CLM, FM Entertainment, Konrad Kolen, Bellarino, Verbena, Sir Oliver and more!

Just Stunning!

Re: My 7/4/08 wedding review! LOTS of LIW vendors: CLM, FM Entertainment, Konrad Kolen, Bellarino, Verbena, Sir Oliver and more!

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! you're such a beautiful bride and your wedding looks like it was a lot of fun!!!

Re: My 7/4/08 wedding review! LOTS of LIW vendors: CLM, FM Entertainment, Konrad Kolen, Bellarino, Verbena, Sir Oliver and more!

Great pics! Congrats!!!

Re: My 7/4/08 wedding review! LOTS of LIW vendors: CLM, FM Entertainment, Konrad Kolen, Bellarino, Verbena, Sir Oliver and more!

congrats!!! You look great. I just booked Jen from Verbena, i love her!

Re: My 7/4/08 wedding review! LOTS of LIW vendors: CLM, FM Entertainment, Konrad Kolen, Bellarino, Verbena, Sir Oliver and more!

congrats! you looked so pretty...im meeting with jen from verbena next week, excited to hear another satisfied customer with her

Re: My 7/4/08 wedding review! LOTS of LIW vendors: CLM, FM Entertainment, Konrad Kolen, Bellarino, Verbena, Sir Oliver and more!

love the dress!

Re: My 7/4/08 wedding review! LOTS of LIW vendors: CLM, FM Entertainment, Konrad Kolen, Bellarino, Verbena, Sir Oliver and more!

Your pics are beautiful!

Congrats!

Re: My 7/4/08 wedding review! LOTS of LIW vendors: CLM, FM Entertainment, Konrad Kolen, Bellarino, Verbena, Sir Oliver and more!

Great review, thanks for sharing!!

Re: My 7/4/08 wedding review! LOTS of LIW vendors: CLM, FM Entertainment, Konrad Kolen, Bellarino, Verbena, Sir Oliver and more!

Awesome!!!! I am so excited to be a CLM Bride!!!

Re: My 7/4/08 wedding review! LOTS of LIW vendors: CLM, FM Entertainment, Konrad Kolen, Bellarino, Verbena, Sir Oliver and more!

Hurray CLM! Great review- thanks!

Re: My 7/4/08 wedding review! LOTS of LIW vendors: CLM, FM Entertainment, Konrad Kolen, Bellarino, Verbena, Sir Oliver and more!

Absolutely stunning!