My 7/5/08 unbelievable, gorgeous, perfect, dream wedding!!! (timber point, burtons, after hours orchestra, thomas paul, pennylane, primo limos, and more!!!)

My 7/5/08 unbelievable, gorgeous, dream-wedding review (Timber Point, Thomas Paul, Pennylane, Burtons, After Hours Orchestra, Primo Limos, AND MORE!!!)

PRE-WEDDING ITEMS

Save the Dates
Agiftfulheart.com – A+

My save the date magnets were exactly what I wanted. The proof was emailed to me 2 hours after I placed the order, and the magnets arrived beautifully packaged with absolutely no problems less than a week later! They were VERY reasonably priced as well, at only $1 per magnet. They threw in envelopes for being a LIweddings bride. Always ask for a discount…you never know!

My Dress
Lillette’s – Baldwin, NY A+

I went to Lillette’s twice, and both times I stayed for TWO hours. Gerri was absolutely wonderful, patient, and sweet. I tried on a ton of gowns both times, and even RE-tried on gowns. I finally found my dress – Maggie Sottero “En Vogue” – definitely check out this vendor…and ask for Gerri!!
When I went to try it on when it came in, Gerri had measured perfectly. My dress needed ZERO alterations, and all I had to do was have them make the bustle. Perfect!!

BM Dresses
Burton’s – Huntingon, NY – C

While the prices were unbeatable, the service was TERRIBLE. One of my girls’ dresses was too small and when she went back to them they basically said “too bad” and refused to help her AT ALL, and another dress had a defect in the fabric and it was glaringly obvious – looked like a line of ink on the dress. She didn’t notice until a few days before the wedding AFTER she’d had it altered, so we had to work some magic with oxyclean…luckily we got it out, but NO thanks to Burton’s for this crappy fabric. I’ve left messages, they’ve never called me back. I don’t recommend them for BM dresses – I should have ordered from Lillette’s where I got my dress!

Veil
Barron’s Tri-County – A+

I knew from trying on veils while I was dress shopping that I wanted a circular veil (one that lays very flat…no poof!) and they were all super expensive. I checked out Barron’s after seeing it all over LIweddings, and the guy listened to everything I wanted, and basically took measurements and custom made my veil for me. At $60 compared to the $300 that bridal boutiques were looking for, it was absolutely perfect!

Invitations
Party City – Massapequa, NY – B+

After searching and searching for invites online, FH and I decided we wanted ones with “Kim Anderson” type kids on them in black and white, because we have this thing going where we always give each other those cards. We thought it would be very “us” and so we finally found the perfect ones online. BUT they were kind of expensive for being very simple invitations. I went to a number of places and searched through gigantic books, and finally found them at Party City! And at 30% off the list price, they were exactly what I was looking for. After they arrived, there were one or two errors that were fixed, and are now fine.

Favors
Kateaspen.com – A+

We ordered 100 sets of 4 frosted glass coasters (we chose the seashell/starfish ones)…they came in record time, we got an unbelievable deal, and they’re awesome. They are so nicely wrapped in a clear box with organza ribbon and a starfish thank you tag already put on. They were effortless and look fabulous.


Real Dried Starfish
QualityShells.com – A

We ordered about 100 total starfish of different varieties; white finger starfish, sugar starfish, jungle starfish, etc. they look GREAT and we tied our placecards onto one of the arms with skinny pink ribbon. They came fast and in perfect condition. The only reason I didn’t give it “A PLUS” is because they smelled a little and required some airing out and a few mists of febreeze. Other than that, hassle-free!!



DAY-OF ITEMS

Reception
TIMBER POINT COUNTRY CLUB – (Lessings)
Great River, NY – A++

Holy cow. Timber Point was phenomenal. Future TPCC brides have NOTHING to worry about. Everything about it surpassed ALL of my expectations. Our Maitre’d was Tio, and he was outstanding at handling all the details and ensuring that everything ran smoothly. Our bridal attendant was Kerri…I cannot even say enough wonderful things about her. She completely took initiative in setting things up that I hadn’t thought of…writing our names in sand on the guest book table, etc. She had food for us at every turn, rescued me from guests who were talking my ear off, and basically was the best bridal attendant EVER.

The rain held off, so we were able to have our cocktail hour outside..the linens and lanterns were perfect, and the centerpieces that were included in the price of the hall were placed on the cocktail hour tables & they were so cute. (basic pink roses in a bubble bowl with seashells)

There was tons of passed hours’dourves(sp?), and some cheese/fruit/cracker stations…everyone raved about the food and loved every minute of it!! The reception was flawless, everyone had all food in a timely manner, and the service was absolutely impeccable. For more details or specific questions, FM me!!



Limos
PRIMO LIMOUSINES – Lindenhurst, NY – A

I’ll start off by saying that I booked with Primo because they gave me such a great deal on the cars I wanted. I started reading some negative reviews and got nervous, so I called and basically just told them what I’d read and asked what the deal was. They ensured that everything would be perfect, the cars would be on time, clean, the drivers would know their directions, etc. WELL – the limos were EARLY, they were clean, and fabulous. They were supposed to send a towncar to pick us up after the reception and instead our stretch escalade came back for us (yay!). Then the next morning we were supposed to have a towncar for the airport ride, and a stretch Chrysler scooped us up (yay again!!). They definitely threw in some upgrades and were accommodating when DH and I took a while at the arboretum. I DEFINITELY recommend them as a vendor!!!!



Band
AFTER HOURS ORCHESTRA – A+

We booked a 9-piece band, and all I can say is WOW!!! There were times when I thought it was a CD and I turned and sure enough, it was AHO!!! They played EVERY song that we had asked them to, and LEARNED a few for us which they played flawlessly, maybe even BETTER than the original!!! I am so thrilled that we booked them. Phil (the leader/MC) was absolutely unreal to deal with – always answered the phone directly, was so accommodating with all of my annoying requests, questions, mind-changes, etc. The dance floor was packed ALL night, and guests were raving about them all night long, asking me for their card!!! I can’t even say enough good things about them…FM if you want more info!!



Ceremony Music
PETER DESCHLER (trumpet) – A

This is a local musician who plays at holiday masses at St.Williams. I loved him at Christmas and asked if he did weddings, and I booked him immediately. He played prelude music before the ceremony, played canon in D for my girls procession, trumpet voluntary for my procession (amaaazing!!!) and then played trumpet parts in all of the ceremony music. He was a phenomenal addition to our ceremony and I am so glad we snagged him. FM for more info.




Flowers
BURTON’S – Leading up to the wedding…D
Day of the wedding…A-
When I went to see my sample centerpiece, I was devastated…I didn’t like it at all. Not to mention, when we walked in that morning to the appointment, I saw that they had JUST started making it, so it was obviously thrown together (and it LOOKED it). I cried and told them I hated it, and they were actually kind of rude at first, telling me that it’s just a sample and I should relax (don’t tell me to relax!!!). In my opinion, the sample should be EXACTLY what I will see on the day of. Anyway…they fixed it.

My bouquet was exactly what I wanted…white cymbidium orchids with light greens underneath, and the girls bouquets were EXACTLY what I wanted and looked amazing with their dresses…I just wish they were a bit larger; my MOHs bo-k was a bit bigger, and it was the size I wish they ALL were.

When I showed up to TPCC and saw the centerpieces, I was very happy – they looked gorgeous. Guests also raved about how beautiful they were, and at the end of the night, they had all been scooped up by guests with fabulous taste ;)

All in all, dealing with Burton’s for flowers AND BM dresses was a stressful experience, but they DID pull through on the big day.


Photographer
THOMAS PAUL- A+ (so far!)

Obviously we haven’t seen any pictures yet (aside from the ones Tom showed me on his camera) but if his previous work and the poses/candids on the day of are any hint, they will be gorgeous!!! He did ALL of my requested pictures, and added some poses that I can NOT wait to see. As usual, he made us feel completely comfortable, and wasn’t “in the way” at all…sometimes you hear about photogs who are all over you, but I didn’t feel that way at all. I kept asking him “did you get the cake?” “did you get this?” “did you get that?” and he would laugh and say “kate…what do you think?” – he is just so funny and kind and down-to-earth. We were so comfortable with him from day one, and I know that our pics will be gorgeous!! CAN’T WAIT!!!



Videographer
PENNYLANE PRODUCTIONS – A+ so far!

Still waiting to meet with Adam, but he was awesome on the day. First of all, he is so freaking FUNNY and down-to-earth…I loved him!!! He was completely out of sight…just doing “fly on the wall” footage and he definitely captured some great stuff. We’re excited to meet with him to start the editing process.


Hair & Makeup
MIA of ************* – A-

Mia arrived bright and early at 7am on our wedding day with two assistants. They set right up and got started right away. The girls looked absolutely AMAZING. Hair styles looked just like the pictures that the girls chose, and the makeup was beautiful. The only thing that I was a little upset about was that I had to be ready at 12:30 and she didn’t start on me until after 11:30. I felt like my hair/makeup was rushed, and I was peeved about that. I knew that Mia had to go to another client, so I started to feel like they were rushing and I wished I had more time to look at my makeup/make minor changes, etc. But all-in-all, everyone looked gorgeous and more importantly STAYED gorgeous all day/night long!!! Mia is definitely a talented makeup artist/hair stylist!!!

Hotel for OOT guests
HILTON GARDEN INN – Ronkonkoma, NY - A

The Hilton Garden Inn was very accommodating, and blocked 40 rooms for four nights since many of our OOT guests wanted to arrive early and make a mini-vacation out of it. They were even great when I called 3 times to check who booked rooms so I could make sure everyone had rooms, and they laughed and read off all the names. They were a pleasure to deal with. The guests raved about the hotel, the service, the comfort, etc. The hotel handled all of my OOT bags perfectly, and it was just a very smooth process. Definitely recommend them for your OOT guests.


Cake
AUDREY’S BAKERY – Sayville, NY – A

The cake we ordered was very simple, a 4 tier cake with butter cream frosting and pink ribbon around the bottom of each layer. It was perfect. The flowers were later added by someone at Timber Point after Burtons dropped them off…it came together for one BEAUTIFUL and delicious cake. It was outstanding!!!
We went and sampled fillings, and chose oreo cookie mousse and raspberry filling between alternating chocolate and vanilla cake layers. A little something for everyone ?

Tuxedos
Town and Country Tuxedos – Wantaght, NY – C

I mostly rated them a C because their customer service was terrible. They were so rude when I went with all the guys to pick up their tuxes and they also claimed not to have received a deposit from one of the GM and asked for his bank statement as proof…as if he had it in his back pocket!!! Also, the quality of the tuxes wasn’t what I would have liked. My dad’s button popped off, one of the GMs pants were too short, and some of the pants were really worn. I would only recommend them if you are in a pinch, because the guys did end up looking good…but the service/quality was a bit irritating for my perfectionist tastes.

Re: My 7/5/08 unbelievable, gorgeous, perfect, dream wedding!!! (timber point, burtons, after hours orchestra, thomas paul, pennylane, primo limos, and more!!!)

Thanks for the great review! Congratulations! Can't wait to see your photos!

Re: My 7/5/08 unbelievable, gorgeous, perfect, dream wedding!!! (timber point, burtons, after hours orchestra, thomas paul, pennylane, primo limos, and more!!!)

Thanks for the review! can't wait to see pics!

Re: My 7/5/08 unbelievable, gorgeous, perfect, dream wedding!!! (timber point, burtons, after hours orchestra, thomas paul, pennylane, primo limos, and more!!!)

Thanks for the great review! I can't wait to see your pictures!!! Congrats!

Re: My 7/5/08 unbelievable, gorgeous, perfect, dream wedding!!! (timber point, burtons, after hours orchestra, thomas paul, pennylane, primo limos, and more!!!)

great review!! i can't WAIT to see ur photos from TP so be sure to post them when u get them!

come on over to the newlywed board! CONGRATS!

Re: My 7/5/08 unbelievable, gorgeous, perfect, dream wedding!!! (timber point, burtons, after hours orchestra, thomas paul, pennylane, primo limos, and more!!!)

YAY great review kate. i agree with everything 100%! I cannot wait for pics and video

love you mrs. murphy!!

(lets do it again in say oh ... 86 days )

Re: My 7/5/08 unbelievable, gorgeous, perfect, dream wedding!!! (timber point, burtons, after hours orchestra, thomas paul, pennylane, primo limos, and more!!!)

Everything sounds great congrates

Re: My 7/5/08 unbelievable, gorgeous, perfect, dream wedding!!! (timber point, burtons, after hours orchestra, thomas paul, pennylane, primo limos, and more!!!)

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Posted by KarinAmanda

YAY great review kate. i agree with everything 100%! I cannot wait for pics and video

love you mrs. murphy!!

(lets do it again in say oh ... 86 days )

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looking forward to it!! xoxo

Re: My 7/5/08 unbelievable, gorgeous, perfect, dream wedding!!! (timber point, burtons, after hours orchestra, thomas paul, pennylane, primo limos, and more!!!)

congrats!!!

Re: My 7/5/08 unbelievable, gorgeous, perfect, dream wedding!!! (timber point, burtons, after hours orchestra, thomas paul, pennylane, primo limos, and more!!!)

Congrats. So glad all went well and you were happy with Primo.

Re: My 7/5/08 unbelievable, gorgeous, perfect, dream wedding!!! (timber point, burtons, after hours orchestra, thomas paul, pennylane, primo limos, and more!!!)

Glad that you had a lovely day! Your bridesmaids dresses were beautiful (I saw Karin's). I am glad that you had an easy time with Adam and Pennylane so far! I love him!!

Re: My 7/5/08 unbelievable, gorgeous, perfect, dream wedding!!! (timber point, burtons, after hours orchestra, thomas paul, pennylane, primo limos, and more!!!)

Thank you for this very VALUABLE review. I want to meet with your venders, i'm in the process of starting to find them for my TPCC wedding
I'm so happy you had such a wonderful wedding!
Best Wishes and Happiness Always~
Tricia

Re: My 7/5/08 unbelievable, gorgeous, perfect, dream wedding!!! (timber point, burtons, after hours orchestra, thomas paul, pennylane, primo limos, and more!!!)

Great review!!! I'm so happy TPCC was wonderful!! And of course the rest of your day

Re: My 7/5/08 unbelievable, gorgeous, perfect, dream wedding!!! (timber point, burtons, after hours orchestra, thomas paul, pennylane, primo limos, and more!!!)

great informative review, would love to see some pics, especially from burtons, im thinking of using them for flowers