My 9/06/08 wedding. Red & Gold theme. True Love, 3 West Club, Flower Barn, Bridal Reflections, Pastor April, Excellence Riviera Maya, Royal Hideaway

First off, I’d like to say thank you to all the LIWedding girls! It has been a wonderful year planning my wedding with you.
My wedding was a dream came true. It was such a long day yet it went by so fast. I wish I can relive that day. When I think back a lot of things are a blur. Sometimes I would ask DH “Do you recall such and such?” … I’m so glad we decided to do the wedding video even though we’re still waiting for it.
You know how they say don’t expect your wedding to be perfect, something will go wrong. Well, a lot of things went wrong on my wedding day but I still had the best time of my life. The important thing to keep in mind is to enjoy the day no matter what. I hope future brides can learn from this review.

Weather: F
The weather was the biggest bummer of all. Thanks to Tropical Storm Hanna we have a lot of last minute changes which caused a lot of mishaps on my wedding day. I was sad that we didn’t get any outdoor photos. I feel bad for my guests because they all got wet. Despite the weather, I had the wedding of my dreams. All my guests jokingly said that we should name our first daughter, Hanna, after the storm.

We used True Love Wedding for hair and makeup, photography, videographer, limo and tuxes. It was an all inclusive package but I will grade each department separately.
Hair & Make by True Love: A++++
My hair and makeup artist Grace was phenomenal. She made me feel so beautiful on my wedding day! Before she begins, she will study your skin color, the symmetry of your face and the shape of your head. She is also known for her Asian eye makeup. Since my eyes are naturally slanted, she put tape on my eyelid to make the fold more pronounced. By the end of the night my hair did start to fall apart and my right eyelash was also falling off. True Love also did hair and makeup for my BMs and my mom. They all loved it, no complaints. I absolutely loved my sister’s hair and make.
Photographer by True Love: A+
My photographer was Edison. I love his work, his passion for photography and his attention to detail. He’s a little obsessive compulsive though. Everything had to be picture perfect. He even fixed my aisle runner for the perfect shot. We took pictures at Grand Central Terminal before the ceremony. If you plan on taking your wedding photos in a crowded public space, you better be prepared. A lot of tourists took our photos with their camera phones. DH will point his finger at the person photographing us and say “ You do NOT have our permission to photograph us”. You should have seen the horrified look on this woman’s face. We had such a great time at GCT.

Limo by True Love: F
By the time we got to Grand Central Station, it was torrential down pour with thunder. The sky was completely dark. After we got out of the lime the driver drove off with the girls bouquet still inside!! We waited 10 minutes for the limo to come back with the Bo-k’s. We only stayed for 1 hour because we were running behind schedule. The limo was supposed to pick us up at the same location. Instead, the driver insisted that we walk 1 block to meet him. He said it will take him ½ hour to drive around the block due to the rain and flood. In my mind I was thinking…. I MIGHT WALK- if I didn’t have my ceremony afterwards, if I wasn’t in my wedding gown, if it wasn’t raining or if we had more than 1 umbrella! I remained calm on the outside because I didn’t want a bridezilla moment right before my ceremony. My videographer was so pissed! He was yelling at the driver on his cell because he didn’t want his equipment to get wet! He finally convinced him to drive around the block. Needless to say, we did NOT tip the limo driver. I was more upset over the fact that we didn’t have time for my “must take photos” at the RH. Girls, limo is very important. Make sure your driver is punctual.


Videographer by True Love: A+
DH wanted our videographer to do a freeze frame in the middle of Grand Central Terminal with people walking around us really fast. Everybody else will be blurry except for us since we are standing still. It was the weirdest thing. In order for this to work, we have to remain still for 5 minutes. Too bad the damn tourists won’t cooperate! Instead of walking, like they’re supposed to, they stood there and watched us! And of course we have the wedding party off to the side trying to make us laugh and lose focus!
I definitely recommend a wedding video. We didn’t want it at first to save money but we’re so glad we did it. The video captured so many details that I did not notice on the wedding day.





3 West Club: A+++
We chose 3 West because of its old world charm - tall windows, crystal chandeliers, hardwood floor. It’s a landmark building in NYC built during the 1930s. Our Ceremony was on the 3rd floor and the reception was on the 2nd floor. Our CH was supposed to be on the 9th floor solarium and roof terrace. It has a beautiful view of St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Radio City Music Hall from the roof but because of the rain it had to be moved to the 4th floor. I was really disappointed that we couldn’t use the solarium. That was the reason I booked this hall. I like how everything is on a different floor so there is no turn-around time required. The only thing that bothered me is the fact that the façade and the elevator was under renovation during my wedding. They had scaffolding set up outside and only the service elevator was running.

3 West did a wonderful job setting up everything from sign-in table to placecards, memorial table, favors and menus at each table. The reception went by really fast. The food was excellent but honestly we did not eat too much. We had a blast drinking and dancing. We decided to skip the garter and bouquet toss to make up lost time. The next day I felt really bad about skipping the garter toss because my MIL handmade the garter for me. We didn’t even get a picture of me wearing it. Like I mentioned earlier, there were a lot of must take shots that we missed out on.


We booked the large suite because 3 West does not offer a bridal suite. I think if you have your wedding there they should throw that in for free. Other than that, 3 West has been more than accommodating with our needs. No one mentioned or complained that we were 1 hour behind schedule. Everyone was so friendly and helpful.


Flower Barn: B+
I booked Flower Barn because Mike seemed confident that he can get the peonies I wanted for my bouquet. My backup bo-k was orchids and rose. The day after we finalized everything Mike called me to say he can’t get the peonies. I said the orchids and roses are fine but I feel like he didn’t even try. The flowers in my bouquet were not fresh and the orchids keep falling off. My BMs bouquets were a little better. Also, he did not make the MOHs bouquet a little bigger like he told me. I told my MOH that her bouquet is bigger and she was feeling special but when the flowers came they all looked the same. I sensed my MOH’s disappointment. It was my fault for getting her hopes up. The ceremony flowers were not what I had ordered. It was supposed to be orchids and roses but instead I got hydrangeas, roses, and a whole lot of green and curly willows. I didn’t like the green fillers. Why was there curly willow in my ceremony pieces?!!! The curly willows did not go with my Manhattan wedding and I was not going for the fall theme. I was very pleased with the following items which scored them a B+. My centerpieces were larger than what I had expected and absolutely beautiful. They took the time to remove all the labels from my vases. The boutonnières, corsages and roses for the mothers were beautiful. They did a nice job with the bouquet charm. Delivery was on time and they didn’t forget anything.



Bridal Reflections Massapequa: A-
I have to admit that I was disappointed with Bridal Reflections when my gown first came in. Not only was it way too big, it was a little too short! I don’t know why they ordered me a petite when they told me that it will come in full length and then they’ll hem it. Because it came pre-hemmed I had to wear 2” of heals instead of 3”, which wasn’t a huge problem since I wanted comfortable shoes. My fittings were done by Azizi (spelling?) She was amazing! She did a 19 point French bustle for me. It was the most beautiful bustle I’ve ever seen AND it held up all night. My MIL also ordered her dress through Bridal Reflections. Everything went smoothly for her. She was very happy with them. My MOH on the other hand had the most difficult time. She ordered her dress back in March. They told her it’d be in by June. So she called in July only to find out that they’ve lost her order. They rushed ordered her dress. It came in literally 5 days before the wedding. They fitted her in 3 days which I was very impressed with. I’m giving Bridal Reflections an A- because they pulled it all together in the end, the quality of alterations were very nice and the staff was always friendly except for 1 person.

Officiant- Pastor April: A++
We heard so much about Pastor April on LIW before we even met her. She (and her dog) was wonderful to work with. We met her at her house. DH and I gave her some backgrounds of ourselves, how we met and went over how we want the ceremony to go. In 2 days she gave us our 1st draft. We were so pleased with her work we booked her right away. She brought her own PA system for the ceremony. She has the most beautiful voice. At least 10 of my guests came up to me to tell me what a wonderful ceremony it was.

DJ- Cool Groove Music / The Rhythm Dogs: A
I was very pleased with my DJ’s & MC Peter. Peter arrived 2- 4 hours before to set up. He’s a long time DJ at 3 West. He also provided the motivational lighting for the dancing. He had a great selection of music. I gave him a song list of 6 songs. Can you tell that I ran out of time during my planning process? I pretty much told him to play a large variety of songs because the age group at my wedding ranges from 1 year old to 92 year old. Everyone got a chance to dance to their style of music. .
Veils – Barron’s at Tri County: A
I bought my birdcage veil, standard elbow length veil and a flower from Barron’s. The lady was very friendly and helpful. I lied to her about my wedding date. She gave me my veil in 1 week. :P

Rings: A
DH got the engagement ring from Major Jewelers at the Smithhaven Mall. The lady there was really nice and patient with me. I went back to get my ring resized and also to switch out the setting. I also had shots put in on the inside of my ring to prevent it from rotating. The wedding bands are from the diamond district. My band is 14k white gold and has 7 diamonds on top. DH’s band is also 14k white gold. We got a killer deal through my mom who is a member of some diamond club, both for $850.



Customized Girl: A
A little pricey but I got what I wanted. Too bad my photog didn’t get any pictures of it.

Shoes- Craft Shoes in Commack: A
I literally walked in and walked out with a pair of shoes that in 10 minutes. I love my shoes, the service was great and it was cheap.
After party at Johnny Utah’s : A
If you haven’t been to this place, you gotta go. It was suggested by my RH located only 4 buildings down. We changed into a pair of jeans and went with a few friends. They have a mechanical bull there. Only three of my friends dare to ride the bull. I would’ve puked if I tried it. :lol
http://www.johnnyutahs.com/
DIY – Invites, Programs, Menus, Pew Bows, Placecards, Bok Charm, Table numbers, Aisle Runner, Unity Candle
The programs were a huge hit. I made 90 programs for 110 guests, figuring 1 per couple with some left over. They were all gone! Good think I put one aside for myself.
I used left over paper from my invites. The tassels are from MJ Trimmings and the rhinestones are from http://www.bluemud.com/dept.asp?dept%5Fid=1335

Click here for DIY Place Card Instructions

Click here for Rhinestone Buckles

Click here for DIY Programs and Invitation instructions.

Favors from Dollar Days: A++
We did 1 favor per couple. At Dollar Days you buy wholesale so it’s much cheaper. You have to create an account with them and buy at least one box. http://dollardays.com/i327536-wholesale-incense-candle-set-in-bamboo-box.html



BM jewelry from Exclusively Weddings: A

Newlywed chop by DH: C+ :lol
It was the morning before our HM flight and I had to get it cut. I can’t be bothered with long hair on our HM. So DH took a pair of scissors, we went outside and off it goes. It’s crooked! :lol It was like that for the duration of our HM. I donated 12 inches to Locks of Love. I’d do it all over again!

Travel Tom: A++++++
cell: 301 755-4641
[email protected]

Tom came recommended by a LOT of LIW girls. He gave us the best HM one can ever dream of. Tom works for American Express so that made us feel comfortable dealing with him even though everything was through phone and email. We also purchased the HM insurance through him since Sept. is hurricane season in Mexico. Everything was so well planned out from our flight to shuttle to the resorts to our HM suite w/ ocean view. We will not travel anywhere else unless it’s through AMex. I will let my pictures speak for themselves.

Honeymoon: A++++++
We stayed at two resorts because we were so torn between the two. We cannot decide on one so, finally, Tom said we can do both but it will be slightly over our budget. Well, we decided it was worth the splurge so we did.






If you are going to the Excellence in Riveira Maya I would recommend that you pay for the Excellence Club. We met a couple there on their HM who did not have the excellence club and we were going through the items DH and I had through the club and I sensed a bit of jealousy from them. I think it's totally worth is.
With the Excellence Club you get a romantic dinner on the beach, fresh fruit basket and flowers in your room, a couples massage, a HM suite with a jacuzzi in the room as well as one on the balcony ( we didn't use the one on the balcony, so it's kind of a waste). YOu also get internet in the room (wired, not WiFi) and use of their computer cluster. There is always a bite to eat and refreshments in the Excellence club room anytime during the day so it's very convenient if you don't want to get a table at the restaurant. The EC also offers a private pool for club members only so you don't get the crowd. All room services are included. I got really sick one day and I couldn't even walk to the restaurant so we order room service for dinner. I'm not a morning person so when we have to wake up early for excursions, we place our breakfast order the night before and have it delivered to our room at 7am the next morning. It worked out great because you don't want to miss the bus. Oh yea, you also get a mini fridge in your room stocked with water, soda AND a mini bar of Vodka, Whiskey and Rum. Every night they leave ceramic Mexican figurines on your bed as souvenirs. That's all I can think of for now!










OMG, one thing that I really, really hated was the dinner reservation policy at the Royal Hideaway. You have to make sure you call in your reservation first thing in the morning or even the night before to reserve your spot. We were never on top of that so we always get the 6pm or 10pm slots. Everything else gets booked up really quick. I find it very difficult to have dinner at 6pm especially if you had lunch at 3pm but it was too late to change at that point. There was very little activity at the Royal Hideaway, after a few days I was completely bored out of my mind. There was nothing to do at night. We walked around the entire resort looking for ppl to talk to but I guess that’s one of the draw backs of going during off season. Although I like the fact that Royal Hideaway offers motorized water craft right there on the resort, I do not like smelling the exhaust from them while having lunch on the beach. The Excellence does NOT offer motorized water craft on their beach so you can enjoy the clean beautiful beach. In this regard, we had the best of both worlds because we did both. ?
At the Excellence, there is ALWAYS something to do. They have shows every night at the theater. There are plenty of shops, bars and lounges. I absolutely LOVE the fresh coconut drink with white rum served on the beach. The bartender takes a knife and carves a hole on the top of the coconut, pours the milk out into a container and mixes it with white rum and something else, then pours it back into the coconut and hands it to you with a straw. They only serve about 30 of these each day, for 1 hour only and only 1 per person. When you’re done with the drink, you can bring the empty coconut back to the bartender. He takes a machete, cuts it open and carves out the coconut meat for you. The good thing about going off season is that you get great service from the waiters and staff and you get seconds on the coconut drink.
If you are looking for an intimate, low keyed resort where you can hang out with other young honeymooners, the Royal Hideaway is a great place for that. If you are looking for a fun, activity packed resort or if you just want to relax on the beach or by the pool then the Excellence is the place to be.
All of our excursions were booked at the Excellence Resort through Amex. We loved all of our excursions.




And last but not least, we had breakfast at Rockefeller Center the morning after the wedding. What a beautiful sunny day at Rockefeller Center. Go figure!

Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it.

Re: My 9/06/08 wedding. Red & Gold theme. True Love, 3 West Club, Bridal Reflections, Pastor April, Excellence Riviera Maya, Royal Hideaway

your wedding looks amazing just stunning

Re: My 9/06/08 wedding. Red & Gold theme. True Love, 3 West Club, Bridal Reflections, Pastor April, Excellence Riviera Maya, Royal Hideaway

What a great review! Thank you for posting Samantha! I know it's a bummer that you didn't get all your 'must take' shots! I went through a similar situation and I know how it feels. But your photos are really beautiful and you looked stunning!
I loved your HM review also. How was the weather in Mexico in September?

Congratulations to you and your DH!!!

Re: My 9/06/08 wedding. Red & Gold theme. True Love, 3 West Club, Bridal Reflections, Pastor April, Excellence Riviera Maya, Royal Hideaway

gr8 review, congrats!

Re: My 9/06/08 wedding. Red & Gold theme. True Love, 3 West Club, Bridal Reflections, Pastor April, Excellence Riviera Maya, Royal Hideaway

Great review - every detail of your wedding is just amazing. So elegant!

Re: My 9/06/08 wedding. Red & Gold theme. True Love, 3 West Club, Bridal Reflections, Pastor April, Excellence Riviera Maya, Royal Hideaway

great photos....so sorry you got hit by the bad weather...but your wedding was fabulous!

Re: My 9/06/08 wedding. Red & Gold theme. True Love, 3 West Club, Bridal Reflections, Pastor April, Excellence Riviera Maya, Royal Hideaway

Great review!!! I'm sorry about the weather, but everything looked sooooo gorgeous!!! CONGRATS!!!

Re: My 9/06/08 wedding. Red & Gold theme. True Love, 3 West Club, Bridal Reflections, Pastor April, Excellence Riviera Maya, Royal Hideaway

GREAT REVIEW!!! What a beautiful bride!!!!! Loved every aspect of your wedding. Your DIY projects were awesome!!!!

Congrats!!!

Re: My 9/06/08 wedding. Red & Gold theme. True Love, 3 West Club, Bridal Reflections, Pastor April, Excellence Riviera Maya, Royal Hideaway

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Posted by NapaValleyGirl

What a great review! Thank you for posting Samantha! I know it's a bummer that you didn't get all your 'must take' shots! I went through a similar situation and I know how it feels. But your photos are really beautiful and you looked stunning!
I loved your HM review also. How was the weather in Mexico in September?

Congratulations to you and your DH!!!

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Thanks!
The weather in Mexico wasn't bad. It only rained for 2 nights and it lasted for about 1/2 hour each. We missed Hurricane Ike by about 160 miles. That is very close considering the hurricane itself is about 600 miles in width. During the day it was reallly hot. I had a heat stroke when we went to Chitchen Itza and was sick for a day or two. Got my first sun burn when did the swimming with the dolphins. I can't wear any sunblock because it's harmful to the dolphins. And because of that our couples massage wasn't that enjoyable. DH's skin was bright red.

Re: My 9/06/08 wedding. Red & Gold theme. True Love, 3 West Club, Bridal Reflections, Pastor April, Excellence Riviera Maya, Royal Hideaway

Congrats great pics love the one in Grand Central, which must have been a lot of fun. Sorry the weather and limo didn't work in your favor. Thanks for sharing.

Re: My 9/06/08 wedding. Red & Gold theme. True Love, 3 West Club, Bridal Reflections, Pastor April, Excellence Riviera Maya, Royal Hideaway

Excellent review! Im sorry you didnt get the bok you wanted, but it was still gorgeous if that is any consolation. BTW the undies are very cute!! ha ha

Re: My 9/06/08 wedding. Red & Gold theme. True Love, 3 West Club, Bridal Reflections, Pastor April, Excellence Riviera Maya, Royal Hideaway

GORGEOUS!! AMAZING!!

Re: My 9/06/08 wedding. Red & Gold theme. True Love, 3 West Club, Bridal Reflections, Pastor April, Excellence Riviera Maya, Royal Hideaway

congrats, your wedding was beautiful!
Ugh but you must tell me what is that delightful-looking chocolate treat with the strawberry called?

Re: My 9/06/08 wedding. Red & Gold theme. True Love, 3 West Club, Bridal Reflections, Pastor April, Excellence Riviera Maya, Royal Hideaway

Everything looks amazing!!!!

Re: My 9/06/08 wedding. Red & Gold theme. True Love, 3 West Club, Bridal Reflections, Pastor April, Excellence Riviera Maya, Royal Hideaway

Your wedding was beautiful!! Congrats!!

Re: My 9/06/08 wedding. Red & Gold theme. True Love, 3 West Club, Bridal Reflections, Pastor April, Excellence Riviera Maya, Royal Hideaway

Beuatiful!The pics are fab & you looked amazing

Re: My 9/06/08 wedding. Red & Gold theme. True Love, 3 West Club, Bridal Reflections, Pastor April, Excellence Riviera Maya, Royal Hideaway

what a great review! Everything was beautiful! Congratulations!!!

Re: My 9/06/08 wedding. Red & Gold theme. True Love, 3 West Club, Bridal Reflections, Pastor April, Excellence Riviera Maya, Royal Hideaway

STUNNING!!!!!! Absolutly beautiful wedding! You have great taste!! And your DIY's were amazing!!

Your honeymoon looked like it was so much fun and so relaxing!!

Congrats!!!!!

Re: My 9/06/08 wedding. Red & Gold theme. True Love, 3 West Club, Bridal Reflections, Pastor April, Excellence Riviera Maya, Royal Hideaway

Awesome Wedding!!

congrats

Re: My 9/06/08 wedding. Red & Gold theme. True Love, 3 West Club, Bridal Reflections, Pastor April, Excellence Riviera Maya, Royal Hideaway

Great Review !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!