My Amazing February 10th, 2007 El Caribe, Dreamworks Entertainment, Double Diamond, Silksations, Amore & Visual Images Wedding Review (w/non-pro pics) UPDATED video review and honeymoon review w/pics

My Wonderful Wedding Review…

Liweddings.com - A+++++++++++++
First and foremost, I need to thank Ron, Liz and all of the Liw girls for helping me out through my stressful days, joyful days and all those in between.

Here we go…


Hair - A+
Olympia at Pilo Arts on 3rd Ave in B'klyn
I didn't have any trials set up b/c I came in from Florida and the initial hair style I thought I liked, wouldn't have looked good. We talked for a while and she suggested my subsequent style and I loved it. I teared up when she put the veil on. It was great. She was easy going, didn't make me feel rushed and as luck would have it, we have common acquaintances, who would've known? It was great to be a bride in her chair. She did an amazing job!

Make-up - A++
Betsy at Pilo Arts on 3rd Avenue in B'klyn
Betsy made me BEAUTIFUL, on the inside and out. I felt like a princess. She was so happy when she was doing my makeup. She took a look at my features (again, no trial here) and worked with what I had to accentuate all of the positives. My makeup felt very light, lasted all night and my eyelashes lasted a while too...they would've stayed on longer but Nick was freaked out by them so I started plucking them early...I loved how they looked though. My husband was pleasantly surprised (he hates me in makeup) so that deserves extra credit in my book.

Flowers
Silksations florist on 18th Avenue in B’klyn – A+
My sister-in-law referred me to the owner, Joe, and it was a pleasure to work with him. I began as a budget bride who just wanted something w/out breaking my daddy’s bank account and Joe was very accommodating. He told me that it would be a bit more costly than usual b/c he would have to hand down the valentines day prices to me b/c they automatically hit him for more money at this time of the year. Joe worked diligently to help me feel confident with my selection and he was very accommodating when I made multiple changes. He made the process easy and the result was fantastic. I loved my flowers, the girls loved their flowers and they held up throughout the night into the next morning. One caution for Black Magic lovers – keep the flowers away from your dress, I stained my dress in two spots b/c I ran the flowers across carelessly. ?

Dress
Kelly’s Kreations on 18th Avenue in B’klyn – A+
Kelly and her staff know dresses. They know what will look right on you, how it will sit and what undergarments are necessary in order to make you look your best. I walked into her salon after searching northeast Florida for dresses and found my dress. A woman was getting her alterations finished, she was the mother of the groom and she chose my dress in purple. Kelly had a white sample available for me to try on – I tried it on and fell in love on the spot. I don’t know if it was my emotion or the excitement, but I originally planned to find a dress then order it online. But I felt so great with Kelly that I ordered on the spot. My dress came in later than I anticipated, but Kelly shortened her Christmas vacation to fit me in for alterations. My dress came in the perfect size, I needed a corset bra, but I foolishly thought that pads would do….they would not. I cried after I tried it on b/c I hated the way it looked on me (w/out the right undergarments). I should’ve listened to Kelly when she told me I needed the fuller slip and corset bra, it would’ve saved me the headache. In the end, I followed her suggestions, and everything came out great. I loved working with her seamstresses. They always remembered my name and new residence, which added to making me feel special for my big day. I loved talking to them in Italian and it was easier for my mom to speak with them as well! I would recommend Kelly to any bride. ?


Bridesmaid’s dresses - A
Kelly’s Kreations & Alfred Angelo

Again, Kelly knew what the girls needed. We originally ordered the dresses in June, but called in 2 girls sizes in September. We were told that the dresses would be in by November, then December. They finally arrived in mid January – a bit disconcerting, but they all arrived ok. She shipped out two dresses to Vermont and all of my girls were able to get their fittings done w/enough time thanks to agreeing on silver shoes. The dresses were nice and flattered every girl’s style. Almost everyone needed the halter top to be taken up as it sits low, other than that, they needed to fix their hems, no major alterations.

Morning Glory Garters - ebay - A+
NY Giants Garter
Very quick delivery as promised. Good quality and very easy to work with. Nick loved the surprise!

Cake topper - A+
Ebay seller jodi - jbrazzi
Good delivery time, I took a long time to order so I was worried about it being there in time. No problems, everyone loved it. Lots of bling and not too expensive. Very happy with my monogram! She was very friendly as well and responded to my questions almost immediately!


Classie Tuxedo - 18th ave
Joe & his staff - A+
They were excellent to work with. Reasonable prices, no problems with any tuxes even though there were a few guys who waited a while to get measured.


Videographer – so far…C
Brian from Visual Images
He arrived on time and was ready to go – even though I wasn’t. I will write a full review after I get my raw footage and then full dvd. - Okay...got my raw footage...Initially, I was pleased w/Brian's work, the day of b/c he seemed professional, i.e. got there on time. At the end of the night I asked when I'd have my raw footage, he said to call as soon as I returned from the HM. I waited a week, to give him some time and he told me it would be out in the mail the next day. I wait 3 days, nothing. I called him about 9 times, each time either speaking to his voicemail or receptionist. I spoke to him once last Thursday and he said he accidentally mailed it to the wrong address, he'd mail it out on Friday priority. Saturday comes, nothing, Monday, nothing. I call & the receptionist won't let me speak w/him she tells me the information for him. I called Tuesday same thing. She said they mailed it out...lo and behold I finally get it on Thursday w/the postage from USPS stating it was purchased on 3/13...hmmm.

Okay, so I'm happy to have my raw footage and wait for my husband to get home so we can watch it. It is decent. I hope that he can fix the errors in the editing process. My biggest concern is that throughout 3/4 of the dvd, my 6'2' husband's head is cut off. Not completely, but I'd say from about the forehead up so you can't see his hair. I haven't called Brian yet to discuss this matter, becasue I'm waiting to make sure that I'm not rude and livid when I speak with him.

I hope to rate him higher when we get the final, edited dvd.



Photographer – so far…A
Joe from Amore Photography
Joe shot our engagement shoot to become better acquainted with us. It was a lot of fun and we have many great pictures from it. He arrived on time and ready to go. He remembered my OCD issues w/height order and even numbers so we were good to go. I had a great time shooting with him – he kept us very comfortable. Joe can also read minds as he saw when Nick had enough with the pictures or when family members were itching the last nerve – lol. I can’t wait to see the proofs. I’m more than pleased with his work thus far!

Limos – A+
Tommy from Double Diamond
Tommy was great to work with. He was very easy going and accommodated my changes on two separate occasions. We went into overtime, and it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. We had four drivers and they were all very professional and a lot of fun to be around. The cars were clean and on time. I’d recommend them to anyone!!!

DJ A++++++++++++++++++
Nick & Staff from Dreamworks Entertainment
Nick and his staff were hired for my sister-in-law’s wedding in September of 05. I had a great time dancing at her wedding and loved Nick’s MC voice. She referred me to him and I have to say, without any other vendors taking offense, that Nick and his crew were by far my favorite vendor (outside of the RH) to deal with!!!! Nick made every appointment fun, he set me at ease, and he took his time to work with my needs. I never felt like I was just one of his clients, each time I felt like I was THE ONLY client. When you deal with wedding vendors, it’s hard to get that feeling, but I had it every time I met with Nick.
I took a VERY long time to get my pictures together for the montage, but Nick didn’t get angry with me. He worked with me over the phone for 45 minutes as we set them up in chronological order. I thought that he wouldn’t care about the montage b/c I took so long getting back to him, but I was dead wrong. He truly amazed me with the compilations!!! Nick and his staff were courteous, prompt and always energized. They knew what my guests wanted to hear and had everyone up the whole night. The lightshow was spectacular, the montage was memorable and the dancing was non-stop. My guests were more than pleased with his work. If you want to feel like you’re the only bride out there, go to Nick at Dreamworks. I’m telling you, he is genuine and charismatic, you won’t be disappointed!


Reception Hall A+++++++++++++++++
Phil, Ralph, Terrance & George from the El Caribe – Brooklyn, NY
The El Caribe knows how to throw a wedding! My guests were left in awe by the abundant amount of food, exceptional wait staff and service and beautiful facilities. Many out of town guests were so impressed with the Cocktail Hour that they thought it was THE dinner. The food was fantastic. Terrance and George made sure Nick and I had anything we needed. They took care of our bridal party, and they made sure all of the guests were having a great time. Everyone, from valet to bathroom attendants were professional, courteous and helpful. As soon as we put our glass down, another was waiting. Many of my guests attended my brother and sister-in-law’s wedding at the El Caribe and I was afraid that our weddings would be the same, but they weren’t. Well, they were both great, but both very different.
We had a great time. The food was delicious, though as expected, we ate very little b/c we were too busy saying hello, dancing and having the time of our lives. George and Terrance wanted to get us anything we desired, but we were content with what we had. It was phenomenal. The Viennese display was outrageous, there was so much food I couldn’t concentrate on any particular area! Ralph and Phil were consummate professionals. I felt at ease throughout the entire planning process because of their attention to detail and expertise in the field. I would definitely recommend the El Caribe for any wedding or occasion!


Wedding Night - Marriott Brooklyn Bridge
A+
The hotel room was large and had a nice view. The bed was VERY comfortable. Nick and the boys got ready there before the wedding, but the hotel staff made sure it was ready for the just married couple. The bell hop was very nice as was the desk staff. I'd recommend this hotel to anyone staying in downtown Brooklyn!

We may have made our baby here...lol...

Carnival Elation Cruise - Honeymoon
A-
Okay, we were undecided about honeymoon destinations b/c Nick WANTED an all inclusive resort but I couldn't fathom spending 6k for 1 week at sandals. Then we thought about skiing, but since we can't handle florida's 30s we didnt think we'd handle aspens -10. We considered Hawaii but w/1 wk off and long travel time...it was out...So we hemmed and hawed and waited around till almost the eleventh hour. We finally booked the cruise in January.

We went to Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay (private Carnival Island and Nassau) w/2 days at sea.
It was our first cruise ever and thankfully we didn't get very sick.

The food at dinner was great, during the day it was pretty good though as the days went on we were tired of the same old same old at each station. We were seated w/4 other nice couples and by the end of the 3rd night all the couples got together and hung out on the lido deck for the valentines day dance.

The rooms were immaculate, though dated. They weren't as small as I had imagined (oceanview) which was good b/c we spent a lot of time in there.

The onboard entertainment was ok - middle of the road for the various age groups. The musicians were great in one bar - can't remember the name though. All in all it was better than we thought it would be.

Grand Turk - nice island, not too big. We chose to avoid excursions on the first day so that we could relax by the pool and beach. The dj at margarhettaville was funny as he**. We had a nice time here but we boarded early to relax in our room and watch some movies (3 free movies each day)

Half Moon Cay - Our FAVORITE island. It was clean and held only our ship's passengers. They had a bbq on the island for us b/c we had to tender to HMC. It was quiet and secluded. We went horseback riding through the land and sea and had a nice time. Nick doesn't like horses but he did it for me. We wanted to jetski but they were sold out - sign up early.

Nassau - Didn't like this island very much. A lot of hagglers. The water taxi took forever to depart - take a cab, its worth your sanity. We went to atlantis to see the sharks since he loves/hates sharks. A bit pricey, but the hotel was gorgeous - LOTS of bling, plastic bodies and wealthy clients. It was nice but not what we had imagined. Our cab driver on the way back to the ship was AWESOME. I'd go back just for her. She gave us our own personal comedy show for 15 mins. It was great. We hit up the straw market, but nothing too great, a few souveniers. Everyone was selling bootlegged bags, but I can't tell which were good and which weren't so I didn't bother to buy any of them. The couples at our table, however, loved the deals.

debarkation was easy b/c we carried our own bags and were out of there in about 1.5 hrs.
All in all, we had a nice time.

If nothing else, we probably conceived our baby here if not on the wedding night!

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Re: My Amazing February 10th, 2007 El Caribe, Dreamworks Entertainment, Double Diamond, Silksations, Amore & Visual Images Wedding Review

Congratulations!! You looked amazing-can't wait for more pics.

Re: My Amazing February 10th, 2007 El Caribe, Dreamworks Entertainment, Double Diamond, Silksations, Amore & Visual Images Wedding Review

Congrats!!!!!!!!!!
you look beautiful

Re: My Amazing February 10th, 2007 El Caribe, Dreamworks Entertainment, Double Diamond, Silksations, Amore & Visual Images Wedding Review

Some more pics...can't figure out how to add more than the allotted 4 slots...hmmm

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Re: My Amazing February 10th, 2007 El Caribe, Dreamworks Entertainment, Double Diamond, Silksations, Amore & Visual Images Wedding Review

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Re: My Amazing February 10th, 2007 El Caribe, Dreamworks Entertainment, Double Diamond, Silksations, Amore & Visual Images Wedding Review

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Re: My Amazing February 10th, 2007 El Caribe, Dreamworks Entertainment, Double Diamond, Silksations, Amore & Visual Images Wedding Review

Awesome Review!! Congrats!!

Re: My Amazing February 10th, 2007 El Caribe, Dreamworks Entertainment, Double Diamond, Silksations, Amore & Visual Images Wedding Review

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Re: My Amazing February 10th, 2007 El Caribe, Dreamworks Entertainment, Double Diamond, Silksations, Amore & Visual Images Wedding Review

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Re: My Amazing February 10th, 2007 El Caribe, Dreamworks Entertainment, Double Diamond, Silksations, Amore & Visual Images Wedding Review (w/non-pro pics)

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Re: My Amazing February 10th, 2007 El Caribe, Dreamworks Entertainment, Double Diamond, Silksations, Amore & Visual Images Wedding Review (w/non-pro pics)

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Re: My Amazing February 10th, 2007 El Caribe, Dreamworks Entertainment, Double Diamond, Silksations, Amore & Visual Images Wedding Review (w/non-pro pics)

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Re: My Amazing February 10th, 2007 El Caribe, Dreamworks Entertainment, Double Diamond, Silksations, Amore & Visual Images Wedding Review (w/non-pro pics)

u looked greatttttttttttttttttttttt

Re: My Amazing February 10th, 2007 El Caribe, Dreamworks Entertainment, Double Diamond, Silksations, Amore & Visual Images Wedding Review (w/non-pro pics)

I LOVE The El Caribe! You looked so gorgeous. Congrats

Re: My Amazing February 10th, 2007 El Caribe, Dreamworks Entertainment, Double Diamond, Silksations, Amore & Visual Images Wedding Review (w/non-pro pics)

you looked amazing! great review!

Re: My Amazing February 10th, 2007 El Caribe, Dreamworks Entertainment, Double Diamond, Silksations, Amore & Visual Images Wedding Review (w/non-pro pics)

congrats! you were a gorgeous bride! looks like everyone really had a great time...and I love this pic!! haha...great bike!

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Re: My Amazing February 10th, 2007 El Caribe, Dreamworks Entertainment, Double Diamond, Silksations, Amore & Visual Images Wedding Review (w/non-pro pics)

you looked GORGEOUS!!!! I'm so glad that you had a good experience with all of your vendors!!

Re: My Amazing February 10th, 2007 El Caribe, Dreamworks Entertainment, Double Diamond, Silksations, Amore & Visual Images Wedding Review (w/non-pro pics)

congrats on your wedding, i want to see more pictures, i want to see ur cake!!!you looked gorgeous

Re: My Amazing February 10th, 2007 El Caribe, Dreamworks Entertainment, Double Diamond, Silksations, Amore & Visual Images Wedding Review (w/non-pro pics)

look so beautiful....congrats

Re: My Amazing February 10th, 2007 El Caribe, Dreamworks Entertainment, Double Diamond, Silksations, Amore & Visual Images Wedding Review (w/non-pro pics)

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Posted by gibi78

congrats on your wedding, i want to see more pictures, i want to see ur cake!!!you looked gorgeous

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ok...lets see if I can find a pic of it...


there's a note in the pic frame..i'll see if i can find a better shot...

it has the 'note' he wrote to me on our 1st official valentines day date - he automatically assumed i was his girlfriend...i told him that he can't make assumptions and need to ask me...so he wrote on teh note

will you be my girlfriend
yes
no
maybe
ill tell you after a few drinks

he's so cute

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