My Short Review - pics soon! Camelot, D'Angio, Duet, VYC, Tommys Tunes, etc.

Hey, ladies. I have been thinking of this for some time now, and I have to put this whole wedding business in perspective, and stop thinking about it. I remember when I was planning my wedding, what a great resource this page was. I hope it helps someone else out.

LIW- A+. It was really the most fun. I met so many great ladies, and I got so much help here. I truly loved every minute I spent on this site. I think a disservice is done to brides only in that reviews are censored. I gave a LOT of money to LIW sponsors, and I think all of the brides here do. They deserve to hear the truth about the vendors.

Hair- Nicole D'Angio A+. She came to my house EARLY and worked until she got my hair EXACTLY right. I loved it. I got so many comments on my hair, you wouldn't believe it. I have read that she is difficult to reach by phone, but she will get back to you when it counts. If you need her, keep calling. SHE IS THE BEST, and I am so satisfied with this choice. I could not have picked better.

Makeup - Jacqueline Nicole A+. Just the nicest person ever, and she listened to everything I said and did a great job. Loved the airbrush- it stayed all night. She did all of my ladies, and everyone loved her. Again, I could not have picked better. I got a stain on my dress before I even left the house, and she saved the day by getting on her knees in the driveway and fixing it. No joke. Love her.

Flowers- The Little Flower Shop- C. I don't even know how to review them- I was totally surprised by this one. I gave them a vendor rave months ago- I was so excited by the work I had seen them do, and the staff was so wonderful. I just don't know what happened. I was very clear about what I wanted, and was assured constantly that I would get what I wanted. I was looking for a specific color hydrangea. I was told that the timing of that color was a bit close to my wedding, and I might not be able to get them. A week prior to the wedding, I was in their shop, and I saw EXACTLY what I wanted. I actually pointed it out to one of the employees, and was told 'fine'. What I GOT was hydrangeas that were practically white. In my bridesmaid's bo-k's, they were colorful and beautiful. In the centerpieces, they were big balls of white with a bit of baby blue at the tips. If the right ones weren't available, I would have changed my whole flower scheme. I was heartbroken. If I had seen the centerpieces before I gave them a tip, it would have been much different, or nonexistent. Also, I explained that I wanted large and lush pink flowers. I was told peonies weren't available. I said 'I just want them big', and was told they would hand-open roses. These were the smallest roses I have ever seen. I mean, they were almost tea-roses. A total joke. I see some of the roses in some of these other bo-k's, and I can't believe they're in the same rose family as mine. Also, I was not pleased to see brown in my bo-k roses. At that point, it was too late. A last 'also'- I was very specific that I didn't want any white flowers at all. It was so nice to walk up to the altar and there are white flowers everywhere. And finally- in my last sample centerpiece, we had discussed all these different flowers, and they finally used the purple anemone's I was so excited about. Unfortunately, I guess THEY decided against them, because they were conspicuously absent from the centerpieces. Why am I giving them a C and not a D or F? I don't know. I liked the altar they made, and the man I dealt with was very nice. Unfortunately, I mistook 'nice' for 'he's listening to me and everything will be fine'. I should have realized that it meant 'he's not listening to me at all, and will give me whatever they have.'

Limo- Camelot - A+. Joe is a miracle, and just the best guy. We got the cars we needed, and THEN I get laid off two weeks prior to the wedding. Joe could NOT have been more supportive, and even gave me a discount, when he didn't need to. He ALSO drove the Rolls himself to Westbury Gardens so we could take a few pictures with it. The driver (I forget his name) was SO NICE. I'm telling you, I am so pleased we went with Camelot. The people were great, the drivers were early, and I was so happy with them.

Westbury Gardens for Pics - A+. Beautiful place, great pics. Really nice people. It was also a real added benefit to have a place to take pics in case of bad weather. Because I got married in March, we were able to take pics inside, and that place is just lovely. I was glad to not have to worry about the bad weather.

Invites- Rexcraft - A+. I got my invites online at Rexcraft. I LOVED them. I think I spent a bit more per card than I had to, but I really did love them. The I got envelope seals at My Gatsby.com, and they totally finished the job perfectly. NOTE:: I did have a bit of a problem with Rexcraft. All of the invites came with a nick on the top. It bothered me- it was like where the paper rolled, or something like that. I called them and they sent me a new set IN TWO DAYS. I didn't even have to return the old ones. Their customer service was so good, that I didn't even mind the flub. Hey, everyone makes mistakes. Fix it, and I'm happy with you. They did a great job.

Dress: Suky, Havertown, PA - A+. They made it and sewed it with the greatest care and love. I will never forget them for it. I loved my dress.

Veil- Barrons, Tri-County - A+. What can I say that hasn't been said? Fast and cheap. Not the nicest guy on the planet, but maybe he is and I just can't understand him. Either way, I loved my veil. And I LOVED the price. I saw a veil in my dress store for $600, and I almost fell off my chair. I got my veil with a special stick (not a comb) for $60. The stick made it easy to put it in your hair, whereas the comb makes it messy when you take it out. I suggest the stick. LOved it!!

Hair piece- Regina B- A+. I just loved it, and her quality is just outrageous. I thought it was a great way to avoid wearing a tiara, which would only have pointed out that my head is massive.

Earrings- Perfect Details - A+. I loved them- I wanted a whole 'deco' thing, and I got it. Great quality stuff. Not 'cheapie' fakes.

Undergarments: Estelles Dressy Dresses - D. Why a D? Because now I have about 8 pair of spanx I can never return. And 1 purse. Hey, Estelle, Macy's takes stuff back. Are you saying you're better than Macy's? Pretty ballsy, Estelle.

OOT Hotel- Hilton Garden Inn, Melville - A+++++. Are you looking for a hotel? I was going to use the Four Points Sheraton, but I was concerned it was too small, so I happened to see this one on my way out of the Sheraton. BRAND NEW, huge, gorgeous. They bent over BACKWARD to make everything okay for me. The rooms are beautiful- micro and fridge in each. There are not enough great things I can say about this hotel. We had our guests in the lobby until 4am, and they were so accommodating. We loved them. Thank you, Hilton Garden Inn!

Custom Coach - A+ I did this last minute- I went online and got buses for 80 people back and forth from the hotel to the venue. Nightmare! Just make sure about a few things: year of the buses, if they have bathrooms, and what their policy is if there is a breakdown. Custom Coach had a 24 hour dispatch and said that God forbid something happened, they'd have another bus there within the hour. That was comfort enough for me. And they were fairly priced.

DJ- Tommy's Tunes- C. I don't know- the last thing I expected during dinner was 'When the Moon hits your Eye like a Big Pizza Pie'. I mean, just because my last name ends in a vowel doesn't mean I want my wedding to be like 'Moonstruck'. Also, they blasted the music to deafening levels, and when I asked them to lower it, they did not. They are very talented DJ's, but played some horrible music. Hey, buddy, when you're playing Bon Jovi (?) at a wedding, and the bride asks you to play some dance music, you don't play another Bon Jovi song. But that's just me. Also, they showed up at EXACTLY the last minute. Good points- they let my family dance on the speakers, and they have great lights. If you use them, just tell them EXACTLY what you want them to play, and make sure they do it. I also was not able to meet the DJ beforehand. I should have insisted. And finally, they would play a song and everyone would get excited and hit the floor, and then they would cut it short and mix it with another song. Why are you doing that? If everyone likes the song, PLAY IT!! And of course, I requested a song NO ONE danced to, and they played the entire thing. I mean, does that make sense? I know I asked for it, but if the floor clears out, don't you take that as a cue and change it? I guess no one shares my taste and thinks 'Hot Lunch Jam' from Fame is one of the best songs of all time.

Photog and Video- Duet- ?? Not sure. I haven't looked at all the pics yet, and haven't seen the video. What bothers me here is that I spoke with Eric and told him I wanted to choose my 500 proofs. We went around and around on this and he told me 'okay'. Then shortly after the wedding, I get a call saying they have the proofs ready. I told her that I was told I would get to choose them. She says 'It doesn't say that in your contract'. No, it doesn't say that because I discussed it with your boss in person. We have a meeting this week to discuss it. Also to discuss the pictures from another wedding he included in our 500 pics.

Venetian Yacht Club - F-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------. There is not one decision I have made in my life that I regret more than choosing to have my wedding at the Venetian Yacht Club. And that is saying a lot. I currently have a complaint filed with the BBB and am trying to set up a meeting with the Suffolk County District Attorney regarding their 'performance'. I can't say more at this time, but suffice it to say that if I could give a lower grade I would, and if I could change a day in my life, it would be the day I signed the contract with them. I have read that many of you have had wonderful experiences with them, and please consider this no slight to your weddings. This was only my experience, and doesn't reflect on anyone else's. I say to anyone who decides to use their services, best of luck to you. I only wish I made a different choice, and will feel the same until the day I die.

I wish all of the best for all of you ladies, and hope your weddings are wonderful and love-filled. I am so happy to be married to my husband, and to have met so many great people along the way. And I know that that is the part I need to remember. Now I'm off to eat some sausage. I'll be back to check in. I miss my ladies.

Re: My Short Review - pics soon! Camelot, D'Angio, Duet, VYC, Tommys Tunes, etc.

great review!

i am so sorry to hear you had a terrible experience with your RH...hopefully they are held responsible for whatever they did (or didnt do) on your wedding day

Re: My Short Review - pics soon! Camelot, D'Angio, Duet, VYC, Tommys Tunes, etc.

Suzanne, I've told you this before but CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!! You looked gorgeous. Your dress came out beautifully and everything looked terrific.

I'm so glad that you wrote a review! Your honesty and candor are such a breath of fresh air. I'm sorry for the issues you had with the RH and the florist but thanks for such a terrific review! Hope you're enjoying married life!

Re: My Short Review - pics soon! Camelot, D'Angio, Duet, VYC, Tommys Tunes, etc.

I'm SO happy to read your review. You know, I almost used two of the same vendors with whom your experience was less than stellar.

Thank you for posting this and it's been so wonderful to have you on the '09 boards!

Re: My Short Review - pics soon! Camelot, D'Angio, Duet, VYC, Tommys Tunes, etc.

Great review..!! So sorry about the RH.

Re: My Short Review - pics soon! Camelot, D'Angio, Duet, VYC, Tommys Tunes, etc.

great review! actually not that short, and I loved reading everything

sorry again for what happened with ur florist and RH. the last things u want to happen to u on ur beautiful day.
glad to hear u put the whole experience into perspective of what really matter ultimately

Re: My Short Review - pics soon! Camelot, D'Angio, Duet, VYC, Tommys Tunes, etc.

Wonderful review!! So sorry to hear about the bad experiences you had with certain vendors.

Re: My Short Review - pics soon! Camelot, D'Angio, Duet, VYC, Tommys Tunes, etc.

Thank you for posting your review Suzanne...I know it probably took a lot for you to do that, and I sincerely appreciate it. Sadly I had a feeling the first time around what happened...and I'm still so truly sorry and wish nothing but future success and happiness for you, you deserve it! I hope you can look back on your wedding in the future and smile

Re: My Short Review - pics soon! Camelot, D'Angio, Duet, VYC, Tommys Tunes, etc.

Thanks for sharing suzanne, we miss you on here. I'm soooo sorry that things did not turn out how you expected them too, and I hope the VYC pays!

Re: My Short Review - pics soon! Camelot, D'Angio, Duet, VYC, Tommys Tunes, etc.

Suzanne - thanks for posting your review. I know you were struggling with your VYC issues. I think you did an amazing job!

We miss you!!

Re: My Short Review - pics soon! Camelot, D'Angio, Duet, VYC, Tommys Tunes, etc.

'I don't know- the last thing I expected during dinner was 'When the Moon hits your Eye like a Big Pizza Pie'. I mean, just because my last name ends in a vowel doesn't mean I want my wedding to be like 'Moonstruck'. ' Such a great way of putting it.

Great review and can't wait to see pics!

I am really sorry things with your florisrt and RH did not turn out as you planned

Re: My Short Review - pics soon! Camelot, D'Angio, Duet, VYC, Tommys Tunes, etc.

Oh, Suzanne. I'm so sorry to hear about the bad parts to your wedding, but you are right - focus on the being married to your husband part. We miss you round here. I hope matters get rectified in a way that is satisfactory to you.

You'll never get another wedding day, but you'll always have the marriage. Many, many congrats to you and DH.

Re: My Short Review - pics soon! Camelot, D'Angio, Duet, VYC, Tommys Tunes, etc.

Thanks for the reviews! They are *extremely* helpful. I'm very sorry to hear you had a bad experience with the florist and RH though.

Re: My Short Review - pics soon! Camelot, D'Angio, Duet, VYC, Tommys Tunes, etc.

Great review Suzanne! Im so sorry that you had a bad experience with your RH


ETA: I totally would have rocked out to hot lunch jam with you!

Re: My Short Review - pics soon! Camelot, D'Angio, Duet, VYC, Tommys Tunes, etc.

Thank you for the review and congrats! Who did you have as your DJ and MC?

Re: My Short Review - pics soon! Camelot, D'Angio, Duet, VYC, Tommys Tunes, etc.

great review! im just soo sorry about some of the vendors and rh! i hope everything gets taken care of! u deserve to be happy!!

Re: My Short Review - pics soon! Camelot, D'Angio, Duet, VYC, Tommys Tunes, etc.

Thanks for the review. I'm sorry you went through any disappointment at all. Congrats on your marriage.

Re: My Short Review - pics soon! Camelot, D'Angio, Duet, VYC, Tommys Tunes, etc.

congrats sorry about the bad experience but thanks for posting a truthful review