My Wonderful Wedding: 10/9/05 UPDATED WITH MORE PICS -- GWM, Silverfox, Royalty, Milleridge Florist, Bridal Reflections, etc (with Pics)

I’m more of a lurker than a poster, but I wanted to be sure and post a review since I found the opinions of others so helpful in my planning. Thanks to all of you who have offered your advice and ideas – you helped me fill my day with “personal” touches. And to everyone still planning I have just a couple of pieces of advice for you (mostly seconding what others have already said).

1. If you can take some time off before the wedding do it! I have a very flexible work schedule so I planned to work part time the week before and spend lots of time with my future
in-laws who came in from out of town, but with all the last minute things I barely saw them at all. And if it wasn’t for my mother, grandmother, and MOH helping me I don’t know how any of my “personal touches” would have gotten done.

2. Plan an exit strategy from the reception. The day goes by so fast and you will not want your party to end. When mine did I was shocked at how many things (the items I had brought, along with gifts, flowers, etc) had to be collected and taken
home. My mom and MOH were amazing and got everything taken care of, but it was the one thing I never thought about in my planning.

3. And, of course, its been said before, but be sure to take some time out to be alone with your husband. It really goes by in a flash and the moments I remember most were the few we had alone together.

Now . . . on to the review and pics!

Pre-Wedding stuff

BRIDAL SHOWER
Fiore Restaurant (A)
142 Tulip Avenue
Floral Park, NY
516.775.8226

My mother did everything, so I don’t even know the names of the people who run this restaurant, but I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect shower at a more wonderful place. Fiore’s (also called Viola’s – not sure what’s up with that) is a charming space, with absolutely fantastic Italian food (we got to take home leftovers so FH and I tried everything – veal marsala and the pasta with vodka sauce were our favorites!). The wait staff was incredibly attentive. And they even sent us a wedding gift (a cook book!) with a personal note signed by the staff. So sweet!

Me and my Mom


The classic shower hat


My fabulous BMs


BACHELORETTE PARTY
Sandalwood Day Spa (A-)
5788 Merrick Rd
Massapequa, NY
516.799.7991

Again this was arranged by one of my Bridesmaids, so I can only comment on the experience of the day, not the planning. Overall this was a great place. The spa was clean and the bridal package they offer was great – we each had a massage, facial, and paraffin wax foot treatment. They gave us a private room for us to relax in while waiting for our next treatment. And everybody especially loved the massages!

I hate to say anything negative, since this spa day was a surprise and total treat for me from my bridesmaids. But for full disclosure, I must admit that I and at least one of my bridesmaids were very disappointed in the facials we received (paper towels instead of cloths, water running in our ears, and a really negative attitude from the clinician). If I had to do it again I would have complained, but overall it was a wonderful day!

BACHELORETTE PARTY PART 2
Papa Razzi Restaurant (A)
1500 Jericho Tpke
Westbury, NY
516-877-7744

Fabulous food and service!


REHEARSAL DINNER
Thyme Restaurant (A+)
Roslyn

I LOVE this restaurant and we had the best time at our RD!



I first went to Thyme because it was around the corner from our Church and I thought it would be convenient for our guests. Now DH and I go to Thyme for the food and the atmosphere, which is homey, yet cool. After the rehearsal our guests were raving about the food. The banana bread pudding rules! Our party was in the upper level, which has a loft like feel, its own bar, and can accommodate 35 people. For our party of 30 it was perfect! The live music playing downstairs wafted up and made it unnecessary to play the Cds I brought. Nancy, the manager, was great. The wait staff was excellent. And many of our guests hung out at Thyme between our ceremony and the reception. (Nancy even offered to keep the place open late for an “after-party” if we had wanted it!)


Day of
MOTHER NATURE
All I can say is thank you for not being a hurricane! None of the flowers my mom planted will make it into the wedding album, but we had clear enough skies for pictures and my dress stayed dry! What more could I have asked for!


MY DRESS
Bridal Reflections (C)
Carle Place

I have to admit that I had a real love-hate relationship with this shop. In the end, I got the dress of my dreams and by my wedding day it was perfect, but in between picking the dress and getting it home was a lot of stress and I really believe that should have trusted my initial instincts and gotten my dress somewhere else. Basically I felt like I was being charged way too much for way too little service – especially by the seamstress.

First the good stuff: . .
I was treated wonderfully by the sales associates, especially by Candace who somehow figured out what the dress of my dreams was when I didn’t have a clue. It took three appointments to make up my mind, but none of the sales associates made me feel rushed or self-conscious. And I LOVED my dress!!!

My MOH helping on with my dress


The problems : . .
Basically from the first time I walked into the store I was treated very rudely. Then after I made my purchase it was like I didn’t exist – I had to call three separate times just to get an appointment to pick out a veil (and then I ended up going to the Manhasset location). My other problem was with the pricing. To their credit BR matched prices I was quoted at other stores (which is the only reason they got my business), but I resented feeling like I should be haggling and their alterations fees were ridiculous in my opinion – especially since my experience with the alterations were upsetting in general (FM me if you want more info.)

And -- my bustle (which was just a simple button) broke in the middle of the reception!


BRIDESMAIDS DRESSES
Aria Dress (A+)

Everything about my experience with Aria was wonderful. First of all, their dresses are beautiful – all silk with simple silhouette. My BMs ranged in size from 4-22 and have totally different styles so I knew I wanted them to wear different dresses. All the girls found something they loved and looked great on them with Aria.

Me & My Girls!



DH with BMs


Close up of that gorgeous silk


The company is based in LA so we used their “try-on” program–basically Aria sends sample dresses and you have a few days to try them on in your own home. (FM me or go to www.ariadress.com for more info.) This worked especially well for us – everything came when expected and looked better than expected.


HAIR
Hair by Diana (A+)

Diana is fabulous! Not only did she do my hair exactly how I wanted it, but she really kept me calm the morning of my wedding. She has a great personality and a total “can-do” attitude. I asked her to get new extensions for me after my trial and she came with ones that matched my exactly. My MOH needed her hair done twice b/c she didn’t love the first style and Diana was like “whatever you need, Doll.” I totally recommend her.

My Hair by Diana



MAKEUP
Clarin Cohen (Bobbi Brown) (A-)

Clarin is really sweet and she does a great job. I had two trials with her before my wedding and even though neither of those resulted in my ideal look, she listened to me and did exactly what I asked her to on my wedding day. My make-up lasted and I felt like a much more beautiful version of myself – which is what I wanted.

Clarin working on me:



TUXES
Tuxedo Park (A+)
Carle Place

I totally recommend this place. They went above and beyond in service – they even called when a couple of our guys were late picking up their tuxes (just to let me know) – and the quality of their tuxes were better than any I had seen. We initially went there simply to look, but Bob, the sales associate, was so wonderful that my DH ended up getting his outfit set up. He really got the “royal treatment” – Bob went looking around for the exact right color shirt and tie, etc. We shopped around, but the prices at Tuxedo Park were basically the same as at “discount” places. We ended up getting 7 tuxes total, they looked great, and none of the guys had any problems.

DH and his GMs


And one personal detail – I wanted to get my DH cufflinks as a wedding present. After Bob helped me find the perfect pair at Tuxedo Park (and I shopped everywhere) I brought them back with a card for my DH and Bob held onto them until DH came to pick up his tux. He very slyly had them set up with the card in the dressing room for my DH. DH loved the surprise and appreciated that he got to find them in private (the card made him cry!) Bob is the best!


FLOWERS
Milleridge Florist (A)

I was apprehensive about using Milleridge after reading some reviews, but I have to say their work far exceeded my expectations. And the costumer service was exceptional. I had very specific ideas and Lisa listened to everything and made sure I was completely satisfied – they made me a sample centerpiece for my second meeting and Lisa even had a few stems delivered to my house the day before the wedding so I could choose between 2 colors she was unsure about. I had several special last minute requests (like flowers on my MOH’s basket and for her hair) and that they filled my requests beautifully and without the slightest hesitation. And the bouquets, centerpieces, and church flowers were all absolutely gorgeous.

The pictures say it all . . .

All the BoKs


My BoK


Church Flowers


Centerpieces



PHOTOGRAPHER
Silverfox (A+)
Don, Main Photography
Mike, Photojournalist

WE LOVE OUR PROOFS!!!

Fabulous in every way! John, the owner, always answered all my questions (usually in midnight emails) immediately and completely. (He even told me the weather report the day before the wedding!) Our digital proofs were in within 3 weeks and we should be getting our printed proofs in another week or two.

Don, our main photographer, met with us before the wedding and discussed styles and technology with my DH (who is an amateur photographer). He ran the entire day efficiently and was so sweet.

Mike, our photojournalist, was totally stealth – I felt like I almost never saw him, but he got the best shots. And whenever I grabbed him to ask for a special shot he was there!

Again, the pictures say it all . . .








my family . . .


A couple of my favorite Bride & Groom pics






LIMO
Royalty (B+)

We ordered the 1967 Princess Rolls and a 10-passenger Lincoln. The cars were beautiful and we didn’t have any substantial problems. The company called to confirm with us the week before the wedding, the right cars arrived on time and the drivers were very nice. Anthony, who drove the Rolls made sure we had our runner set up right and always had our champagne glasses full. Our second driver was a bit new, and needed a little help from my DH on the way to the Church, but overall everything turned out fine.

Bridal Party with Rolls


The only thing that bothered me was that there was obviously a gas leak in the Rolls and it smelled like gasoline.


CHURCH
Roslyn Presbyterian Church(prior to wedding: D; day of B+)

Good stuff . . .
This is a lovely space and we were extremely happy to find a Church so close to our reception hall that would allow us to bring in our own officiant (DH’s brother is a minister and it was really important to us to have him marry us).

Church inside




Problems . . .
They were just totally inconsistent with communication – which left me feeling very insecure as to whether we even had a church. There were several meetings we scheduled with the Reverend where he wasn’t even there when we showed up. We had to pay for and use their pianist (even though I have several musician friends who were already planning to perform at our wedding) and we never had any communication with this person before the wedding. In fact, he didn’t even show up until about 5 minutes before I walked down the aisle. (Thank god my DH didn’t tell me about that until a week after the wedding!)


PHOTO SITE
Gerry Park(A)
Roslyn

We had to pay to use this park, but it was worth it. It’s a beautiful space – even in the rain. And even though it has a reputation for duck droppings and usually is very swamp-like in the rain, our photographers figured out ways for us to get great shots without getting muddy or poopy.

And I think the photos are amazing . . .




RECEPTION HALL
George Washington Manor (A)

I love the space and the understated elegance of the Mount Vernon Room. It was perfect for our party.

Before the wedding:
The GWM was a pleasure to work with. Even though our BM changed (due to a change in staff) about 6 months before the wedding (something that initially made me very nervous), the Hall came through on every special request we had. They even made additions to the CH menu per our request. And the pumpkin ravioli we asked for was amazing!! Amy was the BM who helped us set everything up, but Melissa was also a big help. In fact all the managers were able to my questions, whenever and no matter how many times I called (and in the days before the wedding there were a lot of calls).

Day of:
The hall was even more beautiful on the day of my wedding than I imagined it would be With the candles reflecting in the windows and the flowers, both the CH and reception room seemed absolutely magical.







The food was wonderful all around (even though I didn’t get to eat much of it). The service, in general, went well above our expectations. Every time I turned around at the CH someone was offering me a drink or an hors d'oeuvre. And at the reception we had at least 2 servers for our private table. Guests also mentioned how impressed they were with the service.

My only complaint is how they rushed us out once the reception was over. It was like 11pm hit and the entire room was broken down. I know they have to set up for the next day, but one of the waiters almost knocked me over on the steps. Very rude.

DJ
CenterStage Entertainment -- Ellie Segal (A)
We wanted a very understated and classic feel to the night – lots of old standards, Big Band, and swing. Ellie had the style we were looking for, she communicated with me really well throughout the planning process (even phoned me from overseas when she was away) and was a total pro on the day of the wedding. She set up so that we could have music in both the CH and the reception with minimal equiptment. And when the order of events at the reception got a little screwed up she consulted me about it, but didn’t stress me out. Overall a pleasure to work with.


DIY PROJECTS

Invitations


I can't really 'review' the invitations, since we made them ourselves, but it definitely was our favorite project so I had to show them off. We had the information printed on cardstock and hand painted the flowers on each invite. It was a little time consuming, but it was personal touch that our guests liked and we had a lot of fun doing it.

MICHAEL'S
Leaf cones, Programs
I found everything I needed -- great prices -- everything worked out wonderfully.

Programs


Leaf cones


Leaves in the air . . .




WEDDING NIGHT + 1
Garden City Hotel (B+)

We stayed at the GCH for 2 nights before we flew out for our “real” honeymoon and I’m so glad we made that choice. We were able to relax with our out-of-town guests for a day without loosing the magical feel of being newlyweds. The hotel really made us feel fancy – a gorgeous room and most of the service was wonderful.

HONEYMOON – Punta Cana, Domincan Republic
Sunscape Punta Cana Grand (A)



This was planned by my DH and a total surprise – really, I didn’t even know where we were headed until we changed planes in Miami – so I can’t speak to the planning part of it, but I was absolutely delighted by the resort. It was beautiful and we felt like royalty – the rooms and grounds were impeccably clean and the staff was incredibly friendly. (sorry I don't have more pictures, but -- for once in our lives -- we didn't spend much time taking pictures) The private beach was gorgeous and the swim-up pool was such fun! When we weren’t floating in the pool with our Mai Tais, we were out sailing! We loved that every day our room was decorated with towels shaped into swans and fresh tropical flowers. (The only thing we didn’t love was that it took them until 4pm to make up our room.) Also, the food in the Italian restaurant was fabulous, but unfortunately the other 3 eateries were not so great.

Re: My Wonderful Wedding: 10/9/05 -- GWM, Silverfox, Royalty, Milleridge Florist, Bridal Reflections, etc (with Pics)

Re: My Wonderful Wedding: 10/9/05 -- GWM, Silverfox, Royalty, Milleridge Florist, Bridal Reflections, etc (with Pics)

your flowers were beautiful. i think it was so romantic how your dh surprised u for the honeymoon. u looked beautiful

Re: My Wonderful Wedding: 10/9/05 -- GWM, Silverfox, Royalty, Milleridge Florist, Bridal Reflections, etc (with Pics)

what a great review! you, your flowers and your dressed were stunning! I love your pictures!

congrats!

Re: My Wonderful Wedding: 10/9/05 -- GWM, Silverfox, Royalty, Milleridge Florist, Bridal Reflections, etc (with Pics)

very nice !!!!!!!

Re: My Wonderful Wedding: 10/9/05 -- GWM, Silverfox, Royalty, Milleridge Florist, Bridal Reflections, etc (with Pics)

Everything looked beautiful! Congrats!!!!

Re: My Wonderful Wedding: 10/9/05 -- GWM, Silverfox, Royalty, Milleridge Florist, Bridal Reflections, etc (with Pics)

Beautiful, awesome I love your dress, your bo-k, and etc. Thank you for the review

Re: My Wonderful Wedding: 10/9/05 -- GWM, Silverfox, Royalty, Milleridge Florist, Bridal Reflections, etc (with Pics)

Beautiful congrats thanks for sharing

Re: My Wonderful Wedding: 10/9/05 -- GWM, Silverfox, Royalty, Milleridge Florist, Bridal Reflections, etc (with Pics)

congrats and great review

Re: My Wonderful Wedding: 10/9/05 -- GWM, Silverfox, Royalty, Milleridge Florist, Bridal Reflections, etc (with Pics)

Congrats!! You looked beautiful! I love your flowers they are amazing.

Re: My Wonderful Wedding: 10/9/05 -- GWM, Silverfox, Royalty, Milleridge Florist, Bridal Reflections, etc (with Pics)

Beautiful!!

Congratulations. Everything looks wonderful.

Re: My Wonderful Wedding: 10/9/05 -- GWM, Silverfox, Royalty, Milleridge Florist, Bridal Reflections, etc (with Pics)

Great Review!
The pics are lovely.
And a special thank you for answering all my questions about the GWM!



What was the fee to take pics in Gerry Park?

Re: My Wonderful Wedding: 10/9/05 -- GWM, Silverfox, Royalty, Milleridge Florist, Bridal Reflections, etc (with Pics)

Thanks to everyone for your congratulations and comments.

Chris -- the fee for Gerry Park is $75 (less if you are a resident of North Hempstead) and you can get the forms from GWM.

Re: My Wonderful Wedding: 10/9/05 -- GWM, Silverfox, Royalty, Milleridge Florist, Bridal Reflections, etc (with Pics)

Yipppeeee! Gosh, you looked absolutely amazing!!!!!!!!!!! Congratulations!!!!!

Re: My Wonderful Wedding: 10/9/05 -- GWM, Silverfox, Royalty, Milleridge Florist, Bridal Reflections, etc (with Pics)

Great review! Everything looked beautiful! Congrats!

Re: My Wonderful Wedding: 10/9/05 -- GWM, Silverfox, Royalty, Milleridge Florist, Bridal Reflections, etc (with Pics)

great review. love all the pic;s
CONGRATS!!!!

Re: My Wonderful Wedding: 10/9/05 -- GWM, Silverfox, Royalty, Milleridge Florist, Bridal Reflections, etc (with Pics)

You looked beautiful, Congratulations! So glad to hear you had a great day. We loved the george washington manor too, they do such a great job with everything. I'm still working on getting my review posted real soon!

Re: My Wonderful Wedding: 10/9/05 -- GWM, Silverfox, Royalty, Milleridge Florist, Bridal Reflections, etc (with Pics)

Congrats!! You looked gorgeous - your hair,makeup, dress, everything looks amazing!! LOVE your flowers too!

Re: My Wonderful Wedding: 10/9/05 -- GWM, Silverfox, Royalty, Milleridge Florist, Bridal Reflections, etc (with Pics)

Congratulations!!! Everything looked amazing and you were stunning!

Re: My Wonderful Wedding: 10/9/05 -- GWM, Silverfox, Royalty, Milleridge Florist, Bridal Reflections, etc (with Pics)

Congrats! Great review!!