Our November 29, 2008 Wedding.. CLM, St. Francis of Assisi, Thomas Paul Photography (Updated with video review), All Star Limo, Flower Michele, FM Entertainment, etc.

First off, I want to thank Ron, Liz, Kim and the whole LIW team for this site. I can honestly say that my wedding would not have been the same without this site. I’ve had many ups and downs throughout the whole wedding planning process and it was comforting to come on here and vent and to discover, that with many things, I wasn’t alone. I’ve had the honor of meeting so many great 08 brides and you have all made 08 such a memorable year for me. I can also say, that if it wasn’t for this site, I wouldn’t have made a cardbox, menus, table numbers, a unity candle or a memorial candle, so thanks for the extra headaches (just kidding). You get an A+++++ to infinite in my book! I’ve always found the reviews so helpful so here is my LONG review, I didn’t want to leave anything out.

Weather: B+

I had told myself I wouldn’t make myself nuts over the weather, but at the 15 day mark, I was checking the weather. It had said rain and clouds until the night before. Luckily, the day of, there was not a drop in the sky. It was pretty chilly, but it could’ve been much worse. I was actually praying for snow..lol

Chateau La Mer: A-

I cannot say enough about CLM! It was probably one of the first places I saw when I came to LIW. I saw their banner at the top of the page one day and thought it was gorgeous. When I emailed them, they gave me a quote right back and I couldn’t believe how affordable it was! I had called a bunch of other places as well, and not many places would give quotes without going there. I thought that was a pain since, DH and I are from Queens. IMO, I wasn’t going to waste my time driving all around Long Island, if you aren’t in my price range. So I really liked that CLM had no problem in giving out that information. When we went there to look around, I fell in love with it even more. We met with Nick, he gave us the tour, went over everything, and we signed the contract that night without looking anywhere else.

The communications with them leading up to the day were pretty much no problem. My only small complaint regarding communicating was that we were originally seeing Nick. Then, the next couple of times we went to drop off more money and to go over the menu and what not, we saw Lou. Then, the day of the wedding, we had Vito as our MD. They are all great; don’t get me wrong, it just would’ve been nice to deal with one person straight through. Additionally, we went to the two bakeries they use, Black Forest Bakery and Campbells. We told them we wanted to use Black Forest, and the day of we had Campbells. It was still yummy, so not a big deal.



They are extremely accommodating at CLM! Our reception started at 7:30 (well that is the time the CH started). We asked if we can get there early to take pictures outside, and because we didn’t want to pay all that much overtime for the limo. They said we can get there at 6:30. I kid you not, the day of, there was no traffic (it’s an hour coming from Astoria) and we got to CLM at 5:45. They said it wasn’t a problem. We stayed in the limo for about 10 minutes, while they set up the room downstairs (where they have the ceremony) with some leftover food from the party before. We used that time to take family pictures and DH and I took pictures outdoors. Because of this, DH and I had the whole CH to mingle with guests. The bridal attendant we had (sorry I don’t remember her name) was great. She brought DH and me food to the bridal suite, kept refilling our glasses all night, and was constantly fixing my bustle.
The entrees we chose were, the stuffed jumbo shrimp, chicken francese, rack of lamb and prime rib. Everyone raved about the food! I didn’t get one complaint! What CLM also allows is for guests to order seconds of anything, and yes we did have guests do this.

Everything that day at CLM was unbelievable, if you book with them, you won’t be disappointed!




















St. Francis of Assisi: B+
This was my childhood parish, so I did not want to get married anywhere else. The reason I am basically giving it a B+ is because of the Deacon. On two occasions he made appointments with us and didn’t show up. He then told us that he is going on vacation and won’t be around for our wedding. So when we had the rehearsal dinner, a week before the wedding, he didn’t show up because he figured it wouldn’t be a problem since he wouldn’t be there anyway. Other than that, I love my parish and I think the church is gorgeous in a country/homey way. They didn’t give us any problems with blowing bubbles, how many readers we had, or anything else.












Thomas Paul:
Photo: A+++++
Video B+

Tom was our saving grace!! Two years before the wedding we had booked a vendor on here for our photo and video. We loved their work at the time. But when we got our Epics we were not happy at all. So with 4 months to go before the wedding, I decided to email Tom and ask if he was available and how much he would cost. Within an hour, he called me and worked with me to make sure I was happy. I told Tom I’d give him a call once we cancelled the other place. I spoke to DH and we cancelled the other vendor over the phone. The next day, I hadn’t called Tom back, but he called me to see how things went with the other vendor. I was pretty shaky on the phone since the other vendor pretty much screamed at me, and Tom calmed me down. So we met with Tom that week and signed the contract. He is such a down to earth guy that we were there just chatting for a while after everything was said and done. He is so passionate about his work and really knows what he is talking about.

Tom was booked though for our wedding day, so we had Brian and Tony, and I believe Anthony for video( I can’t quite remember his name) . Brian was the main photographer and Tony was the traditional photographer. When we met Brian for our Eshoot at Sunken Meadow Park, like Tom, he is such a down to earth guy. You feel like you are hanging out with friends. When we got our pictures back, we were so amazed with how they came out and were so excited that we made the switch.

As for the video, don't get me wrong with a grade of B+. We are beyond happy with our video. But after seeing videos from Golden Moments and the other big name production companies on here, TP's is not as extravagant. That was ok for us, the video does what its supposed to, capture the day and things you may have missed. I gave him baby pics, pics of us dating and honeymoon pics and he added them all on the video without charging me anything. And is sending me a fourth copy of the dvd at no charge. If I could ever find a way to upload the video (the highlight reel) I will.








They day of, Brian and the videographer came to my house, while Tony went to DH at the hotel. They were so on top of EVERYTHING. They worked in the cold because I said I am not rushing and not getting pictures. The only thing I was kinda upset about was that they didn’t get pictures of me leaving the house. But when I spoke to Tom about it, it was because Brian’s car had broke down on the way, and had to leave it on the side of the road, and had to leave with the videographer to set up at the church. So its understandable. They got such great shots and the church and reception, we couldn’t be happier. We didn’t even notice they were there with the camera and video the whole night. We got a total of 1007 pictures! Its insane!































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My Uncle played the bagpipes after church

















































My stepdad sand 'You Raise Me Up' by Josh Groban as I danced with my dad





All Star Limo: A+
We dealt with Debbie and she was great. We went out there twice to check out the limos. We ended up getting a Rolls Royce and Party Bus. We got the Rolls to take my Dad and me to church and then to take DH and I to take pictures at the park. After that, we got in the party bus with the BP, our parents, and grandparents. It was so much fun to be with everyone! The driver for the Rolls came to the house pretty early, explained things to us, and even helped put on my veil (My mom and I were confused!) We went a little over the time with the party bus, but they didn’t charge us anything extra which I thought was really nice.








Flower Michele: A-
We worked with John and he think he is great. He worked with our budget, told us what he can work with and doesn’t seem like the typical salesman. The day of, the drivers showed up pretty late, which is why they are getting an A-. One of my bridesmaids was on the phone with them for a while giving them directions. I just feel, getting directions, or having a GPS, is something they should have to avoid delays like that. The flowers were gorgeous though, and lasted all night. I will say, the stephanotis started turning brown shortly after the ceremony, so I would’ve avoided those.











FM Entertainment: A++
We were between FM and one of the companies that CLM recommends, but after meeting with both of them, FM was much cheaper, and in our opinion, a lot more personable. When we met with Frank for the final time before the wedding, he went over everything, and was talking with us for close to an hour, never rushing us. Frank, who was our MC, was great the whole night. We had given him a list of 24 songs to play (which he recommends) and played at least 20 of them. The dance floor was seriously never empty. Everyone is still talking about what a great DJ they were. They really did play music for everyone.



Rosa (My local hairdresser): A++
I was looking into going to one of the vendors on here, but to me, I didn’t want to spend that much. I decided to just have my regular hairdresser do trials, and I loved how it came out! The day of, she woke me up when she was on the way. She came with two of her friends who also do hair and makeup and did mine, and most of the BP, as well as my mom. She did exactly what I imagined and it stayed all night.





RK Bridal: A

The Bridesmaids wore Watters and Watters dresses. I forget the style numbers, but I can always find out if you would like to know. The colors were evergreen with a candlelight sash.
We did the No Frills program and saved so much money. I definitely recommend doing this for your BM dresses. Since we ordered BM dresses for my wedding, I’ve ordered 3 BM dresses there and have never had any major problems.


Macys Bridal Salon in Manhassett: Demetrios B-
I had Betty when first trying on dresses, she is such a sweetheart. When it came to alterations, I had Elena. The midsection of my dress was bunching pretty bad, and Elena said it was because I gained weight.. Nooo, I lost weight. It was such a hassle for her to alter it. I think, that when she took in the top, it changed to shape of the waist. We went there for 4 alterations, until it was decent and I was just fed up.








Barrons (At Tri County)A
I got my veil, headband, ring bearer pillow and throw away garter here. The woman, I forget her name, was so patient with me because I can be indecisive. I tried on so many veils and headbands it’s not even funny. But I found the one that matched my dress perfectly and her prices are unbelievable.



Our Rings: A+

My Aunt works for Ptak Brothers in the Diamond District, so obviously we went to her for all of our rings. We got exactly what we wanted. They had to custom make my ering to what I had wanted and it didnt cost any more than what the wedding band cost (except for the center stone of course!)

Men’s Wearhouse B
Men’s Wearhouse is great in the fact that it is convenient for everyone. We went to the one on Austin Street, in Forest Hills. They were able to match the Groomsmen vests to the Bridesmaids dresses perfectly. The groomsmen were able to pick up their tuxes a few days before the pickup date because it was the Holiday week of Thanksgiving. When my Stepfather and Grandpa went to go pick theirs up, the sleeves and pants were too short. So they had to go the day before Thanksgiving to go try them on and pick them up again. Luckily there were no more problems. The people there were also very helpful.

Bridal Shoe Boutique: B+
When I went on Saturdays, I found them much more helpful than when I went during the week. But the woman who helped me was so sweet. They didn’t have my size in the shoe I wanted, but since I needed a pair for my dress (since I had to get it hallow to hem), she let me take that pair and bring it back when I came to pick up my right size.



Party City-Carlson Craft Invitations B+
I was going to DIY our invitations but got really lazy. Someone on here mentioned that Party City had bridal invitations. At first I thought it was crazy to go there for your wedding invitations. I was pictures regular party invitations, you know. BUT, when I went and saw books that were at other stationary stores, like Blue Tulip, and for 30% off the book price, I was so happy. We got 125 invitations for 300! They came in in only 3 weeks. They just aren’t all that friendly at any Party City store I went to.

Ricardo’s: Bridal Shower B+
I always thought my bridal shower would be here. My aunt’s mother is good friends with the owner. But the way two of my bridesmaids got me there was a total surprise. They were such good actresses. We had a four course meal; Salad, Pasta, Entrée, and then cake. At this point I had become a vegetarian, so I wasn’t going to eat the chicken that was brought to me, so the waitress brought me out more pasta. The food was really good, fresh and hot.











Bachelorette Party: B

The day started out with Breakfast with my mom, sister (MOH) and one of my BMs. My sister and BM then took me to Victorias Secret to get me something for the HM. We then went to Ritz Nails in Astoria for manicures and pedicures.

For the night, we went to Murdered by the Mob. Its a dinner show. If you are there for an event they call you out to the floor and you are involved in it. Luckily I happened to be in the bathroom when they called my name.

After that, we went to a lounge in Astoria. I dont remember the name though. That was a lot of fun.

The reason I give my Bachelorette Party a B is because my mom and aunt pretty much planned it. I had told 2 of my bm's that I wanted to do Karaoke and other suggestions, but my mom wouldn't listen to them.





Marriott Republic Airport in Farmingdale: B+
What I loved about this place was that they provided a free shuttle to and from the hall, which was very convenient for our guests. The guests, who stayed, went out to the hotel after the ceremony, freshened up and took the shuttle to the hall. Upon the ride back to the hotel, after the reception, one of the bus drivers got lost and started yelling at my guests, and refused to go back and pick up others. So the hotel had to get the other van to make double the trips.
What I was surprised about, was that they didn’t decorate the room at all. I mean they knew were there for our wedding night but no rose petals or anything.

We had booked the suite, which has a living room and mini kitchen and a bedroom. So after the reception we had a lil mini party with the people who stayed there that night. We received two phone calls to quite down, when I honestly don’t think we were loud at all.

Maric Lanes: Rehearsal Dinner A
My stepdad is the manager here, so it was really affordable. But I also wanted an environment where people can relax and enjoy themselves. I didn’t want to formal sit down dinners. So we had a buffet style dinner with some music and dancing, and then went bowling.

DIY’s: ME!!! I’m going to give myself a B+
I would never have known of all the stuff you can make for your own wedding.

For the cardbox, I went to a craft store in Queens for the boxes, and then to the Fabric Mill in Plainview for the fabric. That place has such a large selection! If you are planning to make your cardbox out of fabric, you’ll find what you need there.



For the menus, programs, memorial candle, unity candle, place cards, and table numbers. I bought all the paper, ribbons, and other accessories at Michaels. Between two Michael stores I was always able to get what I needed for these projects.







Favors:
When we were in Disney, 2 years before the wedding, we went to their Christmas store in Downtown Disney. We saw packages of 10 of lil Mickey Mouse ornaments. They weren’t all that expensive either. We thought about it for a few days, and went back our last night to buy 140 of them! The people at the register were so nice when we told them what they were for, that they gave us 20% off the ornaments and the shipping. They all made it to our house without a single one breaking.



When it came time to wrapping them, I wanted to wrap them in a box, like a gift, but I got lazy. So we went driving around all of Queens and Long Island, to probably about 15 Michaels at got green and red mini stocking to hold the ornaments.


Bridal Party Gifts:
For the girls, I got them white coach wristlets, which I got at the outlet store in Woodbury Common Outlets. I also went into the Diamond District to get them earrings. My aunt works there, so she was able to take me around to all the distributors to find what I was looking for. This one place had the antique style I was looking for. This is where I also got my earrings.
For the guys, DH got them all the own things. We went to Things remembered for flasks, a pocket watch, can’t remember what else. He also went to a kiosk at Roosevelt Field for glasses. For my brother we ordered a Titans glass from Things Remembered and a Titans gift from NFL.com

Travel Tom: A++
I’ve never used a travel agent before; I always booked through expedia and did my own research. But I figured since it was our Honeymoon, we should look into a travel agent. I had heard so many girls on here refer to Travel Tom, so I decided to give him a call. He is absolutely wonderful. He communicates via email and phone. So I emailed him asking for price quotes, but he asked me to call him so we can go over specifics. DH and I had agreed on a Caribbean cruise and staying on an island for a while. So Tom gave me his opinions on all the cruise ships, and we decided that Princess was the cruise ship for us. We had booked a cruise that left in January. The island and airfare, we needed to wait for, since it was so far in advance. Then, princess cancelled our cruise, so we had to find another cruise. We decided on a Carnival ship since it had almost the same itinerary. We booked it. I called Tom a few days later and had changed my mind. Poor Tom. He never showed he was annoyed that he had to keep changing things around for us. He booked the cruise and our room at Atlantis for us. I booked the airfare myself, because I found it cheaper than he could get, which he encourages you do, if you can find it cheaper. He doesn’t try and rip you off. He doesn’t charge anything. He only asks that if you are satisfied him, you refer him to people.

Atlantis: B
The people at Atlantis were very friendly. We had booked the cheapest room. When we checked in, we received congratulations from the staff, since Tom, had put everywhere on our reservations that it was our Honeymoon. The manager took us up to the top floor and showed us the owner’s suite. Took us to one room, which was a suite (instead of our basic room), but it was pretty small, so she gave us a suite with a living room, bedroom, two bathrooms, and two balconies. While in Atlantis we did the deep see dive at Dolphin Cove. Totally worth it. The reason I give Atlantis a B is because there wasn’t really much to do. I’m guessing because it is their low season, there wasn’t many activities. The pool bar was only open our last day for a few hours. If you wanted a pina colada while on the beach, or by the pool, you had a far walk. We didn’t want to gamble, so after dinner there really wasn’t anything to do. We were usually in our room at 8 at night.


















Princess Cruises: A
We loved the cruise. The check in was no problem. With all those people boarding the ship at once, I thought it was going to take forever. We booked a balcony room, and being that it was a new ship (the Ruby Princess), there were no available suites to upgrade too. When we got to our room, there was chocolate covered strawberries and champagne. The steward was always there for any of our requests or questions. There was always something to do. After our days ashore we would go lay by the pool and watch movies. We went to a couple of the art auctions and bought a painting. We went to Ocho Rios, where we climbed Dunns River Falls. It was a lot of fun, definitely recommended. In Grand Cayman, we went horseback riding on the beach. My darn horse went up in the air! In Cozumel we just went around and did a lot of shopping. The Ruby Princess was our favorite part of the Honeymoon. DH was hesitant about doing a cruise because he didn’t want to be on someone else’s time schedule, but he ended up loving the cruise. You are never bored, and you can always find something to do.



























Wow! I think that pretty much covers everything. I can’t think if I’m forgetting anything. If you have any questions regarding any of my vendors, feel free to FM me!

Re: Our November 29, 2008 Wedding.. CLM, St. Francis of Assisi, Thomas Paul Photography, All Star Limo, Flower Michele, FM Entertainment, etc.

Great review!

Re: Our November 29, 2008 Wedding.. CLM, St. Francis of Assisi, Thomas Paul Photography, All Star Limo, Flower Michele, FM Entertainment, etc.

Great review!! congrats!! you looked gorgeous and I love the color of your BM dresses!!

Re: Our November 29, 2008 Wedding.. CLM, St. Francis of Assisi, Thomas Paul Photography, All Star Limo, Flower Michele, FM Entertainment, etc.

Great review, your pics are beautiful!

Re: Our November 29, 2008 Wedding.. CLM, St. Francis of Assisi, Thomas Paul Photography, All Star Limo, Flower Michele, FM Entertainment, etc.

You look great! And sooo happy! I LOVE the mickey mouse ornaments as favors... perfect! Your pictures on the bridge near the Christmas trees turned out amazing! Congradulations!!!

Re: Our November 29, 2008 Wedding.. CLM, St. Francis of Assisi, Thomas Paul Photography, All Star Limo, Flower Michele, FM Entertainment, etc.

Great review Meg, everything looked amazing you did a great job

love your pics, you were such a stunning bride

Re: Our November 29, 2008 Wedding.. CLM, St. Francis of Assisi, Thomas Paul Photography, All Star Limo, Flower Michele, FM Entertainment, etc.

THANKS FOR YOUR REVIEW!
I can't wait to post my Brian and Tony photos You've been so helpful. I'm also having my shower at Riccardo's- glad to hear the food was good!

Re: Our November 29, 2008 Wedding.. CLM, St. Francis of Assisi, Thomas Paul Photography, All Star Limo, Flower Michele, FM Entertainment, etc.

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Posted by MrsCastanedain09

THANKS FOR YOUR REVIEW!
I can't wait to post my Brian and Tony photos You've been so helpful. I'm also having my shower at Riccardo's- glad to hear the food was good!

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No problem! can't wait to see your photos! Before you know it, you WILL be posting them.

I've had buffett food at Riccardos and it can be iffy at times, but we had service. We had caesar salad, then penne ala vodka, a couple of choices for entree and then the cake. All were very good. I didnt eat any of the entrees though, so I cant be of much help. But I had two plates of the penne though

Re: Our November 29, 2008 Wedding.. CLM, St. Francis of Assisi, Thomas Paul Photography, All Star Limo, Flower Michele, FM Entertainment, etc.

awesome review thanks so much !

Re: Our November 29, 2008 Wedding.. CLM, St. Francis of Assisi, Thomas Paul Photography, All Star Limo, Flower Michele, FM Entertainment, etc.

Great Review and Stunning Pictures!
Im working on my now, Im wayyy over due!

Re: Our November 29, 2008 Wedding.. CLM, St. Francis of Assisi, Thomas Paul Photography, All Star Limo, Flower Michele, FM Entertainment, etc.

Great review!!!!!! Everything looked great!!!! I can't believe all those little shih-tzus!!!!!!! I LOVE THEM!!!!!!!! We have one, and I want like 4 more!!!!

Re: Our November 29, 2008 Wedding.. CLM, St. Francis of Assisi, Thomas Paul Photography, All Star Limo, Flower Michele, FM Entertainment, etc.

Awesome review! You looked beautiful and CLM was GORGEOUS is winter!

Thank you!

Re: Our November 29, 2008 Wedding.. CLM, St. Francis of Assisi, Thomas Paul Photography, All Star Limo, Flower Michele, FM Entertainment, etc.

Great review!!! Your pictures are beautiful!

Re: Our November 29, 2008 Wedding.. CLM, St. Francis of Assisi, Thomas Paul Photography, All Star Limo, Flower Michele, FM Entertainment, etc.

Great Review!!!
Awesome Pictures!!!

I hope I get to take some pictures next to my shih tzus. lol

Re: Our November 29, 2008 Wedding.. CLM, St. Francis of Assisi, Thomas Paul Photography, All Star Limo, Flower Michele, FM Entertainment, etc.

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Posted by Rosalind_75

Great Review!!!
Awesome Pictures!!!

I hope I get to take some pictures next to my shih tzus. lol

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Just mention it to your photographer. It was on my list of MUST TAKE pictures

Re: Our November 29, 2008 Wedding.. CLM, St. Francis of Assisi, Thomas Paul Photography, All Star Limo, Flower Michele, FM Entertainment, etc.

great review! i love the HM pic of you kissing the dolphin!!

Re: Our November 29, 2008 Wedding.. CLM, St. Francis of Assisi, Thomas Paul Photography, All Star Limo, Flower Michele, FM Entertainment, etc.

Great review Meg!!!! You chose awesome pics for it too!! I am just so glad we actually DID surprise you for the shower! I tried to be as miserable as possible that 'I was stuck hanging out with you girls' so you wouldn't catch on!!!

Re: Our November 29, 2008 Wedding.. CLM, St. Francis of Assisi, Thomas Paul Photography, All Star Limo, Flower Michele, FM Entertainment, etc.

Great review! Everything was beautiful!!!

Re: Our November 29, 2008 Wedding.. CLM, St. Francis of Assisi, Thomas Paul Photography, All Star Limo, Flower Michele, FM Entertainment, etc.

awesome, honest review!!! your pictures are gorgeous!!!! thank you

Re: Our November 29, 2008 Wedding.. CLM, St. Francis of Assisi, Thomas Paul Photography, All Star Limo, Flower Michele, FM Entertainment, etc.

Very detailed review. You looked beautiful. Congrats.