Our PERFECT Sept 16th Atlantica Wedding -- Paris, LA Blossom, Verdi, Wild Rose, Janine Burns, JahPan, Counterpoint, Kleinfelds, North Fork Trolley, Rogers, and more!

I don't post very often but I found reviews to be especially helpful so I wanted to be sure to post a one. We did a TON of research before selecting vendors to tried and pick the best (and most reliable) ones. Lucky for us...we loved all of them! So...just a warning that we truly did love all of our vendors and that is the reason for the great review.

Everyone will tell you that the little details won't matter and you won't care about any of them on your wedding day. When you are in the planning process, that sounds ridiculous! You have spent hour and hours on ribbon color, seating charts, timelines and making the perfect bows. You want all of your details and hard work to be noticed. But......all of these people are right! My wedding day was the best day of my life! It was perfect on every level....and that was not b/c everything went as planned. We hit lots of bumps in the road both during our engagement and on our wedding day but we didn't care. You will be so happy that you will not notice any of the details and you probably won't even notice the big decisions that you've made. All I can say is that I am truly envious of all the '07/'08 brides. I wish I could do it all over again. I enjoyed every second :) Feel free to FM me with any questions, comments, etc.

Mother Nature A+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
It rained the entire week before our wedding and was predicted to rain all day on Saturday as well. Our RD on Friday night started an hour late b/c Dune Road was flooded. I was slightly worried that we might have a problem the next day w/ floods. Much to my surprise (and everyone else's), I woke up to most beautiful day possible. I couldn't have hand picked better weather if I tried. It was sunny and about 75 degrees. PERFECT!!! It made for some great pics on the beach. What can I say.....I really lucked out!

Atlantica: A++++++++++++++++++++++++
I truly do not believe there are words to describe my experience at Atlantica. Perfect is the only word close! Atlantica was my dream wedding location and exceeded every expectation I had. I thought long and hard and the only possible drawback I can come up with is price but I truly believe that in the end, we got our money's worth. I worked with Lisa and she helped create our dream wedding. My husband and I are both very organized and had a good idea of what we wanted but she was always giving us ideas and suggestions along the way. Our tasting and final appt were each 2+ hours and she covered every tiny detail imaginable. I have heard other LIW brides say that they felt they got less attention or was harder to get in touch with their coordinators after they made a deposit but I can honestly tell you that it was definitely NOT the case in my experience. Each time I called to ask a question (which was often), Lisa was responsive and willing to spend as much time with me as I needed. I was never cut short or told that my question was silly (which they probably were!). I also spoke to Jenn and Kristy on occasion. They always offered to help answer my questions if Lisa was out of the office.

At Atlantica, you are truly getting an amazing venue, an unbeatable view, exquisite food and the BEST staff. Great service was one thing I always heard Atlantica was known for but did not pay much attention to it. I figured service at all weddings was similar. Definitely wrong! Not one of my guests got up from their table to get a drink at the bar. Their drinks were refreshed before they had even finished their last one. The servers checked in w/ each guest to ensure that their food was cooked as they requested and every detail was attended to. We have gotten tons of calls and emails complimenting the beauty of Atlantica, Todd's amazing dinner and last but not least....the attentive staff. Our guests have said to us (over and over again) that they have never been to a wedding quite like ours and that they enjoyed every minute of it! I would give this venue an A+++++++ for the planning and also on our amazing wedding day. We really could not have asked for more :)

Paris: A+++++++++++
To any brides that are on the fence about getting a band....please read this! Paris is by far the best band I have ever seen at a wedding. We heard this band at a friend's wedding in 2002 and immediately thought they were different. They had a great mix of music that ranged from oldies to newer music that I had never heard performed by a band (including lots of songs that are on the radio today). We booked them as soon as we had a date and hoped they would be as good for our wedding as they were for that one. They blew away our expectations! They were great to work with, answered all of our emails/questions, stuck to our play/do not play list and kept our dance floor packed right through the very last song. Our maitre'd commented a few times that is it one of the best bands he ever heard and has never seen the dance floor as full at it was all night. They really contributed a huge part to the energy of our wedding. We let them know that we wanted a 'fun party w/ lots of dancing' and that's what they gave us. I couldn't have imagined our wedding would be as fun with any other band.

JahPan Steel Drum Band : A
JahPan came highly recommended and were very easy to deal with. Susan, the business mgr, responded to my calls/emails/questions quickly and sent me an updated contract each time we made a change. They arrived on-time, dressed nicely in Caribbean style clothing and played great music. They definitely added a nice touch to our cocktail hour.

Counterpoint: A
They were great....very easy to deal with prior to our wedding and did a great job at our ceremony. One thing I learned to value during the course of planning a wedding is people who are easy to get in touch with and respond quickly. Christina @ Counterpoint was a perfect example. They showed up on time and played wonderfully for addition.

Janine Burns: A+++++++++++
I can't say enough about Janine Burns! We have a few different religions in both of our families and decided to have a non-denominational ceremony but we did not want a Justice of the Peace. We wanted an intimate and spiritual ceremony without including or offending any religion. Janine did a fantastic job. She may be slightly more expensive than some of the others but well worth it in our opinion! Janine was easy to get in touch with, easy to set up meetings and very organized. We had no idea what to expect from a ceremony and she had packets of information to guide us. She spent so much time going over our personalized ceremony making sure that every last detail was perfect. She is by far, our most thorough and organized vendor. She followed up after meetings and phone calls and always let us know what she was doing or what we should be doing. One thing that I think separates her from other officiants is that she has a wealth of wedding knowledge from attending so many ceremony's and was more than willing to share with us. She spent over a 1/2 hour helping me with our programs and giving us other great ideas for our wedding. I loved being able to bounce ideas off of her. She was definitely one of my best resources.

I have been to 15 weddings in the last 4 years and have never thought to comment on the ceremony. At our cocktail hour (and still getting some calls!) we had loads of people comment on how beautiful our ceremony was. We couldn't believe the sincere compliments we were getting on a simple, 25 minute ceremony. We knew it was special but it was nice to hear that most of our other guests felt the same way. I would refer Janine without any hesitation. She is dedicated, professional but most of all, a great person!

Kleinfelds:A++++++
I was slightly hesitant to go to Kleinfelds b/c I didn't want to spend $10,000 on a dress (or...have a snotty salesperson). I'm glad I went. I worked with Audrey who showed my lots of dresses in all different price ranges (starting at $800). Of course, I fell in love with the first dress I tried on and ended up buying it there. Maria M was my fitter and she was the best! I recommend asking for both of them if you want attentive, nice people to deal with. My Kleinfeld experience in general was very positive. Two experiences stick out in my mind. #1 - I had a corporate discount coupon that I had from my company for $250 off. It was supposed to be applied at time of purchase/deposit and had since expired but I figured I would try to use it anyway when I was picking up my dress in September. Without any problem they accepted my coupon and applied it to my remaining balance.
#2 - I had my last fitting at the end of August w/ a perfect fit and picked up my dress on 9/7. The next night, I felt compelled to take out the packaging and try it on. I was terrified of being in the Hamptons and having a problem on my wedding day. I put the dress on and it didn't fit. It was too big in the waste and was bunching everywhere. I'm not sure what happened in the last 2 weeks but I knew I wasn't ecstatic about it the way I had been for the last year. I woke up the next morning (3 days before I left for the Hamptons) realizing that I wanted to try to fix it. I called Kleinfelds and Olga told me to come right in. I literally spent the entire day at Kleinfelds bc we had to pin it and have it altered a few times before it fit but I can't say enough about how accommodating they were. If you have ever been to Kleinfelds on a Saturday, you know it is the busiest place on earth! Yet...they took me each time without a wait. They fixed my dress and I was able to take it home with me that day. Perfect fit and a pleasure to deal with everyone at Kleinfelds.

Kleinfeld Loft: A+
I got a discount on BM dresses b/c I purchased my dress at Kleinfelds. They only carry a few lines but they carry the complete lines, which I found helpful. I stopped in b/c many of the dresses I liked were Jim Hjelm, and really liked it there. It is a clean place, very organized and they do not take too many appts at once like some of the other places we stopped at. The girls loved their dresses and we got a great price. Can't beat that!

Verdi: A++++++++++
Verdi was a dream to work with from the beginning. They have a great studio and lots of sample albums to look through. You can tell the minute you meet Rich & Mindy that they are true artists and love what they do. They are not going to shoot 800 of the traditional formal portrait shots. You will get plenty of those but you will also get amazing, photojournalism that will really tell the story of your day. Mindy kept us entertained the entire day and is such a sweet person. They are both people that you actually want to be around for the 10 hours that you spend with them. They got amazing shots that are truly works of art! We have not made our appt for our album yet but from the proofs, I know we'll be happy with it. (I’ll try to add pics soon but they are posted on www.fotoverdi.com if you want to take a look)

Wild Rose: A+++++++
We were over-budget (as most couples are!) and originally decided that we would cut back and not have a video. It wasn't until 2 of my friends pleaded with me to look into it that we even gave it a look. We decided to meet with Wild Rose b/c of the RAVE reviews and also the personal referral from our photographer (Verdi). I walked out of our meeting w/ Marie in with tears in my eyes b/c I was so touched by the DVD's that they make. I always pictured videographers to be intrusive to you (and your guests) and basically just show video footage from the day. What I didn't realize was that Bill and Marie are artists. Bill was getting footage that I would have never even thought to do. He was great. Not only was he fun to be around but he even came well prepared w/ a crochet hook to help my MOH with the 8000 buttons on the back of my dress (something we never thought of!). I have not seen our video yet so I cannot rate the final product but I can rate their professionalism and their artistic abilities. The other samples that I have seen are truly works of art! I would recommend Wild Rose w/out hesitation.


Laurie @ LA Blossom: A+++++
What can I saw that hasn't already been said about Laurie. She definitely deserved Vendor of the Year! She was great to work with and created beautiful flowers for our wedding. We met with Laurie and knew right away that we were going to use her without even having to meet with anyone else. Flowers were the one area of our wedding that we had no idea what we wanted. I only knew that I wanted low centerpieces for the tables. We basically started w/ a blank template and she walked us through each detail with lots of ideas, suggestions and pictures. You will definitely get a talented florist who can create your vision but you will also get someone who can give you ideas and help put together a theme. Laurie took the little ideas I gave her and created beautiful centerpieces and bouquets. Laurie was definitely our vendor who was the most detail oriented. She will add in little things that you would never have thought of to make your flowers BEYOND perfect! In addition to her talent, she is so easy to work with. She makes detailed contracts, returns call/emails in a timely fashion and works hard to make sure that your day is perfect. She will even bring additional flowers/materials to ensure that she has extra on-hand in case of an emergency or last minute change of plans. She really is the best!

Denise D'Attolico from Angel Eyes: A+++++++
I can't say enough about Denise. She is a perfect vendor. She is organized, returns emails, reasonably priced and most importantly a nice person. Denise did a great trial for my mom and I in April and then traveled all the way out to Westhampton to do makeup for 8 of us on my wedding day. She arrived on time, came up with a timeline for us so we were not rushed, had a great personality, was a pleasure to be with all day and did everyone's makeup beautifully! She is truly a makeup ARTIST. If Denise is not yet booked, I would highly recommend giving her a call (she is a vendor on here). I can't think of a better person to keep the mood light while you are getting ready and make you look fabulous. She is such a fun, professional vendor. I would recommend her in a heartbeat!

North Fork Trolley: B
I hesitate giving this vendor a 'B' b/c they did a great job. My only reason for not giving them an A is because I never felt like the the communication between myself and the owner was clear. They were also sometimes difficult to get in touch with. When I initially booked (approx 8 months prior), the owner told me that I didn't need to give him definite times b/c he only does one wedding per day and we will not run into a problem. He told me to get back to him a month before the wedding to confirm the details. I called him 3 1/2 months before to firm up some of the times and he said it might be a slight problem b/c he offered to 'lend' one of the trolleys out to a friend who was getting married in the afternoon. He promised to do his best but I was a little unhappy w/ the miscommunication. I am the type of person who prefers to state all the info upfront (even willing to put it in writing) but he was very lax and said we can firm up the details in August. Regardless, the trolley was such a cute touch, our guests enjoyed it and it only put us off schedule by about 15 minutes so it was not a big deal at all. I would recommend this vendor but would just be sure to give all the info upon booking, even if he tells you he does not need it until closer to your wedding.

Holiday Inn East End: A
The hotels on the East End of Long Island are few and far between so we were so happy to hear about this hotel opening. It was brand new and even thought it was about 15-20 minutes from our reception, we were happy to offer a standard hotel option in addition to the B&B's. We worked w/ Chrissy to block rooms and she was great! She was responsive, easy to get in touch with and was happy to help us block the number of rooms that we need. The only slight downside is that they limit the number of rooms you can block, which is completely understandable. They will not give you the majority of the hotel for your guests. Chrissy was great but so was the rest of the staff who worked at the front desk. I called MULTIPLE times in the 2 months before our wedding to get and updated list faxed to me and never had a problem. I've heard of horror hotel block stories but can honestly say that I never had a missing reservation or a problem with a cancellation. They were very efficient. and...were more than happy to be sure that each of our guests got a welcome bag upon arrival. As a bride, it was nice to know that those little details did not slip through the cracks!

Westhampton Bath & Tennis: C
The WB&T is attached to Atlantica and obviously VERY convenient, which is the reason they even get a C rating. I had multiple problems with them and had to speak to a manager each time I called to ensure things were correct. First problem...they are incredibly hard to get in touch with. There is 0% chance of reaching them in the off-season. During the summer/fall months, sometimes they pick up but usually you have to leave a voicemail and never get a returned call. They do not block rooms, only take reservations after a certain date, have a 2 night minimum thru Oct and have a strict cancellation policy. My main problems were that they continuously had our guests' reservations incorrect -- wrong rate, wrong # of nights, wrong name, wrong credit card info, etc which lead to lots of complaints. Also...for the amount of money that they charge, the rooms are only so-so. I'm not factoring that in b/c most Hamptons hotels are like that but I would have liked better service. However...many of my guests thought their rooms were fine and were happy to walk up the stairs to go to bed instead of a 15 minute trolley ride to Riverhead.

Roger's Tuxedos, Babylon: A+++
We decided to use Roger's after going to a few other tux shops first. We initially thought we should go with one of the more recognizable names but immediately changed our mind after stopping in Rogers. We worked with David and he was great! Actually, he was more than great. He went out of his way to accommodate our wedding party. Rogers is a clean store (unlike some of the others that we stopped in), has great tuxes and charges reasonable prices. The reason that I felt they were different is the customer service. Our wedding was on a Saturday but we rented a house in the Hamptons with our wedding party beginning on Tuesday. Normally, you pick up your tux on Thursday but that would have been a hassle for the guys to drive back to Babylon on Thursday to pick them up. David went out of his way to make sure our tuxes were ready on Tuesday (which meant having them ready an entire week early). They were all perfect! He even gave us 2 tuxes for one of our groomsmen who was coming from out of town and wouldn't be able to try it on in Rogers. He gave us an extra shirt and jacket just in case they didn't fit (free of charge!). I have to say....David was a pleasure to deal with and I would highly recommend stopping in there. You'll get a great tux with the personal attention that is usually lacking at these places.

Thomas Knoell: A+
Wow! I went to Thomas Knoell 'just to look' and walked out with ALL my wedding jewelry. His stuff is amazing. My only reason for not giving it an A+++++++ (as I did with all my other vendors) is because of the price. His stuff is pricey but well worth it in my opinion. He has great suggestions and does whatever it takes to make you happy. A perfect example is that he made 6 bracelets for my bridesmaids. I love them but tried them on and thought they seemed a bit small. I tried them on a few different people before I called him to be sure and they were a bit tighter than I would have liked. I felt horrible calling him b/c I knew this was an 'annoying bridezilla' request but I also didn't want to give them as gifts without them being a standard size. I thought he would be a little annoyed but he didn't sound it at all. He wanted to be sure that I was happy with the money I spent and love the products. and....I did! He ended up fixing all 6 bracelets for me. Everything was perfect and he is a pleasure to deal with. He even gave me a great idea -- I wore an Amsale Dress w/ a Blue Sash and he had a great suggestion to put a brooch in the back. I loved the idea! It is definitely worth a stop in to their Manhassat location.


Honeymoon A++++++++++++++++++ -- The best 2 weeks of our life!
Air Tahiti -- Great airline! We flew Business Class and loved it. Not sure it is worth the money to upgrade but we were able to sleep for almost 10 hours. and...the food was pretty good.

InterContinental Tahiti -- We were only there for a day and a half and it was an easy stop after flying for 13 hours. It's very convenient to the Papeete Airport. I wouldn't say it was the highlight of our trip but it was a good stopover. Our travel agent recommended staying there only 1 night and I would have to agree. It is a nice resort but if you are continuing on to Moorea and Bora Bora, it will not compare!

Sheraton Moorea -- We loved it! We heard mixed reviews before we went and were both a little unsure what to expect. We stayed for 4 nights/5 days and loved every second we were there. Our over-water bungalow was clean, spacious and comfortable. We stayed in number 75 and it was great b/c it was right at the end of the pier. It was completely unobstructed and we had great snorkeling under our deck.

Bora Bora Nui -- HEAVEN!!! I highly recommend this resort, it was truly paradise. The over-water bungalows are almost 1000 sq feet -- much larger than most others.....so beautiful! It has to be the most beautiful place on earth! We travel frequently and are picky about hotels yet we do not have a single complaint about this hotel!

Recommended Restaurants -- Alfredo's (Moorea), definitely Villa Mahana (Bora Bora --best meal of our trip), Bloody Mary's

Recommended Activities -- Deep Sea Fishing and Whale Watching in Moorea; Shark Feeding, Sting Ray Swimming, Jet Ski Tour, Sunset Cruise in Bora Bora

Hopefully I'll have time to add more details into the HM review but feel free to FM me with any questions.


I hope this review was helpful. Good luck to all of the '07/'08/'09 brides :)

Re: Our PERFECT Sept 16th Atlantica Wedding -- Paris, LA Blossom, Verdi, Wild Rose, Janine Burns, JahPan, Counterpoint, Kleinfelds, North Fork Trolley, Rogers, and more!

Great review, Can't wait to see pix Congratulations to you both!

Re: Our PERFECT Sept 16th Atlantica Wedding -- Paris, LA Blossom, Verdi, Wild Rose, Janine Burns, JahPan, Counterpoint, Kleinfelds, North Fork Trolley, Rogers, and more!

Great review! Any pics?

Re: Our PERFECT Sept 16th Atlantica Wedding -- Paris, LA Blossom, Verdi, Wild Rose, Janine Burns, JahPan, Counterpoint, Kleinfelds, North Fork Trolley, Rogers, and more!

working on the pics!

Re: Our PERFECT Sept 16th Atlantica Wedding -- Paris, LA Blossom, Verdi, Wild Rose, Janine Burns, JahPan, Counterpoint, Kleinfelds, North Fork Trolley, Rogers, and more!

Thanks for the review! I had heard of Paris but didn't hear much about them so was hesitant to go check them out...I definitley will now! I also am using Wild Rose...love them! Congrats!

Re: Our PERFECT Sept 16th Atlantica Wedding -- Paris, LA Blossom, Verdi, Wild Rose, Janine Burns, JahPan, Counterpoint, Kleinfelds, North Fork Trolley, Rogers, and more!

Great review! Any pics?

Re: Our PERFECT Sept 16th Atlantica Wedding -- Paris, LA Blossom, Verdi, Wild Rose, Janine Burns, JahPan, Counterpoint, Kleinfelds, North Fork Trolley, Rogers, and more!

It sounds like a great day. Our guests said that the service was amazing too and that they never expereienced such a wedding. It was a perfect place!

Can't wait to see some pictures!

Re: Our PERFECT Sept 16th Atlantica Wedding -- Paris, LA Blossom, Verdi, Wild Rose, Janine Burns, JahPan, Counterpoint, Kleinfelds, North Fork Trolley, Rogers, and more!

Great review..would love to see some pics

Re: Our PERFECT Sept 16th Atlantica Wedding -- Paris, LA Blossom, Verdi, Wild Rose, Janine Burns, JahPan, Counterpoint, Kleinfelds, North Fork Trolley, Rogers, and more!

Congratulations! Thank you so much for the great review. It sounds like your day was perfect.

Re: Our PERFECT Sept 16th Atlantica Wedding -- Paris, LA Blossom, Verdi, Wild Rose, Janine Burns, JahPan, Counterpoint, Kleinfelds, North Fork Trolley, Rogers, and more!

great review. I loved the atlantica when I was there for a wedding. Lots of information for brides to be.

Re: Our PERFECT Sept 16th Atlantica Wedding -- Paris, LA Blossom, Verdi, Wild Rose, Janine Burns, JahPan, Counterpoint, Kleinfelds, North Fork Trolley, Rogers, and more!

Great review!
We also used Paris, they are amazing!!
Can't wait to see pictures

Re: Our PERFECT Sept 16th Atlantica Wedding -- Paris, LA Blossom, Verdi, Wild Rose, Janine Burns, JahPan, Counterpoint, Kleinfelds, North Fork Trolley, Rogers, and more!

congrats!!!

Re: Our PERFECT Sept 16th Atlantica Wedding -- Paris, LA Blossom, Verdi, Wild Rose, Janine Burns, JahPan, Counterpoint, Kleinfelds, North Fork Trolley, Rogers, and more!

Congrats!

Re: Our PERFECT Sept 16th Atlantica Wedding -- Paris, LA Blossom, Verdi, Wild Rose, Janine Burns, JahPan, Counterpoint, Kleinfelds, North Fork Trolley, Rogers, and more!

bump for lgg08

Re: Our PERFECT Sept 16th Atlantica Wedding -- Paris, LA Blossom, Verdi, Wild Rose, Janine Burns, JahPan, Counterpoint, Kleinfelds, North Fork Trolley, Rogers, and more!

Great Review! Thank you for sharing! Excellent!
Congratulations!

Re: Our PERFECT Sept 16th Atlantica Wedding -- Paris, LA Blossom, Verdi, Wild Rose, Janine Burns, JahPan, Counterpoint, Kleinfelds, North Fork Trolley, Rogers, and more!

Congratulations on your wedding. Great Review!!

Re: Our PERFECT Sept 16th Atlantica Wedding -- Paris, LA Blossom, Verdi, Wild Rose, Janine Burns, JahPan, Counterpoint, Kleinfelds, North Fork Trolley, Rogers, and more!

great review! pics please.

Re: Our PERFECT Sept 16th Atlantica Wedding -- Paris, LA Blossom, Verdi, Wild Rose, Janine Burns, JahPan, Counterpoint, Kleinfelds, North Fork Trolley, Rogers, and more!

I'm so happy to hear about LA Blosson being an A++++++++ I was interested in looking at them!

Re: Our PERFECT Sept 16th Atlantica Wedding -- Paris, LA Blossom, Verdi, Wild Rose, Janine Burns, JahPan, Counterpoint, Kleinfelds, North Fork Trolley, Rogers, and more!

What a detailed review thanks for sharing.. your wedding day sounded amazing. Congrats to you and your husband!!!

Re: Our PERFECT Sept 16th Atlantica Wedding -- Paris, LA Blossom, Verdi, Wild Rose, Janine Burns, JahPan, Counterpoint, Kleinfelds, North Fork Trolley, Rogers, and more!

dancinmyazoff --- I would totally recommend LA Blossom. Laurie is great. Let me know if you have any specific questions. I'm happy to help.