Our very long 5/26/07 wedding review! East Wind, Sir Oliver, TimeXposures, Get in Tune, Paradise Bridal, With all my Heart, and more! Lots of non-pro pics!

First I would like to say that we just got engaged in December and didn’t want to wait over a year to get married. It is definitely possible to plan a great wedding in less than 6 months – granted we got lucky with our vendors being available, and I had help from LIW! I give kudos to those of you who have had long engagements; I was so excited for the wedding I couldn’t wait! We had an amazing day and I have never been happier. So here is my review and a few non-pro pictures. Enjoy!

Hotels for OOT guests:
Hampton Inn Islandia: A
We called a bunch of hotels to book a block of rooms and they gave us the best rate and didn’t require a 3-night stay due to Memorial Day. Most of my friends stayed there and the rooms were great. Kelly Ann, the sales person I worked with, was so nice and accommodating regarding my OOT bags, answering my questions, etc. Unfortunately on Sunday morning after the wedding, the fire alarm went off at 5:30 am!! This is something we couldn’t have foreseen (someone burnt something in the kitchen), but still annoying for my guests.

My family stayed at the LaQuinta Inn across from McArthur and it was really nice as well – they also have a big breakfast in the morning, which my family liked. DH’s friends stayed at the Marriott and liked it as well. We didn’t have blocks at these hotels, so I didn’t work with their sales staff.

Invitations:
Einvite.com : A+
One of my friends who got married last summer recommended this vendor to me and I was very pleased. The invites were beautiful, affordable, and arrived in 3 days! I got a lot of compliments on them and people said they looked a lot more expensive than they were. They don’t have the largest selection of invites, but if you’re looking for something classic, I highly recommend them!

Dresses:
Paradise Bridals: C
MIL and SIL had gotten dresses from here in the past and recommended them. My dress was a Private Label and I loved it. They gave me a good price and it came in more quickly than expected. My seamstress (I can’t remember her name) was great and the alterations were perfect. I did have a few issues with scheduling appointments (more below). MIL also found her dress here and had no problems. So why the low grade? SIL had sooooo many issues with her dress it was ridiculous!

The BM dresses were from Romantic Bridals, a company that apparently no one uses anymore. I was a little nervous about ordering from a lesser-known company, but we loved the dresses and didn’t see others we liked as much. They told me I didn’t need to rush order the BM dresses, and that they’d arrive in mid-April, giving plenty of time for me to ship my MOH dress to her and for SIL to have fittings. Well, the dress didn’t arrive until the beginning of May, and MIL and I were calling almost every day to check on it. They didn’t even call us when they came in – one afternoon when I called, they were like, “oh, yeah, it arrived this morning.”

Then SIL went for her first fitting and needed a TON of alterations b/c they ordered it 3 sizes too big! When she went back for her second fitting, NONE of the alterations from the first fitting had been done – the pins were all still in it! After MIL pitched a fit, they altered it in an hour, and the seamstress was like, “why did they order you such a big size? I can tell from looking at you this is totally wrong.” Then, when SIL went back to pick it up the Thursday before the wedding, it hadn’t been pressed! (She had an appointment clearly noted in their books as “pickup – press.”) Once everything was done it fit great, but it really annoyed me that she had so many issues with the shop.

(FYI, my MOH had her dress altered in VA and her’s was also a size too big, but she had no problems with the alterations).

I was also irritated b/c every time I called there, they seemed to have no idea who I was. I’m sure they have a million brides, but it would be nice if they’d remember me (especially when I was calling every day about the BM dresses). There were also times when I called to confirm my fitting appointments when they claimed I didn’t have appointments, or asked if I was a BM instead of a bride. Once I saw the salesgirl write the appointment down on the calendar, then I called a few days before to confirm and they told me I wasn’t in the book. I was like, “yes I am, I’m right below [other bride’s name] on the calendar.” Get it together, people!!

I probably wouldn’t use them again, based on the experience of them not having their act together with scheduling appointments and b/c of all of SIL’s dress issues. They would have been rated lower if they didn’t do such a good alteration job on my dress.

My MOH (right) and BM (left):



Tuxes:
Rico’s in Center Moriches: A
I let DH take charge of the tuxes and he got them all at Rico’s, the same place where he ordered his prom tux! His BM was from CA and sent in his measurements; FIL and my dad went once when my parents were up to visit to order theirs. The only issue was that DH’s tux jacket was mis-labeled (label said 40, but it was a 34), so it was waaaay too small. They were really apologetic and got him a brand new jacket by the next day. The guys all looked great and (once the jacket situation was resolved) everything fit very well.

DH and his best man (notice the Mets cufflinks!):



Rehearsal Dinner:
Sayville Inn: A
MIL booked the inn and they had our dinner in a separate building, so we had a nice, private event. The food was great and it was open bar, so that’s always a plus. I found out later that MIL and my mom had blown up baby pictures of DH and I that were supposed to be placed around the room, but the inn forgot. I wasn’t that disappointed that they were missing!

Hair/Makeup:
Christopher Jon’s in Sayville: A+
Someone told me you can’t get bridal appointments here unless you’re a regular client, but MIL is so she got me in. Michelle did my hair and Janine did my makeup. They were both so sweet and made me look more beautiful than I ever thought possible. I showed Michelle a few pics of how I wanted my hair to look and she replicated it perfectly and made it look like I had a ton more hair. Even after dancing all night my hair looked perfect. I told Janine I wanted a natural makeup look that would last all night, and that’s exactly what she did. I only had to re-touch my lipstick; everything else stayed put until I scrubbed it off!

They also did MIL and SIL’s hair and both looked amazing. I saw another BM (not for my wedding) getting her hair done by a different stylist and she also looked great. If you’re not a client there, I highly recommend becoming one! The women coming out of the salon with regular styles all looked beautiful!

Getting my makeup done by Janine:



BM Jewelry:
Looney Maiden : A+
I wanted something for my girls that was pretty and elegant, yet not too elaborate that they couldn’t wear it again. I found this site where you can custom design the colors of crystals and pearls to match your wedding. I got them earrings, a necklace, and a bracelet for a very reasonable price and the jewelry looked amazing and went very well with their dresses. It also arrived very quickly. My girls seemed to like it a lot!

Florist:
With All My Heart: A++
I’m not a big flower person and barely know the difference b/t a rose and a carnation. I knew I wanted lots of purple flowers and I like irises. I brought Linea a few pictures of what I wanted for my bo-k and she made it look so beautiful and exactly how I envisioned. My BM bo-k’s were also great and complimented their dresses perfectly. We got so many compliments! Our centerpieces were floating candles in pillars and looked very elegant. I also got many compliments on them, and how they enhanced the room. Highly recommend!

Our BP (good shot of bo-ks):



Photographer:
TimeXposures: A+++++
Jon was our photographer and Alex was his assistant. From the moment they arrived, he was so easy to work with and relaxed. They got to the hotel around 3:45pm and didn’t stop shooting for over an hour! Throughout the ceremony and reception, he was always there, yet unobtrusive, so unless you were looking for him, you wouldn’t have noticed him. We got between 500-1000 proofs (I lost count) and they are all amazing – I don’t know how we will choose! I didn’t give him a long “must-take” list, but he took all the ones I wanted and ones I didn’t even realize I wanted! One thing that really impressed me was that he seemed to pick out the important people to us (other than immediate family) and took a lot of pictures of them. This was great, because I got some wonderful shots of my grandmother, cousins, and friends. He had such a good sense of humor too, and a lot of guests commented on how “cool” he was. He was one of my favorite vendors of the day and I highly recommend him to any bride!! (As soon as I get my pro proofs on CD, I will post some!)

Jon even posed with MOH and I:



Limo:
Sir Oliver: A+
Since we didn’t have a big BP, we only needed a 10 person limo. DH booked over the phone with Jennifer, and the few times I talked to her she was very sweet and answered all my questions completely. Anthony was our driver and arrived early to pick me up, which was nice b/c I was worried about traffic. I had nothing to worry about and we arrived to the church in plenty of time! Once we were at the church, he helped the ushers organize the BP for their entrance and made sure my train looked beautiful for the walk down the aisle – one of my favorite pictures is of me and my dad when they opened the church doors for us, and Anthony is behind me adjusting the train! The limo was immaculate and overall working with Sir Oliver was great. Definitely recommend them!

Dad and I in the Limo:



Church:
St. James, Brookhaven
I don’t feel right giving a church a grade, but Father Hickman at St. James was great. This is the church DH has attended since he was a kid, so it felt natural to get married there. Father Hickman was fun to meet with for our pre-marriage sessions and kept DH relaxed before the ceremony. He was able to make the service personal to us, and several guests commented on how sweet and touching it was.

I was concerned when we first booked the church that it would be too small for our guests (only seats 120, we expected 150) but we added some extra seats and it worked out perfectly. We did have some issues with the organist not returning calls and giving a bit of attitude regarding what I wanted played (I didn’t want anything that wasn’t traditional, just not what she “wanted” to play at weddings!) but Father Hickman helped run interference with her. Overall I was very pleased with the church.

Walk down the aisle with my dad:



Saying our vows:



Music:
Get in Tune: A-
Glen was our MC and I can’t remember the name of our DJ! When we first booked with Glen, he seemed to have a lot of energy and was responsive to our requests. Then we met with him the week before the wedding and he seemed distracted or maybe just really tired. Right before the reception, DH saw him and asked if everything was set for the few specific things we’d requested at the last meeting. He said he didn’t remember having that conversation, so DH had to set him straight! This was a little unnerving, especially when we’d given pretty detailed instructions the week before. Turns out we had nothing to worry about, because the reception flowed very well and the dance floor was usually packed. He played most of our “must play” list, didn’t take requests, and turned the music down a few times when some of our older guests politely asked him to. I had a great time dancing at the reception, and also have wonderful pics of my family and friends dancing to his music. He did a good job of customizing our music to our taste, and not playing stuff we don’t like. I hope he was just having an off day when we met him for our final appointment and that’s why he didn’t remember our requests – otherwise I would have rated him higher.

Reception:
East Wind Estate: A+++++++++++
I cannot say a single bad thing about the East Wind. We loved the Estate when we met with them for booking, and couldn’t have been happier. Joyce was our Maitre ‘d and she seemed to be everywhere at once – I really feel like every time I turned around, she was there! Diane was our bridal attendant and she was also great. I feel like we didn’t see her that much, but every time we returned for to our table, our glasses had been refilled and we never had to look for a drink. She also brought us food from CH, helped me in and out of my dress so I could use the bathroom, and had stain remover to get a deodorant smudge off of DH’s tuxedo jacket.

We were lucky and had a beautiful day to take pictures outside near the gazebo and they are lovely. I also got ready there and have a bunch of beautiful pictures from inside the hotel.

We decided at the last minute not to go to our CH, but our guests raved about how much food there was and how good it was. The EW even threw in a pasta station at no charge! The reception room itself was absolutely beautiful. I really feel like the room didn’t need much since it’s so elegant to begin with, but the candle centerpieces helped illuminate the room! No one ever seemed to need to wait long at the bar, and the wait staff seemed attentive and accommodating. One of our guests needed a gluten-free meal, and they made her one without hesitation. So many people commented on how great the food was (I don’t remember eating much!) and how much food there was! I was so happy we booked there and think they did a fabulous job.

As part of our package, we got a complimentary room at the hotel for the night. I was able to check in early to get ready, and found out they bumped us to a suite! The suite was huge, beautiful, and included a Jacuzzi tub! Okay, one bad thing about EW: after the reception, DH and I couldn’t figure out how to work the Jacuzzi! That thing needed instructions. Or maybe we were just so keyed up we lost our minds. Oh well, everything else was perfect!!!

Everyone dancing:



DH and I doing the robot:



Dance lessons:
Me! A+++
I choreographed our first dance and gave DH lessons in our kitchen every night for a few weeks. In the words of my father, “It looked like a former dancer and a former baseball player dancing.” I think we did a great job!

Our first dance:





Other stuff:
Menus, card box: DIY
I give myself an A+! People were impressed with my craftiness with making the box!

Favors, Table Numbers, Place Cards: A+++
Instead of favors, we sponsored a kennel at the animal shelter where I volunteer. Another volunteer created table numbers for me that featured pictures of dogs who have been adopted, and I made scrolls for each place explaining the donation and telling the dog’s story. We had a lot of dog people attend and they all loved this idea. It was also really touching for me to look around and see pictures of the animals I’ve loved at each table. (DH wouldn’t let me invite the dogs to the wedding).

For the place cards, I used one of the DIY kits from Michael’s and attached dog stickers to each one – if I knew the favorite breed of the guest, that’s the kind of sticker they got! I heard that when one guest couldn’t find her card, another guest said, “what kind of dog do you have? Look for that one and you’ll find your place!”

Our favor donation plaque at the shelter:



Mini-honeymoon:
Morning Glory Bed and Breakfast, Greenport: A+
DH and I wanted to save some money before taking a big trip, so we stayed at this B&B for two nights. We liked it b/c it’s small (only three guest rooms) and close enough to walk into town, but not near any noisy areas. It’s owned and run by a German couple who were so sweet. When we arrived, they had a bottle of champagne waiting for us b/c they knew it was our honeymoon! The breakfasts each morning were delicious and the rooms were comfortable and quaint, yet modern (think old country style beds with plasma TVs on the wall!). I would definitely stay there again and would highly recommend it to anyone looking to get away!

The End!!!

Re: Our very long 5/26/07 wedding review! East Wind, Sir Oliver, TimeXposures, Get in Tune, Paradise Bridal, With all my Heart, and more! Lots of non-pro pics!

congrats...seems as though everything went perfect....you look so calm and great!!!

umh impressed with teaching hubby the dance.....

congrats

Re: Our very long 5/26/07 wedding review! East Wind, Sir Oliver, TimeXposures, Get in Tune, Paradise Bridal, With all my Heart, and more! Lots of non-pro pics!

Congrats. Everything looks beautifu!

Re: Our very long 5/26/07 wedding review! East Wind, Sir Oliver, TimeXposures, Get in Tune, Paradise Bridal, With all my Heart, and more! Lots of non-pro pics!

Congrats! great review! glad you had amazing day! you look stunning!!!!!

Re: Our very long 5/26/07 wedding review! East Wind, Sir Oliver, TimeXposures, Get in Tune, Paradise Bridal, With all my Heart, and more! Lots of non-pro pics!

wow !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Re: Our very long 5/26/07 wedding review! East Wind, Sir Oliver, TimeXposures, Get in Tune, Paradise Bridal, With all my Heart, and more! Lots of non-pro pics!

Congratulations! Great review and you looked beautiful!

Re: Our very long 5/26/07 wedding review! East Wind, Sir Oliver, TimeXposures, Get in Tune, Paradise Bridal, With all my Heart, and more! Lots of non-pro pics!

Congratulations! You looke beautiful! Thanks for the great review

Re: Our very long 5/26/07 wedding review! East Wind, Sir Oliver, TimeXposures, Get in Tune, Paradise Bridal, With all my Heart, and more! Lots of non-pro pics!

You look so happy and beautiful! Congrats!!!

I love that robot pic! You look like a manequin! What a great shot! I love pics like that!

Re: Our very long 5/26/07 wedding review! East Wind, Sir Oliver, TimeXposures, Get in Tune, Paradise Bridal, With all my Heart, and more! Lots of non-pro pics!

you look great and i love the girls dresses/color!! congrats!

Re: Our very long 5/26/07 wedding review! East Wind, Sir Oliver, TimeXposures, Get in Tune, Paradise Bridal, With all my Heart, and more! Lots of non-pro pics!

Wow you look amazing!

Congrats

Re: Our very long 5/26/07 wedding review! East Wind, Sir Oliver, TimeXposures, Get in Tune, Paradise Bridal, With all my Heart, and more! Lots of non-pro pics!

Can't wait til my Estate Wedding.

You look beautiful

Re: Our very long 5/26/07 wedding review! East Wind, Sir Oliver, TimeXposures, Get in Tune, Paradise Bridal, With all my Heart, and more! Lots of non-pro pics!

Re: Our very long 5/26/07 wedding review! East Wind, Sir Oliver, TimeXposures, Get in Tune, Paradise Bridal, With all my Heart, and more! Lots of non-pro pics!

congrats!!!

Re: Our very long 5/26/07 wedding review! East Wind, Sir Oliver, TimeXposures, Get in Tune, Paradise Bridal, With all my Heart, and more! Lots of non-pro pics!

congrats to you. thanks for posting

Re: Our very long 5/26/07 wedding review! East Wind, Sir Oliver, TimeXposures, Get in Tune, Paradise Bridal, With all my Heart, and more! Lots of non-pro pics!

You look amazing, and I love the flowers!

Re: Our very long 5/26/07 wedding review! East Wind, Sir Oliver, TimeXposures, Get in Tune, Paradise Bridal, With all my Heart, and more! Lots of non-pro pics!

Excellent review! you looked gorgeous and I LOVE your flowers! Yeeaaa for Jonathan/Timexposures- isn't he great?!

Re: Our very long 5/26/07 wedding review! East Wind, Sir Oliver, TimeXposures, Get in Tune, Paradise Bridal, With all my Heart, and more! Lots of non-pro pics!

Congrats!! Great review!!!! Your flowers are very pretty!!! We booked With All My Heart so excited!!!

Re: Our very long 5/26/07 wedding review! East Wind, Sir Oliver, TimeXposures, Get in Tune, Paradise Bridal, With all my Heart, and more! Lots of non-pro pics!

Congratulations. It sounds like your day was magical. And you look stunning.

Re: Our very long 5/26/07 wedding review! East Wind, Sir Oliver, TimeXposures, Get in Tune, Paradise Bridal, With all my Heart, and more! Lots of non-pro pics!

Congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Re: Our very long 5/26/07 wedding review! East Wind, Sir Oliver, TimeXposures, Get in Tune, Paradise Bridal, With all my Heart, and more! Lots of non-pro pics!

congrats everything looked wonderful!

I love your dress!