September 26th at the THATCHED COTTAGE!!!

Robert and Annette (aka: RobNette)
September 26, 2004
12:00pm – 5:30pm

I know, I know...I'm still here....We had to postpone our FLORIDA HoneyMoon for obvious reasons.

Okay, so let me start out by saying how amazing and perfect our wedding day was!!!
Very few things actually went “wrong” and even then, they were minuet and I was the only one to really notice.
I will however be clear in saying: The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own and are not meant to hurt anyone. Any negative opinions are meant only to warn others to be cautious of certain things when dealing with their vendors.
My wedding went off very well, and there were no major problems, even those that were obvious to me!

GRADING: These grades are ranging from
A+ (excellent service, product and overall satisfaction) through
F (Terrible service, product and unsatisfied with overall performance…probably filing formal complaint to the better business bureau!)
Thankfully, none have received an “F”, but it is there just in case! ;)

From the beginning:

REX of NEW YORK: The Tri-Country Jewelry Exchange A++++++++++++
Ok. I just need to say : OH MY GOD. Alan, our jeweler, is a God. He was recommended to us by a couple we know who was married one year ago and Rob went to him to have my engagement ring made. (THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!) We naturally went back to them for our wedding bands. Now, I had NEVER planned to have stones in my wedding band. I just wanted a gold band, mabye with some filigree or Celtic knotwork, but no stones. We were about to leave the counter after realizing that we couldn’t afford for them to make us custom bands that matched my engagement ring (since it’s so detailed) and they specialize in gold with stones: they don’t really have ladies bands that are plain. Just as we are saying goodbye, Alan pulls this tray out and says “wait. What about this?”. OMG. That was it. Off the tray, in my size exactly my 18k white gold eternity wedding band, with an equal amount of karats in diamonds as my engagement ring and it’s own filigree design on either side that complemented my other ring. I was sold…and no more searching…and if he made them more affordable, they would have been free. He also appraised our rings for insurance purposes.
GO TO TRI-COUNTY!!!

DAVID’S BRIDAL: Carle Place and Nyack C / A+
The reason there are two locations and two grades, is because I attended both of these locations regarding my wedding gown.
Carle Place: C
I purchased my gown at this location after finding it in Nyack. This David’s is run like a meat market. I felt like a factory coat hanger being tossed around or ignored and often would find myself standing around looking for someone who worked there! The layout sucks and the service leaves SO much to be desired. ESPECIALLY AFTER BEING IN NYACK!!! I would expect bad service in a bad neighborhood, but NOT in Carle Place or Westbury!!! My dress DID come in and we bought it WAY in advance so no trouble there…but I refused to have them do the alterations, because I saw how they load them in like cattle! Also, when I went to get my undergarment from them (only because they are the only place with something that has no visible boning) and the saleswomen helping me convinced me to get a larger sized corset and then they didn’t have it in stock! So I bought my normal size anyway. (btw…my regular size was fine!)

Nyack: A+
The ladies who work there are amazing. This is NOT the David’s we are used to out here. Mabye it’s because of the money in that neighborhood, but OMG!!! The place was spacious and beautiful and clean!!! The woman who helped me was a dream, and eventually brought out my future wedding gown as a suggestion since I like the mermaid shaped dresses on my figure! She was what a bridal salon should have!!! The only reason I didn’t purchase my dress from them is because I live on LI and was only visiting that area. My mother bought the dress for me at our local David’s the next week.


MAID TO ORDER bridals/bridesmaids in Brooklyn: C-
We ordered LAZARO bride’s maid dresses from them because of their great price and alterations INCLUDED. This saved the girls almost $60 per dress, and for those of you who have looked at Lazaro; this is a BIG deal. (They run from $265-$600 for Bridesmaids!) I just fell in love with these ridiculously priced dresses and we managed to pull it off. My sister, in Arizona: ordered her dress and we expected them to ship it to her as soon as it came in. (August 19th) THEY DIDN’T SHIP IT UNTIL AUGUST 30TH!!! My sister was HERE for my Shower when the dress was still sitting on their floor in a box and she could have gotten it herself! I WAS PISSED. Throughout, they were reportedly rude to some of my girls, who were driving an hour for their fittings…not to mention paying ridiculous amounts of money for a dress through them: they should have been SUPER NICE for those prices; I don’t care if it was less money than other places. The shop was small and personal, but the employees looked a little too young and inexperienced to really care about us. THANKFULLY, the dresses did get to where they were going, and by the grace of the universe, everything worked out. I would have ordered the dresses WAY sooner than 4 months before if I could have, and if you use them order at least 6 months prior to your event (those magazines don’t lie!)
*Incidentally; Lazaro dresses are just about the FINEST quality dress you can get. They are so well made and so beautiful! In case you were wondering. You do get $$ worth with this designer.

AFTER HOURS TUXEDO : Sunrise Mall –Massapequa: D
My reason for this grade is due to the last minute stress and chaos that they caused us. We made sure to begin this order WAY in advance. I discussed with the woman at the store what we wanted, and I spoke with people on the phone to make sure measurements were being called in. The week of the wedding, when making the final preparations, I call the Tuxedo shop:
“Ok, just have the men come in to get their tuxes on Friday after 4pm” she says. I say: “Ok, well nobody can come till Saturday morning because we are having our rehearsal dinner Friday night.”
“OH” she says, “You can’t do that, there won’t be time to order new ones if there is something wrong”.
SO WHY DIDN’T YOU HAVE THEM IN BY THURSDAY JUST IN CASE!!!
( I didn’t say this, but I was thinking it!) The men worked this all out…but not until we were told that THE RING BEARER TUX WAS NEVER ORDERED, so they had to FIND ONE for him and the VEST was the not only the wrong vest, but ENORMOUS on his little 4 year old body! I was so mad, I told DH to keep me away from them because I was going to strangle them if I went to the shop.
I am filing a formal complaint and I will contact the corporation about that branch personally if I have to to make sure this doesn’t happen to another bride; even when they are organized!
THANKFULLY, it worked out…the ill-fitting vest matched well enough, though It was not what I wanted, and we made do. NEVER AGAIN!

BRIDAL SHOE BOTIQUE: Old Country Road in Carle Place B+
This little shop had a ton of shoes to choose from and they were all good quality. They sell dyable shoes and accessories and can match any color. (Ours was tuff to match, so it was a good test for you guys!) The shoes were ordered for us in our sizes (me and bridesmaids) and sent to dye. They also have the added bonus of including a RE-DYING to black after the event in the price! This is a great move on their part, as I chose them over others based on this. (This applies to all shoes purchased there!) The only ruff spots we hit, were the two-week period it takes them to dye the shoes. This is a long time for something that the local cobbler does in 2 days…though the quality might not be as good. Also, the day the shoes were supposed to be in, my BM went to pick them up for us and they said they “weren’t dry yet”. This was odd to me, considering that they dye them off site. So I had to go back 2 days later and get the shoes; 2 days before the wedding! That is the only reason for the not-A grade. Otherwise, great job- beautiful shoes, not-too-horrible prices. (Mine were $65 and BMs were @ $45 and that includes dying and black re-dying).

STUDIO V of Valley Stream: Laurie – My hair and mother’s touch-ups: A +++
Laurie was a sweet heart. She came to my house at 7:30am on Sunday morning to do my hair and it was perfect. Not a frizz until the next afternoon…after it was slept on! So nice and fast worker…she really knows what she is doing.

ROYALTY LIMOUSINE: Franklin Square, NY- Manny: A+++
Considering that I had to changed the locations on the contract the week of the wedding, and then throw in the fact that our limo was prompt, clean and ready to go exactly as planned: I would recommend Royalty to everyone. I got a great deal because they are a LIW vendor, and I dealt exclusively with Manny. He was friendly and accommodating. We couldn’t have asked for more. Our driver Tony, was adorable and made his best efforts to make sure we didn’t leave too late. (we were there in perfect time!)

GERALD SAMPSON PHOTOGRAPHY: Gerald – B&W and Color photography: A+ (so far)

We don’t have proofs back yet, but this much I can say:
Several of my friends and family members made comments to me about how wonderful Gerald was. He was the true “fly on the wall” photographer. He respected anyone who was taking pictures, but popped in to take his own shots. He was polite and very good with people. One friend in particular made this comment in contrast to his own wedding photographer at the Thatched Cottage in 2003. His photographer would step right in front of guest to make a shot and was very rude to people...not to mention that they were not pleased with the end result anyway.
Fingers crossed for proofs!

DESIGNER FLORALS: Sharon – All flowers and decorating: A
Sharon was not only a florist, she was quickly a friend and kindred spirit! She seemed to get what I wanted from the very beginning. My flowers and decorations were MORE than I could have dreamed of, and she totally captured the woodsy –Autumn- fairy -land that I wanted! I’m sure what she did for us could have cost a ton more than it did with someone else, (or even with her if we didn’t get along so well!) The ONLY reason there is no “+” after my enthusiastic “A” is because of the confusion we had in our negotiations and a little on the wedding day. I cannot emphasize enough how PERFECT my flowers were in every way on the Wedding day, but I was a little nervous leading up to that day because every time we spoke about the flowers, she seemed to forget what we had discussed the time before. I took pictures the last time we met, to guarantee that my centerpiece would look a certain way and gave her a copy…and the final product was even better! (so no complaints about that) The only discrepancy that I felt and was bothered by, was there was NO floral crown for my flower girl, and this upset her too, since I had told her she would have one. It was in our original contract and I was surprised that it was missing. We made do and pulled some flowers off her basket and stuck them in her hair (nobody noticed the difference!), but it was unpleasant for a few minutes. In all sincerity though, I would recommend Sharon to ANYONE who has that romantic flower picture in their head, because she is an absolute GENIOUS and I have said nothing but that to everyone who asks! She is personal and so talented and the most creative florist that I saw. (she reminded me of my mother in all the good creative ways, that’s why I chose her!)


HIGH VOLTAGE SOUNDS: Vinny – Basic DJ Package and Ceremony Music: A
Vinny was very cooperative during the whole planning process. He explained how he would make sure he played what was important to us and not play what we didn’t want. Overall, he did just this. He was friendly and fun and never difficult to talk to. We had a few awkward minutes at the wedding however, when he played some “boy-band” song right after our first dance. WE HATE BOY-BANDS..and specifically said no boy-bands. My new husband leans over and says “UM…what is this???” I got a little nervous…but after that, the music was AMAZING for the rest of the day. Vinny even waited until DH was in the room to play one of our requests…so he wouldn’t miss it! He really felt out the crowd, and saw what they liked….and played all the 80’s songs we could have dreamed of! ? The only reason there is no “+” in this grade, is because we never did the Tarantella or the Hora, and I wanted both. I’m Italian and DH family is Jewish (though only by history, not at all by tradition anymore) I might not have emphasized this enough to him in our meetings, but I realized after that it never happened and was a little sad. I think he tried to play a Tarantella, but nobody thought to do the dance, and he didn’t prompt it. Still, if it was a HUGE deal, I would have remembered earlier and asked him about it. Everything else was great, and EVERYONE got up to dance at one point or another.

THE THATCHED COTTAGE: Centerport, NY- Ceremony and Reception location and all food A+++
Not only was I saticfied with my choice of location, but EVERY ONE of my guests went on and on about the food being wonderful, the presentation of everything superb and the garden being the most beautiful they had seen! I felt taken care of and completely supported from the minute I stepped in on my wedding day. MaryAnn, my “till that point” consultant was even there and gave me some last minutes best wishes. Ralph the owner, who is just sweat as pie, spoke to me after the wedding was over and asked how everything was for me and I of course said “wonderful!”. Even though we cut the cocktail hour in half to save some money, NOBODY knew, because there was SO MUCH FOOD! There was passed orderves, pasta and seafood! I didn't even realize we had them until yesturday when my BM was telling me how good they were. *We cut the cocktail hour in half to save $$ and because I knew there would be plenty of food. I just found out that the owner added some food stations for us, just to be nice! I didn't have ANY food at cocktail hour so I didn't know conclusively, though I thought I saw a table with shaffing dishes..and I was curious.
Mary, my personal “day of” coordinator, provided by the TC was great. You could tell that she was used to working with more hysterical brides than myself, (as I must admit, though I was still doing my “arts and crafts” until the 5 mintes before walking down the aisle, I was a pretty calm bride; everyone said so) but Mary was prepared for ANY mishap and brought me pina coladas the whole time we were taking pictures! I felt so pampered…It was great!
My matrede (Cliff) was pretty accomodating, though I don’t think I would get along with him personally. DH didn’t like him, and was convinced he had an attitude. I thought he did a good job, though I will say, a more pleasant personality might have made our interactions seem a little more smooth.


The only problem I had with the Thatched Cottage: on the week building up to the wedding day, I had a tuff time getting in touch with someone who could answer my questions about my place cards. I couldn’t make them until I had this info sorted out, and though I called at 12:00 noon, I didn’t get in touch with anyone or a call back until 8:00pm! And I had to call 5 times knowing that the person I needed to speak to was there, she was just “with someone else”...and the last time when I spoke sternly they got her on the phone. I have been very careful not to be bitchy, but this was important..and the clock was ticking…literally! I was irritated because while new clients might be important, isn’t it important to be just as accomodating to the present ones..the ones who are currently giving you thousands of dollars?
Without causeing too much trouble; MaryAnn was not working that day, and I will say that she was always SO nice and helpful. I seemed to only have problems when she was not there.

OTHER ASSORTED COMPANIES ENVOLVED:

Favors:
1. Elsie’s Daughter: an internet transaction; perfectly handled. Purchased 100 vermont maple syrup filled maple-shaped bottles from them at a great price. They even sent extra, so the one that broke in transit didn’t really matter. ? www.elsiesdaughter.com A+++

2. Wax Inspirations: another internet transaction; Canadian company. I purchased 200 maple leaf shaped tags from them, personalized. Great price, prompt service…spoke with them on the phone to confirm and everything was perfect. Highly recommended
www.waxinspirations.theshoppe.com A+++

3. Others to come (just need to check the info)

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Re: September 26th at the THATCHED COTTAGE!!!

Congratulations! Great pictures on BHB! Sounds like a wonderful day and good to hear that little problems here and there didn't ruin it!

Re: September 26th at the THATCHED COTTAGE!!!

Wow, great review! It sounds like dispite a few teeny-tiny glitches, you had an AMAZING day! Congrats newlywed!

Re: September 26th at the THATCHED COTTAGE!!!

Congrats!

Re: September 26th at the THATCHED COTTAGE!!!

Congratulations, and thanks for such a detailed review!

Re: September 26th at the THATCHED COTTAGE!!!

Congratulations, can't wait to see pictures

Re: September 26th at the THATCHED COTTAGE!!!

Annette, Everything sounds great. I'm glad you had a great day. I'm so glad to hear yet another rave review about Thatched Cottage. This place is still #1 on my list and I'll probably end up booking there. Thanks for the review. Have fun on your honeymoon, when you get there. :)

Re: September 26th at the THATCHED COTTAGE!!!

Great review, Annette! I'm sure all the brides to be appreciate your honesty and detail.

I am sorry to hear about some of your glitches, but it obviously did not ruin your wedding day

So happy to hear another positive story about Thatched Cottage. And by the looks of your pics, it was a beautiful ceremony/reception. Everything looked terrific and you looked so lovely!

Congrats on your marriage and all the best always . Hope you get to go on that honeymoon really soon

Re: September 26th at the THATCHED COTTAGE!!!

Yay!soudnsliek you hadagreat day!ILOVE the color of the BMdresses. Iwasinloveiwthalazaro inthat color &matrial forawhile. The flowers looked great withthem.
I love that pic of the kids--so cute!

How did you familylike the cermony?Did they catch onto the Paegan bits?

I am so glad you had a great day. I went to the TC once & the only thing I didn't like was the indoor ceremony room--too long & narow, can't see the bride & groom--the outisdeis beutful though!

Just curious, do you knowthe name of the photographer your friend used at the TC?
The ones my friend had bugged me, for the reason you said &I was curious if it was the same person.

I think they liked him though, they recomended him to be, but I didn't look into it.

Re: September 26th at the THATCHED COTTAGE!!!

Congratulations! You looked beautiful and had such a beautiful day too!
I used some of the same vendors, I also loved royalty, but had a better experience at David's bridal
I wish you lots of hapinness!

Re: September 26th at the THATCHED COTTAGE!!!

sounds like yu had a great day, despite a few small glitches...glad your gown worked out ok! For the amt of $$$$ gowns cost, we SHOULD be pampered and taken care of in a clean, spacious place!

Re: September 26th at the THATCHED COTTAGE!!!

SO beautiful! COngratulations!

Re: September 26th at the THATCHED COTTAGE!!!

congrats...