UPDATED With Professional Proofs: Our 7/21/07 Wedding Review: Fox Hollow, FM Entertainment, Burtons, Royalty, Mia, Lillettes, and More . . .

Hi Ladies!!! Our wedding day was absolutely amazing and we really couldn’t be happier with how it meant. Here is our review?. We hope you all enjoy!

LIWeddings – A+
I cannot thank Ron and Liz enough for this site. The posts by all of you ladies helped me immensely. You are all so creative and should be so proud of yourselves. Seeing as how I am the first family member and first person in my group of friends to get married, I really knew next to nothing about planning a wedding. Thank you again for your posts, pictures and ideas.

Weather – A+
82, Sunny, No Humidity – This never happens at the end of July!!!


Attire
Bridal Gown – Rena Koh – Alterations - Slip
Lillette’s Bridal Salon – A+ (Geri and Laura)
Lillette’s was the first and only place I went looking for a dress. I had no plans on buying a dress when I left my house that morning, but fate stepped in. Geri was my bridal consultant. She was absolutely amazing and I highly recommend her. All and all, I tried on probably 20 dresses that day, but fell in love with the second dress I tried on.
My alterations were done by Laura. Granted, I only needed a bustle, but she was still a doll to work with.


Side Note: If you have real buttons make sure you get a crochet needle to help you button them. Luckily, I picked one up the day before, but it was still a pain to button my dress.


Bridesmaids Dresses – Bill Levkoff
Lillette’s Bridal Salon – A
Once again, Geri was very helpful. The only problem I had with Lillette’s was they would not mail my one non-local girl her dress, so I had to go there and mail it myself. A bit of an inconvenience, but everything else was great.


Colorifics Shoes - Tori
Totally You (Shoes Dept) – B+
I think the people who are in charge of the shoes are not the same people that do that dresses, but it’s just easier to identify them as the same. Anyways, I needed shoes ASAP and I knew that they would have them. I had looked in a bunch of places and had not found anything that really caught my eye. The woman who helped me there was personable enough and told me I would have my shoes before my fitting on Saturday. She then proceeded to call me the next day and tell me my shoes did not come in ivory and I could order different shoes. Eventually, everything worked out. I took the ones I originally ordered to my fitting and the store later dyed them ivory to match my dress. The reason why they do not get an A is because it was inconvenient to have to go back there to have them dyed.


Veil, Headpiece, Garter
Barrons – A+
I ordered my headpiece and veil well in advance since I was unsure exactly how long it would take to come in. My veil was two tiers and had rhinestones, which matched my dress. I really did love the final product and the way it looked with my dress. Barrons was very accommodating. Originally I wanted my veil for May 18th, but then my first dress fitting was a few days before that. I called them up and asked if there was anyway that they could finish it a week early and they said of course.
With no garter and two weeks to the wedding, I went back to Barrons and asked about a garter. They had a decent selection and were very reasonably priced ($14 for the garter and throw away). My only advice is that when you go to the flea market make sure you bring cash.


MOB Dress
Totally You – A+
My mom went in May to pick up her dress. Yes, I know very last minute. She just kept putting it off and finally I made her go. Luckily, she found a dress she loved that day. It fit almost perfectly. All she needed was the padding removed. She was pleased with the outcome. She had her alterations done at Wantagh Cleaners.


Invites
Exclusively Weddings – A
I ordered them in mid April and was expecting them by the end of April, but did not get them until the second week of May (allow approximately 3-4 weeks for delivery), which seemed a bit long for me. Otherwise, they were perfect.and we got about 30 extra invites due to overprinting.


Bridesmaids Gifts
Lands End – Tote Bag – A+
Quick and reliable service. Great price as well (Better than LL Bean)

Anna Bellagio – DOJ – A+
Quick and reliable service.


MPix.com – Guestbook – A+
I HIGHLY recommend this vendor. I made my own photo album using the software they provide. The software is very easy to use and there were many different templates to choose from. Amazing turn around time: Ordered Thursday morning, received product Friday.




Costco – Lenox Cake Topper – A+
Fast, reliable, inexpensive


DIY
STD, Envelopes, Programs, Menus, OOT Boxes, Covered Guestbook – A+
I worked quite hard on these and I was very happy with the outcome. People actually asked me where I got them printed. ?






Hair and Makeup
Mia from BL – A+
Mia was amazing. She arrived at my house 30 minutes early which was a nice surprise. She started with my hair then she did my sister’s and mom’s makeup and then she did my makeup. She made me look and feel like a princess. I am so happy that I decided to change my hair from half up to all up. I did not have to worry about it staying in place. The next morning it still loved amazing! She was done just before the photographer got there. She then helped me put my veil in place. She was soft spoken and polite the entire time. I highly recommend her.





Maximus Spa and Salon – Merrick – A+
I just wanted to add a picture of my MOH’s hair. It came out amazing. So much so that Mia even took a picture of it so she could recreate it. I do not know the stylist, but here is a picture.


Flowers
Flowers by Burton – A
Overall, I was pleased with the experience that I had with Burtons. They dropped the flowers off a little earlier then scheduled. When I looked at them, I noticed the bouquets did not look how I requested them. Could I have made a big deal about it? Yeah, but I didn’t. It just wasn’t worth the stress to me. I had requested cream roses, but instead I got blush roses and some other flower. They were also slightly wilting. My flowers were also supposed to be cream with calla lilies, but it ended up pink with calla lilies. I am actually glad they made this mistake. I LOVED how the pink looked. The centerpieces definitely made up for all the mistakes though. They were breathtaking. When I get the professional pictures I will be sure to post them.


You can kinda see the CPs in this picture.


Limos
Royalty Limos – A
We got the Princess Rolls Royce and a 14-passenger limo. I went to a bridal show at Chateau Briand and booked them on the spot. I am very pleased with this decision.
They were on time to pick up the guys and then headed over to my house. At first, one of my BMs was complaining that the limo had a brown bag with a sandwich in it. When we got to the church, we realized it was left by the groomsmen. They even wrote a little note. They are so cute.

We got to the church 10 minutes early. Right on schedule. ? It was only then that I was starting to get nervous. The processional began and they then closed the doors for my entrance. At this point, I was super nervous and excited. The rolls Royce driver tells me to breath right before he opens the door and I felt so much more relaxed at that moment.

The one thing that annoyed me was our contract was until 5:45. Well, we got to the RH at 4:30-ish and they literally just dropped us off and left. I thought they were just parking or turning around, but they were gone. I was not too upset since we had already gotten pictures by them at the church, but we did have them until 5:45 so I do not think they should have left an hour early. Plus – they left without their additional tip, but I guess since they left so early they did not deserve it.


Church
St. James RC Church – A+
We did all of our planning with Deacon John Lynch. He was absolutely amazing and always called us right back and answered any questions that we had. The ceremony was performed by Father Le. He did a great job. He was very personable and performed a lovely ceremony.


Photography
Andreas Rentsch Photography – Day of A+/After A+
He arrived on time with his assistant. They were taking pictures all over the place. Looking back on the day, I wish I had given him a more set list of Must Takes, but I am sure I will be pleased with the proofs when I get them.


DJ
FM Entertainment – Frank – A+
Frank was absolutely amazing. I went to a showcase about a year before my wedding. I knew I wanted him from that moment. I booked him the next day. In early July, I had my final meeting and gave him a list of the types of music I liked. I had nothing that he had to play, but he pretty much played everything on the list. The girls in my sorority asked if they could do a cheer and he made sure to ask me first (which I appreciated). He had people on the dance floor the entire night. Everyone raved about him. I HIGHLY recommend him. He was absolutely amazing. He also worked wonderfully well with the people at Fox Hollow.
Here’s a picture of the crowded dance floor (not the best picture, but you get the idea)


Reception Hall
Fox Hollow – A
BM – David G, MD – Joe C, Bridal Attendant – Cindy

I went to my first bridal expo with my then 11 year old sister in Jan after I got engaged. We went past the Fox Hollow table and they showed us brochures and what not and my little sister, You are going to get married there. I thought to myself, okay lets not get ahead of ourselves. I had only gone to one other place before I saw Fox Hollow in person. I loved it and I must say that the BM was an excellent salesman. He really did make you envision your wedding there and how fabulous it would be there. We went to two other places after that, but I knew where I wanted it. Plus – they offered me what I think was a great deal for a Saturday evening in July.

I was never one of those brides who called vendors, so my next real encounter with Fox Hollow was at a Tea Party. I already had everything planned for the most part, but who can pass up free food and tea (NOT ME!) I recommend going if you do not know where to start. James definitely gives you a few good pointers, but I suggest you shop around for vendors. Many of their vendors were $$$$$$.

My next encounter with FH was the menu selection. We met with Jen and she was very patient and helpful. We might be the two most indecisive people ever. We really just wanted a menu everyone would be happy with.

Day of the Wedding
We arrived at FH at approximately 4:30. Our MD and BA were well prepared and waiting for us. They had drinks and food ready for us immediately. We then started taking pictures by the gazebo and carriage. I was very pleased that they were able to accommodate us 3 hours before the cocktail hour started. One thing I was not pleased about (at first) was we could not take pictures by the waterfall, even though just a few days before they said we would be able to. There was apparently ceremony that was going to take place there. Luckily, though, they were able to squeeze us in.





When we were done taking pictures we began to go to the bridal suite. Our MD asked if we wanted the wedding party there. I said of course, I want to hang out with them. As we walk up the stairs, I hear them all talking loudly and they are trying to get chairs from other rooms. I immediately tell the MD to get them out of there. I already had a headache starting to creep up and I needed to relax. DH and I were able to relax for about an hour before the CH. There were no friends, family or photographers. It was great. We ate a little bit, took some advil, and just relaxed. If you have the opportunity to do this, please do so. It really did recharge us and we were ready to greet everyone with smiles.



We went done to our cocktail hour (Winter Garden Pavillion) about 15 minutes after it started. Our MD told us to wait until more people got there. If I had to do it again, I would have liked to have been there from the beginning. I told him that, but he persuaded me to wait. During the CH, we mingled with about 75% of our guests. We ate absolutely no food, which was fine because the BA had brought it up to us before we went down (God bless her). I can’t wait to see pictures of it, since to be honest it went by very quickly.


Finally, onto the reception (Briar Fox). It was absolutely amazing!!! Everything went as expected. Our MD did a wonderful job of setting up the room just as I asked. The one thing, which I am happy we did was while dinner was being served we danced alone at first and then people slowly started dancing with us. We were not hungry during the reception and got our food bagged.

The reason why Fox Hollow gets an A instead of an A+ is because I was disappointed that they really did not keep the two weddings separate. When I originally booked the room, they ensured me that I would have one side (with the WGP/Briar Fox) and the other bride would be in the larger room. On the day of my wedding, however, this was not the case. Both weddings were on the same side o the bathroom. This meant everyone from the other wedding had to walk past my room in order to go into the bathroom. This annoyed me. I even told my MD to “shoo” people away. I know this sounds ridiculous, but in the moment it did bother me SO much!! People kept coming down the stairs and staring into my wedding reception.

I know some people are concerned about the low ceilings in this room, but please do not be. I had half high and half low centerpieces and it looked fine. You could also do all high and it would look just as nice.










Honeymoon
Sandals, Ocho Rios, Jamaica –Plantation Honeymoon Villa w/ Semi-Private Pool
We had an amazing time on our Sandals vacation. Be forewarned if you are traveling from Montego Bay to Ocho Rios there is about a 2 hour bus trip between towns. The road is more or less completed so it is a smooth ride.

There are two sides to the resort – the riveria and the manor. We stayed on the Manor side, which is further from the beach, but we got our own semi-private pool, which wound up being private since no one was in the villa next to us. We did not have butler service, but had no trouble getting a seat anytime we went to dinner. They had a about 8 places to eat and we tried each one and liked them all. We went snorkeling and went to Dunn’s River Falls. I recommend both. We also did the champagne toast spa, which was amazing. Here are some pictures.

Re: Our 7/21/07 Wedding Review: Fox Hollow, FM Entertainment, Burtons, Royalty, Mia, Lillettes, and More . . .

You look so beautiful! Thanks for the review! Congrats to you and your hubby!

Re: Our 7/21/07 Wedding Review: Fox Hollow, FM Entertainment, Burtons, Royalty, Mia, Lillettes, and More . . .

Great review!! You looked beautiful!! Your dress was gorgeous, and I love your hair and makeup!! She is the best! Thanks for sharing!!

Re: Our 7/21/07 Wedding Review: Fox Hollow, FM Entertainment, Burtons, Royalty, Mia, Lillettes, and More . . .

Congratulations and may you and your husband have a lifetime of happiness.

Re: Our 7/21/07 Wedding Review: Fox Hollow, FM Entertainment, Burtons, Royalty, Mia, Lillettes, and More . . .

Congratulations! You looked absolutely stunning

Re: Our 7/21/07 Wedding Review: Fox Hollow, FM Entertainment, Burtons, Royalty, Mia, Lillettes, and More . . .

YOu look beautiful!!! Thanks for writing such a detailed review.

Re: Our 7/21/07 Wedding Review: Fox Hollow, FM Entertainment, Burtons, Royalty, Mia, Lillettes, and More . . .

Beautiful review...your dress was amazing and you made a stunning bride! Congrats!

Re: Our 7/21/07 Wedding Review: Fox Hollow, FM Entertainment, Burtons, Royalty, Mia, Lillettes, and More . . .

what a great review! You made such a beautiful bride! Your hair looked stunning!

Re: Our 7/21/07 Wedding Review: Fox Hollow, FM Entertainment, Burtons, Royalty, Mia, Lillettes, and More . . .

You looked beautiful!! Love the guestbook idea!! Congrats to you and your DH!

Re: Our 7/21/07 Wedding Review: Fox Hollow, FM Entertainment, Burtons, Royalty, Mia, Lillettes, and More . . .

Love your review!! Beautiful!!!

Re: Our 7/21/07 Wedding Review: Fox Hollow, FM Entertainment, Burtons, Royalty, Mia, Lillettes, and More . . .

Awww you look so amamzing!

Re: Our 7/21/07 Wedding Review: Fox Hollow, FM Entertainment, Burtons, Royalty, Mia, Lillettes, and More . . .

great review!! you looked so beautiful!!
love how your hair came out too!!!

Re: Our 7/21/07 Wedding Review: Fox Hollow, FM Entertainment, Burtons, Royalty, Mia, Lillettes, and More . . .

Great review! Congrats! Beautiful pictures!

Re: Our 7/21/07 Wedding Review: Fox Hollow, FM Entertainment, Burtons, Royalty, Mia, Lillettes, and More . . .

beautiful review and great pics!

Re: Our 7/21/07 Wedding Review: Fox Hollow, FM Entertainment, Burtons, Royalty, Mia, Lillettes, and More . . .

great review! you looked beautiful

Re: Our 7/21/07 Wedding Review: Fox Hollow, FM Entertainment, Burtons, Royalty, Mia, Lillettes, and More . . .

absolutely beautiful! Congrats!

Re: Our 7/21/07 Wedding Review: Fox Hollow, FM Entertainment, Burtons, Royalty, Mia, Lillettes, and More . . .

How beautiful it all turned out!!!!!

You look stunning...

Re: Our 7/21/07 Wedding Review: Fox Hollow, FM Entertainment, Burtons, Royalty, Mia, Lillettes, and More . . .

Very Nice!!!! I love how you did the DIY!!!!!

Re: Our 7/21/07 Wedding Review: Fox Hollow, FM Entertainment, Burtons, Royalty, Mia, Lillettes, and More . . .

everything looked beuatiful and looks like your honeymoon was very romantic

congrats

Re: Our 7/21/07 Wedding Review: Fox Hollow, FM Entertainment, Burtons, Royalty, Mia, Lillettes, and More . . .

Thank you for the great review! You looked great!! I can't wait to see your professional pictures!!! :)
Congrats!!!!