Before I even get started with this review, I have story followed by some words of advice for all the future brides out there…kind of a soapbox moment, but hey, you can skip it if you want to!
When I got engaged, my boss said to me “if you realize that this wedding has little to do with you, things will go a lot easier” So, we took the advice to heart since they had been very happily married for over 30 years. We took the – “It’s about your friends and family joining you in a celebration” approach. And let me tell you, it was the best thing ever. Little things didn’t get to us, we didn’t ever fight, and mostly everyone recognized that we did things for them, not for us – and it was appreciated. Think of it this way, hardly anyone ever remembers their wedding, so you might as well make sure everyone else does and enjoys themselves!
And we also had a great time and remember a surprisingly large chunk of it!
OK, now for the review (no grades, I don’t believe in them as I am still a student):
Band – Starlyte (http://www.starlyte.com/)
I saw this band many years ago at a friends wedding when I was not even remotely interested in dating, let alone getting married and remembered them. We booked them before the church or reception hall. And they lived up to the memory – a definite party band! They use tricks to break the ice and get everyone moving! You know a band is good when you see “I don’t dance” people dancing with a smile.
Day-of-Coordinator – Exquisite Events (http://www.exquisiteeventsnewyork.com/)
We got a coordinator at the urging of our MOH. She said if we want to remember anything, we’ll get a coordinator. And she was totally right. It was an optional expense, but worth every penny. It was much more than a day-of-coordinator. We didn’t go into this wedding with any ideas of what it was going to be like so basically we started from scratch. And Elaine DeLuca and her assistant Ariel were LIFE SAVERS at filling in the details and bringing up suggestions based on their many experiences. They suggested the ribbon wands and the confoti which were a huge hit (see below). Coordinators can irritate vendors, but that is their job – they make sure every detail is taken care of so nothing is missed you don’t have to tick off the vendors!
Dresses and Alterations –
Mine - RK Bridal (http://www.rkbridal.com/) and Karin Yngvesdotter (http://www.yngvesdotter.com/)
I did the RK Bridal price match and saved over 50%. The dress was early and in perfect condition. Highly recommend. I did alterations with Karin, who was also very good. I kept stepping my dress the whole night because I think I picked the wrong bustle. Or maybe that’s just what happens with long dresses…
Bridal Party – Pearl’s Place (http://www.pearlsplace.com/)
Awesome price and also early! It’s a great way to save money for your bridesmaids. They also shipped to several locations since I have several out-of-state bridesmaids. The only negative is that they had to find alterations on their own.
Hair and Makeup – Gina Simone (http://www.magicmakeover.com/)
Excellent! She did myself and 3 bridesmaids and my mom. A great person to have start the girls’ day – she is very calm and reassuring and listened to and comments or suggestions we had about hair or makeup. She actually lives in Florida but I believe that she still does work up here.
Limos – White Star (http://www.whitestarlimousine.com/)
All cars were nice, clean, and air-conditioned. They arrived early and went through great lengths in traffic to ensure that we did not go into another hour of overtime. Also very affordable. We loved our driver, Vinny.
Photographer (http://www.fineartphoto.com/)
Good so far – we had George and his son as the assistant. He is totally intense and took hundreds of pictures. I liked him because he wasn’t into false flattery and got right down to business. My kinda guy, I can’t wait to see the proofs!
Reception – Leonard’s (http://www.leonardscatering.com/)
They went above and beyond my expectations! My mom did the flowers and they allowed us to deliver the centerpieces a day or 2 early to make things easier. We had 2 bridal assistants and a Maitre’D, all excellent. People raved about the food and how much Leonards has improved over the years!
Other odds and ends –
Confoti – http://www.confoti.com/
We picked 10 pictures and it was made into this utterly cool confetti. A big hit! We had pictures of us a babies, our parents, our pets, and only one of us together. It gave people a little glimpse into our lives.
Guestbook - http://www.guestbookstore.com/
We used this coloring/interactive guestbook because it seemed fun. The answers and pictures were very entertaining! But make sure to have someone make the guests fill it out (the coordinator did an excellent job!)
Ribbon Wands - http://www.custom-programs.com/
We used these because it was within church limitations. The kids loved them. And apparently so do pets!
Did I miss anything?
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Thanks to all you guys for you advice and suggestions!
