Chateau La Mer, William Chang, Little Flower Shop, Jacqueline Nicole, Steven Charles, Royalty, and T*ssa
Hello ladies! I used to be a frequent poster (MrsList09) way back when but I was away for awhile because I just got frustrated with planning and drama but after my wedding on Saturday, I just felt I had to give my excellent (and not so excellent) vendors their due.
For some really great photos, see http://www.williamchangblog.com.
I'll post a more detailed review when I get some photos back but here's the quick rundown while it's still fresh in my mind.
Bridal Shower
East Wind Caterers - Desmond's
A++++++++++
I LOVE my breakfast so my mom and sister had my shower at Desmonds for Sunday Brunch. It was PERFECT. They had both breakfast and lunch out from 11-2, we had a big long table, and our waiter was fantastic with the service. They gave us mimosas and bloody mary's and pretty much got us whatever we wanted. The restaurant was packed and we really didn't even notice. There was also another bridal shower going on and even though my cousin mistakenly went to that one (and dropped off my gift, which my sister had to retrieve![]()
), they still stayed on top of everything.
Shower cake
Benkert's - Centereach
A+++++++++++++
They also got amazing cupcakes at Benkert's in Centereach. My mom brought in a swatch of my colors and they matched them exactly with the frosting. I got my sister's bridal shower cake there a few years ago and that was excellent as well so if you need a bakery out east, I would definitely recommend them.
Rehearsal Dinner
Bertucci's
A+
By the time the wedding planning was done, I just did not want to make anymore decisions so I asked while we were there one night for dinner if they did parties and they did! We got salad, antipasta, and 6 pizzas (3 differnet kinds), and family style they had a pasta choice AND a chicken choice, and the dessert trio. We also got coffee, tea, and soda and we ordered some carafes of sangria for the table. It was only about $30 per person. The service was FANTASTIC and we had our own room for our party of 22. Since our hall doesn't do rehearsals, it was perfect because we had room to do the set up and rehearsal in the room.
Day After photos - William Chang
http://www.williamchangblog.com
A++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! These photos brought tears to my eyes. We didn't have a ton of time to take couple photos because we didnt' want to see each other before the ceremony so we asked our friend, who does amazing photography, to do a day after photog instead of a trash the dress shoot. It was so fun to do and he was so great to work with.
Day of Accessories
Oohlalaluxe.com
A++++++++++++++++
I got pearl headbands custom made for my flower girl dresses and my sister got a barrette for her hair (pics posted at bottom) and they were both absolutely perfect. I sent Ashleigh photos of my dresses and she coordinated the hair pieces perfectly. They have the COOLEST one of a kind jewelry. I thought about getting my BM gifts from them too but I ran out of time and couldn't get back to the store to pick stuff out.
Invites
Tessa (e v e n s t a r p a p e r i e. com)
A+++
Everyone complimented me on them and they were just what I wanted. She was so patient with me and easy to work with and I would recommend her to anyone.
Ceremony Music
Miriam Shilling, Harpist
A++++++++++++++++++
She was fantastic! DH's grandma wanted to sing us a song during the ceremony and I sent her the sheet music and she learned it in a week. She plays beautifully and her prices are very reasonable. She played at my sister's wedding as well and it really adds a nice touch to have the live music played at the ceremony. She also played while people were sitting and that added a nice ambiance and set a nice mood.
Makeup
Jacqueline Nicole
A+++++++++++++++++++
Absolutely amazing. She did all of our makeup and then touched us all up before leaving. I didn't even have a trial and she got my makeup exactly right. And her prices were phenomenal. She was so easy to reach by email and just a joy to work with.
Bridesmaid's Dresses
Just Pretty Bridal
C
We went here because it had great prices online and it was an Alfred Angelo preferred dealer. I thought that meant they'd have all the dresses to try on and it would be a really nice place. We get there and this place is TINY. They had not even half of the dresses we wanted to try on, and all the dresses were in the back so they had to go get them, which took them literally 45 minutes (to get 6 dresses). When they measured my 2 BMs, they had them in dresses that were like 4 sizes larger than their street size. They had my one friend, who wears a 12, in a 20W!! I thought my BM was going to punch the woman in the face! So they were remeasured and they went down 2 sizes. It was horrible. I wouldn't go there again.
My gown
David's Bridal
A+
Sandy from Lake Grove helped us and she was fantastic. I got the 4th dress I tried on and brought it home that day. We also got my mom's gown there and Sandy helped us again. I would definitely say that it's worth a trip to go to DB but I definitely went elsewhere for my alterations. My dress looked much more expensive than it was and my veil was very reasonable as well.
Alterations
Ingrid's, Setauket
A+++++++
Cecelia did my gown and she was FANTASTIC! My dress was originally a halter and she altered it so it was a regular cut and she did an AMAZING job and it was a quick turnaround.
Flowers
Little Flower Shop in Lindenhurst
D
I had really high hopes for them. I gave them a TON of photos and feedback on my centerpiece sample. My flowers were HORRIBLE. I cried when I saw them for about a half hour and it kind of ruined my day because for me, the flowers were SO important.
First of all, I asked for peaches and corals and got a horrible orangey brown and some light pink flowers. My MOH boK was supposed to be larger but it was impossible to tell it apart from the other ones. The BM boKs were also supposed to be in lighter colors than mine and mine was supposed to have no color but it had white hydrangeas in it. The centerpieces were anemic, with the same orangey-brown roses but at least they didnt' have the horrid pink flowers in them. My BM had to clip out all of the pink flowers that didnt' match and the unbloomed buds sticking out that looked like weeds (and that I said I didn't want from the centerpiece sample). I was really disappointed and it really left a black mark on the day for me. I realize I may sound drama-queeny but from the beginning, the flowers were a HUGE deal for me so to have that go bad was so devastating.
DJ
Steven Charles
A++++++++++
I got a DJ and an MC and they were fantastic. We had some trouble thinking of songs for intros and special dances and Steven was fantastic with his suggestions. He kept people on the dance floor and kept things moving along really well. Right before the bo-K dance, I wanted to change the song and they got it up and running within 20 seconds. I would HIGHLY recommend them.
Limos
Royalty
A
Excellent service and price.
Cake Topper
Things Remembered
A
Hotel
Courtyard Marriott Republic Farmingdale
D
HORRIBLE is all I can say. We booked a block of 10 and they were telling guests that the block was full even though I knew for a fact only 6 rooms in the block were taken. Then there were 5 weddings going on at once, which was fine, except that we had breakfast vouchers and the breakfast staff couldn't keep track of who was with which wedding and then were arguing with me that I couldn't be the bride because that woman over there was the bride. And they kept running out of plates, had warm juice, and no service during the breakfast at the table for coffee/tea. UGH! Plus, they told us we had 3 king rooms but one of the rooms had double beds. Horrible.
Venue
Chateau La Mer
AAAAAAA++++++++++++++
ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS! We had Monica as our MD and Jessica as our Bridal Attendant and both were fantastic. Anything we needed, we had. The food was amazing, the cake was amazing, and everyone had a wonderful time. They brought cocktail hour food up to us and I just chowed down for 15 minutes straight. For our entree, they gave us a platter with all 4 entrees to share so we got to try one of everythign. We got the prime rib, chicken francaise, salmon, and veal and they were all FANTASTIC. If food is your thing, definitely go to CLM.
Overall, it was a beautiful day and everyone said they had a great time. FM me if you have any questions!
For some really great photos, see http://www.williamchangblog.com.
I'll post a more detailed review when I get some photos back but here's the quick rundown while it's still fresh in my mind.
Bridal Shower
East Wind Caterers - Desmond's
A++++++++++
I LOVE my breakfast so my mom and sister had my shower at Desmonds for Sunday Brunch. It was PERFECT. They had both breakfast and lunch out from 11-2, we had a big long table, and our waiter was fantastic with the service. They gave us mimosas and bloody mary's and pretty much got us whatever we wanted. The restaurant was packed and we really didn't even notice. There was also another bridal shower going on and even though my cousin mistakenly went to that one (and dropped off my gift, which my sister had to retrieve
Shower cake
Benkert's - Centereach
A+++++++++++++
They also got amazing cupcakes at Benkert's in Centereach. My mom brought in a swatch of my colors and they matched them exactly with the frosting. I got my sister's bridal shower cake there a few years ago and that was excellent as well so if you need a bakery out east, I would definitely recommend them.
Rehearsal Dinner
Bertucci's
A+
By the time the wedding planning was done, I just did not want to make anymore decisions so I asked while we were there one night for dinner if they did parties and they did! We got salad, antipasta, and 6 pizzas (3 differnet kinds), and family style they had a pasta choice AND a chicken choice, and the dessert trio. We also got coffee, tea, and soda and we ordered some carafes of sangria for the table. It was only about $30 per person. The service was FANTASTIC and we had our own room for our party of 22. Since our hall doesn't do rehearsals, it was perfect because we had room to do the set up and rehearsal in the room.
Day After photos - William Chang
http://www.williamchangblog.com
A++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! These photos brought tears to my eyes. We didn't have a ton of time to take couple photos because we didnt' want to see each other before the ceremony so we asked our friend, who does amazing photography, to do a day after photog instead of a trash the dress shoot. It was so fun to do and he was so great to work with.
Day of Accessories
Oohlalaluxe.com
A++++++++++++++++
I got pearl headbands custom made for my flower girl dresses and my sister got a barrette for her hair (pics posted at bottom) and they were both absolutely perfect. I sent Ashleigh photos of my dresses and she coordinated the hair pieces perfectly. They have the COOLEST one of a kind jewelry. I thought about getting my BM gifts from them too but I ran out of time and couldn't get back to the store to pick stuff out.
Invites
Tessa (e v e n s t a r p a p e r i e. com)
A+++
Everyone complimented me on them and they were just what I wanted. She was so patient with me and easy to work with and I would recommend her to anyone.
Ceremony Music
Miriam Shilling, Harpist
A++++++++++++++++++
She was fantastic! DH's grandma wanted to sing us a song during the ceremony and I sent her the sheet music and she learned it in a week. She plays beautifully and her prices are very reasonable. She played at my sister's wedding as well and it really adds a nice touch to have the live music played at the ceremony. She also played while people were sitting and that added a nice ambiance and set a nice mood.
Makeup
Jacqueline Nicole
A+++++++++++++++++++
Absolutely amazing. She did all of our makeup and then touched us all up before leaving. I didn't even have a trial and she got my makeup exactly right. And her prices were phenomenal. She was so easy to reach by email and just a joy to work with.
Bridesmaid's Dresses
Just Pretty Bridal
C
We went here because it had great prices online and it was an Alfred Angelo preferred dealer. I thought that meant they'd have all the dresses to try on and it would be a really nice place. We get there and this place is TINY. They had not even half of the dresses we wanted to try on, and all the dresses were in the back so they had to go get them, which took them literally 45 minutes (to get 6 dresses). When they measured my 2 BMs, they had them in dresses that were like 4 sizes larger than their street size. They had my one friend, who wears a 12, in a 20W!! I thought my BM was going to punch the woman in the face! So they were remeasured and they went down 2 sizes. It was horrible. I wouldn't go there again.
My gown
David's Bridal
A+
Sandy from Lake Grove helped us and she was fantastic. I got the 4th dress I tried on and brought it home that day. We also got my mom's gown there and Sandy helped us again. I would definitely say that it's worth a trip to go to DB but I definitely went elsewhere for my alterations. My dress looked much more expensive than it was and my veil was very reasonable as well.
Alterations
Ingrid's, Setauket
A+++++++
Cecelia did my gown and she was FANTASTIC! My dress was originally a halter and she altered it so it was a regular cut and she did an AMAZING job and it was a quick turnaround.
Flowers
Little Flower Shop in Lindenhurst
D
I had really high hopes for them. I gave them a TON of photos and feedback on my centerpiece sample. My flowers were HORRIBLE. I cried when I saw them for about a half hour and it kind of ruined my day because for me, the flowers were SO important.
First of all, I asked for peaches and corals and got a horrible orangey brown and some light pink flowers. My MOH boK was supposed to be larger but it was impossible to tell it apart from the other ones. The BM boKs were also supposed to be in lighter colors than mine and mine was supposed to have no color but it had white hydrangeas in it. The centerpieces were anemic, with the same orangey-brown roses but at least they didnt' have the horrid pink flowers in them. My BM had to clip out all of the pink flowers that didnt' match and the unbloomed buds sticking out that looked like weeds (and that I said I didn't want from the centerpiece sample). I was really disappointed and it really left a black mark on the day for me. I realize I may sound drama-queeny but from the beginning, the flowers were a HUGE deal for me so to have that go bad was so devastating.
DJ
Steven Charles
A++++++++++
I got a DJ and an MC and they were fantastic. We had some trouble thinking of songs for intros and special dances and Steven was fantastic with his suggestions. He kept people on the dance floor and kept things moving along really well. Right before the bo-K dance, I wanted to change the song and they got it up and running within 20 seconds. I would HIGHLY recommend them.
Limos
Royalty
A
Excellent service and price.
Cake Topper
Things Remembered
A
Hotel
Courtyard Marriott Republic Farmingdale
D
HORRIBLE is all I can say. We booked a block of 10 and they were telling guests that the block was full even though I knew for a fact only 6 rooms in the block were taken. Then there were 5 weddings going on at once, which was fine, except that we had breakfast vouchers and the breakfast staff couldn't keep track of who was with which wedding and then were arguing with me that I couldn't be the bride because that woman over there was the bride. And they kept running out of plates, had warm juice, and no service during the breakfast at the table for coffee/tea. UGH! Plus, they told us we had 3 king rooms but one of the rooms had double beds. Horrible.
Venue
Chateau La Mer
AAAAAAA++++++++++++++
ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS! We had Monica as our MD and Jessica as our Bridal Attendant and both were fantastic. Anything we needed, we had. The food was amazing, the cake was amazing, and everyone had a wonderful time. They brought cocktail hour food up to us and I just chowed down for 15 minutes straight. For our entree, they gave us a platter with all 4 entrees to share so we got to try one of everythign. We got the prime rib, chicken francaise, salmon, and veal and they were all FANTASTIC. If food is your thing, definitely go to CLM.
Overall, it was a beautiful day and everyone said they had a great time. FM me if you have any questions!
