Hey everyone!
Although I never made it to 1000 posts, I was definitely still a maniac for this site. Thank you so much to everyone for your invaluable reviews and advice!
Here goes...
Dress (Patchogue Bridal Suite, then Commack Wedding Center) I can't really assign a rating here, but I'm sure you understand why. The people at the Wedding Center were fairly helpful, although my dress did come in wrong at first when they reordered it for me. They took care of that problem in a flash though, and I appreciated that.
Seamstress: Cathy Fiorenti-Sidito - A+++++++++++ There just isn't a high enough rating for Cathy, who is a vendor on this site, btw. Not only did she do an amazing job on my dress and my sister's (she had issues with the shop we used for our bm dresses), but she made me the most beautiful bolero jacket (from scratch) to match my dress. The beading was nearly identical to that on my dress, which was Maggie Sottero's Dion - pretty complicated. Plus, she is so nice, and was so patient with me. If you are in any doubt about getting alterations done at your shop, call Cathy! Her prices are VERY reasonable too.
Tiara: Barron's at Tri-County - A+++ I LOVED my tiara, and they replaced a rhinestone that fell out at some point in minutes when I stopped by there again.
Veil and Mom's Dress: Adrienne's in Islip - A+++ I really wish that I had bought my dress at Adrienne's, since they gave us such great service for my mother's dress and my veil. Both came in in no time, and they were very helpful with the selection process.
Bridesmaids' Dresses: Princess Bridal in Farmingdale - C Although I really liked the woman I dealt with there, nearly everything came in wrong, and the alterations they did on my other sister's jacket were totally weird.
Jericho Terrace - A+ We really had a great day, and my maitre d', Al, was wonderful. There were a couple of problems (crazy rehearsal, columns in the cake when I asked for none), but the food was wonderful (according to my guests) and the Dome Room was amazing. A picky friend told me she thought the service was top-notch, and everyone was blown away by the cocktail hour and all the choices on the Deluxe Menu. I wouldn't choose anyplace else for a February wedding, especially if you are getting married at the place. My ceremony pictures from the Skylight Room are gorgeous (I'll post some more when I get my proofs).
Band: Code Bleu, Skyline Orchestras - A+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Nothing can describe how fabulous they were. People were just blown away by them. Sean and Donna are so awesome to work with; they even learned 'Love Rollercoaster' just because we love it. Donna did a beautiful job with 'By Your Side' too. People of all ages were on the dance floor all day, and nearly everyone complimented us on them. Direct quote from my father-in-law: 'The band was out of this world. They couldn't have been better, or played a better program.' I can't wait to dance along to my wedding video!
Flower Michele - A++++++++ We worked with Mike, and I can't wait to write his thank you. He was soooooo helpful, patient, and talented the whole way through. Our flowers were UNBELIEVABLE, so beautiful the whole day and in pictures. The bouquets and centerpieces were just flawless. I wasn't even excited about planning that part of the wedding, and now I can't stop looking at pics of our flowers.
Jillian of Gorgeous Faces (Makeup) and Bridget and Sarah Rock (Hair) - A+++++ All three of these girls are consummate professionals. Not only are they sweet and upbeat (even at ungodly hours of the morning), but they did a beautiful job on everyone. My mom and I loved our fake eyelashes, and everyone's hair and makeup looked great all day. They were wonderful!
The Wingate Inn, Garden City - B+ This is a tough one. They upgraded me to the bridal suite for free, which was amazing, but they really screwed up my cousin's reservation. She is in a wheelchair and needed a roll-in shower, and they gave her room to another one of our guests (who tried to check out of it, but was blown off). When we asked (not knowing who had the room) if they were handicapped, they lied to us and said yes. We straightened it out after an hour, but man, was that stressful.
Rehearsal Dinner: The Tin Alley Grill, Garden City - A+++ Every bride's rd nightmare is being told an hour before that there is no power! The Tin Alley Grill catered in food from other places, and we had an amazing time. Such a great, laid-back atmosphere for a big rd.
Invitations and Beyond in Oceanside - A+++++ Another awesome vendor - everything was perfect when it came to our invitations and computerized calligraphy. Jessica is such a sweetie! They give great discounts too.
Tuxedo Park, Carle Place - A My husband (yay! So fun to say...) says that the service was great (He did this all on his own) here. The only issue was that his father's sleeve didn't get the alteration they promised, and it had to be done an hour before our wedding. I thought all the guys were stylin', especially with their real tie-'em-yourself ties.
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Wedding Bands: Macy's Online and South Shore Mall - A I got my band, which is diamonds and platinum, nearly 50% off from Macy's online (I tracked the price for a while), and my husband got his at the mall. They offer free resizing at a jewelry kiosk, and we even got credits for our Star Rewards program. A great deal all around.
Favors: Sweets for Shore, Long Beach - A+++++We had such a great experience at this shop, which we chose because I teach in Long Beach and like to support community businesses when I can. Ann helped us choose the most delicious truffles and boxes to match, then we decorated them ourselves. Needless to say, most of them had been broken open and completely devoured before the reception even ended!
I'm going to save my review of my photographer and videographer until my proofs and video come in. Forum mail me if you have any questions! I will post proofs when they come in.
