My 9/2/07 Wedding*The Woodlands*LA Blossom*The Velvet Studio*DanceJock Productions*Bridal Reflections

Let me start off by saying that my wedding was a little on the unconventional side. My husband and I had both been married before and both had a child from our first marriages. And we have an 8 month old son. So, planning a wedding (mostly while pregnant) with 2 kids already here was no easy feat. I researched my vendors on LI Weddings, as well as the knot. I asked friends and family for recommendations. And I wound up having the most unbelievably perfect wedding I could have imagined.

The Weather: A+ I could not have ordered a better day. My wedding was on Sept. 2nd, which is still considered the summer. I had planned an outdoor ceremony and cocktail hour at The Woodlands and their grounds are spectacular. Well, I lucked out. It was about 75 degrees, not a cloud in the sky. No humidity with a light breeze……..absolutely perfect!!!!!

Hair: A+ Kristin from Cactus in Syosset (516)921-3468 Kristin has been cutting my hair for the last 4 years and has done every up do I have needed for every wedding I have attended or been in. She is incredibly talented, as well as a doll. I brought her a picture of “my vision” about 2 months before the wedding and we did a run-through. It was great, but not perfect. The day of the wedding I described what I felt I wanted to be different….and she did it! She arrived on time the day of the wedding to my hotel. She made me laugh and kept me calm the whole time she was doing my hair. I recommend her 1000% to anyone looking for a great hairstylist.



Makeup: A+ Suzanne Pappas (516)-318-8638 Suzanne was referred to me by a family friend who had used her for her daughter’s wedding. I had my trial with her last September (when I was 7 months pregnant!) and loved her personality and her work immediately. I hired her to come to my hotel room the day of the wedding and do my makeup and my mom’s makeup. She arrived on time and did my mom’s makeup first. She was so calm and relaxed and did a phenomenal job. She works for the Fox news network as well as free-lancing, so she talked to us about working with Bill O’Reilly and the other Fox newscasters. She did my makeup next and I was thrilled! She airbrushed my foundation and used false eyelashes which I loved. I have nothing but wonderful things to say about Suzanne.






Dress: A+ Alvina Valenta purchased at Bridal Reflections Massapequa I know that some people have not so great things to say about Bridal Reflections. They were nothing but helpful and polite to me. I made an appointment to go look at dresses a year and a half before my wedding. I tried on a bunch, found one I loved and purchased it. They had hosted an Alvina Valenta trunk show about 2 weeks before I bought my gown and they honored the trunk show price for my dress, which I thought was very nice of them. I wanted my gown changed slightly from the one that I tried on (it had a satin bow on the bodice which I didn’t like). They made a note of it on the order and it came in perfectly. My alterations were below the cap fee and they were done the right way, the first time. Every single person I dealt with there was professional and accommodating.



Mother of the bride dress: A+ also purchased at Bridal Reflections Massapequa My mom and I popped into the mother-of-the-bride section of BR after I purchased my gown. My mom found a beautiful 2 piece dress that day and went back to order it 6 months before the wedding. It came in on time, needed minimal alterations, and was ready when they said it would be. Again, easy to work with, pleasant and professional staff.



Flowers and custom aisle runner: A LA Blossom Laurie (516)650-3010 I did a lot of research about my flowers. I didn’t want to spend an arm and a leg on them, but I wanted what I wanted how I wanted it. I met with a few florists and hit it off with Laurie right away. I had a definite vision of what I liked and brought a bunch of pictures to show her my style. She took lots of notes, showed me some pictures of her own and “got” my ideas. Her quote was very reasonable and I booked her. The reason she gets an A and not an A plus has to do with the sample centerpiece I went to see. I made an appointment with Laurie to see the sample a few weeks before the wedding. When I got there, she was still with another customer, so I waited. When it was my turn, I went into her office and there was no centerpiece made. She had all of the flowers sitting there, but had not even started making the centerpiece. She made a very scaled down version of it while I sat there, but I must say, it was extremely nerve-wracking for me. I went from being 100% confident in her to being freaked out that I was not going to have any flowers the day of my wedding. As it turned out, everything was perfect and beautiful the day of my wedding. The centerpieces, bo-q’s, kissing balls and boutaniers were all gorgeous. The aisle runner was exactly what I wanted. But, I could have done without the added stress in the days leading up to my wedding.








Photographer: A The Velvet Studio (631)425-7235 Seth and I went to about 5 photographers and disliked them all. None of them were willing to discuss altering their standard package and half of them couldn’t tell me who would be taking my photos the day of the wedding. We wanted a small company that took beautiful photos and was flexible in terms of what package we needed. I hit it off with Bob immediately. I liked his wit and sense of humor. I liked the idea that he and his wife were the 2 people who would be taking our wedding photos. We wanted someone who would do candid shots throughout the night and Bob’s wife does exactly that. We met Bob for engagement pictures at Blydenburgh Park in July so that the kids would get to meet him and be comfortable around him the day of the wedding. Those shots came out great, so I was confident that the day of pictures would be great, as well. Overall, I am very happy with my wedding pictures. There are a few shots….the greeters table, the gift card bird cage, food shots, that I feel he missed. It could be my fault for not being super-specific about what I wanted. But, the shots that I do have are great. My proof DVD was available about a month after the wedding. All of the pictures in my review were taken by Bob and his wife.




























The Woodlands: A+++++ (516)921-5707 When Seth and I started looking for reception halls, The Woodlands was on our list. I knew it was out of our price range, but I had heard awesome things about it from The Knot and LI Weddings and wanted to see for myself. From the moment we stepped foot on the grounds, I couldn’t imagine having my dream wedding anywhere else. The long, rolling drive through the golf course on the tree lined road leading up to the Mansion is breathtaking. The Mansion itself is stunning, with gorgeous mouldings, beautiful fireplaces and exquisite chandeliers. At the time, Maureen was the banquet manager. Her sales pitch was flawless and we left our meeting with her wanted to book our wedding there immediately. After some negotiating and number crunching, we decided to do it. Our wedding was on the Sunday night of Labor Day weekend and we were able to get a Sunday rate for what basically was a Saturday night wedding.
We went to the Mansion at The Woodlands, which is the restaurant on the top floor of the Mansion after we booked, as a celebration of sorts. The food was phenomenal and we were so excited to plan our menu for the actual wedding.
I got a call in December ’06 telling me that Maureen had left The Woodlands and Margaret would be taking her place. The person I spoke to was very vague about why and how Maureen had left and I was very upset. Part of the reason we fell in love with The Woodlands was that I knew every single detail of my day would be handled with precision and I would not have to worry about a thing. I made an appointment to go in and meet the new BM. Margaret is definitely no Maureen, but she wound up coming through for us anyway. She is somewhat scatter-brained and definitely seems like she’s overwhelmed with her job. On one occasion, I had called and left 2 messages for her regarding various wedding issues. When she finally returned my call, at 9 o’clock on a weeknight, she actually asked me if it “was important or could she call me back the next day?” I was really angry at that reaction and it clearly left a bad taste in my mouth, as I still remember it vividly.
However, I must say that the day of the wedding was absolutely perfect. Our bridal attendant, Nicole, was the best in the business. She knew what I needed before I asked for it, was always right next to me when I had a question, and had a wonderful demeanor. She helped make the day flawless. She was so amazing that we actually increased her tip quite substantially at the end of the night.
We had our ceremony at The Woodlands, as well as the reception. The grounds are so beautiful that I was praying for good weather so that our ceremony could be outside. Well, mother nature came through and we had the most stunning weather for our ceremony. The sun was setting over the grounds during our 6:30 pm ceremony. It was perfect, perfect, perfect!!!
The food was unbelievable. Everyone commented at the quality of the food, from the cocktail hour…..lamb chops, passed sushi, thai meatballs, shish-kebabs….to the cocktails…..chocolate martinis, apple martinis……to the dinner…..goat-cheese and pear endive salad, Chilean sea bass, filet mignon and pan-seared chicken breast……to the dessert…..the most incredibly delicious wedding cake I’ve ever eaten (vanilla cake with mocha filling), flourless chocolate cake, and a chocolate fountain. I am actually waiting with anticipation to be invited to a wedding at The Woodlands so that I can go back and enjoy the food, as I was not able to eat much on my wedding day!













DJ: A+ Dance Jock Productions (631)242-0042 This was the only DJ that we met with. They are a recommended vendor of The Woodlands and we were very happy with their reputation. We met with Scott, the owner, about 1 ½ years before the wedding. We decided to add a singer, Raquel, and a saxaphone player to the standard DJ package. We also booked the steel drum band to play during the cocktail hour. We were extremely satisfied with the job that Dance Jock did at the wedding. Everyone raved about the steel drum band. People were up and dancing in the patio area during the cocktail hour. Of course, the perfect weather added to the night, but people were saying they felt like they were in the Caribbean! Raquel sang during the salad and main courses and she is incredible! She sounds exactly like Stevie Nicks, Jewel, Sarah McLaghlan and all of the other female artists whose songs she sang. The sax player was also great and people got a kick out of the live music added to the DJ. Rick Allen was our MC for the night and he was phenomenal. He kept people on the dance floor all night. We had a lot of instructions for him, including a dance with Seth and I and our daughters, an anniversary dance for Seth’s parents and his sister and her husband, 2 speeches, a horah, etc. He handled everything flawlessly. He also happens to be a very nice guy!





Hotel for Out of Town Guests: A+ The Homewood Suites by Hilton Plainview, NY (516)293-4663 My mother-in-law and I must have seen every hotel within a 30 mile radius of The Woodlands. We knew exactly what we wanted and we could not find it anywhere! We were looking for a classy hotel that served breakfasts for the guests with a comfortable lobby area for people to mingle. We also wanted a hospitality suite where we could have dinner for guests the night before the wedding. Well, the Homewood Suites was perfect. The hotel is 5 miles from The Woodlands. We dealt with Maureen who was extremely accommodating. She gave us a very reasonable rate on the block of rooms we booked, considering it was Labor Day weekend. The hospitality suite cost a measly $150 to rent for 6 hours. We catered in deli food from Ivarrone Brothers which was delicious and also reasonable. The hotel is very pretty, the rooms are big and clean and the hotel was very close to the reception hall.







Hotel for our wedding night:A+++ The Inn at Fox Hollow 1-800-291-8090 This hotel is gorgeous. I wanted to stay at a hotel other than where my guests were staying so that Seth and I could have some privacy. We booked a bridal suite for the night before the wedding and the night of the wedding. I had my hair stylist and makeup artist come to the hotel the day of the wedding and I am so glad I did. The room was very comfortable and large enough to accommodate my 2 daughters, 8 month old son, my mom, makeup artist, hair stylist and my babysitter without feeling cramped. When Seth and I got back to the hotel room after the wedding, there were rose petals on our bed and a bottle of champagne with chocolates from the staff. It was a very nice touch!

I think that does it! Overall, it was the best wedding day I could ever imagine.

Re: My 9/2/07 Wedding*The Woodlands*LA Blossom*The Velvet Studio*DanceJock Productions*Bridal Reflections

Wow, You look beautiful in your dress! Great review!!!!!

Re: My 9/2/07 Wedding*The Woodlands*LA Blossom*The Velvet Studio*DanceJock Productions*Bridal Reflections

Sooo beautiful! Congrats

Re: My 9/2/07 Wedding*The Woodlands*LA Blossom*The Velvet Studio*DanceJock Productions*Bridal Reflections

Congratulations. It was a beautiful. wedding.

Re: My 9/2/07 Wedding*The Woodlands*LA Blossom*The Velvet Studio*DanceJock Productions*Bridal Reflections

Congrats!! You looked beautiful! Thank you for the great review!! Loved your dress!

Re: My 9/2/07 Wedding*The Woodlands*LA Blossom*The Velvet Studio*DanceJock Productions*Bridal Reflections

you have an eight month old?!?! NO WAY! i wouldnt have believed it unless I saw his picture! you look amazing! i loved loved loved your dress and hair! congrats on a great wedding!! all your children are gorgeous

Re: My 9/2/07 Wedding*The Woodlands*LA Blossom*The Velvet Studio*DanceJock Productions*Bridal Reflections

Thanks for that great review. You're wedding looked wonderful!

Re: My 9/2/07 Wedding*The Woodlands*LA Blossom*The Velvet Studio*DanceJock Productions*Bridal Reflections

Everything looked beautiful!! thanks for sharing and congrats again!

Re: My 9/2/07 Wedding*The Woodlands*LA Blossom*The Velvet Studio*DanceJock Productions*Bridal Reflections

BEAUTIFUL!

Re: My 9/2/07 Wedding*The Woodlands*LA Blossom*The Velvet Studio*DanceJock Productions*Bridal Reflections

You looked beautiful. Everything looked amazing. Congrats to you and your beautiful fam.

Re: My 9/2/07 Wedding*The Woodlands*LA Blossom*The Velvet Studio*DanceJock Productions*Bridal Reflections

great review, thanks! It's always nice to see a review of the Woodlands, since there aren't that many on this site

Re: My 9/2/07 Wedding*The Woodlands*LA Blossom*The Velvet Studio*DanceJock Productions*Bridal Reflections

WHAT A GREAT REVIEW, YOU LOOKED ABSOLUTLEY BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!

Re: My 9/2/07 Wedding*The Woodlands*LA Blossom*The Velvet Studio*DanceJock Productions*Bridal Reflections

You looked so happy and like you had the time of your life. Your children are gorgeous.

Fantastic review...thanks so much for taking the time to write it.

Congratulations!!

Re: My 9/2/07 Wedding*The Woodlands*LA Blossom*The Velvet Studio*DanceJock Productions*Bridal Reflections

Congratulations! What a beautiful wedding! I'm so glad you enjoyed the Woodlands. I agree with you- my husband and I are hoping to be invited to another wedding there so we can really enjoy all that amazing food again!

Re: My 9/2/07 Wedding*The Woodlands*LA Blossom*The Velvet Studio*DanceJock Productions*Bridal Reflections

congrats on a beautiful day.

Re: My 9/2/07 Wedding*The Woodlands*LA Blossom*The Velvet Studio*DanceJock Productions*Bridal Reflections

your pics are stunning! congrats and thanks for sharing!

Re: My 9/2/07 Wedding*The Woodlands*LA Blossom*The Velvet Studio*DanceJock Productions*Bridal Reflections

beautiful

Re: My 9/2/07 Wedding*The Woodlands*LA Blossom*The Velvet Studio*DanceJock Productions*Bridal Reflections

Congratulations!!!!!!! You are DROP DEAD gorgeous! And your wedding looked perfect I'm also a Woodlands bride! Best of luck to you both

Re: My 9/2/07 Wedding*The Woodlands*LA Blossom*The Velvet Studio*DanceJock Productions*Bridal Reflections

great review!! everything looks absolutely beauiful. your dress is amazing!!!

on a side note, when did you get your pics from bob? he was also my photog and my wedding was just a week after yours. i'm DYING to see my proofs and i'm wondering when i should be expecting them.

congratulations again!!

Re: My 9/2/07 Wedding*The Woodlands*LA Blossom*The Velvet Studio*DanceJock Productions*Bridal Reflections

You looked beautiful!