SOME PICTURES ADDED! FlairForFashion's LONG Review. 4/24/2009 Wedding. BURTONS, FM ENTERTAINMENT, NORTH RITZ CLUB, ***, HAIR GENIE, TESSA, DUET AND MANY MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't believe my time is here to finally write a review. I have been a member of LIW since 2007 and can honestly say that without this place, I would probably be SO lost when it comes to wedding planning. Everyone on here has been amazing with their support, prayers, and kind thoughts. Everyone has been helpful in some way and I must thank you all for it. I also want to thank Ron, Kim, and Liz for creating this wonderful place to help out us brides!

I have always been so impatient to start my review. I have to say that I have been doing my review since my E-Party! I was afraid that I would forget all the little details. So without further adieu here is the review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It started with this... THE PROPOSAL. Here is my DH proposing to me in Myrtle Beach back in November of 2007.


Engagement Ring
Schaner Jewelers
New York, NY
A-
Lee from Schaner Jewelers is a family friend of my MIL for many generations. DH always said that whenever we were to be engaged, that we would go through Lee. I have always had in mind what kind of ring I wanted. Very ornate, antique style ring complete with scroll work and sapphires. I saw one in Fortunoff's when I was 21 years old and always said that this is going to be my ring. Well, finally it was time to get engaged. DH and I did things differently as I always wanted to be a part of the ring process. DH emailed Lee a picture of the ring (The Fortunoff's one) and Lee made an appointment with us. We went to see him and he had about 10 diamonds waiting for me. I actually sat there with him and looked through loops and he showed me every bit of the diamond from the size to the clarity. Finally, we chose the diamond. Then it was on to the setting. He told me he had something similar to the Fotunoff's setting but it wa s a cushion cut setting and my diamond was round. Lee promised he would make it happen. And he did. Fast forward to November of 2007. DH and I were on vacation and he proposed to me. Oh my gosh the ring was amazing and hand created just for me. I loved it. I was beyond amazed that this round diamond sat in a cushion cut setting. It was unbelievable and so beautiful. I never seen anything like it. I gave Lee and A- because one of the sapphires was off in the setting. When something is custom done, it is bound to happen. I hated to have my ring off my finger for 3 days but when it came back, I LOVED it even more. It was perfect.


Engagement Party Venue
Peppercorns
Hicksville, NY
A+
Pat and I eat here all the time- we love the food and the ambiance. Service is ALWAYS amazing and the place holds a lot of history so we knew our party would be held there. We met with Linda who has been FANTASTIC throughout the whole experience. We ended up having a brunch from 1-5 and had TONS of food- muffins, bagels, rolls, eggs, bacon, french toast and sausage, rigatoni a la vodka, chicken francheze, sole oregenata, and roasted potatoes. Oh they also had a really nice cheese and crudite display. We also had the bar set up and had champagne punches, mimosa's, bloody mary's, beer, wine and soda. And cake was provided by them as well by a well known bakery here in Hicksville. They also wrapped up the leftovers and let us take it home. EVERYTHING was delicious. I have been to a lot of parties there and had no worries knowing that my party would be fantastic.

Invites
Target
A+
Invites were from Target. I was going insane looking for the perfect invite. My Sister called me up and said 'Michele I saw these adorable ones in Target.' She picked up a pack and made a sample for me. She was such a great help and made a bunch for me and then sent me the template for me to use to print them. I got a lot of compliments on these- people absolutely LOVED them.


Favors
Favorrific.com
A-
When I knew that we having an E Party, I knew that wine stoppers would be the favors. I searched EVERYWHERE for these and they were all overpriced. My Sister said to use Favoriffic. I went on there and she was right, they had beautiful quality favors at amazing prices. SO, I ordered 50 of them and they came to my house after 3 days. I was pleased with how they arrived boxed and wrapped with a ribbon. I then went to Michaels and bought tags and rhinestone embellishments and wrapped them with the favor. They came out great and I was really excited to give them away! I give them an A- because some of the favor boxes were crushed due to the delivery which can happen to anyone. I just fixed them a little and they were good to go. Not a big deal at all.


Centerpeices
Fiftyflowers.com
A+
Again, my Sister suggested another great place- Fiftyflowers.Com. They send bulk flowers to you at wholesale prices. I ordered 150 carnations and they were overnighted from me. When I got them, I was upset and first because the flowers looked like they were in the truck for a while. I called Fiftyflowers and they had me take pictures and sent me 150 MORE free of charge. I went to Dollar Tree and got the vases and made my own CP's with these flowers. They held up great since Weds and the carnations were STUNNING!!!! I got a ton of compliments and let people take them home. Fiftyflowers is an amazing place if you need flowers on a budget. I will use them again if needed.


Place Cards and Table Cards
Walmart
A+
I think Walmart is gross and rarely shop there. I went to the one near me during lunch and went to the wedding aisle. They have TONS of great stuff. I picked these up and they came out amazing. I ended up not using the table cards because Peppercorns already had them. But they were only $4 so I really didn't care.




Dress
Macys- INC
A+
Last but not least, my dress. It's important to look good and I am really picky. I bought four dresses and returned them because I am SO indecisive. I went to Macy's yesterday and got my INC dress there on sale. I had a patent leather belt that looked AWESOME with it and went to Mandees and saw a pair of cute patent leather peep toe pumps which were on sale. I was so excited that I finally got a cute outfit that I loved! Best part is that dress is machine washable because it's 100% cotton and I do intend to wear it to work and other parties if need be!


Bridal Shower Venue
Mim's
Syosset, NY
A-
Shower was hosted by my Mom and I have to say that everything was fantastic. My girls helped and organized the shower. They worked so hard to keep it from me but of course, I found out about my shower the day before. The shower was held at Mim's. Food and drinks were really good. You had a choice of of so many- omlettes, pasta, sausage, eggs, bacon, potatoes... I know there was more food but I can't remember what else we had. Drinks consisted of mimosas and bloody marys- all very good. Everyone raved about the place and enjoyed themselves. If you need a place for a RH or a shower or just to go and eat, keep Mim's in mind! The only reason why Mim's was given an A- was because they did not present the drinks right away. My Mom had to remind them about the mimosas and bloody marys. Once she told them, they were flowing throughout the entire shower.


SInce I didn't plan the shower, I wil discuss some things I remember.

Shower Favors
Favors consisted of mugs from Ikea complete with coffee and teaspoons. I am a coffee fanatic so naturally, this suits me! My SIL made them. Everyone raved about the favors and said how adorable and practical they were.


Shower Games
LOL, my SIL got crafty and had her BF blow up condoms and put little cards in the balloons with a note saying if you won a prize or not. I never saw this at any shower before but I thought it was pretty hysterical.

Here are some pictures...












Now on to the planning / wedding!

I was a very stressed out bride to be. My Mom wasn't around much because she was helping my Sister take care of her son. I felt lonely at times and I had some unfortunate events happen prior to the wedding including a car accident that happened a month before the wedding. However, planning was rather smooth. I had NO complaints... SO here goes!

Weather
A+++++++++++
I really believed it was going to pour on our wedding day. Afterall, April showers bring May flowers. But, that wasn't the case at all. It was GORGEOUS- a sunny day with a high of 75! We had the best day April could possibly offer. We got to take pictures outside, had the cocktail hour both indoors and out, people were able to mingle outide on the patio... It was just PERFECT.

Dress
Bridal Reflections
Massapequa, NY
A-
First off, I was SO anxious to get my dress. I got engaged in November of 07 and ordered my dress in Janary of 08! Anyways, I did not know where to start so I went to David's Bridal just to look and try on ALL sorts of dresses to see what styles I liked. I thought I had liked the traditional ball gown with pick ups. I quickly changed my mind when I walked into Bridal Reflections on tried on a bunch of gowns. I went during a trunk show that was carrying James Clifford (Jim Hjelm) dresses. I had tried on about 10 gowns and I had one dress I liked. My Sister and Mom came with me. My Sister said 'Michele, try that one.' I turned to look and saw this sparkly dress hanging. I looked and said 'Ugh, that's too crazy for me!' She said again to try it. I had an open mind and went to try it on. I put that dress on and OMG! It was THE dress. I said to the girl who was helping me put on the dress 'I think this is the one!' She said 'I think it is too!' So, my Mom ordered it for me. It was a gift from my Grandma who had bought all my Sisters' wedding gowns. She passed away but told my Mom to hold money that was hers to purchase my dress. A gift that I will cherish forever! I also received a look book signed by James Clifford for purchasing this dress which is pretty cool. During this process, the staff was awesome and very helpful. Tracey helped my with the dresses- getting in and out of them. She was a sweetheart and made the dress finding process an exciting journey for me.

BTW, when I first went dress shopping, I had just chopped my hair off. As the fittings go on, my hair gets longer and longer. Thought it would never grow fast enough!


Fast forward to August of 2008- I get a phone call that my dress is in. I rushed in to view my dress and of course I fell in love again! The staff at Bridal Reflections was generally pleasant. I could see that some of the girls were a tad bit snobby but never had that attitude towards me when I was there. Everytime I came in, Leslie was in and she always greeted me by my first name and would chat with me. I gave Bridal Reflections an A- because when I ordered my dress, it was ordered in a size 6 which is really a 4. I was nervous because I have a thyroid problem and didn't want any issues if I gained some weight... So, I had called Bridal Reflections to see if they could change my size to an 8. I spoke to Maryann and she did give me a slight attitude but did take care of it right away. I called them within a week of ordering my dress. So, it wasn't like they placed the order yet.


Fittings
Bridal Reflections Seamstress- ZiZi
A+++++++++++
First fitting was in February and I was nervous of course. I walked in and met ZiZi who is the sweetest woman on the planet! She was always so nice to deal with and we always had nice conversations while she was working on my dress. I looked forward to seeing her everytime. She made this experience a very pleasant one! By the final fitting, my dress was AMAZING! She had created the bustle- I went with an Austrian one. She insisted that it was easy to do and she was right. On the day of, my bridal attendant had NO issues bustling my dress. ZiZi knows exactly what she is doing when it comes to alterations. If you have ZiZi as your seamstress- you will be 100% satisfied because she is a genius in her work!






DOJ
Bracelet
Lord & Taylor
I wanted a simple bracelet because my dress was heavily beaded. I went to L & T with my Mom just randomly and happened to walk by the jewelery section and saw sterling silver bracelets on sale. This bracelet caught my eye and I purchased it on the spot. Its sparkles like crazy and I wear it now all the time. I love it!


DOJ
Earrings
Saks- Off 5th
I went to Saks and walked past a jewelery case and saw these earrings. Last pair and they were on sale- SCORE! They resembled these Regina B earrings I liked so I said what the hell and picked these up. They are so pretty and I plan to wear them again for weddings and special occasions.


Headpiece & Veil
Barrons At Tri County
Levittown, NY
A+++++++++++
I always knew Barrons was the place to go after seeing many reviews. They have a nice selection at fantastic prices. So, I went and saw a headpiece and purchased it right away. Then I ordered my veil. It was a simple and easy process. I went home and then hated my headpiece. I went back the next day and he (I forgot the guy's name that works there) exchanged it for me without any questions. I loved this headpiece because it wasn't to gaudy and was just the right touch of glitz for my dress. My veil came in right on schedule and it was perfect. A totally flawless experience I had with Barrons. If you go there, you will be happy with your purchase.




Shoes
Grace
Ebay Seller- Erinplace
A+++++++
I wanted pointy and elegant shoes without paying a FORTUNE. I was set on Stuart Weitzmans but then stumbled upon Grace shoes. I fell in love with this pair and was determined to get it even cheaper. SO, I kept looking and finally I saw it in my size on Ebay. I was freaking out thinking it may not match my dress but I took a chance and bought them. The day I received them I was SO happy. They were perfect and exactly what I was looking for. These shoes matched my dress EXACTLY. I was so surprised that it worked out. This seller sells a lot of bridal shoes and she shipped them right away. The shoes themselves are high quality and beautiful. I danced in them all night. I highly reccommend Grace shoes to anyone!


Garter
Ebay Seller- Kristis_Charmed_Life
A++++++
I was looking for a black and ivory garter to match my theme. So, again- searched everywhere online and found this Ebay seller that had tons of garters that she makes herself. Found this in black and ivory and purchased right away. It came with a keepsake and a throw away. She shipped them right away. I was very pleased with my garters and the seller is reputable and highly reccommended.


Makeup
M I A
A+
I was SO nervous about makeup for the big day. First off, I do my own makeup everday and am extremely picky about it. Secondly, I have VERY oily skin. I mean, I put makeup on at 8AM and by 10AM, I am very shiny. I searched reviews on here for makeup artists and saw a lot of people use Oksana and ***.

Initially, I set up a trial with Oksana. It was scheduled and I had taken a half day from work to see her. She was booked up on the weekends so during the week was the best time for her. So, I had left work (which is in Melville) at 11AM to go to my 12PM trial (which is in Queens) and I arrived to see a note on the door. It said that Oksana's boyfriend had fallen ill and she had to rush to the hospital. Now, I know things happen but I was SO upset because I had lost a half day and wasted gas to go all the way to Queens for nothing. I also thought about if she would be dependable on the day of. I never see any complaints about her so I am sure that her boyfriend was really sick but it was just bad timing. She had apologized several times and explained that she never ever missed trials but this was something she had to tend to which I totally understood. She offered to do a free trial to make up for it. I really did not want to travel back to Queens so I declined.

So I chose ***. She was in Bethpage at the time which was close to me. Yay for that. I walked in and she started on my makeup right away. What a sweetheart she is. She is truly an artist and is so good at what she does. She did airbrush makeup along with the lashes. I went home and went to sleep wearing the makeup. I know that's bad for you but I wanted to see if it lasted! I woke up the next day and it was still on and FLAWLESS. I booked her right away.

Here is a photo from the trial...


On the day of, *** arrived to my house at exactly 9AM and did my Sister's makeup first because I was getting my hair did. Then I was next, and then my other Sister and my Mother. The process went rather smoothly and everyone thought she was such a sweetheart. She even helped my Sister touch up her makeup that she did herself. *** politely said that it was wasn't perfect and fixed it for her. Everyone was pleased with her work and we all looked GOOOOD!

Hair
Jennifer The Hair Genie
A+++++++++++++++
I had set up my trial with Jen a few months before the wedding. I went into Queens and walked in and immediately, I knew we were going to get along. Anyways, she did the trial and nailed it on the first try. I had pictures and she used the combinations of the 3 I showed her and made my hair AMAZING. I wanted my hair to be reallly long so she threw in clip in extensions and let me take them home. She was really cool about it. She even threw in a tiara and let me wear that home as well. Of course I mailed everything back to her VIA Fed Ex the next day even though she insisted to throw it in regular mail. She is extremely down to earth and a sweatheart. I booked her a year before doing the trial because I have several friends that have used her. I knew either way that Jennifer was doing my hair.

Here is a couple of photos from the trial.




The day of the wedding, she arrived 10 minutes early. She started on my hair right away. The clip ins she used on the day of were better quality than the ones she used at the trial which she did mention to me at the trial. She had to special order these for me. Anyways, my hair looked the same as the trial- just shorter because these extensions held in the curls tighter. I was happy either way. She also did my Sisters' hair, Neice's hair, RB's hair and FG's hair. Everyone loved their hair. When she was done, she helped me get dressed, kept me calm. Hell, she even made us a pot of coffee because my Dad didn't know how to use the coffee machine. LOL. All in all, she is amazing and made my getting ready time go smoothly. I started to freak out at times because my Mother was driving me insane and she kept trying to calm me down. If you do not have anyone for hair, check out Jenn. She is the best!

Here's a shot of the hairrrrrr.


And another- me dancing with Daddy...


Tuxedos
S & S
Hicksville, NY
A+++++++++++++++
DH and I knew we would go to S & S which is in our hometown. My Sister had used them for her wedding in 2003 and they were suggested by our limo contact. The guys and the Dads all wore Ralph Lauren tuxes with the vests and ties. All were measured accordingly and picked up their tuxes the night before the wedding and had NO issues. The guys looks great and DH looked dashing! He is 6'7 with like a 60 inch chest so it's always hard findning suits that fit him. LOL. Here are some pics of the guys...





Limos
Ultimate Class Limos
Hicksville, NY
A+++++++++++++++++
My MIL suggested Ultimate Class and let me say, I was very happy with them. We met with Matt. He is a really nice guy and we chatted with him for a while. Then, he showed us his garage with all his cars- all very nice and clean. We just went with Lincolns- 3 stretch limos. I didn't care to splurge on the limos. Anyways, we used them for the Bachelor and Bachelorette party and the limos were clean, prompt. Drivers were very nice and friendly. Did whatever we asked- took us wherever we wanted to go.

On the day of, the cars arrived promptly and fully stocked with champagne. I had Mike as my driver and I LOVE that man- he was so sweet. He reminded me my of my Father. He took care of me the entire time. Held my Bo-K, held my train, helped me walk, rolled out the aisle runner. He was like my personal assistant, LOL. I was very pleased with Ultimate Class. I plan to use them again in the future for events, occasions and for airport transit.

Invites
******** Paperie
A+++++++++++++++
First off, Tessa is a GEM. Sweet as pie and I LOVED working with her. I had a vision for my invites. Simple, elegant, and classy. I showed her the one I wanted but I wanted it a different color. She NAILED the invite on the first try. Then from there, we emailed eachother back and forth for final touches and tweaks. Anything I wanted, she did. If I needed to see another sample, she sent it without hesitation. When the invites arrived to my house, I was beyond amazed at the beauty of them and even how they were packaged. She put them in clear bags and color coordinated the tie ribbon. She is fantastic. It makes me upset to see people make fun of her on the boards when honestly, she is amazing at what she does. I sent my invites out to people and every person literally said how stunning and elegant they were. Some said they never saw such beautiful invitations before. So, if you ever decide to use Tessa, you will not be disappointed. She is amazing at what she does and strives to please!


Church
St. Brigid's
Westbury, NY
B-
I always knew I would marry in St. Brigid's. It is such a pretty church that is very special to me. My Grandparents married there. My Dad was baptised there, as was I... So it def holds a special place in my heart. Anyways, when it came time to book the church, I tried contacting them several times. They did not get back to me after a few months. I was so upset and frustrated. I was going to give up and look elsewhere. Finally, they got back to me. Adrianna was the lady I dealt with. She was a little flakey but alright once we were booked. I would call her with any questions and she always called me back to answer them and whatnot. I give them a B- rating because of the length of time it took them to get back to us.

Pre Cana
St. Brigid's
Westbury, NY
A+
Finally, things were set up and we had to do pre-cana. Pre-cana was an enjoyable experience. DH and I thought we would hate it but we ended up walking out of there and learning a lot about eachother. We would go once a week for 1 month and a half. We had to go to two couples' homes every other week. A little weird at first but we ended up meeting nice people and enjoying the experience. You really do learn from the couples' that conduct these meetings which in turn have you learn a lot about your Fiance.

Officiant
Monsignor Francis Midura
Hauppauge, NY
A+
DH's Father grew up with Msgr. Midura so naturally, he would be our officiant. He works out of a church in Hauppauge but he used to work at St. Brigid's. I asked St. Brigid's if we could have him officiate our wedding and they said no problem because he is always welcome at that church. We met with him so he could see us together and get to know me. He is a sweet man with a great sense of humor. I was so excited to have him officiate our wedding. He was pretty laid back and let us choose the ceremony the way we wanted it.

The day of the wedding he was pleasant. Made some jokes and talked about his friendship with DH's family. It was a really nice ceremony and we had people compliment our ceremony. I reccommend Msgr. Midura to anyone looking for a Catholic officiant.

Unity Candle / Stand

Bubbles
www.orientaltrading.com
A-
I saw these cute bubbles for cheap and ordered them right away. They came quickly. The reason why I gave them an A- was because the hearts on top of the bubbles got distorted during shipment. No biggie. I just fixed them all when unwrapping them. I made personalized labels and adorned them with ribbons. In was a tedious task but in the end, it was worth it!


Programs
Michaels'
A+
I went to MIchaels' a week before the wedding and just picked these up for super cheap. They were easy to design and print. Seriously, anyone can do this. It was a nice touch and we got compliments on these because it looked so much like our invites- we used that M and threw it in everywhere.


Wedding Rings
Craft Jewelery- Tri County
A+++++++++++++
We initially were going to return to Lee for the wedding rings but we never had the time to make it to the city. So, my Dad's guy in Tri County was our next option. We dealt with Jody at Craft who is someone we know through family. The owner's son Mike also worked with us. I was looking for a very elaborate and fancy wedding ring to wear alone because my e-ring has to be worn on my right hand. Sure enough, the one that I had been envisioning in my mind was sitting in the case. Mike's father created the ring and I fell in love with it. Now DH was set on titanium. But, in the catalog they had they only carried titanium rings up to a size 13. DH's finger size was a 14.5. So we thought this was going to be impossible to find something. They had a really nice masculine and classic style ring in the case that fit him perfectly. So we bought them both on the spot. I know people may be weary about purchasing jewelery at Tri County BUT Craft is a top notch place with fabulous diamonds and gorgeous peices. They also have a jewelery store in Woodbury that Mike runs. Very trustworthy and fantastic service. Here is a photo of our rings.


Reception Venue
North Ritz Club
Syosset, NY
A++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I have been married for 2 months now and every single time I see a relative, friend or anyone else that attended the wedding, they tell us the same things- 'It was the best wedding we have ever been to.' 'There was SO much food.' 'Service was top-notch.' And the list goes on and on. DH's Uncle said how amazing it was and he is in the food business- he distributes meats to places all over the Island. He said that this place has the best food he ever ate at a wedding. He sent a letter commending the service and the amount of food and overall how amazing everything was at the NRC because he was seriously impressed.

The booking process was easy. My Mom and Dad were paying for the Reception and were eager to do so as my Sister's wedding was there 6 years ago. Her wedding was fantastic as well so we knew that NRC was it for us.

We dealt with Nadine who was really great to work with. I drove by and dropped in randomly at times. She always greeted be by my first name and answered whatever questions we had. If I wanted to walk around, she and the rest of the staff were cool with it. Every step of the way, they were amazing to deal with.

THE FOOD TASTING WAS OUT OF THIS WORLD! We went with the in laws and my Parents and we had wine, beer, soda as well as the main entrees. We sampled so many dishes that we left that place STUFFED. My in laws were really impressed with the place in how they went all out for just a food tasting. They set up the main room really nice and it was like a mini wedding, Anything we wanted, they got us more. It was truly awesome. I knew the wedding was going to be amazing.

A little before the big day, I went with DH to meet with George and went over the menu. He is such a sweetheart and really aims to please.

The day of the wedding was phenomenal. We walked in and Monica my Bridal Attendant appeared. She was with me the entire day and was amazing. She bustled my dress, got me my drinks, cleaned my shoes, help me get out and in my dress after going to the rest room- what a doll she was. We took pictures on the grounds and in the bridal suite, there was TONS of food for us. LAMB CHOPS GALORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My Mom requested heavy lamb chops throughout the cocktail hour and of course, George took care of that- even during the picture taking moments. There were oysters, cheeses, passed hor d'eorves... All before the cocktail hour. I could not believe how much food we had. Monica and George were fantastic and ensured everything was perfect and running smoothly.

DH and I attended the cocktail hour and actually SAT DOWN and ate. No way we were missing this. We wanted to enjoy every aspect. We had so many passed foods as well as 8 stations with a seafood boat. It was amazing. All of our guests kept raving about the food and saying how 'off the hook' it was.

We walked into the room and it was amazing. Everything I wanted was just there and all perfect. NRC really did everything I asked and went above and beyond to ensure our expectations were met.

Dinner was also AMAZING. Everyone said the food was the best wedding food ever. We had the filet mignon which was HUGE and so tender that literally melted in your mouth. We picked the chicken tuscany which people raved about as well. For fish, we had the chilean seabass which was FRICKEN SO TASTY! OMG. If you are getting married there, pick this. People rave about this fish dish. We also had a pasta dish as well. I know how everything tasted because well, DH and I ate everything! We made it very clear that we were enjoying the wedding. We ate all the food, danced, mingled, took shots- said hello to everyone- we had a blast. Ah, I am trailing off- so back to the NRC...

We had the Viennese Hour which again, HOLY CRAP was AMAZING!!!!!!! All of our guests loved every bit of it. The waffles, the zeppoles, flambe, fountains wtih chocolates, cheesecakes, I can go ON AND ON!

The wedding cake was made by the NRC as well and the cake was perfect and SO good. Normally, wedding cake isn't that great but this was good. We had people tell us it was the best wedding cake.


So overall, the NRC was AMAZING. I love everything about that place. Staff, service, food, ambiance. EVERYTHING. It was truly amazing and I HIGHLY suggest anyone to look into that place because they will not be disappointed.

Cardbox
www.forthemodernbride.com
A+++++++++++++++++
Okay, so some of you know the cardbox fiasco I went through, LOL. Well, I didn't know what I wanted and I told the designer what I wanted and what I was looking for. So, they were going to make something up for me. They sent me the box all finished and I HATED it. I thought it was so ugly. It looked so dominatrix like. It had crazy criss crosses and stuff. Just BAD. I felt bad telling them how I felt about it but hey! I paid a lot for it. So, without any hesitation, they made me a new one that was PERFECT! It was in my hands two days later and in perfect condition. I loved how the box looked like my invites.


Just an FYI, they deliver their boxes like a week before the wedding. You can tell them an earlier date but MAKE SURE YOU TELL NO ONE!!!!!! I had girls ask me why I had my boox so early and I explained that I lied about my date because I didn't want to wait forever for my box. Well, of course a couple SQUEALED to FTMB that I lied about my date. Seriously, word of advice- DON'T TELL SOME PEOPLE ALL OF YOUR PLANNING BUSINESS. All in all, FTMB understood why I did that and said it was okay as long as I cleared it up with the SQUEALERS that I had just given FTMB an early date.

Flowers
Flowers By Burton
Huntington, NY
B+
I liked them right off the bat. We dealt with Mike during the booking process. He was great- answered our questions, let us look at pictures. Right on the spot, I booked him. He is not the type of vendor that kisses your butt. He is the right to the point vendor that just gets you your flowers and that's it.

I knew I wanted high CPs and I wanted all white. So, I told Mike I would be in touch with pictures VIA email. I sent him pictures of what I like and when it came time for the sample, he nailed it! It was perfect. The only thing I changed was the stand.

Here's a photo of the sample...


The day of the wedding, the flowers arrived to my house looking pretty. However, they screwed up a couple things during delivery which is the reason for the rating. I had given Mike a flowergirl basket I wanted to use and they sent me a different one, not the one I gave them. My Sister called them and literally in 15 minutes, someone showed up at my house with the basket. They also forgot the pew bows which were to be given to the limo guys to put on the pews... My Sister let them know about that and within minutes, someone went to the church and put them on. So, I can honestly say that yes, they did make mistakes but they were quick to fix them.


My boquet was gorgeous, exactly what I wanted. The girls' boquets were perfect- everything was awesome. And of course, the day of the wedding, the CPs were perfect. They also decorated my wedding cake and that looked awesome as well. I highly recommend Burtons!


DJ
FM Entertainment
A+++++++++++++++++++++
One of my favorite vendors by far. Frank was awesome to deal with. We went to a showcase and booked them on the spot. He was great to talk to, answered any questions we had, explained everything. I am telling you, he is a class act.

Day of the wedding, he was FANTASTIC. Frank MC'd and we had Frankie DJ. People raved about the music. I can honestly say that if you play a mix of everything, people will get up and dance. He did just that and every song he played- everyone was up and dancing. I totally recommend FM and I will keep them in mind for future parties because as I said, they were excellent.

Favors
PlantAMemory.com
A+
I picked my favors the last minute. Literally, a week before the wedding. I was set on doing bottles of wine for favors but I thought that maybe people would drink them at the wedding. LOL. I wanted something that someone could remember us by with a unique favor. So, this was one suggested by my Sister. She went to a wedding and received bulbs as a favor to be planted. Every year the flowers arrive and she remembers the wedding she went to. So, I thought this is kind of cool! I ordered them online. The lady called me right away to confirm my address and information. I received these the next day. They came complete with the bulbs and nice quality white boxes with filling to place in the box. They also made us personalized cards with our names on them and the wedding date. Overall, I was very happy with the service and the quality of the items. For our own personal touch, we added black ribbons to the boxes and attached the jordan almonds for the good old Italian tradition. Here is a picture of the favor on the website.


Photographer
Duet
A++++++++++++++++
Ah, where do I begin. I saw SO many reviews on them before booking PLUS a recommendation from my Sister's friend who used them. I knew I would not be disappointed. I booked them back in January of 2008. The language barrier kind of freaked me out at first but their work was SO impressive. We had picked TJ

Day of the wedding, TJ arrived. He was really nice and funny. We all loved him. The rest of the team I met at the church- Kevin and Shawn. I forgot the other guy's name. I had a team of four. One was the videographer and the three took photos all night. They were not 'in your face' or annoying like some wedding photographers tend to be, They took many photos of every single detail.

We got our proofs back and all I could think was 'OMG, they got this one?????' They never missed any details.

If you booked Duet, you will be pleased. Here are some pro pics!

Re: PICTURES WILL BE ADDED SOON! FlairForFashions LONG Review. 4/24/2009 Wedding. BURTONS, FM ENTERTAINMENT, NORTH RITZ CLUB, ***, HAIR GENIE, TESSA, DUET AND MANY MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YAY, I have been waiting and waiting for your review and I LOVE all the wonderful things said about NRC! Especially the lamb chops part. Thank you so much for your super, super detailed review!

Re: PICTURES WILL BE ADDED SOON! FlairForFashions LONG Review. 4/24/2009 Wedding. BURTONS, FM ENTERTAINMENT, NORTH RITZ CLUB, ***, HAIR GENIE, TESSA, DUET AND MANY MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

amazing review!!! congrats!!!

Re: PICTURES WILL BE ADDED SOON! FlairForFashions LONG Review. 4/24/2009 Wedding. BURTONS, FM ENTERTAINMENT, NORTH RITZ CLUB, ***, HAIR GENIE, TESSA, DUET AND MANY MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

your wedding looks amazing!!! congrats.

i was trying to find your makeup person, can you please give me the number and the person who did it? you look amazing.


thanks
jackie

Re: PICTURES WILL BE ADDED SOON! FlairForFashions LONG Review. 4/24/2009 Wedding. BURTONS, FM ENTERTAINMENT, NORTH RITZ CLUB, ***, HAIR GENIE, TESSA, DUET AND MANY MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Great Review!!!! Congrats

Re: SOME PICTURES ADDED! FlairForFashion's LONG Review. 4/24/2009 Wedding. BURTONS, FM ENTERTAINMENT, NORTH RITZ CLUB, ***, HAIR GENIE, TESSA, DUET AND MANY MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congrats!!! You looked beautiful on your wedding day!!!

Re: SOME PICTURES ADDED! FlairForFashion's LONG Review. 4/24/2009 Wedding. BURTONS, FM ENTERTAINMENT, NORTH RITZ CLUB, ***, HAIR GENIE, TESSA, DUET AND MANY MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congrats you looked gorgeous on your day!!! Amazing review

Re: SOME PICTURES ADDED! FlairForFashion's LONG Review. 4/24/2009 Wedding. BURTONS, FM ENTERTAINMENT, NORTH RITZ CLUB, ***, HAIR GENIE, TESSA, DUET AND MANY MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you this was very helpful!!!

Re: SOME PICTURES ADDED! FlairForFashion's LONG Review. 4/24/2009 Wedding. BURTONS, FM ENTERTAINMENT, NORTH RITZ CLUB, ***, HAIR GENIE, TESSA, DUET AND MANY MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Awww you looked gorgeous!!!! thanks for the review

Re: SOME PICTURES ADDED! FlairForFashion's LONG Review. 4/24/2009 Wedding. BURTONS, FM ENTERTAINMENT, NORTH RITZ CLUB, ***, HAIR GENIE, TESSA, DUET AND MANY MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What an amazing review Im really glad you had such a positive review on the North Ritz Club Im getting married thre next April and I am dealing with Nadine and I just love her but it was wonderful to hear such good stuff about you RH.

Re: SOME PICTURES ADDED! FlairForFashion's LONG Review. 4/24/2009 Wedding. BURTONS, FM ENTERTAINMENT, NORTH RITZ CLUB, ***, HAIR GENIE, TESSA, DUET AND MANY MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

congrats great review everything looked great

Re: SOME PICTURES ADDED! FlairForFashion's LONG Review. 4/24/2009 Wedding. BURTONS, FM ENTERTAINMENT, NORTH RITZ CLUB, ***, HAIR GENIE, TESSA, DUET AND MANY MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congrats you look beautiful. Can't wait ot see more!

Re: SOME PICTURES ADDED! FlairForFashion's LONG Review. 4/24/2009 Wedding. BURTONS, FM ENTERTAINMENT, NORTH RITZ CLUB, ***, HAIR GENIE, TESSA, DUET AND MANY MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

congrats!! everything looked amazing, i love your dress!

Re: SOME PICTURES ADDED! FlairForFashion's LONG Review. 4/24/2009 Wedding. BURTONS, FM ENTERTAINMENT, NORTH RITZ CLUB, ***, HAIR GENIE, TESSA, DUET AND MANY MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Amazing Review!!!!!!!!!

Congrats!

Re: SOME PICTURES ADDED! FlairForFashion's LONG Review. 4/24/2009 Wedding. BURTONS, FM ENTERTAINMENT, NORTH RITZ CLUB, ***, HAIR GENIE, TESSA, DUET AND MANY MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations and thank you for the great review!! You looked stunning! I'm looking forward to your review about Duet!!

Re: SOME PICTURES ADDED! FlairForFashion's LONG Review. 4/24/2009 Wedding. BURTONS, FM ENTERTAINMENT, NORTH RITZ CLUB, ***, HAIR GENIE, TESSA, DUET AND MANY MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Great review Michelle! Everything looked beautiful, as did you!

Re: SOME PICTURES ADDED! FlairForFashion's LONG Review. 4/24/2009 Wedding. BURTONS, FM ENTERTAINMENT, NORTH RITZ CLUB, ***, HAIR GENIE, TESSA, DUET AND MANY MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Great review. Your pix look great.

Re: SOME PICTURES ADDED! FlairForFashion's LONG Review. 4/24/2009 Wedding. BURTONS, FM ENTERTAINMENT, NORTH RITZ CLUB, ***, HAIR GENIE, TESSA, DUET AND MANY MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Posted by gbrwneyez1581

Great review. Your pix look great.

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And your dress is GORGEOUS. Congratulations

Re: SOME PICTURES ADDED! FlairForFashion's LONG Review. 4/24/2009 Wedding. BURTONS, FM ENTERTAINMENT, NORTH RITZ CLUB, ***, HAIR GENIE, TESSA, DUET AND MANY MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congrats!!!!! you looked beautiful!!! great review!!!!!

Re: SOME PICTURES ADDED! FlairForFashion's LONG Review. 4/24/2009 Wedding. BURTONS, FM ENTERTAINMENT, NORTH RITZ CLUB, ***, HAIR GENIE, TESSA, DUET AND MANY MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Beautiful review!!!