UPDATED AGAIN (PG3) KELLYBRIDE's 07/14/06 Review: Venetian Yacht Club, High Voltage, Patken, LA Productions, All Star, LA Blossom, Hair Genie, Okasana, Bridal Reflections, and much more...

Weather A+++++++++++++++++++++++
Beautiful, sunny / blue skies & hot. BUT gorgeous on the water. What a breeze on the Great South Bay. My July 14 – 16 brides freaked out awhile there. The 10-day forecast predicted rain the whole weekend & the entire weekend turned out to be beautiful. Never trust weathermen! Don’t look until a day or two before or you will stress yourself out!

Venetian Yacht Club - A+
We booked our hall in September of 2004. We knew that we wanted the water view for our summer wedding. He proposed to me on his boat on the Great South Bay and wanted to celebrate our marriage on the same water. We chose “John Anthony’s on the Water”. We met with Daisy, our banquet manager back in 2004 & got a lot for our money. At this time, many brides on LIWeddings were not getting married at this hall. There were rumors of bankruptcy but DH & I fell in love with the view & the menu. There was also a sentimental value attached to John Anthony’s – my DH took me to his cousin’s wedding there in July of 1999 during our first month of dating and introduced me to his whole family at once. We had a great time.

John Anthony’s was bought over by the Makkos family (they own Terrace on the Park in Queens & the Battery Garden Restaurant) and Daisy kept telling me how wonderful it was going to be. We figured with all the money going into it, it could only improve & we loved it the way it was!

During the next 18 months, the place literally transformed into a palace! Elegance & classy are the words that come to mind. We were able to pick from the old and new menus since our contract was John Anthony’s. Daisy worked with us from day # 1 and everything was honored. I got married on a Friday night & was the only bride and affair going on that night. We had beautiful weather, so the view was breathtaking. My cocktail hour was upstairs, main reception downstairs, and the Viennese was in the side downstairs room. I got to use the entire place – all rooms, the outside deck, and both bridal suites! Guests are still raving about the cocktail hour – we had some upgrades: vodka & caviar station / Asian Station. Our Viennese was like a scene out of Charlie & the Chocolate Factory – ice cream, waffles, cotton candy, candy apples, candy carts, chocolate covered fruits, pastries, soufflés, etc. People kept raving about it! There was one thing missing – which wasn’t a big deal in the scheme of things & my guests didn’t realize but I added it in my review to illustrate the superb service. My maitre‘d (Lisa) and the wait staff worked to have it added before the night was over. Joanna was my bridal attendant and she was AMAZING! She and Lisa were wonderful – they helped me the entire night with feeding me, fixing my bustle, and keeping our drinks filled. My wedding was exactly what I pictured since I was a little girl. DH & I had a blast – we drank, danced, & partied! VYC is highly recommended.

Patken – photography & video A + for the day of (still waiting for proofs & video)
We also booked Patken in 12/04. Vinnie did our engagement pics and they were amazing.

We chose Vinnie because of his personality. He was easy to connect to & we got along very well. His work is superb! We did a “Meet & Greet” in June to touch base before the wedding and to go over the final details. I only had a few “Must-takes” because I wanted all the regular type of pics. He got all of my must-takes throughout the night. He did a test shot at my house in the afternoon just to see how my make-up photographed & he was able to handle such a HUGE bridal party. Patken doesn’t come with a huge team - only 1 guy- but he was able to capture all the special moments. DH & I just wanted to make a majority of our cocktail hour and not have cameras in our faces all night. That is exactly what he did for us. We took pictures at my house during the day, Vinny met the guys the church to do the GM, we took pictures at the church after the ceremony, pictures on the water at the VYC, and candids the remainder of the night (except for the cake cutting, dances, bouquet/garter toss, etc.). He was perfect and I highly recommend him!

Raymond was our video guy & he was so nice as well. I never felt Patken in my face but you knew that they were they capturing all the special moments…can’t wait for the final product!

DJ: HIGH VOLTAGE – VINNY A+
HOWIE BONGO (PERCUSSIONIST) A+
We also booked HVS back in 12/04. I met a lot of big time DJ companies & Vinny was the one who we connected with most & didn’t try to sell me everything under the sun. Vinny had to deal with me for the last 18 months & I give him credit (so does DH-LOL)! We wanted dance music played for the last hour – right after Viennese and had specific music requests. Throughout the entire night, we wanted a mixture of music with mostly Top 40. He followed our Must-play & Do Not Play list EXACTLY. I didn’t get a MC because we had a dancing & party crowd, so Vinny did the announcements PERFECTLY! We did all the traditional bouquet / garter toss & Vinny took care of all that for me. Every song was exactly what we chose. There were some mixed reviews on LIWeddings this past year about HVS – don’t always believe what you read…remember there are always 2-sides to a story & Vinny is the best! We met with him about 4-5 times since we booked & he was never annoyed just helpful & understanding. He was great & my dance floor was jamming the entire night. Even after the bridal party introductions, he let my bridal party just dance crazy for about 2-3 minutes before he started DH & I first slow dance. That was just the vibe of my wedding. Thanks Vinny for making our day perfect!

Howie was great. I wanted to bring my wedding to that other level & the percussionist was just the answer. He added that ‘little something’ without being ‘too much’. He used to play the drums in some clubs back in the day & works with some DJ companies. People keep telling me how much they loved it! My great-uncle even starts jamming on the drums at 1:00am. So great!

FLOWERS: LA BLOSSOM – LAURIE: A+
I met with only two florists, two big LIWedding vendors, and I honestly was torn between the two. They were both reputable and similar prices. I chose Laurie in the end because the individualized attention I would get from her. She listened to my ideas & helped me see things in a different way. I wanted PINK & boy, did I get pink. It was exactly what I imagined. My bouquet was all medium pink roses with white stephanotis. She put crystals on my roses to match my Eve of Milady dress. GORGEOUS! I saw Laurie do a similar bouquet for a 2004 Gtsgirl & loved her flowers. My CP were pink roses with rhinestones on the petals. It was in a square vase with pinkish sand and she put votives around the centerpieces. (Votives were frosted with hearts on them & my mom bid on them from EBay for CHEAP!) I loved all of the little touches – a stephanotis on my DH’s rose boutonnière (sp) and even rhinestones on the throw away bouquet. Laurie was great & easy to work with. No wonder she won 2005 Vendor of the Year!

Re: KELLYBRIDE's 07/14/06 Review: Venetian Yacht Club, High Voltage, Patken, LA Productions, All Star, LA Blossom, Hair Genie, Okasana, Bridal Reflections, and much more...

LA PRODUCTION – LAURA & ASSISTANT JILL (Day of Coordinator) A+
Another Vendor of the Year (2004) – I booked with her in January of 2005. My DH argued with me on the fact of hiring a DOC but after meeting with Laura, I realized what a stress-relief she could provide. The main reason I felt that I needed a DOC was all the changes that were occurring with my hall at the time (changing owners & renovations) and I wanted help with all the “little things” (making sure the procession ran smoothly at the church, making sure things were set up as I wanted them). Laura is WONDERFUL! She helped me remember all of the details, confirmed my contracts, calmed me down, & made my day run smoothly. My mother said it was the best money we could have ever spent. Laura & her team helped out with a minor situation at the church and if she wasn’t there, I might have freaked out! Three weeks before my wedding, Laura was approached & our wedding had an opportunity of getting videotaped for a show on the style network. Since I had a vacation in Las Vegas and Laura was also doing the lady from “Survivor” Wedding, DH & I had never could free our schedules to meet with the casting director in NYC. Even a week before the wedding, there were still asking us. I just felt that we needed the time to do last-minute things the week before the wedding instead of re-meeting with all of our vendors & taping hours & hours. Laura was great – she said she would help us out if we decided to do it and completely understood if we decided against it. I am happy with our final decision!





ALL STAR LIMO COMPANY A+
Rolls Royce – I got to take me to the church with my parents and sister (MOH).
14 passenger stretch – for my bridesmaids and two FG to take from my house to the church.
BRAND NEW 50 pass limo bus – to pick up the GM to take to church. After the church, the entire party got in the limo bus to take us all to VYC.

We booked with Debbie in August of 2005 who was great to work with. All of the cars were exactly what we ordered. The drivers were professional, courteous, and dressed in suits / tuxedos. They were helpful & personable. The Rolls Royce is GORGEOUS! The only downfall is that it is such an old car & the A/C is not too powerful. The limo drivers got everyone there on-time and even helped out with the ‘church situation’.

HAIR & MAKE UP
Jenn the Hair Genie & Oksana A+
THE BEST! THE BEST! I had a trial with both of them in August 2005 and booked them both on the spot. I went with my MOH and we hung out with them ALL DAY. They are the most comfortable people to be around & do the most amazing work! I originally wanted airbrush and had a separate trial before this one but Oksana’s work just blew me away. I don’t wear a lot of make-up on a daily basis and I just loved the trial. I went back when PrincessAurora (2007 bride) had her hair trial in April 2006 and had a 2nd one with Jenn just to try something slightly different. It was even better than the first! I had a second hair trial with Oksana on the day of my bachelorette party and it was gorgeous!

On the morning of my wedding, they arrived at 8am. Jenn did my entire bridal party (that was part of my gift to them), my 2 FG, and my mother. 11 adults all by herself! Oksana did 8 of us. Oksana even helped out when two of my BM got into a fight that morning (LOL)! They are the best but book them quickly…they go fast.







Votive Place Card Holders – Laura from LA Production: A+
Stunning, gorgeous, breathtaking!

ELSA – A+
We started working with Elsa & her employees back in November. Stephan designed my wedding band to match my engagement ring exactly. My DH purchased my engagement ring somewhere else. I was having a difficult time finding something to exactly match my ring. He was able to do something different that matched it to the width and length of my baguettes/ center stone exactly. It was also unique & made my engagement ring stand out even more. You go a few times to design the ring, take a mold of the engagement ring so they can match the band, and pick the stones, casting, & final product. It took from November through June and it was GORGEOUS! The final cost was also cheaper than some of the rings we looked at in jewelry stores in the malls and surrounding areas. The only problem that some people might have with ELSA is that you don’t have a final cost for the ring – they give you an approximation since it is a ‘work-in’progress’. My ring was on the cheaper end of the estimate and less expensive than we anticipated. My DH also got his band from them and it turned out great too.

Flower girl Dresses- Colony Shop on main street in Patchogue: A+
$50 for each dress – what a steal! I still think that they were marked wrong. My two FG were 3 and I bought two dresses off the rack & no alterations needed.




RSVP – TUXEDOS: B+
We used the store in Commack. We had no problems picking out the tuxedos for our BP and RB. We got some free and a discount since we had a big bridal party. Customer service & individualized attention was great. The reason for the B + is that some of the groomsman were missing cufflinks. One of my GM who lives in California mailed in his measurements & when he picked up the tuxedo his pants were too short. Thank goodness they have a store in Bay Shore and were able to get the correct length from the other store. ONE WORD OF ADVICE: have your GM try on the tuxedo before the leave the store. Don’t assume everything is there & that the size it says it the actual size. They can alleviate A LOT of problems. Case & point: Our bestman just picked up his tuxedo without trying it on or even looking at it. The store called HIM 20 minutes later after they realized they gave him the wrong tuxedo (from another bridal party)! It all worked out & RSVP was able to correct the ‘minor screw-ups’. I also knew nothing about any of this until after the wedding!

St. Matthew RC Church in Dix Hills: A
Our Deacon, James Hanly, was the best! We chose to have him marry us because he was my DH’s Assistant Principal from High School. We wanted someone who knew one of us and felt that would create a more personal ceremony. The church that we got married in was my DH’s family’s church. I loved there church! It was gorgeous and BIG! Instead of a hard floor, the aisle is a maroon carpet. All of our guests raved about the personal touch to our ceremony and Deacon Hanly did such an amazing job! We worked with him for over 18 months and he made our ceremony beautiful. We did the 6-week Monday night Pre-Cana at St. Matthew’s. It was fine. They still never went over our Focus test (LOL)!

THE SLIGHT PROBLEM – I never knew that they had TWO ceremonies at the church on a FRIDAY afternoon. My ceremony was scheduled to begin at 4:30pm. No one ever mentioned to me that there was another bride getting married at 3pm. Even at my rehearsal dinner the night before, no sign of another bride and no mention of it. No big deal, right? WRONG! The bride’s ceremony started LATE & her priest ran over. So when my limos pulled up at 4:20pm – her entire wedding was still there. I wasn’t angry at the bride but my church because now it is affecting MY wedding. I kept thinking my guests are waiting outside in the heat, my ceremony will end later, pictures will be delayed, and we might miss our cocktail hour. OH NO! I was so happy that Laura was there to keep things in order with my guests and to help set the church up with my flowers and decorations. What got me mad – was when the limo drivers were talking over the radios, I heard that the bride refused to leave the church grounds. She wanted pictures in the church and on the grounds. She told my Deacon that she paid money and she wasn’t leaving. My Deacon reminded her that I also paid money and it wasn’t fair to the bride who was waiting in her Rolls Royce pulled over on the side on the North Service Road of the LIE! Primarily, it was the church’s fault. My ceremony started 20 minutes late & turned out to be perfect!



Bridal Reflections in Massapequa A+
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my dress! I knew I wanted an Eve of Milady for years. Her dresses are spectacular. I wasn’t planning on looking for a dress until spring of 2005 but my mom convinced me to go to an Eve of Milady Trunk Show at Bridal Reflections in November 2004 just to “look”. EOM was previewing her new line of gowns that would not be sold until the following summer. Well, I found ‘the dress’. #5 that I tried on. I tried on more just to be sure but that was the dress. It was PERFECT! Kristy was my salesgirl & she was the BEST! She worked with me for over 2 hours that day. She was so nice, helpful, and gave me great advice. I even met the seamstress Zi Zi who would be working on my dress 18 months later. I bought the dress & got 15% off for purchasing at a trunk show. The only major decision I had to make that day was what inch heels I was going to wear b/c of the Hollow-to-Hem measurement. My dress has A LOT of detail & beadwork on the bottom. So I was fitted in a pair of shoes with that inch heel & had to make sure that I bought shoes with the same measurement.

Yes, EOM dresses are quite expensive but it was so worth it to me. I loved all of the detail & beadwork in my dress. The train is the SELLING point of my dress!

My dress came in July 2005 – one year before my wedding. I visited it to make sure that it was the right dress & to examine it as well. It was perfect – just big on top. The let me visit my dress 4-5 times throughout the year. I tried it on when I got my shoes, undergarments, veil, headpiece, etc. They were very accommodating and helpful.

I started my fittings in May of 2006. My first fitting was a little stressful b/c Zi Zi was still out on disability due to a car accident & back surgery. I came to know her so well throughout all of my visits. Zi Zi was due back in 1 week so my first fitting would be the only one without her. It started off stressful b/c for some reason my hollow-to-hem measurement was TOO LONG. Now remember, I visited my dress NUMEROUS times before my first fitting & it was fine. What the hell??? I cried & yelled. The staff was WONDERFUL – the manager, the salesgirls, & even Kristy (the girl who original sold me the dress 18 months earlier) helped. PS – the wrong size slip was given to me by accident & threw off my whole dress. It was an oversight with the new seamstress. The manger had the new seamstress just take in my top & that was it. They wanted me to wait for Zi Zi to return to do the rest of my fittings.

I had 4 fittings total & my dress fir perfectly. Zi Zi was so wonderful. She did such great alterations. She even took in my bra & slip to make my dress ‘just perfect’. My train is the selling point of the dress & she made such an amazing bustle. She added a finger loop b/c I wanted to keep my dress down for the first dance. Despite, my ‘slight-break down’ at my first fitting – I gave Bridal Reflections an A+ because of my experience as a whole. If you are looking for a dress, ask for KRISTY in the Massapequa store. Heather was also great to work with. She works in all departments & helped me with my fittings, as well as my BM dresses.



Bridesmaid Dresses A
I bought my dresses through Bridal Reflections in Massapequa also. Working with them was great for me as well. They helped me find my perfect BM dress. I knew I wanted a light pink & finally went with a dress by Jordan Fashions in the Bill Pesce Couture Collection in Petal Pink. My girls got a discount b/c I bought my wedding dress & I had 9 girls in my BP. We ordered the dresses in November & they arrived in February. No problems! My mom, sister, & I had no problems with the staff. One day when I had my fitting, we stopped in to pick up one of the BM dresses for my cousin who lives in Florida. They fit my sister (MOH) in WITHOUT an appointment & did her fitting on the spot. The reason for the A and not the A + is that 2 of my BM complained slightly about certain salesgirl’s attitudes and the fact that there was 1 fitting & then the final pick up. So I gave them an A.

**I also ended up buying my earrings & bracelet from Bridal Reflections as well. My dress has SO much detail & it was easier to match jewelry when I had my dress on at one of my fittings. Their prices were quite reasonable. I was advised NOT to wear a necklace due to the detail of my dress. I am happy with that decision**





Huntington Hilton – overnight accommodations & shuttle A+
I met with Laurie in July of 2005 to reserve a block of rooms for our wedding weekend. She sat down with me, went over all of the details, & showed us the rooms. We got a great rate. We also booked the continuous shuttle for the night. It took guests from the hotel to the VYC starting ½ hour before the cocktail hour started. It took people back after the wedding was over. It did as many round-trips as necessary to get my guests home to the hotel. It would even pick up earlier if necessary if we called the hotel. The driver was ours from 7pm until well after 2am. It was great! My DH & I stayed in a full suite the night of our wedding. It came with a bottle of champagne, chocolate covered strawberries, a 2pm check-out, and a free continental breakfast. The hotel even put our extra food/desserts (left over from the reception) in their kitchen over night. They put signs at the front desk indicating to the guests all the details about the shuttle service. GREAT!


Barrons in Tri-County Flea Market: A+
This is where I bought my veil & tiara. She was wonderful & so helpful. I bought my tiara from her selection. My veil I designed. I wanted something simple, so it did not take away from the detail of my dress, and elegant. She helped me with all of the different options. I chose an elbow length with a diamond white trim. It had a comb to go in under my up-do. I did not want poofy or to cover my hair. She helped me design the prefect veil. We even added crystals to the veil. It took 3 weeks & cost around $50 for the veil. $110 for the tiara. It was gorgeous…I could have never imagined spending hundreds on headpieces when her quality & work is just as superb.

Macys – Bra A+
I found my long lined bra in Macys underwear department in the Smithhaven mall. It fit great & we were able to use coupons!

Underwear: Victoria’s Secret
My BF Dawn (PRINCESSAURORA) bought me blue thongs with rhinestones (HOT) and I used it as my something blue & wore them under my dress. You couldn’t see b/c of the slip & my dress.


Craft Shoes: A
I bought my wedding shoes from them. A pair of Nine West closed toe heels. Everyone at Bridal Reflections advised me to buy closed toe shoes b/c they said my dress would look better with that particular type.

8 out of my 9 BM bought their shoes from Craft Shoes. They were able to buy any open-toe dyeable they wanted. Craft dyed them all for free. It came out great.

My mom got her shoes & pocketbook as well. The first dye job came out too purple & they re-did for free with no questions!



Craft Shoes has a great selection but so-so customer service at times. However, their final dye products are great! They are STICKLERS for making you wear peds when you try on shoes. On of my BM got yelled at (LOL)!




Breakfast Order from Bagels N A- Whole – Lot- More A+
The store in Stony Brook is where I ordered food from. My wedding was on a Friday – so my BM were going to be there all morning & afternoon. I ordered an assortment of bagels, muffins, coffee/tea, 4 foot hero, & salads. They arrived 15 minutes early & FREE DELIVERY! The order was perfect!

Mints (Pippys Sweets) A+
I won a gift certificate for $100 at the 2006 Wedding of the Year. I placed an order of mint cans to put as extras on all of my tables. Diana was great to work with. She designed the cover of all the mint cans to go with my pink theme. I ordered 130 cans & they came out perfect. It said “Thanks a Mint” with our names & wedding date. It only cost me $40 more with the gift certificate credit. www.pippyssweets.com

Photocube A+
MCDO15 (Tom) made my photocube for me. For almost 1 year, we spoke via email & I sent pictures. He sent proofs and the final product was great! I picked it up a week before my wedding. His work is outstanding.





Menus A+
CJB88 (Cortney) a fellow 2006 bride designed my menus. She was so easy to work with and also went along with my pink theme. She emailed me proofs & was always in constant contact. We met up in a thunderstorm on the 4th of July (we live in the same neighborhood) and the final product was SUPERB! What a nice girl she is – thanks Cortney!




Favors: Combination Wine Set B+
We were originally going to do wine bottles but the full bottles were coming out too expensive for 215 guests. I wanted to do something more than just wine stoppers & loved the combination set. It comes with a cork screw & a wine stopper. The outline looks like a bride & groom silhouette…so cute! I ordered from www.receptionperfection.com
The saleslady Kelly was great. They arrived in boxes, all accounted for, and on-time. The reason for the B+ is that they were a PAIN IN THE A S S to assemble. The favor tags were so small and the hole was tiny…such a pain to put the string in. It also didn’t come with ribbon, so I called and they sent it to me free of charge. We had to tie the ribbon around the box & then tie the SMALL favor tag with the string around the bow. It took over 3 hours.

Cake boxes with labels A+
I wanted my guests to take home all the extra desserts from my Viennese hour as an extra favor. My step-dad got cake boxes from the Restaurant Depot. Then PrincessAurora’s FH designed labels for our cake boxes. He made a monogram with a cute saying. It came out great!

BP GIFTS:
I paid for all 9 of my BM hair that Jenn the hair genie did. I also bought personalized bags from “Exclusively Weddings” to put all the gifts in. I bought a frame in which I framed Jenn’s business card as a reminder of their gift (I had to tell them about the hair in advance). My only request was that they all had up-do’s.
Estelle’s Dressy Dresses (BM Jewelry)
I got them all a set of matching necklaces & earrings. I wanted a light pink and was able to order 9 sets of them. GORGEOUS!
Old Navy
I bought the 2 for $5 light pink flip-flops. I was able to get all of their sizes because I bought them in March. I put this in their personalized bags in case they wanted to change during the reception. It matched their BM dresses perfect!







My step-father’s side business is one in which Carlson Craft is a vendor. His partner’s wife runs it since she is the expert. The good news – I got everything at cost.
I ordered my invitations, save the dates, groom’s man gifts (money clips & shot glasses), RB mugs, wedding programs, unity candle, cake server set, garter, napkins, matches, etc. Everything was engraved correctly and came in a timely fashion. Highly recommended.




GM Gifts: Personalized money clips & shot glasses
Best Man: Personalized money clip & personalized best man mug.

FG: Wedding Barbie dolls, a flower girl book (Barnes & Noble), princess wand (Party City), and a flower girl tote from Exclusively Weddings.

RB / Junior Usher: I ordered engraved mugs and filled it with candy. They also got gift certificates to Toys R Us.
Readers: I got them either bottles of wine or a bottle of grey goose.

Something Old, Borrowed, Blue, New:
PrincessAurora bought me HOT blue rhinestone thongs from Victoria’s Secret: BLUE
My mom lent me my grandmother’s wedding band to wear on my right hand: BORROWED
My mom gave me my grandmother’s compact to keep in my purse: OLD
My earrings & bracelet from Bridal Reflection: NEW

Bachelorette Party #1 – We rented a 2-bedroom suite from the Residence Inn in Islandia where 8 of us slept. All of my friends (about 14) met there to eat & drink. My mom made food & had it catered. The room had a full kitchen. It was great. The Dodge Magnum Stretch picked us up…hot car from Serenity Limos. We went to Hunkmania at the Copacabana. It was fun b/c I was on stage but this show only seems catered to those on stage not girls in the audience. After, we went to Crobar nightclub in NYC. One of my BM had tank tops made…so cute from www.customizedgirl.com
I had the best time A+




Bachelorette Party #2 – I went to Las Vegas with 5 of us. The main reason was that my sister (MOH) turned 21 but it was 3 weeks before my wedding so we called it a “Pre-Wedding Vacation”. We had a blast! We partied at Jet in Mirage, Ghostbar in the Palms, the Rehab Pool Party at the HardRock, and Ice nightclub off the strip. Jet Blue was awesome. DO NOT RECOMMEND STAYING AT THE PALMS…FM me for details.

About 1 week before our wedding, some of my BM, my DH, GM, all went to Neptunes Beach Club in the Hamptons and 5 of us wore our bridal tanks for fun. So my friends joke that I am on the only person they know they had 3 bachelorette parties (LOL)!

Rehearsal Dinner at the Bonwit Inn in Commack: A+
My DH family planned it. We had about 45 people (big bridal party) so we had the upstairs private room with the fireplace. They were wonderful and the atmosphere was great. Food was delicious and we had a private environment. They set up a huge easel for my sign-in board and helped me surprise DH with his groom cake.

Groom’s Cake from Audrey’s Bakery: A+
Okay, my groom’s cake request was completely UNUSUAL. When I met with the cake designer, he told me he had heard almost every request but mine. My DH is 1 of 4 boys and growing up, their father always took them upstate to quad, fish, and hunt. His family is very outdoors. Yes, they hunt on Long island. It is something that the brothers do as a family out east in the fall / winter. I know this might offend some of you but it is what it is. So I wanted a big Deer cake. A buck (a male deer with big antlers) as a joke. So he did it & made it with all carrot cake…DH FAVORITE! It looked real – 3D. Unbelievable – the face was so high, a cover didn’t fit over the box. FABULOUS!




Honeymoon Bag:
www.exclusivelyweddings.com
So cute & perfect for the plane ride, all the excursions, and traveling Hawaii.

Hawaii (Maui, Kauai, & Oahu)
I will do a separate HM review at a later time but just a quick wrap-up:
Maui – Grand Wailea Resort (6 days: A+)
Kauai – Grand Hyatt (6 days: A+)
Oahu – Outrigger on Waikiki Beach (3 days: B+)

We also went deep sea fishing, rode quads through a ranch / waterfall tour, rode bikes down the volcano, snorkeled with sea turtles, did the road to Hana, attended an authentic Luau on the beach in Lahaina in Maui (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: book early), Pearl Harbor, couple massages, went to the beach, DRANK, and relaxed! FM me for details. Hawaii is recommended 100% as an ideal HM spot.


I want to thank one of my sorority sister’s CHERYLBOOCH (2004 bride) who introduced me to this site. I love LIWeddings and talking to all of you girls. Without this site, I would not have known about my MAGNIFICIENT vendors. I was very lucky – all my vendors were superb & I had no major problems. My day was magical and exactly what we wanted and dreamed about. Without this website, I would have not done all those little extras (votive place card holders, menus, groom’s man cake, mints, photocube, etc). THANK YOU and I hope you all have the perfect wedding day that we had.






KELLYBRIDES WEDDING ALBUM

HAWAII ALBUM

Re: KELLYBRIDE's 07/14/06 Review: Venetian Yacht Club, High Voltage, Patken, LA Productions, All Star, LA Blossom, Hair Genie, Okasana, Bridal Reflections, and much more...

Great review and all I can say is WOW! COngratulations! You looked gorgeous and I loved the CPs and the BM dresses.

Re: KELLYBRIDE's 07/14/06 Review: Venetian Yacht Club, High Voltage, Patken, LA Productions, All Star, LA Blossom, Hair Genie, Okasana, Bridal Reflections, and much more...

Once I get my professional proofs I will post more pics!

Re: KELLYBRIDE's 07/14/06 Review: Venetian Yacht Club, High Voltage, Patken, LA Productions, All Star, LA Blossom, Hair Genie, Okasana, Bridal Reflections, and much more...

Honey...if these are the non prof...I can't wait to see the prof!!

You look AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!

congrats!!!

Re: KELLYBRIDE's 07/14/06 Review: Venetian Yacht Club, High Voltage, Patken, LA Productions, All Star, LA Blossom, Hair Genie, Okasana, Bridal Reflections, and much more...

you looked beautiful!! Congrats!! Love the flowers also...

Re: KELLYBRIDE's 07/14/06 Review: Venetian Yacht Club, High Voltage, Patken, LA Productions, All Star, LA Blossom, Hair Genie, Okasana, Bridal Reflections, and much more...

Great review!!!! I am so sorry about the church incident but I had something similar!!! You looked gorgeous! The flowers really capture everything

Re: KELLYBRIDE's 07/14/06 Review: Venetian Yacht Club, High Voltage, Patken, LA Productions, All Star, LA Blossom, Hair Genie, Okasana, Bridal Reflections, and much more...

You looked stunning, and I enjoyed your pictures as well. Your flower girls were precious, and all of your girls looked awsome. Congrats on such a beautiful day!

Re: KELLYBRIDE's 07/14/06 Review: Venetian Yacht Club, High Voltage, Patken, LA Productions, All Star, LA Blossom, Hair Genie, Okasana, Bridal Reflections, and much more...

AMAZING!!!! So glad to hear about VYC and LA Blossom! Congrats!!!

Re: KELLYBRIDE's 07/14/06 Review: Venetian Yacht Club, High Voltage, Patken, LA Productions, All Star, LA Blossom, Hair Genie, Okasana, Bridal Reflections, and much more...

congratulations! Your review was great and so were the pictures! You looked beautiful.

Re: KELLYBRIDE's 07/14/06 Review: Venetian Yacht Club, High Voltage, Patken, LA Productions, All Star, LA Blossom, Hair Genie, Okasana, Bridal Reflections, and much more...

Congrats! Great Review - everythig looked gorgeous!

Re: KELLYBRIDE's 07/14/06 Review: Venetian Yacht Club, High Voltage, Patken, LA Productions, All Star, LA Blossom, Hair Genie, Okasana, Bridal Reflections, and much more...

Great review!!!!!!!!!!!! Congrats on getting married!!!!!! Your pictures are beautiful!!!!!!!!!!

Re: KELLYBRIDE's 07/14/06 Review: Venetian Yacht Club, High Voltage, Patken, LA Productions, All Star, LA Blossom, Hair Genie, Okasana, Bridal Reflections, and much more...

Amazing review!! This makes me so excited for my wedding. You have the same hall, florist and bridesmaid dresses! Everything looked beautiful.

Re: KELLYBRIDE's 07/14/06 Review: Venetian Yacht Club, High Voltage, Patken, LA Productions, All Star, LA Blossom, Hair Genie, Okasana, Bridal Reflections, and much more...

Congratulations what a great review. Everything looks beautiful from you, to your flowers, your bridal party, etc.....

Re: KELLYBRIDE's 07/14/06 Review: Venetian Yacht Club, High Voltage, Patken, LA Productions, All Star, LA Blossom, Hair Genie, Okasana, Bridal Reflections, and much more...

Kelly what a detailed review! Its great!

Re: KELLYBRIDE's 07/14/06 Review: Venetian Yacht Club, High Voltage, Patken, LA Productions, All Star, LA Blossom, Hair Genie, Okasana, Bridal Reflections, and much more...

Great review! Thanks for posting. I love the pictures. Your CPs were awesome. Glad to hear good things about All Star, I am using them too.

Re: KELLYBRIDE's 07/14/06 Review: Venetian Yacht Club, High Voltage, Patken, LA Productions, All Star, LA Blossom, Hair Genie, Okasana, Bridal Reflections, and much more...

AMAZING! WHAT AN AWESOME REVIEW!
You looked sooo BEAUTIFUL! Thank you for sharing!
Congratulations!

Re: KELLYBRIDE's 07/14/06 Review: Venetian Yacht Club, High Voltage, Patken, LA Productions, All Star, LA Blossom, Hair Genie, Okasana, Bridal Reflections, and much more...

What a great detaled review! Congrats!

Re: KELLYBRIDE's 07/14/06 Review: Venetian Yacht Club, High Voltage, Patken, LA Productions, All Star, LA Blossom, Hair Genie, Okasana, Bridal Reflections, and much more...

everything looked sooooooo beautiful! Congrats!!!! Can't wait to see the professional pics!

Re: KELLYBRIDE's 07/14/06 Review: Venetian Yacht Club, High Voltage, Patken, LA Productions, All Star, LA Blossom, Hair Genie, Okasana, Bridal Reflections, and much more...

Congratulations again kel!! It was a perfect wedding!!! I had a blast!!!