I didn't grade my vendors because 1) I'm not a teacher and 2) my wedding day was one of the most amazing days of my life and I can't put a grade on any part of it at all. I was beyond pleased with how everything turned out. Granted, a lot of work went into it on my end before hand, but everyone was truly incredible on our special day. If you have any other questions about these vendors, you can E-mail me [email protected] or page me on the NNJ board **jaimelody**
Our Fabulous Vendors
Disclaimer: Since I haven't gotten my pictures back from my photographer yet, the ones shown on this page are mostly from a friend of mines fiance who is also a photographer. If you're interested in seeing more of his work please visit http://www.mramosphotography.com/
Ceremony Site: St. Vincent de Paul Church
http://www.stvincentchurch.net/
I really don't want to consider a church a vendor, but I feel the need to include a little review so I'm going to. While I know it's typical to give a donation to the church, when the donation amount is dictated, it becomes more like a fee in my opinion. It's no longer about what I feel is an appropriate donation, but rather how much we owe the church for their services. Which is fine, it just bothers me that it's considered a "donation." After calling around to different churches, we decided on my moms church because she raved about the priest there. Initially, I was told one price and somehow 3 weeks before the wedding, that price had doubled. The charge for a cantor and organist was equal to the church fee. As a former musician, I felt the musician fees were very expensive and overpriced. Through the entire process I never once spoke with the organist/music director in person. I left several messages for him without any return calls. Since I'm from out of town, I was pretty much out of luck contacting him any other way than phone calls. Finally, my mother cornered him after mass one day and requested he allow us to bring in our own musicians for the ceremony without a "bench fee." We did hire our own cantor and organist and everything went smoothly from there. Overall, I was pleased with the church, the personalization of the ceremony, and our officiant. However, the way the music was coordinated left a sour taste in my mouth and I was thankful to find someone last minute. Our ceremony was beautiful but it was a lot of hard work to pull it together at the end.
Reception Location: The Graycliff
http://www.thegraycliff.com
Above and beyond wonderful! We only accidentally happened to stop at the Graycliff while we were looking for venues and fell in love. Initially we didn't want to stop there because the price they quoted was out of our budget. However, another venue cancelled on us and we had extra time so we stopped there. We were so impressed by the amount of food and services that are included in that price; it was hard to find anything that could compete. After booking, we worked with almost everyone on the staff since we're from OOT and had to do most of the planning by phone. Kathy did most of the coordinating pre-wedding and Mary was our Maitre'D. Both ladies were absolutely amazing. Mary kept everything in line and was always making sure we were having a great time. We asked for 2-3 items in the bridal suite for just DH and I to have 15-20 minutes of alone time before we joined the cocktail hour and they put about 6 trays up there with many different things from the cocktail hour. We were pleased. When the chocolate fountain came out, the chocolate lover in me made a bee-line for it and of course got chocolate on my dress. Mary was right there... like she knew I was going to do that! Perfect timing. Honestly, I'm not the bride to get upset over a little chocolate but it really helped to have her right there. Kathy helped with most of the stuff leading up to the day. When we almost didn't make our minimum, they were very flexible with us with options. She helped me with seating and arranging guests so the room looked perfect. We never had a problem at all, and everyone was such a pleasure to work with. At the reception, we ordered one each of the entrees (chicken, fish, steak) and were actually able to eat because of the service the Graycliff gave.
Cake: Palermo Bakery
http://palermobakery.com/
Our cake was included with our per person price at the Graycliff. I have no positive or negative reviews for them. The tasting took all of 10 minutes and was easy to schedule. We took about 10 samples with us and my brother devoured it all. They showed us a lot of different pictures of cakes and my sister picked out the one she liked, so I guess I wasn't really involved. We had three different cakes in each layer and the one we had at the reception was a little dry.
DJ/Entertainment: Ultimate Entertainment DJs (Alex)
http://www.ultimateentdjs.com
We loved ALEX! I tried not to be the annoying bride, but towards the end, I was calling him 2 and 3 times a week with little questions. He was very patient and got back to me quickly with answers. I designed a monogram and he displayed them on the two screens in the reception to help personalize our event. He helped me to put together a "fun dance" for my brother and I to do, and he worked very closely with the Graycliff to make sure everything ran smoothly on the day of. If you're booked at the Graycliff, it's kind of silly in my opinion to book anyone else because Alex know the staff and the venue so well. Our reception was seemless. There was always something going on and Alex kept everyone moving. Even in the middle of the night, I vaguely remember him asking me if I needed anything and if I was enjoying myself which I thought was awesome and very considerate.
Gown, Bridesmaid Dresses & Tuxes: Hollywood Bridal & Hollywood Tuxedo
http://www.hollywoodbridal.net and http://www.hollywoodtuxedo.net
I went to Hollywood because my cousin had purchased her gown and BM dresses there and I remembered being pleased with their service. My mom and I made three separate trips to look at dresses at various shops and stopped at HB each time. Anna and Angela were patient and pleasant with me each time I didn't find "the one." Because we were from out of state, HB was very convenient for us. I got my gown, BM dresses, shoes, veil, and tuxes all at HB. Alterations were included for my girls and I thought the prices were reasonable considering they gave my girls a discount for booking the tuxes with Hollywood Tuxedo. DH's tux was free and there were no problems with getting all of the guys measurements even though 2 were from out of town. Hollywood Bridal used to be in Union, NJ but moved to Kennilworth in the middle of my purchase/dress search. They called me to make sure I remembered they were moving and to give me the new address. Angela kept on top of my girls with ordering their dresses and made sure everything was exactly how I wanted it. I really felt like they treated me like family - which isn't surprising since I think most of the ladies there are family.
Photography: Imagine Weddings by Kathleen Hertel
http://www.kathleenhertelweddings.com
I can't wait to see Kathy's photos! Kathy was the first vendor I booked. She's based out of Maryland, but travels all over. Our first engagement pictures were done in NYC in December 2008 - a month after we were engaged. She came down to Georgia in October 2009 and took another set of engagement photos for us so that we could have updated ones on the save the dates. She was very quick both times to get the CD with the prints back to us and I love all of the pictures. On the day of our wedding, she was everywhere. Everytime I turned around thinking oh, I need my camera, Kathy or her assistant was there taking pictures. Even our guests at the wedding remarked that she had been buzzing around all day capturing everything. We were very relaxed with Kathy. The day after the wedding, DH and I went into Coney Island and did a TTD shoot with Kathy. I was thrilled to wear the dress again and the dress really didn't get much dirtier than it was from the wedding and we got some awesome pictures I couldn't have gotten on the wedding day. We were rolling around in the sand and on top of the rocks in the ocean! Kathy was so much fun and so relaxed, she really put us at ease for the engagement, wedding, and TTD shoots. And my DH who was not a fan of having his picture taken, is a total pro now!
I haven't gotten our wedding pictures back yet, hence why most of the pictures on this page are from friends! But when I do get them back I'll add another page to showcase her photos!
Florist: S&K Floral Expressions (Stephanie)
http://www.floralexpressions-sk.com/Index.html
Beautiful flowers and friendly service! We were very fortunate to find Stephanie. I had a terrible time finding a florist that would work with me from Georgia. I spoke with Stephanie through E-mail a few times and then set up a meeting for my mom and sister to meet with her. We booked shortly after. She did a trial for me around Christmas time because of our hectic schedule and I loved all of her ideas. At that point I wasn't necessarily thrilled about flowers and she pretty much just went with whatever I said. She could tell I wasn't completely thrilled and tweaked a couple of things until we found something I loved. The week before the wedding we went over everything once more and she was very flexible considering I'd changed my mind about a few things since we last spoke. My only complaint is that the hydrangeas in the bouquets didn't stay very well, but I'm assuming that's because of the flower. The rest of the flowers were beautiful the whole day through. Her prices were very reasonable and she was just as excited about my wedding and flowers as I was. On the morning of the wedding, she dropped the flowers off at my house but I was getting my hair and make-up done. She came around to the salon just to show me my bouquet before she left. It was beautiful, and I thought it was sweet of her to want to see me on the day of the wedding.
Favors: Kristen of Cake's n All [email protected]
We decided to do chocolate covered pretzel favors pretty last minute. I contacted Kristen and she put together the perfect color combination for our wedding. She was very easy to work with and we set up everything through E-mail. She even left us a few favors in the bridal suite which was awesome considering that my guests went home with any extras on the tables. They were a hit! In my experience, favors are left on the table or forgotten, but I have a feeling a lot were eaten before our guests left the building! They were delicious and we enjoyed ours on our honeymoon.
Make-up: Gina Brozon
http://www.ginabrozon.com/
Amazing! Gina made me feel SO beautiful on my wedding day. I don't normally wear make-up and I couldn't believe my face after Gina's trial. I was lucky to have the trial the day of the shower so I really enjoyed it the whole day. On the day of the wedding, she arrived at my house early and got right to work. We actually set up in the salon around the corner from my house and even though hair stylist wasn't the friendliest person, Gina was not phased at all. She was all smiles and excitement just like the rest of us that day. She did a wonderful job, my make-up was flawless for the entire day and I'm not sure if I was supposed to but I kept the lashes on for 3 days after that!
Hair: Lillianna - Bellissima Salon
http://www.bellissimasalonandskincare.com
I originally wanted my regular stylist to do my hair for the day of the wedding but after asking for prices, I didn't think her prices were very reasonable for my girls. Bellissima is actually a fairly new salon in my hometown and the owner Lilliana actually did my hair for the day of the wedding as well as 2 of my girls. I thought she did a great job on the day of the wedding - I asked for a style that was big on top and in the back with curls. She said my hair was too thin for it but I think it came out great. To be completely honest, she wasn't the most pleasant person to work with because she didn't want my photographer to take pictures of my hair being done and was short with my make-up artist who set up in her shop. I felt like I had to apologize to them for her attitude. But my hair did come out great and stayed the whole night.
Grooms Cake: The Cake Diaries Vanessa at [email protected]
Another great knottie recommendation! I don't remember who actually suggested I contact her. We spoke briefly on E-mail and by phone to pin point exactly what I wanted and what would be in my budget. It was a complete surprise for DH. He felt like all of the planning was about me and I wanted to do something special for him. This was it! He loved it. The cake was chocolate with a peanut butter fudge filling - absolutely fantastic! A million times better than our actual wedding cake. The figures on the top were edible as well (everything except the veil) - they were rice krispie treats covered and shaped in fondant. I know you can't see but my dress was sparkly. The detail on this cake was amazing. But we had no problem diving into it because it was delicious as well. Definitely money well spent!
Accommodations: Holiday Inn Hasbrouck Heights
http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/hi/1/en/hotel/hasnj
Unfortunately, this was my least favorite vendor. We had problems right from the beginning. Another friend of mine that used this hotel, told me not to book with them, and I wish I'd listened. We went to visit the hotel and weren't pleased with the presentation we were given. We looked at a couple other places on-line and just decided that Holiday Inn had the most for our guests regardless of the sales person, so we booked. At one month out, only two rooms had booked. I called to see if we could have it extended since I knew more people would book and there was zero flexibility in having my block extended. I had to call the people I thought would need a room and remind them to book. A little annoying, in my opinion. When push came to shove, we booked 11 out of the 12 rooms needed to get the room free and there was no flexibility there either. Even though DH had stayed in the room for 4 nights total and we had 5 additional rooms booked for a second night, there was no way they could discount the room at all. I was told I could book a private room for breakfast. Two weeks before I called to arrange it and was told there was a 25 person minimum for the private room. Since I couldn't guarantee that, we didn't book a breakfast and there was confusion the morning after since I had mentioned to my guests there would be. We wound up pushing the tables together at the buffet and DH and I paid for everyone to have that. We stayed in the same room for 4 days, but our wedding night was $40 more than the other nights. I have no idea why. It was a Sunday night. On the night of the reception, only one shuttle run was made to our venue. The shuttle took 2 guests over promptly at 5. My mom arrived at the hotel with a few more of our guests at 5:10 and asked about the shuttle. They told her that the service was finished. She was upset and explained she was the MOB. After her complaining, she got another shuttle for herself and 6 of our guests to be brought to the Graycliff. At the end of the night, I had to count heads to make sure everyone had a ride back to the hotel. When I asked the shuttle driver if they would make another trip, he said "yes, we'll make as many as needed." If that was true, why did my mom have a problem? The group reservation staff over all was bland. After we booked, the original sales lady we met with called me and basically scolded me for not calling her and booking. I complained to a manager earlier on and they did nothing. Because I had already given my guests the hotel info, we couldn't change it. The room itself was nice, the waiters at breakfast were nice and the bar stayed open until Midnight which was a plus.
Photobooth: Go Festive! formerly FestiveFotobooths
http://gofestive.com/
Best idea ever! Directly quoted from our guest book :) Yes, I know a lot of the Knotties will tell you your wedding is not a carnival or a boardwalk, but shouldn't you have fun at your reception?! Well, the photobooth was nothing but fun. We had a great time. No issues with printing or using our monogram on the photostrips. The girl monitoring the booth was friendly and courteous. She arrived on time and set up everything before the guests got in there. We gave her our own scrapbook and markers and frames for the guests. If you do get one, I would book an extra hour. Get to the booth during your cocktail hour and have your BP use the booth because there was little to no time for DH and I to get back there. I think we got in there 3 times and I wanted a lot more. My guests were begging for the pictures to be online the day after the wedding and I thought it would probably take a while for the company to update them, but they were there 2 days after the wedding and we got a disk with all of the pictures a week after the wedding. It was a lot of fun and I think they were great favors for our guests.
Transportation: Santos Limousine
http://www.santoslimousine.com/
On time, awesome driver, and a decent price. What more can you ask for? I was very happy with Santos. We got the 16 passanger Hummer Stretch. Honestly, I took this recommendation directly from The Knot and ran with it. Didn't look anywhere else and never saw the limo in person; just went with what the knotties said. Our driver was awesome. We kept very close to the schedule I had outlined for pictures, etc. He even did a little beverage run for the groomsmen while I was torturing them with pictures. He stayed with my mom and I while we waited for the entrance music and was very professional.
Favorite Etsy Sellers:
GarderLady
Got a custom garter made to match our colors. Originally I wanted a Colts one for DH, but he said he wasn't "that into football" to get it. Anyway, purchase went smoothly. I received the garter in about 3 weeks time after ordering. Great condition and quality.
DebraRoelle
Debras shop had just opened when I ordered from her. She had some Christmas handpainted glasses for sale and I asked her to do some for my bridesmaids. She was thrilled and excited. We decided to do ice cream bowls for my flower girl and junior brides maid. She finished in about 3-4 weeks and the final product was beautiful! I wish I would have gotten one for myself.
pookafan
She made several items for me. Bracelets and varying earrings for all my girls including my mother. Also got a necklace made that I ended up not using simply because I borrowed a necklace from a cousin instead because I needed something borrowed. Quick response for each order placed and she even rushed some pieces to me at the end when I decided last minute to get the earrings for my flower girl and junior bridesmaid.
Mini-moon: Lincolnville/Camden, Maine
http://www.innatoceansedge.com/web/
DH's father and step mother graciously offered to send us on a 5 day mini-moon in Maine after the wedding to relax and enjoy our first few days as husband and wife. To be 100% honest, I wasn't completely thrilled about going to Maine, but we had the most fabulous time there! The scenery was absolutely breathtaking. Apparently the "season" starts with the last week of May and so we were there a week early. The bed and breakfast we stayed at had just opened and there were only 2-3 other couples staying there besides us. It was perfect. We had breakfast every morning outside with the view of Penobscot Bay in front of us. Everything was in full bloom with lilacs and other flowers every turn you made. We lucked out and had 75 weather the whole week although it's usually high 60s this time of year. Everyday breakfast was something better than the last: we had blueberry pancakes and french toast with Maine blueberry syrup, omlettes and muffins, croissants. Our room (which I think was standard) had a HUGE bathroom and fireplace in the room as well as a jacuzzi tub. We slept with the windows open every night and fell asleep to the quietness of the trees and birds. The pool was open and even though it was a little cool outside, it was perfect because it was heated. We had the jacuzzi outside to ourselves at night and made a fire in the fireplace outside to snuggle next to. We got massages on property at the spa. It was exactly what the doctor ordered after the wedding! We had a wonderful and relaxing time.
Ceremony Site: St. Vincent de Paul Church
http://www.stvincentchurch.net/
I really don't want to consider a church a vendor, but I feel the need to include a little review so I'm going to. While I know it's typical to give a donation to the church, when the donation amount is dictated, it becomes more like a fee in my opinion. It's no longer about what I feel is an appropriate donation, but rather how much we owe the church for their services. Which is fine, it just bothers me that it's considered a "donation." After calling around to different churches, we decided on my moms church because she raved about the priest there. Initially, I was told one price and somehow 3 weeks before the wedding, that price had doubled. The charge for a cantor and organist was equal to the church fee. As a former musician, I felt the musician fees were very expensive and overpriced. Through the entire process I never once spoke with the organist/music director in person. I left several messages for him without any return calls. Since I'm from out of town, I was pretty much out of luck contacting him any other way than phone calls. Finally, my mother cornered him after mass one day and requested he allow us to bring in our own musicians for the ceremony without a "bench fee." We did hire our own cantor and organist and everything went smoothly from there. Overall, I was pleased with the church, the personalization of the ceremony, and our officiant. However, the way the music was coordinated left a sour taste in my mouth and I was thankful to find someone last minute. Our ceremony was beautiful but it was a lot of hard work to pull it together at the end.
Reception Location: The Graycliff
http://www.thegraycliff.com
Above and beyond wonderful! We only accidentally happened to stop at the Graycliff while we were looking for venues and fell in love. Initially we didn't want to stop there because the price they quoted was out of our budget. However, another venue cancelled on us and we had extra time so we stopped there. We were so impressed by the amount of food and services that are included in that price; it was hard to find anything that could compete. After booking, we worked with almost everyone on the staff since we're from OOT and had to do most of the planning by phone. Kathy did most of the coordinating pre-wedding and Mary was our Maitre'D. Both ladies were absolutely amazing. Mary kept everything in line and was always making sure we were having a great time. We asked for 2-3 items in the bridal suite for just DH and I to have 15-20 minutes of alone time before we joined the cocktail hour and they put about 6 trays up there with many different things from the cocktail hour. We were pleased. When the chocolate fountain came out, the chocolate lover in me made a bee-line for it and of course got chocolate on my dress. Mary was right there... like she knew I was going to do that! Perfect timing. Honestly, I'm not the bride to get upset over a little chocolate but it really helped to have her right there. Kathy helped with most of the stuff leading up to the day. When we almost didn't make our minimum, they were very flexible with us with options. She helped me with seating and arranging guests so the room looked perfect. We never had a problem at all, and everyone was such a pleasure to work with. At the reception, we ordered one each of the entrees (chicken, fish, steak) and were actually able to eat because of the service the Graycliff gave.
Cake: Palermo Bakery
http://palermobakery.com/
Our cake was included with our per person price at the Graycliff. I have no positive or negative reviews for them. The tasting took all of 10 minutes and was easy to schedule. We took about 10 samples with us and my brother devoured it all. They showed us a lot of different pictures of cakes and my sister picked out the one she liked, so I guess I wasn't really involved. We had three different cakes in each layer and the one we had at the reception was a little dry.
DJ/Entertainment: Ultimate Entertainment DJs (Alex)
http://www.ultimateentdjs.com
We loved ALEX! I tried not to be the annoying bride, but towards the end, I was calling him 2 and 3 times a week with little questions. He was very patient and got back to me quickly with answers. I designed a monogram and he displayed them on the two screens in the reception to help personalize our event. He helped me to put together a "fun dance" for my brother and I to do, and he worked very closely with the Graycliff to make sure everything ran smoothly on the day of. If you're booked at the Graycliff, it's kind of silly in my opinion to book anyone else because Alex know the staff and the venue so well. Our reception was seemless. There was always something going on and Alex kept everyone moving. Even in the middle of the night, I vaguely remember him asking me if I needed anything and if I was enjoying myself which I thought was awesome and very considerate.
Gown, Bridesmaid Dresses & Tuxes: Hollywood Bridal & Hollywood Tuxedo
http://www.hollywoodbridal.net and http://www.hollywoodtuxedo.net
I went to Hollywood because my cousin had purchased her gown and BM dresses there and I remembered being pleased with their service. My mom and I made three separate trips to look at dresses at various shops and stopped at HB each time. Anna and Angela were patient and pleasant with me each time I didn't find "the one." Because we were from out of state, HB was very convenient for us. I got my gown, BM dresses, shoes, veil, and tuxes all at HB. Alterations were included for my girls and I thought the prices were reasonable considering they gave my girls a discount for booking the tuxes with Hollywood Tuxedo. DH's tux was free and there were no problems with getting all of the guys measurements even though 2 were from out of town. Hollywood Bridal used to be in Union, NJ but moved to Kennilworth in the middle of my purchase/dress search. They called me to make sure I remembered they were moving and to give me the new address. Angela kept on top of my girls with ordering their dresses and made sure everything was exactly how I wanted it. I really felt like they treated me like family - which isn't surprising since I think most of the ladies there are family.
Photography: Imagine Weddings by Kathleen Hertel
http://www.kathleenhertelweddings.com
I can't wait to see Kathy's photos! Kathy was the first vendor I booked. She's based out of Maryland, but travels all over. Our first engagement pictures were done in NYC in December 2008 - a month after we were engaged. She came down to Georgia in October 2009 and took another set of engagement photos for us so that we could have updated ones on the save the dates. She was very quick both times to get the CD with the prints back to us and I love all of the pictures. On the day of our wedding, she was everywhere. Everytime I turned around thinking oh, I need my camera, Kathy or her assistant was there taking pictures. Even our guests at the wedding remarked that she had been buzzing around all day capturing everything. We were very relaxed with Kathy. The day after the wedding, DH and I went into Coney Island and did a TTD shoot with Kathy. I was thrilled to wear the dress again and the dress really didn't get much dirtier than it was from the wedding and we got some awesome pictures I couldn't have gotten on the wedding day. We were rolling around in the sand and on top of the rocks in the ocean! Kathy was so much fun and so relaxed, she really put us at ease for the engagement, wedding, and TTD shoots. And my DH who was not a fan of having his picture taken, is a total pro now!
I haven't gotten our wedding pictures back yet, hence why most of the pictures on this page are from friends! But when I do get them back I'll add another page to showcase her photos!
Florist: S&K Floral Expressions (Stephanie)
http://www.floralexpressions-sk.com/Index.html
Beautiful flowers and friendly service! We were very fortunate to find Stephanie. I had a terrible time finding a florist that would work with me from Georgia. I spoke with Stephanie through E-mail a few times and then set up a meeting for my mom and sister to meet with her. We booked shortly after. She did a trial for me around Christmas time because of our hectic schedule and I loved all of her ideas. At that point I wasn't necessarily thrilled about flowers and she pretty much just went with whatever I said. She could tell I wasn't completely thrilled and tweaked a couple of things until we found something I loved. The week before the wedding we went over everything once more and she was very flexible considering I'd changed my mind about a few things since we last spoke. My only complaint is that the hydrangeas in the bouquets didn't stay very well, but I'm assuming that's because of the flower. The rest of the flowers were beautiful the whole day through. Her prices were very reasonable and she was just as excited about my wedding and flowers as I was. On the morning of the wedding, she dropped the flowers off at my house but I was getting my hair and make-up done. She came around to the salon just to show me my bouquet before she left. It was beautiful, and I thought it was sweet of her to want to see me on the day of the wedding.
Favors: Kristen of Cake's n All [email protected]
We decided to do chocolate covered pretzel favors pretty last minute. I contacted Kristen and she put together the perfect color combination for our wedding. She was very easy to work with and we set up everything through E-mail. She even left us a few favors in the bridal suite which was awesome considering that my guests went home with any extras on the tables. They were a hit! In my experience, favors are left on the table or forgotten, but I have a feeling a lot were eaten before our guests left the building! They were delicious and we enjoyed ours on our honeymoon.
Make-up: Gina Brozon
http://www.ginabrozon.com/
Amazing! Gina made me feel SO beautiful on my wedding day. I don't normally wear make-up and I couldn't believe my face after Gina's trial. I was lucky to have the trial the day of the shower so I really enjoyed it the whole day. On the day of the wedding, she arrived at my house early and got right to work. We actually set up in the salon around the corner from my house and even though hair stylist wasn't the friendliest person, Gina was not phased at all. She was all smiles and excitement just like the rest of us that day. She did a wonderful job, my make-up was flawless for the entire day and I'm not sure if I was supposed to but I kept the lashes on for 3 days after that!
Hair: Lillianna - Bellissima Salon
http://www.bellissimasalonandskincare.com
I originally wanted my regular stylist to do my hair for the day of the wedding but after asking for prices, I didn't think her prices were very reasonable for my girls. Bellissima is actually a fairly new salon in my hometown and the owner Lilliana actually did my hair for the day of the wedding as well as 2 of my girls. I thought she did a great job on the day of the wedding - I asked for a style that was big on top and in the back with curls. She said my hair was too thin for it but I think it came out great. To be completely honest, she wasn't the most pleasant person to work with because she didn't want my photographer to take pictures of my hair being done and was short with my make-up artist who set up in her shop. I felt like I had to apologize to them for her attitude. But my hair did come out great and stayed the whole night.
Grooms Cake: The Cake Diaries Vanessa at [email protected]
Another great knottie recommendation! I don't remember who actually suggested I contact her. We spoke briefly on E-mail and by phone to pin point exactly what I wanted and what would be in my budget. It was a complete surprise for DH. He felt like all of the planning was about me and I wanted to do something special for him. This was it! He loved it. The cake was chocolate with a peanut butter fudge filling - absolutely fantastic! A million times better than our actual wedding cake. The figures on the top were edible as well (everything except the veil) - they were rice krispie treats covered and shaped in fondant. I know you can't see but my dress was sparkly. The detail on this cake was amazing. But we had no problem diving into it because it was delicious as well. Definitely money well spent!
Accommodations: Holiday Inn Hasbrouck Heights
http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/hi/1/en/hotel/hasnj
Unfortunately, this was my least favorite vendor. We had problems right from the beginning. Another friend of mine that used this hotel, told me not to book with them, and I wish I'd listened. We went to visit the hotel and weren't pleased with the presentation we were given. We looked at a couple other places on-line and just decided that Holiday Inn had the most for our guests regardless of the sales person, so we booked. At one month out, only two rooms had booked. I called to see if we could have it extended since I knew more people would book and there was zero flexibility in having my block extended. I had to call the people I thought would need a room and remind them to book. A little annoying, in my opinion. When push came to shove, we booked 11 out of the 12 rooms needed to get the room free and there was no flexibility there either. Even though DH had stayed in the room for 4 nights total and we had 5 additional rooms booked for a second night, there was no way they could discount the room at all. I was told I could book a private room for breakfast. Two weeks before I called to arrange it and was told there was a 25 person minimum for the private room. Since I couldn't guarantee that, we didn't book a breakfast and there was confusion the morning after since I had mentioned to my guests there would be. We wound up pushing the tables together at the buffet and DH and I paid for everyone to have that. We stayed in the same room for 4 days, but our wedding night was $40 more than the other nights. I have no idea why. It was a Sunday night. On the night of the reception, only one shuttle run was made to our venue. The shuttle took 2 guests over promptly at 5. My mom arrived at the hotel with a few more of our guests at 5:10 and asked about the shuttle. They told her that the service was finished. She was upset and explained she was the MOB. After her complaining, she got another shuttle for herself and 6 of our guests to be brought to the Graycliff. At the end of the night, I had to count heads to make sure everyone had a ride back to the hotel. When I asked the shuttle driver if they would make another trip, he said "yes, we'll make as many as needed." If that was true, why did my mom have a problem? The group reservation staff over all was bland. After we booked, the original sales lady we met with called me and basically scolded me for not calling her and booking. I complained to a manager earlier on and they did nothing. Because I had already given my guests the hotel info, we couldn't change it. The room itself was nice, the waiters at breakfast were nice and the bar stayed open until Midnight which was a plus.
Photobooth: Go Festive! formerly FestiveFotobooths
http://gofestive.com/
Best idea ever! Directly quoted from our guest book :) Yes, I know a lot of the Knotties will tell you your wedding is not a carnival or a boardwalk, but shouldn't you have fun at your reception?! Well, the photobooth was nothing but fun. We had a great time. No issues with printing or using our monogram on the photostrips. The girl monitoring the booth was friendly and courteous. She arrived on time and set up everything before the guests got in there. We gave her our own scrapbook and markers and frames for the guests. If you do get one, I would book an extra hour. Get to the booth during your cocktail hour and have your BP use the booth because there was little to no time for DH and I to get back there. I think we got in there 3 times and I wanted a lot more. My guests were begging for the pictures to be online the day after the wedding and I thought it would probably take a while for the company to update them, but they were there 2 days after the wedding and we got a disk with all of the pictures a week after the wedding. It was a lot of fun and I think they were great favors for our guests.
Transportation: Santos Limousine
http://www.santoslimousine.com/
On time, awesome driver, and a decent price. What more can you ask for? I was very happy with Santos. We got the 16 passanger Hummer Stretch. Honestly, I took this recommendation directly from The Knot and ran with it. Didn't look anywhere else and never saw the limo in person; just went with what the knotties said. Our driver was awesome. We kept very close to the schedule I had outlined for pictures, etc. He even did a little beverage run for the groomsmen while I was torturing them with pictures. He stayed with my mom and I while we waited for the entrance music and was very professional.
Favorite Etsy Sellers:
GarderLady
Got a custom garter made to match our colors. Originally I wanted a Colts one for DH, but he said he wasn't "that into football" to get it. Anyway, purchase went smoothly. I received the garter in about 3 weeks time after ordering. Great condition and quality.
DebraRoelle
Debras shop had just opened when I ordered from her. She had some Christmas handpainted glasses for sale and I asked her to do some for my bridesmaids. She was thrilled and excited. We decided to do ice cream bowls for my flower girl and junior brides maid. She finished in about 3-4 weeks and the final product was beautiful! I wish I would have gotten one for myself.
pookafan
She made several items for me. Bracelets and varying earrings for all my girls including my mother. Also got a necklace made that I ended up not using simply because I borrowed a necklace from a cousin instead because I needed something borrowed. Quick response for each order placed and she even rushed some pieces to me at the end when I decided last minute to get the earrings for my flower girl and junior bridesmaid.
Mini-moon: Lincolnville/Camden, Maine
http://www.innatoceansedge.com/web/
DH's father and step mother graciously offered to send us on a 5 day mini-moon in Maine after the wedding to relax and enjoy our first few days as husband and wife. To be 100% honest, I wasn't completely thrilled about going to Maine, but we had the most fabulous time there! The scenery was absolutely breathtaking. Apparently the "season" starts with the last week of May and so we were there a week early. The bed and breakfast we stayed at had just opened and there were only 2-3 other couples staying there besides us. It was perfect. We had breakfast every morning outside with the view of Penobscot Bay in front of us. Everything was in full bloom with lilacs and other flowers every turn you made. We lucked out and had 75 weather the whole week although it's usually high 60s this time of year. Everyday breakfast was something better than the last: we had blueberry pancakes and french toast with Maine blueberry syrup, omlettes and muffins, croissants. Our room (which I think was standard) had a HUGE bathroom and fireplace in the room as well as a jacuzzi tub. We slept with the windows open every night and fell asleep to the quietness of the trees and birds. The pool was open and even though it was a little cool outside, it was perfect because it was heated. We had the jacuzzi outside to ourselves at night and made a fire in the fireplace outside to snuggle next to. We got massages on property at the spa. It was exactly what the doctor ordered after the wedding! We had a wonderful and relaxing time.
my sister, MOH, giving her speech
our cake
Garter Toss - Alex our DJ
Photography by Kathleen Hertel
Photography by Kathleen Hertel (unedited)
Grooms Cake: The Cake Diaries
Photograhy by our fabulous limo driver Mike
