Can't believe it's almost been 1 month since we got married!! First, I want to thank all of you on this board, you were all very helpful (both answering my posts, seeing the answers to your questions, and seeing everyone's reviews). I'm hoping I can be as helpful.
Caesars: A-
Yes, it is a nice hotel. But in my opinion, not worth what they charge. We purchased the most expensive wedding package and it included a small suite, hair/makeup, spa passes, money towards floral, food, and one hr limo service. The room was a little disappointing; I expected something larger and a little more nicer for our bridal suite. I had guests that got larger and nicer rooms than us. And when we went down to the front desk to see if we could get upgraded (our friends got upgraded the night before when they checked in), we were told upgrades just depend on timing. So, don't expect that you'll be getting something nicer/better because you are spending lots of money. Also, walls are pretty thin; we heard our neighbors for the first couple nights we were there. Beds were pretty comfy and shower was large and great pressure.
With our package we got an hour limo service, which we used to get our license. We took a couple of our friends with us and on the way back we stopped and got some champagne and munchies for the wedding day limo ride (photo strip tour). Our driver was the best!! He was an older gentleman and was so sweet and nice, and had a great sense of humor. He was laughing right along with our friends and my hubby and I, and we were getting pretty crazy.
As far as the wedding services go... the coordinators were very nice, helpful, and responded quickly. One thing I would have liked to seen done better is directions to the ceremony venue. There are the casino signs, but it would have been nice to have another sign closer to the venue displaying our name/arrow pointing direction. Or for as many weddings that are held there, you'd think they would have a cute map that we could have given to our guests. The ones you get when you check in are not that good. I was also a little upset the day of my wedding, because the ceremony started quite late. There was construction going on near our location (Venus Gardens) and it took them a while to get them to stop the construction. Then, due to starting late, the pictures after (we got an hour with our package) were rushed. Other than that, the Garden was beautiful, my floral was gorgeous, and it was a short and sweet ceremony, just how we wanted it.
Michael Boychuck: My maids, MOH, and myself got our hair and makeup done here. Mine and my MOH were free (MOH had to pay extra for lashes), but maids total was over $200 for hair/makeup/lashes. Although they were pricey, they really did an AMAZING job! All the artists there were friendly and really good at what they do. The only thing I didn't like, was that we couldn't get ready in the the same room; they split us all up (I'm sure to save time), so I didn't get to hang out with my maids/MOH for that whole time.
Border Grille (Forum Shops): LOVE them!!!!!!!!!!!! The staff here were so wonderful, helpful, friendly, very accommodating.... I dealt with Christina mainly and she was a dream! She was so patient and understanding with me, and very helpful in helping me choose items, answering questions, and responding quickly. I went there the day before to bring my decor and they happened to have other stuff at the restaurant that I could also use (I had a hint of Day of the Dead theme and being that it was just recently Halloween, they had some DOD decor which they let me incorporate into my reception. It turned out awesome!!!!! Also the food was DELICIOUS!!!! I didn't get to have too much, even though they prepared a plate for us, but all my guest raved about it. I did various appetizers and a drink package. They were also one of the better priced in the Shops and I feel that I got a lot for my money with this one.
Showboy Bakery: These guys were GREAT!! They are the vendor Border Grille uses. They made exactly what I wanted/how I wanted, and were helpful in making decisions. I ordered a small cake (for those have to have cake), red velvet cupcake, pumpkin and chocolate whoopie pies (I'm from Maine and these are a big thing up there). The were scrumptious and they looked amazing too!!!! They were the mini versions and were the perfect size. Showy even let me used their displays and didn't charge me extra.
Orange Soda Photography: I am sooooooo glad that I chose these guys!! Chris was the main photographer and he brought along an assistant that was super cool. They both just made us all feel really comfortable and just had fun with us. I also liked how they were open to "playing" with some of the shots, for I like to get creative and not just do the typical wedding shots. He even stuck around until the end of the reception (when contractually he didn't have to) and then at the end, took us to a really cool spot on top of the roof and got some amazing shots. I really loved their work on their website, so I can't wait to see how ours turn out!! :-)
Earth Limo: They were right on time and the driver was really nice. We got the Hummer which seats up to 16ppl. I honestly probably wouldn't do this again (if I had to change anything). We had our whole bridal party, hubby and I, and my mom in the Hummer. It was not that comfortable, hard to get in/out of and the driver, although nice, was not the best driver (but it could have just been the vehicle). People were getting a little nauseous from his driving.
Enchanted Florist: They gave me a good price and they were nice to deal with. Response time for emails were - meh. Sometimes they were quick, sometimes not. But they turned out nice and that is all that matters. They also worked with me and allowed me to use my own things; I sent my own vases (because they charge for vases) and some decor to put on them.
All in all, the day was magnificent and it truly goes by WAY too fast! Enjoy every moment ladies!!!
XO