My hubby and I were married on November 10th and I wanted to share what things went well and what things to avoid. I hope this post helps some of you. I know I depended on these boards a lot during my planning.
Married November 10, 2012
Guest List: 250 (actual that showed was close to 200)
Budget: 20k
Venue: Olde Dobbin Station, Montgomery, TX
Grade: A+++
The ladies at Olde Dobbin are SO genuinely nice and helpful. I was a nuisance I'm sure, emailing them all the time, and they (Carrie and Corbin) were so great at responding very quickly. We got so many complaints first, at how far out of the way the place was, but when everyone got there, they LOVED it. I didn't have to do much with decorations b/c the beauty of the wood and lighting did so much for the place. I am 100% happy with what I received. I got to bring in outside vendors for everything except alcohol.
Dress: Alfred Angelo Willowbrook
Grade: A
I tried David’s Bridal and one other place, but being a plus sized girl, my options were very limited. I don’t feel like the David’s Bridal consultants did a good job of helping me find a dress, where as the Alfred Angelo ladies really cared about how I looked and took their time. I did not have one bad experience going there for finding my dress and my bridesmaid dresses, and having alterations done. Very happy.
Caterer: friend
Photographer: friend
Cake Decorator: friend of a friend
I’m not grading these—this is more of a tip. The problem with working with friends/family is that, in my experience, you will be disappointed. The people that you thought would never screw you over or would keep your vision in mind will most likely disappoint. I had to pay the caterer a lot of additional money. I did not get what I wanted photography-wise. The cake was atrocious (but tasted good). Just be careful. With vendors you have contracts and experience and that’s what you pay more for.
Tablecloths/Ceremony décor: Artistique Events, Montgomery, TX
Grade: F
*Deep Breath* I found Artistique Events on Craigslist and contacted her after seeing some of the decent priced linens. I paid approximately $10/silk tablecloth, which was about $15 cheaper than most places I checked. During the consultation, the woman was super nice and helpful, and I felt I could really relate. The colors were supposed to be lilac and lavender, but at the delivery, we received eggplant and lavender. She was also 3 hours late in delivering the tablecloths from the back of her car, none the less. She stated that this never happens, and she had just run into trouble b/c some of her employees did not show up for work. I was stressed to the max, as it was just a couple hours from the rehearsal dinner and everyone was trying to help get the tables set up, so I accepted her apology and moved on. The ceremony décor was beautiful, except it didn’t fit the space. So we scrapped that and she said she would bring some other stuff free of charge. She did not tell me until later that night that I would have to take everything she dropped off, pack it in our truck (while our reception was going on), and drop it off at her house the next day! On the wedding day, the maid of honor went early to set up the décor she left, and found it to be ugly, so we didn’t even use it. It was just a lot of hassle for someone whom I had a lot of faith in to make my wedding beautiful. I emailed her after to say I was disappointed in her services, and she emailed me back saying if she were the bride, she'd be upset too. It was really a disaster of service. I appreciate her apology, but I still give her company an F.
A lot of my stuff was diy, but a lot of it was Etsy as well. The little touches I think really made my wedding unique--brooch bouquet, coasters, gold mason jars, memory tree, guest book/photo album, etc.
AND--Bed Bath and Beyond for registries. Forreal. The gifts come wrapped and beautiful and always with the name of the person who sent it. I received so many gifts from JC Penny that didn't come with the name of the person who sent it. And actually, I haven't even received all my gifts from them yet! Several guests have said they purchased stuff and when I called JC Penny, they said they had no record. Somehow I feel swindled.
Last piece of advice: Don’t forget what this day is about. It doesn’t matter if your cake looks just like that one you saw on Pinterest, or if it looks like crap (don’t worry—your bridesmaids will fix it at the last minute), everything will turn out fine. The day will go by too fast. Hopefully by the end of the day, you’ll be married to the one you love. Amen, and thank you! Best wishes, knotties. I’m movin on to The Nest! 