Hey knotties! Just got back from my honeymoon and thought I would post my wedding vendor reviews!!! The one thing I really wanted while planning my wedding was advice from former brides and vendor recommendations (with prices, not vague statements like "affordable").
Everything turned out wonderfully for us and this list is solely meant to help other brides!
Location of Wedding Ceremony: Edgefield Baptist Church, Nashville TN
I was undecided about location at the beginning of the process but eventually realized I wanted to be married in a church.
Pros: you don't have to be a member of the church to use the facilities.
The staff is quite helpful and Peggy the church secretary is a very nice lady.
Usually answered emails and questions quickly.
Church has beautiful stained glass windows, a nice organ, center aisle, etc.
Cons: Expensive! We paid $700 to use the church for the rehersal and the ceremony. If you want a sound technician, it costs extra (we didn't opt for it and didn't have any problems with the sound)
The neighborhood is a little bit dodgey (it is located near the stadium)
Invitations: Wedding Paper Divas (online retailer)
I got quite frustrated looking for invitations! There are a million choices and I didn't love any of them. Since my wedding had a bird theme, I wanted birds on my invites and they are few and far between.
Pros: Produced a design that I liked and matched my theme
Online support was very good (live chat)
Ordering and customizing was easy
Price was decent; we paid ~$200 for 100 invites + response cards
Cons: Color options on certain designs was limited
Reception/Catering: Holiday Inn Select at Elm Hill Pike
This was by far the hardest vendor to find. I must have looked a hundred venues online and quite a few in person. We decided on a hotel primarily for the convenience of our out of town guests (of which we had a lot!).
Pros: Convenient location adjacent to most of Nashville
Provided a "complimentary" room for my husband and I the night of the wedding (complete with chocolate covered strawberries and champagne!)
Was able to provide full catering and bar services
Package included a champagne toast and a special rate for our guests
Food was quite good and they had a large variety to choose from.
Cons: Our guest rooms were scattered around the hotel and not in a "block" as we were expecting.
Prices are quite high. A dinner buffet with two entrees is $32 per person. This does NOT include tax and tip. Bar drinks are VERY expensive, four and five dollars per drink. One thing I really wanted was an open bar, so I guess I was asking for the huge bill! Also, the bartender had a tip jar out the entire time (while we were paying for the open bar) basically double-dipping on tips. This made me VERY angry, especially since I specifically asked about this at our meetings.
Several things were completely wrong with our set-up. Our linens were the wrong color (pale blue-green instead of royal blue), I asked for silver chargers and no votive candles, I got no chargers and votives on every table. There was a management change at the hotel so I am chalking the foul-ups up to that.
In the end, I was so happy to have the wedding over and be at my reception, that these things didn't really bother me at the time, but looking back it was pretty ridiculous!
Photographer: Tiffany Zajas
This was another hard vendor to nail down! My budget was so small, I started to get dismayed when I could not find a photographer for under four figures! Then my prayers were anwered and I discovered Tiffany!
Pros: Finally, a photographer I could afford (I got a promotional rate of $850 for the entire day with two photographers!)!
Takes absolutely stunning pictures and has an amazing talent!
Delightful upbeat and happy personality! Truly a joy to work with and soothing for wedding-day nerves!
Cons: None! Book her now because I anticipate she will be in high demand very soon!!!
Wedding Planner: Hillary Capes, Your Day of Fairy Tales
I didn't think I needed a planner until about a month before the wedding. I am a very organized and calm person and thought I could handle it. I was wrong!
Pros: Excellent value! The month-of planning is only $350. This is what we purchased and it was worth every penny! Hillary took care of absolutely everything on the wedding day! When problems came up (and they WILL) she handled them. I cannot express how valuable it is on your wedding day to have someone taking care of all the little details for you! I would have gone crazy without her!
Cons: None! If you are looking for a planner you should definitely give her a shot!
Cake: The French Confection
Mmmmmm, cake!
Pros: Delicious cakes and specialty cakes! We purchased a small three-layer cake and a grooms cake. Both tasted excellent!
Lots and lots of flavors to choose from!
You can choose any design you want and Stacy will make it happen!
No extra charges for delivery or fancy designs, you can get whatever you want!
Cons: Pricey! I sprung for this because I wanted a specific grooms cake. Both cakes together ran us ~650.
Both tasted very good but the design was perhaps not worthy of the high price tag.
Officient: Ralph Griggs
The Nashville Wedding Minister himself!
Pros: Professional and courteous personality
Easy to work with and always answered emails promptly.
Gave a lovely ceremony which you can customize any way you wish.
Does not "preach" to you or make you feel uncomfortable.
Good value, charges $200 which includes the ceremony planner and a face-to-face meeting to discuss exactly what you want your wedding to be like.
Cons: Book him early! Our wedding was in the "off season" and he still had two other weddings he performed on the same day as ours!
Music/DJ: Nashville Party Authority
This was another luxury for me; still not sure if we really needed it!
Pros: Blair is cool and his employees did a good job at our reception.
Modestly priced at $500 for five hours
Cons: None come to mind, our ladies did a good job
I hope this tome of a post helps at least one bride! In the end, the small things that didn't go to plan didn't matter, it was the best day of my life!