Hi ladies- I've stalked here and posted a few times. Posted this yesterday on the NNJ boards and just thought it might be helpful for some SNJ girls since I'm right in the middle!
Let me just say, I grade honestly. Not everyone got an A++++++++ b/c they didn't deserve it. I only think vendors should get an A+ if they went above and beyond my expectations.
Venue: Channel Club, Fred & Liz (Monmouth Beach): A
I am so happy we decided on Channel Club. The whole event went smoothly and we put our trust in Liz to set up all of our centerpieces and seating cards etc. It all looked gorgeous! The staff was amazing, the bartender a few times saw me standing talking to people and would send on a glass of wine for me. It was very nice to be pampered like that. The food was great- only disappointment was that we ordered the food, ate a few bites, went to say our hellos to the tables, and the food was gone when we got back, so we hardly ate. They did wrap it up for us to go. The fish had little bones in it as well, which turns me off, but others didn’t mind or notice. Cocktail hour food was amazing. Everything went off without a hitch and it was amazing to see my visions become a reality!
Hair: Michelle LoConte (Northern NJ, will travel): A-
I was upset to find out a week before my wedding that Michelle had another wedding after mine and would be leaving at 11 am when she had stated she would be there until noon. I was upset and talked to her, she ensured me it would be fine and was going to have the second hair stylist stay until I was in my dress for touchups. This worked out great since I did have some touchups for me and for my BMs. In the end, it did not matter that Michelle left at 11. Sure, I wish she stayed, but everything looked stunning. I was very happy with them.
Makeup: Cristina Pignataro (Northern NJ, will travel): A
I had a “falling out” with a previous makeup artist, and booked Cristina last minute. She was on maternity leave and came back a week early just for me. She did 6 faces and everyone looked amazing. She was very helpful in fixing what my one BM did not like, and was very calm with her. I got airbrush makeup done, and it was flawless. I was beautified enough that it was stunning, but not too much that it made me not look like me. I never did a trial with her, and did not feel like it was necessary. I was extremely happy with Cristina, and although her prices are a bit higher than others, I think she is well worth it. So happy I had her there the day of! Oh, and as gross as it is, the makeup stayed on and flawless for two days. I didn’t bother taking my hair out/makeup off the next day, and didn’t end up taking the makeup off until Monday morning and it still looked great.
Florist: Petal Beach (Long Branch): A-
Bonnie was great through the whole process. She is more expensive, but the flowers were beautiful. They were delivered early and with a spray bottle to keep them moist. However, I’m sure because of the weather even though it wasn’t very hot or humid; mine were wilting pretty early on. By the end of the night, most of the tips were brown on my white flowers. Kind of disappointing, but oh well I guess. Still found them to be gorgeous, and I loved my cake the way she decorated!
DJ: Elite Entertainment, Dominic (Eatontown): A+
I cannot say enough good things about Dominic and Elite. I asked Justin who his favorite vendor was and he said absolutely the DJ. Dominic has a great personality and he was the perfect blend of being with us on the dance floor, getting the crowd going- but also not too in your face. He was definitely the perfect choice. Literally the dance floor was packed all night and we were even on the carpet b/c it was so packed. They played a great mix and made sure to incorporate everything that we asked them to! I was on the dance floor the whole time- loved it!
Uplighting: Elite Entertainment: C-
I added this on last minute, and to be honest, I wish I didn’t. It wasn’t worth it- I hardly noticed it. I guess I’ll see in the pro pics if it’s noticeable, but this is the one thing I wish I didn’t waste my money on.
Limo: D&G Limo, Party Bus (Colonia)
I’m breaking this down into two categories, company prior to and drivers day of.
Prior to the wedding: D
They were the biggest hassle, and honestly the biggest scammers. They drag you in and then once the contract is signed they treat you terribly. I had asked them to extend the discount that I had received when booking to add on an extra half an hour and to add on a shuttle bus a few months before the wedding. They said “now that the economy has turned, we need to start looking at the company and not the clients” ummmm… no. You should be working on your relationships with clients and relying on their recommendations- especially now the economy is in an upswing. Because of this I did not add anything on and they lost out on the money completely. It would have been more worthwhile to give me the discount and at least have something. Then, we received an email 29 days out saying that “Please call with your credit card if you wish to pay the remaining balance. Note that within 30 days you can no longer use a credit card, you must pay the balance by bank check.” We call and they said sorry, you’re 29 days out you can’t pay by credit card. Had they said “Your balance is due and it can be paid by bank check” there would not have been an issue. I just found it ridiculously sketchy that they would send that email out at 29 days. The owner again did not care and hung up on my husband when he had called to complain. Very unprofessional.
Day of Drivers: Billy and Deshawn: A+
I loved them. They were late to pick me up b/c of BILs and the photographer, so that was not their fault. Billy literally was my shadow. He was always standing with a bottle of water for me, and he closed/opened the doors to the church, told the BMs when to walk, made sure my train was perfect at all times during pictures etc, and held my bouquet when my arms got tired. I could not have asked for anything more the day of. They took care of me, my husband and my bridal party like we were true VIPs. Completely restored my faith in the company, although since the owner is terrible I do not know that I could recommend them.
Gown: Priscilla of Boston Short Hills- Again, going into two categories:
Bridal gown and bridesmaid dresses service: B+
The manager, Dina, was great to work with. She helped me with every step along the way. Everytime I was there for my dress I was treated perfectly, but when we went to look at BM dresses they were not good at all. However, the girl helping us has since been let go. Wonder why… Another problem was that they wanted most of the girls to order a size larger, which I assume was to get them for alterations, which I think is very common. I talked my girls into ordering a size smaller than they were recommending, which ended up being the perfect size for them. I was so happy they did that.
Alterations: D
What a nightmare. I thought getting it done there was going to be the safest bet. After paying nearly $700, the dress was never right. First, she took it in 2 extra inches, which made me cry the first time I went to try it on after altering it. She said “sometimes we get to talking and mistakes are made”- so she admitted that her chit chat ruined my day, wonderful. I had to go more times than I would have liked, and when I went to pick it up (my final fitting she still did not have everything done, and had not done the bustle yet) I brought my mom and 2 BMs to learn the bustle. I was pretty much scolded for wanting to try on my dress since they had it ready to go, and I told them I was not leaving until I made sure the dress fit and my girls learned the bustle. It was too long, by about an inch, and the top was a bit tight, but since it was 2 days before the wedding I said forget it. Big mistake b/c the day of it dragged and got in the way much more than needed. It was stepped on the whole night When bustled, the back was way too long and the bottom is now literally black. I was extremely disappointed in the alterations department there.
Bakery: Bovella’s Bakery in Westfield: Wedding Cake: A! Anniversary Cake: C
We got a mixture of vanilla/red velvet/whipped cream and fudge (yes, all in the same layer for every layer of the cake). It was the best cake ever!! Love it, and they did a great job decorating. It was just what I wanted. However, we opened (and began eating, hence I’ve gained like 10 pounds since Saturday haha) our anniversary cake. We were disappointed that it was not our top tier, and even more disappointed to find out it wasn’t our cake at all in the inside! It was chocolate and vanilla, and not nearly as good. I was so happy that we didn’t wait for our anniversary to open it b/c I would have been really upset. We plan on getting a replica of the top tier for our anniversary though.
Bridesmaid/Parents Gifts: Etsy Seller Wine Whimsy: A
One of my gifts was personalized wine/margarita/beer glasses for the bridesmaids and parents. Christy with Wine Whimsy was amazing. They came out great and even when I received them and mine was wrong, she immediately made a new one and sent it my way. Also, she rush ordered/delivered an extra one for my FIL just a few days before the wedding. I was extremely thrilled with her work!
Calligraphy: Calligraphy by Michele (Staten Island, but you can send her your things from anywhere), Michele Clark: A
I don't know how many people even noticed the nice calligraphy, but it was well worth it for me. I did 100 seating cards, and for $35 I was happy to not have to deal with putting it through a printer or writing it myself. They came out great, and she was done with them in I think 48 hours. She's super sweet and I highly recommend.