I am pretty new to this whole the knot thing but I thought that I would start posting to help others out who are possibly looking for vendors. My fiance and I are getting married in January in Aurora and so far we have been very lucky with all of the vendors that we have found. They have been reasonable and great to work with so far. Now, I am not saying that you should run out and book these people right away, but I highly suggest looking into them if you are still searching. Here goes;
Venue: The Franciscan Event Center
So far they have been super easy to work with. We are only using them for the reception, but they do have a very beautiful ceremony site as well. They have an in house caterer as well. We haven't done a tasting yet, but I have heard nothing but great things about their food. Also, check their specials. Because we are getting married in January which is considered an "off" month so they had a special running that if we paid for atleast a 100 meals, they waive the site fee which for us was $1500!
Photographers: Yellow Paddle Photography
These photographers are up and coming photographers who do amazing work. They have quite a few photographers to choose from as well. Their prices are very very reasonable and some of their packages even include a photo booth at your reception. Amanda, who is part owner and who we met with is so easy to talk to and she totally understands what you are going for. I highly recommend meeting with her if you are at all interested in their work.
Florist: Bloomin' Bee Florist
Carrie from Bloomin' Bee could see everything that I was envisioning. She gave great suggestions on what would look good and what wouldn't. She was so nice and was so easy to work with. They are a family owned and operated business as well too, so they are very personable.
Invitations: McDermott Printing
Dennis and Shane McDermott have been so amazing to work with. They have books that you can look through to choose from, but they don't limit you to just those choices. When we came back and said that we didn't like anything in the book, they said okay, we will just do a custom design for you so that we know that you are getting exactly what you want. I told them exactly what I wanted and a week later I had a proof from them that was absolutely gorgeous! They are so nice and so easy to work with. Since they are an actual printing company and don't specialize in just invites, they are a bit cheaper too!
If I think of any other vendors, I will be sure to let you know about them. If you have any other questions about any vendors that we are using, please let me know. I am happy to answer any questions that you may have if it helps to make your planning process a little bit easier!