Hi All,
I wanted to share my vendor reviews from my September 15th wedding. Here goes:
Susquehanna Club, New Cumberland (venue) A
Sharen, the wedding coordinator/manager there is a dream to work with. Very easy to get ahold of, and so easy to talk to/run by options with. This was the easiest decision for us throughout the entire wedding process. There are two rooms to choose from. We were in the main ball room with rustic beams (it's an old restored barn).
Simone's, Hanover (dress) B+
I'm a little torn on this one. They definitely had the best selection of gowns for me, but their customer service is lacking. It was tough to get an answer from them about numerous things (I would have gone to them for makeup, but they never responded to an email.) I will say, if you call them, you do get Jessica, who is beyond helpful. I had issues with them in the last two weeks. Their seamstress and I butted heads a little, but in the end they transformed my zipper back into a corset at 10 days out. We also got our bridesmaid dresses, which I loved, here.
Dual FX, York Springs (DJ Steve Smith) A+
I can't tell you how pleased I was with Steve. If you're looking for a professional on a budget go no further than Steve. We met with him once in the spring. That meeting eased my fears about a DJ. I never had to worry about a timeline; he took care of everything. We gave him a must list (maybe 5 songs), all were played. It was a no fuss vendor, which was perfect for me.
Bair's Flower Basket, Biglerville (flowers) A
Again, another local vendor who did a wonderful job. Emily was very laid back and easy to work with. She was easy to get in touch with. When I wanted a more "rustic" centerpiece, she went out of her way and ordered "boxes" in which I rented from her, so she could have to offer other brides. Everyone raved about the flowers too. (Roses, spider mums, hydrangea, lilies)
SweeTreats, Mechanicsburg (cake and favors) B
Wendi is very detail-oriented and high strung. She helped tremendously with the cake table setup and decoration, as well as, our favor table. Both were beautiful. However, our personaities clashed a little, especially in the last week. So, while I don't think I would go to her again, everyone raved about her apple cinnamon muffins we had as favors. (I personally didn't like them.) She had a great variety of cake flavors. We went with chocolate with oreo filling and yellow with strawberry cheesecake filling. I only had two bites of each, so I can't really comment too much on flavors, but my mom didn't like either at all, thinking both were dry.
Sarah, of Old Glory, East Berlin (hair) A
Sarah is trying to build up her clientele, so I would definitely recommend her. She's cheaper than other hair stylists. She came to our hotel, showed up 15 minutes early, and went to work on me, and then my 4 bridesmaids and two flower girls, getting done at the exact time I thought she'd get done. We did a hair trial before hand, which I loved. We tweeked a little bit on the day of, and I honestly rathered the first try. . . but that was me not speaking up and just going with it. The only I didn't like was the placement of my veil (which we decided to change at the last minute) and the placement of a flower I had gotten off of etsy.
Jasmine, of Events by Kristin, Harrisburg/Vixen salon (makeup) A+
I did a makeup trial with Jasmine a month before the wedding and liked it. On the day of, I LOVED it. LOVED it. I don't know what she did differently, but I was so happy with it. After she was done, I was ready to get married. She came to the hotel as well.
Mike Bupp, Gardners (photography) A-
The minus is only because we don't have any professional pictures back yet. Though it's only been 4 weeks. His contract states the return is typically 5-8 weeks. He is expensive, but he's worth it. My H and I have been friends with Mike for years, so we did get an extra shooter for free, plus at least another hour of him shooting for free. And he also threw in a free engagement picture session. I'll also add he has at least 6 different price packages too, so while we did a higher one, you don't have to. Definitely check him out.
Any questions, let me know! And good luck with planning.