We had amazing weather for our St. Patrick's Day wedding! I could not be happier with how our day turned out. We were fortunate to have the help of many family and friends, but we also had some wonderful vendors who deserve some credit.
Venue- St. Elizabeth's in Norwood: B+
From the moment we walked into St Elizabeth's, I knew it was perfect for our reception. The stain glass was gorgeous and the size of the room was perfect for a medium sized crowd. The price was also fantastic. Granted, everything is self service and set up so it is not for everybody. Jeremy was great to work with and let us view the space several times to refreshen our memories. However, there were 2 issues. 1) the church is going through some changes and decided to hang a blue, yellow, and green banner from the ceiling permanently. This decision came a few weeks before my wedding. After much discussion and begging, they held to the final decision that it could not be taken down. While I liked the design of the banner, it didn't really match my purple and silver decorations. However, it ended up looking Ok. Several guests said they felt like they were in Europe, which I thought was a wonderful compliment! 2) We spent hours cleaning during set up. It was very apparent the building had not been cleaned in quite some time. We had to buy several cleaning supplies and sweep, mop, vacuum, dust-even lint roll the chairs! It made me sad that such a gorgeous building is not kept cleaner and this took a lot of time away from the actual set up. Everything turned out looking great, though.
Day-of-Coordinator- Tracey Reese, MIY Events-A+
Tracey was wonderful to work with. I loved that I had constant email contact with her from the beginning of our contract. Her rates are extremely reasonable, and she is wonderful with keeping everything organizing and on task. She made the set up, rehearsal, ceremony, and reception go off without a hitch. She is great at taking care of details and keeping everyone on schedule. She goes beyond and above to ensure you feel like your wedding captures the couples' individuality and personality. Our personalities really meshed and I felt very comfortable with her playing such a vital role. She was wonderful!
Photographer- Laura Lilly Photography- A+
Laura is a friend who operates her photography company in Indy. She did a wonderful job handling our wedding party and finding unique locations and set ups for us! We were fortunate to take most of our pictures outside before the ceremony. We stayed right on schedule and got some amazing shots! If you live near Indy, I would highly recommend Laura for any of your photography needs!
Cake- Homegrown Cakes-A+
Our cake plans fell through at the last minute, and Andrea really came through for us. Her cake flavors, delicious buttercream filling, and exquisite decorating skills were spot on. I was very flustered at our appointment after a rough day, and she made me feel comfortable and helped me communicate exactly what i wanted. Everything turned out beyond perfect and some of my favorite photos include the cake with our clover bride and groom toppers.
Hair- Pump Salon Kenwood-A-
Whitney did a perfect job on my hair. She made it look even better than the picture I provided! It was also nice to book a salon that accommodated my bridal party. However, i had to book them twice as they did not get in the system the first time. Glad I checked! The only other issue was one of my bridesmaids did not receive good service. She had to have her hair redone at the church. Overall, it was a positive experience, and I highly recommend Whitney.
Tuxes- Folchi Formal Wear- B+
We were very pleased with the grey tuxes we got through Folchi's. None of the 'chain' stores had anything near as nice available. The prices were reasonable and there service was great in store. However, there was some miscommunication regarding measurements and orders. On several calls we were told they didn't have measurements when we knew the guys had submitted them. This caused for some confusion and stress. I think a few system updates could solve this. Overall, we were happy with the product and most of the service.
Bridal Gown- Fabulous Bridal- A
I had a pretty good idea of the style of gown I wanted but also a tight budget. My consultant was wonderful. After trying on several gowns and informing her that my favorites were slightly out of budget, she took me to the fourth floor which was filled with discounted samples. I was in heaven! I found the perfect dress at 70% off and was able to take home that day.
Alterations- Lori Schurr-A+
Lori was wonderful to work with and had extremely reasonable prices. She was very thorough and made my dress picture perfect. My dress needed a little extra work since it was a sample, but Lori did not miss a beat.
Bridesmaid Dresses- David's Bridal- A-
I would recommend avoiding the Kenwood location. They were very rude at my appointment. They asked I move my appointment from 5:30 to 5:15 but then said they did not have a consultant available when I got there at 5:15! We found a few dresses we liked but decided to keep looking. Then I found a dress I loved online which I did not see in the store. I went with my sister to the Tri-County location to see if they had the online dress. We went in without an appointment and received wonderful service. I loved the dresses and ordered them that day. They arrived in less than a month, which gave my girls plenty of time for alterations.
Photobooth- Showtime Photography-A+
The photobooth was a HUGE hit! Jade was wonderful to work with, and their rates are very reasonable. The attendant was very fun and the props were hilarious! We got to add our logo at the bottom of printed pictures and also received a cd of the photos. The photos were also posted to Facebook which was great for groups who wanted electronic copies.
Invitations- Jessica Cornell Designs- A+
Jessica is a friend from college. She did an amazing job designing our invitations and "guestbook" poster. She perfectly incorporated the heart clover design I wanted. She made sure we had everything we needed to send to the printer, and both products turned out beautifully.