I had so much fun on my wedding day! I hope this helps all of the brides who are planning to choose the vendors that best suit their needs!
Wedding Ceremony- Our Lady of Guadelupe Church/International Shrine of St. Jude. A++++++++ This is my home parish so I was very familiar with the church and Fr. Tony and since I sing in the choir I used the in-house musicians. I have been complimented tirelessly on how beautiful and fun and un-stuffy my ceremony was! I keep getting told that my guests thought that all catholic masses were boring and that my wedding proved them wrong! The church is beautiful! It was also very grand for me to walk through those massive glass doors at the back! If you have an opportunity to have your ceremony here, take it! This church is rich with history and is the oldest suriving church in the city,yes it is even older than the cathedral which burned down twice.
Wedding Reception - Loews Hotel New Orleans A+ My wedding reception was elegant and fun and those were the two main adjectives I wanted to decscibe it in the end! The staff at the Loews was so warm and friendly and there was no request I had that wasn't fulfulled! Courtney Dubbin is the catering manager and she doesn't take any mess from any vendors and insures that your day goes EXACTLY the way you want it to! From helping you design a menu to running your too high heels up to your room so you can put on your flats, no task in too large or too small! The menu tasting was amazing! THE FOOD WAS PHENOMENAL!!! The views are breathtaking! The ballroom is stunning! My guests continue to rave about the reception! Plus we had some nice perks such as free spa day and room upgrades etc. Make no mistake, the place isn't cheap...but you get what you pay for so if you want a top knotch experience, this is definitely the way to go. We considered the Roosevelt as well as the Windsor Court but in the end chose the Loews and we couldn't have made a better choice!
Florist- Bella Blooms A+ Di does amazing work! Everything she promised, she delivered! And she delivered it on time and exactly in the manner she said she would! My flowers were so gorgeous that people were asking if they could take the centerpieces home at the end of the night! Di, can pretty much work within any budget, but be realistic. You can't have champagne taste and a beer budget and expect champagne. But again, you get what you pay for! I couldn't have been happier with my flowers!
Photographer- StudioTran A+++ How awesome is Bebee Tran!?!?!?! There is a reason my husband and I had to book them two years out! They are super professional, so easy to work with and the finished product is unlike anything you have seen! It is modern, and fresh and he ALWAYS captures your good side! Sure you could get a photographer who may be cheaper but he will just give you pictures, STUDIOTRAN GIVES YOU ART!!!!!!!
Videographer - Dyle Films A+++ I knew that I wanted a wedding video that felt more like a movie in theaters and less like a highschool A/V project and I believe that Dyle Films creates cinematography! It isn't just a recording of the day, they also capture the emotion of the day, the films look polished and professional and they are so easy to work with! Great company!
Bakery- Melissa's Fine Pastries A++++ Our cakes were the best cakes we had ever tasted! They were so gorgeous and we had noooo leftovers because our guests ate 2 and 3 slices! They were great to work with and pretty much accomodate any request and they were very budget conscious! I have seen great cakes that tasted horrible or ugly cakes that taste great but our cakes were the first wedding cakes we had ever had that tasted amazing and looked amazing as well!
Band- Groovy7 A++++++ I contacted them after having a less than desirable experience with the booking manager of Mojeaux, and I am so glad I did! Not only were they more cost effective but they didn't turn down a single request I had! They ROCKED THE HOUSE! Groovy7 provided the perfect flow of soft music for my guests to mingle and eat to as well as the party rocking club hoping songs needed for my guests to boogie! OH MY GOSH THEY SOUND AMAZING!!! They even let me jump on stage and serenade my groom! They are truly professionals and your guests will not be disappointed! MINE WERE THRILLED!
Transportation - Sirrah Limo Service D----- The only resaon they don't have an "F" is because I did get there and back...barely! The first problem, THEY WERE LATE!!!!! I'm sure any bride can agree that the timeline of your wedding day is super important for it to flow properly, so imagine that by the grace of the angels, you and your entire weding party manage to get ready on time and the reason you are late is because the limos weren't there. The second problem, THE DRIVERS HAD NO CLUE WHERE THEY WERE GOING! We were going from Poydras st to N. Rampart, which only takes about 4 minutes on a bad day, how they got lost, I will never understand! Even our police escort was furious because they kept not following the instructions of the officers (who knew how to get there) The Rolls Royce was FUNKY!!! It had bathroom rugs thrown on the floor instead of floor mats. THE ROLLS ROYCE DRIVER ALMOST KILLED US! She was a HORRIBLE diver! She kept jerking us around in the backseat and ignoring the police escort and had to rely on me to give her directions when she got lost with me in the car! Couldn't she have googled directions beforehand?!?!? DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THEM!!!
Hotel- Loews New Orleans B- As amazing as the event coordination staff was, we still had a few not so happy experiences with the hotel staff. First, let me say, the hotel is beautiful! The Presidential suites are amazing! While my husband was away at our Rehearsal DInner, they checked someone else into his room! Imagine our shock as we walked into his suite and saw someone else's personal items thrown all across his room, there was even a wet bath towel across his bed. Luckily they guest wasn't in the room when we walked in, because that woulld've been even more awkward! The main tv in the presidnetial suite never worked and I called the front desk and no one ever came. There is apparently only one steamer in the ENTIRE hotel so when I requsted it the day before, I was told someone else had it and didn't want to give it up. So I sent someone out to get another one and magically that one showed up, only for it to be broken. We were overcharged for our rooms upon checkout. The hotel staff needs to take a few lessons from the event coordination staff and servers on how to treat a guest! Definitely have your event here, but you may want to stay somewhere else!
Favors - Photobooth by Dyle Films A+++++ Such a big hit with our guests! A great keepsake for you and them and what a cool alternative to a traditional guestbook! Instead of just seeing their names on a paper we get to see their faces and they get to remember the night with the pics they take home! Plus the props were a lot of fun!
Bridesmaid dresses- Bella Bridesmaid A+ The dresses were Jim Hjelm and Alvina Valenta and Coren Moore and they were gorgeous! The staff was great and the dresses always came in sooner than promised and they were a bit cheaper than other shops!
Tuxedo rental- Al's Formalwear C+ The ring bearers shoes didn't fit even though, they had his correct size on file. Two of my groomsmen were given the wrong ties. Everyone was told different days/times that the tuxes were needed back. But the tuxedos were of a good quality and the prices were pretty good!
Bridal gown- Bridal Boutique of Baton Rouge- A They were the only distributor of Enzoani gowns at the time. They don't seem like they would have amazing gowns but they do as long as you are willing to look. The staff is very helpful!
Reception Gown - Dolly Couture A+ My dress was super cute! The staff was so amazing, they even gave me a discount! Everyone loved it! I can't wait to wear it again!
Other formalwear- Town and Country B+ They are a little pricey but they have really nice dresses! The only bad experience I had was that I had originally ordered my recpetion dress from them and after I placed my order and paid in full for it, I was told a week later that the designer wouldn't have it ready for my wedding. I just wish they had checked this before I placed my order and lost a week of time to look for another dress.
Invitations- Vera Wang Fine Papers via William Arthur Stationer A+ My invitations were AMAZING!!!! And WIlliam Arthur offered the best prices I found anywhere! I had it framed and it looks like a gorgeous art piece!
Rehearsal Dinner - Dooky Chase A+++++ Talk about amazing food! My guests couldn't stop eating! And for a Buffett of New Orleans favorites for 45 people including soup, salad and dessert, it only costs $1400 (including tax and tip). No request was turned down, miday through the dinner I decided I wanted bread pudding instead of peach cobbler and VIOLA! Bread pudding was served! If you have a chance to eat there, take it!
I may be forgetting somethings, I hope this was helpful! If you have any questions, feel free to message or email me! Briannat711@aol.com