North Carolina

Vendor Reviews: September, Raleigh, Outdoors

Hello Brides!  Well we did it and tied the knot!  We couldn't be more happy and we enjoyed the process.  Some vendors were better then others.  We were most happy with our photography and very unhappy with The Oaks of Salem.  Below are our reveiws.  Hope these are helpful for other planners... Good luck!

Venue- The Oaks at Salem- April Maness

Beyond Disappointed with every aspect of my experience.  
 

Photography: Margaux Novak- margauxnovak.com

Amazing!  Margaux and her assistant did really well.  They came to the Barber Shop, the Hair Salon, in between, ceremony, and reception.  She was flexible and patient with guests, the wedding party, parents, and myself.  She handled spur of the moment events with grace and ease.  We loved her photos and she got shots from really unique angles.  However, my favorite thing about Margaux was that she was not noticeable during the ceremony and the reception.  A lot of guests asked whether we had a photographer… but… she just blended in really well.  Best of all, she is reasonably priced, easy to work with, and responsive.  Couldn’t ask for a better experience!

DJ- South Eastern Entertainment- Steven Penny

Steve Penny was good.  He really kept the party going and played songs that guests enjoyed.  Easy to work with and quick to get into contact with him.

Florist- Karla Scales

Karla at Fallon's Flowers did an excellent job.  She contacted us several times to make sure we were all on the same page about the look and style of the flowers.  Everything came out beautiful.  There was variety, but all the flowers blended to create a stylish look.  All areas of the venue were decorated with flowers and any leftover were put to good use.  Ms. Scales did a great job taking our ideas and style to create an elegant, rustic feel.

Hair Salon- Salon Blu (North Hills)

EXCELLENT!  Big props to Chasity and Angie!  Chasity did an excellent up-do and was really creative.  She listened to my style and taste and she was able to design something elegant that matched.  Angie worked with my sister and was extremely patient with her special needs.  She made my sister look beautiful and feel the same as everyone else.  Salon Blu was able to make adjustments with ease when situations arose, were easy to contact, and created a relaxed atmosphere.  Mimosas and bagels were allowed and everyone had a great time.

Pie- Upper Crust Bakery

Delicious!  We ordered 20 pies (5 of each: Bumble Berry, Apple, Chocolate Chess, and Chocolate Pecan Bourbon).  They created a “Cutting” pie with our initial and tags to label the flavor of each pie.  The owner is available and met with us twice to discuss details.  Picking up and transporting the pies was easy.  Since it is recommended they stay in a cool, dry area until the event, storing them couldn’t be simpler!  The price was appropriate.  One note- Upper Crust recommends cutting the pies in 6 slices.  This is a great suggestion and they certainly know about pies!  However, caterers tend to be less comfortable with pies.  Although we mentioned multiple times to cut in 6ths, they were cut into 8ths.  We ended up with A LOT more pie slices then we intended.  It all worked out just fine, but… be aware.

Lighting- Peelman Productions-

Excellent!  We were very satisfied with their service and creativity.  They made unique suggestions and stayed within our budget.  Their prices were very reasonable for what we received.  Our guests LOVED the mason jar chandeliers and the mason jar lights in the trees.  It added to the rustic, southern charm style we were looking for.  We worked primarily with Nick.  He was easy to work with, communicated ideas well, listened to our ides, and created something to match our style.  We really appreciated his responsiveness via email and telephone. 

Sandscripts- Bibs and Wetnaps

We chose to have BBQ at our wedding to emphasize food in the Carolinas.  We ordered personalized bibs and wet naps for the event.  I LOVED it!  It was an excellent addition to the casual, BBQ experience.  Sandscripts was the least expensive vendor for these products that I found.  The bibs came out great and the wet naps were decent.  It added a personal touch to the event that our guests really appreciated.  That being said- Sandscripts customer service is pretty bad.  I recommend ordering at least 2 months prior to your event and ordering a few extras (a couple items were not usable).  Things take a lot of time with this company- be patient, check in, and order ahead of time.

Wedding Coordinator- Orangerie Events-

Orangerie Events did a decent job with our wedding. They were organized and made sure all of the predetermined details of the wedding went smoothly. We used them for their Day of Coordinator offering and they supplied us with a team of two to manage the events of our wedding rehearsal, ceremony, and reception. Orangerie Events is reasonably priced compared to their competitors. They have good follow through and answered questions as they came up. Although there were a few problems along the way, overall, we were satisfied with the results.

 Catering By Design- Jen Hernly

They were easy to work with, flexible, and experienced.  Organizing the event was stress free and we had an opportunity to taste the food before deciding on a menu.  We liked that everything was taken care of (plates, napkins, bartending, clean-up, food service) with one vendor.  Their service at the event was phenomenal and everyone commented on how kind and tentative the bartenders and service staff were.  They went above and beyond to make the event fantastic. 

Bella Monica

Food was excellent, service was superb!  It was simple to set-up our rehearsal dinner with Bella Monica and the Manager/Owner (Arron) was very helpful with choosing a menu.  We enjoyed having a family style meal to bring everyone together.  Bella Monica kept the atmosphere relaxed and comfortable.  Even when the unexpected happen, they went with the flow and handled things calmly.  The food was excellent and we took the leftovers home!  Our family has been talking about Bella Monica’s food and service since the wedding.  Everyone is excited to return!

Adger Rothwell- Sealed with Appeal

Awesome!  We used Adger to create our invitations.  She was willing to work within our budget and listened to our idea concepts and styles.  Adger sent us multiple ideas based on our conversation.  She is comfortable making revisions to the mock-up and final product to make sure things look right.  Adger was responsive via email and telephone and very easy to work with.  I couldn’t have been happier choosing her!

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