Hi Everyone!My week in OBX is over
I knew it would go by so fast, and it totally did. But, the week was spectacular. We had fabulous weather, and it was so special to be surrounded by my family and friends. And to top it all off, I married my best friend!!
So, without further ado, here are my vendor reviews. I hope that they help in future planning! And thanks for all of your help over my past 16 months of planning!!
Ceremony Location:
Marshes Lighthouse Pier, Manteo
It was $500, which was a bit steep, especially considering that if it rains, then that is basically just money flushed down the toilet! Also, they only allow a max of 30 chairs on the pier. However, we had a beautiful day, and the Pier was absolutely stunning! I could not imagine getting married anywhere else. I only had a huppah as decor as you really didnt need too much more, since it is so naturally beautiful. Our ceremony was exactly 17 minutes long, so those that had to stand didnt have to do so for long. Also, there were two benches, so you really have seating for about 38.
Reception:
108 Budleigh
As soon as we saw Budleigh we both fell in love with the location. The venue is only 2 blocks from the pier, so everyone was able to stroll over.
When you rent Budleigh, you have the location from 9 AM-12 AM. My girlfriends and I arrived at 11 AM and just had the best morning ever! we decorated, set the tables, got our hair done, had lunch, and lounged in the suites. The grooms suite with the juliet balcony even had cable TV! haha...it was a wonderful distraction and I was super calm and happy all day long while waiting for the moment to get into my dress. We had 66 total guests, and it fit perfectly...not too big, not too small. The patio and the balcony are wonderful touches to the main ballroom. And of course Bonnie was absolutely fabulous the entire time!! She answered every email very quickly and was so pleasant and helpful. Everyone commented to me how beautiful the venue was and how the room looked. I couldnt be more pleased!
Rentals:
ShinDigs
I really enjoyed working with Allison from ShinDigs...she was super nice and very funny. Months before the wedding, the communication, was a bit spotty and slow. However, as the wedding approached she was incredibly accessible and easy to work with. She helped me obtain specialty linens from a specific company I wanted to work with, and accommodated all of my requests with ease. It was super easy having her and Bonnie right around the corner. We didnt need a thing the day of the wedding, but Allison checked on us several times and made sure we were OK.
Catering:
Ortega'z
I could go on and on and on about how much I loved working with Lisa and Marcelo!! From the first email, to our tasting in March, to our big day, they were accommodating, fun, and professional. They really LOVE food and it showed from every conversation we had. Lisa catered a delish bridal luncheon for me and my girlfriends and it was so fabulous (various wraps and fruit and cheese) and then the reception was better than I remembered from the tasting. We had several butlered hors d'oeuvres and a few stationary displays for cocktail hour ; and then we had two dinner stations. One with Tile Fish with Crab and Red Pepper Sauce, Shrimp n Grits, Chopped Salad, Penne Pasta with Roasted Veggies. The other station was tequila lime chicken, carved beef with pico de gallo, veggies and rice. And of course, we had to have something sweet other than cake, so we did a cinnamon churro with caramel sauce and ice cream. I had SO many compliments, including several of my guests telling me that it was the best 'wedding' food they had! I was so very happy with their service. And the bartenders they provided were excellent! And I know when we make our future trips back to OBX we will absolutely stop in their restaurant in Manteo to say hello and enjoy their fabulous food again and again!
DJ
Matt Cooper
Matt was amazing! Super easy to communicate with and very responsive. He kept the dancing going all night and did the MC job perfectly. He also provided our ceremony music at the pier. Double duty and he did it without one glich! I was very pleased with his service and would highly recommend!
Photography/Photo Booth
Ryan, Coastal Shots
Ryan was fabulous! He was quick to respond and gave me a fabulous deal on 5 hours of photography, as well as the use of the photo booth. Ryan wasnt the one to actually do my photos-it was an associate of his-a woman named Heather Wynn. Heather arrived-7.5 months pregnant!! God bless her...it was a scorcher out! And I made sure she had tons of water available! But that didnt slow her down at all. She made sure to not only get the shots, but to not be intrusive or a bother. I havent seen her pics yet, but I have a feeling they will be awesome. (as soon as I heard that Ryan wasnt going to be doing my wedding, I googled her and stalked her past wedding work and it all looked great, so I'm pretty confident!).
The photo booth was a HUGE hit! HUGE hit! If you are on the fence about getting one, spend the extra and book it. Everyone, from old to young loved it. Each guest got two copies of their pics. One for them, and another one for the scrapbook which Coastal Shots provided. I have looked at the book at least once a day since the wedding. The pics are hysterical! Ryan was the one who actually set-up and broke down the booth, and he was so personable and nice. He even answered my frantic phone call at the end of the night b/c I couldnt find the scrapbook (it turned out he gave it to my Mother-in-law, so all was well!)
Coastal Shots was the best bang for my buck for sure (unless I look fat in all my pics...then I take that back! LOL!)
Florist
Renee Landry
Renee and I jived from the very first moment we met. When I met her in her studio in March, I could've stayed and talked all day. Her flowers were spectacular. As I type, I'm staring at my bridal bouquet, which still looks fabulous 5 days later. She took my vision and made it into a reality. I wish I had more money to spend on flowers, but she stretched my $3K budget very far, and that included a huppah at the ceremony, two bouquets, 5 flower bracelets (for moms, grandmas, sisters, etc), 7 Boutineers, 11 centerpieces, cocktail decor and votives, and of course, set-up and clean up. I was so pleased!! And everyone commented on how lovely the centerpieces looked!
Cake
Robin Morris-Sweet-E-Pies
I got a three tier cake from Robin (two flavors-marble with chocolate ganache, and pineapple carrot with cream cheese) and it was fabulous! The cake not only tasted great, but she nailed the exact style I was looking for. Robin was a true pleasure to work with the entire time. I can not say enough nice things about her! And we feasted on left-over cake for days after the reception...I enjoyed every bit, one forkful at a time!
Hair/Make-Up
Its Royalty-Linda
Its Royalty is located right across the street from Budleigh, so it was so super easy for everyone to get their hair done. It was a bit expensive, but for the location and the intimate service, it was worth it! We did a trial run in March and she emulated everything perfectly the day of! My girlfriends really enjoyed her southern belle personality and we all had a great time getting ready.
OK, so my vendor reviews are a bit of love-fest, I know. But I promise I am not looking at them through rose-colored glasses just b/c it was my wedding, these folks really were that good! There is a lot of competition in the wedding industry in OBX, so everyone really does have to be on their A-game the entire time. I am very happy with all of my vendor choices and would pick the same group if I had to do it again!
Best of luck with all of your planning!!
Amy