This will probably be a little long, but I have found that the vendor reviews were the most helpful to me during my wedding planning.
Venue: Pittsburgh Opera House -- A+
We had both our ceremony and reception at the Opera House, as we wanted everything to be in one place, and really liked the overall look and feel of the space since we are a bit non traditional. My main contact at the Opera House was Sean, and he was fantastic. He replied to my emails within of a day of sending them, if not hours as we got closer to the big day, and was very accommodating. No request was too much for him. Personally, the cost and the amount of time that you get the space for (9am for set up until at least 12am, if not later for clean up) was a big seller for me. The other places we looked at had 5 hour time limits, and were more than double the price of the Opera House. If you are looking for a non traditional venue that allows you to bring in any vendors that you want, I highly recommend the Opera House.
Photographer: Tif and Jonathan of Hot Metal Studio -- A+
My husband was in charge of finding the photographer, as he knows a lot more about photography than I do; I can look at a picture and tell you if I like the pose or not, but my husband can look at a picture and tell you if the lighting was off, etc. My husband definitely outdid himself with this husband and wife duo - not only are they truly wonderful people who know how to make you feel comfortable behind a camera, they are excellent, excellent photographers who are beyond talented. It was an absolute pleasure to work with the both of them from the very beginning. Tif was very responsive to all my email inquiries, and was very helpful when it came to suggesting a time line for the day of, and answering all my ridiculous questions as I went back and forth on whether or not to do a first look (we decided not to). I am completely blown away by our wedding photos, and work with them again in a heartbeat. Here is a link to our photos on their blog:
http://hotmetalstudio.com/2013/10/24/betsy-and-ian-are-married-pittsburgh-opera-wedding/
Flowers/Decor: Jimmy of greenSinner -- A+
I knew that I wanted to work with Jimmy (and his team) a few minutes into our initial meeting with him; he has an eye for style and decor and knew exactly the look and feel that I was hoping to achieve with decor and flowers with minimal explanation. We definitely clicked, which I think is essential for someone who is responsible for the overall vibe of your wedding. Jimmy was very responsive to all my inquiries, and we had several meetings to discuss the flowers and decor throughout the planning process. One of the perks of greenSinner is that they are a sustainable florist, so you aren't being charged for 15+ vases that will sit in a box in your basement for the next 20 years; you pretty much borrow the vases/containers/centerpiece items from them and pay for labor and flowers. Why this hasn't caught on with other florists is beyond me. The flowers that Jimmy provided were gorgeous, and exceeded my expectations; the guests are still raving about the beautiful centerpieces and the beautiful bouquets. If you are looking for a florist who thinks outside the box, I highly recommend Jimmy. You will not be disappointed.
Caterer: Medure's -- A+
Our photographer, Tif, actually recommended Medure's catering to us, and as she has been to a lot of weddings, we knew she wouldn't steer us wrong. My husband and I knew that we didn't want to serve 'traditional wedding food - pasta option, beef option, chicken option' so finding a caterer who was on board with our idea of 'Thanksgiving Dinner' was a must for us. Pete was on board with our non-traditional idea, and was even willing to learn a new recipe for us (I grew up in Eastern PA with filling, which is pretty much a combination of mashed potatoes and stuffing, so it was a wedding must-have)! Pete is also part Syrian, so he was able to provide us with some Mediterranean staples for the cocktail hour that my husband grew up eating. Medure's also provided the linens, flatware, plates, glassware, and several extra tables for our wedding, in addition to excellent staff and bartenders who were very pleasant and attentive. As part of our sweets table, we also had an ice cream sundae bar, which was also provided by Medure's. The food and service were excellent, and the price was almost too good to be true. We did not have a tasting before the wedding, but in the grand scheme of things, it did not affect my opinion of Medure's as we weren't promised a tasting. I'm sure that if my husband and I really wanted to have one, we could have requested it of Pete, and he would have made it happen.
Cakes: Katrina Finn -- A+
I knew from the beginning that I didn't want to have a giant wedding cake covered in fondant (if you can't tell by now, I'm not a traditional bride), so doing research on bakeries led me no where. It was my coordinator who recommend Katrina to me, as she is a good friend of hers. I exchanged several emails with Katrina, explaining to her what I wanted - simple looking cakes in a variety of savory flavors - and she said she could deliver. We set up a tasting with Katrina and she came to our house with a variety of cake flavors (sweet potato, carrot, ginger, and chocolate cinnamon) as well as a variety of icing flavors (cream cheese, marshmallow, caramel, and chocolate). They were all absolutely delicious - the cake was moist and so flavorful, and the icings were perfect, as they were not too sweet. We decided on carrot cake (the one we cut) and sweet potato and ginger. My mom wanted to ensure there would be cake left over, as she has a big sweet tooth, so Katrina came up with the number/dimensions of each cake tier to make sure there would be enough. I only had the carrot cake at the wedding, so I can't speak for the other flavors, but it was absolutely delicious, and I'm picky about my carrot cake. I heard from numerous guests that the other flavors were delicious as well, and they really liked having a variety of flavors to choose from. There was a fair amount of cake left over, but we just sent guests home with pieces and served some at the brunch the next day.
Beverage Service: Dreadnought Wines -- B+
Per the recommendation of our caterer, Pete, we decided to use Dreadnought Wines to provide the beverages for the wedding, as it was one less thing for us to worry about. Dreadnought worked with us to come up with a 'shopping list' based upon the wine, beer, and liquor that we wanted to have available for our guests, as well as all the mixers/non-alcoholic beverages. They also charge a flat beverage management fee, and a service charge per person - none of which were extravagant or unreasonable for the services they provided (they purchase everything on your shopping list; drop it off at the venue; pick up all the unopened liquor, wine, and mixers; return all unopened things and refund you the money). The only reason I am giving them a B+ is that the initial spreadsheet they worked off of to create the estimated cost was incorrect. I did number checking, and noticed that the 'per item cost' multiplied by the 'quantity' did not always equal the 'item total' - in most instances their 'item total' was more. I brought this issue up with my contacts at Dreadnought, and they corrected the spreadsheet so it was accurate. I just hope that other brides who have used this service in the past checked their numbers before agreeing upon an estimated cost and signing a contract.
DJ/Musician: Joel Lindsey -- A+
Joel was recommended to us by a friend who used them for their wedding. He received glowing reviews from them, and once we found out he could provide both live music and act as our DJ, we were sold even before meeting with him. We first met with Joel at an Open Mic Night where he was coordinating the event, as well as providing musical entertainment (vocals/acoustic guitar). My husband and I really liked his singing voice, and the fact that he had a British accent earned him a few brownie points as well. Joel provided us with his pricing information at that first meeting, and was very honest about DJ prices in the Pittsburgh area - many are very overpriced for the services they provide and the quality of their equipment. The price that Joel quoted us for his services - live and recorded music during the ceremony; live music for the cocktail hour; live and recorded music for the reception; as well as acting as our MC for the night was more than extremely reasonable - he also learned a few songs just for the wedding so they could be performed live! Joel provided us with an information sheet to fill out which was very thorough, and touched upon wedding details that didn't even cross my mind. We also met with him 2 more times before the wedding to iron out all the details, and make sure we were on the same page. During the reception, may of our guests complimented us on the DJ and said how much they enjoyed the live music during the cocktail hour as well as the selection of music during dinner. Aside from the ceremony songs, and the basic reception songs (entrance, first dance, cake cutting, mother/father dances, last song) Joel chose all the music that was played, and it was all fantastic. The dance floor was crowded all night long, with both guests young and old, which I think is a difficult thing to achieve.
Officiant: Amy Lindsey -- A+
Amy is Joel's wife, and we met her during a meeting with Joel. We all immediately clicked, and Amy asked us if we had an officiant for our ceremony yet. We told her that we had not found one yet, and she told us that she has officiated many ceremonies, and would be honored to be the officiant for our wedding. We jumped at the chance of having another husband and wife duo involved in our wedding. Amy did an excellent job at helping us to come up with the script for our ceremony, as we wanted it to represent us as a couple and not be the basic vows and I Do statements. Amy provided us with suggestions for readings and also provided us with many wedding tips and pointers, as she has a lot of experience. She was very responsive to emails, and met with us before the wedding day to make sure everything would go smoothly. Working with her was an absolute pleasure, and I am very grateful that she offered to be our officiant.
Hair: Nikki James of Studio Raw -- A+
Nikki is a coworker of mine (she is both a scientist and a hair stylist) and has been my regular hair stylist for the last 2 years. Since I trust her with my hair on a monthly basis (platinum pixie) I knew that she would do an excellent job with my bridesmaids. The girls and I got ready at our house, so Nikki came to the house to do our hair - equipped with all tools and products she would need. Since I'm a short haired bride, I required minimal styling, but I did visit Nikki at the salon two days before the wedding for a color touch up and a wedding trim (the husband also got a wedding trim as well). Nikki is an excellent stylist who knows how to work some color (she's a chemist by day, so it makes sense) and has a knack for short haircuts, so I was in good hands. My bridesmaids (3 of them) provided Nikki with photos of hairstyles they liked on the day of the wedding, and Nikki did a fantastic job executing each style. The up dos held all night, and my hair looked fantastic all night.
Coordinator: Kristie Caro -- A+
Kristie is a friend of mine who also happens to work in the event planning industry, so much like my other vendors, I didn't have to search very far for ones that were reliable and fantastic. Simply stated, my wedding could not have happened without Kristie. She helped me with planning and organization almost from the start of the planning process, and met with me countless times to ensure that everything would be perfect. She oversaw the wedding rehearsal and was at the Opera House at 9am the day of the wedding to make sure that every little detail was perfect and was there well after the last guest left. I provided Kristie with a 'day-of task list' and she executed each thing flawlessly, as well oversaw all my vendors to ensure that everything went smoothly. Having a coordinator allowed me to fully enjoy my wedding day and not worry about a thing - I highly recommend utilizing one if you go with a venue that is a little more DIY.
Rehearsal Dinner: Piper's Pub, Southside -- A+
My husband and I are regulars at Piper's, as we live within walking distance and it's a favorite place of ours, so it was a no brainer that we would have our rehearsal dinner here. The staff at Piper's did an excellent job at accommodating us and our guests. I worked with Mindy to help plan a custom menu, which she had printed for our guests to order from. I also contacted Mindy as we were leaving the rehearsal so that the appetizers would be ready shortly after the guests began to arrive. The food was outstanding, as usual, and our waitress, Shelia, did an excellent job making sure everyone was well fed and had plenty to drink. My husband and I loved being able to share one of our favorite places in Pittsburgh with our bridal party and friends and family who traveled here for the wedding.
Transportation: Elite Transportation Group -- A+
We hired a shuttle service to transport our wedding guests to and from the DoubleTree - Downtown and the Opera House. Elite was the only transportation company that offered a 5 hour split - meaning that we would pay for 5 hours of service, but could utilize half at the beginning of the event and half at the end of the event. This was key for us, since we needed guest transportation over a span of 8 hours, but not for a solid 8 hours. The staff at Elite called me the day before the wedding to confirm the pick-up times and locations for the shuttle service. The driver was on time and very courteous, and many of my guests thanked us for the shuttle service, as it allowed them to partake of adult beverages.
Wedding Dress: Bridal Beginnings -- A+
Dorothy, and the rest of the staff at Bridal Beginnings were excellent. They helped me to find the perfect dress and veil, and also provided me with an excellent seamstress, Laurel. They were very accommodating for fittings, and made sure that everything was perfect when I picked my dress up the week of the wedding. The boutique does get busy at times, so I did have to wait for scheduled fittings, but I didn't mind as I got to see other brides try on their dresses.
Hotel Room Block: DoubleTree - Downtown -- A+
I will admit that the most stressful part of wedding planning for me was figuring out the hotel room block; calling numerous hotels, and doing price comparisons was just not something that I enjoyed. We decided to go with the DoubleTree because they offered the lowest rate for the room block, provided my husband and I with a complimentary suite, and offered us a 10% discount on the day-after brunch. Initially, I worked with Lisa, who was fantastic, but several weeks before the wedding she was transferred to another hotel. I then worked with Ashley, who was beyond fantastic. She wanted to meet with me and my husband for lunch so that we could discuss things in person, and get to know us before the wedding. If you have never eaten at the Bigelow Grille in the hotel, I highly recommend it. Ashley did an excellent job ensuring that my guests' needs were met, everyone received their welcome bags, and the day-after brunch went smoothly. The hotel itself was also very nice, and our suite was spacious and clean.
Invitations: Olive and Ruby (etsy) -- A+
Bridesmaid Dresses: Nordstrom -- A+
Groom and Groomsmen suits: Macy's at Ross Park -- A+
Groom and Groomsmen suit alterations (local groomsmen only): Jamie Miller -- A+
Bride and Bridesmaid earrings: Sorrelli -- A+
We really lucked out with our vendors in that they were all generally fantastic and we didn't have to do much searching to find them. If anyone wants more info, just PM me.
Betsy