I wasn't originally planning on writing reviews, but everything went so smoothly and was fabulous that I have decided to share.
Flowers: Waters Edge, Newport
My flowers were amazing. Their only direction was no roses, hydrangeas and the colors purple and blue. They did a fabulous job. The bouquets were beautiful and matched the girls dresses (total accident). The flowers at the church received compliments from people who went to the five o'clock mass. The best part is that there prices were extremely reasonable!
Cakes: Scrumptions, East Greenwich
First let me say YUM. We got a groom's cake from them, our wedding cake, a birthday cake for my dad (reception presentation) and a mini wedding cake for the best man (his anniversary) and they were all amazing. The groom's cake was almond flavored and the wedding cake was spice. They were absolutely amazing. My dad's birthday cake was a design that they had never done before, but it was a 3-D snowman and was awesome. Jennifer was great and easy to work with.
Room Block: Newport Beach Hotel and Suites
Rachelle was easy to work with and did a great job accommodating my guests. The only snafu we ran into was because of Hurricane Sandy frying their elevator. We didn't know until my sister tried to check in wtih my BIL who is in a wheel chair. Another room was found, but it was annoying that we found out when we did.
Reception: Newport Beach Hotel and Suites--Newport
Lyle was great. He admitted that they are new to the wedding thing, but the food was amazing and Peter, the banquet captain, did a great job making sure everything ran smoothly. We got an off season discount and were allowed to make changes to their menu based on our preferences. He worked with us to figure out the best liquor options for us. We ended up doing a fully hosted bar for cocktail hour and then hosted beer and wine after. It was great! After the reception, we moved into the bar where people ordered munchies and stayed until last call.
Rehearsal Dinner: Sardellas, Newport
While my contact for my dinner changed three times during the process, they never missed a beat or dropped the ball on anything. We had a private function room with our own wait staff. We were able to have the kids order off the kids menu and my father who has dietary restrictions was able to order off the regular menu. The food was fabulous and they had gluten free options for people in my bridal party.
Photographer/Videographer Captivation--Tiverton
Lori, was great! She did our engagement photos and they came out great. While we weren't required to pick a package when we put down our deposit, she honored those packages and prices when we finally picked one out. She did a great job keeping us calm and was very flexible. We are very excited to see the pics. The videographer, Carol, was with her company and was unobtrusive, but still managed to get all the key moments.
DJ--Sounds Great Entertainment--Medway, MA
To be fair, the DJ, Mike is a the husband of one of my best friends. But he was great! He helped us pick our play lists and was able to find the random songs we chose to use. He didn't bat an eye when I requested Christmas music and served as a DOC as well. He kept an eye on the clock and made sure we stayed on the schedule we had made. He was also very reasonably priced--while I got a discount, he did tell me he usually charges $895 for six hours.
Transportation--Rockstar
We got a trolley for our day of transportation. My family and I rode it to the church with the girls and then my hubby's family rode it back to the reception with us. It has a cooler of waters and a bottle of champagne chilled for us. The driver was fabulous, she had a mirror for us to check ourselves out and a supply of mints and gum. She was helpful in getting my 98 year old grandma into the trolley and was always keeping an eye on my dress. The trolley also made a great backdrop for photos.
Let me know if you have any questions!