Our wedding was nearly perfect.
Week of accomodations - HH Whitney House on Esplanade - AGlenn and Randy were very accomodating of us, our 17 month old and my parents.Their breakfast is amazing and the pricing was reasonable.
Bar Crawl stops - Molly's at the Market, El Gato Negro, R Bar, The John - A+++This was the best idea ever. We got all our OOT friends together and they mixed so well. Pineapple Cilantro margaritas from Gato Negro to go for everyone and the bartenders at The John were the highlights.
Rehearsal Brunch - Commander's - A-Of course the food was amazing, but they were slow to bring extra chairs and bar drinks. They were crazy busy though.
Planner - Carolyn Arthur at All About Events - A++++She rocked the week of. Seriously on top of every detail. Made sure the caterer had Pimm's Cups To-Go immediately after the ceremony for our second line. AND she made me the most amazing umbrella ever. She's not super fake and is awesome at what she does.
Venue - The Benachi House - B+I'm so torn on this because the venue is seriously amazing. Our guests loved it. It's downfall is the damn noise ordinance. The owner of The Bombay Club lives next door and is apparently opposed to music. Not only did Rebirth have to play softer after the second line was over, our DJ was decibel monitored and the music really should have been louder. If it weren't for that, it would be the perfect venue. r
Caterer - Capdeboscq - A+++
I was slightly worried about this after talking to the owner a few times (he's really "old school"), but we were very pleasantly surprised. Their staff was superior, the food was awesome, they nailed our signature drinks, and we had someone checking on us all night long to see if we needed anything. At $42 a head including bar, I have no complaints.
Ceremony Music - The Courtyard Kings (string trio) - A+They had good suggestions for our music and we liked what they played. I asked them to transcribe one song for my entrance and it came out beautifully.
Second Line and Cocktail Hour Band - Rebirth Brass Band - A+++++++++I don't think a review of Rebirth is necessary. They are amazing.
DJ - Top DJ Ron Folse - B+
He was really kind of awkward. Luckily we made our own playlists and we literally just needed his PA system and for him to hit play, and for that purpose, he and his price (340) worked well.
Photographer - Ardent Studios Tim Pham - A+++++Tim and his brother were awesome and really nice guys. We did a day after shoot for more formals and walked all around Frenchman taking photos. He was really great and I haven't seen any teasers yet, but I'm confident they will turn out amazing.
Decor - Luminous Events - AOur centerpieces were awesome. There were candles and rose petals everywhere, and it looked amazing. There was one specific spot I had requested candles for and they were not there. Not sure what happened with that, and no one re-lit our sweetheart table candles when they went out, but in the grand scheme of things it really didn't matter. Lisa and her husband were nice and I barely saw them all night.
Flowers - Crystal Vase - A++++Our flowers were gorgeous. End of story. I was incredibly pleased.
Cake - Royal Cakery - A+Our cake was moist, delicious and looked flawless. Shirelle is really good NOLA people and we were happy to give her our business.
Make-up - Kelly LeBlanc - A++++++++++++She had either food poisoning or morning sickness that day and made me look amazing. I was extremely pleased with my makeup. Worth every penny.
Hair - Melissa Maia of Salon Maia - A++++++++I have short hair. She made it look long and purty. Love her.
Guestbook - The Spirit of New Orleans by Bruce Keyes - A+++coffee table photography book of the 70's and 80's NOLA. It was a HUGE hit.
Linens - Weddinglinensdirect.com- A+++I had cheap, beautiful linens the very next day at a reasonable price
Hotel Blocks - Hotel St Marie, Best Western FQ - AI never heard any complaints so they must have been alright.
DIY'ed hankies, favors, escort cards and holders, and STDs
Etsy for my veil and hair accessories.
And now here's some pics!
