Vendor Reviews 4/23/10 - LONG

ereekaj · May 2010

Vendors for Jordan/Armani WeddingI have not posted much on here, but everyone's posts have been sooo helpful to me over the past year and a half to pull together my wedding weekend. I love the NOLA board because you are all so honest and helpful going out of your way to provide information. Thank you for that! Here are my vendor reviews and I hope they can be of help to someone as well. Email me if you have questions: ereekaj@gmail.com
Overall: No complaints! After it all went down I really felt like I had chosen the dream team for weddings. The weekend was terrific as was everyone involved. Date: April 23, 2010Guest count: 55
Ceremony/Reception Location: Rosy’s Jazz Hall A+Contact: Steve Zweibaum or Darlene Chehardy (coordinator) 504-896-7679, www.rosysjazzhall.com
This place is beautiful and has so much character. We planned on having the ceremony outside but it stormed and hailed that day. The weather cleared up by the time the wedding started, but being inside was even better than I could have asked for. The ceremony was so intimate. Guests really enjoyed every detail about the place from the brick walls, to the black and white jazz photos. Also, the food was incredible. People are still raving about it. Steve, Darlene and all of the staff were so friendly and took care of EVERYTHING. They mingled with guests to make sure everyone was having a wonderful time. If you want a unique experience and work with hospitable people that know what they are doing, this is your place! I highly recommend it.Photographer: Matthew Foster A+Contact: 504.237.9845, www.matthewfosterphotography.comMatt is fantastic! He is soooo laid back and made us feel so comfortable the entire day/night. I really felt like he was part of the family by the end of the night. We never had to tell him what pictures to take either. He captured so many great moments that I would never had thought of. My favorite pictures were the candid shots he took of us and all the guests. The lighting and angles he used were so creative. I loved every picture! Email me if you want to see the professional pics.Day of/Weekend of Planner: Simply Jubilee Events, A+Contact: Heather Hamilton-Sims, 713 443 2588 ext. 250, www.simplyjubilee.com/ I hired Heather as a weekend-of planner, so I did all the planning on my own before. However, she was always available for questions and referrals of other vendors I was looking for. She confirmed everything with all of the vendors two months before and I did not have to worry about a thing on the day of. If something went wrong, I had no clue. She never bothered me about anything so we were all able to enjoy the night. She's also really friendly and professional. I loved working with her!Hotel BlocksOmni Royal Crescent A+535 Gravier StreetContact: Ben Piccone
This is a smaller boutique hotel but it is beautiful. The staff and management made us and the rest of our guests feel so welcome. It's located in the CBD so the block prices were sooo much better than every other hotel during Jazzfest. It is very close to the French Quarter though, so your guests can still have that New Orleans experience staying here. Ceremony Music: Harpist Ashley Toman A+Contact: 225-313-3743, www.ashleytoman.com
Ashley was so great to work with. I asked her a week before if she could play Bob Marley's "Jammin" for the recessional. She found the sheet music and got it perfect for the ceremony. It was totally recognizable and a great addition. She played a beautiful golden harp too and it was a nice added decoration to the event.
Reception Music: Starz Band A+Contact: Blaine Ashley, 228-918-1827 or 228-452-6188, www.starzband.com   I cannot tell you how many compliments we got on this band. I heard about them through a friend that used to book bands for Tulane frat parties. They made the reception a total blast. It was like being at a concert! All the guys were super friendly and had every single guest dancing all night long. They played older Motown stuff, 70s funk and modern stuff as well. Their prices were incredibly reasonable as well especially because they drove in from Mississippi. Starz was one of the best parts of the wedding!
Officiant: John Zimmer A+Contact: 525 Phosphor Ave, Metairie, LA 70005, 504-834-6544
John sets the stage and does a beautiful ceremony. We laughed and cried and enjoyed every minute of it. He spoke to us a few times before the ceremony and learned key facts about how we met and tidbits about our life together to include in the ceremony. It sounded like he had known us for years. He also makes things as spiritual or not spiritual as you want it. The ceremony was catered to us as a couple and we both really enjoyed it. He is awesome!!!Florist: Fat Cat Flowers A+Contact: Diane Mouton, cell: 504-931-0715, studio: 504-486-8580, www.fatcatflowers.comDiane is so creative and friendly. The only issue was that she delivered the flowers to the wrong hotel and put them into another person's room. The guest happened to be a bride getting married that weekend on another day so it was easy for my planner, Heather, to pick them up and deliver them to the right place. Small mishap but everything was beautiful and vibrant. Loved it!
Cake: Royal Cakery A-Contact: Shirelle Royal, 504-466-3323, www.royalcakery.com/
They failed to tell me in multiple conversations over a year that they had moved locations. I was planning everything from the DC area, so I was not aware of the move. When I sent the final payment, I sent it to the old address. It wasn't forwarded so the day before the wedding they called me stating that I would have to drop everything to come pay them in cash or check right then or they wouldn't deliver the cake. I didn't have a rent car and was just about to leave to go to the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. They wouldn't allow me to pay in cash when they delivered the cake the next day either. After lots of pleading they finally allowed me to use my credit card to take care of the rest of bill. Slightly annoying, but the design and taste of the cake made up for it all. Best cake ever! It was designed exactly like I had asked and tasted phenomenal.
TransportationHotard Coaches AContact: Ayfemi, 504-944-0253, www.hotard.com/site.php1 bus to transport guests to and from ceremony/reception
Dealing with hotard was easy as pie. I changed the times and pick up locations and a few other random things a few times. Each time Ayfemi made it really easy to get it taken care of, sending me revised contracts, etc. I think the bus showed up a little late to pick up guests, but everyone made it there with plenty of time to spare.American Luxury A+Contact: Andree, 504-631-5466, www.american-limo.com/2 limos to transport bride, groom, wedding party and parents, 1 mini bus to help transport guests
Andree at American Luxury was great. She offered suggestions so that I could save money. Instead of renting limo's for 6 hrs straight she suggested that we get limo's for the 2.5 hr minimum at the begining and then do one way transfers at the end of the night to get all the family home. I ended up saving 100s of dollars so her help was much appreciated. Every little bit counts right? Also, the drivers were nice and on time.The small bus was on time and the driver was friendly. He dropped off guests at the end of the night wherever they wanted. He even dropped off two of the guests at Pat O's.The limo driver on the way home took us around the city a bit and gave us some time to decompress, even though it was only a one way transfer.Hair and Makeup: Glamour Therapy A-   Contact: Natalie, 504-304-5479, www.glamtherapynola.comNatalie runs her own little shop on Magazine street. It super cute. I am slightly anal so I called her a few times to confirm appts before the big day. I made the wedding day appts. almost a year before the wedding when I was in town for a make-up trial. When I called closer to the wedding, she didn't even have me on the books. Luckily, she was still open that day and everything worked out fine. My hair is very thin and fine and she used many hair pieces to give me enough hair to do something with. It turned out great. She also used airbrush make-up that looked flawless for 12+ hours.
Earrings/bracelet/Broach: Etsy seller lulusplender   A+I got all my wedding jewelry from this seller on etsy.com. This seller is located in Australia, and makes handmade jewelry with rhinestones and pearls. It has a vintage style and is great quality. She is located in Australia but it only took a couple weeks to get everything shipped directly to my house. Great price for handcrafted, unique pieces as well!
Wedding Dress Handling: Russell's Cleaners, Metairie Lousiana B They picked the dress up at the hotel and delivered it back to the concierge. Very convenient. My only complaint was that once they dropped off my dress at the hotel it was packed into a small plastic bag. The train of the dress was crumpled up in the bottom. Luckily I was there very soon after they delivered it so I was able to take it out of the bag and prevent it from being wrinkled. I would have thought they would have been more prepared for this type of thing since I was paying good money to get the dress wrinkle free.
Favors: Beads by the Dozen AContact: Stephanie Brown, 504-262-8157 direct, www.beadsbythedozen.comWe did custom beads for favors. It was very easy to order and everyone loved them.
Giftbag Contents (ideas for anyone else doing this)Zapps Chips www.zapps.comLeah's Pralines www.leahspralines.com/ Soo yummy!Mini tobasco bottles www.tobasco.comAdvil Packs www.minimus.bizBottled water and welcome letter/info about new orleansUsed a brown paper bag with teal fleur de lis stamped on the outside (my only diy project, all supplies were purchased from Michaels)

ereekaj · May 2010

Vendors for Jordan/Armani WeddingI have not posted much on here, but everyone's posts have been sooo helpful to me over the past year and a half to pull together my wedding weekend. I love the NOLA board because you are all so honest and helpful going out of your way to provide information. Thank you for that! Here are my vendor reviews and I hope they can be of help to someone as well. Email me if you have questions: ereekaj@gmail.com
Overall: No complaints! After it all went down I really felt like I had chosen the dream team for weddings. The weekend was terrific as was everyone involved. Date: April 23, 2010Guest count: 55
Ceremony/Reception Location: Rosy’s Jazz Hall A+Contact: Steve Zweibaum or Darlene Chehardy (coordinator) 504-896-7679, www.rosysjazzhall.com
This place is beautiful and has so much character. We planned on having the ceremony outside but it stormed and hailed that day. The weather cleared up by the time the wedding started, but being inside was even better than I could have asked for. The ceremony was so intimate. Guests really enjoyed every detail about the place from the brick walls, to the black and white jazz photos. Also, the food was incredible. People are still raving about it. Steve, Darlene and all of the staff were so friendly and took care of EVERYTHING. They mingled with guests to make sure everyone was having a wonderful time. If you want a unique experience and work with hospitable people that know what they are doing, this is your place! I highly recommend it.Photographer: Matthew Foster A+Contact: 504.237.9845, www.matthewfosterphotography.comMatt is fantastic! He is soooo laid back and made us feel so comfortable the entire day/night. I really felt like he was part of the family by the end of the night. We never had to tell him what pictures to take either. He captured so many great moments that I would never had thought of. My favorite pictures were the candid shots he took of us and all the guests. The lighting and angles he used were so creative. I loved every picture! Email me if you want to see the professional pics.Day of/Weekend of Planner: Simply Jubilee Events, A+Contact: Heather Hamilton-Sims, 713 443 2588 ext. 250, www.simplyjubilee.com/ I hired Heather as a weekend-of planner, so I did all the planning on my own before. However, she was always available for questions and referrals of other vendors I was looking for. She confirmed everything with all of the vendors two months before and I did not have to worry about a thing on the day of. If something went wrong, I had no clue. She never bothered me about anything so we were all able to enjoy the night. She's also really friendly and professional. I loved working with her!Hotel BlocksOmni Royal Crescent A+535 Gravier StreetContact: Ben Piccone
This is a smaller boutique hotel but it is beautiful. The staff and management made us and the rest of our guests feel so welcome. It's located in the CBD so the block prices were sooo much better than every other hotel during Jazzfest. It is very close to the French Quarter though, so your guests can still have that New Orleans experience staying here. Ceremony Music: Harpist Ashley Toman A+Contact: 225-313-3743, www.ashleytoman.com
Ashley was so great to work with. I asked her a week before if she could play Bob Marley's "Jammin" for the recessional. She found the sheet music and got it perfect for the ceremony. It was totally recognizable and a great addition. She played a beautiful golden harp too and it was a nice added decoration to the event.
Reception Music: Starz Band A+Contact: Blaine Ashley, 228-918-1827 or 228-452-6188, www.starzband.com   I cannot tell you how many compliments we got on this band. I heard about them through a friend that used to book bands for Tulane frat parties. They made the reception a total blast. It was like being at a concert! All the guys were super friendly and had every single guest dancing all night long. They played older Motown stuff, 70s funk and modern stuff as well. Their prices were incredibly reasonable as well especially because they drove in from Mississippi. Starz was one of the best parts of the wedding!
Officiant: John Zimmer A+Contact: 525 Phosphor Ave, Metairie, LA 70005, 504-834-6544
John sets the stage and does a beautiful ceremony. We laughed and cried and enjoyed every minute of it. He spoke to us a few times before the ceremony and learned key facts about how we met and tidbits about our life together to include in the ceremony. It sounded like he had known us for years. He also makes things as spiritual or not spiritual as you want it. The ceremony was catered to us as a couple and we both really enjoyed it. He is awesome!!!Florist: Fat Cat Flowers A+Contact: Diane Mouton, cell: 504-931-0715, studio: 504-486-8580, www.fatcatflowers.comDiane is so creative and friendly. The only issue was that she delivered the flowers to the wrong hotel and put them into another person's room. The guest happened to be a bride getting married that weekend on another day so it was easy for my planner, Heather, to pick them up and deliver them to the right place. Small mishap but everything was beautiful and vibrant. Loved it!
Cake: Royal Cakery A-Contact: Shirelle Royal, 504-466-3323, www.royalcakery.com/
They failed to tell me in multiple conversations over a year that they had moved locations. I was planning everything from the DC area, so I was not aware of the move. When I sent the final payment, I sent it to the old address. It wasn't forwarded so the day before the wedding they called me stating that I would have to drop everything to come pay them in cash or check right then or they wouldn't deliver the cake. I didn't have a rent car and was just about to leave to go to the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. They wouldn't allow me to pay in cash when they delivered the cake the next day either. After lots of pleading they finally allowed me to use my credit card to take care of the rest of bill. Slightly annoying, but the design and taste of the cake made up for it all. Best cake ever! It was designed exactly like I had asked and tasted phenomenal.
TransportationHotard Coaches AContact: Ayfemi, 504-944-0253, www.hotard.com/site.php1 bus to transport guests to and from ceremony/reception
Dealing with hotard was easy as pie. I changed the times and pick up locations and a few other random things a few times. Each time Ayfemi made it really easy to get it taken care of, sending me revised contracts, etc. I think the bus showed up a little late to pick up guests, but everyone made it there with plenty of time to spare.American Luxury A+Contact: Andree, 504-631-5466, www.american-limo.com/2 limos to transport bride, groom, wedding party and parents, 1 mini bus to help transport guests
Andree at American Luxury was great. She offered suggestions so that I could save money. Instead of renting limo's for 6 hrs straight she suggested that we get limo's for the 2.5 hr minimum at the begining and then do one way transfers at the end of the night to get all the family home. I ended up saving 100s of dollars so her help was much appreciated. Every little bit counts right? Also, the drivers were nice and on time.The small bus was on time and the driver was friendly. He dropped off guests at the end of the night wherever they wanted. He even dropped off two of the guests at Pat O's.The limo driver on the way home took us around the city a bit and gave us some time to decompress, even though it was only a one way transfer.Hair and Makeup: Glamour Therapy A-   Contact: Natalie, 504-304-5479, www.glamtherapynola.comNatalie runs her own little shop on Magazine street. It super cute. I am slightly anal so I called her a few times to confirm appts before the big day. I made the wedding day appts. almost a year before the wedding when I was in town for a make-up trial. When I called closer to the wedding, she didn't even have me on the books. Luckily, she was still open that day and everything worked out fine. My hair is very thin and fine and she used many hair pieces to give me enough hair to do something with. It turned out great. She also used airbrush make-up that looked flawless for 12+ hours.
Earrings/bracelet/Broach: Etsy seller lulusplender   A+I got all my wedding jewelry from this seller on etsy.com. This seller is located in Australia, and makes handmade jewelry with rhinestones and pearls. It has a vintage style and is great quality. She is located in Australia but it only took a couple weeks to get everything shipped directly to my house. Great price for handcrafted, unique pieces as well!
Wedding Dress Handling: Russell's Cleaners, Metairie Lousiana B They picked the dress up at the hotel and delivered it back to the concierge. Very convenient. My only complaint was that once they dropped off my dress at the hotel it was packed into a small plastic bag. The train of the dress was crumpled up in the bottom. Luckily I was there very soon after they delivered it so I was able to take it out of the bag and prevent it from being wrinkled. I would have thought they would have been more prepared for this type of thing since I was paying good money to get the dress wrinkle free.
Favors: Beads by the Dozen AContact: Stephanie Brown, 504-262-8157 direct, www.beadsbythedozen.comWe did custom beads for favors. It was very easy to order and everyone loved them.
Giftbag Contents (ideas for anyone else doing this)Zapps Chips www.zapps.comLeah's Pralines www.leahspralines.com/ Soo yummy!Mini tobasco bottles www.tobasco.comAdvil Packs www.minimus.bizBottled water and welcome letter/info about new orleansUsed a brown paper bag with teal fleur de lis stamped on the outside (my only diy project, all supplies were purchased from Michaels)

ChocolateDelight · May 2010

Congratulations on your recent wedding and thanks for sharing your vendor experience with us. I am definitely going to use the OOT guest gift bag ideas.

MDehmlow · May 2010

Hi! I am planning a NOLA wedding via DC and I would love any advice you have. Your review is great. and I definitely think we are looking at the Omni for our hotel block. Congratulations and if you have any advice, please let me know. All the best!

ereekaj · May 2010

HI MDehmlow,

I don't get on here much so if you have specific questions, feel free to email me at ereekaj@gmail.com. One tip I can offer is to do your room blocks pretty early in the planning process. New Orleans can get pretty busy sometimes with different conferences and events going on so getting the room blocks early helps make sure you have places for your guests to stay. We had our wedding during the first weekend of Jazzfest and I was able to get decent rates by doing the room blocks over a year out. happy planning!

Erika

Vendor Reviews 4/23/10 - LONG

Re: Vendor Reviews 4/23/10 - LONG

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