Reception – Windgate by Wyndham/Meridian Conference Center B+
Overall I was very happy with my venue selection. The sales coordinator Carrie was very helpful and helped me through everything. However, towards the last 6 months, she wouldn’t respond to my emails very quickly and I had to send her reminder emails after 4 days or so. She would always respond and apologize, but then do the same thing again. Mostly I felt like I was just too nice through the whole process and was put on the back burner. But she always eventually got back to me and answered all of my questions. They were very accommodating for everything I wanted to do. The reservation process also was kind of tough. They had just set up a national reservation hotline and it caused my guests some problems getting reservations. Eventually everything got straightened out. They also almost forgot to serve 3 of my tables entrees! But all of these things were minor in the long run and for the price and the final product, I would recommend this place to anyone. My mom is actually looking to have her high school reunion there since it turned out well.
Rehearsal – Heritage Club – A+
My FMILs to the reins on the rehearsal dinner and it was unbelievable. We had a more casual set up, with several stations of pasta, meat, mashed potatoes, etc for guests to visit throughout the night. From what they’ve told me, the planning was a breeze and the people were very helpful. The food was fantastic and the venue is so pretty. I would recommend it for either a rehearsal or a reception.
Florist – Oberer’s Flowers - A+
My experience with Oberer’s was fantastic. I knew I wanted “fall” to be my flower theme, but knew nothing other than that. Going off of that terrible description, they made my dreams come true. The flowers were the #1 thing I got compliments on. From the altar pieces, to the centerpieces, to the bouquets everything was perfect. The prices were very reasonable and they did not make me rent any glassware. They also let my guests take the cube vase centerpieces home without any charge. I even was able to reuse all of my rehearsal dinner flowers at the church. They had a driver pick up the flowers from the Heritage Club and take them to the church. Then they had someone transport all the flowers to the reception to reuse as well. I definitely got my money’s worth!
Day of Coordinating – Lauren Walker with Grand Expectations Events - A
I knew I didn’t need a planner because I had everything under control, but I decided to get a DOC. Working with Lauren throughout this whole process was a breeze. She met with me before I decided to use her. With about 4 months to go, we met again and talked about where I was at. She helped me figure out what to do next. With about 2 months to go, she came with me to the venue to meet with the director there and get everything set up. She was a little slow on answering emails and a few got lost in the shuffle, but overall I was so happy. About a week in advance, we sat down and made a great day of timeline. After that I let her do her thing. She made the day so much less stressful for me and was there to troubleshoot. She also had assistants who helped get the church and venue set up. She made everything so easy on me and I love her for it! She’s a bit more expensive than some other DOCs, but you also get 2-3 assistants and it’s worth it!
Invitations/Paper – Bethart Printing Services/Cards and Pockets – A
After going to The Paper Place in West Chester looking for Save the Dates, I about had a heart attack! I have expensive taste and the STDs alone were ½ my paper budget. My mom suggested I try Bethart to see what I could get. It was fantastic. I worked with their typesetter Deona to design STDs, invitations, menus, programs, and placecards. I went to C&P for my pocket folds and Bethart did everything else. Their prices are great and you can get a lot more for your money. They weren’t thermography, but honestly who notices that. I got many compliments on my invitations and the everything else was beautiful. There was a bit of a mix-up on the place cards, but I got it straightened out myself. I would recommend this for anyone looking to save some money but still get a great product.
Band- Stays in Vegas – A+++
I don’t think there is any way that I can describe how amazing this band was. They were by far my favorite vendor. Dealing with Ed via email was super easy and they were very professional. The place was absolutely rocking all night and we had a blast. They kept altering their set list based on what people were dancing too and even delayed their break because so many people were dancing. They sounded great and have a superb song list to pick from. I would tell anyone who wants a band to pick Stays in Vegas. They were the #2 thing I was complimented on all day.
Cake – Bonomini Bakery – A+
I’ve been going to Bonomini for years and once again their cake was delicious! I just wanted a simple 4 tier cake with several flavors and buttercream frosting. It was super delicious and very affordable. They don’t do fondant so my cake didn’t look as “sleek” as the cakes on TV. But it was yummy and that’s what mattered to me!!
Photography – Zeju Photo – A
I haven’t gotten to see all my photos yet, but I was very happy with Erin. She was a great balance of girly but professional and it suited me very well. You can just tell based on how she had us stand and the places she picked for photos that she was very experienced. My friend who has been in 5 weddings this year said she was the most efficient photographer he’d seen. We got A LOT of pictures in a limited amount of time. Her prices are very affordable and you get a lot for the money. I cannot wait to see the final product!
Videographer - Matrimoments – A
I haven’t seen anything yet from the videographer, but dealing with them was very easy. We met with Shawn about 10 months in advance to get a feel for him and for him to get a feel for us. He and his wife are very nice people and you can tell they love what they do. We were able to get a customized package to fit our budget and what we wanted. I know very little about videography and basically let him do his thing. They were very professional day of and you can tell they worked hard. He switched my husband’s mike at the last minute and literally RAN to make it happen because he wasn’t happy with the sound. It was nice to know he wanted it to be perfect. Hopefully the video turned out as well as I hope!
Makeup – Eye Do – B-
This rating has absolutely nothing to do with the quality of the makeup, but simply the fact that they were late and about gave me a heart attack. Crystal was about 1 hour late to my hair/makeup trial because she got lost and I didn’t think too much of it. She was coming from Dayton and went to the wrong Liberty Twp because GPSs are stupid. But when 8:00 rolled around on my wedding day and she was supposed to be there at 7:30, I was freaking out. Turns out she misread an email from my DOC and went to the church instead of the hotel. She and her hair person showed up around 8:30 and went straight to work. It was rushed, but all 8 ladies were able to get hair and makeup done. The makeup and hair looked great on everyone and I was really happy when it was over. Also, the prices are less than other airbrush makeup vendors. But just make sure she knows where she’s going!!!
Ceremony Violinist – Jessica Graff – A+
Ceremony Vocalist – Natalie Bounassar (CCM student) – A+
With about 2 months to go, I decided after going to another wedding that I needed to spice up my ceremony music. I had the church pianist, but really wanted our Catholic Mass to be heartfelt and emotional. So I contacted Jessica via her website. I was going to use her for vocals as well, but her doctor said she should sing less. So I contacted Natalie because she was suggested to me through CCM’s placement program. Both were so sweet via email and very professional. Natalie was just so into the whole process and even helped suggest a few songs that she enjoyed singing. They met with my church pianist for a practice the day before the wedding and the pianist (who was my old music teacher) told me they were so professional and the practice was unbelievably good. Jessica even added the violin during the church ceremony. Before the ceremony, they also played 30 minutes of prelude music. Neither were cheap to book, but it was totally worth it. My ceremony was so beautiful and the music really added something special. I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Transportation - Jimmy’s Limo – B
The reason I picked Jimmy’s Limo was because they quoted me less than anyone else and they were great to deal with. A family runs it and the grandmother and granddaughter were very professional and nice. Our driver was a very nice person as well, but kind of a crazy driver. She did plan the route ahead of time to avoid some messes with 1 way streets, which I appreciated. However, she did almost rear end someone on I-75 after the ceremony!! I was sitting in the back facing forward and could see her kind of riding the tail of this SUV in front of us for about 4 or 5 miles. All of a sudden, traffic slows dramatically and she hits the brakes and we skid. 2 of my bridesmaids fell on the floor!!! Luckily it was all ok, but needless to say I did not tip her. Scary thing is she is a school bus driver! I’m afraid for those kids! Since they hire contractors to drive, it’s really luck of the draw about what you’re experience will be. But the owners are very nice and the price is good.