Hey ladies! After nearly a two year engagment, Kyle and I finally got married on May 22. when I frequented the board, I really appreciated vendor reviews, so here are ours
I was critical of all of our vendors, so don't read that I didn't have a wonderful wedding day. We LOVED our wedding, our ceremony and had a ton of fun at the reception. Feel free to email me directly at daniellehay@gmail.com if you want more information.
Wedding Planner: Marcia Tauriella 402-770-6090
A+
We planned our wedding from outside Omaha and Marcia was amazing! We told her what we were looking for and she set up appointments for us whenever we were in town. She did all the hard legwork for us and made planning much easier for us. She also kept our budget in mind and negotiated with vendors as necessary. She was worth her weight in gold on the actual day. I didn't have to worry about anything and she made the day run smoothly. I would totally recommend her for any part of your wedding planning.
Photograher: Andrea Bibeault
http://www.andreabibeault.comA
We don't have pictures back yet, but I am confident Andrea got some great shots. We didn't even know she (and her husband) were there. She is agreeable and wants to make your day awesome. She was great to work with and she is a true artist instead of someone who runs a camera.
Florist: Mulhalls
(402) 496-0700
www.mulhalls.comA
They did a fantastic job of using alternatives to flowers, which is something we wanted. They used grasses and limes to go with our black/white/lime green theme. My bouquet was unique and the bridesmaids bouquets were simple, inexpensive, and elegant. They were incredibly affordable.
Reception/Catering: Embassy Suites - Downtown Omaha
C-
During our long engagment the Embassy went through a regime change for the worse. Things we were told when we initally looked at them were things Marcia had to fight tooth and nail to have when it came time for the actual event. Their coordinator, Gina, was in a tough spot with a new job and taking over, and did her best to make sure we were happy. However, her support staff and the staff carrying out the event missed A LOT! For examples:
*they did not fill our candy buffet as promised
*they did not have a black drape behind the head table; it was something they offered and promised
*they did not set up the centerpieces. Marcia had to do it all
*they did not put up our escort cards. the woman who did my hair helped Marcia
*they did not serve an ENTIRE sheet cake to our guests. they forgot it in the fridge.
Without Marcia, I would have been super stressed. OUr wedding was amazing and so much fun, but that was in spite of the Embassy, not because of them.
The only reason they don't get a lower grade is because of the food. The food was awesome! If I had to grade their food, I would give it an A+.
Cocktail Hour: Blue Sushi
A
We hired Blu at the last minute because of some problems with the Embassy. They were very accomodating and helpful. Our cocktail hour was outside at Heartland of America Park, and they were cognisant of how they needed to serve to food to keep our guests happy. We heard nothing but good things about the food.
Music: Ryan Rager. Email me personally if you want contact information
A+
Ryan is a friend of ours. He assembled a jazz combo for us during the cocktail hour. He picked all the music; they played love songs, and it sounded awesome. the combo really set the mood for the cocktail hour and ceremony that followed. He also accompanied our vocalists.
DJ: Tom Reburn, Mickey6Productions.com
A+
Tom is a friend of ours and came from out of town. They did a great job of playing upbeat music.
Nails: Lucky Nails, off of 156th and Maple
C
Perhaps because we had 5 pedis and 2 manis at the same time, they did not offer their best service, but I would not go to them again. Mom and I both had rough skin on our feet after the pedi. We all went on Friday before the rehearsal dinner. They painted my fingernails instead of doing acrylics, and they had cracks and bubbles by the time the ceremony rolled around. They were decently priced, but the quality was poor.
Rehearsal Dinner: Good Times Bar
A+
Mandy owns theGood Times Bar in Louisville, NE. She came to our house, where we held the backyard grillout rehearsal dinner. They brought their own grill, rented chairs for us, set up everything while we were at the rehearsal, and the food was phenomenal for just over $10/person.
Cake: Dorothy with Omaha Pastry
B-
We originally picked Dorothy because her cake was delicious and she was very professional at our first meeting. While the deliciousness of her cake did not dwindle, our confidence in her professionalism did. It seemed every time we spoke with her, she did not remember what we had said the time before. WE chose three different flavors--mango coconut, koala (chocolate with kahula and coconut) and tiramisu (our favorie by far!) We were slightly disappointed in the final product.
*The cake looked awesome and all of the flavors were very good
*We had fondant and requested no fondant.
*Our anniversary cake (yes we already dug into it
) was white; we asked for koala.
*We asked for plenty of the koala, and it ended up being the second tier in our three tier cake. We had the least amount of it, and had asked for me.
It was as if we should have spelled everyhting out at our last meeting; that shouldn't need to be done, but I think it would have saved us the disappointment of the cake choices she made.
Tuxes: Tip Top Tux
C
Kyle was disapointed in any interaction with them unless it was with a manager. Their normal store workers did not understand how a tux was supposed to fit. Kyle and his brother needed other sizes, and they were supposed to get them on Friday. They came Saturday before the wedding. The tuxes however, looked great.
Dress: Black Tie, White Satin - Fremont, NE
402-721-7645
A+
Wonderful selection with very friendly and helpful staff. They encouraged me to take photos while i was trying dresses on (some stores don't allow it at all). They also encouraged me to wait two weeks to order so I could take advantage of a sale! I could tell they truly cared about me, my budget and the dress. They were easy to contact, the dress was speedy, and the seamstres was helpful, knowledgable and fast!
Transportation: "The Bus"
A
We found them at the last minute. We paid under $100/hour (Kyle handled the contract, but I think it was $65/hour). They were the right price and was nice to have to bring people from Heartland of America Park to the Embassy.
I hope this helps you all!
Good luck and happy planning!