So, I know my reviews are pretty lengthy, but I have found other Knotties reviews so helpful during my planning process that I wanted to do a thorough job of writing them. For the most part, you’ll notice that my vendors are rated pretty high, but that’s only because they deserve it. Many of them went above and beyond to make our special day truly spectacular & many of them were Knotties suggetions. If you have any questions or need contact information for any of the vendors, please email me at brandieramsey@rocketmail.com.
The Mansion (Texas Federation of Women’s Clubs) – A+
In choosing a venue, my husband & I must have visited 14 of them! One step inside The Mansion, and we knew this was the perfect place for us. It is rather unassuming outside with the exception of the tall white columns out front, but the inside is beautiful. Mari was such a delight to work with as well. She answered all of our questions timely and when it was the big day, she was out of sight except when we needed to ask her questions. We elected to rent the entire venue, so we had plenty of space for separate dressing areas for the ladies & gentlemen in the bridal party. There were also so many great photo opportunities. It has an old world elegant feel and I’d highly recommend taking a tour before deciding on a venue.
Buon Affare Events – B+
Choosing a wedding coordinator was no small task. We had originally gone with another coordinator, but after some issues with getting responses timely, we switched to BAE. When we first signed our contract with BAE, it was with Rachel, but then she found out she was expecting triplets and would be on bed rest during our wedding, so our event was turned over to Kristi. Kristi was very responsive to the tons of questions we asked of her even though we only paid for day of coordination. She gave us some great pointers and was there to guide the way when we had no idea what we were doing. The best part was showing up for the wedding and everything being done! No need to fuss over tables, settings, décor, etc because Kristi had that all under control. She was also there with many handy things we ended up needing (i.e. scissors, mints) and kept us all on track. At the end of the night she and her team were prompt on getting things packed back up and ready for us to take home. The only downside (and why the grade is a B+ instead of an A+) is that Kristi & her team left before we were 100% finished at the venue. The venue requires that you sweep the floors and remove the garbage from the entire building, and Kristi totally missed this. She left which left and I had to coordinate the cleaning up duties. My friends almost fainted when I was sweeping the floor in my wedding gown. Luckily I had a wonderful bridal party & some extra special friends that stuck around and promptly removed the broom from my hand and helped empty all of the garbage cans. I’m not sure what happened here and it may be that I thought I told her, but in reality I had told Rachel or the previous wedding coordinator. Either way, I feel like she should have stuck around until the last person was out the door.
Chaplain Larry Todd – A++++
I cannot say enough nice things about Chaplain Larry. He had married a friend of mine and within a few minutes of our first meeting I knew he was perfect. We wanted a ceremony that still reflected that our marriage was a holy union without it being overly religious and he delivered just what we asked. We received a ton of compliments about how well he handled the service and the nice moments of laughter that occurred during the ceremony. If you are looking for a comforting, fun, and entertaining but appropriate ceremony, Chaplain Larry is your guy!
Blackerby Photography – A+++
I came across Blackerby Photography via the DFW Knot boards and I am so happy that I did! When this all started, I was not someone who liked getting their picture taken and Sean & Crystal were able to change that. We did an engagement shoot with them and it was soooo much fun. They know how to put you at ease and their work speaks for itself. For the wedding, it was pleasant to see they were already at the venue when the bridal party arrived. They were taking shots of everything; the tables, the décor, the super-fun kids table, flowers, the venue, etc. When we were ready to get dressed, Crystal was there to snap some shots of us getting ready. She also took time out to get photos of our rings and the little details that made the day special. We did shots beforehand with the ladies in the bridal party while the guys were inside getting dressed (which Sean captured some pics of) and then they made sure I was tucked away before getting shots of the men in the bridal party. During the ceremony I know they were there taking pictures, but they weren’t obtrusive and I hardly noticed them. After the ceremony, they did a wonderful job corralling everyone for the group shots. We took a few minutes to get shots of just the groom and me as well. During the reception, I felt like they were in all the right spots capturing pictures. I cannot wait to see the end result!
Max Photography – A+
We used Max Photography for their photo booth after they were running a special on Groupon. It was one of the few things my husband insisted on so I was so happy to make it happen. Max Photography was also at the venue and set up before the bridal party arrived. They brought a box of fun props for people to use and there was almost always a line to get in. We also opted for them to bring a memory book for people to leave a strip of their photos and write in some notes for us. I’ve looked at it and the pictures they’ve posted on Facebook and I am so glad we did the photo booth. It was a huge hit!
Keep Austin Gorgeous – A
During my trial with KAG, I knew right away that I’d love the makeup. It felt like a lot since I don’t normally wear a lot of makeup, but it photographed so beautifully during our engagement pics. Alonda is truly a wonderful makeup artist and a perfectionist, so I really felt like she was taking her time to get it right and not rushing through to get to her next client. Brizy did my hair. During my trial, I wasn’t so sure about the half up/half down style we went for. After thinking about it, when the big day came, I showed her a picture of an up-do and the headband I purchased and she was able to make my fine fine hair have plenty of body and it looked gorgeous! I was so happy with her services. The up-do ended up looking very romantic and was perfectly appropriate for my dress and our wedding venue. My only complaint is that they had a lot of clients there on the day I was there and they ended up getting us done about 30 minutes later than we had anticipated. I had told them we needed to be out of there by 3:15 and they were just starting on one of my bridesmaid’s makeup and one of the flower girl’s hair at 3:15. This made me a little tense because it put the rest of the schedule behind a little bit of the whole day, but it ended up not being that big of a deal.
Airwave Dave – C
We first met Dave at an open house at a different venue. We were really excited to book him because his personality seemed so great and just what we needed to get our crowd out of their seats. When we met with him a month before the wedding to turn in our ‘play’ and ‘do not play’ list, we had met him at a restaurant in which my husband and I were having dinner. When he arrived he ordered himself a tall Guinness and then ordered a meal. Right before the bill came, he said “let me tip the waitress” and handed her a $10 bill. $10 wasn’t enough to cover his meal & beer and wasn’t enough of a tip to cover the total that needed to be left for the waitress! When the bill came, he made no attempt to look at it, ask how much his portion was, or anything. It was extremely awkward, so I just paid the bill (and the additional tip) and we left. As far as the wedding day goes, he showed up on time and got set up. He played our ceremony music perfectly and even played piano during cocktail hour. During the reception he did a good job of keeping things going, played great music, but didn’t play everything on our play list and definitely played other songs we didn’t request. We did give him a really long play list though, so there was no way he would have fit all of the songs in. In hindsight we should have made a list of “absolute must play” songs. All in all, the reception music went really well and we received compliments from our guests about the song selections.
Culinary Delights – A+
Finding Culinary Delights was one of the best things we did for the wedding and it was at the suggestion of Rachel from BAE. Their pricing was pretty much the same as other caterers we met with, but it included 5 wait staff, real china & flatware, they brought their own buffet tables/linens, and even had a floral arrangement made for the buffet. They made sure that the groom and I were served so we didn’t wait in the buffet line with everyone else. The food was delicious and hot and we didn’t run out even with our families who love to eat. We also had Ronna coordinate our bartending service and the bartenders that showed up were professional and served everyone quickly so there were no long lines for our guests to get drinks. Since we used the caterer for bartending service, they also brought glassware for the drinks and no one had to drink their beer from a plastic cup. The catering staff was attentive and cleared tables quickly. At the end of the night they helped clean up and were out of the venue very timely. We’ve also received compliments from our guests about how good the food was and some guests inquired who we used because they were hoping to visit them. Too bad it’s a catering company & not a restaurant!
Nothing Bundt Cakes – A+
When looking for a wedding cake, we decided not to go the traditional route and opted for Bundt cakes instead. We attended the bridal extravaganza and Nothing Bundt Cakes had the moistest cake that was just the right amount of sweetness. Another plus was that when we went in to place our order, they gave us free delivery all the way from Cedar Park to downtown Austin! The cakes all arrived as ordered and we had plenty to go around. They were a big hit with our guests because there were so many flavors to choose from. I’m eating the left over cake that’s a week old and it’s still tasty!
Texas Choice – A+
We used Texas Choice for our rehearsal dinner gifts and wedding favors. The owner, Beth, took one of our engagement pictures and used it as well as the design off of our invitations to make a custom label for boxes which contained one of their super yummy chili mixes and one enchilada mix. She then put the box inside a very pretty see-thru bag in a chocolate brown (one of our wedding colors). We used this as a gift to everyone who attended the rehearsal dinner. For wedding favors, I purchased gable boxes and labels had them shipped directly to Beth and she assembled them with a package of their snack mix inside. We liked these products because they come from a small Texas owned business and gave our guests a little taste of Texas.
Central Market – A
We didn’t want to spend a ton of money on flowers since they don’t really last and they weren’t the most important thing to us. However, what Donna was able to put together with our very limited guidance was amazing. All of the flowers were fresh as though they were just picked and remained vibrant all night long (they're still alive & decorating our house a week later). They were delivered timely and all the pieces were complete and wonderful. The only downside to using Donna is that she doesn’t use email, so that can be a pain, but overall I don’t think you’ll find a better deal for the beautiful arrangements or great service!
Musical Chairs – A+
The table & chair rentals were delivered on time and Doug was so nice to deal with. I changed our order several times over the months of planning and they were able to get it right. When they delivered the tables & chairs they even spaced them out for us and pulled out the legs on the tables, which isn’t usually customary unless you pay for set up fees. When the coordinator told them the chairs were going outside for the ceremony, they quickly moved them all to that side of the ballroom; even though they tell you when they deliver them that they are just putting them right inside the delivery area. The pricing was also extremely competitive. I couldn’t find anyone who could meet the prices offered by Musical Chairs.
Beasley's Jewelry - A+++
My husband purchased my engagement ring from Beasley's. It is a family owned shop in Lewisville (where my hubbs is from). They did a wonderful job of taking the things he liked from several different rings and custom designing my ring. I could have never imagined anything like it and it is truly beautiful. Apparently they went back to the drawing board a couple of times before providing the finished product because the jeweler said "I wouldn't expect my daughter to wear that" about the first two rings! When it came time to purchase my husband's wedding band, he wanted something unique as well. His Dad had given him the wedding band that he was married with (he now wears another family heirloom) and my husband took it to Beasley's and once again went to work designing a custom ring for himself. They are wonderfully patient and will provide you their honest opinion. I loved that they provide you with great service and all at a great price.
Americus Diamond - A
While shopping for my wedding band, I kept running into a problem with how they fit against my engagement ring. Because of the way my engagement ring is designed, it was really difficult to find something that didn't hide completely underneath it. We went to Americus to look around and they had a pretty wide selection and are also in the process of having a sale to save their business, so needless to say, I found the perfect band that fits & compliments my engagement ring at a really good price. I'd highly suggest checking them out if you're in the market for any jewelry, not just wedding rings or bands.
David’s Bridal – (see below)
When looking for a wedding gown, I wasn’t the typical giddy or bridezilla bride. I had no idea what I wanted, so I tried on everything! For my wedding gown shopping experience I give them an A+. My consultant’s name is Molly and she used to work in the north Austin store, however she has since moved to the Waco store to be a manager. She was so nice and accommodating. She never once made me feel like I was demanding too much of her time or that I was being a pain by trying so much on. She made the experience pleasant and was very helpful. Where DB gets a definite D- is in the customer service department (at least for me once Molly was gone). When I picked up my gown they seemed appalled that I wasn’t getting it altered at the store. When we went back to look at shoes, no one wanted to help us and I actually ended up going in the back myself to hunt down different sizes than what was on display (also at the north store). We ordered flower girl dresses and they came in promptly, but when we dropped one of them off just to be steamed on the Tuesday before the wedding, they acted like it was such an inconvenience and they didn’t know if they could get it done by Friday (this was at the south Austin store). How long does it take to steam a small dress?! And this was after I already spoke to someone on the phone that said it was fine to drop it off on Tuesday! When my husband went back to pick it up, it hadn’t been done and he was told they “didn’t see it”. They were able to steam it after he told them how unhappy he was and he had to make a second trip back to pick it up. The only upside to it was that they didn’t charge him since they messed up. All in all, I’d say DB is a good place to shop for an affordable gown, but I wouldn’t go back there for anything else.
Al’s Formal Wear – A
We used Al’s Formal Wear to rent suits for all of the men in the bridal party. The consultant that helped us was really helpful in helping us decide on colors, etc. The prices were a little high, but the service was so much better than some of the other places we visited. All of the suits came in on time and only needed minor adjustments. We even returned three of them a day late and they didn’t charge us anything.
Charming Charlie – A
Oh my, what a dangerous store! Everything in it is so pretty and they have really reasonable prices. My Mom purchased all of my wedding day jewelry & a coordinating headband for me as well as jewelry we gave to the ladies in the bridal party as gifts. I think the headband we ended up opting for was a steal at only $14.95 compared to another store that I looked at where a similar one was $150! Honestly I didn’t care whether it was made with Swarovski crystals or not, so I was perfectly happy picking out things at Charming Charlie.
Embellish – A
We planned a ladies lunch and after lunch we visited Embellish for a little pampering. It was very easy to book our party and they were very accommodating and attentive to our group. We had so many ladies that we took up just about every comfy chair for pedicures. It was nice to go to a place that was quiet and serene and very concerned with hygiene. The pedicures were done with big copper bowls that are sanitized between clients and they use a new emery board & smoothing block for each client. The younger girls in our party were really excited to take their emery boards & smoothing blocks home. Even my Grandmother got in on the mani/pedi action. They served us all drinks and had M&Ms to munch on. I had a pedicure and the shellac manicure, which is still looking pretty flawless a week later.
Iron Cactus – A
My husband and I picked the restaurant and my Mother-in-law planned the rehearsal dinner. The Iron Cactus was ready for us even though we showed up about 15 minutes early. We had appetizers that included guacamole tostadas, chicken tortilla soup, chips, queso, & salsa. They took drink orders and got them out pretty promptly considering there were about 25 of us. For dinner we had an enchilada buffet that consisted of beef, chicken, and cheese enchiladas with rice & beans. I had the rice, beans, and beef & chicken enchiladas and it was all really good. The beef enchiladas were quite a bit spicy, but still really good. For dessert we had chocolate mousse, tres leches cake, flan, and cheesecake chimis. It was hard to believe that we didn’t hit the minimum for the use of the room, but the minimum at Iron Cactus was more reasonable than any of the other restaurants we considered.
Vistaprint – A
All things paper came from Vistaprint. We were very happy with the designs and the ease of their website. Everything came just as ordered and was shipped timely. For a budget conscious couple, Vistaprint is a life saver! We even got our save the date postcards free & had to just pay shipping.
Personalization Mall – A
The groom ordered personalized gifts for his Mom & Dad from PM. It was really easy to completely write your own words and the finished product turned out great. Shipping was also very prompt.
Exclusively Weddings – B
I ordered some picture frames for my Mom & Dad. Shipping was prompt, but when I received them, the glass was dirty. They were nice, but not as nice in person as they looked online. Since I had them personalized, there was no returning them and my parents seemed happy with them anyway, so all in all everything was okay.
Wedding Channel Store – B
We ordered groomsmen gifts from the Wedding Channel Store. The engraving both on the mugs and on the pocket watch we ordered was really hard to see. Also, the camo backpack we ordered for the ring bearer was much smaller than we expected. Everything arrived quickly though.
Waldorf Astoria Park City – A+
We stayed at the Waldorf Astoria in Park City, Utah for our honeymoon. If it weren’t for all of the points I had accumulated traveling for work, we would have never been able to stay here. I am so glad we opted for a snowy destination. The weather couldn’t have been more perfect and the hotel was beautiful. I can’t say enough to express how nice everyone at the hotel treated us. You could ask for almost anything and they’d accommodate you right away. We ordered room service on the last night of our stay and it was delicious (actually better than some of the fine-dining establishments we visited during the week). One of the days while my hubby was skiing, I went to the Golden Door Spa. It was quite the 6 hour experience that ended in a shower that had 16 shower jets, music, and mood lighting. Needless to say it was just what I needed to lift the stress of wedding planning! The only sad part was that the week went by too quickly and we had to come back home.