It's been 4 months since I got married to my amazing husband! I should have posted my vendor reviews a long time ago but there was too much going on and now I finally have the time. So, here we go!
Wedding Gown & Bridesmaids dresses: Bridal Galleria- I couldn't have wished for a better experience! Before visiting Bridal Galleria I'd been to a few other places and wasn't impressed in the slightest. The boutique contained beautiful designers with so many dresses to choose from. It's not an overwhelming experience when you walk into the bridal section, like many stores are. The employees are so kind and offered help when needed. I tried on just a few dresses before I selected "the one." My fittings went perfectly and my dress was stunning when I picked it up before my big day! They will press your dress for free the first time and it's an additional $50 each time after. I had mine pressed for my bridal portrait and a second time for the wedding. They also offered me a credit towards anything else in the store. I put my credit towards a hair piece I wore with my veil. Honestly, I can't say enough good things about my experience with Bridal Galleria.
Tuxedos: Men's Wearhouse- Easy, quick, and sharp! Prices weren't bad and it was the best option for us as all of our groomsmen were from out of town. Thousands of locations made for easy pick ups and drop offs. The guys looked so handsome!
Caterer: Heavenly Gourmet- Where do I start? Again, I can't say enough positive comments about Loretta and Perla. They were such an amazing team and accommodated my every wish, even when I decided to select off the menu items. Not only was the food plated in a beautiful way but it was so delicious that many of our guests asked for seconds! Our food was hot as it reached the tables and I don't recall anyone with empty glasses throughout the night. Many comments were given about how filling and yummy the dinner was. I was very particular in selecting meal choices that would leave our guests feeling full and satisfied rather than leaving them hungry due to a small but "pretty" dinner.
Cake: Creations Cakes- One of my favorite parts of the night was cutting into the cake! Our five tier cake Champagne and Strawberry cake was to die for! I first sampled their cakes at a wedding show when I got engaged. The second time I went to the Bridal Extravaganza I hunted Creations Cake down until I found them. I hadn't forgotten how delicious this specialty cake was and I knew it was exactly what I wanted! Again, many of our guests complimented how beautiful the cake was decorated and how scrumptious it tasted! Not to mention the generous portion each guest was given! Susie was amazing and created my every wish for my cake!
Reception Venue: La Orilla Del Rio- Without being decorated or having candles lit this place is breathtaking in itself. When I first visited La Orilla Del Rio I felt as if I was in a high-rise in Manhattan. The floor-to-ceiling windows were so beautiful and it ended up looking more than spectacular when it was all said and done. There was definitely love in the air that night and everyone present could feel it, too. Mauro, who is the point of contact was great to work with. He allowed us to come in and set up a few days before our wedding took place. He also allowed our vendors to set up as early as they wanted to with very little restrictions. Mauro had his team add flameless candles on the window seals which made for an incredibly romantic feel, which was exactly what I wanted. Our family and friends are still talking about how beautiful the venue was.
DJ: I decided to use the DJ from my friend's wedding. He did a great job at her wedding and always kept the dance floor packed! While he didn't use most of the songs from my playlist as I requested I was still happy to see our dance floor fully occupied! Our guests were shaking and moving to the songs and seemed to really enjoy themselves!
Linens: Affordable Elegance- Carmen was a joy to work with and she didn't even mind the many trips to her store! I changed my mind on the linens for the specialty tables a few times but in the end it worked out perfectly and matched my color scheme to the T! Her linens were delivered and set up the day before our wedding and were wrinkle and crease free. She set up our napkins on each place setting perfectly! Not only were her prices great but the service was just as excellent.
Florist: Budget Bridal- Jennifer did an amazing job and made my bouquet look exactly the way I wanted. She used the exact shades and flowers I asked for and not one was wilted or anything. All of our bouquets, boutonnieres, corsages, and centerpieces were arranged beautifully. We received many compliments on all of the flowers and candle scapes on the tables. The only thing I would have asked for would have been floating candles instead of floating tea lights. The teas lights were so easy to burn out and were also a bit small for the vases. Still, they served their purpose and looked great! I choose a floral arrangement for half of the tables and a cluster of 9 clear square vases in various sizes with floating candles on the other half of the tables. They were amazing!
Dance floor/chairs: Absolute Rentals- We ordered black padded folding chairs and a dance floor from Absolute Rentals. The chairs were much more comfortable than the chairs our reception venue offered to us for free and looked a lot nicer, too. Our dance floor was the perfect size and never empty!
Mariachi- I don't have the name of who we used but I can certainly get it for anyone who might be interested. All I can say is this was no ordinary mariachi group. Yes, they played extremely well but they seemed like more of a lively performance group which added such fun during dinner. Our guests sat and ate while the mariachi group "WOWED" us all. They even called us onto the dance floor to play our first dance song. Then they danced with my husband and I, twirled me around and even dipped me a few times. They went around the room playing numerous requests from the different tables and really provided our guests with a great deal of entertainment!
Hair: Hair Associates- all of the girls did a fabulous job on my hair and my bridesmaids! We told them what we wanted and they did just that in a flash! Knowing we had to be at the church my a certain time they made sure we occupied the first appointment slots of the day!
Favors: Los Cocos Bakery- My family has been going to them for years so naturally I didn't want anyone else to make the Mexican pastries for my wedding. I ordered 45 dozen Mexican wedding cookies and tons of my other favorites for our guests to snack on before dinner. I wasn't surprised by how delicious they were or how nicely they were plated! Super low prices for the best quality!!
Rehearsal Dinner: Texas Land & Cattle on Ih-10 West- This location was more than accommodating to us. We reserved a party room which was separated from the main dining room which allowed for a much more private environment. The events manager was great and super helpful. She worked with each and everything I asked of the restaurants from the appetizers to the dinner and drinks. We didn't have a time frame which was great so we didn't have to rush. The service was fast and everyone left full and happy!
Guest Accommodations: Hampton Inn Airport, St. Anthony downtown & Embassy Suits Riverwalk- We gave our guests plenty of options on where to stay and in a few price ranges so everyone could be comfortable with their hotel. I didn't hear any complaints from anyone about the location, rooms or prices.
Bride & Groom Accommodation: The Grand Hyatt downtown- Gorgeous hotel with a gorgeous view! My fiance too care of this part! We had an amazing room with an incredible room on the 16th floor overlooking downtown San Antonio and the Tower of the America's. We had champagne and fresh fruit already waiting in our room upon arrival.
Limo Services: Again, I don't have the name but I can get it for anyone interested. The driver showed up promptly to pick up my bridal party and I. He got us to the church on time and picked up my husband and I as soon as we finished taking pictures. He took us on a longer than usual route to get downtown which was really nice, especially since we had some lag time between our ceremony & reception. It was great to enjoy some one on one time together before the party began! We also had a getaway car to pick us up from the reception. The driver was so cool! He drove us around downtown and even gave us a tour. We're from San Antonio and got some great information that night that we didn't even know about.
We had such a beautiful day and enjoyed our wedding to the fullest! I hope my vendor reviews help all of you brides who are looking for various services! Good luck!