Vendor Reviews
Venue: Val Vista Lakes. http://www.vvlevents.com/ Rating: A
I had a fantastic experience with VVL. The coordinator Janet was on top of everything at every turn of the way. She took charge when she needed to, but when my day-of coordinator stepped in, she allowed her to take the reins, but stood by in case she was needed. She was very prompt in replying to e-mails, and was always very detail oriented. All in all- I had a great experience with them!
Dress Shop: Suzanne's Bridal. http://www.suzannesbridalboutique.com/ Rating: A
I feel that Suzanne's was exactly the type of bridal boutique that I was looking for. I like to be able to peruse for myself, and only want to be doted on when I ask for it. That is exactly what Suzanne's provided for me. They did not pressure me into dresses that were out of my price range, but Suzanne also gave me honest feedback when she felt it. I ended up buying a dress off the rack, and had about 5 subsequent fitting appointments. The girls always respected me and made me feel good about myself. For a small, independently run boutique- I had such a great experience.
Caterer: Fat Freddy's Catering. http://fatfreddyscatering.com/ Rating: B+
These guys really know what they're doing. They are professional and give a very high quality service. Their food was also great. I had Chicken Rosetta, which is similar to a Chicken a la Vodka pasta. Sooooo good! Their marina chicken was just OK. All of the servers were really on their game and were very attentive! In fact, they were a little too attentive at times. The only reason I gave them a B+ instead of an A is because several of my guests commented that the servers started clearing away unfinished bar drinks preemptively. Now yes, it was an open bar. But still- what a waste! But other than that one small thing- Fat Freddy's was fantastic and I do recommend them!
Florist: Petals and Lucy. http://www.petalsandlucy.net/# Rating: A+
Trish truly blew me away with her amazing arrangements. When I first met Trish, I knew that it would be a hit. She just “got me”. She really seemed to grasp the feel I was going for with my ceremony and reception. I also loved that she guaranteed she would text me a photo of my bouquet the day-of, just to make sure it was right. Then when the day-of arrived... everything was perfect. She stayed at my venue several hours to make sure everything was set up perfectly and that all of the groomsmen had their boutonnieres on correctly. Since I was “out of sight” the whole time- I thought she must have left- but then after several hours she emerged and told me everything was looking great. What a surprise! Trish is a true professional and I highly recommend her!
Photographer: Drew Brashler. http://www.brashlerphoto.com/ Rating: ??
Drew was awesome to work with. Once I have a result of his work- I will give you a rating. But I will say preemptively that he was very early going- never pushy, but still told you what would make for a great photo. I really look forward to seeing the outcome. More to come...
DJ: Jeremy at Ray the DJ. http://www.raythedj.com/ Rating: A+
I really can't say enough good things about Jeremy. When Jon and I met with Jeremy- we had some very specific requests for our music choice. We wanted to focus primarily on 60's, 70's, and 80's, and wanted to veer away from any top 40. My husband and I prefer rock, punk and old school country music and were very deliberate in our requests. I must say- Jeremy carried our crowd like it was a piece of cake. I got SO MANY complements on the music! Jeremy was a joy to work with and a lot of fun too!
Bartender: Hey Bartender! http://www.heybartender-az.com/ Rating: A
We got two bartenders from Hey Bartender! and went with their bronze package. Some guys arrived early to drop off all the alcohol and supplies, then the bartenders showed up about an hour before they were to start pouring. They arrived looking clean and professional and did a great job all evening! I would use Hey Bartender! again.
Dessert: Our Lady of Cupcakes. http://www.ourladyofcupcakes.com/ Rating: A
We got assorted cupcakes through Our Lady of Cupcakes. They are a small independent company, and their cupcakes are amazing! We got so many compliments from our guests on how good they were and where they could order some for themselves. Katie and Lisa came early to set everything up and the display looked beautiful! I will definitely order through them for any and all cupcake needs I have!
Hair: Rumors Salon. http://www.rumorssalonaz.com/ Rating: A+
I had my hair done by Shannon at Rumors and she was fantastic. I had a trial with her a week and a half before the wedding and she was very attentive- asked me a lot of questions about what I liked and didn’t like about my up-do. The day of my wedding she was very calm and worked with precision. My bridesmaids had their hair done by Lela, Dustin, and Lauren, and everyone looked great! We even got done early!
Makeup: Haley Irene. http://www.haleyirene.com/ Rating: A+
Haley did such a wonderful job on my makeup. I had a trial with her on the same day as my trial up-do. She airbrushed me, then was very meticulous with my makeup- making sure that I liked everything she was doing. She asked a lot of questions and seemed very at ease. On the day of my wedding she came to my venue to do mine and my bridesmaids’ makeup. Everyone was so happy with their looks!
Tuxes: Mr. Formal. http://mrformaltuxedos.com/ Rating: B
My husband and his groomsmen got their tuxes from Mr. Formal. He commented that the sales people there seemed very knowledgeable and helpful. The reason I gave them a B is because they didn’t seem to have a very wide selection. I really wanted the groomsmen to wear dark navy blue tuxes, which we were told they didn’t have and couldn’t get. I don’t think this to be a ridiculous request. They also gave my dad a hard time when he called to order a vest for his tux, but that was straightened up shortly when I spoke with them.