My husband and I live in New Jersey. Part of my family is in Bossier CIty and the other part is in New Orleans so it was a partial destination wedding for us. It was an almost perfect day and we were lucky to have hired some pretty amazing vendors. If you have more specific questions please feel free to send me a personal message.
Wedding Planner: (A+++) Gala Productions based in Baton Rouge, LA. www.imaginegala.com/ is owned and run by Stacy Parker. Stacy and her assistant Darby were amazing. Hiring them was by far THE BEST decision I made in the planning process. I interviewed around 8 different planners via telephone before deciding on Stacy. Stacy’s prices were really reasonable, she was willing to customize a package for me, and most importantly… I really enjoyed talking with her and felt comfortable sharing my thoughts and ideas with her. We hired Stacy after most of our bigger vendors were already booked so we went with a "month of" type of package but Stacy started helping immediately (about 10months before the wedding!) She dispensed countless hours of helpful advice, managed our budget, and helped to secure the remaining vendors. Anytime I started to feel overwhelmed by something my fiancé would say "What does Stacy think?" and as soon as I would call her she would put my mind at ease. She was decisive and no-nonsense when necessary which is ESSENTIAL for an indecisive procrastinator like myself... but also calming, kind, and gentle. At the rehearsal and wedding she attended to every detail, handled hiccups and road bumps discreetly and with grace, and everything looked AMAZING! We ran ahead of schedule, ate a FULL PLATE OF FOOD, had all the time to take care of necessary business but enjoy the party, and everything felt like it flowed smoothly and seamlessly. In addition, she was fun to work with and seemed to really enjoy the wedding herself! I can't say enough wonderful things about her. I recommend her whole-heartedly and am sad I don't have a reason to visit with her anymore! 
Venue: (A) The Foundry www.thefoundryvenue.com/ We chose The Foundry with a few criteria in mind: We wanted a more rustic looking venue that didn't require a ton of decor to achieve the feel we were going for, we wanted a "warm" and cozy feel but also needed to accommodate a large number of guests. I wanted space for the ceremony and reception at the same place but in different, defined spaces. I wanted to have room for each guest to be seated for dinner, but also have a band, dance floor, and bar all in one space. I didn't like the places where everyone was broken up in different rooms. The Foundry met all of these criteria and more. We ended up having 150 guests in attendance. The ceremony space was beautiful and separated from the reception space by a curtain of Christmas lights and some vintage barrels. The receptions space was also beautiful and there was plenty of room for seating for everyone with a large dance floor. We used the onsite catering, Bella Luna, and got rave reviews on the food. We also used the onsite catering for our cake and it was AMAZING! More on that later. It was nice to be able to have a "one stop shop" for the most part. The only downside, I would say, is that the lady who initially "sold" us on the place wasn't that honest in her representations of what they would provide in terms of services and help. She indicated plainly and repeatedly that a cake was included, some decor was included such as paper lanterns, white and black house linens were included and to the floor, etc. A cake is NOT included, they did NOT have paper lanterns for us to use, and the black linens were to the floor... not the white. This is just to name of few of the inconsistencies. She also said she would be available to answer ANY questions we would have and did this all the time and would be so helpful. Well... each question I emailed her came back with a reply in the line of "It's personal preference. You need to come in and see/measure/etc." or she suggested that I hire a wedding planner to help me with said question. NOT HELPFUL for an out of town bride. To be fair, the contract did not state that any of the "included" items were included and even though I thought I read it carefully, it was an overwhelming day and I missed it. To make a long story short, she "sold" us but wasn't honest. She also no longer works there. She left about 3 months before our wedding. The new event coordinator, Julie, is very nice, very responsive, and very helpful. By the time Julie started I had already hired our wedding planner, Stacy. Stacy indicated that she found Julie and staff very easy to work with as well. I still have a little bad taste in my mouth after my initial experience with the first coordinator but I wouldn't expect it to affect future brides. In the end the wedding was everything I hoped for and envisioned and the staff the night of the reception were all wonderful including bar tenders (there are two bars) and servers. The lady that served my husband and me all night was the nicest, happiest person I have ever met!
Catering/Wedding Cake: (A+) Bella Luna Catering This is the onsite catering for the venue. They are also associated with Middendorf’s restaurant. The food was UNBELIEVABLE! We didn’t get to do a tasting so we just chose things blindly. We went with more traditional Louisiana food instead of “wedding food” and it was all delicious. We went with one of the cheaper menus and it was still one of the best meals I’ve ever had. Half of our guests are locals and even they loved the gumbo! The biggest regret of my wedding day is that I didn’t get to eat more cake! The cake was awesome. We went with a traditional almond genoise wedding cake with fresh sliced Ponchatoula strawberries and butter cream frosting. I could have eaten an entire layer myself! Robyn was in charge of the cake as well as the catering and she really did a fabulous job. I sent her a picture of a couple of cake styles that I liked and she made it happen beautifully.
Groom’s Cake: (A) Creative Cakes Bakery The grooms cake was a little bit of a struggle. It was supposed to look like a record of my husband’s favorite band. The person that wrote out the order evidently messed up so when my aunt picked it up, we had a child’s circus birthday cake with the band logo on the top??? The bakery was very apologetic and took it back and at least changed the frosting on the perimeter to be more “groomy.” It still didn’t look like a record but the band’s logo was perfect and it was a delicious cake. My husband was so surprised and loved it. They also gave us 20% off because of the inconvenience.
Band: (A+++) Louisiana Spice These guys were AMAZING! We wanted a band that could play a wide range of songs including some of the more current popular dance songs but also had a horn section and could do the more traditional Louisiana stuff. This band absolutely made our reception. They were in complete control of our guests and had everyone on the dance floor all night long. Everyone from my grandparents to my college age cousins and guests loved the music. They were so professional to work with, very quick to respond to emails and very accommodating in song selection. They wear really cool suits and have a nice set up with lights and banners. They really just put on a nice show. On top of that, they sound awesome and never miss a note. My husband’s family is full of professional musicians and even they were super impressed. You absolutely can’t go wrong with these guys.
Ceremony Music: (A+) Fine Arts Ensemble http://fineartsensemble.com/ This was a last minute booking. We had planned on doing an IPod to save money but when we were under budget, we sprang for a solo Cello for the ceremony music. Gotta stay classy J Dimitri was very easy to work with and did a great job. It gave the ceremony the soft and romantic feel we wanted.
Flowers: (A) Fleur Du Jour Lani and staff did a fabulous job with almost no direction from me. I gave her a budget and the feel that I was going for with a few picture suggestions of things that I like and let her run with it. My bouquet was so beautiful and different as were the bridesmaids bouquets. The ceremony and reception flowers were better than I dreamed and she really hit the nail on the head. I had no headaches whatsoever in regards to flowers.
Photography: (A+) Steve Randon Photography Steve was super easy and nice to work with. We haven’t seen the pictures yet but if they are half as good as what we saw in the booking process, we’ll be thrilled. He was professional and quick. He got things done and had some cool ideas for extra photos of me and my groom during the reception. He was great about being there but not being too in your face and just blending in with the party. My husband was also really positive about his experience with him. Great experience.
Videography: (A++) Lipari Films http://liparifilms.com/ Again, we haven’t seen the video yet but I have 100% confidence that it will be perfect. Damon was so so nice to work with. I was worried about feeling uncomfortable with a video camera around but he put me at ease immediately. He was so genuinely kind and excited for us and just so easy to be around. He also did a great job at blending into what was going on around us so I never felt awkward or on display. He was also really receptive to our preferences on music and such for the video. I can’t wait to see the final results!
Transportation: (A) Limousine Livery www.limolivery.com/
Very easy to work with and affordable. We used two mini buses for guest transport to and from the venue as well as a vintage Rolls Royce for my husband and me as a getaway car. They gave us a great deal and came in way under budget. The drivers were on time and friendly and the cars were clean and perfect!
Mule & Buggy:(A) Royal Carriages I am definitely not a Cinderella type and I didn’t want anything too stuffy. The wedding party and me and my dad took the French Quarter mule and buggies from the hotel to the venue. I met some resistance from outside sources when I mentioned I wanted to do this. Most of the resistance came in the form of people worrying about temperature, humidity, cleanliness, etc however, I am so glad we did it anyway. It was so much fun and really got everyone in the mood for our wedding. People on the streets were so excited when they saw us and waved, called out nice things, and even through us beads. It was so much fun! I had a big 8 person carriage for the wedding party and a smaller 4 seater for me and my dad. It was a great opportunity for my Dad and I to have a few moments together amidst the craziness of the day as well. As a bonus, the weather was beautiful!
Hotel Block: (A) Royal Sonesta We worked with Amanda Moity in the events office. She was so great to work with. She handled any problems that arose without hassle or hesitation. She arranged for us to be able to stay in the suite an extra night at a normal room rate and she comped the groom’s room as well. The front desk wasn’t always very easy to deal with but Amanda could fix any problems they created. She was also very available and quick to respond to email. The rooms were beautiful. The hotel was perfect for all of our out of town guests. The location is perfect and the jazz club inside was a great place for everyone to hang out earlier in the week. Our older guests especially liked that they didn’t have to go far to get a good meal and good music if they didn’t feel like leaving the hotel. We also had a brunch in the jazz club the morning after the wedding and Wyatt did a great job at putting everything together really nicely. The food was great, a really wide selection, and the service was professional and nice as well.
Rehearsal Dinner: (A++) Ralph and Kacoos The staff at Ralph and Kacoos was so easy to work with. They were very accommodating in regards to menu planning. The food was so so delicious. They gave us a group of servers who were solely dedicated to our room and they had a ton of personality. Everyone working at the restaurant that night knew who we were and were outwardly interested in ensuring that we and our guests had a great experience. To be honest, it was above and beyond what I expected from a restaurant. I knew I loved that place for a reason! J
Guest Sign In Painting: (A+) Trevor Scott www.trevorscottartist.com We couldn’t find anything we loved for a sign in book, poster, etc. I love to walk around Jackson Square and have purchased several pieces of art from the street artists in the square over the years. We decided to wing it and see if we could find something cool on the street for people to sign. We ended up finding a guy who painted a really cool street scene of a second line parade and a building for us. He painted it the morning of our wedding and my fiancé picked it up right before he got dressed! It turned out awesome! I’ll try to attach a cell phone picture of it until we get the professional pictures. Trevor was so nice and worked so hard to give us exactly what we wanted. He was a great find!
Second Line Handkies (A) Szabos www.szabospartysupplies.com Quick turnaround, easy to work with, affordable, great product. This is also a family owned and run business, which I love.
Wedding Dress: (A+) Mae Me Bridal Boutique All around great experience. The dress was easy to find and exactly what I envisioned at a great price. The staff makes it feel like shopping with your girlfriends instead of being pushed by someone you can’t trust like in other shops. I also ended up getting some of the bridesmaid dresses here as well in addition to my veil, accessories, shoes, cake topper, AND cake knife and toasting flutes.
Make Up: (A+++) Katie Malone Cosmetics Katie was so nice to be with and really ended up being the show stopper! She came to the hotel and took her time with each of us. She is like a magician! We all looked and felt so beautiful after she finished up with us. She would ask each of us what look we were going for and then proceeded to make it happen! There was even a little bit of drama that led to tension in the bridal suite for a little bit of the get ready time and she hadled it like a pro and was the key in getting everyone back focused and in the right mood. She also did a spray tan on me and two of the bridesmaids a few days before the wedding. I was nervous about the spray tan b/c I've never had one before and it seemed like a risk right before the wedding but she promised that it would look natural and wouldn't run off onto my gown. She was right and I looked and felt great!
Photobooth: (A++) Mobile Memories Photobooth www.mobilememoriesbooth.com Oh my goodness! I'm so glad we decided to do this. We didn't book it until 2 weeks before the wedding b/c I wasn't sure if it was worth spending the money or if it would just be a distraction but I took the advice of Stacy and a couple of friends and I am so glad! This was a blast and we left the wedding with the album and a jump drive of all of the pictures. They were so funny to look at and we are able to have photos of alot of our guests that probably wouldn't have been included in the photographers photos. The two attendants were really nice and helpful and the booth itself was easy to use and produced really high quality pictures! I chose this company because you got more for your money and am really happy with our choice. I would definitely recommend them!
Again, if anyone has any questions send me a message! Happy Weddinging!