Hi girls! I haven't been on here in ages, but I didn't want to forget some additional reviews from my April 2011 wedding.
Reception - The Merion - Cinnaminson, NJ, www.themerion.comThe Merion was amazing in every way. I had Stephanie as my coordinator, and she did a fantastic job. She was constantly checking in with me, would answer my questions promptly, and was extremely helpful the day-of. The food was fantastic, and I am still getting compliments on how amazing the food was. Their signature is a huge cocktail hour and a huge dessert hour, along with a sit down meal. No one went home hungry. Sometimes people on the South Jersey boards complain about them being a wedding factory, but I did not get that feel. There were 3 other weddings there that night, and I did not see any other brides, or even hear the other weddings. I was sick with bronchitis on my wedding day, and the maitre'd was fantastic - constantly checking in with me and bringing me tea and honey. We had some issues with the florist, so the Merion stepped up and did all of the arranging of the flowers (even though that was the florist's job). They get an A+!
Music - Band - Alive N Kickin,
http://www.alive-n-kickin.com/When Alive N Kickin was performing, they were amazing. They had a nice combination of fast and slow, old and new. They really kept people on the dance floor, which I thought was great. I have 2 complaints - the first is that they spent a LOT of time taking breaks, and filling that time with a CD. I can understand the dinner break and a few short breaks, but it was definitely noticeable when they were not out there. My second complaint is that Pepe, the lead singer, dedicated a song to the NY Yankees. My whole family are huge Mets fans, so that didn't make sense, and in fact made my dad really angry!! I think he should have checked with us before dedicating any songs to any sports teams. Not a big deal to me, but my dad was visibly upset. Overall, they did a good job. I think if there was more clarity about how much time they needed for breaks, that would have been better.
Attire - Tuxedos - Men's Wearhouse, Freehold, NJ
Men's Wearhouse was an okay experience. They were very nice when we went in to talk about what we were interested. However, problems arose at the time of pick up. They gave one groomsman a shirt that was way too small,another groomsman a shirt that was stained, and did not have the vest and tie for my dad when he went to pick it up (they had to rush it, and he had to pick it up the morning of the wedding). One groomsman ended up with a jacket that was missing a button. At the end of the day it all worked out, but there seemed to be a lot of missteps on the pick up.
I know I will have more (photog and video), and will get those in once I get my albums/video!