Like many others The Knot was such a big help to me during my planning process. As an out of town bride who was constantly combing this board for tips I wanted to be sure I took the time to write reviews for each of my vendors. We had such an amazing wedding. I cannot say enough about having a destination wedding in New Orleans. It was the perfect location and our guests had a blast!
Just a little background…my wedding was March 9 and we had a daytime ceremony and brunch reception. I did most of my vendor research on The Knot and almost all of my planning was done via email.
Ceremony and Reception Venue (as well as catering): Latrobes - A
Latrobe’s Coordinator: Milli Adler (started the process with us) & Rylan Domingue (finalized details month prior and there day of) - C
Latrobe's is a truly beautiful wedding venue located right in the heart of the French Quarter. As an out of town bride I wanted a place that had an authentic New Orleans feel that also offered a menu reflective of the local cuisine. I found all of this with the Latrobe's . They were even willing to work with me on my budget given that I was open to considering a Saturday brunch event. That is about the point at which my good review of Latrobe's ends. I will preface this by saying that I work in the hospitality industry as a Catering professional and deal with brides on a regular basis. That being said I went into the experience expecting to be treated well but also understanding that it is a busy industry which demands a lot of those who work in it. The problems began almost immediately after we first visited the venue in June 2012. It took us almost 3 weeks before we could even get someone to send us a contract and confirm the available dates.
All through the planning process (which mind you was only about 3 or 4 times that I tried to contact them) Latrobe’s was slow to respond or would not respond to me at all. Rather than apologize for a lack of communication I was always given an excuse that the internet in New Orleans is unreliable. I never received an apology or really felt there was any sympathy for the frustration I felt. I understand that things are “slower in the south” and that’s just a way of life but a certain level of professionalism should be expected regardless of whether it’s the south or not.
I could continue to go on about how disappointed I was in the experience but I will wrap it up like this. I am convinced that the main reason my wedding day was as spectacular as it was is because I am a planner, I knew what I was doing and I took the necessary steps to make sure that my day went the way I had envisioned. If you are a bride that needs assistance and is looking for support through the process, I caution you against using Latrobe's. The venue is beautiful, the food is great, your guests will have a blast, but if you want to feel like a bride, if you want to feel special, find a venue that truly makes you feel that way. I didn't need much, I knew what I was doing, and what I got was next to nothing. I got the "privilege" of paying to have my wedding at Latrobe's on Royal.
Photographer: Gabby Chapin of G. Chapin Studios - A++
Gabby was by far my favorite vendor of all. I cannot say enough wonderful things about her. I contacted Gabby after my original photographer was unable to shoot our wedding because she found out she was due around the time of my wedding. From my first contact with Gabby she was friendly, responsive and extremely helpful. She was in the process of getting married herself which I think gives her a special insight into the whole process. Being an out of town bride it was hard to make decisions without having actual meetings with vendors but I could read Gabby's personality through her emails and knew that I had made a great choice. She is laid back but professional and creative. I have had my online gallery for a few weeks now, just waiting on the digital files and I am extremely pleased with the results.
Pictures were not a huge concern for me (which I'm sure is not what any photographer wants to hear) so I was hoping to find someone that did great work but was also affordable. Hiring a photographer for $3,000 was not something I could stomach. Gabby appreciates that her clients are on a budget but looking for quality work and prices her services accordingly.
I think what struck me the most is that you could tell she genuinely cared. I would get emails out of the blue just checking in to see how I was doing. No other vendor I worked with gave me that amount of personal attention. While it was not something I needed or expected, it was an unexpected surprise.
I truly enjoyed working with Gabby, I would highly recommend her to anyone and I would be more than happy to answer any questions or share any additional information about what it was like to work with her.
Ceremony Musicians, Reception Music and Second Line Band: Dr. Jazz - A++
Dr. Jazz (Russell) was great to work with from the moment we first contacted him through the day of our wedding. He was quick to respond to emails and always able to accommodate my changes and requests. He is extremely friendly and helpful. I think it is great that the band is formed of a group of gentleman that play weddings as a hobby. They truly have a passion for music and it shows.
On our wedding day they were a great! They got the guests up and dancing, played all the songs we had requested and lead an incredible second line parade. They even wrote a song for us!
To top off the day they lead our second line parade through the French Quarter, down Bourbon Street and marched right into Pat O'Brien’s courtyard. It was the perfect ending to an incredible wedding. After our wedding Russell sent me a note thanking me for allowing them to be a part of our wedding. It was a great personal touch, one that I truly appreciate it. It was a blast having them as part of our wedding day and I would definitely recommend them to any bride.
Side note – to any bride who is on the fence about a second line parade in general (I definitely was) it was the absolute best part of my wedding day. I highly recommend it to anyone. I personally think it helped to have it at the end of the event when people were a little more comfortable (ie a little bit tipsy) but really this is a tradition that you should include if you can.
Hair: Just Face It, Angele - A
Angele was great. I had a trial run with her when I was in town last November and I showed her a picture and it came out perfectly. She was able to recreate the same look for me on the day of as well as help 2 of my bridesmaids, my mother-in-law and my husband’s aunt with ideas for their hair. My mother-in-law and husband’s aunt were sort of last minute additions, I added them a few weeks before, and Just Face It was able to accommodate without any problem. I was really happy with the way everyone looked and I have Angele to thank for that. She is such a sweet heart and was just so friendly during the whole thing.
Flowers: Christina O’Malley - B
Christina was extremely easy to work with. As an out of town bride it was essential for me to find vendors that were able to communicate with me via email primarily. Christina created my initial proposal and we used that as a "talking" document to make changes, ask questions and finalize my floral order. This was a great process. Having a little bit of knowledge of flowers I knew almost exactly what I wanted. Christina was able to deliver. I was very happy with how all the flowers turned out. I think flowers in general are ridiculously overpriced and I felt the same about my flowers. What I got for the money I paid seems silly, I was a bit disappointed in the floral centerpieces which were simple but I felt skimped on and the bridesmaids bouquets which I had selected less expensive flowers but seemed sort of small considering the cost. Aside from that, Christina gave me exactly what I was expecting and for a very reasonable price. She was quick to respond and always let me know if she wasn't going to be able to be in contact quickly. I would recommend her to any bride that is on a tight budget and that flowers are not a top priority for.
Cupcakes: The Kupcake Factory - A
Kupcake Factory has a wide selection of really good cupcakes. The cake is moist and the designs are unique. You have the option to customize a design which I chose not to do but it’s good to have options. The flavors we chose were red velvet, goin' bananas and key lime pie. The banana cupcake was the best by far! It was a bit confusing to finalize the order with Kupcake Factory because I felt like I was talking to a different person every time. If you are thinking of using them I recommend asking to speak with Claudia, the owner, directly. I would definitely recommend them to any bride who wants to have cupcakes rather than cake for her wedding.
Rehearsal Dinner: Vacherie - A-
We contacted Vacherie to have our rehearsal dinner at the restaurant but the minimum they were requesting was outside of our budget given the number of guests we were anticipating. When I mentioned this to Claire she offered us the option to have the restaurant cater but have our dinner at Café Conti which worked out perfectly because our main block of rooms was at the Prince Conti Hotel. The staff was fabulous, the only reason I give them an A- is that the food was hit or miss, the gumbo was phenomenal but the fish entrée I had was not that good and the bread budding was a little too heavy on the whiskey. We were well taken care of and everyone enjoyed themselves so all in all I was really happy with them.
Room Blocks: Prince Conti – A+
Inn on Bourbon (I believe this is now a Sheraton) and Royal St. Charles
I really can’t say anything about the Inn on Bourbon because I think only one guest stayed there. The Royal St. Charles just completed a much needed renovation and I heard good things from those staying there but again can’t really comment.
I stayed and the Prince Conti Hotel and the majority of my guests did as well. The staff there are friendly, helpful and really did their all to make our stay wonderful. They took great care of us and my family and I really appreciated the extra attention. They have larger suites which really are like miniature apartments that have small courtyards attached to them. This was a great space for the bridal suite because it gave enough room for all the girls to get ready in the morning and then we had the courtyard for our first look and some of the bridal party pictures. There is a large conference table that seats 10 and a full kitchen in the suite in addition to an area with a couch and the king bedroom. The suite is HUGE! The courtyard is small though, so even with our small bridal party (6 + us) it was tight but it was a nice touch. I would definitely recommend the hotel as a room block and the suite for any brides.
Save the Date Postcards: vistaprint.com - A
Invitations: exclusivelyweddings.com – A
The paper products were not a top priority and I found both websites to be very helpful in creating nice but affordable invitations and save the dates. Exclusivelyweddings.com especially because they have a design department that will send you a proof before it goes to print and you can make adjustments as many times as needed before approving the final order. Definitely a good choice for the budget bride who isn’t looking for full blown stationery.
Second Line Hankies: Szabos – A
Easy to order, several different options to choose from and they were a good size. Again not a top priority for us but we used these as our favors and handed them to guests as they left our reception for the second line parade.
It was an incredible day and I am so thankful to all the people I work with. I hope these help future brides. Happy planning everyone!