OK ladies, here they are. I put a lot of thought into this, so don't hate me because they are long. I tried to review everything wedding related (cause the wedding is over but I still don't want to leave TheKnot! LOL)
Officiant –-> Sean Alexander --> D
I chose this officiant because someone had recommended him on The Knot, he was recommended by my venue, and he had performed the ceremony for our coordinator who got married this past November. I figured that was enough. We wanted a male officiant and we don’t attend church, so this was as good as any other guess.
Mr. Alexander (the reverend, Dr. Sean, I was never sure how to address him), came to our place and had a lengthy meeting to get to know us and go over the ceremony details. This was all fine, but he didn’t give us a chance to say “we’ll call you” like you do with other “vendors”. He basically hired himself on the spot and asked for half the payment. I would know… I had to sign for my credit card on his iPhone with my finger! He also scheduled our wedding on his Google calendar and synched it into my fiancé’s. Fine, welcome to 2012. He asked very uncomfortable questions about how much money we made and he kinda bases his rate on that….. By the way, he also flinched at the fact that my parents are divorced and made me feel like crap. Like it is my fault, sh*t happens, I’m sure more people are divorced than just them, that does not mean I’m not ready or worth it for marriage.
Once my FI and I finished working on the ceremony (which by the way, although fun, takes forever), I emailed him to let him know we had the first draft. He was supposed to send this back with any comments or changes and we had to approve those. Well, that process took over two weeks, never mind that the wedding was three weeks away. After being so technology-forward in our first meeting, he then kept claiming that I must be emailing the wrong address, that he never got the email, that I must have done it wrong. Yeah, thanks for putting all the blame on me, I was replying to his emails so no way I got the address wrong. Basically, his communication skills were lacking to say the least. When I finally left a not so nice voicemail, he called back and it was all sorted out in two days. Uncomfortable.
The day of the ceremony is what makes me say “PLEASE DON’T HIRE THIS GUY!!!” He showed up on time, and his outfit was appropriate. However, my FI let me know afterwards that he had asked for the rest of the payment at least four times making everyone feel uncomfortable. The best man was going to follow Mr. Alexander initial directions “you pay at the end of the ceremony, once everyone has left for cocktail hour”, but I guess that day, waiting was not an option, as he had the best man pay him before everything got started, and like I said, after asking around four times. I’m glad I was finishing getting ready and I didn’t have to experience that. The ceremony itself was beautiful (well of course, we wrote it all!) and his speaking is clear and the pace is fine. He dropped FI’s ring when he was blessing them (geez, thanks!) and he was reading the ceremony from a white, three ring folder, which ticked me off. I mean, you know we will be taking pics and video, isn’t there something a bit less conspicuous that you could read from?
DJ –-> DJ AJ from DJ Ubi’s company --> A
AJ was GREAT. I was I bit upset we didn’t get Ubi since so many people recommended him, but we booked a bit late so we got AJ instead.
I gotta give props to AJ, we never met, and I sent him the music info only a week before the wedding (it was supposed to be two, but I had so many other things to do!). I also spoke of all my preferences on the phone withUbi, so technically, I never met AJ, not even on the phone. AJ played only our reception, and he kept us partying all night. He announced all the things we had asked him for, I think that he pronounced all our names correctly (video will verify cause I can’t remember), and he definitely played all the songs we needed (entrance, first dance, parent dances, cake) and faded them when I had asked him to.
Dinner music was great, I only said “I like Maroon5, Michael Buble, andRicardo Montaner” and I remember distinctively hearing all those among all the nice things he played while eating. He also played a very specific song we had provided him and requested him to play it while we ate…..
As far as partying goes, we were dancing ALL night. He had a good feeling for what the crowd wanted and never missed a beat. My FI is Albanian, so we had given him some Albanian music to play, which he did, and the people loved it, so we had a big dancing crowd throughout the night. I specifically hired someone that was latino, so that type of music he worked great with and my family loved.
Number one reason for giving AJ an A? Our last dance. We didn’t plan one, and we didn’t have a specific song, but of course, the party had to end and AJ announced “this is the last song for the bride and groom” or something like that…and then played a Michael Buble song that fit the night to a T. So awesome I want it for my highlights video.
Guitarist –-> May Barreto (hired through GigMasters) --> A+(++!)
May (Mario) was EXCELLENT. I found him through GigMasters and hired him to play the guitar for our ceremony and cocktail hour.
Communication was great, he always responded to email and phone calls. His Spanish is better than his English so he prefers phone calls, but was very responsive with e-mail as well. We borrowed his microphone system for the ceremony and his pricing was great.
I asked him (last minute) to play a song for the ceremony and he learned it and played it beautifully. I recognized it as soon as I came out and other people recognized it too.
For the cocktail hour, we let him do his thing. I told him some of my family was from Spain, and he played flamenco and Spanish songs that almost brought my grandma to tears. The music was lively without being too loud or to dull. We joined the last third of our cocktail hour and were able to enjoy the music first hand. It was truly amazing. A super classy touch, same price as the DJ would have charged for the extra time, and truly made the cocktail hour magical. EVERYONE raved about him and the music and we are so glad we went with this choice. A+ to me for finding him,LOL
Cake –-> Party Cakes by Shawn --> B+
The cake was included in our package and we went with Party Cakes byShawn. We had tried booking a tasting with We Take the Cake but communication and their schedule was so inconvinient that it put me off.
Shawn is a sweetheart, when we went for the tasting (which was super easy to schedule) we loved her cakes, her flavor options, and her! We said yes on the spot. On the tasting, Shawn explained that she could add fresh fruits and that our design was so simple that everything was included at no additional cost.
A few days before the wedding I called her to see if she had received thepic I sent her of how I wanted the cake to look like. She said she couldn’t remember but was going to call me back. She didn’t. Although I LOVE cake, I wasn’t too concerned about how it would look like. We wanted all white and I figured it was easy enough that I would let the professional do her job.
The day of the wedding I saw the cake and I was pleased, it looked exactly like the pic I had sent and it was beautiful. However, we had agreed on using fresh strawberries inside, and those were nowhere to be found. I was upset, but honestly, the cake was so delicious I didn’t let it bother me. I know people liked it as well because they were asking for seconds, LOL. The pieces they served were a bit too thin, but I’m not sure if this was the server’s fault or that the cake was to small (I don’t think it was).
The top tier (we had three) is now sitting in the freezer and I have no idea how I’m going to make it one year without eating it. Shawn did say that as a present, she sends a fresh cake to all her couples on their one year anniversary. I still froze mine, you never know…..
Make-up –-> Heather (Lashful) --> A+
Heather was AWESOME. I did my trial with her and took my e-pics that day and the make-up held up all day. Her prices are very reasonable and she is a sweetheart.
The day of the wedding she contacted me to let me know she was on her way. She arrived on time, and met us at the hotel. She did my mom’s, MOH, bridesmaid and my make-up and we were all very happy with the results. My mom got tons of compliments on it J While doing the make-up she was very accommodating, and we never felt rushed.
The make-up held up all night, and she even gave me a small set of powder and lipstick to re-touch that night. I didn’t need to, she did a great job.
Hotel –-> Boca Resort --> A
We decided to stay the night at the (pricey) Boca Resort because it is about ½ mile from our venue. We also used the room to get ready (the girls) and the hotel lobby and plazas to take our first look pics. So I think we took full advantage of that investment! LOL
The hotel is beautiful, our coordinator at the venue spoke to her contact and was able to accommodate us for early check in (normal 4pm, we got there at 1pm, we had the room any time after 11am) and to score a room upgrade for us (free, yei!)….so, we stayed at a Tower room and the view is so gorgeous that our getting ready pics are spectacular.
They had a champagne bottle waiting for us and brought us the few things we requested while there. The morning after the wedding, FI and I took more pics around the property and ate at their Serendipity3 restaurant they have on location. Food was great and friends were jealous I had Frozen Hot Chocolate for breakfast, LOL
My one complaint is that someone called the room from the reception, apparently angry, and told my sister (who picked up the phone) that I should have let them know I had so many people “visiting” (photog, video guy, FI and brother…). I mean, that was probably my bad, but no reason to call the room all pissed off. Besides, parking is $11 a pop so they shouldn’t be bitching about visitors! LOL….oh….overnight parking is $30 so be warned….ouch!
Marriage License –-> Pine Island Branch, Broward Court --> A
Just wanted to add this here because I recommend making a day out of this. Getting the license was super exciting for us, we took half day from work since we both needed to be at the court and they close early and we went to the movies afterwards to sort of celebrate. So, just my two cents, don’t brush this off as a non-event, make a day out of it because once you get it, you’re that much more closer to actually being married! =D
Oh, and A grade to the people that helped us out that day. Very courteous and the lady was sweet to share our excitement.
Honeymoon –-> Hotel NOW Larimar, Pu*ta Cana --> B+
The hotel and the grounds were beautiful. We had a very relaxing honeymoon. The reason I’m giving the honeymoon overall a B+ is because it is not our type of vacation. We like to experience a country’s culture, their food, and their people. Pu*ta Cana is not that type of vacation. That said, I think it is EXACTLY what a couple needs after the wedding, especially if they planned it themselves. Also, one week (we did 5 days) is more than enough here as there are not many things to do once you leave the hotel and cabs are not cheap.
One thing they don’t tell you in the beautiful hotel brochures is that it rains a lot here. So plan activities accordingly and don’t miss the good weather days!
We had a chance to visit the new Hard Rock All Inclusive and that place is amazing. Highly recommend it because there are tons of things to do and the spa is a-m-a-z-i-n-g!
Dress –-> Discount Bridal (in Hialeah) --> A+++(++!)
I have to say that this dress takes the cake. I got so many compliments on it, and people said it was definitely me. I went to a few stores and tried on about 15-20 dresses, but when I saw this one I looked no more. The store’s website is pretty crappy, and the fact that it is in Hialeah was not super awesome (lol), but honestly, the ladies were great and my dress looked like a million bucks. But it was $250. So there, what more could I have asked for?
My dad (who is VERY picky about clothing) did not want to see it before the day, and honestly, I was kind of glad because I thought he was going to say it looked cheap once I showed him. But that day he saw the dress and he loved it, he said he didn’t imagine it so beautiful for that price. My FIlooooved the dress. We both cried on out “first look” pics. We are getting married again in September in Albania (where he’s from) and we have both decided that the dress was so special that day that I cannot wear it again like we had planned …(I need a new dress, yeii! LOL)
Also, the dress was super comfortable. I danced all night without a problem and could move in all directions I wanted. I ate, danced, walked, and enjoyed the day without a hitch.
By the way, a few days after buying the dress I found out (while watching TV) that I had bought the same dress the girl wears in the first Hangover movie. Later I found out it was also in the When In Rome movie…..go figure, I bought a famous dress, lol.
Seamstress –-> Miriam (305) 527 1014 --> A+
Miriam was the seamstress that my dress shop recommended. I called her about three days in advance and made an appointment for the same day I picked up my dress. My sister and I went to her place on a Saturday; she took the measurements for both of us and gave us the price.
Miriam called back the following Friday saying that both dresses were ready. I went to pick them up and tried it on there, it was a perfect fit. I didn’t need to go back, neither did my sister.
She was very sweet, her work was excellent and super accurate and her prices cannot be beat. I now want to bring her my work pants which are always too long for me! lol
Rings –-> Wilner’s Jewelers and Amazon --> A+
After learning that Wilner’s had a ring with a similar design to what I wanted, we went to the store so I could try the ring on. I liked it, but it wasn’t exactly as I wanted it, so I had it custom made. The whole process took less than two months, and they made a wax mold first to make sure I liked the shape and that it fit ok.
The lady that helped us was SUPER attentive and on top of things. My ring was ready in no time and it was exactly how I wanted it from the picture I provided. I only shopped around in a few places and the price seemed ok to me. Customer service was excellent and this is why I went with them.
My FI ring was from Amazon. He loved the design in a mall jewelry store; they wanted $300 which I thought was a bit much (cobalt ring). The only other place where we found that design and in that material was Amazon, and the price? Less than half.
Favors --> ohNuts.com --> A+
We gave the traditional Jordan almonds as favors and we ordered them from ohNuts.com. Great quality and price. Definitely recommend.
Registries –-> Amazon and Macy’s --> A
Although FI did not want to register (we’ve been living together for a while so we have the necessary stuff) I knew we had to (and we’re both glad we did). We had a registry on Macy’s and one on Amazon (mostly so we could register for electronics, like a DVD player).
The Macy’s registry was excellent. We got all the packages without a hitch and the website is easy to navigate and update. We attended one of their “registry events” and that was lots of fun. We got free food and champagne and FI (finally!) got excited about registering for gifts. It was nice to see and touch whatever we were registering for.
The Amazon registry worked like a charm. A lot of my co-workers buy from Amazon non-stop, so I knew we would get traffic on that one. The stuff that we got from Amazon is great and I like that you can read reviews and ratings on things that you want to register for. I also loved the fact that you can add items from any store, making your registry universal. We didn’t want anything from BedBath&Beyond but we liked the china. So we registered that on Amazon’s universal registry and someone gifted it to us, so no complaints or issues with that.
Shoes –-> Aldo and Pour La Victorie --> A+(++!)
I HAVE to give a review of our shoes, one because I’m a shoe lover/addict, and two because my shoes were, well, amazing.
HIS - A pair of dress shoes from Aldo. The almost identical pair in Hugo Boss was three times as much. The FI is picky when it comes to shoes and he loved these. They looked great and he didn't complain about them being uncomfortable.
MINE – A pair of blue “Pour La Victorie” heels that I scored from Amazon at $80 bucks (http://www.amazon.com/Pour-La-Victoire-Blissa-Platform/dp/B004OW0LTK/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1333040614&sr=8-16)
I had bought seven different pairs (DSW, Endless) by the time I found these ones, but when they arrived, I made up my mind in a millisecond. I wanted my shoes to be my something blue, but I also wanted them to match the blue of our “theme” and the DB Horizon Blue of the bridal party dresses, so look no more. No other brand (I even considered $400 shoes) made bridal looking shoes in this color, and the few I found were more “night out” than “wedding night”. As for the comfort level, these shoes take the cake. I wore them all night, danced like a maniac, took hundreds ofpics, and overall had a long day, but my feet were never in pain. I haven’t owned this brand before, but I wouldn’t be afraid to buy again. SUPER comfortable.
Bridal Party and Parents Gifts -–> Marshalls --> A
Wanted to write a quick note on this. We gave our bridal party (and parents) a beautiful frame with a picture of our e-session and told them they would get a wedding pic to replace it once we had them. They all loved the idea and the frames were beautiful. I got them from Marshallsand the price was great. Considering a lot of brides have big bridal parties and want to gift them something, I’m sure every bit of savings helps.
I also got the girls hoodies (to get ready on). I liked this idea (better than tank tops) because you can unzip them to take them off and your hair and make-up will be intact. I got them in my wedding colors from Aeropostale(online they had ones without any logos) and the price (and quality) was great.
Dance Lessons –-> Fred Astaire, Fort Lauderdale --> A
I bought a Groupon for some dancing lessons (3) from Fred Astaire. We went to the studio in Fort Lauderdale and we had a great time. However, three lessons are not nearly enough if you want a super choreographed dance. We took the lessons as a starting point and then practice every night at home (for two weeks) adding our own touches. The dance came great and we cannot complaint. The lessons really helped us get our head around actually starting to practice and made our posture while dancing great (they sure know how to stress good posture!!)
Photographer –-> Ricky Stern --> A+++
I had a few photographers in mind, but after meeting him in person and looking at his portfolio, I had made up my mind. I sent his website link to my mom, sister, FI, and bridesmaid, and they all voted him number 1 among my four options.
We booked Ricky a few days after we met him in person. He had a great personality and we really felt like we all “clicked”. This was very important to us as we are not serious wh