Connecticut — The Knot Community

Hawk Photography...

Teacherbride77 — Sat, 27 Jul 2013 04:07:05 +0000

Any one use them before or seen their work?

Rosa's in Bridgeport

Sumler2Be — Mon, 05 Aug 2013 00:49:17 +0000

I have heard many reviews about Rosa's in Bridgeport for flowers but does anyone have a website or an address. Im in MA but definitely need to look into florist next time im down there :P

student photographers

bas1113 — Mon, 05 Aug 2013 20:42:35 +0000

Does anyone have any suggestions for an affordable photographer? Our budget is extremely tight, so we're thinking of investigating student photographers (yes, I know you get what you pay for, but we're paying for this wedding ourselves and can't afford to spend in the thousands). We ideally want someone who could shoot some formals, the ceremony, and maybe some shots at the reception if our budget would allow. We'd appreciate any suggestions you all have!

CAKE

Teacherbride77 — Mon, 05 Aug 2013 01:33:54 +0000

I'm feeling so relieved that so much as fallen into place in just this past week!

Venue-CHECK, Photographer-CHECK, DJ-CHECK now all we need is our cake.

If you got married/getting married in Central Connecticut, who did you go with for your cake? Please post pricing if possible...THANKS!

Super Tight Budget Venues Eastern/Central CT and Western MA

Jennyburd — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 05:21:09 +0000

Hi everyone,

Looking for super budget friendly venue ideas for a December wedding for 50-75 people. Fiance and I are paying for everything ourselves and finances are extremely limited since I was laid off for almost a year. I'd like something elegant and unusual if at all possible (my ideal location is the Rocky Point Casino or Mark Twain House but both are well beyond my budget). We are not opposed to Friday or Sunday for a wedding date. It has to be wheelchair accessible though.

Any suggestions?

student photographers

bas1113 — Mon, 05 Aug 2013 20:42:36 +0000

Christmas/Holiday Engagement Photos

cjhannu — Mon, 05 Aug 2013 17:55:01 +0000

Can anyone recommend a good place for Christmas/holiday engagement photos. We are having them done on November 24 and are looking for a place in the Farmington/ West Hartford/ New Britain area that is outdoors and decorated. We are going to use the pictures as holiday greeting cards/save the dates

1 Photographer or 2

lfreeman24 — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 12:39:25 +0000

Hi,

So my fiance is not convinced we need 2 while I think we HAVE to have two. I'd love to hear if anyone else had to convince their fiance of this or ladies who had one if you felt like anything was "missing"

Thanks!

affordable venue

krislaing — Sun, 28 Jul 2013 02:56:10 +0000

My best friend is Getting married and is having a difficult time finding a venue in her budget. Any suggestions for an affordable wedding venue in CT?

I'm in Connecticut Bride Magazine

deanna5776 — Wed, 31 Jul 2013 16:11:47 +0000

YAY!!!! So very cool.

The add that Aria has in the magazine is a picture with my dad and I doing our "hip" father daughter dance!!!!!!

So very cool

I dont have a copy of it yet or I would post the pic but I an in South carolina so mom is sending it to me

Dee

Question - consultation.

gracediva — Wed, 31 Jul 2013 22:55:40 +0000

Hi everyone.

I set up and appointment with Eric (photographer) on Aug. 16th. The day after, I received an email from her studio manager asking if I wanted to do the consultation by phone instead of waiting until Aug. 16th. She told me that she wanted me to be aware that at times Eric has appointments with brides and he is booked on the spot.

My question to you is; do you guys ever done a phone consultation? how does it work? Should I say yes?

Ceremony/Reception Ideas Needed - need inexpensive, rustic and memorable.

Knottie_22382219 — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 00:12:13 +0000

I am looking for venues in CT, MA & RI that are inexpensive, meaning $75 or less per person in a unique, rustic/vintage setting. We are looking for roughly 75-100 guests but do have a very very strict budget (we have to pay for the wedding ourselves). Our family and friends mostly reside in CT, but were open to the other locations, if we found the perfect place. I would prefer a package that includes a lot of the items, but do not want a country club, etc... Tanks in advance for your help!!

Boudoir Photography - Questions

gracediva — Mon, 22 Jul 2013 23:35:56 +0000

I spent my weekend looking for a wedding photographer and somehow I came across with this website www.hellofabuluxe.com I didn't know what boudoir photography was until I saw the photographer's portfolio. My questions to you are:

do you ladies know about boudoir? are you doing it? if you already did it...did your husband or fiance loved it? how much did you pay?

I guess that's it for now. lol.

thank you.

wedding dress shopping vent

hyechica81 — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 14:18:36 +0000

so i am so fusterated right now.. i love allure morliee, bonny and venus gowns,... morliee was my first choice for gowns but after looking at some bonny and venus gowns with high laced backs and shorter sleeved lace arms( i am plus size) i am not so sure on the morielee there is a place getting me 3 bonnys on loan from the designer for me to try on as they only carry the bridesmade line.. but no one in ct has the full unforgettble plus size line or the full bonny line the website has outdated info and one of the places i called said that she did not carry it plus the reviews on this place were very negative..

is there any bonny brides out there or plus size brides in ct i am willing to travel maybe to another state but like close to the ct border.

davids bridal and alfred angelo are like not on my list of places to visit did the whole davids thing and did not like the staff the quality of the sample or the fit of the gowns. i want something unique and out of the box

Webb Barn - chandelier rental

jessielynnward — Tue, 30 Jul 2013 05:42:26 +0000

Hello -

I am getting married at the Webb Barn on September 22nd and am looking to rent a chandelier to hang above the dance floor in the barn.

Does anyone have any past experience with chandelier rentals? I have called a ton of places but am not having any luck.

Thank you -

Jessie Ward

Photography:Greg Lewis or Anthony DeCarlo

Teacherbride77 — Sun, 28 Jul 2013 03:32:01 +0000

Any experience with either of these photographers?

Finally found my dress!

Teacherbride77 — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 02:13:00 +0000

Yay!! What a relief! I had a simple dress for what I thought was going to be our backyard wedding but since that didn't work out, I felt the need to find a different dress to feel more like a bride. So I strolled into Beautiful Bride today & after finding out that not one dress could be ordered for my wedding 38 days away, lol, the owner brought me a satin ivory, simple gown. I thought I didn't want satin at all but said I would try it anyway. Sure glad I did!! Not only was it my size, but she had the cutest sash/belt that just came in this week. It totally made the dress complete!! Only need a hem!! Soooo excited! I finally felt like a bride! Oh, bonus...I was able to use the 30% online coupon on the dress!! Anyone who knows me knows I'm a bargain shopper & love getting more for less!!

Tent reception in October?

jwright7981 — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 10:20:42 +0000

Hello Everyone,

My fiance and I are getting married October 19th at Villa Bianca. We are using the chapel for ceremony and then The Pavilion for the reception. Ceremony is at 3 and cocktail hour will start at 4 then dinner and dancing from 5-10. Looked at last years sunrise/sunset times and sunset was at 5:30. I am a bit concerned about weather and the pavilion. Providing the day is a normal October day the nite will still get chilly. The Pavilion has the drop down vinyl sides with the windows that you see in a lot of tents available for rent. Coordinator there also said they have outdoor heaters that they bring out that help with chill as well. My question is, has anyone in CT ever been to an October wedding that was held in a tent? I've got to think some of us have. Fall is a big time for weddings round here because of our beautiful trees. Anyone had good experiences or bad? Thanks for the input everyone. I've include pic of pavilion to see what I mean. Also, any recommendations for wording on invitation to let people know to dress accordingly?

Final payment for vendors

Teacherbride77 — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 15:19:35 +0000

I find it odd that most vendors are requiring final payment before our wedding day. They could totally bail on us! Lol. I know there's a contract & such but I don't understand why photographers don't allow you to pay a final payment when you pick up pics. What has been your experience with vendors?

Reviews!

cofkel — Tue, 30 Jul 2013 14:54:52 +0000

I just wanted to put in my reviews for my July 13th Wedding.

Venue- Saint Clements Castle- A

I could not say better things about St Clements, the venue is beautiful, the people are so nice and take such great care of you, and best of all the food is amazing! Our guests couldn't have said more great stuff about the venue. Pam the coordinator was incredibly responsive to my questions leading up to the big day and the event went exactly as described. It was as close to perfect as you can get.

Cake- Chimurris Wethersfield- A+

Cake was amazing, inexpensive, beautiful and tasted great. Lorena was easy to work with, sweet and a damn good baker. I wanted a more traditional white italian butter cream cake then the current trendy fondant ones and they came through.

Flowers- Kesers Glastonbury A++++-

Again amazing, flowers were cheap and beautiful, Meagan the owner was great I was pretty general with what I wanted- Blue Hydrangeas with a mix of white flowers and what she came up with was beyond what I could of imagined. She was prompt, flowers looked great and I couldn't have asked for better.

Dress- Mariellas- B+-

I had a great experience buying my dress at Mariellas and loved the seamstress but I have a few things I did not love. I was told my dress would be in in March/April. I called at the end of April and was told my dress is late and should be in my the end of the week someone would call, I called again the following week and was told it was in that weeks shipment, again I had to call and finally it was in. I just wish they would have called so I didn't have to stalk. I also ended up with three fittings and then a fourth pick up, thankfully I am local but if you aren't that really could be annoying. I did not buy my veil from them and I felt a little negativity from them about that as well, but all and all my dress was perfect, fit perfect and to be honest wasn't that expensive (friends made it out like I was going to drop 10 grand there, not anywhere near close. So solid pick, great owner, some technical difficulties.

Hair and Makeup- Larissa Lake Hair and Makeup- A++++++

Again I can't express enough how amazing Larissa and her team are, I had a lot of people to get done, they were fast, but the work was beautiful. All of my bridesmaids and moms and me raved all day over our hair and makeup. Larissa makes you feel so calm and so beautiful it is priceless. I would recommend her in a heartbeat to anyone looking for H and MU.

DJ- PowerStation Events Kevin Williams A+-

Again awesome Kevin kept the dance floor packed, Powerstation as a company was super professional and prompt and pretty inexpensive. Kevin was my favorite DJ in their promo package and I am so glad we picked him. He was a great MC, but not cheesy or over the top, just perfect.

Bus and Limo Bus- Dattco- A

Ladies Dattco is a hidden gem, hundreds cheaper then the limo companies and still prompt and professional. I had a little bit of an issue getting a hold of them the week of the wedding to confirm details but other than that they were great.

Photographer- Annadale Photography Kiva Sutton- A+++ again!

Kiva was great, a friend of mine used him and her pictures were so great I knew I wanted him. He is professional but also a really awesome guy. He made me feel comfortable (I am a bigger girl and don't love having my picture taken) but he was so great. James his assistant was just as awesome. There was a slight issue with him getting to my house late because they got stuck behind a parade but honestly there was nothing he could do about it and he more than made up for it with his hard work. We also had him do a photobooth and people loved it. I CANNOT wait to see my photos!.

I hope this is helpful, I will post photos soon and if you have any questions about any of these vendors feel free to ask!

Gown Preservation

Melissa603 — Wed, 31 Jul 2013 00:24:51 +0000

So it's been a little over a year since my wedding (bad I know) and I need to get my gown cleaned and preserved - it was an indoor wedding so my gown didn't get too dirty. Any places you ladies can recommend? The mail away places make me nervous...

Caterers?! (in Hartford area?)

natnatbonbon — Tue, 30 Jul 2013 03:51:27 +0000

Hey Everyone.... Anyone...

Any thoughts on where to start with looking for a caterer? My fiancé & I are looking for something that is less than $50 per person. Any Ideas??

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

Seamstress

KCLindgren — Sun, 28 Jul 2013 16:23:16 +0000

Need a seamstress! Married girls-- who did you use and were you happy with the results?

Branford House Brides - Florists?

satinwinter0308 — Wed, 31 Jul 2013 17:20:33 +0000

Hi Branford House (Groton / Mystic) Brides - who are you using as your florist???

Branford area brides...any hair recommendations?

kimmish01 — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 23:12:02 +0000

Hi to all the lovely brides!! I'm getting hitched 9/28 at Woodwinds and I'm wondering if anyone has recommendations for hair stylists. I'd love to go with Naomi's or Larissa Lake beecause I know their work is amazing, but I'm trying to find something a little more affordable. Does anyone have suggestions for traveling stylists or for salons in the Branford area? Thanks so much!

For Sale

demkoj1 — Tue, 30 Jul 2013 14:41:32 +0000

I need to get rid of this stuff. Make me an offer!

http://jeaninekevin.weebly.com/

James Daniel Entertainment

mkwoo85 — Tue, 30 Jul 2013 14:05:24 +0000

Hi Brides!

So we recently met with Sean Bid Daddy from James Daniel Entertainment for DJ/Lighting and he was really wonderful. We are meeting with someone from Power Station next week - anyone use either one and have any recommendations?

Thanks!!

Webb Barn - Bar Service

gdav1610 — Tue, 02 Jul 2013 21:32:36 +0000

Does anyone know if Webb Barn in Wethersfield allows wedding parties to bring in their own alcohol and staff their own bar? We are thinking of possibly going with a caterer that doesn't provide bar service, and were wondering if anyone had been through this at Webb Barn before. If so, any leads on who to hire to staff the bar for the evening?

In the very early stages of planning and wanting to know all our options before making deposits for everything.

some pre wedding items for sale

MrsF0831 — Tue, 30 Jul 2013 01:09:53 +0000

Some pre wedding items for sale

http://weddingforsale831.weebly.com/index.html

Wedding Veil Restoration

mattandrachelgettingmarried — Mon, 29 Jul 2013 18:16:49 +0000

Hi All,
I'm new to the Knot and I'm hoping you can help me! My mother passed away a couple of years ago and her mother (my grandmother) recently discovered my mom's wedding veil in the back of her closet. It has a hint of a mildew smell and the color is faded. I'd love to find someone to restore it so I can wear it at my own wedding in June 2014. Any suggestions for places I can take it? I'm weary with such a personal, important item! I live in central Connecticut but I'm not opposed to traveling for the right place.

Any help or ideas you have would be really appreciated!
Thanks,
Rachel