My name is Angie and I am marrying the love of my life this September! I am so glad I found this board! We are OOT and this is so helpful!

The day of my wedding, Merideth did a fine job. Other than not being able to figure out my bustle and unsuccessfully safety pinning the dress up (yikes!), she did her job well that day. The problems with Merideth came after my wedding.

Despite my mom insisting at the wedding that she take everything home with her then (top layer of cake, toasting flutes, guestbook, etc.), Merideth told my mom that she would deliver all of our wedding stuff to my parents’ house that week. After repeated attempts to call Merideth, my mom finally texted her to see if she would respond. While not answering any calls or returning any voicemails, Merideth responded to a text, telling my mom that she was out of town and to call her assistant who would take care of getting everything to my mom. So, my mom then called the assistant, and told her (I wouldn’t even think it would be necessary to tell somebody this) to call before she came by to make sure somebody was home. A pretty simple request, right? Well this girl did not call before she came, and when my mom arrived home one day that week, she found all of our wedding items sitting on the side of the house, including the top layer of our wedding cake. SHE LEFT THE TOP LAYER OF OUR WEDDING CAKE SITING OUTSIDE IN THE 90+ DEGREE NEW ORLEANS WEATHER FOR HOURS.

When my new husband and I returned from our honeymoon, my mom told me what had happened, and I decided to call Merideth and express my disappointment. I soon realized that I had to call her for another reason, because her assistant also returned the wrong toasting flutes and cake cutting set to us. I mean, the Waterford crystal set that was left on the side of my parents’ house was very nice, but we wanted to have the set we picked out for our wedding (I'm sure the bride who owned that set appreciated that). So, Merideth came to exchange the flutes and cake cutting set, and I told her about the ruined cake. She was very apologetic, and very graciously offered to buy us a new top layer of cake from Haydel’s. I wish I could say the story ends there, but it is still not over.

The next week, Merideth emailed me telling me that she ordered the cake and that it should be ready Monday for me to pick up, but she would let me know for sure when it was ready. After Monday and Tuesday had passed, I texted her asking if the cake was ready for me to get, and her response was, “I have it in my freezer! I went ahead and picked it up! Thought I sent you a msg but I guess it never went through!”

I then replied, “Great! Can I get it from you this weekend or this week?” I never received a response (still have the text message).

A month or so passed, and I posted a very short review on the Knot saying that Merideth was good the day of, that she offered to replace the ruined cake, but that I wasn’t sure if I would actually get it because of the time that had elapsed. The next day, she e-mailed me saying that the cake was in her garage freezer (“I promise it’s here!”), and that she could get it to me next week. I responded with available times and days and again never got a response.

At this point, I decided I would wait to bring it up again until more time had passed, because I was clearly getting nowhere with her (and I chalked it up to being peak wedding season at the time). Fast forward to August when hurricane Isaac hit, and Merideth posted on Facebook that she lost power (as many of us did for very extended periods of time). I then thought to myself that this “cake” she had “in her freezer” was ruined now after sitting in a garage freezer without power. (this information will come into play in a bit).

Now fast forward to April 2013- a few weeks ago. I e-mailed Merideth a very cordial but straight-forward message essentially explaining that she never followed through on her promise to us, and that it would be the right thing to do to for her to rectify the fact that her assistant damaged our property. In the e-mail I mentioned that I knew she lost power during the hurricane and that the cake she previously got was no longer good.

This was her response:

“Of course I remember you! No worries at all- I moved the cake to my parents house and it is still good! Don't worry! I would never let you go without cake! Can you believe it's been a year?! I'm out if town until Monday but will be free Tuesday on of next week! Let me know when is convenient for you and we can exchange! Hope you have a great weekend!”

I then responded that I would be available Tuesday after 3:30PM, and asked if that would work for her. No response.

It’s been almost a week since we were supposed to “meet up” that Tuesday, and since contacting her is getting me nowhere, I decided to post a review on the Knot.

This is not a “OMG NEVER USE THIS PERSON EVVVERRRR” post, but I just want to send a warning to brides that if you use Merideth Reed do not entrust anything of value to her or especially to her assistant, and you probably want to take what she says with a grain of salt (I mean, who really would think to grab the four month old wedding cake replacement from their garage freezer when evacuating for a hurricane?)

I hope this post will ensure that no other brides have their precious wedding things left on the side of a house to melt, get rained on, or worse, get stolen.

The Knot Community Update– FAQ

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MODERATORS --- you will be getting your own Private Moderator board. If you see it, you are a mod! We’ll be posting mod names on the boards as soon as the updates continue. Once the board is live, we will be posting your new roles and permissions there.

So, remember when I promised you a full-time person who will be your advocate and their only focus would be on the boards and TK members?

Well – she is here! Introducing @KnotPorscha!

Knot Irene and I will be sticking around – but she is going to be handling the day-to-day community needs. So, while she gets comfortable and acclimated, please page “KGs” (Knot gods, obvi) on threads and one of us will respond.

Give her a warm (and drama-free) welcome!!

Jackie

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!