Louisiana-New Orleans — The Knot Community

Intimate New Orleans Ceremony/Reception for 50 guests

jr1217 — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 03:22:39 +0000

I have been searching for days for the perfect combination of a small courtyard wedding and reception or even indoor with tasteful decor since I am hoping to get married and January. Anyone have options for less than $5,000?

HELP! Reception hall/date trouble!

TrulydPrincess — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 19:22:20 +0000

Ladies, I need your help! I may have to push my wedding back and my original venue is not available on the day that I'm picking (the postponed/new date). HELP! It is like my mind just went blank. Which reception halls impressed you? I'm looking for something with a cool vibe, somewhere not too far from the French Quarter. I don't want a hall or anything like that in Metairie/Kenner. I was thinking about Race and Religious...but has anyone been there yet? Benachi Home is too small (having about 250-300 guests). Latrobe's is too pricey. I checked out Pat O's on the River, but I don't know. Has anyone been there? Riverview room is booked. How about the House of Blues...anybody been there for a wedding? Thoughts and opinions, suggestions and experience, please!! Thank you, ladies.

WAX brides tipping questions

bezelpup — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 19:19:39 +0000

Just curious about what staff were there during your ceremony and/or reception and whether I should plan for tips. The caterer made it sound like tips are included in my food pricing but I could tip more if I want. Bartender tips are also included in my total. But what about attendants etc?

NOLA Wedding Planner Needed

Candibnoble — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 17:04:48 +0000

We are getting married in October 2013 and we hope to have a small destination wedding in New Orleans. We want a park setting with very few people. For the reception, we would likely just need a reservation at a nice restaurant afterwards with a small cake delivered. We want our wedding to be intimate and elegant, but lively and fun. Because we want something on such a small scale, we are having dificulty finding a planner that is interested. Does anyone recommend anyone that would be dependable and interested in this? All help is very appreciated.

Vendor Reviews- better late than never :)

Brooke4377 — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 14:00:52 +0000

Hello ladies :) very late on the post here, but I wanted to make sure I eventually did it, 1- because I owe it to all of our great vendors to give them a review, and 2- because I felt I benefitted so much from the reviews of others while I was planning. The last step will be to actually post about the wedding items that are STILL taking up so much space in my house, but that's another storey :)

Ceremony: St. Louis Cathedral- A+

Our ceremony was everything we wanted it to be; the church was beautiful and we didn't decorate a thing. Kevin was such a pro, I know communication is sparse between the coordinators/brides during planning, but trust that they know what they are doing :) we had a bit of a snafu when one of our singers backed out last minute (stage fright) and I literally had to tell Kevin two seconds before I was walking down the aisle. He was able to arrange for the cantor to sing Ave Maria and it saved the day. The only thing I would warn potential brides is to have a solid clear plan that guests are aware for leaving the church....I guess I sort of forgot about all the OTHER people that would be outside when we exited! I had thought we would all easily round up for our second line after immediate family took photos in the square, but it was utter chaos :) Luckily everyone got together in the end, but keep in mind that there will be loads of people present who are not affiliated with your wedding :)

Photographer: Lauren Carroll- A

We hired Lauren Carroll last minute when our family photographer bailed (she felt she was going to miss too much of the wedding). She was so easy to work with, gave us a great rate and was willing to get exactly what we wanted for photos. I love the look of her images, and she was completely flexible with whatever we wanted to do. We hired her for only four hours, so it was crazy hectic since one hour was before ceremony, the next was mass, the next was our hectic transition from church to second line to dropping guests off at the cocktail hour and trying to take our couple-only pics, then finally the reception venue and first dances. I regret that we didn't hire her for the whole time, but moneywise we couldnt afford it and she had a previous obligation for later in the night anyway. She did a great job considering she had to go from church to hotel to church to second line to all of our locations for pics in almost no time....it was crazy. The ONLY thing I would do differently if working with her again (or as advice to other brides) is to really have a plan for posing and what you want/don't want in the background etc. (She may actually do this at weddings where there is more time, but I'm not sure) I felt a few of our pics with the Cathedral in the background weren't exactly what I was looking for (we were blocking it , the steeples coming out of our heads like horns), and in EVERY picture I am holding the bouquet in front of me, which made me look thicker and hid the really beautiful sash I was wearing.....so that's it- I would have given her an A+ if we had a little direction, but again, she may already do this with folks whom she has more time with.

Reception Venue: Bourbon Orleans Hotel: A+
Coordinator Alyssa Mistretta- A+

We visited 7 different venues and chose the Bourbon Orleans hands down. It was exactly the look we wanted, was close to the Cathedral and was available for a seated reception which we wanted. We had just over 100 guests, and I have to say to me it seemed a little big for that- (I flelt it seemed a little empty once people spread to the bar, the dance floor and the balcony). The food was great, they totally tailored it to our wants/price points, and everything went seamlessly. The decor came out exactly as I had envisioned (we brought a LOT of stuff with us for decorating) and Alyssa was always so cool calm and collected.

We had our two year old son who was going to be staying with the sitters in a separate room, and these sitters were also going to be watching my best friends 3 month old twins, and the hotel was fantastic about getting them adjoining rooms. this was a lifesaver, as my son was obviously up a lot of the times the twins were sleeping, and they were able to put the twins in the other room. Also made it so my friend didn't have to transport all of her stuff to the sitters room and during the reception the sitters were easily able to bring my son by the reception for a bit since the rooms were on the same floor as the ballroom. Our suite was as well, and this was so convenient during the day for setting up.

The room block went perfectly here, and it was really just so conveniently located for our ceremony and also for guests to go out afterward in the french quarter.

Flowers: Christina O'Malley- A+

I know many have concerns about communication with her, and if that is something that is important to you she may not be the best choice. I had minimal flower needs (bouquets and 5 simple centerpieces) and wasn't concerned about reply time via email, and she was perfect for me. The bouquets were huge, far exceeding what I expected, they were fresh and perfect, and exactly what I wanted. She helped me save $$ when I mentioned green hydrangea (which are extremely more expensive than white) by recommending floral tint which I think came out amazing. For me she was perfect!

Cake: Haydel's Bakery- A+

The cake was delicious, so moist, and completely bigger than I expected. We did the triple layers (which solves most people's complaints that the Haydel cakes are too low and wide) and they were able to match icing to paint swatches I sent in! We did our grooms cake from there too, and it also came out perfect. this picture really doesn't even do it justice, as the flash washes out the colors (the gold was really gold, not yellow as it looks here).

DJ: David Storm- A

David was a pro and super easy to work with. The song choices were great, and we had predominantly young people which I had told him. The only downfall (and this is really me more than him) is that besides our first dance he played no slow songs. Now I say this is me, not him, since I had told him not to worry about playing too much slow stuff or older stuff, but I didn't really mean none :) Again, this is really my fault since we had the option of creating playlists (which everyone should do!!) unfortunately music fell by the wayside in our planning, and we never got around to it. He did a great job with our first dance songs and intros, since even this was pretty much communicated to him the day before! Everyone danced and had a great time, definitely recommend.

Obviously we had tons of other vendors, but these are the ones I felt really deserved a review. (We didn't have anyone bad, or I would have reviewed them here to warn others :) Hope this helps some of you, and feel free to ask if you have any other questions about any of these! Our wedding was perfect and I wouldn't change a thing.

I will be posting separately sometime soon, but if anyone is interested the dress (and accessories), the tableware (stemmed votive holders, vases and tablecoths/runners, gold napkins and gold chargers) are for sale along with free stuff I can send along too.

Chateau Lemoyne Courtyard Ceremony?

jr1217 — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 02:53:22 +0000

Anyone used the courtyard at Chataeu Lemoyne for their ceremony? I am interested in booking but wanted opinions first?

Board of Trade or Riverview Room??

Ginaleigh81 — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 15:01:00 +0000

Please share your experiences with BOT or Riverview Room! We're having such a hard time deciding between the two and a decision has to be made soon to secure our date. I have visited both venues for a brief walkthrough but not for an actual wedding. There are many positive aspects of each one and both are within our budget. We are planning to have the ceremony at the venue as well. The quality of food and service are highly important to us. Any opinions would be greatly appreciated!!

DJ - Omega, Direct Entertainment, The Music Source?

downtownbrowne — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 02:26:43 +0000

Does anyone have experience with Direct Entertainment or The Music Source? I've had pretty good quotes from both, and am also in contact with Omega and DJ David Storm (who seems to be highly recommended but also costs more). I just can't decide and I'm an OOT bride so have no first-hand knowledge or experience with these vendors. They all seem to have great reviews on either The Knot or WeddingWire but usually not both. Thanks for any feedback!

Zapps Chips & Pralines

Joeybinabliss — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 22:42:37 +0000

Hi all,

Does anyone know where to get the best pricing on Zapps chips? Their website seems a little expensive. I have heard people get them from Sam's Club, but I don't think any of us have a membership, as we are all Costo members. :)

We would also like to do Pralines, so any advice on best place would be appreciated as well!

Thanks!

Groupon

lterranova1 — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 02:12:48 +0000

Ladies,

I'm not sue if the groupon for this is still going on, but the other day, they had one for Vistaprint. pay $17 for a $70 giftcard. Check it out!

Honeymoon in New Orleans!

Dani182 — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 15:37:53 +0000

Hi ladies! My FI and I are coming to NOLA in May for our honeymoon. I was just wondering if y'all had any suggestions on fun romantic things to do while we are there. I have been before and I love going on all the FQ tours, but my FI has never been so I want him to have a blast. We are staying at the Prince Conti Hotel so we will be right in the middle of everything. Thanks so much for any help!

Do I need a day-of coordinator??

kiamia03 — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 17:40:46 +0000

Hey galls,

I'm getting married at the Cajun Ballroom in the Audubon Zoo (so excited!). I know our sales manager will be there, but what exactly will the site person do? Will she oversee the setup of the venue, deal with vendors, etc., and then make sure the ceremony/reception go smoothly? I'm wondering if I still need a day-of coordinator to make sure all the moving parts come together.

Thanks!

Kia

GOBO projector services for The Foundry reception

alwallace17 — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 21:12:31 +0000

I want to have a custom GOBO for our reception. I contacted Omega Sound and Entertainment. They don't believe they will be able to offer the GOBO only service since we already have a band from another vendor. Any ideas for vendors that offer the GOBO/projector only service? Seems most places usually sell it as a package with a DJ.

Thanks

Vendor Reviews--LONG

tigergirl7 — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 17:37:03 +0000

Hi Knotties! My husband and I got married on February 2, 2013. I know this is a little late but had to set time aside to actually really write everything. We did the majority of the planning ourselves. It was the most wonderful day of my life to date and couldn’t have asked for things to go any smoother. Plus Mother Nature was definitely on our side because it was a BEAUTIFUL day. I hope these reviews help because the Knot was so helpful in my planning.

Let me first say our wedding was the day before the Super Bowl, which just so happens it was in New Orleans this year, and also a week before Mardi Gras. We didn’t realize this when we started planning but it did cause some problems along the way: we could not get hotels, had problems getting limos, ran into some route issues since parades were rolling, etc. So please to save you some problems research your day first!!!

Ceremony: St. Catherine of Sienna – B+
This church is so beautiful. We ultimately decided on it because it’s my grandma’s church but I was so happy with our decision. Father Gene officiated and did all our premarital counseling and he was wonderful. He really took the time to get to know us and talk to us; he even took us out to eat one night before the wedding. The only thing I had problems with was the two ladies the church hires to run the rehearsal and the wedding. They are suppose to be there to make sure everything goes smoothly yet I feel like they caused me more stress than anything. One of the ladies contacted me about a month out from the wedding and had me fill out some paperwork other then that I did not meet them until the night of the rehearsal, as soon as I walked into the church that night it was chaos. They were telling me that I wasn’t allowed to use some of my decorations including my hand painted aisle runner I spent forever on because of church policies and that I should have gotten a letter saying the do’s and don’ts of the church. After everyone calmed down and I explained to the woman I was never told anything they agreed to allow my decorations if we took certain precautions. Even though I was relieved I could use my stuff I felt like some of the precautions looked out of place on the wedding day. Other then these two women, the experience with this church was wonderful!

Reception: The Balcony – A+++
I cannot express how much I LOVED this place!!! Not only is it beautiful but Jay, Mike, and the Balcony staff were amazing. They took care of our every need including making sure we ate! The food was amazing. Our wedding attendant was right by our side all night asking if we needed anything, same for our parents and bridal party too. It was wonderful! I heard compliments from our guest about the food and atmosphere that night plus throughout the next month. The DJ was included in the price and kept the guest on the dance floor all night. I couldn’t ask for anything better! They even sent us home with a little package of cake, food, wine, etc. AMAZING!!!

Photographer: Stacy Marks – A
Stacy was amazing and his pictures are beautiful! We walked through the French quarter to take my bridal pictures and he was so patient with me and my mom. (My mom was kinda freaking out because my dress was getting dirty!) The day of the wedding he arrived on time and was able to get pictures of me and my girls getting ready plus head to the church and get pictures of the groomsmen before the ceremony. I got the proofs back really quick, like three weeks after the wedding, plus he threw in an extra proof CD at no cost for my mom. His attention to detail is wonderful. He had so many pictures of not only us but of our guest too. The best part is he took all these pictures without ever really being seen, he just let us enjoy our night and took candid shots and they came out amazing!

Hair and Makeup: The Hair Boutique – A+
Lauren and Kaylan from the Hair Boutique were amazing! My original girl I hired for hair and makeup canceled on me a week before the wedding and these two wonderful ladies saved my life! I called her literally the week before and she altered her schedule so she could do it. They arrived early in fear of catching traffic (they traveled from Hammond) and did all of the bridal party’s hair and makeup including mine. Plus they are soooo affordable about half the price of my original girl!!

Cake: Gambinos – A
Our cake was wonderful and tasted great (even though the only bite I had was what DH fed to me.) I went into the consultation with a picture of what I wanted and some changes I wanted to make and they were willing to work with anything I said. I had ribbons, feathers, a cake topper, and 15 cake pulls and they did it perfectly!They also did the groom’s cake. He knew he wanted Tiger Stadium and was able to pick what he wanted out of a book. His cake was also delicious but it was pricey!!

DIY: Second Line Hankies, Fleur de Lis Air Fresheners, Second Line Umbrellas, Programs
We ordered the second line handkerchiefs in bulk from Tansclub.com and screen printed them at Covenant Creations where I work. We also made the fleur de lis air fresheners ourselves. We knew we wanted to give our guest something they would use. My mom purchased our second line umbrellas from Gem in Metairie but they were plain, so we decorated the umbrellas ourselves.

Transportation:
So we had problems getting limos because of the wedding being the day before the Super Bowl, this was frustrating since I was a local bride trying to give money to local businesses and they were more worried about the big spenders coming in to the city. Most business gave me a polite no and sent me on my way, however the owner of Celebrity Limos was the rudest person I have ever came into contact with and called me and my mother stupid to our faces. If this is how he treated me before he had my money I hate to see how he treats his customers after. I would stay far away!!

Wedding Dress: Pearl’s Place – B
Pearl’s Place is the first place I went to try on dresses and I ended up falling in love with the second dress they put on me! My consultant Ruth was very nice but kinda pushy when it came to trying to get the sale. The service at Pearl’s Place can be stressful especially during alterations!!! On alteration days there is a line of women waiting to be fitted and they make you get dressed in these TINY dressing rooms with very little help. Alterations are included in your price though and I have to say my dress came out beautiful. I lost about 20 pounds before my wedding and they had to take my dress in on the sides and you couldn’t tell!! I did end up having to pay an up charge for them to add a french bustle which was ok I just wasn’t expecting it since it was never stated.

Florist: Christina O’Malley – C
Christina is great for the budget bride. Flowers weren’t my main focus even though I knew I did want real flowers!! The only flowers we needed were for the bridal party and two arrangements for the alter at the church (nothing for the reception.) I spoke to her strictly through email to get all the details finalized. I found she was difficult to get in touch with, a lot of times when I emailed her I waited weeks to hear back. We were also gonna put a rosary into my bouquet but she could never find time to meet me and wanted me to leave it on her doorstep, I’m sorry but no matter how many times you have had brides do that in the past I am not going to leave a treasured item just lying on your doorstep so I opted not to worry about it and just did without. Then the day of the wedding we got dressed at my aunt’s house, she just came in the house and dropped off the flowers and left without knocking or talking to anyone or anything---I didn’t even know she had been there!!! To top it all off my bouquet stem was suppose to be wrapped in navy ribbon with a lace over it (something we talked about it detail) and it was wrapped in white ribbon just like all the bridesmaids. This actually wouldn’t have been a big deal but I had figured that would be my something blue and ended up having to find something else. The flowers looked great though and held up all night!

Wedding Stationary: Gem’s Printing – A+
Our invitations were beautiful and didn’t break the bank! They were so helpful in helping us get exactly what we wanted!!

Bridesmaid Dresses: David’s Bridal – B
David’s Bridal can be chaotic. I had my bridesmaids ordering from different stores because they lived in different places. A few of the dresses came in to small but it was because the sample dresses they had tried on were stretched out and therefore didn’t fit like the new dresses.

Groomsmen Attire: Men’s Warehouse - B
We had four groomsmen have size problems with different pieces of their tux. Men’s warehouse was able to fix all the problems before the wedding day but it was just an added stress that we really didn’t need.

Birth certificates

Nolagirl12 — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 21:47:06 +0000

Heads up for anyone needing to get a certified birth certificate in Orleans or Jefferson Parish. I lost my birth certificate in Katrina. Thinking i had time i mailed my request and Its taken 4 months to get a replacement. If you are in a hurry you'll have to go downtown to get it. Only 1 office in the area.

Girls only song

Nolagirl12 — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 12:22:21 +0000

I am looking for a song that all the ladies of the bride and grooms family can dance to at our reception. I originally chose We Are Family, but wonder if there is a better song to pick that will get the ladies dancing. Any suggestions. I went on the music board but not much action there.

Reception Hall NOLA

valure2014 — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 20:47:22 +0000

Hi I am planning my wedding for DEC 2014. Any ideas for reception hall? Its going to be a very small wedding 75-100 and I would like to keep the whole wedding under 10,000. Thanks

Southport Hall Brides

Jessm0928 — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 01:10:19 +0000

Any Southport Hall Brides on here?

Bridesmaids dress alterations at MaeMe

jterra2 — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 03:14:43 +0000

Does anyone how much bridesmaids dress alterations typically run at the Bridal Boutique by MaeMe? My wedding dress alterations came out great and were reasonably priced, but I'm just curious how bridesmaids dresses compare. Some of my bridesmaids would like a heads up. Thanks!

Finally under 100 days to go

Nolagirl12 — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 12:13:03 +0000

99 days to July 20, 2013. Any Nola brides getting married that day. Would love to hear your plans.

hotel accomidations?

nmccrary — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 21:16:08 +0000

is it just me or is every single hotel in NOLA majorly expensive?! anyone had a head's up on less expensive places for my family and guests to stay?

Stage Door Canteen

abster789 — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 15:37:31 +0000

Has anyone been to a wedding or had their wedding at the Stage Door Canteen? If so, how was it? Any advice?

Opinions, please? Bridal and bachelorette party...combine or no?

TrulydPrincess — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 23:09:49 +0000

So, my bridesmaids want to know if I want to combine my bridal shower and bachelorette party...it would kick off later on a Saturday and move into a night time event. Then, we would go out dancing. I don't mind, but I don't know if some of the other guests would be offended. Thoughts??

French quarter wedding

[Deleted User] — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 21:51:55 +0000

Hi ladies! I'm trying to start planning for an April 2014 wedding for about 150 people. What are some nice venues that aren't too expensive? We are wanting a 'party' type reception atmosphere. The wedding is semi destination because my fianc is from New Orleans and I'm from Mississippi, but we live in Las Vegas and his family is spread out across the south post Katrina.

Wedding picture locations

kellieabendschoen — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 19:01:40 +0000

Does anyone have any suggestions on where to take our pictures with the wedding party before out wedding in May? We are staying at the W hotel so looking for somewhere downtown/ french quarter area. Thanks!

MAKE UP ARTIST/TIME LINE QUESTION

OpenHeart0117 — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 02:50:58 +0000

I need some information concerning make up artists. I am getting ready to start trying to make a decision on who to hire & I am wondering, does just one make up artist do all of the make up for everyone ? WeI have 5 bridesmaids, one Groomswoman, plus myself and I also wanted to have my mother'a & my FMIL's make up done as well. How long should it take do do makeup for this many ladies ? Do they normally bring assistants or more than one make up artist for this many women ( 9 total). I am trying to figure out my timeline/schedule for the day & want to know what is a reasonable amount of time for this?

Also is the airbrush makeup really worth the extra cost? We are doing a First look & do plan to take wedding party photos in the French Quarter area prior to the ceremony, so I am thinking we need makeup that will last all day, but it seems a little bit pricey especially because I have so many ladies.

Any input is appreciated.

Southern oaks brides

[Deleted User] — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 01:07:12 +0000

I'm a destination bride, and I've fallen in love with this venue! My questions to you ladies are: How are the daytime weddings? Is the venue easy to work with as far as customizing? Did the reception seem rushed due to an evening wedding? Any tips and advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Fellow Brides: Need Your Advice on These Vendors

jenhayes570 — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 14:50:41 +0000

Hi Ladies,

Does anyone have any experience with any of the following vendors:

Phat Hat Band (from Baton Rouge)
Weddings By Sue (Sue Rudiger from Beth's Flowers)
Balloon Creations (event decor)

Thanks so much!

Hair accessories

Nolagirl12 — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 20:10:24 +0000

Need recommendations for hair accessories other than Charming Charlie's or Claire's. Is there any place in Metairie that has nice affordable hair accessories? What are you doing for hair accessories if not wearing a veil?

3/16/13 Vendor Reviews - SUPER LONG!!

sfinnin — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 22:14:43 +0000

I seriously cannot rave enough about how wonderful our wedding day (and weekend) was. Everything went perfectly and I just could not have asked for a better weekend. This post is long and gushing, but I just can't help it, all of my vendors were outstanding. I just couldn't give anyone anything below stellar! I'm happy to answer any questions...I used the reviews on this board alot during my planning, so am excited to finally post mine!

Mother Nature: A++++
I couldn't resist on this one, the weather was so amazing! Perfect temperature, beautiful blue sky, couldn't ask for better weather in Nola

Venue - Musee Conti: A++
What can I say about the Wax that hasn't already been said? It's a great venue, very unique, and we got so many compliments on the space and how cool it was. Beth is fantastic, very quick to respond, give suggestions, etc. Alex and our attendant (I feel so bad that I can't remember her name!!!) were also wonderful, making sure my husband and I never had an empty glass, made sure that we ate, and checking in with us to make sure that we had everything we needed. They are pros at the Wax.

Day of Coordinator - Weddings by Lulu: A++
Lu is fantastic, sweet, and everything else nice that everyone has already said about her. I decided to hire a DOC after I had already booked most of my vendors, but Lulu was so helpful in recommending vendors and answering my millions of questions, even though it wasn't part of the package that I hired her for. She also helped my father in law find a spot for our rehearsal dinner when our original location fell through, and helped my husband and I pick our honeymoon spot. On the day of, she was checking in with me to make sure I was feeling good, if I needed anything, making sure we were on schedule, etc. And she always did it with a smile on her face and in the most calm manner possible. Her assistant Ashley is fantastic as well, she went out of her way to come pick up all of my ridiculous, glittery, DIY projects a few days before the wedding (I probably owe her a carwash/vaccuum!). It was awesome to just let them take over and not have to worry.

Photographer - Shoot 2 Studios: A+++
Steve is so talented and was really fun to work with. He was probably the 2nd or 3rd vendor that I booked (after venue and band) and I just knew when I saw his work and met with him that he would be a great fit for my husband and I. He photographed our rehearsal dinner at Tommy's on Friday evening as well as being with us all day for the wedding, from my getting ready to first look/family/bridal party pics, to the very end when we did our sparkler exit. I got a surprise when I checked facebook on the day after our wedding and he posted the picture below. I literally said that I didn't care what rest of the pictures ended up looking like because this one picture captures the happiness and amazingness of the day so well! He's since posted a few more pictures and they're equally beautiful.

Videographer - One Louder Productions: A++
Kirk was very quick to respond to my inquiry on his availability and his packages were just perfect for what I wanted. He and Lillie were awesome on the day of my wedding, they showed up at my suite even earlier than I expected and just jumped in and started getting footage. There were a couple of times where they asked me or the bridal party to do something specific, but for the most part they were there capturing everything as it happened, so nobody felt like they were posing or acting the whole time. They just posted the teaser video on their blog (www.getolp.com), and it makes me so excited to see the finished product!

Makeup - Just Face It, Angele: A++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(I wish I could find a higher rating!)
All of my vendors were amazing, but Angele at Just Face It went above, beyond and all the way around the world for me on my wedding day. Besides being such a sweetheart and a fantastically talented makeup artist, she really helped out when I got in a bit of a bind. I only hired her to do makeup for us and had hired someone else do our hair. After the person I hired to do my hair finished up with us and left the suite, I had an issue with my hair falling and not looking right. I was really upset and about to cry...or try to fix my hair myself. Luckily I hadn't gotten my makeup done yet. As soon as Angele heard that I was upset she immediately called the valet and had them get her car brought up so she could get her hair tools and fix my hair. She literally saved the day and made me feel so much better, I felt so beautiful...even before she started her magic with my makeup. I seriously do not know how I could recommend her any more...short of taking out a billboard or ad on the knot! She made me (and all of my girls!) feel so beautiful, exactly how every girl wants to feel on her wedding day.

Second Line Band - Kinfolk Brass Band: A+++
These guys are freaking AWESOME!!! It's hard to pick a favorite part of our wedding, but the second line was in the top for sure! I mean, look at the picture above, we're obviously having the best time of our lives. My friend Becky works for White Oak Productions and recommended Kinfolk and helped me book them (along with our reception band, Taboo), and she did not steer us wrong. They played all of the standard second line songs, kept everyone dancing, and even had a dance party with us in the street when we got back to the wax museum. Everyone thought the second line was the coolest thing they'd participated in, and it's one of those moments that I'll remember forever. I'm sure it would have been fun with another band, but these guys were so awesome and just put it over the top.

Reception Band – Taboo: A ++++
Once again, I don't know how to put into words how awesome this band was. I was dancing the WHOLE night! Mike is so ridiculously talented and can sing anything and everything, and if you want an Etta James/Beyonce sound alike, then you will love their female singer (I feel so bad that I can’t remember her name right now). They kept the dancefloor packed all night. Literally from the first song they played until the end of our reception, there was always a crowd on the dancefloor. I sent Mike my list of must plays, do not plays, and several songs that we wanted played for different times (cake cutting, bouquet toss, etc.) and he made sure that everything went as planned. We got SO many compliments on Taboo and so many guests raving about how they were the best band they’d ever heard at a wedding.

Décor – Firefly Ambiance: A+++
Jennifer was great to work with, was quick to get back to me when I needed to make changes to the proposal, or even a last minute addition. I met with her in person to discuss what I wanted and she asked lots of questions and made lots of recommendations based on here experience at the Wax. She definitely knows what she's doing and what will look good.Everything looked beautiful and the candle light made the room look great!

Flowers – Christina O’Malley: A+++
As others have mentioned, Christina is great for the budget bride, which I was since I only wanted flowers for the bridal party (no table arrangements). I dealt with her almost exclusively via email, I spoke with her maybe twice, just to get some details finalized. Her work is great and she is very flexible and makes great recommendations to help you stay on your budget. She had to make a last minute substitution (garden roses for peonies) due to the supply not being available for her, but it definitely was not her fault and she made sure to let me know several days in advance, just in case I wanted something else. It wasn't a huge change at all, but I really appreciated her letting me know rather than just doing it and not telling me...I probably wouldn't have even known the difference!

Cake – Cake Designs by Meg: A+++
Yet another fantastic vendor. I wanted a very small cake at the top of a cake stand filled with cupcakes and cake pops and Meg took my vision and executed it perfectly, along with the groom’s cake! And she did it all under the budget that I was working with. The cake and cupcakes were so yummy (the cakepops went too fast for me to taste the night of, but they were delicious during the tasting) and everyone loved the different flavors and how great the whole display turned out. Meg was really sweet and very easy to work with and I would definitely recommend her.

Portrait Venue - Irish Cultural Museum: A+++
We originally wanted to have our ceremony in the courtyard at the Irish Cultural Museum, but it ended up not being big enough for the number of guests we were having. The owner, Matt Ahearn, was awesome to deal with and was very quick to respond as they were in the middle of construction on the space when we originally booked with them. Even though we didn’t end up having our ceremony there, we took our first look photos there because I loved the space so much. If you’re looking for a beautiful outdoor space for a ceremony or reception, I would highly recommend the ICM.Photobooth – Big Easy Photobooth: A+++
Another great vendor that was quick to respond and very easy to work with. They designed the custom graphic on the photostrip and delivered everything as expected. Everyone loved the props and the photobooth. I got the base level package, so my guests got copies of their pictures and I got the thumb drive with all of the photos. It was really fun to have them to look at when we got back from our honeymoon (we actually had it the night of the wedding but didn’t have a chance to look at them).

Caterer – Handsome Catering: A+++
I originally was going to go with Benedict’s since they are one of the caterers that the Wax Museum works with regularly, but I had an issue with Benedict’s never following up with me (as promised) after we did our tasting with them. After two attempts to contact them with no response, I started looking elsewhere. I heard about Handsome Catering through a friend and went to check them out. They operate out of the bar Handsome Willie’s, which does free food on Friday nights, so it was cool to check out some of their food before even doing the real tasting. They don’t exclusively do catering like the Benedict’s and Pigeon’s of the world do, but their food is delicious and their pricing is the best that I saw BY FAR. We went very non-traditional with the food for our reception (pulled pork and beef debris poboys, mac n cheese, etc.) but they definitely offer the more traditional things like carving stations, etc. We got SO many compliments on the food, especially the poboys, and there was LOTS of it!