Attire
My
dress, as well as my bridesmaids’ and my mom’s, came from David’s Bridal in
Strongsville. I loved them, and the entire process, save for alterations
(incredibly overpriced, and they completely messed up my bustle and had to redo
it, which was an awful experience). Shopping for my dress there was so fun –
Andrea was my consultant and she was a riot to work with. The dress I went with
was the very first one I tried on (which didn't stop me from trying on dozens
more, just to be sure!). When I decided it was the one I wanted, on my second
visit to the store… which really I knew all along… the entire store gathered
around and had me ring this gold bell while they all clapped & cheered. I
know some people find it cheesy but it was a really nice moment! The bridesmaids
dresses were also exactly what we wanted and incredibly affordable.
The
men’s tuxes came from Men’s Wearhouse in Strongsville, no complaints there
other than that the tux for the ring bearer (under 2 years old) cost the same
as everyone else’s! Seems crazy considering it’s a fraction of the fabric!
Hair & Makeup
We –
bride, bridesmaids & moms – got our hair and makeup done at Charles Scott
in Rocky River, where I have been going for years. My hairstylist, Carrie, was
so patient & accommodating – I wasn't in love with my hair after my first
trial, so she recommended getting extensions and had me come back for a
complimentary second trial using the extensions, and I loved the results. They were
wonderful the day of, too – they let our photographer come in and take pictures
throughout the process, and the salon is beautiful. We all absolutely loved our
hair & makeup and had a great time with the girls there!
Ceremony Venue
We
got married at Our Lady of Angels church in West Park. I've gone to this church
since childhood and it is absolutely gorgeous and photographs amazingly.
However, the current priest isn't great to work with. He showed up a half hour
late to our rehearsal and was incredibly rude to us throughout it – rushed us
through it and wouldn't let us ask questions, so we all left feeling confused
about what we were supposed to do the next day (and I feel like that showed
during the ceremony), and my whole family was offended. The processional order
I had specified was ignored the day of the wedding. Also, the priest told
everyone that the bride and groom didn't want anyone taking photos – but that
was a lie, we never said that at all, that was his rule – we’d have preferred they
do take photos if they wished! We trust our guests to act like adults, and our photographer to be able to take photos despite others having their phones out. I was upset by that. He basically treated the
whole weekend as if, he’d done a million of these weddings and this was just
one more he had to get done. Whereas, to us, this was the biggest day of our
lives – I wish he’d treated it that way, too.
Photography Venue
We
took pictures at the Cleveland Public Library downtown on Superior (in several
spots throughout the library and outside in the courtyard) and it was
completely amazing. Such a unique, fun, beautiful place for photographs.
Reception Venue
We
held our wedding reception at the Cleveland House of Blues. We worked with
Rachel, (no longer working there), Julie, Mel & Terry throughout the
process and/or the night of the event and I have nothing but positive things to
say about these ladies! The entire planning process was so easy and
stress-free, working with them. And the night of - it went perfectly! My
husband and I thought so - we were amazed at how helpful everyone was, we
didn't have to do any thinking from the moment we set foot in the door, and
felt cared for the entire time. But also, our guests thought so! We not only
received numerous compliments on the food, décor, lighting, etc. but also
several people mentioned that our reception "flowed" well, and that
is due to the HOB staff! Everybody loved the unique venue and people have been
raving about the food ever since. There were also fun bonuses to having a
wedding at HoB, like having our names on the marquee outside, and getting to
take pictures in the Foundation Room (Google it if you've never seen it, it’s
the coolest space) and the hallway where all the famous bands that play there
sign the walls. We cannot thank House of Blues enough for providing the
absolute perfect venue for our wedding reception. Worth every penny and we’d do
it all over again in a heartbeat!
Cake
We
used the Cute Little Cake Shop in Strongsville, they created a beautiful
display of cake balls in a variety of different (amazing!) flavors, including
several gluten-free varieties. We also had a small cutting cake by Cakes by
Mike, which turned out exactly like the picture I sent him and it was
delicious. People still comment to us about how much they loved the cake balls!
Flowers
We
used Silver Fox in Westlake for our centerpieces and bouquets. Tara is amazing
to work with, I felt like she “got” my vision and for a reasonable price, too.
The bouquets were perfect, and they included some out-of-season flowers
(tulips) and harder to get items (fiddlehead ferns) that the other florist I met
with said they couldn't get, and she incorporated little photo lockets of
my cats into my bouquet. She also helped coordinate in the back of the church
and sent us down the aisle, which was a huge help. And I LOVED the
centerpieces! She had some cool ideas, including one made of a tower of lighted
martini glasses and another that incorporated flowers and rock candy in my
wedding colors (jewel tones).
Photographer
We
used Matt Swetel Photography – I’d recommend him to anyone! He and his
assistant Hilary were so much fun to work with and we felt so comfortable with
them there, which they were for every step of the day from getting ready in the
salon until well into the night. The pictures were done quickly & turned
out better than I even dreamed they could, and for such a reasonable price
($1,500 at the time we signed with him a year ago) we just couldn't believe our
luck in finding him (found his name in a post on the local board)!
DJ
We
used RJ Goody, and he was really great! He kept the dance floor going all night
long! Also, he does magic tricks & that was a big hit with the guests. And he was super affordable.
Limo
We
hired A1 Mr. Limo, and I’d highly recommend them as well. They have a lot of
different options, and their Mercedes coach was the perfect size for us, and it
was new & really clean. We had a blast driving around blasting music on the
way to the reception! I found their prices comparable and definitely worth it.