I hope this helps some brides out there just as much as a similar breakdown did for me!!
Primavera - Stirling - Reception Only (Married at my family Church)A Food was awesome and the guest are still talking about the food, its more than a week later! A lot of the guest were shocked at the quality of food they received also, especially the steaks! & I didn't upgrade to filet mignon!
Jason Rhee - Photographer
A+ - AMAZING!!! Even my father immediately responded positive to him. His energy and passion is unmatched, and he was the perfect addition to our wedding day! I just love him!! I can't wait to see the pics!!!
A+ - Nes was also AMAZING!...he doesn't have a nice flamboyant website, don't let that deter you, like it almost did for me! I saw a clip of a video he did for another bride on facebook and loved it, he is reasonably priced and really has a great 'cinema' eye in my opinion!! I can't wait to see the finished the video!!
Delightful Designs - Garwood - Event Designer/Florist
A+ - my decor was so different and unique and as a result my guest are still talking about the decor, the flowers were beautiful, fresh, and bold.
Action Limo - Classic Car
A+ - classic car - BEAUTIFUL MINT CONDITION service was impeccable & stress free
First Class Limo - Party Bus
B - The driver was VERY nice however the air conditioner was broken and only the fan worked as a result a couple of my bridesmaids were very hot.
Kleinfelds - Gown
A+ - from start to finish my experience was unmatched by any other bridal shop ! Just something to consider...if you live in New Jersey and you decide to get alterations there remember it's Manhattan, your paying for parking & tolls each time you go, dealing with traffic, etc..For first time shopping brides, I definitely definitely recommend you make this your first visit. The reason being they have A LOT OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS. This gives you an opportunity to try on everything to see what shape best fits you. I went in thinking about mermaid and ended with a princess gown!
Hollywood Bridal - Bridesmaid Gowns
A+ - The ladies here are super professional and the extra plus is all alterations are included in the price of the dress. My bridesmaids had zero problems. I also had a plus size bridesmaid that needed some serious alterations because the dress didn't come in her size. Let me say you couldn't even see where the alterations started and ended, perfect!! The only reason why I didn't get my dress from here is because they didn't carry the designer I wanted.
Bridal Styles Boutique - Bridal Jewelry
A - This place was fun, this is where I got my bridal jewelry. I had a custom hair piece made that was so different and so much fun to wear! I will say this place may not be for the light pocket bride, however, they have a sample sale during the summer and based on my research it happens twice a year, once in the summer & again in late fall/early winter. I wished I could've took advantage of it, but I missed both sales !
Crystal Brooch Bouqets/Karen
https://www.etsy.com/shop/CrystalBroochBouquetA+ - It was so much fun customizing my bouquet with her. The brooches she get's are breathtaking but the handle of it, I was speechless. It was great working with her, she always responded to my questions quickly and kept me updated on the timeline. She sent me video's on how the bouquet looked to ensure I was happy with it and I was!! We facetimed alot .....This was definitely a splurge but I am so happy I did it!! I had so much fun holding and walking it down the aisle and watching everyone's reaction to it. I purchased a glass case from Michael's while on a great sale and had it on display at the venue. It will continue to be on display once we purchase our new home.
Phototastic http://www.getphotastic.com/A+ - I wanted to give the link to make sure you go to the right one. Loved working them very stress free. I purchsed some frames and it was an absolute hit at the wedding!! But what I loved most about the photobooth is the shape of it was very different. It was also enclosed while allowing at least 15 people to take a pic at one time. I really wasn't a fan of the 'open' photobooth and had a desire to have an enclosed booth that fit the same amount of people that an 'open' photobooth would hold, this did just that!
A+ - I needed a dj that understood socca, jersey club music, R&B, and Steven Pierre fit that profile! I actually saw them at a bridal expo and was lucky enough to see this group at an actual wedding. They were reasonably priced, they also have different dj's to accomadate whatever music you prefer for your special day.
Heirloom Hourglass
A- - I love love love love my hourglass, can't stop staring at it!! It is definitely a different spin on the 'sand ceremony' !! What I didn't love was the lack of communication. It had me at the edge of my seat! You would call no answer, you would email and they would take a couple of days to respond. They eventually responded to my emails but not quickly. The only thing that put me at ease was, every review I read, they never said they were unhappy with their product or they didn't get it on time. So I submitted my order and prayed LOL...AND..my prayers were answered because it's beautiful!! They executed it perfectly and I got my hourglass on the exact day I requested. If for some reason they can't do it by the date you requested they will send you an email when you submit your order. I would recommend them but keep in mind they don't communicate very well, so give yourself time!
Papyrus - Invitations
A+ - They have beautiful invitations and surprisingly I paid the same and in some case much less then some of our fellow brides. FYI they have 20% coupons that they allow you to use from time to time for the wedding invitations. Overall my experience was positive, they work with different vendors, and they place the order. Depending on the vendor you may have to put them together, the store offered to do it for a fee, but once I received everything, I saw how easy it was and I did it myself.