Thought it'd be helpful to other brides to share reviews of my wedding vendors....
Invitations: Wedding Paper Divas (online only): A +: Design/font choices are extensive - we found the perfect design to complement our autumn-themed wedding. Organizing the wording was a breeze; we picked from pre-written verses, then inserted names/times/date/locations. We'd visited a couple of brick-&-mortar stationery shops on the island, but couldn't find anything we liked as much as "ours" (at a much lower cost!).
Venue: The Coral House (Baldwin, NY): A/A+: Note: Some view the CH's location as shady. It's not Roslyn - nor is it a pit. It's a blue collar area. We had no issues.
We chose CHfor several reasons: Travel convenience (close to church/LIRR); the food's very tasty, the venue's warm & homey-feelling; the grounds are lovely; the employees are helpful, and the cost is reasonable - as L.I. catering hall receptions go.
We loved the open, light feeling of the windows as well as the warmth of the hardwood floor - the combo gave the rooms a cozy, yet bright atmosphere. Admittedly, lobby furnishings/paint on door frames could use some updating, but that didn't concern us - the actual decorations were pretty, & our cocktail/main rooms looked lovely.
Linda, our coordinator, got us the most "bang for our buck", arranging for some details to be included gratis/at reduced cost, making the bottom line pretty reasonable. Food was plentiful & delicious - my folks received compliments a go-go. Our cake, by Black Forest Bakery (CH's baker) was one flavor, simply decorated with buttercream flowers, & delectable. Servers were professional & polite; a minor error (someone forgot to put out our disposable cameras, etc.) was rectified promptly by our maitre d'. Overall, there's much to recommend the Coral House.
DJ/videographer/"zap" photography: Variety Music: A+: We're biased - my husband knew Ray (owner) before hiring Variety. That said, we got professional, wonderful service at a great cost. Ray & his DJ got everyone dancing, just like a good DJ/MC combo should. The "zap" photographer took candids of guests, which were displayed on plasma screens during the reception. The videographer was very pleasant/professional, never appearing to get in our photographer's way. Also included in our package was a photo montage of us through the years - we provided photos, arranged the order, & chose two songs. Our only issue overall was the timing of the montage - it was shown after dessert (usually the cue to exit). We thought it would've been better to've shown it earlier. Overall, though, I highly recommend Variety!
Photographer: White Pear Photography (Elizabeth): A++: We love Liz! She's a funny, brilliant, talented, easygoing photographer who asks a reasonable fee for the quality of work she delivers. Our package includes an engagement shoot, which went wonderfully, as well as unlimited time on the day of the wedding. We've seen the wedding proofs - gorgeous - & will be arranging for our thank you cards, album, & parent albums soon. She's the sole photographer, but we felt we missed nothing by only having one photog. Hire Liz - I'd be dumbfounded if you were anything less than thrilled.
Florist: Wick's (Baldwin): A+: Since basic, rose centerpieces were included with our venue package, we decided to get all the flowers at Wick's. We gave minimal direction (wanted fall colors - reds, oranges, yellows). They asked what flower varieties we like, colors of the major players' attire, & whether we wanted church arrangements/cake flowers, etc. Everything came out & held up all day/night beautifully & was delivered precisely on time at reasonable cost.
Attire: David's Bridal/Men's Wearhouse (Massapequa Park): overall: A:
Bride's attire (A+): I had a great experience here, honestly. Stephanie helped me find the perfect dress in one visit; Angela did a wonderful job with my unusual alteration needs (I use a wheelchair, so the dress had to be short enough to not get caught under my wheels, but long enough to cover my feet.). I have simple tastes/needs (no train, classic, subtle decoration in front, but none in back) & was able to get a very simple dress with lovely, subtle decoration & have it altered for under $700.00.
Bridesmaids' attire (A): I asked my bridesmaids to pick any dress they fancied, so long as the fabric was satin & the color was Truffle. They each had pleasant shopping experiences & seemed to be happy with their dresses. I'd give them an A+ but for the fact that, in certain light, the dresses photograph with an eggplant sheen that doesn't appear when viewing them in person. This doesn't faze me, but may bother you.
Groom's/groomsmen's attire (B+): The guys looked good - the tuxes fit nicely on everyone. My caveat: We arranged for conventional ties - not bow ties - so I was surprised to find out that even the conventional neckties are, in effect, "clip-ons." One can't tell, even up close, but there you go. The reason for the B+ instead of an A or A+ is to do with customer service:
The staff is as helpful as they can be, but they can't keep up on busy days. Many also seem young - that's fine by itself, but when a staff is young & there aren't enough of them, it leads to discombobulation.
The kid arranging my H's tux rental said he'd receive a certain % discount; when we got home, we saw that the receipt reflected a lower discount. It took a couple of polite calls, but we got the higher discount. Also, when we picked up H's tux, there was no vest. The guy asked, "Did you order a vest?", which seemed silly; my husband assured him that yes, he'd ordered a vest. The staff then went on a hunt. eventually coming to the conclusion that hey, they should look in those unopened boxes over there. Voila! All's well, etc.
Wedding rings: Zales in Roosevelt Field Mall (B): Another "all's well that ends well" story - a lesson in why you should do things early in case there's a screw-up. We purchased our wedding rings on 08/27/11 for our 10/15/11 wedding. In retrospect, we cut it too close & got lucky.
The saleswoman asked our wedding date, then said my diamond ring would take about 2 weeks, but my husband's tungsten ring would have to be specially made (size 11.5) & take 4 weeks - we'd get a call when they were in.
Cut to mid-September: I call to see how things are going, & am told husband's ring has been in for a week, but mine takes 8-12 weeks to come in due to the diamonds. I politely but firmly told her that we were told about a delay, but it was a shorter delay, & for his ring; I said that a delay of another 4-8 weeks was unacceptable, as we needed said rings in 28 days. She said she'd have to put in a call when corporate opened on Monday, but she'd make sure a (no cost) rush would be put on my ring (I e-mailed corporate as well to cover my bases).
True to her word, the rings came in with 9 days to go. They're both beautiful, and were relatively inexpensive.
I know this was wordy, but I hope it was also helpful.