Ceremony University Christian Church. Beautiful sanctuary w/ awesome acoustics. Sallie is the Coordinator and wonderful to work with. The price is high for non-member but it was a splurge we don't regret. Only disadvantage is parking is not very accessible since it is on UT campus.
Reception @ Caswell House. We envisioned a mingle and snack reception and that is what we got. Craig is the Caretaker and a good price for a Bartender. We were slightly annoyed that it is not all-inclusive and in the end we paid more than we thought we would but it goes towards a good cause.
Music provided by Andrew Grainger. He was AMAZING! Both ceremony and reception was beautiful. He was on time and did a fabulous job on our special requests. A bit expensive but not only does he have the experience; he was worth the money!
Flowers We asked a family friend.
Dress from David's Bridal. I LOVED my dress but was not pleased w/ the hidden alterations charge and their service. They tried to convince me to take the dress off the rack- instead of ordering a new one. A common practice for them; they even wanted me to purchase the long line bra I tried on. The price of the actual dress was reasonable and I felt like a princess in it. Alterations were done well but beware- English is a 2nd language for the seamstresses. I also was a bit disappointed when my order arrived since they forgot about the veil. Well, there mistake was a blessing in the end.
Cake from Blue Note Bakery. The design was beautifully executed and everything we had envisioned. However, there was a slight mistake in our fillings and we were a bit disapointed to get jipped on our raspberry jam. We are currently working with Angela (the owner), who was quick to respond, to work out an arrangement for this minor mistake. Her "South Austin" is found no where else and not only is it tasty it is very fun!
Catering by Dagar's. They were great about having packages that could provide several things- except all the linens needed. Overlooked until the last minute, we were a bit annoyed to pay extra for tableclothes when we thought they were included. Also, cake cutting was a disaster, since we thought they provided that with their service. Not so my friend- they wanted $1 per person and more money to stay after the 2 hours of service we initially paid for. Geesh! They agreed to box up meals for me and DH, but through poor communication we never received them. I wish they could have been a little more clear with our friends and family who were first time BM and MOH.
Alcohol Went to Spec's (better deal than Costco) and wish I had gone with my DH. We had made calculations based on bartender's experience and DH decided to listen to Spec's representative- who of course said we should purchase more. We ended up with more than a full case of wine leftover...10% restocking fee to return it...bummer.
Transportation by Austin Die Gelbe Rose Carriage. They had contracted out Fiona (who has her own company) to drive the carriage. We were VERY pleased with her professionalism, friendliness and choice in attire. We even got one of the horses we asked for! I think they were on time and I know they gave us a wonderful ride around downtown before dropping us off at the hotel. A bit pricey for the wedding package but I think the pics will be worth it!
Photog by Signature Images. Dawn Poole and her assistant were nice and professional. They were on time and very attentive to our "must take" list. We had no problems with them so far and we are anxiously waiting for our proofs.
Videographer We initially received a small package from Starr Video for free through a bridal extravaganza. It turns out that Mike "had a family emergency" and suddenly could not be in town to help us with our wedding. Very bummed, but probably a legit excuse.
Hair/Makeup by Tracy McCaskill. She came to the hotel and did a lovely job. Was a minute late since she had trouble locating the place but she contacted me by phone to let me know. (In all fairness, the hotel was a bit tricky to locate.) My veil didn't stay in as well as I hoped but then again it was a bit of a makeshift job- a blusher with a comb hand sewn on it. So I don't think it was her fault entirely.
Courtyard Marriott was used for hotel bloc. I don't highly recommend them. They didn't tell me the breakfast wasn't included in the hotel price and it was $0.50 to make a local call from the hotel room. Yes, this is true and I wish it wasn't. The only nice thing about them is they allowed my wild family to party in the Cafe when it was after hours.