Vendor Reviews – in no particular order - sorry these took so long! Mancini’s Catering – A+ Mancini’s was so great. The maitre’d was so on point and so attentive. The food was AMAZING and we’re still getting compliments about the food. I know some people stay away from this venue because of location/parking, but the valet worked out great and there were no issues! Candid Moments Photography – A+ Doug was above and beyond my expectations. He arrived right on time and then was very independent in getting things set up for photos upstairs (which was good since it was a little hectic) and remembered all the little things I had told him I wanted. He was able to stay longer after our package ran out, which I appreciated since the dancing got started a little later than I anticipated. Invitations by Joanne – A+ Joanne was so sweet and accommodating to work with. She had so much inventory, way more than I ever cared to look at, and did a great job at getting the look I was going for and pulling things she thought I would like. Casablanca Florist – B- The flowers were late getting to my parents house which set the timeline back and made for added chaos that wasn’t necessary. We were also missing a corsage. The sad part about this review is that the owner is family, and the service was just sub-par. The flowers were gorgeous though, which is why I didn’t give them something lower. Martin’s Video – A I didn’t really interact with our videographer too much. He helped with my veil during photos, but I didn’t notice him much of the night which is a great thing. I will give a further review when I get my video back. Remember This Day Events (table #’s and programs) – A+ Carina was so great designing my table #’s and programs. Especially with the program, we went back atleast 10-15 times with corrections and things I wanted to change and she was so accommodating! Remember This Day Events (DOC) – C Part of this rating is because of some issues that I had with the actual DOC service, and part of this is because I think hiring a DOC was an unnecessary expense FOR MY PARTICULAR EVENT. Most brides on these boards swear by having a DOC so I pretty much had the mind set that they day wouldn’t be stress free without one, but this wasn’t really the case. My major complaint was about the guys’ flowers. After DH and I walked down the aisle after the ceremony, I took one look at him and said “Where’s your flower?” The DOC’s immediate response was, the flowers weren’t on the back pew where they normally are. I have multiple problems with this. One – look other places. Two – if the back pew was the only place you had planned on looking for the bouts, then tell me, I would have made sure they got there. Three – when my parents and I arrived, she was outside with everyone setting us up, why couldn’t she say, hey, I couldn’t find the guys’ flowers? So atleast we could have located them and put them on before the ceremony started. I know this issue didn’t ruin my wedding but I felt like it was “one of those little fires” I expected to be put out by my DOC. I don’t know what went on at the reception before I arrived, but she was very helpful and assisting with getting me and DH and MOH and her date cabs to get to the hotel afterwards. Other than that, I didn’t see her most of the evening. I think that part of why I feel it was unnecessary is because all of my other vendors were so on point and on top of their game. (Please e-mail me if you want any more info, I don’t want to be too negative on here, especially because Remember This Day did such a fabulous job on my paper products, and even though I was disappointed, having a DOC didn't ruin my day or make it worse in anyway.) In the end, my whole point of this review is for the brides who see all the posts about a DOC being a must have, read this and go over your other vendors and check with your venue about how they do things. It may not be all that necessary. An Affair To Remember Limos – A I left out the plus only for the reason that the limo was late picking up the guys. It didn’t matter too much since us girls were running late because of the flower situation, but still.. Our driver, Mark (I believe) was phenomenal! Seriously cannot say enough. He had two cold glasses of water waiting for me and DH at the back of the church, he helped me with my dress and veil and flowers (which were so heavy) all day. He even stayed in the car while we took photos to keep an eye on our ringbearer who had fallen asleep. He truly went above and beyond! Mike Brill (cocktail entertainment) A+ Mike was AWESOME! He worked with DH and I to sort a perfect play list for our cocktail hour, he was prompt and perfect. We had so many compliments on our music during the cocktail hour. He was everything we imagined and more. Excellence Riveria Maya – A++++++ Seriously I could write a book about why they were so great. We will be going back very soon. Everything was perfect, and even if it was semi less than perfect, (like not having our room cleaned one day) one phone call and it was taken care of in less than an hour. And then they called to follow up to make sure it was taken care of. We were Excellence Club VIP and anyone on the fence, I would say this….cut the honeymoon by 1 day to afford the VIP upgrade for the other days, IT IS SO WORTH IT! Please feel free to page me or email me with any questions. (mcccwhat at aim dot com)
Stacy has
read 24 books toward her goal of 35 books.