Hi Ladies!!! Im back from the honeymoon and ran around all day doing my name changing stuff. The wedding was soooo perfect, I wish I could relive it over and over again. All the small imperfections no longer matter and the fact that we were getting married had me on a love high all night long
I have written some reviews (they are kind of long), if you have any questions about a vendor or notice something I forgot to mention..just let me know.
I will be back shortly with pictures
Hilton Park Cities (Overall): C
Ceremony Venue: Opio (inside Hilton)
The ceremony site was beautiful! It reminded me of a small church in Tuscany with the warm tones, wrought iron chandeliers and candle lighting. Ann (at the Hilton) set up the candles, chairs, flower petals (for the aisle), etc. It really helped not having to stress out and decorate and everything turned out beautiful!
Reception Venue: Hilton Park Cities (in Dallas)
Again Ann (at the Hilton) set up all of the tables, centerpieces, decor, table cloths, which I really appreciated. The only problem I had was about an hour before the wedding my MIL told me the Hilton was hosting an SMU party right next door to our reception room...but we did not hear a thing all night and barely even noticed anyone else was there. So at the end of the day everything turned out okay but I was and still am disappointed in Ann and the Hilton for double booking that night...especially since I had booked that venue in June 2009!!
Caterer: Hilton Park Cities (in Dallas)
The food was delicious, and everyone raved about the passed appetizers, however two meals that I requested at the tasting were completely wrong at the wedding, the salad and the chicken entree. Everyone enjoyed the food and my DH and I were the only ones who knew the food was wrong but this should not have been a mistake since two days before the wedding I confirmed all of the food.
Although the Hotel is gorgeous, I would not recommend this place for your wedding. It was extremely apparent as the wedding drew closer that the staff at this Hilton were not very accomidating to a wedding. The coordinator Ann would not return emails or phone calls for over a week, and when I persisted and finally reached her and she "promised" to get on something it would take two weeks before I would get anything (and that meant me calling her two weeks later to remind her). This Hotel (although it was included in my contract) did not have a bridal suite for me and my bridesmaids to get ready in...im guessing the were assuming myself and my bridesmaid not only have our hair and makeup done in my DH and I's room, but to also get dressed in there AND the groom and groomsmen use that room to get dressed in too! When I made a comment to Ann, she gave us a horrible room in the very back of the hotel with no natural lighting (that I needed for my MUA) and it smelt like old people or that it had not been used in 20 years!
Engagement Ring: Jareds Jewelers (in Plano) A
Great exprience everytime I go here! I will continue to buy from Jareds, I shopped around and did not find quality and price that could beat theirs. I continue to go in every six months for my inspection and I frequent in to have my ring cleaned (which is always free). Good location, pleasant staff.
Wedding Bands: Robbin Brothers (in Dallas) A-
I was a little turned off by the fact that you walk out with the ring you purchase...call me what you will but I expect when I am spending thousands on jewelery that the jewelry be brand new and have never touched anyone else's finger. Nonetheless, they had a good selection (only of engagement and wedding bands...not much else) and their prices and financing is fair.
Photographer: Union Valley Photography A+
This vendor is my FIL. He is so wonderful to work with and is willing to go above and beyond for great shots! And although he didn't charge us, he is so affordable that I would recommend him to anyone
Wedding Dress: Alfred Angelo (Firewheel Mall) A
I had a pleasant experience with this location, not too much to say because everything went smoothly. I walked in without an appointment, was seen right away, tried on a few dresses, placed my order that same day and the dress was available for pick up in under 2 months....no complaints here!
Wedding Shoes: Zappos -- Brand: Nina (online) A+
I love Zappos! They have amazing prices, great customer service, a huge selection and super fast shipping! They were the only place I could find the shoes I was looking for (mint green heels) and once I received the shoes just a few days later, everything was perfect and the shoes were great quality!! I lasted all night without my feet hurting
Alterations: Becky Fowler A+
What else can I say that has not already been said! She is not only an amazing seamstress but a wonderful person and a joy to work with. I live in Forney and I drove out to Irving just to use her and I wouldn't change a thing...she is well worth the drive and the money (which she doesn't even charge much)
Ties: The Tie Bar (online) A+
I stumbled across this site while searching for mint green ties, we ordered just one to check the quality; I was a little unsure because their ties were only $15...I am used to DH paying about $60 for a tie. We received the tie exetremely fast (I believe in one or two days) and it was packaged very nicely. To my surprise the tie was great quality...up to par with DH's $60, $70 or $80 ties. We ordered the rest for the grooms men and have told all of our male friends about this site. You wont find a better deal for ties!
Grooms Suit: Express (Northpark Mall) A+
DH loves Express and just by chance while shopping we saw that their suits were on sale and I had coupons in my purse. We ended up snagging a great deal for the slacks and the jacket for a total of $112!! And your lucky to walk out with a single pair of jeans for that price at Express...it fit DH so well, like it was already tailored. It was a great buy that he can wear again and again.
Grooms Shoes: Kenneth Cole (Allen Premium Outlet Mall) A
Again this was a very simple buy. DH likes this brand so we drove up to the Outlet Mall, walked in, tried on a few pairs, paid and walked out...easy shmeezy
DJ: Melodies & Memories A
Melody and Lori were great from the first time I spoke with them. I decided to book a DJ about two weeks before the wedding and M&M came to the rescue. They were beyond affordable, Lori was so great, she was the DJ, the emcee, the coordinator, a guest, a friend, everything that a great DJ should be. She played everything we asked (and threw in some we didn't ask for, but later we found out those songs were requests from the guests). I highly recommend this company for your wedding!
Florist: Market Street (in Allen) B+
I have only one complaint about this florist. I called a few weeks after placing my order to make a payment over the phone and they had lost my contract. I would hate to see what would have happended if I never called!! But the price was AMAZING...way better than ANY other place I found and on the day of the flowers were simple and beautiful.
Wedding Cake: Panini Bakery (in Dallas) A
This was the only place we had a tasting at. At the tasting Sophie gives great portions to try and their pricing, while not the cheapest, is about average with most bakers. But the taste......it was the best cake I have ever had! At the wedding the cake was gorgeous and tasted as good as it looked.
Grooms Cake: Asian Mint (in Richardson) A
DH wanted a green tea ice cream cake for his grooms cake...which does not leave too many options as far as shopping around. However, Asian was a pleasure to work with. They gave us exactly what we wanted for a very affordable price! And it taste delicious!!
First MUA: Erin Gobin B
I liked Erin and had heard good things about her. I booked her blind, about 9 months before the wedding. She is great at communicating via email quickly. I had my trial and she was nice and did a great job on my hair and my makeup was just okay. I was going to have her fix a few things at the wedding but noting major. Well two weeks before the wedding she contacted me via email to let me know that her primary day job had her going out of town during my wedding and that she would have to cancel on me. I found it extremely unprofessional. I understand that being a MUA is her second job but when you book something as important as weddings you need to understand that your day job needs to be flexible. She gave my money (with my permission) to her partner/assistant Amy Doty for a second trial, she took over my wedding for me at the last minute.
Second MUA: Amy Doty A
At first I was a little nervous seeing as how she does not have a blog, FB or anything showcasing her work. But her "recreation" of Erin's look was FABULOUS!! And I guess things do work out for a reason because I felt like Amy and I clicked better, and I was much happier with the work she produced for my wedding day! My bridesmaid and myself looked amazing and Amy even put false lashes on my mom for me for no extra fee
She was great to work with and in the end I could not have been happier with the way things turned out!
STD & Invitations: Paper Source (Northpark Mall) A -
The only reason I am giving this a minus is not because of the store itself....they have a great selection. I am only suggesting that unless you REALLY like DIY it is much simpler to have someone else do your invites...thats just much opinion. My invites were extremely plain and average because it was never a huge priority to me but for the price I spent trying to "save" money DIYing I could have just had someone on Etsy do the invites.
Linens: CV Linens (online) A
Again I really enjoyed my experience with this company. The fact that I was looking for mint green severley narrowed my options but I was able to find beautiful overlays for $10 a piece. I think that I find a great buy in the linens from CV Linens and I will use them again if I ever need to buy or recommend linens.
Vases: Save on Crafts (online) A
Some of their reviews online were not very good but I had a good experience with thi website. The vases were cheap and good enough quality for what I was looking for...the glass had a few air bubbles which may bother some people but I could care less, because between the rocks, flowers, candles and dim lighting...totally not noticeable.
Earrings: Jewelery Expo at Market Hall A
Bought two pairs of earrings because I couldn't decide which I liked, they had a huge selection and the prices were average (about $25-$30 for a pair)
Candles, Flower Petals, Decor, River Rocks, etc: The Saleplace (in Balch Springs) A
This is another vendor that has mixed reviews. While I can agree some of the wedding stuff is cheesy...not all of it is and you can find some great deals. You just have to sift through the cheap crap