Hello,
My wedding was 10/08/11 out in the country, I wanted to give some friendly advice on these specific vendors so they don't ruin your day like they did mine.
1st and #1 to stay away from- Margaret Johnstone with Precious Creations wedding planning HORRIBLE WEEZLE of a person. We paid a fee of $5,000 for her services and because she had a warehouse full of linens, decor, candles etc. that we could use for free we thought it was a good deal. Well she did NO work I pretty much did EVERYTHING myself she only brought one vendor to the table and everyone else I found because the photo, DJ, etc. that she brought to the table was over what I told her I wanted to pay. She told us last minute that we were in charge of paying for dry cleaning for her linens which was not included in her fee so another $600 down the drain. Margaret was in charge of setting up everything the day of the wedding and didn't put out some of the stuff I specifically asked for, like my flowers for my ceremony (to keep flowers on budget I had to re-purpose everything for the reception) well she decided to only use them at the reception so I had no decor flowers for my ceremony. Another thing that happened at my ceremony was that my groomsmen were our ushers as well and she knew that and didn't have any of my family be walked down, my mother and grandmother walked down by themselves I feel horrible that is not right. At the end of the night she started packing everything up with guests still there and before our party was even over. Margaret didn't do it by herself either she inlisted in my FIL to help she hardly set up anything the day before either, we had the reh. dinner and we wanted to set up everything we could for the reception the next day well we found out she told my FIL and his worker to do it all and set up just the chairs. Back to the end of the wedding night Margaret and the caterer took it upon themselves to throw out pounds of extra food, unopened beer, desserts, and my votive candles (none of this we found out until later) without even asking us. Another major thing is that she technically should've been in charge of the gifts that night and we are now missing over 10 peoples cards that informed us they had given us either cash, check, or gift card. I'm telling you this isn't even the half of it AVOID her at all costs she will ruin your special day and screw you big time.
2nd- Steve with Celebrations Events DJ service, we paid him $800 for lighting and another $1,400 for DJ service... The lighting was NOT what we were told we would get Steve said he was going to do our lighting big because it was his first time working with our wedding planner and wanted it to be good so that she would use him in the future. Included in the $800 we were supposed to get pin spots on each table centerpiece (did not get), gobo, uplighting on walls, and a pinspot on the cake table some of it we got but it was not over the top by any means. The DJ services we were supposed to get.. fog for our first dance (we did not get) and certain songs we asked to be played were not played, along with his attitude of telling my groom and MIL no about turning the lights on so that people could eat was just unacceptable you are working for us not the other way around. He also wouldn't announce the stations and delayed everyone eating for a good hour. At the end of the night he was packing up and even though he had an assistant with him he asked my father and brother in law to help him take his stuff down which took till 1 in the morning and I did not know this until later. He did a lot of talking for what he could do and did not produce in the end.
Sorry this was so long but I hope it helps In the end it was about me and the groom and us joining our marriage, but a girl dreams about her wedding day for her whole life you only do it once and I wanted it to be perfect which it was a disaster. These vendors, mostly Margaret and the rain ruined my special day I wish I could go back in time to when we first got engaged I would def. make different decisions. I wrote this blog so that others don't have this feeling good luck brides!!!