Ceremony and Reception Venue - Filter Building (Site and Day Of A+ / Customer Service and Communication C) Let me say, I would not have changed my venue for anything. However, it is EXTREMELY DIY, meaning you book the venue, and then the doors will be open for you the day of the event. They even changed their table/chair rental package 2 months before our wedding, and if I had not known another Knottie that was getting married there to tell me, I would have gotten all the wrong linens. I wasn't notified of this from the venue even once.
BUT, we got so many compliments on the venue, and it is very day-of friendly. It is truly amazing that it wasn't built specifically for weddings. The only issue is that the Groom's room is pretty tiny, but we had a family friend bring a travel trailer that worked perfect in the parking lot for the boys.
I am ultimately so so happy we went with the FB, even with the bumps along the way.
Officiant - Jason McClaren (A)We were a little wary of Jason at first, because he does have a bit of a quiet demeanor, and is not exactly an 'entertainer' as we have heard many other officiants can be. However, because our ceremony was very personalized, it ended up perfect that he 'faded' into the background and let us be front and center. He was always 100% professional in everything he did. He also offered a Twogether in Texas program through him so we got our state discount.
Ceremony Musician - Doug Fairweather (A+) We took a HUGE risk with Doug. Our ceremony music budget was very small, and all we wanted was one person to play the acoustic guitar for an hour tops (we threw in free dinner). So I put an ad on Craigslist, and he answered the call. He owns his own business and just plays occasionally on the side, but his style was perfect. He knew Beatles, Simon and Garfunkle type stuff, but he learned two songs just for our day. He was perfect, and his style was perfect. (PS - If you are interested in using him, he doesn't have a webpage or anything, but I can send his email out to anyone who may be interested.)
Day of Coordinator - Jen Ashford, Altar Ego Events (A+)People say it all the time, but it's true. The best money I spend was on a coordinator. Jen was fabulous from beginning to end. During the week leading up to the wedding, I kept saying to myself "I don't know what I would be doing right now if Jen were not here with me." She helped get all my vendors organized, made sure they knew what time they needed to be there, made sure they WERE there the day of, always had a drink in my hand, and when I couldn't get the band's attention to request a song she did it for me. She was like the half of me that meant business so party-Carrie could be 100% present all night. She is actually not doing day-of coordination from here on out, only month and longer. But guys. WORTH IT.
Caterer/Bartenders - Sonny Bryans (A-)We are actually major foodies, but with our budget it came down to splurging on food or a band (versus a dj). We decided to save money on the food, and BBQ is always the cheapest way to go. That being said, their customer service leading up to the wedding was AMAZING. I can't stress that enough. We got to go into a location for a 'tasting' to finalize our contract. The only reason they don't have an A+ is just because we were somewhat disappointed that we had to settle for BBQ for our wedding, and there wasn't a vegetarian option (although no one that we know is a vegetarian, it still felt funny).
We also hired their bartenders so we could bring our own alcohol, and they were very flexible dealing with two kegs, a dispenser of specialty cocktails, bottles of wine, and caned beers. We had a mess of alcohol going on (in a GREAT way). Overall, I would use them again for ANY event.
Reception Music - Signature Band (A+)This band didn't have many reviews that we could find (other than on their own webpage), but they ended up being SO great. They were one of the more affordable bands we could find, and I didn't want to tell them afterwards that for their talent they could be charging MUCH more. They worked with Jen on the day-of timeline and wanted to be in the know on everything so that it went smoothly. They played slower music at the beginning, but as the crown thinned out it was ALL party music, and it was just fabulous. They also worked great with our songs we wanted that they couldn't play (we had some unique picks for our dances, and also my school song had to be played). Their best move of the night is when one of H's frat brothers wanted to dedicate 'Scotty doesn't Know' to him, since they gave him so much crap with that song in college. He went up to them and was like, hey, I have the song on my phone and they had it going in less than 30 seconds. Super professional and I just can't say enough great things about them.
Photographer - Leslie Spurlock (A+)Pictures click
HERE, and I truly think they speak for themselves. She was always super responsive with emails, also. She did my bridals and boudoir, and they all turned out spectacular. It is worth mentioning, I don't think I would have used her for the wedding without her second shooter, Todd. Leslie is VERY artistic and loves the sultry, sexy side of weddings. I love that, too, but it was nice to have Todd there to balance her out and get some more traditional photos. The mix was just perfect. They are truly a great team. I could go on and on about how great she is....
Videographer - JChristopher (A+) When I booked them, I was on a frenzy booking vendors during our short engagement, so I 'met' with Jeff over the phone...... and we talked for about an hour. Their customer service is amazing, and they were so professional the entire day. They also worked super well with our photographer! Our sneak peek video was great, and EXACTLY what we asked for. H sent Jeff and Amanda examples of videos that he liked and they captured the feel we wanted just perfectly. Oh and also we made Amanda cry during our private last dance.
Florist - Out of the Garden (A+)Our arrangements were great, and they were very affordable. During our consultation she walked us though their freezer and put together samples, and she knew exactly what I wanted and what my vision was. Compared to another florist I went to, she was substantially cheaper, but I ended up being just so so happy with everything. I don't feel like I compromised at all. These are the best pics I could find from our sneak peek:
Cakes - Ashley's Cakery (A+)Ashley is actually an old friend of mine who recently quit her job and begun making cakes. Mine was her first wedding cake, and I swear you couldn't tell. She works out of her home (she is certified under all Texas laws and codes, etc), so her overhead is very small. She did a cake tasting, and is super professional. She is having a baby this fall and won't be doing cakes again until around next summer.
Hair/Makeup Artist - Nicole Cano (A+)Nicole has just really started doing weddings, but she is FABULOUS. She is a perfectionist for sure (we ended up using our ENTIRE one hour cushion for 'getting ready'), but she was on time and wanted everything perfect. She is definitely a sucker for weddings, and we basically gushed and gossipped for 7 hours straight. She is very affordable, more affordable than any other MUA I could find locally, and she did all of our hair exactly as we wanted. Here are some pics of our hair:
Nails - Polished (A+)Random, but just wanted to say I love this place, and I got Shellac, and it was so worth it. 10 days later it's still perfect, just a little grown out.
H's Wedding Band - Fabuluster (A+)You may have seen these on Pinterest, they are the Fingerprint rings. The molds are kind of a pain, but it all ended up great. Their customer service is great, I changed the ring I wanted to get once I did the molds, and they were great about changing it for me.
Honeymoon - Isla Mujeres, Mexico, Palace Resort (A+)This place. Was amazing. It is NOTHING like Mexico at all... it's just a small island off the coast of Cancun. The majority of the island is taxis and golf carts (which we rented for one day and loved). For 7 days/7 nights, we spent grand total (including tips, buying excursions, flight, and everything) $3100. This particular resort had only 62 rooms, 5-10 of which were booked the entire week (it's their slow season). We met practically everyone else at the resort, and knew the waitstaff and employees by name. There were days we had the entire beach and ocean to ourselves. I would recommend this to ANYONE on a budget. We were safe the entire time, and just had an absolutely amazing time. I honestly can't imagine spending twice that much to go to a much busier resort much further away.
Brides Dress - Terry Costa, Allure (A-)We went to TC on a weekend where all bridal gowns were 20% off, so I got a great deal on my Alllure gown. I'm not sure how often they have that sale. Because it was a sale weekend, it was hectic in the store and I didn't have my own consultant, but it didn't end up mattering too much. I was happy to get the 20% off, and the dress came in 10 weeks.
Alterations - Becky Fowler (A+)Broken record, here I am. She is amazing. Altering and hemming lace is NOT easy, and Becky was very affordable. She wanted to make sure everything was perfect, including having me try on about 20 veils. I ended up not going with one, but she wanted to make sure that I was sure.
Bridesmaids Dresses - Banana Republic (A+)It was a great decision to go retail for their dresses. They still looked stunning, and if you join their email list, you can get regular discounts. My girls got the dress for 35% off. They can definitely wear them again, and they were so pretty.
Mens Suits (Purchased, not rented) - Men's Wearhouse (B)In terms of value, we got a great deal for all of the guy's shirts and slacks. For the outfit, plus suspenders, they ended up paying 120, and get to keep it all. There was a mix up with the order, and when we sorted the outfits the Monday before we realized we were missing 5 shirts, and that was kind of a headache. But everything worked out and they looked GREAT.
Transportation - Premier of Dallas (A+)This was a very last minute thing, as our classic car we were going to borrow had some issues the week before. We didn't need transportation from ceremony to reception, so my mom just got us a town car to take us to our hotel, and then he went back and took them to their hotel after they cleaned up, since they would have gotten a taxi anyways. No complaints, on time, and had bottles of water for us!
Valet - Preferred Parking (A??)I have honestly not heard one word about our valet from any guests, and I never saw them. I guess that's a good thing?
Wedding Night Hotel - Belmont (A+)Ohhhh this place was fabulous. Because it was H's birthday, we got the half price room discount, so we got the best room with the deep bathtub in the bedroom. That was SO welcome after a long night of dancing like a crazy person (see pictures). When we first got there, we went to the bar in our getup, and got our drinks and a shot paid for. Another great thing is that the next morning we had brunch at Smoke with some friends and family, and all we had to do was walk next door. This place is so beautiful, we will be back for sure.
Guest Hotel Blocks - Hyatt at Lincoln Park (A+) and Hotel Palomar (A+)Didn't hear much either way about them from guests, but they worked well with the welcome baskets. My sisters and I stayed in the Hyatt the night before and got ready there, and the suite was perfect for us. Hotel Palomar was nice for some of our guests, as it is pet friendly.
Rehearsal Dinner - Angelos (B+)We were kind of at our rope's end to book a RD venue, and we ended up with Angelo's. Their food is TOP NOTCH, but their banquet room is pretty small and not laid out great. The wait staff seemed to always be squeezing by people, and the speeches were really only heard by one half of the room. It was affordable for us, you just pay for what people order, and we didn't spend much time there lingering. It was fine, I just wish we could have found a more spacious place.
Rehearsal Dinner Hair - Dry Bar (A+)This place is so fun. Bridesmaids and I went to get our hair done. It's $35 for a blowout, and it was nice to treat ourselves. It's chic and fun and WOW was my flat hair curly! Here I am:
Rehearsal Dinner Makeup - Sephora (A+)I love Sephora. I've gotten my makeup done here a few times before, and you just have to buy a $50 gift card. I spend that money there a few times a year anyways, so it's fun to have someone else do my makeup.
Bachelorette Party Event - Painting with a Twist (A+)If you have never done this... it is GREAT. If you have a large group, it's $35 a person for a painting class and it's BYOW. It lasts a good 3 hours and it's just so much fun and so many laughs. It was perfect, and my mom and aunts were able to join as well.
Bachelorette Party Hotel - Hyatt Regency (B+)Pretty standard, nothing spectacular, nothing wrong. Basically a place to pass out after a long night. I'd stay again.
Bachelorette Party Club - Plush (A+)OK I had never been to Plush, and will probably never go back but it was GREAT for a bachelorette party. I am totally not into skeevy dance clubs with Ed Hardy everywhere, but it was such a fun night to be silly and really not care what 'that' crowd thinks of you.
Bachelor Party Hotel - Omni (A+)Obviously I wasn't there, but the guys just raved about it. When my mom saw the pic of the guys at the pool with the downtown backdrop she thought they had skipped town and gone to Vegas for a surprise Bachelor trip. They even got a late checkout to stay at the pool.
Bachelor Party Club - the Lounge (A+)Again, I wasn't there, but H loved it. He really isn't into sleazy strip clubs, but this is more of a cabaret/burlesque show with no nips, just tassles. He said the crowd was upscale and he didn't feel like a perv the entire time. Not going to lie, I kind of want to go check it out... it sounded really fun. It was perfect for him.
OK I know that was ridiculously long, but I had so many questions along the way that I know every little recommendation helps.
Edit for Videographer Update and ETA:
Random Purchases - Amazon Prime (A+)I got an Amazon Prime membership at Christmas and it ended up SAVING me in my last months of planning. I can't tell you how many times this happened: 'CRAP I need to order bev naps to stamp and I don't have time to run to the store.' click, click, click, free 2 day shipping and it was at my door. For all of those little things that I needed last minute (hello, flower girl gifts?), it was a LIFE saver. I would highly recommend to any bride or really anyone who is too lazy to go to Sephora to buy special facewash. Guilty.