So I'll keep this short and sweet, but I wanted to do reviews because I didn't use the same vendors that I see a lot of Seattle brides using... this way you ladies have more choices!! :-) And I do have to say, that not all my ratings will be A+++++'s because I kind of laugh when I see girls that rate like that, so if someone get's a B, it's not because they did a bad job, I just wanted my scale to be a bit more helpful/realistic...
Venue: Grand Willow Inn, Mt. Vernon, WA - A
I have to say that this venue is amazing. Price-wise, they're just perfect because they offer a 'total package' where they do the set up, clean up, provide a DOC, etc. They take care of so many of the little details that it made getting married such a breeze. Connie, the owner, is amazing to work with and I cannot speak highly enough of her. They always got back to me in a timely manner and were so polite and accommodating to me and my hectic schedule. I would say that if you're okay with going to Mt. Vernon, that you should definitely give them a chance to WOW you. Also, Connie does her own in-house catering (full buffet with champagne chicken and prime rib was $22/person and we got SO MANY compliments on the food!). Seriously, give this place a chance and they'll show you what it's like to have a truly stress-free wedding day.
Photographer: Jenn Repp Photography, Jenn Repp - A+ thus far
So, a year and a half ago, I went to a friend's wedding and was completely blown away by the talent and personality of her photographer. After seeing her pictures which were beautiful, I was determined to have Jenn at my wedding. 3 months later, I was engaged and emailed Jenn right away to book her. My FI and I met her at her studio and felt comfortable right away. We did an engagement shoot and the pics were fantastic. I really cannot say enough good things about Jenn (her assistant LaRae was great also). Her eye for detail and creative nature make taking pictures interesting and fun and I can't wait to see our wedding pictures when we get back from our honeymoon! Really, she is a hidden gem and I was so so thankful she was there to capture our big day!
Flowers: Everyday Flowers, Stanwood WA Vivian Larsen - B+
Honestly, our flowers were beautiful and Vivian did a fantastic job. We met only once (she grows almost all her own flowers organically so I went out to see her garden, so lovely) but we talked a lot via emails. She did a wonderful job, and all our flowers (bridal bouquet, 4 BM bouquets, 7 bouts, and 2 corsages) came to roughly $400 which I thought was great. She also delivered to my venue the day of to help keep that stress off of me. I would highly recommend her. My only dislike was that there was more "greenery" in my bouquet than I would have liked, but I take the blame on that one because I didn't take a very active part in designing or choosing my flowers. I really just told her to put something together. I will say however, that I got multiple compliments on the sweet pea flowers in my bouquet :-)
Cake: Cheesecakes from The Confectional, Seattle - A
Seriously, the hit of our wedding were these cheesecakes, which are -to die for- :-) Everyone thought they were cupcakes at first (which in our group is totally overdone), so they were kind of reluctant to get up and grab some, but the DJ announced for everyone to grab a cheesecake and it was like a herd of people just ran up to the cake stand! HAHA They were amazing, we barely had any left over (huge thumbs up for the White Chocolate Raspberry, Turtle, and Bailey's flavors).
Sounds Unlimited DJ's - Jon was our DJ - C
Sounds Unlimited had a booth at the wedding show and we got a great deal because H's sister is getting married 6 months after us, so we signed contracts together and got a pretty good price. Our DJ, Jon, was polite, kind, and respectful of our no-play list (or anything too risqué because my H's side tended to be a bit older than our usual crowd). I enjoyed when we talked and he seemed to understand my song choices and did a great job through ceremony and dinner. The reason for the lower rating was that he was away from the DJ booth quite a bit, and the flow of the music wasn't very conducive to dancing. For example, they went from playing a song like Baby Got Back to Lady in Red... I just wish that when people were all dancing, there wasn't some random techno song thrown in that no one could groove to, KWIM? I feel bad for the lower rating because I liked the guy, but my feedback from the MOH wasn't so great about the dance floor, and since I was out mingling with other guests most of the night, I didn't have a whole lot more to base it off of.
Aura Photobooth, Seattle - B+
Marjan was my point of contact with Aura and they did a fantastic job of keeping in communication with me from the moment that I first emailed with questions. They included a prop box for free for me, and also brought a cute photo album/guest book thing for the copies of people's prints. I will say that the photobooth guy arrived late (at the beginning of our outside ceremony) so that's why they didn't get an A, but really, they understand the meaning of customer service and were very very much appreciated.
Snohomish Beer and Wine - Owner's name is Tyler - B
Overall, I was quite happy with how helpful Tyler was, and the price was right for the kegs/wine that we got from him. They supply their own bartenders, glassware, kegs, etc so they were a perfect fit for our venue. I heard from H's sister that Tyler was kinda snippy with her when she tried to get a drink from him, but no one else seemed to have any trouble. They did take the venue's keg stand at the end of the night which caused a bit of stress so that definitely reflects in their rating for me.
Well, the wedding was really great. Everything possible went wrong ahead of time, but that morning, things went smoothly (thank heavens). We had a few hiccups here and there, but nothing too memorable. All I remember is being happy and having the night go by way too quickly. I will say, MY BIGGEST REGRET, is not getting a videographer. We decided we didn't need it because we have such a fantastic photographer. Here I am, a week later, and there are already so many little details from the ceremony that I wish I could remember. So my advice, find the $$ to get a videographer. Even just a family friend of so-and-so... record your moment, because even if the pictures last a lifetime, your mind is racing and you may not remember everything just like it was.
All that being said, I hope these reviews help anyone out that's looking for ideas. And if I think of anything else to add, I will. :-) Good luck ladies, take deep breaths and don't sweat the small stuff!
Mrs. T :-)
