Hi ladies! I can't believe that it was a month ago that all this craziness happened. I just wanted to share some of my experiences with you and hope that it helps anyone out that is trying to find their perfect vendors.
Venue - The Highlands Mansion and Garden, Fort Washington
I have to say that I am so happy we chose this for our ceremony and reception. The mansion is this perfect mix of glamour but with a rustic edge. The rental coordinator was great to work with - she was not there on the day of but there was no need. She checked in with us periodically and was quick to respond to any of questions.
This isn't the type of venue where you have a big open ballroom - but it worked out well for us. We ended up having about 115 guests and there was space for more.
Our ceremony was out in the garden - they landscapers were there the day before cleaning and pruning everything to make it perfect. We had been to the gardens several times but honestly the day of our wedding it was absolutely stunning even though it was early June so the spring flowers were passed and many summer flowers had yet to bloom.
The back porch was perfect for cocktail hour! For the main reception everyone came inside into the centerhall where we had our introductions, first dance and toasts.
The mansion has several small rooms so our guests were split into 3 areas while we had a buffet in the smallest room (it had easy access from all other rooms.) We hated the idea of having to figure out seating arrangement in different areas so we had open seating. I know that some people would stress out over this but I have to say it worked out perfect! I was really worried because I have heard horror stories about open seating (seems to be a regional thing) but frankly everyone was an adult and quickly found a seat and everyone had a great time.
You can only have dancing in the main hall or on the veranda (which happens to be the largest room) and many people will have the veranda as their dance floor but with overflow seating... we had it set up this way but frankly everyone just danced out in the hall. So I would suggest to anyone planning their wedding here to do the same and use the veranda for more seating if any areas are too cramped.
There are also two large suites upstairs for the bridal party to get ready - this was great!
All in all I think this venue is just amazing and is perfect for both the ceremony and reception for a couple looking for something a little different. The gardens are always open to the public - so stop in at anytime! This would be a great place for engagement photos as well.
Caterer: Moose and Goose Picnic Catering
Everyone really enjoyed the food at our reception. Gina was really very easy to work with - we had been e-mailing back and forth for a year and was really able to customize what we wanted. I am sure we were an exercise in patience for her since we were back and forth on a lot of choices.
We did a buffet style dinner with beef brisket, eggplant parm, roasted potatoes, grilled mediteranean veggies, and the usual salad and bread. Since we had a vegan friend in the wedding party and a few vegetarians (including myself) - we even had a seitan based stew available. Everything was really delicious and I am still getting compliments on the eggplant (you know how many people only like it if it is reaaaaaaaallly good.)
We loved the setup and look of everything that Moose and Goose did - all of the servers were nice and professional the day of.
We actually used Moose and Goose's "drop off service" for our rehearsal dinner and it was sooo delicious! We rented a pavilion at Ft. Washington park and got the pulled pork picnic. MOST AMAZING CORNBREAD EVER. Now with that being said - I do have to say I was a little disappointed but only with the rehearsal dinner. Since I was vegetarian we had talked about making sure the baked beans were vegetarian... so I was sad when it turned out there were chunks of pork in the beans and bacon in the potato salad
Oh well there was still plenty of food for everyone and we had many compliments. Overall I am happy that we chose them for our caterer.
Photographer - Jesse O'Brien Photography
Jesse was fantastic to work with! We actually had our photorapher fall through about 5 weeks before which left us scrambling for someone and working with a small budget. Jesse was really great - he was professional but very friendly and showed genuine interest in doing his work. He was also very inspired by the venue when we first met him which was really nice to see. I have seen so many photographers that are either really bossy or unnattentive and miss out on many candid shots... so happy to report that this is certainly not the case here. We just got our DVD back with over 500 shots on them (he has different packages if you want prints) and we are so happy with his final work. I definitely recommend him to anyone and hope to work with him again!
Officiant - Eric Wilden, Waterlily Weddings
My husband and I met with a couple of different officiants and we knew right away that Eric would be perfect. I grew up Catholic but we were looking for a civil but spiritual non-denominational service. We spoke to him over the phone before we met and person and just naturally everything came together. He has some great options in his weddingbook but is willing to really write or add whatever you may want in your ceremony. He put together a beautiful ceremony for us and we really strongly recommend him for anyone.
Floral - Colleen at Maple Acres Farm (Plymouth Meeting)
I am still in love with my flowers!!!! I was friends with Maple Acres on FB when I realized that they had a florist on staff. I actually met with her just about 2 months before the wedding (eh who needs a timeline...) Colleen was great at our first meeting - I knew I wanted something with hydrangeas and a more linear bouquet rather than something rounded. She was able to come up with different flowers in my colorscheme and showed me some samples. I did not have a mock-up done but I was really confident that she would make something beautiful. All the bouquets were just stunning and in vibrant colors! She was happy to add personal touches for my sisters, mother and I to remember our father as well which was very nice of her. I thought the prices were very reasonable and came to about $400 for 5 bm bouquets, my bouquet, 2 corsages, and 7 boutinierres.
Hair - Nu Waves Salon (Blue Bell)
This place is just down the street for any of you Normandy Farm Brides! I loved my hair!! I had Michelle and she did an amazing job, I actually went back to her last week for a fabulous new summer cut. I had actually gone to Nu Waves as a bridesmaid in another wedding last year and decided to go again. I really liked that they had enough stylists to pretty much work on my entire party at once so it was not an endless morning of hair. I do have to say that my sister went for a cut/consultation the week before the wedding to a different stylist there and did not have the best experience. She had received a phone call pretty much insisting that she come in early for her appt since there was a cancellation - when she wasn't able to get there any earlier she ended up have the quickest $40 haircut in existence. With that being said I think it depends on who you have and speak to. I definitely recommend Michelle to anyone - I did not have a trial and honestly there was no need to, it was fabulous!
Baker - Bee's Sweet Shoppe
THANK YOU FELLOW KNOTTIES! I found Elizabeth on this board and al I can say is yum yum yum YUMMMMMMMMMMM I want more cake now! We had a great tasting with her and decided to do a small 8" cutting round with lemon buttercream cupcakes and mocha with toffee chips. We also had 3 vegan blueberry pies that were delicious. At the reception I asked to make sure everyone had picked up a cupcake and continiously got this response "1? hah! I had 2 and want another they are so good!" I am getting so hungry thinking about her cake again - there really aren't words to express the deliciousness that she is able to create!
Hope that helps and let me know if you have any questions
