We were married June 21st on Anna Maria Island at the Gulf Drive Cafe & Tiki. We had an aboslutely perfect wedding day. We were initially very nervous trying to plan everything from Indiana, but it all worked out beautifully. These vendor reviews were very helpful to me when planning, so hopefully mine will help others.
Sand Petal Weddings A+++
They were wonderful and worth every penny! They did the ceremony and the reception and we honestly couldn't have imagined things going any better. From the initial planning stages to the wedding day they were always very responsive and friendly. The planning process was stress free and on the day of we were able to enjoy every moment and not worry about a thing.
The ceremony set up was breathtaking and all the vendors were wonderful. Sand Petals set up the vendors for ceremony, reception, musician, photographer, videographer, DJ, and cake. They all contacted us beforehand to go over the details and make sure they knew exactly what we wanted. They were all great. The venue was great, the food and service good and the luau show was so much fun. The overall experience was exactly what we wanted.
Sarasota Florist A
The flowers were absolutely gorgeous! We just got my bouquet, BM bouquets, groom and GM bouts, father's bouts and mother's corsages and they were all beautiful. They were delivered right on time and so beautiful.
Holiday Inn Express Bradenton West C
Several of our guests stayed here. The hotel itself was fine and the price decent, but the service was poor. We had trouble with the room block reservations and guests being told it was full (when it wasn't) and everyone was quoted different pricing depending on when they called. They tried to make it right, but it was still a big hassle for everyone. And when guests arrived they were told the pool was closed for repairs. We were not informed of this ahead of time. We would have chosen a different hotel had we known this. Guests coming to Florida and no pool to lounge by. That part stunk. Our guests made the best of it and enjoyed the beach, but they had to drive to get there.
Tortuga Resort - wedding night A
This was a beautiful place and perfect for our first night as husband and wife. We stayed in Room 218 and it was very nice. It has a very large bathroom with a jacuzzi tub and large shower with dual shower heads. The staff was very friendly. We will definitely be staying here for an anniversary.
Pacissimo Restaurant - rehearsal dinner B
This restaurant is in Bradenton. We chose it for the atmostphere and the budget. The food was very good and the price extremely reasonable. The communication and service were a bit challenging, but in the end it worked out fine. This Italian restaurant is owned/ran by true Italians who speak some English, but at times it was difficult to communciate. Luckily my dad lives in the area so he could go there in person and work out the details for us. It is small, but accommodated our 30 guests very nicely. In true Italian fashion everything was made fresh, but it took over 3 hours for dinner. We had everything arranged ahead of time, but it still took way longer to get the food out. It gave everyone time to visit and we handed out gifts, but there was a long wait between each course. We only had salad, bread, pasta, pizza and dessert and it was family style, but it still took forever. But the food was good and the price was right.
**Edit** I forgot hair and make-up! How could I do that - it was one of my favorite parts!!
Hair and Makeup - KyleLynn Weddings A+
Cari was fabulous!! I absolutely loved my hair and makeup and I got so many compliments on it. Cari was so great. She came to our condo the day before and did my trial. She was so sweet and patient. She played with the front of my hair until I loved it. The day of she and Kendra did hair and makeup for me, my 3 bridesmaids and our flower girl. Kendra and Cari were both wonderful and so much fun. Her prices were reasonable and the fact that she came to our condo was so convenient. She kept everything on time and we were not rushed at all. I would highly recommend them.
Here are a few pics friends/family took. It was a perfect day! I would highly recommend Sand Petal Weddings to anyone planning a beach wedding.
