Riverhouse at Goodspeed Station, Haddam CT Wedding

Midnight423

Hi Everyone,

My fiance and I just got engaged in October and signed up to have our Reception at the Riverhouse!  It was our top choice so we are very excited!  We're actually moving to California in July so we're trying to get all the vendors finalized before the big move, so I need your help!

I was looking to get any feedback on churches, florists, photographers, DJ's, and hair boutiques in the area that you would recommend.  I'm not from around the area, so I would really like to make trips to see vendors that come highly recomended!  Any and all of your help is GREATLY appreciated

Thank you so much,

Bride to Be, Jenna!

missmckenzie2

I am also a Riverhouse bride we fell in love with it! And I am also a Jenna, too funny!

We are using:

Photographer: Krisrae Photography (www.krisrae.com)

DJ: Music in Motion (lighting too)

Videographer: Music in Motion

Florist: Just for You Flowers (Middletown)

Hair/Make-up: Salon Naomi (west Hartford, but they are travelling to us)

We absolutely love all of our vendors! If you look at the top of the CT wedding board there is a list of CT recommended vendors too!

Good luck with your planning! When is your date?

BeabullMom

Hi Jenna!
  I am getting married there this July!  I am getting very excited!  We are having our ceremony there as well, so I am not much help with a church.  I am using Jane at Just for You Floral in Middlefield for my flowers (she is a board favorite). She is great to work with!  I am using Todd from Jock in the Box from Wallingford as my DJ.  He is also a great guy!  For my hair/makeup I am having Naomi's Salon come to my mom's house in the morning to get myself and the girls ready.  I also have Val McCormack as my photographer.

Good luck! 

Midnight423

Thank you so much ladies!  I just reached out to Jane, so fingers crossed she has my date available....we're getting married on April 27, 2013 - We're planning ahead since we're moving to California in July, so we want to make sure we have all of our vendors finalized before the move!

How did you know which vendors to go with? Just calling and checking prices? Visiting all of them?  There's so many to choose from so I don't know how the best way to go about choosing is!

Jenna....that's funny you're a Jenna too!!  When is your big day?
Beabullmom - Thanks for the recommendations and congrats to you!

theholograms

We are using:

Photographer: No Eye Has Seen (Alicia)

DJ: After Hours (Sal/Sabrina)

Hair: Tracy & Company (Kensington)

Make-up: Naomi's Salon (Travelling to us)

How I picked? Hair and make-up was easy - I've been going to Tracy & Co for years for my hair I love them, we are getting the entire 2nd floor that morning.  Many people have gone to Naomi's for make-up (and hair) and everyone I know has had a positive experience.

DJ was pretty easy - went to an event at our venue and After Hours was there and we were really impressed with their style and organization (plus they are doing the mic for everything since we are having an outdoor ceremony which is a plus!)  Went and read some reviews, then set up an appointment to meet with them and our mind was made up!

Photographer was a little harder for us (particularly me).  Since you have some time, take a little time with this.  Go through people's websites and look at their work and blogs to get an idea of their style.  I also read reviews online.  From there I contacted the people I liked the most and got their rates.  After all that, I set up an appointment with Alicia since her work reflected my personal style the best and we booked her the next day.

(Some other photographers that are pretty popular on the board and among people I know - Raw, Studio1923, Candace Jeffrey).  To me, picking a photographer was tougher than picking a dress!  

So far I've had really positive experiences with everyone! Good luck!!!

missmckenzie2

Our date is 10.20.12! And for our vendors a few of them we had seen in action at other weddings and thought they were fabulous (The DJ/videographer). Others we had personal recommendations for from other brides we knew. The vendors I wasn't sure about I would email/ call and get price quotes for and then meet with them if they were in our budget. We would kind of go with our gut to decide from there!

For photographers I spent about 100 hours looking at different blogs and their websites to get a good idea of what kind of pictures we wanted and whose style we liked the best. The photographer was one of the most important things to us!

BeabullMom

Most of my vendors I choose from recommendations from friends, and then after meeting with them in person.
Jane is local to me, and I heard amazing things about her.  When I met with her, I knew she'd be great!
Todd (Jock in the Box) is also local, and he was the DJ at my friend's wedding.  He has a great personality too!
My first choice for a photographer was booked, but she recommended Val McCormack because she shoots with her sometimes and thought she'd do a great job.
Val recommended Naomi's Salon to me, and they are highly recommended on the knot.

cdbishop

Photographer: Brooke Allison Photography

Flowers: Self (can't help)

DJ: Djae Melee

Hair/Makeup: Larissa Lake (travel to me)

I posted a church recommendation on your other post.  I found all my vendors from recommendations on the Knot and then meeting these people and feeling good about the price and the vendor. 

MichelleBee773

Congrats! The Goodspeed is a beautiful venue!! florists - we haven't booked one yet, but we are looking into Jane and Stylish Blloms in May photographers - We highly recommend Eric Brushett as a photographer. Check out his website www.ericbrushett.net DJ's - we are using John Hart. he is awesome and really can get a crowd going. He is also a good friend of our. Hair salon - I am using Kate from Salon Space in North Haven. Kate is a personal friend and an absolutely amazing stylist. They are a bit expensive, but totally worth it and you can use one of her other stylist for less $$$. Www.salonspacect.com Hope this helps! Good luck

cmac3504

I'm a RH bride as well! next month actually!! Ahh!! Photographer- Julie @ Carla Ten Eyck.. They are all amazing!! DJ- Entertainment Unlimited of New England (friend recommended) Florist- TK Florist (Rocky Hill) Hair/makeup- Alta Moda (Rocky Hill)- I fell in love with their bridal salon area upstairs and it's close to our hotel block where FI will be getting ready

whit1585

Hey Jenna! Congrats!!

I'm a Riverhouse Bride as well!!! (Other Jenna! - I'm the day wedding on 10/20/12!! :oD)

For the checks I've done so far the ceremony will be at St. Sebastian's in Middletown. Not sure your religion but there's a couple different churches near the downtown area and it's super close to hop on the highway for the reception! 

DJ - Anthony from Sound Spectrum 

Photographer - Christy Murray - http://www.christymurray.com/

Also like a lot of other ladies have posted -- the photographer has been the hardest pick so far ((err besides me yet to find my dress))!! We met with like 4-5 of the top 'popular' CT photographers in so many coffee shops and none really felt 'right' for us...  I ended up with Christy Murray because her quality of work is great and since she has a young family she limits herself to around 5-6 weddings a year. I really liked that she cares to get to know you and your FI and your not 1 of the 5 weddings she tries to cram in a weekend!  ((Also her prices were unbeatable in this area for 10 hours of coverage // 50% off albums if you add when booking // and full rights to all pics!))

 I still have lots more to do but they've all seemed great to work with so far!