Hi everyone,
I wasn't very active on the boards when I was planning, but the post-wedding vendor reviews were super helpful so I thought I would return the favor!
VENUE: The National Hotel - B
The venue is gorgeous and the day of the wedding almost everything went off without a hitch. My quibbles were mainly related to the planning process - the event coordinator left shortly after I signed the contract with the hotel. This led to a month or so where I was "in limbo" and couldn't get a response from anyone at hotel management about what was going on or any questions I needed answered about the ceremony and reception. Very frustrating - especially when you are planning a wedding from 1,000 miles away! Fortunately the new coordinator was very good, once she started. The only issues I had the day of the wedding were right before the ceremony, when the chairs were set up incorrectly and they failed to block off the beach access and sandy people were walking through the setup! But the food was great, and the waitstaff and bartenders were excellent. And you can't beat the location and gorgeous view of the pool/hotel.
FLORIST - Petunia - A
I met with three florists and Eduardo had the most insightful advice and really understood my vision for the decor. He knows his stuff and can steer you in the right direction for your budget and the unique specifications of your venue (rather than promise you the world and then under-deliver). His work was FANTASTIC!
PHOTOGRAPHER - 13:13 Photographer - A++++
Ashley and Phillip are not only super-talented, but they are so nice and really easy to work with. The engagement pictures we got were gorgeous and I can't wait to see the wedding pics. Unfortunately we ran into some timing issues and didn't have a lot of time for family pics, but that wasn't their fault and they were very accomodating - using our photobooth setup to get some cool pics at the end of the night with the families.
DJ - Liquid DJs/DJ LA - A
During the planning process Shannon, the owner was great. They have a nice system online for you to fill in all the details and special requests. The week of the wedding I had a call with DJ LA to go over specifics and that was it! He was fantastic and had the dancefloor packed. He wasn't too cheesy (my biggest fear with DJs!) and was so nice. He is on the radio in Miami - hot 99 or something?
CAKE - We Take The Cake - A
This was included in our package at the National, but I paid a little extra to have some additional decorations. The cake was DELICIOUS - super moist and not too sweet.
HAIR - Steven at Oribe Salon - A+
After a not-so-great initial consultation with Amy Palma (more on that below) my stylist in DC recommended Steven. He was fabulous - gave me hair extensions at no additional cost, and the salon was relaxing the day of the wedding.
MAKEUP & HAIR FOR BRIDESMAIDS - South Beach Makeup Studio (MIXED, see below)
Amy Palma - F
Sonja (makeup) - A-
Janet (hair) - A
A friend of a friend recommended Amy Palma and South Beach Makeup Studios for hair/makeup. When I scheduled my initial consultation, Amy changed the date and time twice at the last minute because she had some TV jobs come up. I should have realized she was unreliable then, but given that I was only in town for a week and didn't have time to reschedule a trial with someone else, I kept the appt. She was nice in-person, and I went ahead and signed the contract. But after seeing the pictures the next day that we took at the consultation I wasn't thrilled with the hair options - they were all something I could have done myself. The makeup was okay, but didn't blow me away. (Fiance and my parents agreed). I decided to keep her on for hair/makeup for the bridal party but find someone else to do my hair.
Fastforward to two days before my wedding. I get a call from Amy saying she is cancelling for my wedding because she has to have a cyst removed the day before and will be "resting". For anyone else, I would have been understanding, but given her track record cancelling on me for more "prestigous" tv jobs, I wasn't really buying it. She wasn't even apologetic. So instead of her, she sent Sonja to do makeup.
To be honest, this was a blessing in disguise because Sonja was amazing and didn't have the bad attitude Amy did. She made everyone look gorgeous, but was a little slow (if you book her, plan on an extra 15 minutes per girl for makeup).
Janet was amazing and the BMs hair looked great. If she had done my hair, I know she would have done a great job on it!
DRESS - Boca Raton Bridal - A
I loved this shop - they were so nice and unpretentious. I had 4 alterations appointments, but Carmen worked to get my Vera Wang dress to fit like a glove. Amazing!
STATIONARY - Blush Paperie - A
I ordered my invitations, table numbers, escort cards and programs through Blush. Everything was so pretty and really cheap! Definitely would recommend checking out. Michele the owner was easy to work with and turned things around quickly for me.
WEDDING COORDINATOR - Stylish Events by Karla Blanco A-
Karla was great the week of the wedding - double confirming everything and even catching a few mistakes I made on the florist order! I didn't have to worry about a thing. My only quibble was that on the day of the wedding, I didn't feel like she had control over the timeline. I didn't see her until just before the ceremony, and we had been delayed because the makeup artist was a bit slow. Then it was kind of a panic to figure out pictures and all. Also, the guests were standing out in plain view of where we were supposed to be taking pictures, so they had to be herded back inside while I made my way out to the ceremony staging area. Then, right before the ceremony she was like - we need to start, people are complaining about the delay. Even if that is the case, I don't think that is something you should tell the bride right before the ceremony. It just stressed me out. But other than that she was fabulous. If you work with her, I would just say try to plan the timeline with more wiggle room and don't rely on her to keep you on track. (easier said than done I know!)
AFTER PARTY - Purdy Lounge - A
We reserved a table for 20 ppl and it worked out great. It was unpretentious, they played fun music, the bottle service was cheap for Miami and the minimum was just one bottle!
HOTEL ROOMS - Sagamore - A
Because of the trouble getting in touch with someone at the National to book a room block, we went with the Sagamore next door. It was better than I could have hoped for. My parents were upgraded to the penthouse suite. My husband and I had a Garden Bungalow for a really discounted rate, and it was great for all the girls to get ready in the day of the wedding. All of the rooms are suites, which is great for out of town guests. Would definitely recommend if you are getting married on SoBe.
Overall, our wedding day turned out great and we had an amazing, memorable time. (Plus, Lil Wayne ended up in our wedding pics...only in Miami!!!)