Hey Everyone,
Here are my vendor reviews for my 12.10.11 wedding:
Ceremony: St. John's Cathedral (downtown) (A+)
We were nervous about getting married here because we had heard it is very difficult with all the rules & restrictions from the church. I really didn't think it was bad. The priest (Fr. Ted Marszal) is awesome. THe church is gorgeous, and the musician (organist only) was really good. No complaints.
Reception: Wyndham at Playhouse Square (A+)
The Wyndham was absolutely amazing. They were very easy to work with. They gave a great room rate to all of my guests who stayed overnight. The food (bacon-wrapped filet) was soooo good. I had so many compliments on the food. Christina, who is the event coordinator there, is super easy to work with. She returns emails and gets answers to you right away... even if it's her day off. The room is gorgeous and so is the view from the windows looking out over Playhouse Square.
Photographer: Imagen Photography (A+)
Nathan at Imagen is simply the best. You can tell he really cares about what he's doing and he's having fun while he does it. Not to mention, he takes great pictures. He is super creative and was very helpful in picking out locations to actually take the photos.
DJ/Lighting: Rock the House (A+)
Rock the House is the best DJ/Lighting company in Cleveland, if you ask me. The lighting that they did completely transformed the look of the room. I also had a dance in the clouds and a snow machine which was perfect for my winter wonderland theme. Rock the House is a bit more expensive than your average DJ, but I think they are well worth the extra money.
Cake: Wild Flour Bakery (A+)
First of all, the cake was so good, there was none left at the end of the night. Secondly, when you go talk to them about your ideas for the design, they are really good about putting your vision/words into a drawing which helped me really see the cake. I loved that about them.
Invitations: CQ Printing (A+)
I wasn't really keen on the idea of spending thousands of dollars on a piece of paper that would eventually find its way into the trash. Because of that, I expected to have a lower grade of invitations. However, CQ was able to deliver a top notch product for about a third of the price. They looked like a spent thousands on them!
Dress & Alterations: Images Bridal (A+)
All of my bridesmaids and myself bought our dresses from Images Bridal. I loved the large selection that they had and the people there were just great. They made sure that the dress you were buying was a dress that really fit your body type. Sadly, the store has since closed because the owner retired.
Planner: Heidzillas (A+)
I don't even know where to begin in talking about how wonderful Heidi is to work with!! She is so good at her job. She is organized, creative, quick, etc. etc. etc. There was not a single glitch the day of my wedding and that is all because of Heidi & her assistant Leigh. Getting a wedding planner is well worth the money!! She was worth her weight in gold!!
Videographer: Focus on You (A+)
Focus on You is a team of a husband & wife who work great together. They also make fabulous videos. One thing they did which I thought was really unique is before the wedding, you & your fiance are interviewed separately to make your "love story" video. It was a really cute concept and I loved doing it.
Linens/Rentals: Party Decor (A+)
Party Decor has a great sselection of unique linen options. My mom & I had set our sights on one particular overlay that we wanted for the wedding. Party Decor was the ONLY place in Cleveland that had this linen. Both girls there are great to work with, and super nice.
Florist: Blooms by Plantscaping (A+)
Arne at Blooms is simply amazing. I went into his office, told him my vision, and POOF... there were my centerpieces and boquets. He is so good at his job, that after talking with you for about an hour he can suggest different things that fit your budget as well as your taste. I loved that about them.
Decor (Ice Sculpture): Elegant Ice (A+)
There is no one better in Cleveland for an ice sculpture! They created a snowflake for the focal point of my cocktail area. It was so perfect and looked amazing. It looked so good, that people kept touching it all night long because they didn't think it was real ice.
Favors: Favored Occasions (A+)
Tomi is so great at finding favors for you at a great price. I emailed her some of my ideas for favors and she sent me back prices right away. When I looked around online for price comparisons, her prices were HALF of other places online!
As you can see, I gave everyone the same grade. That is because, with Heidi's help, I was able to pick great vendors from the beiginning which made my night the fairytale wedding I have been dreaming about. Everything was absolutely perfect thanks to all those mentioned above.
If anyone wants additional information on any of these vendors, reply to this thread and I will try to answer your questions.
Good luck future brides & congrats!!
Nichelle