Our day was amazing and we really did work with some great people to pull of something that felt special, unique, and personal.Enjoy!Rehearsal Dinner – Metropolitan Café, Cleveland A They did a great job, giving us a private room and nice attention. It’s very predictable, decent food and the location gave the bridal party the opportunity to go out right afterwards downtown. It’s a little seen-y for my taste but everyone seemed to walk away happy. We wanted the wine cellar but it was booked. Ceremony – The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, Cleveland A- We sort of got lost in the shuffle between the priests changing right before our wedding, a deacon that could never meet with us except in the middle of the week, in the middle of the day. We were sad to hear Father Ed was leaving but Father Ted was fantastic! He came to the rehearsal dinner and reception to try to get to know us and our families even better. Everyone raved about the beauty of the church and we saved money because there was no real point in adding any decorations. The best part were the bells following the ceremony! The only downside is the price. We also paid to have a soloist, trumpeter, and organist. Again, they were great but pricy Reception – The Palace Theatre at Playhouse Square A+ Jordan Davis was wonderful to work with and gave great ideas of how to transform the theatre in to a reception venue. The price was really good, in comparison to similar venues around Cleveland. We also had to get our bar through the theatre but the price was unbeatable. They also gave us this awesome room in between the ceremony and reception to hang out in.....and let us take photos on stage. The beauty of the theatre allowed us to only use candles for decorations as long as there weren’t any open flames. I felt like Cinderella there! Photographer – Mark Davidson A+
http://www.mark-davidson.com/kerriandjohn/ Mark did an awesome job! I really did not want any typical wedding posed photos but rather wanted to feel the emotions of the day. I love the photos and he was really priced reasonably (we booked last year so I’m unsure of what he charges now). We went to Voinovich Park and when the skies opened up, he hauled his car over and drove me, DH, MOH, and BM to the theatre…as we watched lots of other brides get soaked. He was also more than understanding with my slightly demanding MOH (also a photographer). Flowers – Hosanna Designs B+ Flowers were not a top priority to me but what I got were nice. We had a miscommunication about the type of orchid I wanted to use. The flowers were slightly bruised (hardly noticeable) but they were delivered on time, held together, and were priced right. She also gave me an amazing deal on my candle centerpieces and let us have them about a week early to frost and decorate. Bride’s Dress – The Perfect Bride, Rocky River C+ Dress – Paloma Blanca, Veil – Sara Gabriel. I loved my dress and loved my veil but the owner treated my MOH terribly and told us that we were stupid for not getting the bridesmaid dresses there. Also, m alterations were much more than we were initially quoted (I bought a sample dress so they were not included), though Miranda did an amazing job with them BM Dresses – All Brides Beautiful, Hudson A Not much to review, they were the only ones to carry Melissa Sweet in the area and I walked in knowing what I was going to order. They were on time and looked nice. No complaints there! Tuxes – Men’s Warehouse, Beachwood B Every tux came in wrong and we had to go back the morning of the wedding to fix them but they were fine after that. Everyone was really kind to work with but nobody could understand why I didn’t want a colored vest…..ug. Hair/Makeup – Private names, message me for more info. They traveled the morning of, I got air brushing and it was priced fairly. The bridal party also got their nails done at venetian nails in Rocky river (because I had to pick up my dress at the same time). they were nice but slightly overpriced and it wasnt really the best manicure ever.... DJ – Troy Entertainment – B- Brian did keep the dance floor packed all night but he really didn’t follow our play/do not play lists. He also made a comment to my MOH that “they bride crossed every song off so I have to play some things she didn’t want”…um no, you’re a DJ, figure it out. Also, our first dance song started playing during cocktail hour and this upset me. Talking with Pete, I felt as though he really understood the feel we were going for but our cocktail house was nothing like we discussed. I’m glad everyone had fun and nobody else noticed but I was pretty specific with what I wanted and it didn’t get done. Caterer – Sammy’s - A The food was good but the small prices added up fast. Our wedding manager made it a dream for my MOH to set up on Friday and was very accommodating. Everyone raved about the food and they held all of our stuff for us until after the honeymoon so we didn’t have to take it that night. Limo – A1 Mr. Limo – A+ We rented the vintage rolls and it was awesome. Our driver was fantastic and we even saw him our in the rain with an umbrella looking for us (we were already in Mark’s car). The price was reasonable in comparison to other places. Candy Buffet Jars – Angela Wish – A+ I wanted to set up my own buffet but didn’t want to buy all of the glasswear. Angela’s rental glass was perfect for us. She gave us all the additional things (scoops, etc) and didn’t make me feel horrible for breaking two of the pieces. She made it so easy! We got the candy at BA Sweeties, which I’m not sure needs a whole review but was a fabulous shopping trip and they will take returns on unopened things, which made it easier to figure out what we needed. Invitations – The Stylish Scribe A- Jessica made my invites exactly how I wanted them. She put up with my numerous changes and concerns and her price was fantastic. They had a slightly homemade feel, but I think I liked that even more as it added some charm to the whole thing. They were def. along the lines of something I could make, I just didn’t really want to tackle that project. Honeymoon – Croatia – A+++ We wanted to do Italy but it wasn’t quite in our budget. We ended up on the coast of Croatia. Amazing. Great beaches, palaces from 200 AD, great wine…we cant wait to go back. People were concerned when we would say “Croatia” but we really didn’t want something “typical”. The weather was perfect, the people were nice, and most everyone spoke English. My one complaint is continental airlines….and I’m not sure we’ll fly them again. Croatia Air was amazing and even though Continental lost our luggage for four days, Croatia Air is paying us back for everything we had to buy.