We just got married on the 1st and aren't going on a honeymoon until May so I have some time to write reviews while the hubby is at work tonight. Here goes:
Venue: Ashley Manor A-
We absolutely loved Ashley Manor, the location, the look, the coordinators. It was great. We ended up booking the Sunset Package with them, which included everything from time at the venue, chairs, set-up/take-down of everything, flowers, catering, cake, and DJ. We loved everything about them and Isabelle and Jessica were very wonderful and so helpful, even on the day of when buttons were popping off of tuxes (which they fixed) and helping me pin my dress a little because it had loosened up a bit because of the weather. The only downfall was that during the very early stages of planning, they were very hard to get a hold of, by phone or email. Email got more responses than phone messages, but if we really needed to get in touch with someone, we called the Castle and got someone. They work together so it worked out fine.
Catering: Lux Catering with Ashley Manor A+
Ashley Manor provided the catering in our package, in fact, I think they recommend it because their company already has the right licenses for the location. It didn’t matter because the food was phenomenal. When you reserve your date with Ashley Manor, they have you look over the catering menu and then sign up for taste-testing days that will have the food you are interested in. Three are included in the package, but you can pay to go to more, but I don’t think you will need to. The tastings are on Wednesday nights and are set up buffet-style just like they would be at a wedding so that many couples can taste the food and see how the reception hall looks like when it is set up. The food isn’t like your usual catered food either. This stuff has flavor! So many guests at our wedding complimented the food. We were overall really happy with it and we actually got to sit down and enjoy it too!
Flowers: Flowers by Isabelle at Ashley Manor A++
I am not a flower person, so I didn’t want to budget for wedding flowers at all. I lucked out when they were included with the Ashley Manor package, but I didn’t think they were gonna be that spectacular when I heard that one of the coordinators arranges them. Boy was I wrong! My handheld flowers and centerpieces were above and beyond anything I could have expected even from a professional flower shop. I had to do some negotiating with the people at Ashley Manor because I wanted calla lilies and those were considered an upgrade, but when I determined that I wasn’t going to need more than 3 stems per centerpiece they were fine with including callas in my bouquet and for the centerpieces without a problem. Be sure you inquire which flowers are upgrades to the package so that you’re not overspending on your budget. Also, Jessica and Isabelle were very prompt with me when they found from their wholesaler that the dahlias I originally wanted weren’t available because of the cold weather. They called and even suggested an equally gorgeous flower to replace them (lisianthus). I’m still in awe of how gorgeous the flowers looked.
Dress: David’s Bridal B
I got my dress from David’s Bridal. It actually was the first dress of many that I tried on. It was perfect for what I wanted. I know a lot of people talk about the bad experiences they’ve had with DB, but my experience was great. I went to the location in Ahwatukee and my consultant was a nice lady named Jeane. She wasn’t pushy, she let me tried on as many dresses as I wanted, and she didn’t force me to go prancing around on the platform if I didn’t like the dress I was wearing. I also went during the day on a Monday, so the crowd was minimal. Jeane also gave me recommendations for how to coordinate my bridesmaid’s dresses even though I didn’t get them from DB.
Bridesmaid Dresses: Alfred Angelo fromThe Wedding Accessory Superstore B-
Although my sister was ok with trying on the dresses at the WAS, I wasn’t too impressed with how the ladies at the store tried helping us. They didn’t try sizing my sister to see what size dress she needed (there were signs around the fitting rooms that said that, but I also heard from other people that they were sized without hassle). We actually found the style of dress we liked at Once in a Lyfetime in Chandler, but ordered the dresses through the WAS because it was cheaper through them. They also almost didn’t ship a dress to my out of town bridesmaid because they were going “in order of the wedding dates.” My mom had to push them to do it right before the holiday rush. I’d hate to think of how long it would have taken them if my mom hadn’t hassled them about it.
Alterations: Janet Kirkman A
Like everyone on here recommended, I went to Janet for my alterations. She did a fantastic job! I didn’t really need a lot done other than taking in the sides, shortening the length, and adding the bustle. It cost me at least $150 less than what I got quotes from for some other places. Like she asks when you make an appointment, it is important to be done dieting when you go in for your fitting. I didn’t diet and was fine for my fittings, but I guess I didn’t eat as much over the holidays as I expected because my dress was a little loose on the wedding day, but I also chalk that up to the weather being cold. She also altered my sister’s BM dress and I think she made it look even better than it originally did. I’ll probably be going back to her to have my dress made into a baby blanket or something like that.
Invitations: The American Wedding B+
I ordered simple one sided card invitations from the website, typed in my own words, and viewed my proof before I ordered the invites. Included were inner envelopes, response cards and envelopes, outer envelopes, and tissue paper. The only problem I had was having to search through their online inventory and change the various colors on them before I found the invitations that I liked. Other than that, they were fine.
Cake: Piece of Cake A
Piece of Cake was one of the options included in the Ashley Manor package. They were great. We sat down with them, looked through pictures of cake designs we liked, hashed out colors, and then tasted and determined flavors. We had almond infused with almond creme, marble with raspberry filling, and devils food with peanut butter filling. Oh and buttercream frosting. It was delicious and soooo moist! Everyone loved the cake and the look of the cake. I love the moistness, but my aunt suggested that maybe the fondant would have held the cake together a little better as it was being cut. (PoC's fondant tastes like marshmallows, not the regular fondant taste), but the fondant was not included in Ashley Manor's package. Still loved the cake anyways!!
DJ: Jeff Nelson at Ashley Manor B-
Jeff was provided through Ashley Manor. He was great at our meeting before the wedding to go over special songs and what we wanted for the ceremony. He had a worksheet for us to fill out with must play and do not play songs, who the members of our wedding party were, and what types of music were ok to play, which ones could be requested, and which genres to stay away from. He was a good MC and was mostly ok with keeping people dancing (including me! I think I sat for a total of 10 minutes all night). Our issue with him was that he played our entire “must play” song list first instead of mixing it in with everything else as the night went on. We also had to keep going to him to ask him to mix in more different genres of music. For instance, he played top 40 for an hour straight, which was fine for us younger folks, but my parents and older family members wanted to hear more classic rock. We had to ask Jeff to start mixing in more rock and country so that our family members would get back out on the dance floor. My recommendation, for Jeff or any DJ, is to be specific with how you would like your music played. I didn't have a problem, like I said earlier I danced all night, but keep in mind your other guests too.
Photographer: Design Photography B
My photographer was actually my good friend’s dad who works as a professional photographer out of Tucson. I know he does a decent job. I feel like part of his family so I wanted to include him on my big day. I know I paid a little too much, but I’m also getting a personal touch to my photos so I think it’s worth it. My only issue with any of my photos was with our “first look.” I guess I should have specified that it was a personal moment between me and my hubby that I wanted the photographer to capture. He took me to a gorgeous courtyard at Ashley Manor that was the perfect setting for the first look, with the exception that it had French doors leading into the lobby of Ashley Manor where our parents , siblings, and close relatives had a front row view of our moment. Not very personal, but when I get the pictures back, I hope he captured the love of the moment and not my anxiety from having our families watching us.
Hair and Makeup: The Blushing Bride by Kara and Kelly A++Certainly the highlight of my look! Everyone kept complimenting my hair and makeup. Kara and Kelly were girls I went to high school with and they started their own side business by doing makeup and hair for weddings and proms. Kelly is my regular stylist who works at Pink! the Salon in Tempe and Kara used to work for a makeup company until she had a baby last year. I don't have any close up pics yet of my hair but it was absolutely amazing!
Well I think that is all I have for now. I hope that was helpful. Good luck with the rest of your planning
