Arizona-Phoenix

Hitched! Vendor Reviews

Hello There!

All of the vendor reviews posted on the knot over the past year have been so very helpful in making our wedding FANTASTIC, so I figured I would share my experiences, which were overall great!.

Venue: Val Vista Lakes- B+
Val Vista Lakes Clubhouse was exactly what we were looking for in a reception venue. The clubhouse is pretty, with picturesque grounds, and they allow you to bring in your own vendors and alcohol which was key for us. The flexibility of this venue is great for couples who want to be able to use vendors of their choice (although this is a lot of work!)

During the planning, and actual reception they were pretty hands off, but this was perfect for us since we weren’t having our ceremony there, and DIY a lot of details. However, the banquet manager was always very responsive and helpful when needed, and we received our deposit back within a week of our wedding.

Overall, I would recommend VVL without reservation, and think that it is easily worth the money especially during the summer season when there is a 20% discount.

Photography: Simply Knot Photography- A+ (AMAZING!)
I do not know where to begin with this phenomenal duo, so I guess I will start with their work. Ryan and Denise are incredibly talented and professional photographers. We were absolutely blown away by our engagement pictures, and the “sneak peak” of our wedding shots, which were displayed during the reception on their i-pad. Their work is gorgeous!

It is easy to see how talented these guys are by just checking out their site or blog, but what you couldn’t possibly know about them until you have the chance to meet in person, is what awesome people they are. I was so worried about feeling ridiculous having pictures taken, but Ryan and Denise quickly put my husband and I at ease. Just a few minutes into our engagement shoot we were totally comfortable, like we were hanging out with old friends. I truly think this is reflected in the pictures. They also went above and beyond to make sure that our photographs (which in my opinion are one of most important aspects of a wedding besides the I DO’s!) were what we envisioned. They met with us and kept in constant contact over email, and even surprised us with a beautiful wedding website, which was totally unexpected.

I have been in several weddings (9!), which has given me to opportunity to witness A LOT of wedding photography, and powwow with loads of brides about their experiences. I can honestly say that Simply Knots winning combination of talent and overall raddness makes them unlike any other photographers I have ever come across.

Catering: Il Bosco Catering- A+
My husband and I had our hearts set on having artisan pizza and pasta served at our wedding, but were at a loss for how to do this without compromising quality. I ended up finding Il Bosco Catering by googling "traveling pizza ovens" and we decided to take a giant leap of faith and hire them to cater our wedding of almost 200, which was a first for them.

I cannot express how happy we are that we made this decision. Bill, the owner, was incredibly responsive and open to all of our ideas and requests. He created a menu with pizza, pasta, and passed apps for a very reasonable price. The food was fantastic, we had several people comment that it was by far the best wedding food they had ever had. The service was also top notch. Il Bosco far exceeded our expectations and went above and beyond to make our event perfect. I would highly recommend Il Bosco to anyone considering pizza/pasta.

Alterations: Janet Kirkland- B
Janet is so very nice, and during my initial visit she listened to exactly what I wanted to help make my dress fit well and be comfortable. That said, I did feel that my dress what a bit too tight when all was said and done (I didn't gain any weight so this was truly a result of the alterations).
 
At the final fitting I told her that I was concerned with how tight it was around my bust area, and she said it had to be that way to hold me up. I should have been more persistent and asked that she let it out a bit because at the end of my reception the top clasp actually popped off! (given I was dancing and really moving around)

Overall, Janet has good customer service, and everyone said the dress looked great which is the goal right? I was just little uncomfortable.

Flowers: DIY via 50 flowers and costco- A
All went well with both costco and 50 flowers. The flowers arrived on time, and were beautiful. They opened up the day of the wedding and looked fresh for almost a week. I was really nervous about DIY my flowers, but was so happy with how they turned out, and with the help of my friends we had 20 centerpieces, nine bouquets, and flowers for around the venue done within a couple of hours.

Makeup: Stacy Everett from MAC in Chandler Nordstroms- A+
I felt beautiful! my makeup and eyes stayed on through the night, which is no small thing in June.

Transportation: Lexonie Limos- A
Limos were on time to bring us to our church, take us back to our reception, and the town car was waiting when it was time for us to head out. All of the transportation was clean, and luckily they didn't have an issue with us being late for just about everything!

DJ: David with Infinity Entertainment A
David drove out to meet with us twice prior to the wedding got all of the music right and kept the reception flowing nicely. He did a really great job, and our dance floor was packed until the very end of the wedding. My only caution would be that he did offer to do some things that to me seemed a little cheesy, but luckily wasn't offended when we said thanks but no thanks.

Wedding Night: The Phoenician- B+
I know that most people don't put their wedding night accommodations up, but I was sort of at a loss where to book. We ended up staying at the Phoenician in Scottsdale. The rooms are a little outdated, but when we arrived their was Champagne on ice and we were able to sit on the balcony and enjoy the view of camelback. The brunch the next morning was also well worth staying their, it is so delicious!

Invites & Paper Stuff: Kelly Kelleman- A+
Kelly's invites, menus and programs rocked my world! I told her what we envisioned and she took our ideas and ran with it. We had so many compliments on how original and cool all of our paper products were. Kelly is also incredibly affordable considering she custom designed and printed everything. I will post pictures of the invites shortly.

In addition to the vendors listed we also enlisted the help of our friends and family, at first I felt a bit weird doing this, but they were all happy to help and it made our wedding a community effort!

I hope these reviews helped. Let me know if you have any questions :)

I'm all dressed up in your words today. Schockedbio.weebly.com
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