Y'all...I cannot even begin to tell you how helpful the reviews were to our planning process- and there are so many parts to a wedding, sorry there is so much, but I wanted to give you the dirt! Thank you for all of the wishes and prayers on weather for our outdoor Jackson Square Park ceremony- it was perfection...
Planner- Emily Sullivan and Valerie Gernhauser of Get Polished A++++
Okay, so all of you have heard of Emily by now on this board, and I reaaallly only needed some help the month of, so we bought the month of package. But Valerie works there now too- and Val was/is a NOLA Knottie too!! (She is the one who got married during the Great Flood on 12.12.09) So, not only did we have a stellar planner, but Val JUST got married and was able to help and give advice on so much. As the date got closer, I could not help but wonder if I could have saved some money and done it all myself. HA. HA. HA. I don't know how the wedding would have logistically have happened without Emily and Val. I could not even make the time to drive to Mandeville to get my 2nd line hankies, Emily did it. I did not want to boss people around or run my own freakin' Rehearsal, Emily did it. She and Val made sure we had drinks in our hands and took care of sooo many little things (extra people trying to sneak into our reception!!)...and packed a picnic basket with the foods from our reception and a bottle of champagne and sent it to our honeymoon suite! Seriously THE BEST money spent on the wedding.
Paper/Invites/Calligraphy
Save the Dates- Etsy, Seller Rouxbee1 (Kristy Watts) A+
They were cute and cheap- and fleur de lis themed! Kristy is reopening her shop on May 1st, I loved her Save the Dates and will probably order some custom stationary with my new initials!!
Invitations- Gem Printing A++++
Are you kidding me? How are these things so cheap here?
After being price shocked all over the place...I took my fave and uber-expensive William Arthur sample here and they totally designed something oh-so similar in house for 1/10th of the price.
175 invites, outer envelopes with printed return addresses, inner envelopes with my address pre printed for mailing back, RSVP cards, and tissue for $390!!!! Everywhere else in Birmingham and NOLA quoted me like $1000. We were in town doing wedding stuff and ordered them 12/12 and got them 1/12, so worth the $88 Southwest plane tickets!!!!!!!!!!!!
Calligraphy-
Etsy Seller 2inspire A+++
Super inexpensive, super wonderful and super freakin fast. Love, love, love Eleanor. She (sigh) put up with Mom's last minute additions and overnighted all my stuff back to me. Her writing is GORGEOUS and not creepy old timey calligraphy, but a more modern version, which was just breathtaking and looked like I had spent a ton more than I did. I love when that happens.
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http://www.etsy.com/shop/2inspirePhotographer-
Meg Baisden Photography A+++++
Seriously. All you have to do is look at her blog at
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www.megphoto.com/blog and you will not have any questions about the grade. Part planner, part therapist, all photogrpaher, I love her and her husband more than life itself. I get emotional every time I look at our engagement pictures. Yes, they are a little more pricey than some- BUT she released all of your pictures (and enhances them) on a CD for you to print out as many and however cheaply you want to do it. Yes, she has printing services, but I printed out 150 for 10-cents a piece at Walgreens for our Christmas cards, and the power to not have your pictures held hostage is wonderful. She and her husband (BOTH award winning photogs, I may add) spend 8 hours with you that day- he gets the guys and she gets the girls.
Custom Watercolor Maps for Guests- Etsy Seller designsbyrobynlove A
Since we got married St Pattys weekend and the weekend of the largest medical conference in this hemisphere, I was unable to get a room block anywhere. And since the guests were scattered everywhere, I sent out welcome packets with these maps, a letter from us, a list of places, restaurants and an article about NOLA (since many of our guests had not been before). These welcome packets opened with the map and our guests loved them! Mom framed one on really nice paper for us as a gift...HERE IS A PICTURE
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http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=40600583Cootie Catcher Fortune Tellers- Etsy Seller katskrafts A+
Once I saw Katrina's work in Martha Stewart magazine, I knew I had to have Cootie Catchers. You know, the little oragami things that you used in grade school that told you who you were going to marry? Well, I had that part locked up, so we did these for the cocktail hour entertainment...with 8 trivia questions about Allan and I. Super cute, and a great way for the guests to get talking:
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http://www.etsy.com/shop/katskraftsHair and Make Up- Anne Kirsch and Katie Seghers (Pixie Cosmetics) A+I always feel a liiitle weird about hair and makeup reviews before pictures come back, but not with this one. I opted not to use the free hair and makeup that came with my planning package, but used them instead. I felt incredible. They are young enough to be current and classy, they are old enough not to be flakey or too trendy. It felt so good to have them listen to me and care what I was saying. They came to our suite and did hair and makeup for those who chose to have it done- once people saw their work, we had more sign up. I know my girls and mom looked incredible, and I felt incredible and everyone said I looked good....I will be sure to post the pics as soon as I get them back!
Ceremony- Jackson Square Park A
Its beautiful, but crowded, especially on a 70 degree cloudless Saturday. There are a lot of rules too. You only have an hour to set up (again, not to be a brat because I didnt set up, my planner did) and have to break down quick. I HAD to get married at 4pm, because it was still the day before Daylight Savings Time and that is the latest you can get married. You can only have 100 chairs (I had 160 guests, so the rest stood- the ceremony was 7 minutes, so I don't feel bad), only so many instruments at one time....BUT is there a cooler backdrop than the Cathedral? We simply couldnt find a non-Catholic church in the Quarter, and the park was perfect. A little risky with weather, but gorgeous.
Officiant- Rev Zimmer A
LOL, I know, I know, I know. For those of you who read my posts worrying about Rev Zimmer, you all told me to chill and you were right. He learned details about us that no one knew and wove them into the 7 minute ceremony- our dogs names, the date of our first date, when we met in college. Look, he is a Reverend which made my parents and grandparents happy, and he will do whatever you want. I now know why he is the destination bride choice. The only thing is...he did not have a pen to sign the marriage license, so we asked some of the people laying in the grass for one. It has to be black ink...Lol, just have your dad being a black pen!!
Chairs- Event Rentals A+
$2/chair, they deliver, set up and break down. So easy to work with. They are
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www.youreventdelivered.comFlowers- Costco and Whole Foods A+A $100 box with a ton of calla lillies and hydrangeas from Costco. A run to Whole Foods on Magazine. Its not hard to wrap calla lillies into bundles for bridesmaids, and I called all of the florists who work out of their homes and are "cheaper", but it wasnt worth $900 for 1 bride bouquet, 4 BM bouquet and 2 kissing balls. SO glad a BM and I did this. I have heard horror stories, this wasn't one of them.
Second Line Band- Smitty Dee's Brass Band A-
I feel bad for the A-...okay, the band leader, Dimitri (aka Smitty), broke his foot and could not be there. The guys were great- we had a 5 piece brass band and a grand marshal who dressed so sharp!! We had the sax player play the welcome songs in the park for the guests, play the wedding march, and then lead us down the aisle once we were married, led all the guests out to our parade, on our parade and then played the first 45 minutes of our reception for the "cocktail hour" feel. You will not find a better price on a 2nd line. For all of that- ceremony, parade and cocktail hour- $1250. The COOL thing is, we thought about strings for our ceremony, but they are so temperamental on weather- brass can be played in rain and heat- which some strings players cannot do. This was such a bargain.
They forgot to play When the Saints Go Marching In as they led us out, which was like the ONE thing my FI (now husband) cared about.
Second Line Hankies- Backyard Printing B+
They are what they are. Printed hankies. I did a lot of DIY stuff, and I just am mad at myself for not figuring out a cheaper way to do it. They are just more than I wanted to pay. But, of course, I waited too long and then decided, and then needed to pick them up in Mandeville. Another reason to have a bomb diggity planner.
Second Line Umbrellas, Etsy Seller lizmpetro A+Perfect and quick. Thank GOD these were not like golf size umbrellas or even oversized umbrellas....after walking that far with one, these were perfect size and weight. We second lined from ceremony to reception with them and exited the reception with them too!
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http://www.etsy.com/shop/lizmpetroReception- Muriels A+Yes, Dad turned into Steve Martin from Father of the Bride over the price. Yes, there is a $16500 minimum plus tax, and plus gratuity. We had 160 people- chose their cheapest food package @ $65pp (a carving station, two entrees, crudite, cheese and fruit, coffee station, assorted desserts tower), bar package @ $17pp and then added a shrimp and grits station where they make them in front of you!! They made my wedding cake (3 flavors of cupcakes tiered like a cake), grooms cake, and added a few specialty drinks for the bar. I barely hit the minimum- but I got there!! Yes, its expensive.
BUT you need NO decorations- and have you SEEN the place? Flowers look weird there (yay for no more money spent), the beautiful wrap around balcony overlooking the Square, hand lit chandeliers, the seance lounges are crazy awesome...its a place that needs nothing, it has charm, space, and impresses the hell out of your guests.
The food is incredible too. Our band texted us to let us know they had never eaten like that in their lives...We saved on flowers, decorations, cakes, etc.
Band- The Super 5 A+++++++++++++Our wedding happens to also be the best party I have ever been to. We wanted a throw down party, and that is what we got. This band out of Memphis is thousands cheaper than the bands in NOLA. They drove down for free, just had to get them 3 hotel rooms for the band for one night (which was like $300 total). They cover 80s and 90s music and are the best party band EVER. My hubby used to book them for his fraternity house band parties and I booked them as a surprise to him. I am SO glad we didn't do a motown band like all of our friends.
And yes, I did take the mic and sing Sweet Child O' Mine by Guns and Roses in a wedding dress. It rocked, I rocked, it was the most fun of our lives. Our guests, my parents, our friends and us have not gotten our voices back from singing along with them.
The only thing is...since they are not DJ's...we should have asked them to wrap up the father/daughter and mother/son dance a little sooner than the actual end of the song. Our fault, not theirs.
Rehearsal Dinner- Brennans AIts Brennan's, you really cannot go wrong. I just felt like the time between courses was a little long. We did an hour cocktail party in the courtyard from 6-7 and then the dinner from 7-9:30. Very grateful to my in laws for the beautiful party.
Bridesmaid Luncheon- Court of Two Sisters COkay, so I am glad that I took the girls and moms to an iconic place. But gross buffet!! It was so dated and creepy inside at the buffet. They had turned off the omelet station and the eggs benedict station. The courtyard was pretty and the jazz band was fun, but not impressed by the food. I was embarrassed. GO before you take your group there.
Hotels
Wedding Night- Waldorf Astoria Roosevelt A++++
Holy cow. Can I live there? The suite, the clawfoot tub, the views of the city, the marble, the 7 shower heads in the shower. I was like a kid in a candy store.
Wednesday through Saturday- Bourbon Orleans A+
I stayed here Wednesday through Saturday of the wedding week with one of my BMs. I went ahead and splurged a bit and got the two 2 level townhouse room, which has the bedroom and giant bath upstairs and the sitting area (aka, BM getting ready hair and make up area/Flower making area) downstairs, giant french doors out to a giant balcony overlooking Bourbon Street. LOL, a little loud.....but after the 1st night, so did not even notice. A killer place to get ready, super close to Jackson Square and Muriels, and really fun location. Made for great pictures with the dress hanging in the open french doors.
Wedding Party Gifts
Bridemaids Gifts- Overstock.com A+
Fleur de lis necklaces.
Groomsmen Gifts- Perlis A+Vineyard Vines Fleur de lis silk ties
DIY Stuff that Worked Out Well:I had two
giant buckets of flip flops at the front of the dance floor. Our guests (mostly female) kicked off their shoes and wore these. After a long second line and dancing, you have got to get those heels off. Found super cheap pairs at Target, Hobby Lobby and Michaels.
This board from Martha Stewart...every guest has a pin flag with their name on it, they place it on a board on which year they met you.
Turned out 8 million times cuter than I thought it would, and I think we are going to hang it in our kitchen.
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http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/article/flag-conversation-starterInstead of a guest book(I am sure you get by now that this was not a stuffy event)...I bought 100 postcards when I got to town from a souvenier shop on Bourbon for like 4 for a $1. My BMs and I while getting ready addressed them to Allan and I in Birmingham, stuck a postcard stamp on them and put them out on a table with a $8 mailbox from Home Depot (yep, we put the red flag up on it) that I painted with our last name. Guests put well wishes, advice and randomt things, but thats what you get when you have an open bar and postcards. I will probably frame some and put the rest in a book.