Louisiana-New Orleans

Vendor Reviews 1/14/12

This is just a short overview of the vendors that we used.

Dress:
Linda Lee: B-
I gave them this because I was happy at first. I liked my dress and all was good. I was sort of unhappy with my alterations. Once I went in after purchasing it was like I was offered no help at all. The only other dress shops I have been to were DB and Pearl's and I felt even waiting for Pearl's was better, BUT when I was trying on dresses there it was a nightmare. My bustle would not stay up on my dress as they only put 3 points on it with flimsy clasps on it so my dress was torn at the bottom at the end of the night.

BM Dresses:
Bustles and Bows: A
Very helpful. I had OOT BMs and my sister got pregnant after geting measured and they were nothing but nice and quick to return calls and help with anything.

Wax Museum: A+++++
Beth is great. When we went to the Wax it was hot because the air just being kicked on as they were returning from vacation. The room was just a giant blank canvas. I did not really know what to expect since I had never been to an event here, but since it was just down the street from our church I went with it and I am glad i did. Beth did everything that she could to help the night of when my florist dropped the ball. She also was willing to help me with anything I needed as I was under a lot of stress because of my sister having a baby days before my wedding. She was even willing to come down to our church to help with our second line. The room was amazing! More than I ever could have hoped for.

Catering: Benedicts: A
They food was great and they were easy to work with. We made our own menu and the food was delicious. They gave us tons of food to take home as well so we did not go hungry the next day.

Pigeon: B
We used them for our rehearsal dinner which we had in a room we booked at a relatives apartment complex. They food set up was nicely done and they were very professional. I thought the food was a little bland for "New Orleans" style food as we had gumbo and things, but their artichoke and crab cheesecake dips are AMAZING!

Big Easy Photo booth: A+
Everyone loved this! I had the package where we had a guest book and a jump drive with the pictures on it after. I loved the guest book! We lost the jump drive in transit from the reception to hotel, but they got us a new one by the time we got back from our honeymoon!

Photography: Stacy Marks: A
The only photos I have so far are my bridals, but he was great. When the dj didn't want to play what I was asking he was trying to help me out, lol. Anyway, I did have a few younger girl cousins and friends say that he was following them around taking their photos, so I just hope I don't have a ton of pictures of my 18-21 year old cousins/friends. We will see, but He did get this really good picture of me and my friend that I loved.

Video: Suzy Marks: ---
Since we don't have the video I can't really rate her, but she was so sweet and they were very professional.

Florist: Ladybug's Garden and Gifts: D
I will give a little bit of a background first. They did my sister's wedding, her's was their first. We also give their store a lot of business as they are not just a florist, so since we know them well we decided to go with them. I told her that I did not like roses all so much so if we could please limit them that would be good. I also gave her photos of bouquets with succulents in them that I loved. At my bridals I get my bouquet and it was very pretty peonies, ranunculus and a few roses in, no succulents because it was too hard to do. Well at this point it is mid-December (We met with them in June/July so they had time to work with them since they had never used them before). I like the bouquet so it wasn't a big thing, I just wish she would have told me something so I could have looked up other ideas. Now before the wedding I go in and she tells me how the only roses that will be there will be in the FG's kissing ball, fine. My bouquet will have succulents and all the BMs will look like my bridal one. She also showed me mock ups of the table center pieces. She even says that they can get peonies cheaper now. Perfect. Well wedding day comes, she's an hour late, turns off her phone so we can't contact her. Everyone is waiting for her. Hair/makeup (b/c they were making me something for my hair as I wasn't wearing a veil), photo, and video. The bouquets were ALL roses. I had no flowers on my cake, the center pieces looked nothing like we discussed and the table downstairs at the Wax museum was not decorated like it was supposed to be. I probably would not be as upset if it were not someone we do a lot of work with, but I can say we will no longer be doing work with or recommending them.

Hair: Just Face it: A
They were super nice and patient when they had to wait. My hair did fall by the end of the evening, but I was dancing like a crazy lady.

DJ: Omega Sound: B
I did not like the cheesy MC'ing and he did not play a lot of the songs that I took the time to request the played more of the maybe songs than must play songs.

Second line Band: Smitty D's: A
They were great! They had a little kid dancing with them and an Indian. Everyone loved it!

Church: St. Jude: A++
We go to church there and love it. Father Tony is the best. Ms. Cynthia and the musicians were great. Everyone wanted to know when mass was so they could come back to attend.
BFP #1 6/18/2012 // EDD 2/28/2013 // Birthdate 2/7/2013

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Re: Vendor Reviews 1/14/12

  • Just to shine some light and clarify. David Storm was my DJ and I LOVED him and I was pretty shocked to read your reviews because he wasn't at all like that for my wedding and that's pretty uncharacteristic compared to prior reviews he's gotten and now I see people getting concerned. So since I've recommended him a lot on the boards, and I don't want to be that girl that recommends bad vendors I asked him what happened, because there are 2 sides to every story. He said, as far as "cheesy" MCing, he didn't think he did anything cheesy or out of the ordinary, and he wasn't cheesy for mine, but maybe it is a personal thing that each bride should discuss with their entertainment. He also said as far as the music went that he did everything he could to make the bride happy. He said it was the day the Saints lost to the 49ers (not that that has anything really to do with it) and the bride said she wanted to dance but not do a lot of slow dancing so he didn't play some of the must plays like Hotel California and Bennie and the Jets. He said other than that, there may only have been 1 or 2 other songs from the must plays (20) that didn't get played but he was of the impression that everyone was happy. He said he always saw the bride on the floor, cutting it up, with a drink in her hand. He did mention the not playing the "music" you referenced. He said it was only one song and that it was The Wobble and it wasn't that he didn't want to play it but that the bride came in and asked for it "very early in the evening" and he simply said it would be better played later so it would be better received. He also mentioned that it was asked for again right before the cake was cut which he said he'd play it right after the cake was cut, which he did and everyone packed the dance floor. I'm not trying to be a pot stirrer but there are 2 sides to every story and to me I think it's an issue of maybe personal incompatability. Maybe he wasn't the perfect fit personality wise, which as I said, every bride should make sure of, but all in all from what he said and what you said, it sounded like everyone had a good time and maybe it is, as you said, a little "nit-picky".
  • That is fine, but I still thought the talking over the music was cheesy and that is my personal opinion. I had never heard that at a wedding before.

    I also said that everyone was having fun, I didn't say that no one was dancing or that I was standing on the side becasue further in my reviews I said that I was dancing like a crazy person.

    I choose him because of this board. I gave him a B rating, it is not like I said that he was a failure.

    I'm sorry that I tried to give my opinion on my experience. I've never seen anyone else get flamed for it.
    BFP #1 6/18/2012 // EDD 2/28/2013 // Birthdate 2/7/2013

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  • RYLZRYLZ member
    Fourth Anniversary 100 Comments
    edited January 2012
    Kate504-- thanks for voicing your opinion and giving a thoughtful review.  I think they're helpful to all of us.

    I have to say I'm a little disturbed by this recent trend of having opinions rebutted by unofficial spokespersons of various vendors.  I think this forum is meant to be a place where real brides can share their real experiences and opinions, in a  somewhat anonymous but helpful manner.  That objective is diminished if we all have to be in fear that our opinion, experiences or feelings will be publicly challenged by self-appointed advocates for the vendors we thought we were free to discuss.  Vendors aren't allowed on here, partly, for that very reason!

    It's possible for someone to have a less than satisfactory experience with a well-liked vendor as well as a great experience with a fairly unknown one.  I think these assessments, one way or another, are legitimate ways for others to start forming an opinion, and it would be a shame if these shared assessments begin to dwindle because we fear having to defend our experience, or worse, being put in the awkward position of having our genuine, honest reactions/impressions being reported back to the vendor in question.

    I personally have had a very bad experience with a much-loved vendor on this board.  Was my experience any less real because a hundred brides love her?  Clearly not. 

    One bride's "cheesy" can be another bride's "classy", and each should be able to voice either here without threat of reprisal.

    Just my opinion.
  • That is the whole point of this board and the reviews...to give your opinion on your experience.  Ignore those who for some unknown reason are taking your vendor reviews so personally.  Seems a little strange to me.  I take everyone's review with a grain of salt due to different perspectives, etc., but I am inclined to take such a response from an unrelated third party to the event who went WAY out of her way to gather info on the subject with a boulder of salt....or more likely I will ignore it all together.  JMO. 
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  • Genuine apology - I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to question anyone's credibility or diminish anyone's personal opinion. Since my wedding, we've used Omega for a couple of things and I guess we've gotten a little friendly since then and I may have taken things a little too personally. I posted what I posted because I knew that that wasn't typically how he is and I saw a lot of people starting to worry because of her opinion and maybe I did go too far. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and that is the sole purpose of this board, so if I stepped on anyone's toes, I am genuinely sorry.

  • Oh give me a fricken break, the vendor police?????
  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_louisiana-new-orleans_vendor-reviews-11412?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:84Discussion:37869b49-2a07-433d-84cf-43a77ed24159Post:75dcc443-b1dd-4be1-a611-881c9820a74c">Re: Vendor Reviews 1/14/12</a>:
    [QUOTE]Oh give me a fricken break, the vendor police?????
    Posted by Rdh2MrsOMFS[/QUOTE]

    <div>LOL!</div>
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  • I've been looking forward to Rdh, LoLways and Kate's reviews for months because I knew y'all were getting married close to my date and I feel like we've all been planning together!  It's no exaggeration to say, I wouldn't have been able to plan the wedding I've planned (and all the way from NY no less) without the the invaluable information on this board from you ladies!

    You'll have my reviews in a couple weeks and I will of course, tell it like it is!

    As for the thread disappearing, seems to be trend with her, that anything critical said about her mysteriously goes away. I find it a little weird and creepy.

    Here's one she missed I guess :-)
    http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_louisiana-new-orleans_buyer-beware-of-belle-soiree-merideth-reed

  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_louisiana-new-orleans_vendor-reviews-11412?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:84Discussion:37869b49-2a07-433d-84cf-43a77ed24159Post:51ff41d9-cfca-4c33-aea2-a2dcbd754b54">Re: Vendor Reviews 1/14/12</a>:
    [QUOTE]I've been looking forward to Rdh, LoLways and Kate's reviews for months because I knew y'all were getting married close to my date and I feel like we've all been planning together![/QUOTE]<div>
    </div><div>Thanks, Bez!</div><div>
    </div><div>[QUOTE]As for the thread disappearing, seems to be trend with her, that anything critical said about her mysteriously goes away. I find it a little weird and creepy.
    Posted by bezlu[/QUOTE]

    </div><div>How <em>does</em> that work with the Knot, anyway? I'm not enough of a regular to understand the politics of post removals, etc.</div>
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  • I didn't even notice that the Meredith thread disappered... that's concerning. 

    Thanks for your reviews, OP! I love threads like this since I'm still on the hunt for a florist and photographer.
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