Hi All,
I wanted to make it a point to share allmy reviews because I found reviews on this board so helpful in my planning process!
I have possitive things to say about each vendor that I chose and I believe that is because I put so much time and research into selecting them! As you can see, I have so much to say about most of my vendors so please feel free to message me if anyone has any further questions!
First I will start with the best, my venue.
Mamaroneck Beach and Yacht Club (Mamaroneck, NY): I have nothing but praise here! I looked at several other venues in the Westchester area but fell in love with MBYC. I liked that it was set on the water with amazing views and I also liked that this was a one event per night venue. We mainly worked with Sheldon, the event manager who handled everything and anything you can think of, from day 1 of planning to the wedding day! He was incredible; Very easy to get in touch with, very patient and accommodating. Not to mention, he was so gracious and very nice. His wife is actually the "lady in waiting" the day of the wedding and she was also unbelievably helpful! in addition, we also worked with Jordan, the executive Chef. I loved how he really worked with us on the menu. Instead of giving us a pre-set menu he got feedback about our guests and worked from there to develop a menu with tons of suggestions. What I loved the most about my experience with MBYC was how they really catered your event to you and only you. I truly felt like my wedding was 100% customized. I also have the best things to say about the service itself. The waitstaff was professional and everyone was so sweet! They really made everyone feel first class.
Florist- Westchester Floral (Pelham, NY): I worked with Vito and I was really happy. I did not do too much research on flower prices and I wonder if I could have found better pricing, but I went here because of all the positive reviews they had and I am happy that I did.
They did a great job overall. Vito was a pleasure to work with and even changed my centerpiece 10 days before my wedding because I freaked out and changed my mind. He was great.
Hotel- Hyatt Regency (Greenwich, CT): I wanted a place that was in or near Westchester and on the nicer side. I chose this hotel because the price was signifigantly less than what the hotels in White plains or Rye were charging. I looked at the Radisson New Rochelle, Crowne plaza White plains, Doubletree Tarrytown and Doral Arrowwood. Tarrytown Doubletree had decent pricing and was nice but a little bit too far from Mamaroneck. All the other hotels did not really seem that nice to me and they were way overpriced. The Hyatt in Greenwich was beautiful. I got ready here with my bridal party and it was really nice. They have a great atrium where you can take pictures as well. I worked with Jessica and she was awesome. We ended up having our rehearsal dinner here because it was so nice. They have a really nice bar/restaurant in the lobby where everyone could gather. The downside was that if you have a big drinking crew the bar closes at 1:30 on Saturdays (CT Law). I knew this before hand and set up a bar for those who wanted to keep drinking in a suite that we booked for the night. It all worked out very nicely.
DJ- DJ Company (Nyack, NY): After looking at about 5 different companies I chose the DJ Company. After meeting with Ryan I was 100% sold. He was awesome. I did have one complaint with my experience... my "do not play" list was not followed to a tee. They have unique log-in set up for all customers which I really liked, it was very organized. You can look through their massive database and select songs you want to have played or do not want played. Unfortunately it did not save all my information. With that said, the dancefloor was packed all night and only I noticed that some songs I did not want to hear were played and vice versa. Mike was my MC and he was really good. Had a great personality and was not cheesy at all. I got a lighting package and photobooth through them and was really very happy with both, especially the lighting. I also sent them 5 different folders of photos to play on the plasmas during specific times (which is sort of like asking for a mistake to happen) but they executed that nicely. The DJ company definitely had the most competitive pricing and they were also the most professional out of any of the other companies I looked in to. I did get annoyed by the whole playlist issue, but it would not sway me from recommending them to anyone.
Transportation- J&R (Mt Vernon, NY): We wanted a shuttle so our guests didn't have to drive back to the hotel. Since we had our ceremony at the Yacht club we didn't really need a limo. I did want a limo to take the bridal party from the Hyatt to the Yacht club but it was really just a waste of money since all the limo services I called only offer 3 hour packages. So we went with J&R (referred from this board). I was happy with their services. It was nothing fancy at all but the price was really good. My only compliant was that the radio did not work. Officiant- Father Richard Hasslebach: He was a pleasure to work with. I got nervous because I read a couple complaints about him on this board, but I really enjoyed working with him. My husband and I both have very Catholic grandparents and they were satisfied with Father Hasslebach's ceremony. Tuxes- Ridge Squire Tuxedo (Rye, NY): They were awesome to work with. We had a huge bridal party and they were so accommodating especially to those who were out of state. I would highly recommend. Hair- Salon Escape (Mahopac, NY): I loved my hair! I cannot say enough about Ali and Lauren from Salon Escape. They were amazing! They came to the hotel which was really nice and made it a lot less stressful for me. Ali and Lauren styled about 15 ladies all together and they were all perfect! Everyones hair looked flawless. Ali did my hair and she was amazing from start to finish. She helped me figure out what style I wanted and really worked with me. I am from Mahopac and I wanted to use Salon Escape from the beginning, but I also checked out a few other salons around Westchester just to see if I could find a closer salon. I did not find a salon that I was totally happy with and the prices were higher. Makeup- JK Flashy: I did not even look anywhere else for Makeup because I had a trial with Jill and was totally sold. Jill is professional, honest and totally flexible. Jill ended up being booked for my wedding date so Caitlin was my artist. I had a trial with her as well where you can give feedback and tell her what you do or do not like. She takes photos too which is good because the day of they have all your information in a folder- very organized. Something else important to me- Jill responds to emails or phone calls in record time and remembers all the little details. She makes you feel like your her only client. I was very happy.Photographer- Ricky Restiano: Im totally obsessed and love the pictures I have seen so far. I had Ronnie and he was great, I felt so comfortable around him. I have never heard anything negative about these guys, they are the best of the best. Invitations- Impessive Invites (Mamaroneck, NY): I really enjoyed working with Maria at impressive invites. I looked at several different places in Westchester and found her to have the best pricing. My invitations came out really nice and I got several compliments.One note- Don't get the addresses printed on the envelopes there, it is very pricey. Maria will tell you that but I didn't listen because I was in a rush to get them out. There is a place in Larchmont called Inkspun that does printed calligraphy and they are very inexpensive.
Favors- Last minute I decided to get cake pops as favors and I am so happy I did. Everyone raved about them! I got them from Crystal Lorenzini in Mahopac, NY. My cousin had them at her shower and they were so good, I couldn't pass it up. You can private message me for her information. She has amazing prices too. I also wanted to recommend Etsy for placecards! I found the cutest place cards on Etsy through the shop called Cuddlecreatures / JonNI - Paper and Decorative Arts. They do custom cards and printing. I got mine in the shape of a fleur di lis. People raved about them, and they were different than anything I have ever seen at a wedding. Not the cheapest options for placecards but I loved them!
I hope this post can help someone out as the many reviews I read on this board have helped me!