I didn't post much as I was planning, but I learned so much from all of you. We were really fortunate to have great vendors (as you can see from the reviews and ratings below), so I wanted to share my feedback.
Venue: The Newark Club - A+
We couldn't have asked for a better venue. Everything was top notch. We worked with Artie who was fabulous. The food was excellent, the service was excellent and the views were perfect (we had a nice, clear night). We have had a lot of people tell us it was the best wedding they have been to!
Photographer: Milton Gil - A
So far we have been really happy with them. We received our proofs (over 1100 of them) and they are beautiful. We had two photographers and they stayed the entire time. They were on time, took all of the pictures we asked for and were overall really easy to work with. We also booked our video through Milton Gil. It will take a few months for our video to come in, so I can't really comment other than the guy seemed to take a lot of footage and was really nice.
Flowers: Precious Petals Too - A
We spent more than we wanted to on flowers (about $4000), but were very pleased with our flowers. Our centerpieces were tall, cylinder vases with orchids submerged in water (with a light on the bottom and a floating candle on top). Church flowers were beautiful as were our bouquets. I had roses, hydrangea and wax flower in mine - they lasted for most of the night (only towards the end did they start to wilt). I worked with the owner, Nancy, and overall she was good to work with.
DJ: Golden Note Entertainment - A+
Gerry, the owner, dj'd our wedding. I was fortunate enough to have worked with Gerry for many years (they have done my company's holiday parties for over 5 years now). They were great - played a lot of our requests, but threw in their own choices based on the vibe of the night. They got the crowd going without being too intrusive. Overall, very good.
Dress (and bridesmaid dresses): Jefre's Bridal in Greenbrook - A
I went to a lot of places to try dresses on, but kept on going back to the one at Jefre's. Their prices are really reasonable and they were easy to work with. One of the best parts of working with them was their seamstress - Amalia. She was fantastic. We made quite a few tweaks to my dress and she was able to do it all with no problems.
Limo: D&G Limo - A+++
I rated them so high because our driver, Billy, was the best! Aside from being very prompt, he was THE MAN. He was fluffing my dress, giving me a pep talk, making sure my DH and I had water as we were taking pictures. My nephew's boutinniere came apart - Billy made him a new one. My DH's vest was a little too short - Billy called Men's Wearhouse to order a new one and we stopped there in between the ceremony and the reception. My veil ripped slightly and he was even willing to sew it. Overall, he was the best!
Hair: The Guillotine - Westfield - A+
I have been going to the Guillotine for years and would not have gone anywhere else. They did the entire bridal party, plus some sisters and the MOH and MOB. Everyone's hair looked amazing.
Make-up: Jacqueline Phillips of Jacqueline Pasquale - A+++
Our make-up looked amazing! Jacqui is so talented as was her assistant. We didn't get our make-up done at the Guillotine since they don't do air brushing (although I heard they will be offering it soon), so we booked Jacqui who was referred to me by my cousin. She does a lot of celebrities, and you can see why when she does your make-up. I never felt more beautiful. She came to my house and was, what I believe to be, competitively priced. Book her!
Invitations: Cambridge Street Paper - Chatham - A+
It took me MONTHS to pick out invitations (looking back now, I was overly picky). In any case, these ladies were great to work with. I can't say enough great things.
Programs: The Satin Bow - A+
Allison, who owns the Satin Bow, is easy to work with (everything was over email) and her work is beautiful and unique. We received a lot of compliments. She was able to match up our colors perfectly.
Menu cards/place cards/table numbers: www.custom-programs.com - A+
High quality, VERY easy to work with and quick turn around. We had circular menu cards which aren't easy to find and they were beautiful. The paper quality and printing was top notch. I worked with Adrienne, the owner.
Guest Transportation: Lakeland Bus - A
We hired two 55 passenger coach buses to transport our guests from the hotel to the Newark Club. They were reasonably priced (I called a lot of places and they were slightly cheaper than the rest). They were prompt and the buses were very clean.