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Massachusetts-Cape Cod
CCBelATC
member
!!!Vendor Reviews!!! from our 7/18/10 Wedding-Long
Hi Ladies! I can't believe I'm less than 2 weeks away from being married 6 months! Time flies! I never recovered from returning to work after the wedding and have been away from these boards. I hope all the new brides are having happy, successful wedding planning! I have some items I'll be selling, and will hopefully get that going in less than a month. Below are all my vendor reviews. I hope they help others like past reviews helped me! Good luck!!!
www.www.josephwphotography.com/">http://www.www.josephwphotography.com/
I took a risk on booking through a newer company, Studio Blue, who would match me with a photographer based off of our ranking of photos and a questionnaire. I booked them during a sale, and through Facebook, got an additional 10% off. Joe was the answer to all my photography dreams! His photojournalistic flair was perfect, and all our photos were better than we could’ve imagined. I heard from other reviews that you didn’t even know he was around snapping pictures, and that was definitely the case with us. He is a true professional! We highly recommend Joseph Webb!
www.studioblue.com/">http://www.studioblue.com/
We were happy with our services from Studio Blue, and their customer service department has been absolutely amazing from before I booked up to this day as we’re trying to finalize our professional album. Studio Blue is unique though that the photographer doesn’t get to edit their own photos, and the editors are not the designers of the albums. So there are many hands involved in your photos, but we’ve been very happy with our results. Especially at such a value!!
Venue—Orleans Waterfront Inn in Orleans, MA A+
www.orleansinn.com/">http://www.orleansinn.com/ The Orleans Inn was the perfect venue that was right under my nose, and I didn’t want to believe it. I didn’t like how close to the road it was when I first saw it, and had read a couple of reviews on here before their new current chef were hired, making me skeptical. We scoured nearly every venue in the Lower Cape searching for a gorgeous view on the water, phenomenal seafood, with an intimate family feel. The Maas family spared no detail to make our wedding ceremony (held next door at the Jonathan Young Windmill—free with an application) and reception perfect! I had under 100 guests, and probably wouldn’t recommend this venue if you have over 120. The dance floor is very small, so if you’re looking to host a huge dance party you might be disappointed. We had to rent NOTHING!!! All the chairs with chair covers, linens, dinnerware, and even chairs for our ceremony were included. Ed also had a word with the city and arranged for someone to have the windmill open for tours and for us to have access to electricity for our ceremony! We had an iPod wedding/reception, and the sound system at both locations worked great. There was no noticeable noise from the road during high traffic times. Ed worked with us on the price too…we saved nearly 20% overall! My family is from the Midwest, and for many of them my wedding was their first trip to the East Coast, and they had the time of their lives! I can’t say enough about how perfect our wedding was thanks to the Maas family and their staff at the Orleans Inn! If you’re having an intimate wedding, they are your people!Officiant—Rev. Faith Lavender A+
www.capecodceremonies.com/">http://www.capecodceremonies.com/ I found Faith through other Knotties recommendations on here. She was perfect! She ended up being a big part of our budget, but was worth it. She handled our rehearsal since we didn’t have a wedding planner, and also has a podium that has a microphone and speaker so your guests can actually hear the ceremony at your outdoor wedding. She worked very well with us, allowing us to personalize our ceremony to best represent us. All our guests raved about our ceremony, almost everyone said it was the best wedding they’d ever been to, and one of my husband’s close friends got in trouble with his wife because he was crying at our wedding but didn’t cry at his own! Seeing everyone over the holidays, they’re still raving about what a great ceremony it was. Faith is a phenomenal officiant, hands down! Eyebrow Threading—Turning Heads Salon in Manchester, NH A+
www.turningheadsalon.com/index.html">http://www.turningheadsalon.com/index.html
Anjali at Turning Heads Salon is a threading wizard! I’ve never liked my eyebrows, a serial over-plucker. She made them look symmetrical and fabulous for my day! Threading is amazing because there’s minimal redness and is much more precise than waxing. You can get it done the day of an event and I do that quite often actually. It lasts 3-4 weeks on average, and I love it!
Nails (manicure)—Not So Plain Jane’s in Manchester, NH B+
www.notsoplainjanes.com/">http://www.notsoplainjanes.com/
I got the OPI Axxium Gel Manicure. My natural nails are usually bright white at the tips, so when I got the pink and white gel nails, it looked just like my natural nails. The biggest difference was how shiny they were! The gel was very strong, and thick. I got my nails done 3 days before my wedding. If I could have I would’ve waited until the day before. Because of all the packing and lugging of decorations, I did have one nail chip, but the rest stayed strong until the 3 week mark. Highly recommend it, especially for those who have never had fake nails before, and don’t want the extra damage that acrylics cause. The nails can also be painted over with polish. The lower review is because my nail technician could’ve taken a little more care in the application of the white, but I can’t notice any flaws in photos.
Nails (pedicure)—Oceanside Hair and Body in Brewster, MA B+
www.oceansidehairandbody.com/">http://www.oceansidehairandbody.com/
Last minute after my Saturday rehearsal luncheon I started calling around to find a salon to squeeze in a spa pedicure. Oceanside was the 2nd salon I called and they were definitely accommodating. They had appointments lined up all afternoon, but they didn’t rush my sister and me at all, and did a great job on both of us, finishing just in time for their next appointments. Lower grade is because my sister’s nail technician nicked her on two toes trying to trim her cuticles, and while our toes looked good, it was an average looking pedicure. Hair—Oceanside Hair and Body in Brewster, MA A+
www.oceansidehairandbody.com/">http://www.oceansidehairandbody.com/
I found recommendations for Oceanside through other Knotties. They were accommodating to my Sunday early afternoon wedding. Being from out of town I wanted to get ready at the salon and they were completely open to that. Nicole was my stylist and she was AMAZING! After my trial I was worried it wasn’t going to turn out how I envisioned it, but on my wedding day she nailed the look I was going for! She also did my two bridesmaids and they were both very happy with their styles too. Overall very affordable compared to other salons I was pricing out. Makeup—Ella Schwotzer Makeup in Southern NH A
www.ellaschwotzermakeup.com/">http://www.ellaschwotzermakeup.com/
Ella was introduced to me by one of my friends. I hired her for a makeup shopping trip because I couldn’t afford to budget for her day of services. After a short consultation of my vision for how I wanted to look, my regular skin care and makeup regimen, and specifics about my wedding (location, time of day, etc) she took me through Sephora. We tried out different cosmetics throughout the store, giving me tips and tricks along the way. I came away with great products at a reasonable price (we later hit the cosmetic isles in Walmart for “less essential” items). After my trip she emailed specific step-by-step instructions reiterating the application techniques she had shown me in the store. The best part I looked like myself…just better! I use my ‘wedding’ makeup for holidays and other special events now. Hair accessory—Cassandra Lynne A+
http://cassandralynne.myshopify.com/
Bought a spectacular starfish brooch/hair comb from Cassandra Lynne out of Kansas City. All my jewelry is yellow gold, and luckily for me, she made my brooch on a yellow gold starfish! It came out perfectly! It was a little pricy, but I’m so happy with how it looked in my hair, and I can wear it as a pin for years to come. Her work is FAR from tacky or cheap like other accessories I’ve seen. The quality is well worth the money! Truly a piece I’ll treasure for years to come!
David’s Bridal—wedding dress and bm dresses A+/D
I went to the DB in Nashua, NH. I had good experiences and bad experiences which are posted on the NH board. Overall I would recommend the store (great dresses for great prices) but beg anyone who chooses to do alterations there not let Alterations Manager Irene touch your gown! I believe it’s best to get you dress there but get it fitted elsewhere. I also chose to get my gown preserved through David’s Bridal. Overall I’m happy I used the service, and happy I bought my gown, veil, rehearsal dress, bridesmaid dresses through DB.
Men’s Warehouse—groom’s suit and gm & usher ties B+
My husband bought all of his attire from MW in Nashua, NH. He really wanted to wear a khaki linen suit, and MW had a Calvin Klein linen suit on sale. His tailoring fees seemed expensive, and the salesmen were somewhat standoffish. However he is happy with all of his attire.
Mini moon—Whalewalk Inn & Spa in Eastham, MA A+
www.whalewalkinn.com/">http://www.whalewalkinn.com/
We stayed at this quaint B&B two nights…I wish we could’ve stayed a whole week! We rented the Salt Box Cottage. Extremely private and 100% Cape Cod! Huge hydrangeas lined the path to our cottage, and champagne and glasses were waiting for us in our room. The breakfasts were phenomenal!! It was however expensive in season, which is why we couldn’t afford to stay in the cottage longer. We also didn’t get a chance to get to the spa, something I’m hoping to check out when we go back for our 1st Anniversary. Disclaimer*********We had a DIY wedding/reception. I made all the paper goods (save the dates, invites, menus, etc). My sister and I made all of the flowers (bouts, pomanders, bouquets, etc) from high end silks I bought at a store called Grennon’s in Bedford, NH. I made our favors, bought our location specific themed table centerpieces. A friend of ours made our wedding cake and cupcakes for our guests. As I mentioned before we also had an iPod wedding. I put in many, many hours of work to have our wedding turn out how it did, and I wouldn’t change a thing. We also had great support the day of our wedding so it went off without a hitch. We were very fortunate and saved a ton of money without our wedding being cheap in the process. It’s not for everyone, but I wouldn’t change a thing we did for anything. Happy wedding planning!!
Our Wedding Vendor Reviews—July 18, 2010
Photographer—Joseph Webb Photography (via Studio Blue sister company of Bella Pictures) A+www.www.josephwphotography.com/">http://www.www.josephwphotography.com/
I took a risk on booking through a newer company, Studio Blue, who would match me with a photographer based off of our ranking of photos and a questionnaire. I booked them during a sale, and through Facebook, got an additional 10% off. Joe was the answer to all my photography dreams! His photojournalistic flair was perfect, and all our photos were better than we could’ve imagined. I heard from other reviews that you didn’t even know he was around snapping pictures, and that was definitely the case with us. He is a true professional! We highly recommend Joseph Webb!
www.studioblue.com/">http://www.studioblue.com/
We were happy with our services from Studio Blue, and their customer service department has been absolutely amazing from before I booked up to this day as we’re trying to finalize our professional album. Studio Blue is unique though that the photographer doesn’t get to edit their own photos, and the editors are not the designers of the albums. So there are many hands involved in your photos, but we’ve been very happy with our results. Especially at such a value!!
Venue—Orleans Waterfront Inn in Orleans, MA A+
www.orleansinn.com/">http://www.orleansinn.com/ The Orleans Inn was the perfect venue that was right under my nose, and I didn’t want to believe it. I didn’t like how close to the road it was when I first saw it, and had read a couple of reviews on here before their new current chef were hired, making me skeptical. We scoured nearly every venue in the Lower Cape searching for a gorgeous view on the water, phenomenal seafood, with an intimate family feel. The Maas family spared no detail to make our wedding ceremony (held next door at the Jonathan Young Windmill—free with an application) and reception perfect! I had under 100 guests, and probably wouldn’t recommend this venue if you have over 120. The dance floor is very small, so if you’re looking to host a huge dance party you might be disappointed. We had to rent NOTHING!!! All the chairs with chair covers, linens, dinnerware, and even chairs for our ceremony were included. Ed also had a word with the city and arranged for someone to have the windmill open for tours and for us to have access to electricity for our ceremony! We had an iPod wedding/reception, and the sound system at both locations worked great. There was no noticeable noise from the road during high traffic times. Ed worked with us on the price too…we saved nearly 20% overall! My family is from the Midwest, and for many of them my wedding was their first trip to the East Coast, and they had the time of their lives! I can’t say enough about how perfect our wedding was thanks to the Maas family and their staff at the Orleans Inn! If you’re having an intimate wedding, they are your people!Officiant—Rev. Faith Lavender A+
www.capecodceremonies.com/">http://www.capecodceremonies.com/ I found Faith through other Knotties recommendations on here. She was perfect! She ended up being a big part of our budget, but was worth it. She handled our rehearsal since we didn’t have a wedding planner, and also has a podium that has a microphone and speaker so your guests can actually hear the ceremony at your outdoor wedding. She worked very well with us, allowing us to personalize our ceremony to best represent us. All our guests raved about our ceremony, almost everyone said it was the best wedding they’d ever been to, and one of my husband’s close friends got in trouble with his wife because he was crying at our wedding but didn’t cry at his own! Seeing everyone over the holidays, they’re still raving about what a great ceremony it was. Faith is a phenomenal officiant, hands down! Eyebrow Threading—Turning Heads Salon in Manchester, NH A+
www.turningheadsalon.com/index.html">http://www.turningheadsalon.com/index.html
Anjali at Turning Heads Salon is a threading wizard! I’ve never liked my eyebrows, a serial over-plucker. She made them look symmetrical and fabulous for my day! Threading is amazing because there’s minimal redness and is much more precise than waxing. You can get it done the day of an event and I do that quite often actually. It lasts 3-4 weeks on average, and I love it!
Nails (manicure)—Not So Plain Jane’s in Manchester, NH B+
www.notsoplainjanes.com/">http://www.notsoplainjanes.com/
I got the OPI Axxium Gel Manicure. My natural nails are usually bright white at the tips, so when I got the pink and white gel nails, it looked just like my natural nails. The biggest difference was how shiny they were! The gel was very strong, and thick. I got my nails done 3 days before my wedding. If I could have I would’ve waited until the day before. Because of all the packing and lugging of decorations, I did have one nail chip, but the rest stayed strong until the 3 week mark. Highly recommend it, especially for those who have never had fake nails before, and don’t want the extra damage that acrylics cause. The nails can also be painted over with polish. The lower review is because my nail technician could’ve taken a little more care in the application of the white, but I can’t notice any flaws in photos.
Nails (pedicure)—Oceanside Hair and Body in Brewster, MA B+
www.oceansidehairandbody.com/">http://www.oceansidehairandbody.com/
Last minute after my Saturday rehearsal luncheon I started calling around to find a salon to squeeze in a spa pedicure. Oceanside was the 2nd salon I called and they were definitely accommodating. They had appointments lined up all afternoon, but they didn’t rush my sister and me at all, and did a great job on both of us, finishing just in time for their next appointments. Lower grade is because my sister’s nail technician nicked her on two toes trying to trim her cuticles, and while our toes looked good, it was an average looking pedicure. Hair—Oceanside Hair and Body in Brewster, MA A+
www.oceansidehairandbody.com/">http://www.oceansidehairandbody.com/
I found recommendations for Oceanside through other Knotties. They were accommodating to my Sunday early afternoon wedding. Being from out of town I wanted to get ready at the salon and they were completely open to that. Nicole was my stylist and she was AMAZING! After my trial I was worried it wasn’t going to turn out how I envisioned it, but on my wedding day she nailed the look I was going for! She also did my two bridesmaids and they were both very happy with their styles too. Overall very affordable compared to other salons I was pricing out. Makeup—Ella Schwotzer Makeup in Southern NH A
www.ellaschwotzermakeup.com/">http://www.ellaschwotzermakeup.com/
Ella was introduced to me by one of my friends. I hired her for a makeup shopping trip because I couldn’t afford to budget for her day of services. After a short consultation of my vision for how I wanted to look, my regular skin care and makeup regimen, and specifics about my wedding (location, time of day, etc) she took me through Sephora. We tried out different cosmetics throughout the store, giving me tips and tricks along the way. I came away with great products at a reasonable price (we later hit the cosmetic isles in Walmart for “less essential” items). After my trip she emailed specific step-by-step instructions reiterating the application techniques she had shown me in the store. The best part I looked like myself…just better! I use my ‘wedding’ makeup for holidays and other special events now. Hair accessory—Cassandra Lynne A+
http://cassandralynne.myshopify.com/
Bought a spectacular starfish brooch/hair comb from Cassandra Lynne out of Kansas City. All my jewelry is yellow gold, and luckily for me, she made my brooch on a yellow gold starfish! It came out perfectly! It was a little pricy, but I’m so happy with how it looked in my hair, and I can wear it as a pin for years to come. Her work is FAR from tacky or cheap like other accessories I’ve seen. The quality is well worth the money! Truly a piece I’ll treasure for years to come!
David’s Bridal—wedding dress and bm dresses A+/D
I went to the DB in Nashua, NH. I had good experiences and bad experiences which are posted on the NH board. Overall I would recommend the store (great dresses for great prices) but beg anyone who chooses to do alterations there not let Alterations Manager Irene touch your gown! I believe it’s best to get you dress there but get it fitted elsewhere. I also chose to get my gown preserved through David’s Bridal. Overall I’m happy I used the service, and happy I bought my gown, veil, rehearsal dress, bridesmaid dresses through DB.
Men’s Warehouse—groom’s suit and gm & usher ties B+
My husband bought all of his attire from MW in Nashua, NH. He really wanted to wear a khaki linen suit, and MW had a Calvin Klein linen suit on sale. His tailoring fees seemed expensive, and the salesmen were somewhat standoffish. However he is happy with all of his attire.
Mini moon—Whalewalk Inn & Spa in Eastham, MA A+
www.whalewalkinn.com/">http://www.whalewalkinn.com/
We stayed at this quaint B&B two nights…I wish we could’ve stayed a whole week! We rented the Salt Box Cottage. Extremely private and 100% Cape Cod! Huge hydrangeas lined the path to our cottage, and champagne and glasses were waiting for us in our room. The breakfasts were phenomenal!! It was however expensive in season, which is why we couldn’t afford to stay in the cottage longer. We also didn’t get a chance to get to the spa, something I’m hoping to check out when we go back for our 1st Anniversary. Disclaimer*********We had a DIY wedding/reception. I made all the paper goods (save the dates, invites, menus, etc). My sister and I made all of the flowers (bouts, pomanders, bouquets, etc) from high end silks I bought at a store called Grennon’s in Bedford, NH. I made our favors, bought our location specific themed table centerpieces. A friend of ours made our wedding cake and cupcakes for our guests. As I mentioned before we also had an iPod wedding. I put in many, many hours of work to have our wedding turn out how it did, and I wouldn’t change a thing. We also had great support the day of our wedding so it went off without a hitch. We were very fortunate and saved a ton of money without our wedding being cheap in the process. It’s not for everyone, but I wouldn’t change a thing we did for anything. Happy wedding planning!!
This discussion has been closed.
Re: !!!Vendor Reviews!!! from our 7/18/10 Wedding-Long