My daughter and son-in-law's wedding 5 days ago was one of the happiest days of my life!Here are my vendor reviews, I hope it helps other brides-to-be and MOBs. :)Photographer - Joanna Fassinger -
http://www.joannafassinger.com/ - If you are looking for a creative and innovative photographer, look no further. Call Joanna and book her today! Best decision we made was when we called and booked her over the phone 19 months before the wedding!I can't wait to see her photos - but I know they will be terrific. She did the engagements photos a year ago and they were fantastic!Ceremony Venue - Heinz Chapel - It has been my daughter's dream to get married here since her first year at Pitt. Her husband remarked last night that he couldn't imagine having been married anywhere else! The wedding coordinators Anita and Jackie were wonderful. They went above and beyond to ensure that everything ran smoothly. The organist, Steve Anisko, was awesome.Bagpiper - George Balderose -
http://www.pittsburghpiper.com/ - I am so happy that we found George at the bridal show in Jan. 2008! Both sides of my family are Irish, and my husband's paternal side is Scottish. I got goosebumps listening to George play outside the Chapel as the guests arrived. I took a peek outside the door - and he was standing in a fine mist of rain and I felt as though I was standing on our ancestors land. And when he lead my husband and daughter down the aisle while playing, "Wearing of the Green," I cried. He is phenomenal.Florist - Michael Jacobs of Blooms -
http://www.bloomsflorist.com - We were oa limited budget, but Michael treated us as though we were high society! The flowers were lush and beautiful and the vibrant reds, oranges and yellows just made everything "pop"!Bridal Party Transportation - Molly's Trolleys -
http://www.mollystrolleys.com/ - The bridal party had a blast on the Trolley! They said Ron the driver was incredibly nice and extremely accommodating. It was great to have everyone together in one vehicle as they drove around Pittsburgh for photos. Out of Town Transportation - Butler Motor Transit -
http://www.coachusa.com/ - We hired the bus to transport all of our elderly/people who refused to drive in Pittburgh guests. Butler Motor was wonderful to work with.Reception Venue - Lemont -
http://www.lemontpittsburgh.com/LeMont/index.htm - We were on an extremely tight budget - I mean very, very tight! My daughter and I researched and got price quotes from venues for over 6 months! LeMont was her dream location - but we never thought we could afford it. It ended up being the most affordable place! Bill and Tony and their staff were marvelous! They set up so much stuff for us - and we had a ton of stuff. The food was delicious and the view was to die for! They had a limited bar (groom's parent and the bride and groom paid for this) with beer, wine, mojitos and a signature drink, The Autumntini. (I will warn you that if you do a full open bar and you have a lot of drinkers, the cost will be high.) Wedding Cake - Autumn's Cakes -
http://www.autumnscakes.com/ - Hands down the best cake I have ever tasted! It literally melts in your mouth! And Autumn is so talented and creative. She also made a Groom's Cake in the shape of a mini Stanley Cup. You may recall the Chanel purse and Sex and the City shoe cake she made for my daughter's bridal shower. DJ - Jodi Colella - Accents Unlimited -
http://www.accentsunlimited.net/ - Jodi is a hidden gem in the world of Pittsburgh DJs! She was absolutely fantastic! She had just about everyone out on the dance floor (including me, and I don't dance!) - there were people aged 9 months to 77 years old out there! There were no cornball antics, no hogging of the microphone, just good music. She did a great job getting everyone lined up and making announcements. She is also a wedding coordinator and I hired her to put on our chair covers and sashes. We were so happy with her and her husband!Bridal Gown - Catan's Bridal Fashions, Strongsville, Ohio -
http://www.catanfashions.com/ - We found my daugher's beautiful gown for a fraction of the cost of Pittsburgh bridal salons. And the bridal consultants treated us like royalty (unlike a certain Pittsburgh store). Bridesmaids Gowns, MOB and MOG gowns - David's Bridal - by the Ross Park Mall - Loved the colors of the bridesmaids gowns. All gowns arrived earlier than expected and everything was great.Tuxedos - Tuxedo Junction - wasn't all that thrilled with them.
My son got his Prom tux there 2 years ago and the service was impeccable. There were no horror stories - but we had to stay on top of everything. We had coupons and I had to call a couple of times to make sure they were applied. They put down on the order that the Dads and Grandfather were to have black jackets and brown pants (they were all black tuxes). Thankfully I caught the error while reviewing everyone's paperwork a couple of months before the wedding and got it handled.They ordered the wrong size pants and vest for my husband, although the correct size was on the order form. The FOG got two different shoes. Thankfully, they hustled and got everything straightened out and the guys all looked great.Rehearsal Dinner - Church Brew Works -
http://www.churchbrew.com/ - the groom's parents hosted and paid for this. The food was good and everyone seemed to have fun. Videographer - Aaron Costello - I can't remember his exact business name or his website. I will have to get that from my daughter. We haven't seen the video yet - but from what I observed during the wedding and ceremony - he was doing a great job!