My 9-7-12 Review -- Long in Length & Long Overdue!

LissyM83

Sorry this is late but better late than never, right? When I initially signed up for The Knot, I wasn’t even engaged yet (I’m sure there are others guilty of this too!)… lol Once we were engaged, my husband and I were still trying to determine where we would have our wedding (Long Island / Westchester/NJ) and we ultimately chose a place in Bergen County, Jersey. I know some of you are from all over too, so I decided to post my review, as most of my vendors were from NY. Hope this can be of use to you! If you have any questions about any of the vendors I used, feel free to FM me. I'm not on as often but I do get alerts when I receive new FM. Enjoy! :-)   

My 9/7/12 Wedding Review

Engagement Party Invitations – Dori-Ann’s Stationery – A
My parents handled the details for our engagement party but I found the invitations on Dori-Ann’s website. The invitations resembled a Tiffany’s Box which went along with our party theme perfectly. Dori-Ann actually provided my mom with a sample invitation so we could see the quality of the invite before we ordered…  the quality was excellent especially since we thought the invitations were extremely reasonable in price.  The reason for the A- is my mom said that she had to go through several proofs with her before the invitation was perfect and at times she’d take long to respond (everything was basically through email). My mom planned on using her again for my bridal shower, however when she went to look on the website, there was a notification saying that the shop is temporarily closed. Hope she reopens because we would definitely use her again! 

Engagement Party Dress – Nile & Hudson Fashion (f/k/a Femme Couture) – Brooklyn, NY – A
I have purchased several dresses from this store and have always had a wonderful experience. It’s family owned and I usually deal with Nina (the owner’s daughter – she’s a little younger so she’s extremely helpful when it comes to picking out dresses). They mainly specialize in prom & sweet 16 dresses but they also carry dresses for girls our age & MOB’s/MOG’s. It’s helpful if you have a general idea of what dress size you are beforehand b/c they don’t have a seamstress on site. The seamstress they use is across the street  (and I have gone to her before and she’s good (but it’s inconvenient that you have to go elsewhere for alterations. 
 
Engagement Party Venue – Coveleigh Country Club (Rye, NY) – A
I didn’t want an engagement party from the beginning but my parents insisted on throwing one for us so we compromised and had an afternoon cocktail reception at Coveleigh Country Club. The food was excellent and the staff was extremely attentive. The only thing I didn’t like was that they did the cake cutting in the side room instead of in the main party room so whoever was in the other room missed us cutting our cake.  

Engagement Party DJ – Extreme Sounds Entertainment (Bronx, NY) – A+++++
I knew I wanted background music for our party but I didn’t want my parents to pay wedding prices for an engagement party. Dave (the owner) and I have been friends for several years so I knew I wanted to use him for the party. I gave him a list of must play & do not play songs which he followed completely. He honestly did a great job at our party & I highly recommend him (he does Sweet 16’s, Weddings, Engagement Parties, etc.)   


Engagement Party Cake – Home Style Bakery (Fishkill, NY) - B
My family has been ordering cakes from here for years and our engagement cake like everything else we have ordered was beyond delicious. We actually had two cakes in the shape of Tiffany’s boxes (one white cake with cannoli cream & the other chocolate cake with whipped cream, fresh strawberries & bananas). The reason for the B is that they completely botched my DH’s name on the cake!!! The cake read “Congratulations Melissa & Paul’… DH’s name is PHIL. I was so caught up in everything I didn’t even notice at the party & had no clue until 2 weeks later when my sister finally told me. I honestly wish she told me sooner because I would definitely have negotiated free cake for a year after that mess up lol. 

 Engagement Party Decorations & Favors (DIY – my mom) & Lucas Chocolates (Haverstraw, NY) – A+++++++
My mom decorated the tables with votive candles (different sizes – purchased at Christmas Tree Shops), cracked ice (purchased at Christmas Tree Shops or Michael’s), silk rose petals (purchased at Michael’s) & our champagne glasses (purchased online). She ordered the glasses as our STD’s/favor & glued ribbon with our names & wedding date (also ordered online) & a small silk rose to the stem of each glass.  We also gave out chocolate caramel truffles made by Lucas Chocolates which were amazing! All of our guests raved about them. The staff at Lucas’ also packaged each favor individually in a small Tiffany look-alike box with ribbon (which my mom provided). The favors were a huge hit & the room looked great! 

The Dress!! – Kleinfeld’s (NY, NY) Dress Shopping: A++++++++++++
I knew I wanted a Pnina Tornai dress so I made my appointment while her trunk show was going on. I honestly had the best experience at Kleinfeld’s. I worked with Keasha who was beyond amazing! She’s really in tune with her brides and won’t stop looking until she finds the perfect dress for you. The dress I wound up purchasing was the last one I tried on and Keasha was asking around for it my entire appointment (another bride had it) but it basically fit the description I gave her. She stayed within my budget and wouldn’t even let me near dresses that weren’t within it. I know some girls say that they felt rushed when they went to Kleinfeld’s but I definitely didn’t. My appointment was at 9:30 and I didn’t leave til almost 12! Pnina was actually there that day and came over and said hello. She also personally measured me herself. The only thing I didn’t like is that while I did not once feel pressured to buy my dress that day, I did feel a little pressured to purchase my veil & tiara. This had nothing to do with Keasha though… as soon as the girls in the accessories department hear that you purchased your dress, they run over with veils and headpieces for you to try on. Purchasing a dress is overwhelming as it is… don’t even think about looking for veils and tiaras that day (regardless of what store you purchase your dress at)… make a different appointment and come back.  

Alterations (also at Kleinfeld’s): A++++++++++
I worked with Ellie who was beyond amazing! From the moment I walked into her dressing room, she treated me as though she had known me her entire life. She listened to my requests re.: my alterations & the end result was perfect. I couldn’t have asked for a better seamstress. 

Headpiece, DOJ & Veil – Bridal Styles (Brooklyn, NY) – A++++++++++++++++++++
I don’t think there are enough pluses to give Edward & his staff the credit they deserve. Their work is like no other and regardless if you are spending $100 or $1,000, they treat every bride the same. When I went for my headpiece, I was asked how I planned on wearing my hair and one of the girls gave me a mini-updo similar to the style I wanted. This made it so much easier looking for & trying on headpieces. I think I tried on about 20 different pieces and not once did I feel pressured to buy a particular piece. They’re extremely patient and will work with you until you find EXACTLY what you’re looking for. I love this place so much that I also decided to come back to them to get my veil custom made. My veil was cathedral length with scattered Swarovski crystals throughout. I saw a similar veil at Kleinfeld’s and it was $3,000… my veil from Bridal Styles was exactly the same and much more reasonable in price. I highly recommend them to anyone looking for accessories, headpieces & veils. They are certainly worth the drive, as I came from Westchester. 

Church – The Monastery Church of the Sacred Heart (Yonkers, NY)
I feel funny rating a Church but everyone in the office was responsive, our priest was great (minus him having the girls walk down on the wrong side despite me telling him he was wrong – pick your battles, I guess?) My family and I do not live in Yonkers but my reason for choosing this Church is because my parents were married there over 30 years ago… it’s also gorgeous inside! The outside is beautiful too but we didn’t get any pictures in front since they decided to do surprise construction on the front of the Church the week of our wedding which they finished the day AFTER we were married (Note: Don’t sweat or stress over things like this… there’s NOTHING you can do about it ). 

Reception Hall – The Estate at Florentine Gardens (Rivervale, NJ) – A++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
There’s a reason why this venue is voted the best in Bergen County, NJ every year…it’s because they know what they’re doing & do not disappoint! From the moment, my husband and I walked into the estate to look, we were blown away by the gorgeous ballroom & stunning chandeliers. Our initial banquet manager left to pursue another opportunity, so we worked with the General Manager, Maria. Having worked with our other banquet manager since the start, we were obviously a little nervous getting a new banquet manager six months before our wedding but Maria picked up right where he left off without any issues.  When we arrived to our reception, we were greeted by Maria, Nancy (my amazing bridal attendant) & Jeffrey (our awesome Maitre d') & we were escorted to our bridal suite where Jeffrey went over & confirmed the details of the night. My husbands jacket was completely wrinkled from the limo ride so Nancy took it and steamed it for him. When we went upstairs to our cocktail hour, they had a table reserved especially for us. Once we were seated, Nancy & several other servers went around to each of the stations and brought food back to our table - so much that our entire table was covered with plates! Once we sat down for dinner, Nancy came & covered me with a large tablecloth in order to protect my dress. She was so on top of things!!! As for food, my husband had the Chateaubriand & I had the Chilean SeaBass. Both were DELICIOUS! Our other entree was the French Cut Chicken Breast stuffed with Spinach Cheese & I was able to have a piece of that when Jeffrey and the waitstaff came around & offered seconds... yes, SECONDS! We, along with our families & guests were completely blown away with the amount of food & how great everything was. From cocktail hour to dinner to Viennese hour to the hot pretzels & italian ices at the end of the night, no one can say they left hungry! Everything from the service to the food was top notch – I can only hope a mutual friend / family member has their wedding here so we can enjoy it again! 

Photographer – Ricky Restiano (Bronxville, NY) – A+++++++++++++++++++++++++
Amazing, Amazing, Amazing! From the moment we met Ricky, we knew we wanted him to capture the best day of our lives! In fact, he was the first and only photographer we met with! Ricky was a pleasure to work with and is truly is passionate about what he does. From our engagement shoots at Manhattan College & Citifield to our recent wedding, Ricky and team did not disappoint. On the night of our wedding, he had us, our families and guests speechless when he had a slideshow of 50pictures from the day displayed on our DJ's plasma tv screens. They were amazing & we cannot wait to see the rest! So many people have complimented us on our pictures telling us they look straight out of a magazine and we most certainly agree with them! (Note: Many of the pictures posted in this review are Ricky’s Pro Pictures) 

Videographer – Moving Pictures, LLC (Ardsley, NY)– A+++++++++++++++++
Look no further when choosing a videographer. Moving Pictures is the best of the best! From the beginning of planning, I knew I wanted a cinematic type of wedding video… I wanted a “movie” of our day rather than a typical wedding video. I heard of Moving Pictures through word of mouth & they were the first & only videographer we met with. The funny part is…my husband didn't think video was necessary and when walked out of our initial meeting, the first words out of his mouth were “let's book them” and I’m so glad we did! Dave was awesome to work with from start to finish & he and our photographer were a great team. They were literally planning which moment to capture next while they were in the process of capturing the current one. Our internet recap (link below) brought people to tears! We can't wait to see the final product!
Link to view Recap: http://www.movingpicturesllc.com/kuhner/  

 DJ – DJ Serg Entertainment (White Plains, NY) – A+++++++++++++++++
There are not enough good things to say about Serg and his company. I grew up listening to Serg spin at the local clubs (Arena, POSH, etc) but the moment we met with him, my fiance (now husband) and I were impressed with how genuine he was about our day. When we were booking our vendors, we knew that we wanted nothing but the BEST and Serg did not disappoint. From start to finish our dance floor was packed the entire night. Our guests are still telling us how wonderful our DJ was. From oldies, to current songs to our special "classics" request, he played it all! 

Flowers – Arcadia Floral Design (Mamaroneck, NY) – A+++++++++++++++++
After meeting with four other florists and not being 100% sold, my mother and I decided to make an appointment with Arcadia. We met with Jen & instantly clicked. She took my ideas for flowers (b/c my husband wanted nothing to do with this aspect of planning lol) and made them into a reality and was absolutely awesome to work with. A week after we booked, she made a sample of our high and low centerpiece so we could see the flowers before even booking. On the day of the wedding, our bouquets & boutonnieres arrived early and the church & reception hall were set up on time & looked beautiful. Everything (including the bouquets) also held up the entire night. The overall beauty of the flowers not only set the tone for our wedding, but also enhanced the beauty of our day. I highly recommend them. 

Day of Coordinator – Christine (Piece of Cake Events) – A+++++++++++++++++++
Christine was my day of coordinator and she went above and beyond to ensure my wedding day was enjoyable and stress free. From the time we started working together, she was always available to offer suggestions or answer any questions I had. In the weeks leading up to my wedding, she confirmed all of my vendors & created a timeline for the day of which helped everyone stay on track. Additionally, she also kept the bridal party organized & on time which wasn't an easy task. There was a minor mishap with one of my vendors & Christine immediately stepped in and handled it so my husband and I wouldn't have to worry. I don't know what we would have done without her that day! 

Cake – Palermo’s Bakery (Ridgefield Park, NY) – A
Palermo's was our reception hall's required baker. We really loved the entire experience of going to the bakery, selecting our cake & the cake tasting which was accompanied with complimentary coffee, tea and water. I was in love with one of their cakes that I saw on their website and knew I wanted it recreated for our wedding. This wasn’t included in the basic cake which was included in our hall’s package, so we paid an additional upgrade fee. We selected alternating tiers of red velvet cake with cream cheese filling & yellow cake with cannoli cream. Both were delicious at the tasting although, sadly aside from our cake cutting, we didn’t get to even have a piece of cake the night of our wedding due to being pulled in several directions all night. My only issue (and why they received an A without any pluses) is that I specified I wanted the cake flowers to be ivory & light pink to match our flower scheme & on the night of our wedding, the flowers were purple. The cake was still gorgeous regardless & we received many compliments on it. 

Makeup – Anne of Anne DeMarco Cosmetics (Woodbury & NYC, NY) – A+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Anne DeMarco did the makeup for myself and my six bridesmaids for my wedding. She arrived on time (for a 6:30am start) and had all of us looking fabulous in no time. We all received many compliments on our makeup which held up the entire and looked great in pictures and her bubbly, outgoing personality definitely helped ease nerves on the morning of. The best around, by far – she’ll have you looking and feeling like a celebrity on the most important day of your life! 

Hair – House of Trends (Staten Island, NY) – A+++++++++++++++
This salon is amazing! Jei & Dana did my bridesmaids & my hair for my wedding. Not only were they pleasant and professional but they arrived on time, were finished on time & our hair stayed perfectly. In addition to my wedding, I've gone to this salon several times for updos and have not been disappointed! 

Limousines – Danaro Limousines (Carlstadt, NJ) – A+++++++++++++
We booked Danaro based on recommendation of our reception venue & they did not disappoint! On the day of our wedding our limos (Rolls Royce Phantom & Cadillac Escalade) arrived on time and were in pristine condition. My driver was also extremely helpful in fixing my dress and veil as I prepared to walk down the aisle. I will definitely recommend this company in the future! 

Garter – Garters by Tania (Etsy): A++++++++++++++++++++++
I found Tania’s etsy shop while browsing for other items for my wedding. Her garters are beautiful and although a little more than what I wanted to spend, I knew I would get my moneys worth. She was very responsive and helpful. When my garter arrived, I was … to be continued. 

Flowergirl Dresses & Favors – Forever More (Morris Park, Bronx, NY) – A++++++++++++++++++++++
My mom actually used this vendor for the centerpieces & favors for my Sweet 16 so she suggested we look there for favors for the wedding. It also turns out they carry Communion & Flower Girl Dresses from designers such as Joan Calabrese, US Angels, etc) so I decided to order the flower girl dresses from here as well. David was absolute sweetheart to work with. The favors & dresses arrived on time and when one of the dresses arrived with a snag in the fabric, he sent it back immediately and ordered a new dress. He also wrapped the favors for us for a small additional fee & they turned out beautiful. I’ll continue to go to him for future parties! 

Bridesmaid Dresses – Park Ave Bridals (Verona, NJ) – A+++++++++++++++
Customer service was excellent, dresses arrived on time & the seamstress was great. Only one of my girls (not in the picture below b/c she didn’t come to the Church since she couldn’t get off work) opted to go to a dry cleaner to get her dress hemmed, taken in, etc. 

Tuxedos – Bell Formal Wear (Bayside, NY) – A++++++++++++++++++++
We went this vendor based on our friend’s recommendation and were not disappointed. This is a family owned shop and the husband Spiro takes great pride in his work. I loved that he also personally inspected each tux that left his store. My husband’s tuxedo was free since we had over 4 other groomsmen.  

Travel Agent – Frosch (New York, NY) – A+++++++++++++++++++
Yuron & George were amazing. They were so responsive it was almost scary at times. My husband handled all aspects of our honeymoon but I know he had nothing but GREAT things to say about Frosch and everyone he interacted with.   

Rings – Kravit Jewelers (Oceanside, NY) – A++++++++++++++
My husband purchased my engagement ring from there & since he had a great experience with that, we decided to go back for our wedding bands. Bennett & the other employees are great… I’ll stop in on occasion when we’re in the area to get my rings cleaned & they’re always happy to do it for me. My husband also purchased my wedding gift from them and hopefully he’ll purchase a few more gifts from there too! LoL! 

Honeymoon – Hawaii (Maui & Kauai) – A++++++++++++++++Can I go back now??? Kauai could quite possibly be my favorite place on earth. We stayed at the St. Regis in Princeville and it was amazing. The Four Seasons in Maui (although also amazing) was almost a let down after leaving Kauai because of how beautiful & authentic it was. Overall, although Maui was also pretty, it was a little too commercialized for what we wanted but we’re glad we were able to experience both islands. 

Programs, Menus & Placecards (second vendor) – A++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
My mother’s friend is a Godsend! After hearing about the nightmare a week before my wedding, she ran to a craft store, purchased supplies & created brand new programs, menus & place cards in three days that were more beautiful than what I originally paid for. She’s a saint and still to this day, I cannot thank her enough! 

Calligrapher -  Ying (Oceanside, NY) – A++++++++++++++++
My aunt & uncle used her for their wedding and since I trust my aunt’s recommendation, I did not hesitate in going to her. She does beautiful work and is a complete doll! Loved her! She also does invitations out of her home (which we did not know prior to going to her). 

Bridal Shower – The Mansion on Broadway (White Plains, NY)
My mom hosted my shower so it’s not far to give it a “grade” but everything was beautiful. The food and service were also excellent.   Ringbearer Pillow & Flowergirl Baskets – BeverlyClark Website – AThe pillow & baskets were beautiful. The pillow was a little smaller than I would have liked but otherwise, I loved the quality, etc. 

Photo Location: Alder Manor (Yonkers, NY) – A
I wanted wedding photos that were different, edgy but also romantic at the same time so when I heard of this old estate in Yonkers (3minutes from our Church), I knew it would be the perfect place for our wedding pictures! You may have seen this place on Four Weddings, as it’s where the Tri-State Area Brides gather at the end and the winner is announced! The reason for only giving an A is because it was harder to get in touch with someone to book a time for our photos than the President. 

Wedding Invitations – RSVP (Mamaroneck, NY) – B
A few family and friends told me about this store so I decided to look for invitations here.  My invitations arrived on time and were beyond gorgeous. As for customer service, it’s extremely lacking. It helped that I had a general idea of what I wanted because I was left alone to look and practically had to beg for help. Had my mother not waited until the last possible minute, I would have shopped around. (Unfortunately I do not have an invite picture because I forgot to bring one on the day of!!)  

Programs, Menus & Placecards (first vendor) – Lindsey at Rae of Art Designs – F
Well I guess you can say I saved the WORST review for last. I ordered our placecards, menus & programs from this vendor (who was a former LIW Bride) & when they arrived, at least one rhinestone (most had more) were missing from 74 programs & 23 menus. Everything was packaged poorly & several programs, menus and place cards were also bent. She did send replacement programs and menus but because it was less than a week until my wedding there wasn't enough time to glue rhinestones onto them. I was promised full reimbursement only received $225 back and the vendor stopped responding to any of my emails asking for when I should expect to receive the rest. Apparently, she closed her business but in the event she’s on here under a different name, let this serve as a warning. 


Advice to all Brides to be: Enjoy all aspects of planning... it really does go fast. Don't sweat the small stuff because chances are, you'll forget about it before the day of. And most of all...the people closest to you may disappoint you at times or overall completely. Don't feed into the drama and just worry about yourself & your FH because at the end of the day, that's all who matters! Happy Planning!

PS - Anyone know how to add pictures to reviews??

LissyM83

Rings

The Dress!

The Shoes

After my Dad saw me in dress

Me

Us

Here's a direct link to more photos:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.744826205472.2117121.32100390&type=1&l=bc319f3639

mia78

Can you send me information on Anne of Anne DeMarco Cosmetics (Woodbury & NYC, NY) and Calligrapher -  Ying  to mvmm214@gmail.com.....please

LissyM83

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_new-york-hudson-valley_my-9-7-12-review-long-in-length-long-overdue?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:113Discussion:fde042a9-d41d-44f7-9f02-02b23c3d1158Post:c327f3c7-f34b-4f6d-8c73-7bf9f81defb7">Re: My 9-7-12 Review -- Long in Length & Long Overdue!</a>:
[QUOTE]Can you send me information on  Anne of Anne DeMarco Cosmetics (Woodbury & NYC, NY) and  Calligrapher -    Ying  to mvmm214@gmail.com.....please
Posted by mia78[/QUOTE]

just sent you an email!

jessica2244

wow you look amazing!!! beautiful dress!!!

LissyM83

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_new-york-hudson-valley_my-9-7-12-review-long-in-length-long-overdue?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:113Discussion:fde042a9-d41d-44f7-9f02-02b23c3d1158Post:edf443b6-25b4-4675-b753-59eee209334f">Re: My 9-7-12 Review -- Long in Length & Long Overdue!</a>:
[QUOTE]wow you look amazing!!! beautiful dress!!!
Posted by jessica2244[/QUOTE]


Thank you!!<img src="http://cdn.cl9.vanillaforums.com/downloaded/ver1.0/content/scripts/tinymce/plugins/emotions/images/smiley-smile.gif" border="0" alt="Smile" title="Smile" />