I got married on 9/28/13 at Woodwinds in Branford, and it was absolutely the best day of my life! I found vendor reviews on this board to be extremely helpful during my planning, so I want to return the favor!! Enjoy!!!
Venue – Woodwinds - A++
Anything and everything you’ve
read about Woodwinds is 100% accurate. I cannot say enough wonderful things
about our entire experience at Woodwinds. They went above and beyond to make us
feel like absolute royalty on our wedding day. We were shown around by JoAnna,
who is a total sweetheart and made us fall in love with the place. She got back
to all of my emails within 24 hours. Scott, the wedding coordinator, is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!
I cannot say enough wonderful things about him. He is extremely professional,
yet he was playing with my flower girls before the ceremony and during dinner.
He is very accommodating and VERY flexible. He also made sure we actually got
to eat and came to find us every time we had a course come out. The food is to
die for and there was SO much of it. We’ve had nothing but wonderful feedback
from our guests who keep telling us how full they were! The facility is just beautiful;
the uplighting in the rooms just makes the entire place glow. Our entire
ceremony and reception went off without a hitch. I could go on and on about
Woodwinds, but if you’re looking for a top-notch venue with amazing food and
service I would look no further!
www.thewoodwinds.com
Photographer – J. Fiereck
Photography/Jennifer Fiereck - A++
I love love LOVE Jen. Her
personality and down-to-earth attitude made her an ABSOLUTE delight to work
with. From our first meeting with her we just clicked right away. Her love and
passion for photography makes me want to be a photographer! She is very
flexible with negotiations for her packages and returned all emails/calls
within 24 hours. While we do not have our pictures back just yet, our package
included two photographers and one assistant, so I cannot imagine that they
missed anything and captured every single moment. She showed up on time and was
exactly where I needed her to be all night. I was so sad when it came time for
her to leave! We also booked our photo booth through Jen as she does have a
package for that, which includes an attendant. There were tons of props
included in the photo booth and I actually ended up using a second print from
it for people to make into our guest book.
www.jfiereck.com<?xml:namespace prefix = "o" ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
DJ – DJ Melee - A++
Everything you’ve read about Jae
on these boards is 100% accurate. He is EXTREMELY busy with weddings and club
work, as well as his family, and sometimes I did have trouble getting in
contact with him. However when it came down to the month before the wedding he
was very responsive, and honestly I had nothing to worry about because he knows
exactly what he’s doing. He has an
online planning form in which you complete everything...names of the bridal
party, black list, must-play songs, timeline of events, etc...it is very user
friendly and easy to use. I had no worries at all with Jae, he read the crowd
and knew how to get the dance floor packed. If you are considering booking him,
or have booked, be sure to follow him on facebook because he does post booking
or balance pay discounts.
musicbymelee.com
Florist – Azalea’s - A++
Located in Plainville, CT,
Christine is just wonderful! We met with a few florists and she was the only
one who seemed to really get the “fall vibe/vision” I was going for. She gave
me a clear vision of the flowers she wanted to use including color pictures and
a very detailed description of everything. As far as cost, she was right in the
price range of the other florists we met with, so I felt comfortable knowing
she was giving me her best pricing. She’s extremely talented and was very easy
to work with, always getting back to my emails or calls within 24 hours. On my
wedding day she showed up on time, and said hi quickly me to show me my bouquet
which was so amazing that it brought me to tears!
azaleafloraldesign.com
Videographer – Hartford Videographers
- A++
This company is owned by a husband
and wife team, Marc & Roni. I originally did not want a videographer, but
changed my mind because I just absolutely knew they would catch things I was
not able to see (for all future brides you absolutely MUST get a videographer,
your wedding day will fly by in a blur!). I was given March & Roni’s
information by a good friend who had just used them. Videography is not their
main job, they do both have full-time jobs as well as a very large family, so
email responsiveness was slow, up until the month before the wedding. Their
prices, though, are extremely reasonable and the cheapest I found. We didn’t
even bother meeting with anyone else. We loved them because they are honest
people and upon meeting with them got along like a house on fire! Their personalities
and “realness” won us over! We do not have our video back yet, but I cannot
wait to see it. On our wedding day I remember seeing them both at the beginning
when we arrived at Woodwinds and then at the end of the night when they said
goodbye, which is exactly how “invisible” your videographer should be!
www.hartfordvideographer.com
Hotel – Holiday Inn Express,
Branford - F
Ugh what a nightmare. I had
nothing but problems with our hotel in the months leading up to the wedding.
They were telling guests our block was close to selling out, or sold out when
it was not even close. It took a few days for me to get answers on what was
going on because the manager does not work on weekends. They gave us a rate of
$139.99, which is RIDICULOUS, however since they are the nicest hotel in the
area of Woodwinds they can get away with it. The groomsmen spent the night
before the wedding there and I specifically asked for connecting rooms...they
were not. Everyone said the walls were so thin, you could hear people talking
and the TV’s in the neighboring rooms. I also found out that the front desk staff
was handing out the welcome bags of the other wedding to my guests. I did not
do welcome bags, and thank God because I would’ve been so mad if I found out
they were doing that. Also a few days later I found out that the front desk
staff had double charged some of my guests for rooms they were not staying in.
Overall dealing with this hotel was a total hassle, you’d think that for the 60+
guests I had staying there and the money I was bringing in for them that they
would’ve given me better service. In no way do I want to discourage future
brides from booking at Woodwinds due to the hotel, because I’m sure not
everyone experienced what I did, but I would encourage everyone to just stay on
top of the staff there handling your wedding block.
Transportation – Abbey Road - A++
We had a 26 passenger party bus
from Abbey Road for the entire day. The bus was very clean and it was HUGE on
the inside. Our driver, Stefan, was very pleasant and helpful, helping myself
and all of my girls in and out of the bus. They included some very tasty
champagne for us. I waited a little too late to book my transportation and
Abbey Road was the 5th or 6th place I called and the
first place with an available bus, so I can’t compare on price. The lady in the
office who helped me book and put together the timeline for the day of was
called Denise and was a total sweetheart! Overall, no complaints and a very
professional company, I would absolutely book with them for any future needs.
limoabbeyroad.com
Attire – Mariella’s/Formal’s by
Antonio - A++
I knew I wanted to get everything
from Mariella’s/Formal’s by Antonio because they have great reviews and are a
one-stop shop. I was not disappointed! Mariella’s was my 2nd stop
for dress shopping and by then I already knew what I wanted. Nella helped me
with dresses and I gave her details of what I wanted...the first dress she
pulled was THE dress (Lorie by Maggie Sottero). She was a huge help. The
alterations staff was wonderful; they even pressed my veil for me though I did
not buy it from them. I had no problem getting Saturday appointments at the
times I wanted. I also purchased my bridesmaid dresses from there; the ladies
downstairs are super helpful even though it gets so busy in the bridesmaid
section. The staff at Formal’s was great. Tony is a riot! We had a blast
picking out the tuxes with him. When it came time to pick up the tuxes a couple
of guys needed their jacket sleeves altered and the staff took care of it right
there. All of the staff made dress/tux shopping extremely easy for me!
www.mariellacreations.com
www.formalsbyantonio.com
Veil – OBridal.com by Occansey
Designs - A++
Veils are crazy expensive. As much
as I loved my experience at Mariella’s I could not bring myself to spend $500+
on a veil. I got a recommendation from a friend for a website called OBridal.com.
Boy, they did not disappoint. This is the best kept secret in veils. I knew
exactly how I wanted it to look, so I sent an email to the address on the website
and sent pictures. The lady who responded, Kathy, was exceptional. She told me
exactly how to order, and even told me the best lace to use that would match my
lace dress. My total, including a fingertip length veil with lace edging, a
storage bag and veil clip, came to $110. You absolutely cannot beat that! I had
my veil within about two weeks. Excellent service and my veil is beautiful!
www.occanseydesigns.com
Cake – J Cakes - A++
Our cake was included in our
wedding package with Woodwinds. We had a tasting with the owner of the bakery
and we had tons and tons of options for fillings. Our cake was absolutely
delicious and we got tons of compliments on it!
www.j-cakes.com
Jewelry – Jessica Designs - A++
My dress (Lorie by Maggie Sottero)
came with the world’s ugliest sash! I decided to look for one online, but
actually got the name of a friend of a friend who designs jewelry. Jessica is
absolutely wonderful. I gave her my ugly sash and she turned it into the most
beautiful bling-tabulous sash I’ve ever seen. I actually cried when she finally
unveiled it to me! I also had her make earrings and bracelets for all of my
girls and a hair clip for my MOH. I wish I had pictures to show now! She’s an
absolute sweetheart and was very patient through my design ideas and changes
and very quick to respond to emails. The best part is that instead of buying
jewelry or a sash online from Etsy, I was able to see the products along the
way and make changes as I needed. Also very reasonably priced. Check out her
website for more pictures of her designs!!
www.jessicadesignsjewelry.com
Make up/Hair – Naomi’s Salon - A++
I found out about Naomi’s as my
mom worked with a girl who is a traveling make-up artist for Naomi’s. I called
and booked hair and make up for myself and the bridesmaids/moms right away!!
Yes, they are expensive, but if you want to look absolutely stunning on your
wedding day then I highly recommend them. They were easy to work with and I am
just in love with my hair and make up for my wedding day. I had Natalia for makeup
and Danielle for hair. They are both absolute sweethearts and showed up on time
and responded to my emails within 24 hours. All of my girls were very happy
with their hair and makeup also. I wish they could glam me up every day!
salonnaomi.com
Boudoir Shoot – Simply K Studios -
B
I met the ladies of Simply K at a
bridal show after I had already booked with J.Fiereck. I started following them
on facebook and they had a flash 50% off sale for their boudoir packages...I immediately
called and booked!! They do their boudoir shoots at an old mill in Chicopee, MA.
The mill did not have A/C and I did this back in August so it was ridiculously
hot. I had sweat running down my face just standing there. I booked their
highest package because it included hair and makeup. The girl who did the hair/makeup
was super sweet, however she teased the crap out of my hair. It took sooo long
to get it untangled. The ladies at Simply K are really nice, they made me feel
so comfortable at the shoot...as I was standing there almost naked LOL. I’m
giving them a B, because since doing the boudoir shoot I’ve noticed that they
re-use a lot of the same poses that I did for boudoir, in their engagement and
senior pics that they post online...weird. I did the session with one of my
girlfriends at the same time, and we were there for about 5 hours. From all the
pictures she took we both only had 50 to choose from when she was done editing
then. The album was still almost $200, with the package discount and included
20 pictures. We also got 10 in digital format. I just felt like I didn’t have
that much selection to choose from. It was definitely a cool experience and my hubby
loves the album, but I just wasn’t overall thrilled with it and am so glad I
did not pay the full price.
www.simplykstudios.com