Florida-South Florida

Wedding Vendors Reviews 10/11/2013

AmeshaTAmeshaT member
Third Anniversary 10 Comments 5 Love Its
edited October 2013 in Florida-South Florida
Hello to all my South Florida Knotties! 

I wanted to take a moment ant post my reviews on all of my wedding vendors. Keep in mind that I got married in Miami, but I live in Kansas City, MO. I had a legit wedding, not just a small destination type wedding and all of my vendors were really easy and super accommodating. I hope this info will help future brides out.

Day of Coordinators: Liz and Lex Events A++++
Best decision I made during the entire process. By the time I hired Chanda and Amber, I had everything pretty much figured out, which is why I only opted for DOC. They started working with me about 3 months out. Sending me emails and list to keep things organized. In my opinion, it was way more than just day of duties. They went full force about a month out. All of the final contacts for all of my vendors went directly through them. I didn't have to contact any of them myself! Which was helpful for me since I was trying to wrap up as much stuff as possible before I made the trip to South Florida. I also paid a little extra to have them run my wedding rehearsal as well. I don't know what I could have done without them and I am not exaggerating! Whether you hire them or another company, having professional coordinator (not a friend doing you a favor or a maid of honor) will help you out tremendously. 

Venue: W South Beach (Ceremony, Cocktail Hour, Reception) A+
If anyone is familiar with any W Hotel around the country, you would know that each location is unique. I was looking for a boutique-esque place to have my wedding and the W delivered my every wish. I can start my saying that the customer service is awesome. If you book an event there, they make sure to not book any other event on the same day as you even though they have multiple meeting spaces. This may seem like a small detail but it really makes a big difference on the level of attention you get on your wedding day. Every single staff member is there to help you. Since the W is decorated so nicely, I needed minimal decorations of my own. This was also a big help because I didn't have to order table cloths, different chairs or chair covers (which I despise). The lighting in the ballroom was breathtaking on its own. The ceiling literally looks like a starry night sky! I could go on and on, but I think you get the point! The courtyard where the ceremony was held was also spectacular. It's completely lined with 7ft tall hedges and offers complete privacy; it also cuts out the wind and noise from the beach. The ground is turf instead of real grass, so it's always green and your heels don't sink when walking down the aisle. This space was also pretty by itself. All I did was have the aisle lined with rose petals. Bottom line is, you get what you pay for, and so much more, at the W South Beach. 

Photography: Gio Morales Photography A+
This was the most difficult decision to make in the entire wedding process. I am sure I am not alone when I say that. Especially since I couldn't physically be present to meet with photographers and visit studios before hand. I talked to so many different photographers via phone and email and Gio stood out the most. We set up a Skype meeting and we had an instant connection. He showed me some of his past work and I fell in love with his artistry. All of his packages are priced fairly in comparison to the quality of his work. No complaints there. 

DJ: Scratch Weddings/DJ D Up A+
This was also a hard decision for us. My husband and I have a good appreciation for DJs that know how to start and keep the party rolling. We were willing to pay more for a DJ that specialized in just music. This is hard to come by in the wedding industry because a lot of DJ companies also provide light and sound effects. We didn't wan't that! We literally just wanted to have fun. Scratch Weddings definitely provided this for us

Florist: Flowers by Carol A+
I had no intentions of having a florist (besides my bouquet of course) until my mother-in-law offered to pay for it. I found Flowers by Carol through Wedding Wire reviews. She was really easy to work with. I had a very minimalist approach to my arrangements. Her prices were super reasonable. My bouquet was more gorgeous than I ever imagined. She is a small business, but I know she has the tools to compete with the big shots in South Florida. Highly recommend her.

Cake: Ana Paz B
My wedding cake was included in my wedding package with the W South Beach, and they work exclusively with Ana Paz Cakes. I did fly down to Miami one time in June to meet with some of my vendors. I did a tasting during that visit. I really wasn't happy with the entire tasting process. There a tons of cake and filling flavors listed on the website, but they are not all available to try during your tasting... That was kind of annoying, especially if something caught your eye on the website and you really wanted to try it. The icing that Ana uses is butter cream, but it may as well just be pure sugar. That didn't sit well with me either. I did add a cream cheese filling to my cake to tone down the sweetness. My cake looked ok. There was a noticeable crack in the bottom of my cake, I will have to ask my photographer to make some Photoshop edits so it doesn't show in pictures! Overall, I had high expectations for Ana Paz, and I feel kind of let down. 

Cocktail Hour Musician: Master Musicians A+
I hired a Spanish solo guitarist to play for the hour during the cocktail hour. I didn't get a chance to personally see him, but literally, every single guest said that he was beyond amazing! This was a special touch that I wanted to add, instead of having the DJ play during the cocktail hour. 

Hair and Makeup: Alluring Faces A
I originally had this marked at a B, but I just got a few pictures back from my photographer and I had to rate Lisa as an A! My skin looked flawless and my hair looked so good! I am happy that I went with her now! 

Dress Designer: Allure Bridals style 8971 A
I bought my dress in Missouri so I won't go into details on that part. But I love Allure dresses. They are made to fit like a glove. However, they are difficult and expensive to altar. My special hem was $225 on top of the cost of the dress! 

That's all I have for now! If you have any questions or want to see pictures of anything please let me know. I will probably start to visit this board less and less now that everything is over! I guess it is time to hop over to The Nest! 

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