Hi Cleveland/NE Ohio Knotties,
My wedding was last Saturday and I couldn't have asked for a more perfect day. Here are some of the (mostly wonderful) vendors I used.
www.yourdreamdress.com - specializes in high-end designer samples that have never been worn to an actual event. My Anne Barge gown was in perfect condition. Really quick shipping and a great return policy. VERY highly recommended. A+
Galleria Gowns, Willoughby Hills - I ordered my bridesmaid dresses from here. GREAT customer service, including last minute alterations on my sister's dress and steaming my dress/veil when I got into town. I shopped a lot of bridal salons in both ATL and CLE and this was one of my favs. It doesn't look like much from the outside, but they really have a nice selection. VERY highly recommended. A+
Michael Christopher Salon, Highland Hts - my family has been coming here for years. The customer service and professionalism are top notch. Monica and her team are sooo flexible and accommodating. One caveat--book very far in advance (at least 6 months) as they crank out several wedding parties a week.
The Barrington Golf Club, Aurora - while the weather was beautiful and my guests loved it, this would have been a disaster with bad weather. They upcharge for EVERYTHING (cake cutting, coffee/tea), only have 90 chairs (you have to rent the rest), my pasta option was not what I tasted, their rental vendor was not competitively priced, etc. My wedding worked out almost perfectly but I was lucky. The staff was very accommodating and Jennifer (event coordinator) kept everything running smoothly. However, there are too many negative factors for me to recommend this place and many better options in CLE. C
Mayfield String Quartet - I am a firm believer in live music for the ceremony and I'm sooo glad I hired them. I went with a violinist/cellist. The manager, Tara Klein is great to work with. Unfortunately I only heard them for the actual ceremony, but my guests raved about it. I hope my videographer caught some of it! VERY highly recommended. A+
Flowers by Cynde, Northfield - these are 2 ladies who work out of their house. They are very easy to work with, communicate with and have great prices. However, I think it would have been better if I brought pictures of EXACTLY what I wanted. Their books were a little outdated. I liked my bouquet, although I wish you could have seen more hydrangea. I didn't like the BM bouquets at all (although almost everyone else did). I was also missing flowers for the flower girl baskets. Definitely worth a consideration if you have good inspiration photos. B+
Kathy's Cakes, Solon - difficult to communicate with, my groom's cake was nothing short of amateurish, my cake wasn't what I wanted, she was 2.5 hours late in delivering my cake. Guests did rave about how good the cake was (I never really ate a piece) and the pastry tray I had her do for brunch was good. She would be a solid F if it wasn't at least tasty. D-
DJ Gary Wenner (Jerry Bruno) - The Jerry Bruno team was easy to communicate with. Gary was also very easy to work with and I liked him. However, he said something that really aggravated my husband--not sure of the details. I do think he worked out well with our older-than-average crowd--the dance floor was packed all night. B+
Attention to Detail Videography - I decided on a videographer at the last minute--I just sort of forgot about it beforehand (I realize that sounds crazy). Doug was very accommodating, very easy to work with and very gracious when I had a bridezilla moment with him. I won't give him a grade until I see the final product but he was great on the wedding day.
Sofia Photography - Margo has done work for several people and they recommended her highly. She was very accommodating in the planning process. We did not schedule enough time for pictures and I am concerned about what is missing. It also really stressed me out that day. Again, I won't give her a grade until I see the final result but other people have been thrilled with her work.
All in all, I had a dream wedding. I only have one regret and that is TIME. I had 5 hours for cocktails, dinner and dancing. I needed at least another hour. We also only scheduled 2 hours for photography and started late. With as much family and bridal party as I had, this should have been at least 3 of shooting, plus any extra time for scouting locations, etc.