We couldn't have asked for a better wedding! Our wedding had an eclectic DIY look and feel. When we were planning our wedding, the vendor reviews on this message board were extremely helpful, so hopefully you will find these helpful for your planning! Msg me if you need any contact info.
Venue: The Berg Event Space, A+
The Berg was exactly what we wanted- an urban loft downtown. I can't say enough great things about this place, from the helpful staff to the amazing look and feel! We received so many compliments on its uniqueness. We had both our ceremony and reception here with about 150 guests, which was the perfect amount for this space.
Officiant: Houston M., B+
We actually were referred to him through Timmy Gibson (another well-known wedding officiant who we originally wanted but was on vacation during our wedding). I'm giving him a B+ because he showed up 30 mins late to our rehearsal. Not sure if he completely forgot, but my wedding coordinator had to call him while we all waited on him. He also seemed kind of nervous during the actual ceremony.... But he was super nice, and listened to our requests and such.
Wedding Coordinator: Jessica Ray, A+
My biggest piece of advice for all you wedding planners is to hire a day-of coordinator, no matter what!! It was so nice having Jessica there for the rehearsal and day-of to deal with all the vendors. I didn't get asked any questions or have to deal with anything so I got to focus on having fun! Jessica is a little powerhouse and knows how to get things done right. She put up with my super anal/type A control issues, which I really appreciated:) She even drove some of my guests who didn’t catch a ride back to the hotel. She definitely goes above and beyond.
Caterer: Blue Pot Catering, A+
Mark Juhnke with Blue Pot is AMAZING! He was one of the nicest vendors we worked with. We had heavy h'ordeuvres and it was incredible. We had tons of compliments, and our guests really enjoyed all of the variety instead of getting the standard boring wedding meal! The ingredient combos were unique and delicious, and anyone who has an appreciation for real food will love Blue Pot. Mark was very accommodating to all of our requests. He also took care of and coordinated the linen and a few extra table rentals we needed. Mark also personally served the wedding party and parents their drinks and made sure we had everything we needed. Blue Pot rocks!
Flowers: HyVee in Mission, KS, A+
We worked we Audrey Hatler and she is seriously talented! I went there not knowing a lot of flowers, but I knew I wanted a funky, eclectic feel...and that's exactly what we got! I really liked that they hid a little water source thing in the actual bouquets so the flowers didn't melt during our outdoor photos. They lasted all day! Oh, and they are SO affordable. If you are on a budget (or even if you're not), go here! Friends of mine who got married and went to other shops paid triple what I paid for the same quality flowers! Audrey knows her stuff and she works hard to make your vision and ideas become a reality.
Cake: HyVee in Mission, KS, A+
We worked with Brenda and she is such a friendly gal and made the most perfect cake for us. I gave her a picture of what I wanted, and she replicated it perfectly. We received tons of compliments on our delicious red velvet cake, and little did they know how affordable it was:) We also got a discount because we got our flowers from there. Score!
Photographer: Simple Splendor Photography, A+ (so far!)
Great journalistic and artistic approach to photography! We loved our engagement pics and cannot WAIT to see our wedding photos. Kim is super sweet, professional, quick email responder, and is straight up talented!! Her prices are very competitive. She does live several hours away so we had to pay for travel expenses including a stay in the hotel for a couple of nights, but even so, the total amount we paid for our package plus the travel expenses were way less than any other photographer with a similar photography style. She and her husband who is her assistant, stayed all day and night taking tons of pics of every little detail. There were no set hours, she stays until the job is done! Our wedding pics won't be done for 6-8wks, which seems like a long time, but I know they will be worth the wait!
Videographer: Jereme Wilson with Crosslink Productions...still waiting for our wedding video as of 11-5-1984
When I first contacted him about prices, we found him to be wayyyy over our budget, afterall he is a top Knot pick year after year. However, after asking if there was any way we could make him work, he made us our own package that we could swing. Wohoo! He can be hard to book and the wait time for the video will be longer than usual, but I am hoping it will be amazing work and I’m looking forward to seeing all the action and details I missed!
DJ: Andrew W, A-
This was a friend's friend. We gave him a complete playlist of songs that he agreed to play, but he kept straying from the list during our dinner hour. We had to ask him to get going on the list, which at that point he did, but we shouldn't have had to ask... He did stick to the list for the dancing portion for the most part which turned into quite the dance party! He was a nice guy and had nice equipment and lights. Everything flowed nicely and I would recommend him.
Ceremony Musicians: KC Serenade, A+
KC Serenade showed up on time to my wedding. There are several types of musicians to choose from. I chose a flute-violin dou and they sounded beautiful! They played my special requests and followed the music outline that was previously discussed.
Dress: David's Bridal off 95th st, A-
LOVED my dress, and I received a ton of compliments from our guests. Little did they know how I didn't have to break the bank to get it! I also did my alterations at DB, which were almost the cost of the dress! But the dress fit perfectly. I also got my veil and hair flower from DB. My only complaint is that the store REALLY needs to update. It just looks cheap. Display shoes were broken, display ribbons were all torn up... just didn't look good. Brides looking for a dress want a pretty place to try on dresses!
Booth Crazy Photobooth: A+
This was a huge hit at the reception and the photo strips were the party favors. The owner ended up being our booth attendant, and he was super energetic and friendly. Prices were the best around town, and the photo and print quality was really amazing!
Rehearsal Dinner: Mestizo, Leawood, KS, A
We worked with Liz the coordinator and she made sure we had a great rehearsal dinner. We had a little confusion with the menus at first, but after a LOT of phone calls, it was smooth sailing. She accommodated our special requests and let us bring in our own dessert. She was present for the dinner and made sure we had everything we needed.
Carey Limo: Willie, A+
We just had a luxury SUV for our getaway car. Willie was on time, super professional and friendly, family-oriented guy. Bottled waters were in the car, which was nice to have.
Hair: Gwyn Moreau, A+
She knocked out 9 beautiful updos in less than 5 hours. She came to my hotel (no travel fee). She was super friendly and made easy conversation with all the girls. She is super affordable so I was able to pay for all the girls hair without worry.
Makeup: Nina Teevan, A+
Awesome MAC freelance artist with an impressive resume. Everyone looked gorgeous and loved their fake eyelashes:)
Shane Co: A+
We bought my engagement and wedding band here. Their customer service is amazing. I drop in frequently to have my ring cleaned, and it’s always the same friendly workers there, which is a good sign. Their prices are competitive and have a huge selection.
The Q Hotel and Spa in Westport: A
Our guests really appreciated the close proximity of this hotel to the venue (about an 8 min drive). We paid $150 for a private shuttle that toted our guests around which was great, but they only made one or two trips to pick up guests after the wedding was over, so many guests had to grab cabs. They did have free breakfast with all the works! The rooms were nothing too special, but the prices were great for the area and the amenities definitely made up for it. The wedding coordinator was easy to get ahold of, and set up a large bridal suite for all the girls to get ready in that including beverages and lots of mirrors! Oh, and they had a free happy hour that was a fun way to gather all of our guests!