Hi all,
My wedding was in Sept and we had a modest budget, like, under 8k for everything. Since there aren't a lot of reviews for people w/ my budget limitations, I figured I'd post this review. Hope it helps. For budget brides, remember that Craigslist is your friend, I had the best luck w/ vendors found there.
Venue: The Rosewood. I was really pleased with this facility. I especially loved their package pricing, so there's no additional fees for linens, chairs etc. I must stress that the food here is excellent. The appetizers for cocktail hour were fabulous, and the sit down dinner was great. Even the cake (included) was excellent. If food is important to you, then the Rosewood will work out well. Also, it's a one- stop -shop, so ceremony, pictures and reception can all be held on-site. It really is a well-appointed place. They even have uplighting so that you won't have to get this from your DJ. The only area for opportunity was the maitre d. We were assigned a person that doesn't typically work at that venue, but at their sister facility. Not sure if it was b/c we were a small wedding (50 people), but I felt like my wedding was an afterthought to her, at least in the beginning. Example: when we got to the venue, there was supposed to be water, cheese/fruit, etc for us, before we began w/ the ceremony. I had to ask repeatedly for this and when it was finally brought out, there was no time to eat/drink, b/c we were being rushed to the ceremony. Made for a slightly uncomfortable experience before walking down the aisle. Also, the bridal suite that's supposed to be yours for the day actually doubles as the sales office, so when we showed up, there was another couple in there booking their wedding. Aside from those two things though, I think I had a winner with the venue.
Flowers: Bella Fiori Floral and Event Design (found on Craigslist). EXCELLENT! I have nothing but rave reviews for this vendor, she was awesome. Flowers were beautiful and she was really engaged in the whole thing from the start; she seemed more excited than I was. She went above and beyond my expectations, she even set up the centerpieces I planned to diy (orchids in water) at no-charge! I honestly can't say enough about her.
DJ: Alpine Entertainment (found on Craigslist) GREAT! I am beyond pleased with having had them for our DJ. Working w/ them was a breeze, very responsive and they have a great online tool where you can submit songs you want played. They played most of the stuff we requested, and were very professional. Also, I like that we were able to meet them face-to-face before booking, and discuss what we wanted. And when I emailed/called, I always got a timely response. They got peopl e on the floor (even the reserved people) so this was definitely a feat.
Photographer: Obregon Photography (found on Craigslist) GREAT! Nadya and Dennis are a husband and wife team and they worked out great. They did our engagement shoot which was lovely, so I had no reservations about having them do the wedding. So far, the sneak peek of wedding pics are fab, can't wait for album they're creating.
Officiant: Rev. Kevin Agaman of Green Planet Ministry (found on Craigslist) GOOD, very nice guy. He is a Rev. but had no problem performing a non-religious ceremony. Showed up on time and walked through reheasal. Only problem is that he could not pronounce my husband's name correctly, at all, during the ceremony. After awhile, people just laughed it off, but I'm not sure what happened, if he got nervous or what.
Pianist: Allison (found on Craigslist) She's currently doing her residency so she wasn't always very responsive to my emails. But she came through and played the songs we asked and was pleasant so no complaints from me.
Makeup: Faces by J. Hill (found on Craigslist) EXCELLENT! Professional, reasonably priced, great job in delivering what I wanted (natural looking makeup) and very sweet. I would use her services again. She traveled to the venue w/ her airbrush machine and made me look beautiful!
Hair: Jennifer at Jewels Studio (my regular hairdresser). As usual, she delivered. My hair was sharp and I felt pretty!
Invites
Programs These were DIY with stationary from Target and an online retailer. Because I'm crafty, I wanted to do these and they came out great, and under $100 total!
**If you want contact info for any of the vendors, please let me know.