Stonebrook Manor- A
We were married in the East Gardens and had our reception in the Tiffany Ballroom. We picked the venue because of the beautiful gardens and the inclusive package.
All throughout the planning year, Terren at Stonebrook was my go to person and she was extremely helpful. She was always available to answer questions and spend time showing my family around the grounds. At our 30 day prior meeting she was sure to cover all the bases, answered all of my questions and calmed my nerves!
The Cake Baker they have on staff, Marla, is fantastic! We met with her for our cake consult and she was very informative and flexible. She made exactly what I asked for! My cake was beautiful! The cake was moist and SO good!
We went with the Tuscany menu (italian) and I have NO complaints! The salad was fresh, the chicken marsala was tender and delicious! The pasta was perfectly cooked and their homemade marinara was tasty! We were extremely pleased with the food! Our guests raved about it!
I was a little hesitant about the Bride and Groom rooms as they have no windows and aren't that spacious. I was pleasantly surprised on my wedding day though when I was happy to not have windows and there was plenty of room in the Bridal Suite for myself and 9 others!
The AC in our ballroom broke about 10 pm. The ballroom was extremely hot but the staff did everything they could to make it more comfortable. They brought in large fans and called the owner in from home to fix it. They had it back and working within an hour. I was impressed!
Stonebrook Manor was the perfect venue for us! I would recommend Stonebrook to anyone who is looking for beautiful gardens, inclusive packages, great food, tasty cake, and helpful staff all at a great rate!
Rene Tate Photography- A++++
Rene is not only an amazing photographer but she is a wonderful person! It was as if we were old friends from Day 1. Rene is very personable and loves to get to know her clients. She wants to hear your story and get to know you before shooting your wedding. Rene did our E pics at Garden of the Gods and they were absolutely amazing! She is such an artist! I cannot wait to see our Day of Pictures! On the day of my wedding, Rene and her assistant Jessie were with me for almost 12 hours. They hung out with me and my family as if they were members themselves (which they are now!). Rene and Jessie had quite the calming effect while we waited out the rain for our First Look pictures. I was never worried that we wouldn't get all of the pictures we wanted; the two of them are so professional and they want nothing but happiness and satisfaction from their couples!
Danielle Odil with Something Classic Events- A+++++
Having Danielle as my DOC was a miracle. I entered into her yearly Give Away and actually WON! I've never won anything in my entire life so we are really talking miracle! Danielle and I got together 3 times before my wedding. Once at about 3 months out, once 4 weeks before and the last time was 2 weeks before. Danielle is very organized and well educated! At our first meeting we spent 2 hours talking about my perfect image of my wedding day. She took notes throughout our entire conversation and sent me an outline later. She understood exactly what I wanted and was always bringing up ideas and things I had yet to think about. A week and a half before my wedding, I received a very detailed schedule and outline of my wedding! It was perfect! She had everything scheduled down to the minute; which I love because I'm so anal! Well I am here to tell you that on the day of my wedding (thanks to Danielle's organization and attention to detail) we were right on schedule and never fell behind! Danielle set up my entire reception and ceremony while I got ready in the Bridal Suite with my BM's and mom. I am very grateful for Danielle and her Give Away! She really was the answer to my prayers! I would recommend her to EVERYONE! If you are contemplating whether or not to put a DOC in your budget..... IMO you most definitely should! Danielle is worth every penny!
Complete Music (Kirk) - A
Complete Music was part of our Stonebrook Package so we didn't have to interview and decide on a DJ. I was a little nervous about this because dancing and good music at my wedding was SO important to my FI and I. We only needed their services for the reception as my cousin played for my ceremony. Kirk called me a week before the wedding to go over my Event Manager (an online program that allows you to fill in everything you want as far as songs, dances, etc). Kirk was friendly and open to everything I wanted. He agreed to work with the schedule from Danielle and reassured me he had all of the songs I wanted. On the day of the wedding, he was on time and had his stand set up long before the reception. He started playing music during the cocktail hour and did a great job introducing the Bridal Party. The music played during dinner was appropriate and he did as he said and stayed on schedule. He played everything I wanted to hear and took requests from my guests. If there was a song that was requested but no one danced to (including the person who requested it) he would go on to the next to get back to the songs I requested to begin with. He checked in with me a few times during the reception to make sure I was happy. I have no complaints about Kirk or Complete Music and would recommend them to friends and family!
Ramada Plaza- F-
This hotel was a disaster to work with from the beginning. The only reason we felt obligated to them was because we received a free suite for booking Stonebrook and they offer a free shuttle for our guests. We figured what the heck! The girls at the front desk have NO idea what is going on and could never tell me the same thing about who had booked rooms so far. I called at least once a month to check in and they always had a problem telling me who from my family had booked rooms. Some didn't know how to look it up, some didn't think they could tell me and by the end I was able to tell them how to pull it up and that YES they could tell me! I was promised the suite on the far end of the 5th floor from the beginning and my mom made specific room reservations a month ahead of the wedding. The day of the wedding, my mom's boyfriend went to check into our rooms and they informed him that our suite had been given to someone else. He had to stand there for 2.5 hours after my mom called and raised hell while they moved the man they had in there and rounded up housekeeping. My aunt stayed in a room on the 5th floor as well and her AC was broken; never worked and the front desk didn't care. The shuttle was supposed to pick up our guests at 1130 and 1215. Both times they were late and the last shuttle had to be called repeatedly. My sister had to call the Ramada and ask where the shuttle was. They said she had left 10 minutes ago; which is funny because it takes 3 minutes to get to Stonebrook from there. They had to call again after waiting another 15 minutes and were told they would call the cell phone of the driver. My sister said she would hold and they said "oh well we can't do that". Really, they don't have more than 1 phone line at their hotel?! The shuttle finally came and reaked of smoke and the driver was extremely rude. My mom tried to talk to Laura (the special events manager) and she
did not have a care in the world about the occurences from the day before. She even said, "Oh well". My mom is now in contact with the owner of the hotel and the Ramada chain. So ladies... if you are thinking about booking the Ramada Plaza for the night of your wedding.... DON'T do it! Even if it's a free night with a free shuttle... it's not worth it! Spend your money to stay in a nicer hotel with a more educated staff! The hotel is in bad physical condition; it is not appealing on the inside or out. It's hot and muggy and the couches in the room are stained!
Overall, my day was PERFECT! The only thing I would change would be the hotel at the end of the night! All of my vendors were amazing and I am SO happy with my decisions!
My fairytale came true and I married my Prince Charming!
Here are some non pro pics
