First of all, thanks to all the ladies on this board for sharing their own reviews and experiences with these vendors. In our 4 month engagement, I really only had time to be a lurker, but I wouldn't have been able to do it without you! Married life, all 10 days of it, so far has been wonderful! I didn't think I would feel all that differently towards my DH (still getting used to that!) after 3+ years of dating, but it's just that much better. Cheesy, I know.
And if anyone has a need for Candy Bar jars, cube vases, tablecloth overlays, etc I will be trying to get rid of those soon. I want my house back! LOL
McGowan Images - A++++++++++++++++++++++
Really, does anything more need to be said about these two? I really liked our engagement pictures, but what I've seen so far of the wedding pictures has just blown me away. I knew they would be good, but still. This is especially important since my father-in-law was rushed to the hospital the Wednesday night before the wedding and was not able to attend. He was able to watch the wedding through a live-streaming, but this will allow him to see the little moments and details that he missed. And those two are so sweet - Chelsea even helped bustle me. Here's a link to their awesomeness.
http://www.mcgowanimages.com/blog/?p=5841Texas Star Bakery (Wedding cake): A++
Everyone said the wedding cake turned out great, although it looks like we'll have to wait until our first anniversary to find out. I do remember that it looked great though.
Costco (Groom's cake): A++
I heard it tasted great and went faster than the wedding cake. I didn't have any, but the chocolate cake sample I tried before deciding to go with them for the groom's cake was delicious. Better than TSB and alot cheaper.
DIYing the flowers is probably the one thing I would change if I had to do it over again. Decorating the reception space "bumped" the flowers on Friday, so my mother and I ended up staying up ALL Friday night to do the bouquets, centerpieces, etc. I saved a ton and sleep deprivation is evidently a natural tranquilizer, but it was not fun. However, if you have extra hands and the time to do it...it was a lot cheaper.
FiftyFlowers.com (Bulk roses): A+++
I purchased one of their bulk roses packages and was very pleased with the result. The flowers were gorgeous! Huge blooms and very few guard petals needed to be removed. Some are still going strong 1.5 weeks later even while we were on our HM. I received an email before they arrived, when they were delivered and a f/u phone call. The
only thing I would change is being able to know in advance what the "white w/ pink tip" roses looked like; mine were more of a white w/ red tips, but were still pretty.
Sams Club Flowers (White hydrangeas for centerpieces): B
These arrived looking wilted and thirsty (which is normal), but they never really perked up much even after being rehydrated several times and for a couple of days. They also never whitened up after rehydration but stayed more green-white. I was able to supplement the centerpieces with extra roses from 50Flowers.
A1 Party Rentals: in Carrolton: A+
Another idea fell though at the last minute so we ended up renting simple garden chairs a few days before the wedding. They were easy to deal with, well priced, and delivered/picked up on time.
David's Bridal Frisco: A
I love my dress and the head of alterations lady was so sweet.
Zazzle: B-
I originally thought I was going to get my invitations/programs through this site, but the samples I received did not match what was on screen both times. They do have a money back guarantee if you're not happy with the product though.
Office Depot: A++ (Programs)
I never in a million years would have thought of Office Depot for programs, but due to a last minute change had to use their in-store print shop. I made a program in Publisher and then had them printed on plain white cardstock at OD. It took longer to create in Publisher than to print and I honestly liked them better than the original programs.
WeddingLinensDirect.com A++
I purchased all of the overlays and sashes here for the reception and they looked great. We decided we needed a few more overlays at the last minute and went to their store/outlet on Harry Hines. Those were a littlle more expensive than the online price, but it was great having a local place too.
DiamondDoctor (E-ring): B
I love my E-ring, but we had some issues early on with the ring and turn-around-time of the ring.
Kay Jewelers Collin Creak Mall (wedding rings): A+
We had a low presssure, easy experience here when buying both our rings. They even cleaned my E-ring while we looked at the wedding rings.
RIU Paradise Island, Bahamas A (Honeymoon)
I'd never been to an all-inclusive before so I don't know how it stacks up against other resorts. The room and view were great, beach was beautiful! The only real excursion we went on was to the Blue Lagoon and I thought it was worth the extra $. I'm a picky eater so take the following with a grain of salt, the food was just okay although my DH liked it.
Thanks again ladies! I hope your wedding day is as beautiful and wonderful as I remember mine. - Kimberly