There are not many suggestions for the Kalamazoo area here on The Knot, so here are a few for those of you in need. The DJ is actually based in Grand Rapids. Ceremony/Reception Site: Gull Lake Country Club A+ The wedding was on a Friday, so it saved us money. The view is fantastic, the grounds are beautiful. They just underwent a renovation, and the clubhouse looks even better than it did before. We got ready in the clubhouse across the street from the site, and the dressing rooms are very nice, and quite large. We were given golf carts to help transport elderly guests, and the wedding party when necessary. Mike, the manager, was fantastic, he answered all of my many, many questions quickly, and honestly. He promised there would be no surprises, and there weren't. He was there during the event, and was on hand when needed - although I must say everything went off without a hitch, it was phenomenal. The staff was very friendly, and the food was great as well. Officiant: Family friend A++ I know some people frown on this, but I could not have asked for a better person to marry us. He has been my husbands friend since high school, and knew us and made sure the ceremony was just right, and reflected who we were and who we wanted to become. I love that we could have some of the traditional stuff, but really infuse ourselves, and our views, into the ceremony in a way that only an old friend could do it. It was very special, and very personal. Florist: Dorothy's Floral Studio A++ Dorothy is a florist who works out of her home. She worked with us on budget (very budget friendly), made sure the colors were exactly what I wanted, and made sure the arrangements were a reflection of what I wanted the wedding to be. She met with me twice before the ceremony, and was open to any ideas I had, and also offered input aand ideas of her own. She called me the week of the wedding to let me know that she got two different types/colors of orchids in, and wanted to know which ones I wanted. Her customer service is fantastic. The flowers were absolutely amazing. They were my mom's favorite part of the wedding. Dorothy came to the wedding, dropped everything off, and after I thought she had gone, she showed up just as I walked across to get ready to walk down the aisle. She was taking pictures, and making sure everything was perfect. I love her to pieces - she was wonderful! Photographer: Matt Thomas Photography A Matt did a great job. He made us feel comfortable, and he got all the shots. He brought his wife along to make sure the dress and hair were where they were supposed to be. Great job! DJ: Dream Productions A++ I cannot say enough good things about John, and Dream Productions. Their pricing was the best I had seen - way budget friendly. He did both the ceremony, and the reception. John met with us twice before the wedding. Gave us a list of songs we needed to think about, along with suggestions for each. He asked what we were interested in, and was in e-mail contact with me continuously. He played everything we wanted, and then played songs that we loved, and had forgotten to put on the list. He made sure I knew everything was taken care of, and gently kept us on schedule. He was not overpowering, or corny. He looked very professional - he wore a tux, and I had a choice between a bow tie, or a traditional tie. He sounded very professional on the microphone as well. He was clear and concise, and pronounced all the names correctly. He practiced before the ceremony, and made sure he had them correct - he even brought a tape recorder along in case he needed to hear the pronunciation again! Awesome, awesome job. We had rave reviews all night. Photo booth: Shutterbooth A++ We went with a photo booth as our guestbook. It was great because our guests could take a series of 4 photos, and the booth would print out two copies. One for them to keep, and one to place in a book where they could sign their names, put in some stickers that Wade (our Shutterbooth vendor) provided, and they could write us little notes as well. He was there all night making sure everything was working out, and people knew what to do. The photo strips even had a logo on the bottom that I got to choose/design, and approve in our wedding colors with our names and the date - it was awesome. The guests could go in as many times as they wanted, and I had a photo book to take with me - well actually my mom took it, but it was ready that night, so we could read it the next day as we waited to leave for our Honeymoon. I had originally gone with another company, but my mom and sister saw both companies at a bridal show, and Shutterbooth had a much higher quality booth, and the photos were much better. The colors were brighter, and more true. They worked with me, we made the switch, and I could not be happier with the results! My guests are still commenting on it! Flower Petals for the Aisle: 50 Flowers.com A+ I was genuinely impressed with this particular vendor. After placing my order for 12.000 rose petals (too many it turns out) I received a call to make sure the order was correct. The flowers came the day before the wedding, as promised, and they were perfect. I was happy with the service, and that I was given a courtesy call, as well as an actual person to reach if I had any problems or concerns. This was not at all expected from an online company. Dress: Patty's Bridal A Patty's Bridal is in Quincy, Michigan and although it was a bit of a drive, it was worth it. The people that work there are great, they are willing to help in any way they can, and the selection is quite good as well. My dress was gorgeous, I cannot thank them enough. I was pretty lucky - my vendors were fabulous, and we came in right at budget (around 10,000). I did a lot of DIY with the decorations and all, and that saved me a ton of money. It was hard to make time to do it all, and I don't think I got to sleep before 2:00 the entire two weeks before the wedding, but looking back, I don't mind. The event went off without a hitch. Good luck to those of you still planning! I really, truly recommend the vendors I have listed above, so check them out!