I got married just about 4 weeks ago, and the pictures just came in! It's exciting to be able to relive the day just a little bit.
http://www.galleries.chrisgentilephotography.com/g/leigh_and_joeMy vendor reviews are below. Knowing what I know now, I still think I would have used all the vendors I did. Also, There are a lot more B's than in most people's, that because I don't believe in grade inflation :-) No A++++ in these reviews!!Anyway, if anyone wants more info on any of the vendors, let me know! We also honeymooned in costa rica, and I would be more than happy to share about that as well!Dress: Bobbie's Bridal Boutique, Fairfax VA - BWe went there because I loved Alfred Angelo dresses, and they were having a trunk show. The customer service wasn't that good, and I felt a little helpless (oddly, I had GREAT service at David's a few days earlier). I don't know if it's because they were rushed with the trunk show or if it's always like that. Anyway, they had a discontinued AA dress I adore, and gave me a great deal on it. It was a sample, so I have it in my hands now, so the poor customer service doesn't really matter.Alterations: MJ Alterations - A+Mary Jane is amazing! My dress was nearly three sizes too big, and she has no problem taking it in and making it look like it was cut just for me. She is also hemming and adding a beutiful 7 point french bustle that looks amazing with my dress. The bustle is way better than the one the dress lady showed me when I was trying it on. Mary Jane is also making a simple veil for me. Best of all, she is incredibly affordable. Tuxes: Men's Wearhouse - AThe guys had no complaints, and the tuxes were relatively inexpensive (around $100 including taxes). Although the spelling of "wearhouse" kinda makes me want to stab my eye with a pencil, they did a good job. E-Ring: Garwood's Jewelers - A+ My ring is perfect! Also, they have been great to work with, I had my ring resized down 3/4 of a size, and you can't tell and they didn't charge me. I couldn't decide whether to drop another 1/4 or not (I'm still debating) and they told me that I could have it resized yet again if I wasn't 100% satisfied. I can also drop by for a free cleaning whenever. Hair/Make-up: Buzz and Bliss Salon and Spa - B+ My hair and make-up came out fabulously, and I couldn't be happier about that. They did exactly what I asked for with my hair, and gave them more flexibility with my make-up, and it came out perfect. My one complaint was that we didn't have a finalized salon schedule until about a week before, and my hair appointment began late (only like 15 minutes), and ran later than we estimated, so that was slightly stressful (ladies, build extra time into your schedule! I promise you'll need it!). Invites: Birchcraft through
www.yourinvitationplace.com - A These invitations are a nice paper weight, and we got a great purple text color and a font that's really cute. Yourinvitationplace had them for 40% off list price, and they printed and delivered very quickly! I think it was only 7 days between ordering and receiving.Venue: Tapestry House - A+The Tapestry House was an absolutely fabulous wedding location. It was really great to be able to get ready in the house, and let everyone hang out while we weren't doing pictures. The reception pavilion is so cute that we only needed small centerpieces, and the separate room for the buffet was a great idea. It was also nice that people could wander the grounds if they needed a break from dancing. The staff were excellent, courteous, and very attentive.Flowers: Palmer Flowers - A I didn't really care too much about flowers, but Susan at Palmer Flowers was able to create a beautiful arrangements that I loved, all based off of a few pictures I gave her. I thought their prices ($50 for a BM bouquet, $130 for mine, $17 per centerpiece) was reasonable, but I admit that I didn't really shop around.Photographer: Chris Gentile Photography - A Chris was an awesome photographer! Firstly, he is very efficient at the formal pictures - we only spent about 20 minutes at the church, and about 45 minutes at the Tapestry House doing pictures, and they look like they took MUCH longer to arrange. Secondly, we loved his style, more on the photojournalistic side, but not overboard (I really don't get the super artsy 'bridal party with their heads cut off' picture that's becoming popular lately...). Thirdly, he got the BEST candid picutres of our families during the reception. My only regret is not asking him to get more pictures of people dancing - i LOVED how those turned out, but there were fewer than I expected. But overall, Chris spent close to 12 hours with us from prep until the end of the reception, and is giving us 100 4 x 6s and a DVD with full copyright priviledges for less than what some photographers charge for an album. I would totally go with Chris again! Catering: Carino's, Fort Collins CO - B+The tastings were fabulous. We loved the food, and the manager and his staff seem very professional. I was a little unnerved that they didn't want a deposit until the day before the wedding - I did wonder if they would be able to back out on me. But on the day of, the food was great, and was exactly what I wanted. A few guests said they were really happy to have something besides the typical wedding chicken and beef.Cake: Schmidt's Bakery - AI loved the look & taste of our cake, and many of our guests commented that it was the best wedding cake they had ever had. Their flavor selections are a little limited though, so picking three we were crazy about took a little work. If you want a really crazy contemporary flavor or shape, they may not be for you. We wanted somehting more simple though, and they did a great job.DJ: Colorado Sound - A+ I hated nearly every DJ we met with. One of them even insisted that he needed to come to the rehearsal, even though we're having a church wedding (WTF?). We really like the DJ of Colorado Sound, Leonard, and he seems like a good (read: non-cheesy) guy. On the wedding day, Leonard was able to read the crowd really well, and change up the music when something wasn't working well. I was really impressed - our dance floor was solidly packed the whole night. My mom said our DJ choice was the best decision we made for the wedding.