i'm finally getting around to sharing my thoughts on our vendors from our August wedding, i hope this helps someone : )Rehearsal Dinner - Six Burner - A+as always this restaurant did not disappoint! they only serve what's fresh and in season which granted us an amazing pre fixe menu arranged beforehand with the chef. they were also one of the least expensive options, we were so pleasantly surprised by this. staff was super easy to work with up to and through the event.Wedding Reception Venue - Valentine Museum - Athe coordinator there makes everything SO easy! the location is beautiful if you get a chance to use the outdoor area. we, among many richmonders, commented "we never even knew this existed!" but i'm glad we found it! it was money well spent!Caterer - Catering by Jill - Dlet me start by saying the prices are very low and the food was great, everyone commented on it. i personally did not like the contact/owner. he's quite abrasive and not the easiest person to work with. his attitude had me on edge from the beginning and his communication skills leave so much to be desired (ie. late for every meeting and not returning calls/emails). the final straw was when i heard him doling out the tips to his staff after our wedding and he said to each of them "here are your tips, you each got $30". i still kick myself for not speaking up right then and making a scene in my wedding dress, we'd left $50 for each staff member! apparently he decided he wanted a big tip for himself. not cool.Flowers - Vogue - Ci spent a few meetings going over what i was envisioning, i had many pictures to back it all up. it didn't seem like we were on the same page until the coordinator there went and pulled some flowers from the warehouse to show me what she was talking about. i LOVED what she showed me! unfortunately what was created for my wedding was NOT what she showed me at all. i'd even specifically asked for certain things to NOT be included and they were, heavily. i had asked for 2 carnations included in my bouquet to honor passed parents... i ended up with an 80% EXPENSIVE carnation bouquet. it was pretty, but had i known i was paying for all carnations i would not have been okay with the price, i was told i was getting a slew of other flowers so it made sense when i paid for it. lastly they neglected to give an entire floral decoration to my DOC. i ended up getting my money back but i would much rather have had the decorations... it looked kinda bare without them.Photographer - Aaron Spicer - Athis guy is well priced and does an AMAZING job. i'm in love with our engagment photos. we had a great day with him when we did those and it made me very confident about what he'd get out of our wedding. and he came through. we have some awesome wedding shots and more than enough for an album. he captured alot of moments when i didn't even realize he was there. he's also a really super nice guy and we had a great time getting to know him.the only reason he didn't get an A+ is that i wish we'd taken more photos of just me and my husband on that day.Videographer - Humanstory - A+just take a look at his work on his website, no need for more commentary from me. beyond the amazing videos he puts together he's an incredibly nice and genuine guy. we could not have asked for a nicer person to work with leading up to and through our wedding day. i still enjoy talking to him to this day!Bridal Salon - Bella Rosa - Aafter many visits, trying on MANY dresses here and at other salons i purchased an off the rack. i had my alterations done here too. it was kinda pricey but in the end worth every penny! every single time i walked through the doors the ladies there couldn't help but make me smile. everyone is so pleasant and enjoyable to do business with. i may have been able to find a dress cheaper elsewhere but i believe in rewarding good service and they provided EXCELLENT sevice!Hotel - Downtown Marriott - Athe service at this hotel was GREAT! even during rennovations everyone there was very helpful and polite. we were given a great group rate for our guests and the coordinator there was so unbelievably helpful! even giving me recommendations for other venues in town to have drinks with our guests. they have a shuttle that will drop off and pick up anywhere downtown - this was very useful for us and our guests. they have an indoor pool, restaurant and starbucks onsite. we even came back to our hotel room to a little surprise from the hotel : )the only reason this as not an A+ is the expensive daily valet which is pretty much the only option in this area.Cupcakes - Whole Foods - A+we changed our minds about our previous cupcake vendor and placed our order at the last minute and i wouldn't change a thing! they are not only more affordable than all the other cupcakeries around but you can mix and match whatever cupcakes you'd like (you don't have to order each flavor by the dozen) and you only have to place your order 48hrs in advance! we took advantage of all of their other offerings by adding in some fruit tarts... a great option to have (adding in other desserts). our guests raved about how good they were! although we didn't get to save one for our anniversary we can go to any Whole Foods next year (any year) and get one to celebrate : )