I always enjoyed reading the vendor reviews from previous brides and got a couple great vendors that way, so here goes...
Springlake Party Center (Lakemore, OH): A+++++++++++++++++++ I can't say enough great things about this venue! Booking them was the single most important thing I did to make the wedding amazing. Their website is extremely outdated and the building itself is a tad dated, but they decorate everything and keep the grounds so beautiful you don't even notice. The owner, Jenny, was beyond amazing helping with any little question we had and was easy to contact throughout the whole process. She also gave me great recommendations for a DJ and cake baker which were both excellent. The prices were great, the food was outstanding, and the service was wonderful. I would 100% recommend this venue to anyone planning an event. (One thing to keep in mind they do have a minimum # of guests, 130 for a Friday wedding and 175 for a Saturday wedding)
Hats Off Entertainment DJ: A++++ Our DJ was the owner Geoff and he was great to work with and kept the dance floor packed all night. From my 2 yr. old niece to my 83 yr. old grandma, I think I saw everyone on the dance floor at least once. Everybody was saying what a great time they had and what a great DJ we had. The only downside to this company is they are on the pricey end, but it was worth every penny.
T1 Photography A+++++++++++++ Thomas from T1photo.com was our photographer and we couldn't be happier with his work and his prices. He was so great to work with and everyone was saying how nice he was and how he had a "good vibe". Our entire album of pictures was posted online by the time we even got back from our honeymoon! Check him out if you still need a photographer.
Reeves Cake Shoppe: A+: Our cake was so gorgeous and also extremely delicious. I made sure to sit down and have a piece of the carrot cake and it was amazing! I gave them a picture of what I wanted our cake to look like and they did a great job. They were very professional throughout the process, delivered on time, and overall I was extremely pleased. The only reason there aren't more + is because I ended up spending a little more than I wanted on the cake and found them to be a little pricey when everything was added up and I got the total.
Roses For Wedding: B+ Ety was my favorite vendor to work with leading up to the wedding. She was always available to talk and would reply to emails within minutes. The flowers turned out beautiful and I loved my bouquet. The reason I gave her a B+ was because we had live gerbera daisies in our centerpieces. The jars were filled with coffee beans and she said she would provide a glass tube with water for the stems, but then at our final meeting said she would just put the daisies in the jar without water and that they would be fine. Well, they weren't fine...before the wedding even started the daisies were drooping down and by the end of the night they were all practically dead and hanging over the jars. It was really disappointing because we had spent a lot of money to have live flowers as part of the centerpiece, and I felt that in the end we should have just used fake because they would have looked better. Since we just got back from our honeymoon I haven't contacted her about it yet, but I plan on at least letting her know what happened. Overall though my experience with her was great and I would definitely recommend her in the future.
Expressions Bridal A+ I got my dress online but Expressions Bridal in Mentor did all of my alterations and I also purchased my veil and a bracelet there. They were always nice and personable and the seamstress Jo did a wonderful job on my dress. I felt their prices were reasonable as well.
Pearl's Place: A++++ I got my dress and all of my girl's dresses from Pearl's Place online. I was a little skeptical at first ordering online but everything came in perfect and on time, and we saved hundreds of dollars in the end. Definitely if you are on the fence about using them, go for it, it is worth it to save the money.
Karen's Hair Design (Ravenna, OH) A+ My girls and I got our hair and make-up done here and everybody walked away happy. They were all really nice and did our hair quickly and made the experience fun. The only thing I was slightly not happy with was that the girl that did my trial was a different girl that did my day of hair, but it worked out fine.
Overall nothing really went wrong on our wedding day, the people, food, venue, weather, everything turned out amazing. I would honestly recommend any and all of our vendors, and for any of you out there who still are looking, I would say good vendors are key in making your day run smoothly. Hire experienced people who come recommended and you will be a stress-free bride :-) Good Luck and Happy Planning!!!!