DH and I are still glowing from our wonderful day, due in no small part to a fantastic set of vendors and supportive/loving family/friends. Here goes!
Ceremony/Reception:
The Delafield Hotel, Delafield, WI.
Grade: A+. We knew we wanted to get married here as soon as we walked up to the front door. With classical music being piped to speakers outside (and inside) the building, we instantly felt a peaceful calm. As we continued through the facilities, we were wowed by the details: dark, rich wood, what appear to be turn-of-the-century paintings. You really feel transported in time. I read a review on Trip Advisor that described the hotel as very Ralph Lauren and we had to agree: timeless and classic. My brother-in-law’s brother is a chef in the Milwaukee area and felt so highly about the chef at the Delafield that he was married there himself. Finally, we were impressed with Nancy Pavesich’s cool and calm professionalism. We felt secure that she’d ensure the day went without a hitch. Unfortunately, about 3-4 weeks before the wedding, Nancy contacted me to tell me she was leaving the Delafield. We were very anxious, as you can imagine. But one phone call and several emails shared with her successor, Kimberlie Simmons, and all our fears were put to rest. We were told that Kimberlie had several years of experience from one of Milaukee’s top venues and it shows. Even though she was new to the processes and inner workings of the hotel, she worked quickly with the banquet manager and chef to get us answers quickly. The day before the wedding, we were finally able to meet face-to-face (as we live in Oregon) and I was immediately calmed by Kimberlie’s demeanor. In fact, I think I was at a higher stress level that day as we were trying to bring in everything for the ceremony/wedding and her few words of wisdom made me take a break and try to relax. Everything we explained to her (eg, set up of our sand ceremony items, set-up of the candy buffet, etc) was executed to perfection. The ceremony/reception went without a hitch. The staff (throughout the entire hotel) is very attentive and professional, the food was excellent, venue was beautiful, rooms were unbelievable. Another bonus is that they offer you a complimentary wedding suite.
Photography:
Koltz Photography, DePere, WI (but she will consider travel even for destination weddings).
Grade: A+. I do want to disclose that Shanna, the owner of Koltz Photography, is one of my very best friends from high school. With that said, I believe that I can offer an objective view as when it comes down to it, friends or not, a bride has certain expectations for her wedding photography. Of course, you want a photographer who will capture the best in you/DH and your family/friends. But you also need a professional who understands various technical elements such as lighting. Shanna is a wonderful photojournalistic photographer and she also has a great respect for a bride/groom’s expectations of the “must take” shots. She is tireless and we saw her in some crazy positions to capture our moments. While we haven’t received all our photos back yet, we have received our sneak peek and we are so impressed with Shanna’s (and her co-photographer, Rob) eye to the details, to the venue and, most importantly, to us. So much emotion is captured in the photos and that is the most meaningful aspect….we can not wait to receive all our pics! I've uploaded a number of her pics to my bio, fyi.
Videographer:
Aerodef Productions, Brookfield, WI.
Grade: A+. It is probably no surprise to read further positive reviews on this company. Andrew, the owner is wonderful to work with. Andrew, our "day-of" videographer was great. He came early and he stayed later to accommodate some things we wanted to capture. We just received our preview video today (March 13, 2012) and not only have I watched it about 20 times but I've gotten emotional every time. They really know how to capture the emotions of the day. Wow.
DJ:
Double Platinum DJ Service & Uplighting, Milwaukee, WI.
Grade: A+. First, the owner, Bill Spindler, is phenomenal to work with. He is so upbeat and friendly. It was a joy emailing him. Our DJ for the evening, David, was absolutely wonderful. He had such a great spirit and really knew how to pump up the crowd. I actually felt badly for him because we had a relatively small wedding (about 40 people all told) and some of those people had flown in on a redeye the night before to make our wedding. Needless to say, there weren’t as many people on the dance floor as there should have been, given David’s skills. We absolutely loved him…he played the songs on our “play” list and was great with the other songs he played as well. He also had such a fun spirit. There was a particular line dance that I and my bridesmaids wanted to do but didn’t know how. David came out on the floor and busted a move with us…so much fun. Bill also made a monogram to be projected on to our dance floor which David graciously allowed us to use his personal projector (Bill's were booked for the evening) to project the image and it was fabulous. Finally (and this is based on the fact that I was a pretty relaxed bride) but Bill offered uplighting for our ballroom but I had no idea what colors to use so he suggested David decide...our colors were white/black/red so David chose red and it was awesome, made the space feel very intimate. We highly recommend these guys!
Flowers:
Flowers by Faye, Wauwautosa, WI.
Grade: A+. Beyond being an excellent vendor, Faye Mueller is a wonderful person. I first discovered Faye through weddingwire. I’d say that of all the details DH and I had to deal with, planning for a remote florist was the most difficult. However, Faye soon put my fears to rest when I sensed that she understood our vision for the day and made wonderful recommendations. She is always very responsive and courteous and her prices are VERY competitive (and you might be able to take benefit of a coupon from this site). But here are the things that make Faye stand out even further: 1) she is anxious to ensure you are on the same page so she’ll do what it takes (communicating) to make sure you are in alignment. 2) Faye very kindly offered that she and her husband would stay through the ceremony so that she could take the altar rentals she provided to us back with them…thus, saving us a trip bringing them back to her. 3) Faye took our altar flowers and moved them into the ballroom (we were married/had reception in same venue) AND she took the aisle flowers that had been place on chairs and also put them in the arrangements in the ballroom. There were other little non-floral emergencies like needing safety pins and ribbon and Faye had it all. Faye is simply excellent and I highly recommend her.
Wedding Cake:
Sweet Perfections Bake Shoppe, Waukesha, WI.
Grade: A. | My sister told me about these bakers. She had me at “Cake Boss Wisconsin 2011." We ordered the patent-pending “Cheez Torte” ---we heard a lot of comments on the cake. Unfortunately, my new hubby and I were too busy dancing and socializing to eat the cake when it was served but even though we didn’t get to eat it until hours later in our suite, it was still delicious. I only wished I had another slice.
Ken was incredibly responsive and very flexible as I was trying to determine how I wanted the cake to look. At first, I decided that I wanted them to add ribbon and then I determined I also wanted our monogram on the cake. Ken took everything in stride and supported me in my decisions. And the cake was beautiful.
Make-Up: Face First Makeup Artistry, Green Bay, WI (Sharon will travel at a per mile cost). Grade: A+. What more can I say than Sharon brought out the best in myself and all the ladies in the bridal party/family. Sharon has a very easy going nature and we had a blast with her on the wedding day. She is very professional, was very prompt (in responses via email as well as showing up on the wedding day), and listens to people’s concerns. I did end up crying during the ceremony and despite that, I couldn’t believe when I saw my face afterward that it didn’t look like I had shed any tears. The makeup lasted all day/night long. I only wish we’d live closer so I could go to her for other events! Check out her Facebook page. If you are within 30 miles of her home, she does not charge to travel to you but outside that, she charges a very reasonable rate per mile. I found her prices to be phenomenal and would not hesitate to recommend her services.
Hair: Craig Berns Salon, Delafield, WI. Grade: A. The salon sent over 3 ladies that day….1 seemed to be an assistant and the other 2 ladies worked the hair. We were very happy with the end results. I have to give them (and Sharon, our makeup artist (see my review for Face First Makeup)) extra kudos because unlike typical weddings, I was unable to go in for a trial since I live out-of-state. With that said, a couple girls brought photos, the rest of us just explained our vision and we all ended up with fab hair.
Invites: Wedding Paper Divas (but they're online so all can access). Grade: A. Excellent service from this company. I was a little concerned because I was unsure whether they'd be able to make the invite in our wedding colors but they followed my instructions perfectly. Lightning fast proof was forwarded to me and shipping was prompt. Will use them again!
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