Here are my vendor reviews. I also posted them on 12kwedding.com - link in my siggy.
~DetroitGyrl
Ceremony/Reception Venue: The Whitney Restaurant Grade: B- (Initial Communication - D, Rehearsal and Day Of - A-)
The Whitney is absolutely gorgeous - inside and out. We chose to have our evening ceremony and reception at the Whitney outdoors in the garden. We had around 150 people - so it was perfect. Initial contact with the staff was horrendous and stressful - luckily they ended up replacing the original contact person with Kristine Rader. Kristine was VERY responsive and never missed our scheduled appointments. Everything we asked for happened and the Whitney staff was awesome. With the exception of some cold glares from a manager during the arrival for our rehearsal the day before and some confusion with staff telling our guests the wedding had been moved inside due to rain - everyone was accommodating. All of our guests commented on the friendliness of the staff, the great food and how awesome the bartender was. I was pleased with how quickly the staff converted the ceremony space into reception seating and the extra touches of lanterns in the back area - it made the garden look like something out of an evening fairytale. We had somewhat of a non-traditional wedding - but the Whitney let us do what we wanted and for that we are ETERNALLY grateful. Our wedding was perfect.
Hotel Accommodations/Guest Block: Motor City Casino Hotel Grade: B- (Rooms - A, Service - C-)
Motor City is a gorgeous hotel. Everything is updated and modern. All my guests raved about how nice the rooms were. The premier suite we stayed in was one of the nicest rooms I've ever stayed in. It was HUGE and had every thing for the perfect 2 day home away from home. Unfortunately - their service needs A LOT of work. We had a ton of problems while we were there. I had to check in twice the day before the wedding because I requested an early check-in so I arrived at 2 - I was told it would be ready in a half hour but when I arrived at 4:30 (1.5 hours after check-in time) - it STILL wasn't ready and they lost my initial reservation - so they upgraded us to a premier suite - however - I was 30 minutes late for our rehearsal (and pissy) because of it. We had gift bags taken to all of our guests.. but our guests also received and invitation to another couple's wedding and brunch tickets for their Sunday brunch. One of my out-of-town guests ended up at the other venue because of it. Needless to say - it caused A LOT of confusion. They were supposed to clean our room while we were at the wedding - they didn't and when we returned I had to request towels at 3 am because my bridesmaids and I had used most of them getting ready earlier in the day. The day of check out they sent an incorrect bill with extra rooms on it. So - there were just so many annoying little issues that made the stay pretty exhausting. I filled out a survey at their request and at least 3 managers have contacted me to remind me (as if I can't recall) that we were upgraded. However, most of the craziness happened AFTER we were upgraded. tsk tsk - Note to managers: never ask guests for feedback and then make excuses for poor service. One bride to another - steer clear!
Photography: Carl Jones Photography and Willy Wangsa Photography: Grade: A+++
These guys did a great job. The teaser pics we've gotten so far have been awesome. We can't wait to see the final results. We met with both gentleman and did a walk-through in the space a few weeks before. A lot of our questions were answered and it gave them both a chance to plan. The day-of picture sessions were seamless and we got all the pictures we wanted with a few extras. I know we'll be pleased with the results.
Cake Topper: CrossWireDesign (Etsy Shop): Grade: A
Fast shipping, excellent communication, great price for quality work.
Cake and Cupcakes: The Cupcake Station - Ferndale, MI: Grade: A
I waited until 2 weeks before the wedding to order the cake and cupcakes. Partially because that's when it was on my list and partially because I always knew we were going with cupcakes and that's how long the cupcake station said they needed for the order. They did an EXCELLENT job. We decided to stop in one day and do our own personal tasting. We got one of each of their mini cupcakes and their color brochure and got to work checking off ones we liked and X'ing ones we didn't like. It only cost us $26. It would have been cheaper on a Tuesday when minis are only $1 each. After we made our decision - I ordered over the phone and requested a custom round cake to go on top. Everyone commented on how pretty and delicious everything was. The price was VERY reasonable for feeding around 175 people.
Photobooth: Shutterbooth: Grade: A-
I highly recommend the photobooth experience. The guests love it, the couple loves it and you end up with really great memories at the end of the night. The photobooth host did a great job and we really enjoyed the scrapbook at the end of the night. In fact - we cracked it open when we got back to the hotel (while we waited for the fresh towels) and laughed at the pictures and messages people took and left. The only reason they get an A- is because communication was odd. Emails are often confusing and repetitive and you can sign up with one person, talk to another on the phone and get yet another person as the host. Communicating with 3 different people can get repetitive and annoying. A few times the phone contact called me about a topic we'd already discussed. That's not cool when you're a busy bride. Other than that - it was totally worth the investment - as it also served as our favor. We upgraded and got the bookmarks so people could protect their keepsake. Totally worth it!
Decor: Velvet Touch Events: A
Amber and her staff were exceptional. It was important that we have something beautiful, whimsical and eco-chic that didn't break our piggy bank. She listened to my vision and created something that was perfect for our occasion and worked within our budget. She was accommodating and came to me for a face-to-face as well as had staff on hand to decorate after the ceremony space was switched over in to the reception space. The finished product was beautiful.