I got married June 5th and finally have time to write some reviews!
VENUE/FLORIST/CATERING: Little Gardens in Lawrenceville
www.littlegardens.comI cannot say enough wonderful things about Little Gardens itself and the people who run it. When I first walked in and saw their beautiful ceremony site, I had a heart-stopping "This is it!" moment and was almost ready to sign right then! They are truly great people who work with you every step of the way. Every time you walk in their front door, you'll be greeted by delicious fresh cookies and lemonade. Definitely give this place a visit if you are looking for a beautiful outdoor ceremony in a garden (it's well-shaded, so even my June wedding was not bad). The indoor reception space was also beautiful, and the catering and decorating company they use (Magic Moments) were also great to work with to create a beautiful space and delicious food. The people behind Magic Moments used my magazine cutouts to help me to create my perfect vision, and when I didn't have specific ideas for something, gave suggestions to guide me towards something I would like. I really enjoyed working with them.
CAKE: Magic Moments Catering (they work with Little Gardens, The Atrium, Flint Hill)
I went with Little Gardens' catering company for the cake even though I didn't have to, because their cake was good and the price was right. They turned out a beautiful, professional cake and custom groom's cake that tasted great. We also used their serving set and toasting flutes because they were pretty, so no need to buy our own.
PHOTOGRAPHER: Kelly LaBruyere in Atlanta
www.kellylphoto.comI won a contest for free engagement photos from Kelly, and they were so amazing that I just had to book with her. She's a fun person to work with and always gets amazing shots that make you look great. I absolutely love her! My photos are here:
http://kellylphotoblog.com/2011/06/ashley-michaels-wedding-sneak-peek/http://kellylphotoblog.com/2011/06/ashley-michael-little-gardens-wedding/VIDEOGRAPHER: Primm Video in Atlanta
http://www.primmvideo.com/The Primms (a married couple) were really friendly people, very easy going and accomodating. I haven't seen the results yet, but I have confidence from the dvd they sent me before signing that it will be awesome. I will try to post a follow-up when I get the finished product.
DJ: Pulse DJ (Chris Meeks) in Atlanta
http://www.pulsedjservices.com/I found several good DJs that I thought would make me happy, and narrowing it down was not easy. I ended up choosing Chris because I felt like he would make the experience completely stress-free, and he did. He has an online client area where I was able to make my must-play, play-if-possible, and do-not-play list, and the week before the wedding, we had a phone appointment to talk about specifics and general themes. He was fantastic to work with, definitely stress-free, and just a great guy. He didn't play anything that I didn't want him to, and since I didn't specifically ask for it, didn't play any of the dances like the YMCA or chicken dance.
DRESS: David's Bridal in Columbus, GA
The ladies here were great and very patient as I tried on dress after dress. I had a good shopping experience, but didn't so much appreciate the number of phone calls and emails I got afterwards. The dress was perfect, but be warned, if you take it to ANYONE else for even the slightest alteration, David's Bridal will refuse to touch it again -- even just to steam it.
BRIDESMAIDS DRESSES: Formal Elegance in Columbus, GA
I had already picked out the dresses I wanted (Alfred Angelo), and Formal Elegance carried them. They worked with me to have all my bridesmaids send in their measurements and credit card info, then my sister-in-law picked up all the dresses. At the time they were running a special, buy three dresses get one free, so they just reduced each girl's cost of the dress instead of making us work out the total for ourselves. They also provided me with fabric swatches to give to the decorating company/florist.
HOTEL: Hampton-Inn Sugarloaf in Lawrenceville
First of all, I love all Hampton Inns. They have delicious free breakfasts and soft beds. They offered me $79 a night for my block of rooms (which they don't make you pay for if your entire block doesn't get reserved). They also gave me a url that people could reserve into my block online instead of having to call. Also, for every 10 rooms in your block that get filled, you get a night free in the bridal suite. My family used this suite before the wedding to host friends and family, since we don't live in Lawrenceville. It had a great little living room, a huge fantastic tub with a separate shower, and a separate bedroom. The sales team were great to work with as well, but the front desk had a little bit of confusion with my welcome bags for the guests. Not a big deal, though, and everyone was happy.
I think that's it for my wedding... the rest of the stuff (invitations, save the dates, prorgams, favors) I DIY'd. Vista Print was great for making magnet save the dates, so I definitely recommend them. Thanks for reading, and good luck planning your wedding! I'd be happy to answer any other questions.