Wedding Vendor Reviews

Mademoiselle D · June 2012

Hi there everyone!

Please feel free to add your wedding vendor review posts here for our new Knotties and soon to-be brides to check them out. These reviews are SUPER important and have been extremely helpful for all of us (including myself) who are looking for recommendations and personal experience with wedding vendors.

Happy wedding planning and thank you those awesome ladies who are willing to contribute!

mpotl001 · June 2012

here are mine!

Ceremony - Christ Fellowship (Redland Campus) A-
Overall, I LOVED working with them. Ammy is great at what she does and she always listened to my requests and gave her opinion when asked. She was mostly prompt, however, the only thing I did not like was that she did not find out all the information she needed ahead of time, and I sat with her during my rehearsal for a half hour answering her questions instead of actually rehearsing and setting up.

Reception- Royal Palace Banquet Hall- B-
This reception all is run by two sisters and they have many parties throughout the year. When I first met with them over a year before my event, I really liked them, and felt good about choosing them. However, when my event got closer it was very hard to get tastings, and I felt the ladies did not really wish to accommodate me and I felt it was because I was American and they were Hispanic. They had a very elitist attitude, and I was put off. Thankfully my fiance is Hispanic and he dealt with them after that. When it came down to it, though, they really pulled off the reception nicely, and even did some disaster control when my MIL decided to go crazy bc they couldn't find her song. If they ask you for the "show" with the dinner, don't get it. It wasn't worth it and it was a little creepy lol

Dress- Anne Marie's Bridal Boutique-A+++++
I recommend Anee's100%. This place was the BEST place I could have gone. The ladies there are all very accommodating and they treat you very nice. They give their suggestions and opinions, and really work to find what you want and what looks good on you. They are a bit pricey, but I found my dress for under $1000, and I love it. I also got my alterations done there, and they were also great. Great work, and they definitely help you in every way.

Invitations, response cards - Whimsical Prints -A+
I got my invitations off this website. At first I was a little uneasy about ordering it online, but they make it VERY easy for you. They communicate through email, and they send your proofs within 24 hours and accommodate any changes needed. I loved my invitations and I thought they came out beautiful.

Flowers- A Flower For Everyone- A++++
I cannot say how much I loved Terry and his business. He works out of his home, but he has been a florist for MANY years. We sat down with him and worked out what I wanted and everything was extremely affordable. My flowers came out beautiful, and I had numerous people tell me they were some of the most beautiful flowers they had ever seen, and smelled. He did everything for me, and it was all wonderful. Please do yourself a favor and use him. You will NOT regret it!

Cake- Ever After Cake Design-B
Susie also works out of her home, and she is a great baker. She gives you many things to taste and gives her opinion. I thought the cake tasted great, however I was a little disappointed with how it looked. The green was a little too dark as it was more a grass green than a wasabi or apple green. Other than that it was great.

Photographer - Rachel Allen Photography- C (Pending Photographs)
I actually know Rachel personally, so I had a little of a different experience than I think someone else might had they been just a regular client. I liked working with Rachel, however I did have a couple issues. It took her a very long time to send me my contract and my questionnaire. I actually didn't get the contract until 3 weeks before the wedding, and I like to get things done ahead of time. Also, during the getting ready process and the wedding, I felt she could have gotten more photos. She only got about 3 or 4 different poses of the bridesmaids and the groomsmen, and none of them together. She had also left the reception before I had cut the cake, thrown my bouquet, and had the garter toss, and did not ask if I would like to pay extra for her to stay for those things. I wish I had gotten those moments. She did come to the rehearsal to look at the ceremony space ahead of time, and I was grateful for that. Just waiting on the pictures now.

If I forgot any possible vendor, please let me know. I can't remember a lot of it lol

As soon as I get all my pictures back I will update my photographers review. So far the pictures are great!

carl4252003 · July 2012

So I can officially say that our wedding day has come and gone, and we both wish we can redo it EVERY weekend. I have always heard stories of nightmares and major problems going wrong leading up to your wedding as well as on your wedding day, but thankfully, we didn’t experience ANY issues. Everything went extremely smooth and EXACTLY as planned. There was absolutely no hiccup the entire weekend, well maybe except for the weather teasing us with tons of rain up until a few hours before the ceremony started!

Sorry for the semi long reviews, but I definitely want to give credit where credit is deserved, and in this case, EVERYONE did an amazing job.

If I am missing anything, please let me know. There were so many people involved in making this day amazing, I can’t keep track!

If anyone has any questions, comments, concerns, or anything, just ask! I’ll try and help my best with anything!!!

Good luck with the rest of your planning Brides and I hope my reviews are helpful!

If anyone wants pictures of anything from my reviews, just ask!!! I hope all of this helps!

Ceremony / Reception – Pelican Grand Beach Resort – A++++++++++

www.pelicanbeach.com

I have nothing but positive things to say about this venue. Janeth, the coordinator, was ABSOLUTELY fantastic and made sure that the entire day was a total breeze. We met with Janeth many times prior to our wedding, as well as emailed a gazillion times, with a side of numerous phone calls. She was extremely pleasant every single time. She also helped with tips and ideas for some things we had no idea on. My mother and I didn’t hire a wedding coordinator and we did it all ourselves, and Janeth actually thought we were the planners at first! Janeth was there on the Sunday of the wedding, all the way until Chaz took over at the reception. Chaz was outstanding and made sure everything was smooth and perfect for the reception. He even forced me and my husband to eat! Which is a very good thing bc brides and grooms never wind up eating and oh boy were we starving! Not a single thing went wrong during the entire day at the Pelican Grand, well actually, the ENTIRE weekend was perfect! We had a total of 35 rooms at the hotel, and not one guest had an issue. The entire hotel staff was so friendly and pleasant.

Photographer – Michelle Lawson Photography (Steve Lawson) A++++++++++++ (got all of our 1600 photos and do not have ONE complaint, except that its taking forever for us to actually pic the pictures to be in the album bc they are all just amazing!)

www.michellelawson.com

here's the link to our specific wedding pics ... http://michellelawson.smugmug.com/Other/Ilana-and-DanJust-Married/22976124_W2K3dB#!i=1847020957&k=CRmG3VG

Where do I begin?!?! If perfection was a photographer, Steve Lawson would be it! I have been in my share of weddings, and I have never had as much with a photographer as I had with Steve. Even every single guest at the wedding loved Steve and raved about him. From the second we met him, Dan and I knew that this would be the photographer we would hire. His work on his website does not do him justice. He is 10000 times better then the photos can show! He has great communication and a positive outgoing attitude, which makes it hard for anyone not to like him. He arrived at the Pelican Grand around 10:30am and the laughing didn’t end until he left, I think it was close to midnight! He even told me that I was one of the most laid back brides ever! The best part about Steve is that he joins in on all the fun that the wedding is having and captures PURE moments. He jokes with people to get their natural smiles out. He even suggests things to make your “photo ops” more appealing. I’ll give you a little example, Bridal Party + Pool + All our Clothes = PERFECTION! The way I look at it is that the photography is what lasts from your wedding memories, why not have someone document it. Steve Lawson doesn’t take just standing posed pictures, he documents the entire night and tells a story with his camera. I cannot wait to see these photos!

Videographer – Michelle Lawson Photography (Vinny) – A++++++++++++++++

www.michellelawson.com

Heres the link to our highlight reel ... the wedding dvd was TO DIE FOR as well!!

http://vimeo.com/41956223

What can I say; Vinny had some interesting moments with my group of family and friends. We are a crazy bunch and oh boy did he enjoy it. He was everywhere at the perfect moment to catch the perfect shot, even when we warned him about being in certain areas for the “strip show” and “dance off”. I can’t wait to see the video!!! Another WIN for Michelle Lawson Photography!!!!!

DJ – Ceremony/Cocktail/Reception – Eddie B and Company (Eddie A+

www.eddieb.com

Eddie B did an amazing job providing the music for our entire wedding. The ceremony was perfect and he even had his equipment ready for my husband when he pulled out his guitar and sang me a song. For the cocktail hour, we hire the Steel Drum player from Eddie B’s company, and the entire hour all of our guests were complimenting him and enjoying the soothing Caribbean sounds. Guess it helped being on the 11^th floor rooftop overlooking the beach! For the reception, Eddie B was pure perfection. He had almost the entire wedding on the floor dancing ALL night. And when I say ALL night, that’s the truth!

Florist – Tulips a Florist (Frank) A++++++++++

www.tulipsaflorist.com

From the second we met with Frank, we knew he was a gem. He is extremely affordable and is willing to do anything and suggest anything to help fix your budget. Our bouquets looked absolutely amazing and the centerpieces were pure perfection. Not one thing went wrong with all of the flowers we ordered!

Officiant – Weddings by the Sea (Charles) A+

www.weddingsbythesea.com

Charles is such a laid back person it’s hard not to like him. He helped us plan our ceremony exactly how we wanted. We wanted something short, sweet, and to the point and that’s exactly what we got. The rehearsal was also something that we weren’t going to do, but Charles suggested that it’s a good idea, and oh boy was he right!

Hair / Makeup – Amanda Lynn Salon A+++++++++++++++++++++++++ (can I add more + signs?)

www.amandalynnsalon.com

The only way to describe Amanda Lynn is that she is definitely a diamond in the rough. She is absolutely amazing at what she does. Not only did my hair look perfect and EXACTLY how the trial looked, well I lied, it looked BETTER then the trial, but my bridal party, mother, and mother in law LOVED her too. She has such creative ideas on how to wear your hair and makeup that my bridesmaids just said “Go with it and surprise me!” What an amazing artist at such an affordable price!!!

Cake – Elite Cake Creations A+

www.elitecakes.com

DELISH!!!!! Best way to describe our cake. Such an amazing taste for an affordable price. It was only a few $ more than a Publix cake! We got a white cake with pineapple, orange fruit filling. YUM!!!!

Coldstone Ice Cream Bar – Ruth Spiegal A++++++++++++++

http://coldstonesouthflorida.com/

Who doesn’t love some ice cream? Ruth was extremely easy and pleasant to work with. The 2 servers she sent to our event were mature and friendly, even joked around with my guests, which was perfect! If you’re an ice cream lover, call Ruth and get Coldstone at your wedding!

Alterations – REINA A++++++++++++++++++

(954) 785-6222

USE REINA!!!! SHE’S AMAZING!!!! I drove 45 minutes each way to use Reina and she was worth EVERY minute! She did my dress, which needed 16 inches taken out, my bridesmaid dress, which needed to go from an 18 to a 2, and my moh dress, which needed 10 inches out. She was sooooooooo affordable, sweet, and amazing at what she does!

Dance Lessons – The Wedding Dance – Donna Shelley A+

www.ballroomdancelessonsnow.com

We hired Donna 8 weeks before our wedding and by the time of our first dance we looked like Dancing with the Stars! Well, not really, but we still looked amazing. She creates a dance based on your song that you pick and your personalities. It was perfect for us and we had so much fun. Dance lessons are a great way to bond with your other half, or as he says, it’s a great time for him to actually lead! LOL. We’re actually considering taking weekly or bi-weekly lessons because of the fun that we had.

klwaldorf · July 2012

Here you go!!

I am back as a Mrs. with reviews!! I will try not the make them too long!! it was the best day ever and we had a blast!!

Venue: New River Inn-A!
We choose the venue because of its unique historical charm. It blended both of our personalities so well. It is beautiful itself but was so fun to play it up. You easily do whatever you wanted to it. Linda was so easy to work with. Since you are able to bring in your own vendors and have access to almost the whole building there was alot that we could do to make it ours. i highly recomment this place to anyone looking for something different.

Caterer: CA catering- B
They were very easy to work with the whole way through. I didnt have a planner but it felt as if i did because they help you with all the little details you dont think about. They are there the day of making sure everything goes smoothly. Marta was great the day of keeping everything going. I loved that all i had to do was deliver my things to them the week prior to the wedding and they transported everything to the site and set it all up for my. They made it come out ten times better than i imagined! My cake was included with the cost and it turned out amazing and tasted delicious!
The reason they got a B was for two reasons. One, the dinner was just marginal and a bit cold. The appitizers were amazing though! I went with a buffett and i with i would have gone with servered. Two, they started clearing things up at 9:30 instead of 10:00.

Photographer:Michelle Lawson Photography (Steve)- A++++++
Steve is absolutly amazing!!! I can not wait to see pictures i am sure they will be great. He got there about an hour or so earlier that he was supose to and stayed longer as well, all just to make sure he got all the pictures he thought were important. He is so great to work with he doesnt make you do anything you dont want to do. Which is great because my husband despises taking pictures. This was the reason i wanted steve becasue i knew we could knock out some good pictures and then just have fun, which we did. He handed his stuborness real well lol. I loved that most of the time we hardly knew he was there. I would use him again in a heart beat.

DJ & Lighting: ALB Events & Productions (Anthony)- A
He was great!! Very easy to work with. Music is not my thing, i love listening to it but thats it. So i loved that i was just able to give him a few song ideas for different parts of the night and he nailed the songs i liked.
He also provided me with my lighting. We had string lanterns which came out perfect. Also because we went with a tent he threw in a little extra uplighting.

Flowers: Emily with CA Catering-A+++++
She is absolutly amazing. I never saw my flowers till the day of (which i was okay with) and when they came i was blown away. I basically was able to explain to here a vision and she got it exactly! she also help with all kinds of little details through out the planning process.

Dress: Davids Bridal Sunrise-D
i absolutly hate this store!! lol I loved my dress and wouldnt change it for anything. It was just the right price but i would never go back there! worst experience ever. The people there no nothing.

Bridesmaids Dresses:Alred Angelo B-
not that helpful but there services is atleast better than at Davids. I loved the dress from there and i had to chose one that all my girls could get because they all lived in different areas.

Alerations by Rina: A++++
So glad i listened to all you girls. She truley is great and easy to work with. Her prices rock too! My sisters dress had to be fixed twice becasue she lost weight and the second time was the week before the wedding. she fixed it in 2 days and didnt charge her a thing!

Holland Limo: A
I only needed one way transportation and they at cheap rates for what we needed. They were very accomedating. At the last minute we needed out flower girl to ride in the limo with us so i made a call to them and we were able to get a car seat put in. I am glad i listened to the advise of a former Knottie because they will not wait for you. You need to be outside as soon as it gets there.

Hair and Makeup by Sandy!- A+
Sandy and her team are absolutly amazing. All my girls loved them and they all looked beautiful and unique. Her rates are very low for the great work that she does. I met sandy thorugh a friend so if anyone is interested in her message me for details.

I think that is about it!! I truely hope this help you girls out. If you have any questions about any thing feel free to ask. I will try to post some pictures soon!

Martica14 · July 2012

Christ Congregational Church: A
This is a small, hidden non-denominational church and my husband and I found about a year ago and we absolutely fell in love with it! Its small and intimate and absolutely stunning. The coordinators at the church are Daisy, and Dina, they are both AMAZING! Whenever I had a question or any little request, they would take care of it immediately. They were very helpful at all times and very flexible. The Pastor, Steven Hudder, is a sweetheart! We enjoyed meeting with him and talking to him so much, he made us feel comfortable. With both his help and the coordinators, the rehearsal and wedding day went by without a problem!

Grand Salon Ballroom at Killian Palms Country Club: A
One word: Wonderful!!!! Throughout the entire wedding planning process, the girls here, Katherine and Lorraine, were very knowledgeable, helpful, and patient. They always knew the answers to my questions and would reply very quickly to emails. The tasting scheduling and actual tasting event was very organized and the set-up was very nicely done. The head chef and waiter are great! The head waiter was great on my wedding day - he and all the waiters provided amazing service and were always very professional and with a smile on their face. The bartenders were a little slow but no one cared or noticed, only me because Im picky about everything. The food was hot and tasty and the waiter show is always a nice extra. They were also very flexible with all my requests and very attentive to my needs. Overall, it is a beautiful and great venue!

Michelle Tandron (Events by Michelle): A+
PERFECT! The best decision I ever made throughout this wedding process was hiring a Day of Coordinator, and especially the one that I hired. Michelle is the biggest sweetheart in the world, she is always smiling and very sweet! Although I only hired her for the wedding day, she was always available to answer any questions I had throughout the planning process and she was always very helpful! She made me feel so comfortable and I trusted her completely with all my wedding decorations and she sure didnt let me down, everything was perfect all around, exactly how I envisioned it. Everyone was telling me how organized everything was and this is all because of her and her husband of course, who is with her to help her in anything and in most of the meetings prior to the wedding day. So just think, you're getting two for the price of one!! They are both great and I am so glad I had her at my wedding - thanks to her I did not worry about a thing and all I did was enjoy the party!

Delgado Video Productions (Omar Delgado): (Final Video still pending)
Omar and I met about 3 years ago for my sister's quinces because he is the company's official videographer and everyone loves him! He does this because he truly enjoys it!! He likes it so much that he teaches film production at a school too so you can tell this is something he loves. As soon as I started planning my wedding, the first thing I did was go straight to him because I knew for sure that I wanted him to be my videographer. He is super sweet, professional, charismatic, and patient. He responds to your emails, calls, texts, everything very quickly! He is soo good in what he does - He always tries his best to make you look good and when it comes to putting everything together, he takes his time and uses his creativity to make a beautiful montage or wedding video. Whats even better is that he goes with a team so you are being filmed at all times and from different angles, they never miss anything! I'm so happy I hired him, he's the best!

Mystic Image Inc. (Natalie): (Final pictures still pending)
Let me tell you, this girl is amazing when it comes to taking pictures, she is super creative and gifted!!! She always makes you look so good in all of the pictures. She is very flexible, she doesnt charge per hour so this is something that I really liked. We spent like 6 hours taking engagement pictures and then she spent an entire day with us on the wedding day. She taker her time when it comes to setting the lighting, the correct pose, etc. while taking pictures and I love this in a photographer. Her editing is awesome!!!!She is super sweet and caring, we really liked her for this reason. The engagement pictures were absolutely beautiful, I loved it! I am still pending on the wedding day pictures and photobooth pictures but I'm sure they will be great!

Alegria's Bridal: A+
I had nothing but an amazing experience at this place, everytime we went! From the store manager, to the consultant girls and the alteration ladies, everyone here is awesome! They are all very sweet, knowledgeable, and extremely patient. Their selection is one of a kind! I had to go about 5 times to alter certain things on my dress and the alterations ladies are amazing at this, they sure know what they're doing - they made me look like a mermaid! I bought my dress, swaroski crystal belt, and veil here. They always make you feel comfortable here and they take their time and wont leave until they are sure that you are absolutely happy.

Mr. Tux: A+
Amazing experience!!! We rented all of the bridal party's tuxes, the groom's, fathers, and grandparent here. They are all very flexible and nice too. This place is always full so the few times we went, we did have to wait a few minutes, even if you had an appointment, but it wasnt that bad, it was worth the wait. They have such a wide selection of suits and tuxes and they have a women dress shop as well so it can be a one stop type of shop. They always want you to leave happy so if you ask for discounts or say that you cant afford something, they always try to make it happen for you! All the guys rented the shoes from there too and they were very comfortable. They are very flexible when it comes to returning and they have a drop off box so you dont even have to go inside.

David's Bridal: A
All the bridesmaids dresses were bought here because they had my exact color, Horizon! We all went together one day and they each found the perfect one for them, their own style (but same color), and bought them that same day! One of my girls was in Atlanta so she bought hers online and it fit here perfectly!!! All the dresses were here in more than enough time so it doesnt take 4 months like they tell you sometimes. The alterations department is very flexible as well because since all my girls, except the out of town one, had gotten their dresses steamed (free of charge) a week before the wedding, I wanted her to do it as well but she arrive here on Thursday and my wedding was on Saturday. So I called in and told the girl my situation and she told me to take it in and pick it up Friday after 3pm, which they usually require at least 4 days! So i was super happy with the service here! I would have liked some discount for my girls but hey, you pay for the quality that you're getting and its hard to find dresses in that color that looked so perfect on them.

Reina (alterations): A+
AMAZING!!!! Her and her team are great! They are so good in what they do - they are flexible and super nice! My mom and three of my bridemaids had their alterations here (because David's Bridal is too expensive) and Reina and her team did an awesome job! At one point, they did a quick fix on all three of them the same day we were there, it literally took them 5 minutes. Although they are far away from us because we live in Kendall, it was worth the drive!

360 Makeup (Michelle): A+
Absolutely amazing!! I fell in love with Michelle as soon as I spoke with her over the phone, she was so nice and welcoming, and she knows so much about airbrush makeup, which is what I did. She always arrives early to make sure she can set up without making you wait. She is so patient when it comes to explaining her different options, colors, and eyelashes you can use. She had to go meet up with me before the wedding to try on some fake lashes that bothered me during the engagement pics so I wanted to try another style that she recommended and she went to meet me and didnt charge anything, not even for the lashes. I am super happy with her work - she made me look absolutely beautiful!!!!

Art of Hair by Claudia: A+
Absolutely artistic! This girl is amazing with hair, she's so good at what she does!!! She did my grandma's, mom's, and my hair and she even put on some extensions on me! I had two looks, an updo for the church and half up/half down for the reception, I was extremely happy with both looks. She is great - everyone complimented me on it and my mom and grandma looked absolutely beautiful!!!! The hairstyles stayed on all day and night!!! Claudia is super professional and nice - she is totally worth it!!!

Claud's Make Up Corner: A
Claudia did my mom, grandma's, and aunt's makeup and they turned out absolutely stunning!!! She's so nice and patient, I love how professional she is! She arrives early and doesnt leave until everyone is happy - if she needs to, she will touch up. She doesnt do airbrush makeup so thats why I didnt do my makeup with her, I will definitely contact her any other chance that I have because she is amazing!!! Her pricing is one of a kind - you wont find someone this experience and with this price!

Stephen Peters Loynaz(DJ): A+
There's not much I can say about Stephen, other than he is absolutely awesome!!!! I had no doubt he was going to keep the party going all night!! I chose him because his package is awesome for the price, he even includes a facade, he is bilingual, and he also offers MC services so you get all the package for the price of one! I also got uplights with him and it was a hit - the venue looked stunning!!! He's super professional and fun, everyone loves him! I'm so happy we chose him!

Roman Cusco (Florist): A+
The best florist I know!!!!!!!! He is absolutely amazing! My arrangements, bouquets, and centerpieces were absolutely stunning!!!! Everyone commented on all the flower arrangements, they were exactly what I wanted and more! He is very knowledgeable and he knows what he's doing - He has so many weddings back to back but he still remembers each and everyone of his clients! His prices are not cheap but compared to the quality that you are getting, there's no one else that could do it better! I was ecstatic when I saw all my arrangements!

Divine Delicacies: A
My venue included a standard cake with them so thats why we chose them but Im sure that if this was not the case, we still would have chosen them! I loved them! They are very helpful and quick to help - the cake tasting that very organized and flexible to schedule! They give you so many options to try and they are so patient throughout the time that you are there! I loved all of their flavors! They were very nice in helping me decide on the design that I wanted and all the extras I wanted to add. The final cake was stunning! It was perfect, I wouldnt change anything on it! It was exactly how I wanted it!!!! Everyone told me that it was delicious!! We had chosen different flavors and fillings for each tier(3 in total) and they were all very good and not dry or hard at all, like some cakes I have tried at weddings. I am very happy with their work.

Meilan Limousine: A+
Couldnt have asked for a better limousine company! When we went to walk around, they had so many models and different styles to choose from that It was easy to get overwhelmed but we knew exactly what we wanted! I find the pricing right with the style of car that we chose - my husband loved it!!! We chose an antique so it was a little more expensive that the limousines. All the process was so quick and simple with them. They are very flexible with their payment plans. However, you are required to pay a $100 tip to the driver, but honestly, it was so worth it! He was always there early and extremely helpful, he offered to help in anything! He was very professional and the car was in an amazing condition. Everyone in the road kept looking at us just because the car and color was so beautiful!!

alord01 · July 2012

Has anyone used Sylvia's Weddings of Distinction? If so, how was your experience?

Mademoiselle D · July 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_florida-south-florida_wedding-vendor-reviews?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:67Discussion:6a8a5b43-3fe9-43c9-aba9-47c130fbe6d2Post:5e5e992e-0f7f-48ca-86de-294b45a4af78">Re: Wedding Vendor Reviews</a>:
[QUOTE]Has anyone used Sylvia's Weddings of Distinction? If so, how was your experience?
Posted by alord01[/QUOTE]
I suggest writing a post on the board and not here. You won't get any responses since it's only for girls to post their reviews of their vendors. I'm sure someone has used Comber Hall as their venue. Welcome to the board!

HeatherL212 · August 2012

Venue- B Ocean- A+ We fell in love the first time we saw the inside of B Ocean. It was out of budget so we let it go and found a restaurant that suited us. The restaurant idea fell through for a couple different reasons and we ended up at B Ocean again just a couple months before the wedding. Arthur worked with us and we were able to get the same deal as China Grill by doing a “lunch” which ended up being at about 5:30 p.m. Luckily China Grill gave us the deposit back and we booked with B Ocean. The view was GORGEOUS! We had both the ceremony and reception in the penthouse with floor to ceiling windows and full views of the ocean. My only complaint that I had was when I got there the morning of and saw the disgusting looking parque dance floor they had set up. This was not what was promised to me (he showed me a gorgeous dance floor when we booked) but apparently they gave my dance floor to the larger wedding. Arthur thought he would have enough for both weddings but he was wrong. I was very upset; I had them take the ugly dance floor out and was left with nothing. When we came home from the honeymoon I sent an email explaining how upset I was and they provided a credit back to my card. It didn’t change the fact that I didn’t have a dance floor though. Looking back no one noticed or cared about the missing dance floor but at the time I did. The actual wedding lasted from about 3- 7:30 and everything overall was amazing, the food was great, everyone had a great time and I would definitely recommend this venue

Alterations- Alterations by Reina- A+ Reina is amazing at what she does and she is just so sweet. I had to bring 2 dresses to her, the first I fell out of love with. My wedding dress needed very little done to it, just a little hem and bustle but she did a great job.

DOC- Danielle Pearson Events- A++ What can I say about Danielle?? She really does more than she’s supposed to do as a DOC. Danielle helped me through the whole planning process, any questions I had I went directly to her and she didn’t seem to mind at all. The day of she had everything running smoothly and was at the venue before me! I left her with so much stuff to do as I ran around trying to get myself ready and she pulled it off beautifully. I was very thankful to have her.

Photographer- Stacey Poirier Photography -A+++ By far one of my favorite checks!! Stacey and Brandon go above and beyond for their clients. I immediately clicked with Stacey over the phone and when we met in person we booked her on the spot! They were extremely affordable, and they spent so much time with us. Our short e-pic session was longer because they wanted the “perfect shots” and they stayed later at the wedding to get the lobby shots after the reception. I specifically wanted beach shots the day of the wedding and because it rained we couldn’t get them. Not even a month later Stacey called inviting us out to the beach (at no charge) to get dressed up again and do our beach pics

They captured everything and every single guest at the wedding, they were amazing and having 2 photographers made it even better!

DJ- Vision DJs- A+ After going to so many bridal shows and seeing so many great reviews I knew we would be booking Vision DJs. They were very affordable and very easy to work with.
DJ James A++ DJ James deserves his own review. He was wonderful! He did so much more than a DJ needed to do. He kept our guests dancing by playing all the right songs but beyond that, he really wanted to make sure that we were comfortable, that we had drinks and that we were enjoying ourselves etc.

Etsy Vendors- These were products that I knew I had to have. These sellers deserve an A+
Hanger- EricaMayMade
Cake Topper- Mudcards
Bouquet charm- Designs by Tami

Top tier cake- Sweeter days- A+ Sweeter Days made the top tier of our cake. The owners were very nice, made the cake the way we wanted it and I have no complaints. They were also nice enough to let us rent their acrylic cupcake stand.

Cupcakes- Humpys Pizza-A+ I knew from the moment I had a cupcake from Humpys in Wilton Manors that that would be where our wedding cupcakes came from. They have THE BEST cupcakes in the world! Not to mention since they are not in the wedding industry, they gave amazing prices! The cupcakes were supposed to be mini (regular size) instead of their normal (jumbo) but they came jumbo (no complaints there) and I was the only one that noticed the cupcakes were pink and yellow instead of white and yellow. We close our flavors, buttercream and strawberry and the strawberry was supposed to have white frosting instead of pink (a misunderstanding) but guests are still raving about them so who cares!

Ukulele player- Ty 0lopai- A+ I knew from the beginning I wanted a ukulele player to play somewhere over the rainbow as I walked down the aisle. Through much research we found Ty. I negotiated through email to have Ty for the one hour to play music while guests entered and for the ceremony. We met at Mai Kai (he plays there Wednesday nights), he was so nice and we booked him on the spot.

Officiant- Cecilia Johnson- A+ I never realized how far in advance an officiant needed to be booked. As I called around maybe 4 months before the wedding everyone was booked! Cecilia was mentioned by a knottie and she was available for our date. She was professional, personalized a ceremony for us and did a great job the day of.

Hair and Makeup- Amanda Lynn Salon- A+ Amanda Lynn charges by the hour instead of by the person which I think is great. We initially had her booked for 2 ½ hours instead of 4 (she had another wedding that day) for her to do my hair and makeup and my moms. Since my wedding changed to a daytime wedding I was forced to go to her salon at 7am to do just mine. She was so flexible in changing that for me, gave an amazing rate and I looked flawless the entire day

Florist- Creations by Blanca- B I feel my décor was a simple and modern theme. I used white calla lilies, white hydrangeas and blue orchids and purchased all the vases. Initially I was going to have her do all the ceremony flowers and do the reception flowers myself with bulk flowers purchased from her. I ended up doing the short vases (the hydrangeas and orchids) and let her do the tall ones (the submerged callas) because she was charging very little and it took away from my to do list the day of (it is not easy to submerge calla lilies). Blanca had 9 weddings that day so she wasn’t there but once I saw the calla lilies not submerged I was upset, very upset. I hate to be a brat but it is a completely different look! I voiced my concerns to the very nice man and woman setting things up but when I was put on the phone with Blanca she yelled at me saying it was my fault because I wanted to use my small rocks instead of big ones and that they couldn’t be submerged. I have been to her office several times and heard her yell at brides but I figured my centerpieces were so easy there was no way she could mess them up. If I would have known she wasn’t submerging them I would have done them myself. Also, my tall vases were dirty, visibly dirty then and now in the pictures. I had windex with me, not sure why the florist company didn’t. I’m still giving Creations by Blanca a B because my flowers were still gorgeous and she had the best price out of anyone I received quotes from.

Dance Lessons- Pure Dynamics (Donna)- A+ Donna was referred by a knottie and she was great! We clicked over the phone and scheduled our first dance lesson. Her and her husband, Cory taught us side by side for only $25 a class and we had so much fun! My dad ended up wanting to come and my husband’s mom so we had about 7 or 8 classes total and learned all 3 of our dances

They are such a great couple, they go above and beyond and are better than any overpriced dance school.

Videographer- MXI Studios- A+ Kenny and I spoke over the phone just weeks before the wedding and he was very nice, affordable and accommodating. We are supposed to get the full video next week but here is the trailer: http://www.maxovideo.com/HeatherTim.html

evalynn68 · August 2012

Acqualina, Sunny Isles........ A ++++++

The venue was BEAUTIFUL. The staff was FABULOUS. Everyone was beyond impressed. And since it was a Sunday brunch the price was BEYOND REASONABLE!!! I arrived two days before the wedding and we stayed for 5 nights after the wedding. I can't say enough about the hotel staff, the wait staff, the pool staff...... by day 2 they knew our favorite drinks..... brought us complimentary champagne (while we were in the pool for morning or late night swims), called us by name etc. SPA was amazing also. Can't say enough.

Aroma Caterers........ A ++++++

Although I did not eat during our wedding, everyone said how much food (buffet) there was and how delicious it was. Aroma did pack up plenty of food for our parents and send up plenty to our room. All in all - everything seemed fine.

Flowers by Blanca........ A ++++++

Beautiful, reasonable, could not be more pleased!

Steve Lawson Photography ....... A ++++++

I need to admit I was very hesitant on the cost involved with Steve; however, from the time I met him in FLA until now I have been BEYOND IMPRESSED and he is well worth every penny. Steve arrived around 6:30 am and didn't leave until we were done with "family informal beach pictures" at 5:30 pm. He had an assistant, Rob, with him who was also marvelous. All our guests said how delightful, funny and relaxed they were. Steve even entertained my 16 year old daughter and her three best friends with their own personal photo shoot on the beach and in the ocean. I can't wait to see the pictures. Again, if you need a photographer ---- I can't recommend him enough.

Gallery of Cakes...... A +++++++

Tasty, amazing, beautiful - need I say more!

Yonnie and Toni did an amazing job!

Musicians - Arranged by Yael Kleinman Hyken ........... B ++++++++

Two musicians were arranged by Yael (Miami Beach Symphony)...... Yael did all the arrangments for our music - which were amazing. Problem was one musician had an emergency and they found a replacement the day before WITHOUT telling me. Check was made out to original musician - and the replacement was upset and wouldn't leave until paid. Now I understand this - but I wasn't told - and my MOH didn't have additional cash on hand (we found out AFTER THE CEREMONY as exiting and entering brunch). My MOH had to run out of hotel to ATM to get cash. This was REALLY unnecessary. My MOH missed part..... and didn't have an option. I wish the new musician would have taken check and allowed me to pay her the next day. I had no idea of this switch - if I received a phone call it could have been avoided. However, I will say the music was wonderful .......

DOC - Jennifer Johnson......... B +++++++

Everything before - communication etc was wonderful. Two small things prevented from an "A" and perhaps I am being harsh - but it was my wedding . Great things - she arrived at 5:30 am..... things ran smoothly.... etc...... She took my wedding ring from me (I had in my safe in room) to bring to my husband around 7 am...... It never got there. However, my husband didn't think twice because everything else (Ketubbah, wine glasses, glass to break etc) was out at the table under the chuppah already. However, when Rabbi went to get ring from the table it wasn't there- and then asked Jon for the ring - we realized it wasn't there. Now - this is funny NOW; however, at the time - during the ceremony in the heat - no ring - no Jennifer.... My MOH had to run out of the ceremony to track down the ring. The Rabbi stalled ...... everyone laughed ---- but really ..... and in Judiasm you can't "substitute" someone else's ring as part of it is the checking of the ring. Might seem insignificant to some - but huge to me as I am a type A personality. Second thing - again might be insignificant but it did catch me off guard..... was that right after the cake cutting ceremony the DOC pulled me aside to tell me she was leaving and her two assistants were finishing off the wedding. Now - again - she had been there since 5:30 am...... but I was under the impression she was there from beginning to end. Just caught me off guard. Yes, the wedding was winding down and finished in an hour; but I was still a bit surprised. After all - her fee was quite steep - $1300 - for DOC (she didn't help me line up vendors - I did all that etc.....) - so this caught me off guard. I guess I had different expectations. With all this - I will say - everything else ran smoothly.

We had our "mini moon" in MIami..... leaving on honeymoon to Israel in 4 weeks.... and then doing "kid moon" in November with my daughter/his step daughter to Disney

Eva Goldstein-Meola

SKennedy429 · August 2012

Munoz Photography-A+

Hey I am getting married in March 2013 but I was a brides maid at a wedding a few weeks ago and there photographer was amazing take a look at the photos. If you want to see there wedding in particular search Maria and anas at the blog section and shes the first one to come up with the blonde hair.

http://www.munozphotography.com/

narcissus photography · October 2012

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=wizard#!/pages/Narcissus-photography/109410235756923

http://narcissusphotography.com

abell · October 2012

My daughter's wedding was this past weekend and it was "perfect" so wanted to share reviews while all is fresh in my mind in the hopes that it will help someone out there.

Ceremony - Church of the Little Flower- our parish since I was a little girl so this church holds a special place in our hearts. Staff was professional, organized and courteous through the entire process leading up to the wedding day. The organist (music) and soloist are included as part of the ceremony package and they were amazing.

Reception - Comber Hall (Sylvia's Weddings of Distinction) - my daughter had been collecting ideas since she became engaged.  Sylvia was able to capture and deliver a reception that was more beautiful than I could of imagined and exactly what my daughter and her fiancee wanted. They choose the package that included the flowers and she did not dissapoint.   Flowers were fresh and beautiful and the attention to detail that Sylvia put in was more than I even expected.  The food was top notch and delicious.  They do not do food tastings prior to wedding, but be assured that they have been in business for over 15 years for a reason. The quality of the food and drinks was like dining at a fine restaurant. There are four packages that you can pick from. You do not have to worry about a thing with Sylvia's Weddings! Can't thank her enough!!!

DJ - Ubi - David was amazing and kept the guests on their feet the whole night long!!!! My daughter and her fiancee talked to them ahead of time and selected the music and their special requests. David made it happen!

Cake - Cake Designs by Edda - the cake was beautiful and tasted really good (alternating tiers with red velvet and amaretto)...moist and delicious!

Limousine Service - Meilan - excellent customer service and affordable.

Make up by Jessie Sierra - Jessie and Jenise are so nice and professional.  My daughter's makeup was flawless and she looked so gorgeous (if I do say so myself). Jessie even helped with the veil. They applied makeup to a few of us and we felt like movie stars for the day! Can't thank them enough!

Hair by Sissi Ceballo - Sissi arrived on time and she too is nice and professional.  She created a loose side bun for my daughter that looked beautiful. Thank you Sissi!

Dress - J Del Olmo - we had heard so many horror stories about the bridal stores along Miracle Mile that this worried us. Luckily we went inside J Del Olmo and my daughter fell in love with one of their many beautiful dresses. Their prices are competitive and the fabrics on their dresses are top of the line (silky and smooth). Vivian (the owner) made suggestions with a few minor alterations and the dress was perfect. Thank you Vivian!

Videography - Captivated Films - We had been looking at his work for a long time so I am sure that the video will be fantastic! My daughter was not sure if she wanted to incur the extra expense of a video, but that and the photographs are the only things left when the day has come and gone. They are so professional and nice and it was a pleasure having them there.  Thank you Javier!

Photography - Vitalic Photo - My daugher searched high and low for photographers that would include the look that she wanted with the options that she needed at a price that would not exceed the budget - not an easy task at all! Lucky for us, my daughter's friend is getting married in Vero Beach and told her about VITALIC. I will let their work speak for itself. It has only been 5 days since the wedding and their blog is up.  Check it out! Nicki...words can not express my gratitude at the way you captured the love and celebration of my daughter's wedding day. You are so talented and I can't thank you enough! I am sure that the rest of the pictures will be just as wonderful as the ones you blogged. Thank you!

amichelleshort · November 2012

I had the worst experience with A Wedding Dream in Paradise! My Yelp review is below:

Don't use this company! There are so many reasons I would never, ever use this company if I had it to do over again, and I would never recommend them to another bride. I work in the customer experience field, albeit in a very different industry, and I can tell you this ranks among the worst that I've heard.

First off, Daylen was extremely difficult to deal with from the outset. My husband and I wanted to have the digital images of all of the photos from our wedding, and for whatever reason, this became an argument and multiple phone calls. This is probably when I should have canceled and made alternate plans.

Debbie was nicer to deal with in general, but she stressed my husband out so much so that he had to opt out of those conversations after the first couple. Debbie mentioned to us multiple times that we would want to have a "plan b" option for our wedding in case it rained. What was not mentioned was that we were getting married in RAINY SEASON, and not only that, but hurricanes were a possibility. I do not live anywhere near a coastline and have never even heard of "rainy season". I would never have thought to research such a thing, plus, what exactly did I pay them for? A good wedding consultant would have thoroughly explained all of the possibilities, even remote ones, as I can assure you that the weather was the last thing on my mind. What I have surmised from this is they weren't forthcoming because they didn't want me to change my mind and cancel the plans (read as they wouldn't get our money).

We paid extra for a violinist to play at the extremely small ceremony we had planned, but a tropical depression happened to hit the day of our wedding, literally. I have never experienced a storm like that in my life. There were tornadoes in a neighboring town! We had to cancel the violinist because we moved the wedding into our bungalow and there was simply no room. Daylen called me while I was at the salon with my family (being told the bridges to the island were going to be closed and that my officiant and photographer may not even make it...) and badgered me about canceling her. He repeatedly reminded me that the weather was not his fault (thanks for stating and then restating the obvious) and we would get zero back on that reservation. He then recommended that we change our date! I, of course, am not blaming these folks for the weather, but I do blame Daylen for his lack of professionalism and how he chose to treat me, the customer, as a result. The level of disrespect that he had for me was quite clear in every single one of our interactions, not just that phone call, which ended with me terminating the call while he scolded me.

Thankfully, the officiant & photographer arrived and were extremely sweet people. My family and I had a great day despite Daylen and the weather, and my husband and I made a fun memory out of something that could have been quite the opposite. I emailed Debbie afterwards (the only person we felt at all comfortable with) just to let her know how disappointed we were with our experience, and Daylen responded from her email address! Are you kidding me?! That kind behavior is just scary, to be honest. Needless to say, I had a terrible experience with this company.

DorkyGirl17 · November 2012

So hard to believe that our wedding came and went just about 2 wks. ago! We had an amazing day and it truly was the happiest day of both our lives. I don’t think either of us stopped smiling that entire day (even with some bumps along the way, everyone couldn’t believe how calm I was & how awesome things turned out considering we did everything from NJ J Here’s my reviews:Reception/Rehearsal breakfast- 660 Restaurant @ The Angler’s Boutique Resort: A++ This place was simply gorgeous! We loved the atmosphere around the hotel/restaurant--made for great pics. The food was AMAZING! Everyone kept telling us how much they loved the food. Berit, Domonique, & Stephanie were the best. Berit always responded super quick (such a sweetheart!) & Domonique & Stephanie handled our reception that night & were a big part in helping to smooth everything out.DOC/flowers- Alore Events Firm—Anna Noriega & Hazel: A++Omg I loved Anna! She was the biggest sweetheart & helped TREMENDOUSLY! I wouldn’t have known where to begin if it weren’t for her. She helped me find basically all of my vendors & always responded ASAP. Was soo happy to finally meet her when we rehearsed. Hazel was w/ us the entire wedding dy & she was also AMAZING! Super sweet & handled the issues we had w/ the DJ so I wouldn’t have to worry about anything. If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t have been such a calm bride J My bouquet & my BM’s looked amazing as well! Anna even added more sunflowers & gerbera daisies to my girls’ bouquets than we discussed.Officiant- Rev. Michael Calderin: A+Rev. Michael was great. We had a simple, short, non-denominational ceremony & loved how Rev. Calderin performed it. He has such a great personality & responds to emails super quick.Photography- Rubber Boots Photography: A++So happy that Anna recommended them! Tammy & Christine were soo amazing- from their personalities to their work! Whenever I emailed Christine during the yr. we were planning the wedding, she responded super quick. We had a ton of fun working w/ the sisters on our wedding day & can’t wait to see the rest of our photos! So want to work w/ them again for our 1 yr. anni. Videography- Reinhardt Productions: A+Marty responded really quick to my emails during the planning (Vendors got points for this since we didn’t meet anyone until the wedding day). Kenya was our videographer the day of the wedding & she was great. Can’t wait to see our video! Cake- Filled & Frosted: A+Brittany did a SUPER AMAZING job on our wedding cake. We knew we wanted something sand castle-y & it looked just like one. It tasted super yummy too! We’ve gotten a ton of compliments on what an awesome cake it was. Acoustic Guitarist: Guillermo Chumpitaz: A+Guille was great. He performed a handful or so of songs before/during/after our ceremony & the guests said he did a great job. Once we get the video I can hopefully actually hear the songs J He had a great personality too.Hair & Make-Up- Alore Ink—Danielle & Alex: A+This was my DOC, Anna’s company also & both girls did such an amazing job on our hair & make-up. My BM’s, Mom, MIL, & I loved their personalities & had a lot of fun spending the long prep time with them.Invites- Storkie.com: AGreat price...loved being able to personalize the invites to our style...came super fast in the mail w/o any issues & a great price. Chairs- Hitched Event Rentals: B+Chairs were nice & got them for a good price, but when I was going back & forth w/ one of the girls when we were going over pricing/set-up & what not, she took forever to respond back to my emails, so Anna had to get on top of her to get back to me. That’s the only reason they got below an A.STD’s, Programs, business cards for photoshare site– Vistaprint: A I love Vistaprint- we got a bunch of stuff from them w/ a Groupon- great price & quality was good too. Loved how everything came out. Cake topper- Etsy – Lynn Lambeth: A++I think this was one of my husband’s fav. things from the wedding. Lynn did an AMAZINGGG job on our cake topper! It was a clay topper of us w/ our 3 cats. This was one of the top compliments we got JOur clothes- Cubavera, David’s Bridal, Allure (through a local salon in NJ): A+The clothes from all 3 places were great...from price to how they all looked…loved ‘em… DJ- Uki Production: F------------ (w/ a big U added to there)Well, like they say- u get what u pay for…we were originally going to go w/ using our IPODs since we had a small guest list & sit down dinner, but we got a really cheap price & read good reviews (got ‘em through Gigmasters.com)…seriously, we shoulda stuck w/ the IPOD idea, but anyways here’s our brief summary—the owner responded really fast to all of my emails (no bad vibes yet)…wk. before the wedding, I asked him to have the DJ’s contact info. To go over song list & kept being told he’d call me…he finally did & seemed alright...morning before the wedding asking what time he was able to set up. I told him 5/5:15 according to our contract & itinerary w/ our DOC. So we walk into the cocktail hour @ 6:30 & realized there wasn’t a DJ set up. When I asked Hasel, she said she didn’t want to worry me, but she was on it & the DJ was stuck in traffic. I let it go & enjoyed myself. When we were about to sit for dinner (@ 7:45), I see a young looking kid & chick walk in w/ equipment & start setting up. Within about 10 min., I see them packing up. I asked if he was leaving & he (a few ppl. Thought he looked high as a kite) told me through a ton of “uhhhs,” that he forgot his power cords. My one MOH flipped on him & he said their office is in West Palm so he was just leaving. Hazel said she took care of it.. luckily they got our song list from him & downloaded half of the songs from our playlist. One of our good friends took over on the mic. When announcements had to be made & he did a better job than the DJ would have done J We made the best of it & everyone wound up having tons of fun regardless of the DJ issue. Still can’t believe how calm I was J Luckily, I got a full refund & left a lovely little review on Gigmasters, which the owner asked me a few times to alter b/c included the comment on how the DJ looked high, but Husband & I told him we won’t b/c his DJ ruined our night…. they don’t need to know that we wound up having an amazing night after all J

MiamiLove13 · January 2013

Our wedding was two weeks ago and I am so happy to report back to all of you that it was a great success and we are so happy with the way everything turned out. Because everyone's reviews were so helpful to me during my planning process, I wanted to come back and return the favor (I am also posting this to the stickied thread above).

As an FYI, our wedding was a traditional, Conservative Jewish wedding with glatt kosher food.

Also, I am not reviewing our photographer (Gregory Paul) and videographer (Martin Reinhardt) until we receive the final products. I think the reviews will be more helpful that way.

I am also waiting to review our florist/DOC (Vivian Colls) because we had some major issues with her that we are working to resolve and I would prefer waiting to review her until resolution of those issues.

Venue - Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center: A+ We held our ceremony at the synagogue at Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center and the reception at the attached ballroom (using the in-house caterer, Events by Premier, which is also awesome and reviewed below). This venue is just gorgeous. The synagogue is modern, clean, and very well-kept. The ballroom is prettier than all of the hotels we viewed. My husband fell in love with ATJC as soon as we walked in the doors. Even better than the appearance of ATJC is the way the staff operates. They are so professional, responsive , and warm. We were so happy we booked this venue and I highly recommend it to all Jewish couples!

Caterer - Events by Premier: A+ Events by Premier was one of the best vendors we hired. The catering director, Steven, is amazing. He is super responsive (often emailing me back within five minutes of my emails) and super warm and friendly. The glatt kosher food is so delicious and so well-done. We received non-stop compliments from our friends and family on the food. I really cannot say enough about how great Events is. If you are looking for an amazing kosher caterer, do not hesitate to use Events by Premier!!

Cake Baker - Gallery of Cakes: B+ Overall, Gallery of Cakes was great. Our initial tasting was very personalized and they were very responsive regarding design ideas throughout our wedding planning. The cake on our wedding day was yummy (maybe not quite as yummy as at the initial tasting but still very good nonetheless). We were very happy with the quality of the cake (particularly since finding a kosher parve cake that tastes good can be tricky). My one complaint was that the cake did not have the look I had requested. It was somewhat similar but not really what I had asked for. The taste of the cake was more important to me than the way it looked but it was a little disappointing to see something that wasn't what we had discussed on the day of the wedding. That being said, I would still recommend Gallery.

Hair/Makeup - Sissi Ceballo: A+ Sissi did both my hair and makeup as well as makeup for my bridesmaids and my mother. She did an amazing job on everyone and I can't say enough about how talented she is. She is so flexible and does not hesitate to change things or start over if the hair or makeup concept is not working. She was on time, efficient, and made my hair and eyes look unbelievable. I received so many compliments on my eyes and, based on the photos my photographer showed me, my makeup looked unbelievable. Sissi is one of the warmest, friendliest people I worked with while planning my wedding and she made getting ready an absolute joy. I would not hesitate to recommend her to anyone!

Band - The Music Machine: A We hired The Music Machine because we needed a band that could do a great mix of traditional Jewish music and fun, secular dance music. The Music Machine definitely delivered. Our guests were up and dancing all night. The selection of music this band could play was awesome and their performance was so great! Our guests were really complimentary of the band. Overall, they were fantastic and I would definitely recommend them to my friends.

My only complaint was that the band had told us initially that if we gave them songs not already in their repertoire with ample notice, they would learn the songs to play at the wedding. Well, three months prior to our wedding date, I sent them two specific songs (with sheet music and YouTube videos of the songs included). I requested that they learn and play these songs at the wedding. Instead of learning the songs, they played recordings of the songs and pretended to play/sing. It wasn't a huge deal. It was just annoying how they made it seem like they were going to learn and play these songs when they obviously did not.

Officiant - Rabbi Hector Epelbaum: A+ Our ceremony was amazing. I was blown away at how moving and meaningful Rabbi Epelbaum made our ceremony. Our guests continued to come up to us to tell us how they had never been to a ceremony like ours before. The rabbi conducted the ceremony in both English and Hebrew, which was great, and kept it very traditional while injecting some contemporary, modern aspects. Rabbi Epelbaum is fantastic and one of the nicest, warmest people I have ever met in my life.

Transportation - Holland Limo: A+ Holland was recommended by some fellow Knot members and I am so glad we hired them. We needed a one-way transport for our 10 person bridal party from the hotel to the venue (3 miles). They charged us $130 (tip and tax included), which was a great price! The limo was clean, new, and the driver was super polite and on time!

Invitations - Ruth Cohen Printing: A+ We were looking for a printer who could do invitaitons in English and Hebrew at a reasonable price. Ruth Cohen has a huge array of choices at every price point. I chose a beautiful design which was promptly printed and sent to us and then I added my own touches (ribbon and embellishment). Ruth was very easy to communicate with and was very responsive and quick to make changes and speak with me about my ideas. I would definitely recommend Ruth Cohen Printing.

Dress Boutique - Coral Gables Bridals: A+ I went into CG Bridals on a whim on a Saturday without an appointment and they very nicely accomodated me. I fell in love with a dress above my price range and they actually called me when the sample was available because they knew I wanted the dress. They gave me a fantastic deal and actually stored the dress free of charge for a year until my wedding date!

Dress Alterations - Alterations by Reina: B+ Reina is very sweet and warm. She works very quickly and is super responsive. My only complaint is that the ultimate fit of my dress was a little off. When she added a bra to my dress something about the fit of the bodice was never quite right and, despite her best efforts, it was still not right on the day of the wedding. It seemed that no one noticed but hopefully it did not affect the look of the dress in my photographs!

Custom Chuppah - Nahanni Rous, NahanniFabricArts (Etsy.com): A Nahanni makes gorgeous custom chuppahs and since we wanted a keepsake to hold on to forever, we hired her to create our chuppah. We actually had a major miscommunication over the design of the chuppah very close to the date of our wedding (which could have been disasterous) but Nahanni handled the situation beautifully and very professionally. When I received our chuppah in plenty of time before our wedding, I was so happy. It is gorgeous! I am so happy we hired her and have this beautiful keepsake as artwork for our home.

Ketubah - MP Artworks: A+ This company has ketubahs at all price points and styles. They were very easy to work with and shipped very quickly. Our ketubah is beautiful and we are so happy with the quality.

Stephynariel · February 2013

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_florida-south-florida_wedding-vendor-reviews?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:67Discussion:6a8a5b43-3fe9-43c9-aba9-47c130fbe6d2Post:92ec4ba4-6dd4-464f-8d6e-ca2c3a1f0e80">Re: Dyker Beach is truly the one!</a>:
[QUOTE]Calling All Brides and Grooms! No need to look any further. Your wedding dreams will all come true at the Dyker Beach Golf Course in Brooklyn. This venue is the epitome of class. Every person on the staff embodies the upmost professionalism and goes above and beyond to make all of your guests feel very well taken care of. The food was absolutely amazing. My husband is a chef and former employee of The Waldorf Astoria. He was extremely impressed with the menu and found the execution of the dinner service to rival if not surpass many banquets he had been apart of at the hotel. We were smiling from the time our bridal attendant and maitre d met us at our limo to welcome us until the time they made sure we were were enroute to our honeymoon. I can only wish the same feelings of happiness, warmth, and overall joy to everyone on their wedding day and I guarantee you will experience all of those feelings if you choose Dyker Beach to celebrate one of the most cherished moments of your life!
Posted by mzechowski[/QUOTE]

i think you are on the wrong board,

fastfoxx · March 2013

I used Ala Flowers for for my wedding September 21, 2012 and I just can't say enough on how absolutly amazing Wendy from Ala Flowers is. She really made my dreams come true. I had a vision of what I wanted for my wedding and she did EXACTLY that. I ened up getting a total of five different quotes for flowers and 4 of the vendors pretty much changed my idea of what I really wanted, not to metion the high and even outrageous quotes I received from them. When I went to Wendy for a consultation she seemed to really want help give me the vision that I had for the wedding. She also gave me a reasonable quote which was great because it really worked with my budget. Every time I think about the gorgeous center pieces she created I can't help but smile. They were truely spectacular and they made the large reception room look amazing. My bouquet was also very beautiful, I wanted to preserve it but it was too expensive to do that so I took a lot of pictures. I was supposed to give her a broach to put on the it before the wedding and never got a chance because I was just so, so, busy with all of the last minute details, and she added one for me which was the perfect touch. Also she ended up giving me some really pretty handmade sugar flowers that she had gotten from someone for my wedding cake. I am so glad I found her and decided to use Ala Flowers. I have and will continue to recommend her to everyone I know. She's really very talented and reliable and a great choice for a vendor.

dwilson120 · June 2013

Hi, I just met with Charles of by the sea weddings and he suggested eddy b as well. So you were happy with Charles and eddy b? Did u find after deposit for Charles that you could have rented the sets ups cheaper anywhere and did u do chairs? Thanks! What venue?

kdjj · June 2013

You would be better off to make a separate post to get responses.

[Deleted User] · June 2013

Vendor reviews!!

Simply Captivating and Captivated Films: A++ Wow! From our engagement shoot to the day of the wedding everything was done so perfect, so professionally and so beautifully that I simply cannot believe I was able to afford them. Truly amazing work, Melissa and Javier bring out the beauty and details in every shot and play with the angles in such a way that it just looks so breath taking. My husband and I actually enjoyed taking pictures because you are so comfortable and it is so natural. They really made us feel great and were very quick with the turn over! We received our photos in less than a month!!

Just Chic Wedding and Event Planning: A++ Another gem that I am soooooooo happy I came across! I was planning to do everything myself the day of so I found Heather kind of last minute (for me as I'm such a planner) and I'm glad she was available and that it worked out. She works like she's been doing this for years!!! So professional, so knowledgeable, and so bubbly and great to be around, Heather and Nichole really felt like a part of the family during this process. They got every details (and more) that we wanted and hid behind the scenes without even being noticed by our guests. I truly could not have done it without them

DJ Ubi: A+ The only reason that I didn't give a ++ is because we didn't get DJ Ubi himself, which I was originally a bit bummed about but the DJ he sent was truly awesome. He played all the music we wanted, knew when to change something up, and spoke just enough without being overly obnoxious and ruining the dancing like some djs have done in other weddings I've gone to. The uplighting was perfect and made the room look great. Another affordable gem that I will definitely recommend.

Miami Beach Resort and Spa: A This one doesn't get a + just because it was often a bit of a headache dealing with the catering manager, but in the end it all came through beautifully and the venue was breath taking and very original. We had our reception in the Starlight room which has floor to ceiling windows and a panoramic view of Miami Beach. I couldn't have imagined a more mystical venue!

Meilan Limousines: A Also another success, however; they were very adamant that the car could not be kept running if I needed to wait until all guests were inside the church. They were prompt, came with a bottle of champagne, and the car was flawless, so they get an A in my book!

Flowers by Vivian Coll: A I never even met Vivian face to face! We only spoke over the phone, exchanged emails tons of times with photos and even still she was able to meet and exceed my expectations and vision. Her style is very modern and classy, and she can adjust to fit any budget. She really went above and beyond. I never even asked for arrangements for the church, and she included them. It was all done so perfectly!

St. Patrick's Catholic Church: A+ They request one of highest "donations" of any of the Catholic churches in Miami; however, it was large enough to fit my 200 guests, it was Cathedral style so fit the image I was going for, and next to my dream reception venue. They require you have copies of all your sacraments, which we did not have so it was a bit difficult to obtain, but very worth it. The church is stunning and with the horns they have there it sounded great!

I guess I'm a lucky girl, everything went well and all my vendors received an A!!!

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