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!
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++++++++++++ (with no doubt the photos will be more than perfect!)
www.michellelawson.com
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++++++++++++++++ (pending video which again I have no doubt it will be amazing)
www.michellelawson.com
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 11th 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.