I was very lucky to have a completely smooth, as stress free as possible, wedding weekend and I think it is mostly due to my vendors!
Rehearsal Dinner: Muriel's Jackson Square Restaurant - A+
They were wonderful! We had a reception style dinner and access to the main balcony that overlooks Jackson Square. All I heard all night was how amazing the food was and we couldn't get anyone off the balcony. The staff was helpful and friendly.
Carriages: Royal Carriages - A+ www.neworleanscarriages.com
We used carriages to take our wedding party from the rehearsal to the dinner. We had about 6 carriages and the best part was that we all got our own private tours of the Quarter before arriving to Muriel's. They were on time, waiting for us when we got out of our rehearsal. The drivers were friendly and made us feel special. They do a lot of this type of service, as well as tours so if you don't use them for your wedding, take a tour. Plus, they are great to their animals. They treat them like family.
Ceremony & Reception: Aquarium of the Americas - A+
Overall we had a great experience. I worked with Vivian and she was sweet, accommodating, and easy to get in touch with. There were a few small bumps in the road, but they were easily fixed so the night of everything went off without a hitch. The food was unique and delicious. We had lamb chops, stir fry action station, brisket sandwiches and coleslaw from the Ugly Dog (my husbands favorite), and they were willing to get creative and make things that they do not regularly offer, like pairing the brisket with the coleslaw. We had three meetings, we developed the layout together and everything looked flawless that night. The only draw back is that if you want tables other than 60" round you have to rent them and the linens. We had to rent the cocktail and highboys, but it was worth it.
Candle Decor & Planning: Luminous Events of New Orleans - A+
www.luminouseventsnola.com
Lisa, her husband and her assistant were what made this whole thing run so smoothly. We were in touch for the entire year leading up to the wedding and 2 weeks out she took over everything. She contacted my vendors, coordinated their arrivals and pick ups, picked up food for my suite, picked up the coleslaw for the reception, went to my room and picked up all of the favors, photos, etc... for the reception while I was on my way to my rehearsal. They did it all and for a reasonable price. She also made sure to collect all of my stuff at the end of the night, kept if while I was on my honeymoon and got it all to me yesterday. Plus she is sweet, friendly and extremely organized.
Her candle decor was beautiful too! We had only candles, and no flowers except for bouquets and bouts. We got so many compliments on how it set the mood and made things inviting and romantic. She even took an idea I had for using coral and brought it to the next level. I was so in love with everything she did.
Photography: Josh Hailey - A www.joshhaileyweddings.com
I am very happy with my pictures and we got them very quickly. You have to want something different if you are working with him. He came to my rehearsal and wedding. Before the rehearsal we took some engagement style photos around the Cathedral. He takes pictures with his camera and some with his iPhone which were very cool! He was friendly and after the wedding actually went out with some of our friends and they all loved him. While his style is unique, he also made sure to take the traditional pictures that you want on your wedding day.
Videography: Chad Dyle Productions -A+ www.chaddyleproductions.com
Love them! Chad came to our wedding and...haven't seen the video, but I am sure it will be amazing. They were there for every special moment, but at the same time I wasn't really even aware of it. I had no clue they were even at my ceremony! They were on time, helpful, and worked well with my photographer. I was also always able to get in touch with Kelly, who I spoke with leading up to the wedding and she was so sweet and helpful. I had some crazy requests and she was honest about whether they could do them or not, as well as generally supportive.
Hair & Make-Up: Just Face It - A+ www.justfaceitbeauty.com
Awesome, awesome, awesome! Both Jessica and Angele were so easy to work with and everyone looked beautiful. If there were any changes that my BMs wanted they were happy to accommodate them. They were on time and even waited around a little until my video and photographer got there because they were so efficient they finished everyone a little early. Jessica was always easy to get in touch with and did exactly what I asked. One of my favorite pictures so far is of me after the reception because my hair and make up are still looking good even after dancing and sweating for 3 hours. I cannot recommend them enough!
Flowers: Christina O'Malley - A
I was very happy with her flowers, she was great to work with, and her prices are reasonable. I changed things over and over and she just rolled with it. I also did not have any ceremony flowers or centerpieces and she gave me the same attention I would imagine she would give someone who wanted the works. The only thing I was disappointed with was that the hydrangeas drooped in my BMs bouquets, but I'm not entirely convinced that it had anything to do with the florist. It may have just been those flowers.
Wedding Cake: Gambino's Bakery - A+
The cake was delivered on time, beautiful and delicious. I gave them a picture of what I wanted and they duplicated it perfectly! They are easy to work with and their prices are great too.
Groom's Cake: Randazzo's - A+
There was absolutely no king cake left!! It was a huge hit! And the cost is minimal. They do not deliver, but if you can arrange to have someone pick it up it is totally worth it.
Dress: Bridal Boutique of Baton Rouge - A www.bridalboutiquebr.com
I only went on weekdays because I heard it is chaos on the weekends. I never experienced that. They were so helpful and very friendly. I had one bump in the road when the wrong veil came in, but they fixed it immediately.
Tuxedos: John's Tuxedo - A www.johnstuxedos.com
Overall I was very happy with them. We had a small problem with my husband's tux because it was way too big, but they had their tailor alter it in the store and it was ready in 45 minutes. I recommend you have your guys try on their tuxes at the store just in case. Their tuxedos are high quality and we rented 9 tuxes and only 1 didn't fit.
Room Blocks: Westin at Canal Place - A+
We didn't have anything but our room block here, but they treated us as though we were having our wedding and reception there. They were helpful with anything we needed and handed out our OOT gifts at the desk. They also have a very convienent website that allows your guests to book online and you can check the site to see who has booked, etc... It was also nice having Canal Place attached because I got my make-up done at one of the Saks make-up counters (free if you ask for a consultation) and I bought jewelry for the rehearsal because I forgot mine at home!
Out of Town Guest Gifts: Lagniappe for Your Event, LLC - A+ www.lagniappeforyoureventllc.vpweb.com
We used this company to create our OOT gift boxes. They found and bought the things that we wanted, typed up and printed the itinerary, as well as personalized a must see in New Orleans list for us. I got tons of compliments from the guests who not only thought they were put together nicely, but really appreciated the snacks and info. They delivered them to the hotel for us so they were there when we got there.
Hope you all find this helpful!!! Happy planning!