Need PA advice for the mag!

Knot Annie · January 2011

Hey Central PA Knotties,
We’re looking for your best secrets/advice for our magazine. For example, vendors you loved, advice you couldn’t have planned your wedding without, anything! Post it below and thanks in advance!

Knot Annie

ambercurt · January 2011

The key is to create a realistic budget and stick to it as best as possible. We are actually right on budget at the moment, and it makes the whole process less stressful. Dig into your budget breakdown to find little ways to save, because small savings here and there add up quickly.

Also, create a list of sites that have great deals and search them as often possible. We have really saved by buying used or waiting until things go on sale. Research, research, research, and start early!

SCBojangles1138 · January 2011

I'm originally from the York area and I just discovered that the papers published by Engle Printing (Community Courrier, Merchandiser, Penny Saver) will print your engagement and wedding announcements for free and send you a wedding planning guide full of local vendors.

"http://www.engleonline.com/AdDesk/Htmlfiles/Home/Home.htm"

And the wedding planner link for the electronic version is
http://issuu.com/engleprintingandpublishing/docs/weddingplanner2011?viewMode=magazine

Here are some up and coming vendors that I have really enjoyed:
Kerry's Green (formerly the Red Lion Country Club) owned and catered by Dave Briggs/Southern Country Catering. http://southerncountycatering.com/
Very friendly service and delicious food!!!!

Sugar Plums and Tea
http://www.sugarplumsandtea.com/
Chef Paul Lenyo always has a delectable menu. In addition to the tea room, there is space to host a shower or he'll cater and come to you!

In White Bridal, Lancaster, PA - The shop has only been around for a year but owner Sherri has an excellent selection, a wide price range, and great service.

For those who live along the Susquehanna river, don't rule out boat/yacht clubs as a potential venue, especially in the off season. I'm hosting a bridal shower at one near my house and I would have never thought of it if my mother hadn't suggested it!

stameycr · January 2011

I cannot say enough good thigns about Taylored For You Bridal in Mechanicsburg, Taylor has been so great, her shop is adorable, and her dress selection is fantasic.

For our Rehearsal dinner we are renting one of the cottage at the Hotel Hershey- you get your own cottage space and your own s'mores pit! Yumm!

For the wedding party transportation on the day of, we are renting the Hershey Trolley. It will be a great way to travel together, and should make for some great picstures!

brownhenry · January 2011

My best advice is to save before you set the date! Make a serious realistic budget and don't go broke planning the wedding. It get expensive and fast and I didn't realize how quickly it would actually add up.

Also have fun, you only do this once and there is no point in stressing over one day because something is going to go wrong whether you like it or not. Although I still have 4 months left I have already braced myself for something to go wrong that day!

Do research on your possible vendors. Come on The Knot and ask if anyone has any reviews of the vendors your looking into. Ask the vendors if they can give you any recommendations from other brides.

I'm only going to do three reviews because I haven't had much contact with my other vendors yet.

Solas Photography, Carlisle PA- They are great and I highly recommend them! Very understanding and wonderful husband and wife team to work with, they took our e-pics and I can't wait until they do our wedding!

The Barn at Flying Hills, Reading PA- Beautiful and very affordable place where we will be having our wedding. The people are very nice there too

Renaissance Bridal- I bought my dress from them they have beautiful dresses and I was treated like a princess there. They let me come back more then once when I wasn't sure about my dress and they remembered exactly which dress it was without anything being written down. All of their consultants were super nice too!

mb2712 · January 2011

My best advice is research, research, research!

I can't say enough about my vendors:

Photographer: Solas Photography- Husband and wife team that are afforable and professional! They do great work!

DJ: Adam McCallister from Birdsnest Productions- He is a FANTASTIC DJ and he does a sports talk show in the morning.

Florist: Karen's on Country Road- Karen is awesome, and she's very, very nice. She is full of ideas and can do anything with your colors!

Videographer: Birdhouse Productions, Natalie Fava- I struck out with every videographer until Natalie. They were either rude or non-responsive. Natalie has been incredible, and her work is supurb!!

Photobooth: Katy Trefty- Her photobooth is so much fun! I can't wait to have it at my reception!

We are still working on a cake baker, so I can't recommend one of those

I searched and searched and search until I found the BEST at what I was looking for!

redtails22 · January 2011

I agree with PP. Do your research. There are plenty of free publications on vendors at Turkey Hill and other mini marts, I was so surprised of this.

I too am using Karen on Country Road and she is amazing. She is full of wonderful ideas and very helpful plus she knows how to stretch flowers to make your dreams come true and stay in budget!

Another vendor I recommend highly is The Flour Child in Columbia Pa. Alixe is making our cake and she is amazing. She is very well priced and so talented not to mention her cakes are so yummy!

cmng2703 · January 2011

I agree with the PP:

We are also having our cupcake made by Alixe with The Flour Child in Columbia. She is so nice and easy to work with. Her work is amazing and tastes great!

We also booked the above DJ that was mentioned; Adam McCallister with Birdnest Productions. He is so great to work with, super helpful and his prices are great!

Our reception is being held at Perfet Settings in Columbia. It is the "perfect" place for a smaller wedding. Daisy, the owner is amazing to work with. She is available any day, any time and gives you opinions and help whenever needed. She has been wonderful!

Our photographer is Frank King Photography in Dover. He has a ton of experience (he had done my moms senior pictures) and we were really pleased when we saw his work. We just got our engagement pictures done and were really happy with them. His prices are also very reasonable.

rumer1017 · January 2011

Someone told me no one notices the little details but you. For us that was true, no one missed favors, monogram napkins, enormous table arrangements and lighting schemes - we cut small things and saved a lot of money by going with smaller vendors/small business owners. TRUST your vendors! I put my faith in them and let them do their thing - this is their business (do your research though and trust your gut). It served my own sanity and theirs to let them do their job. I was a much happier bride. It is very hard to do but they know what they're doing!

People tend to remember cake, dinner and dancing. As much is this day is about your marriage, if you're having a reception you should want your guests to have fun and enjoy themselves too.

I got my dress at Tara's Bridal in Camp Hill - it's a sample store. I got my dream dress for a 1/3 of the price and they were wonderful to work with.

We used Liz Jordan for flowers; she worked around our budget and by sticking with in season flowers we were able to get the look we wanted at a great price.

We wanted cake that tasted delicious and we went with Schenk's Bakery in Linglestown. I gave them a picture from a Martha Stewart Wedding book and was blown away and it tasted really, really good. I hate when the cake looks amazing and doesn't taste good!

I also hired a day of coordinator - Amy Bell. She was amazing. I had no concept of how to develop the timeline and she took care of everything.

I think being realistic about what you can afford and what your expectations for the day are will help you get exactly what you want. We decided that our photos were really important so we spent more money there and hiring a pro make-up artist (Carmina Cristina was a must have!) was important to me as well. Todd Spitler was our photographer and he was amazing.

CLMaiorino · January 2011

Don't be afraid to do things yourself. I was determined to do inexpensive invitations. I can't justify spending hundreds on them. I found a free template to download online and personalized to match our wedding. It is perfect. It just takes time and a litlte extra work to do things on your own. Enlist the help of the creative people in your life.
Be wise about how you spend your money. It goes so quickly when wedding planning. Like the others said, do your research.

djoann958 · January 2011

I am a MOB and I have to recommend Taylored for You fro MOB dresses. Great selection of Jade and Jade Couture gowns. Taylor is wonderful to work with and I can't wait to wear my beautiful dress next month!

jallen8 · February 2011

Keep an open mind! I would have never chosen the style or shape of my wedding dress if I had not been open to my consultant's suggestion that I try it on - plus, I thought I wanted to order a new dress, but buying the sample saved me 50%. Putting trust in wedding professionals with whom you feel comfortable pays off, because often they pleasantly surprise you with ideas you've never considered.

JunePAbride · February 2011

I would have to agree with all of the previous postings for Taylored for You Bridal in Mechanicsburg, PA. Taylor is AWESOME! I was at a loss for bridesmaids dresses, I just couldn't find any I loved, and I stopped in her store to browse, and she was awesomel. She had dresses that I fell in love with instantly, she's super friendly and accomodating, and super easygoing. I found my hair piece and veil from her also, and my mom got her dress there. Had I not already found a dress I loved, I probably would have purchased my dress from her, too. In general, I found that using the local bridal boutiques was the way to go, over the larger chains. I found a dress that I never would have thought I'd pick until I tried it on, and it's unique and different, at Gowns By Design in Mechainicsbug. My bridesmaids LOVE their dresses, they are beautiful and different and fun. I just found that the attention and the service I received at the two local shops was above and beyond the service I got at the chains I tried, and the selection was different and unique.

DJKlock Entertainment is awesome. I would recommend them hands down to anyone.

The Garden Path in Harrisburg is great, specifically Lisa. She has already given me TONS of great ideas, and has made the flower planning fun and exciting.

Rev. Judith Gausch is also amazing. She is helping us do a customized non-religious ceremony that is based on US and who WE are, not what is expected or customary, so our ceremony is going to be wonderful. I can't wait to meet with her and plan the final details of our ceremony.

Need PA advice for the mag!

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