I just got married this past Sunday and I cannot express how wonderful my wedding day was. It was the absolute best party/wedding I, the husband and many others have ever been to. The day went by way too fast.
Transportation - Princess Limo - A++++++:They were phenomenal!! Victor, my driver was an absolute doll and knew exactly what to do. They arrived at my location 20 minutes early. Right when we arrived at the church, Victor made sure that everyone was in the church and seated before I got out of the limo. He made sure that no one saw me before walking down the isle. He was there to walk me through the last minute nerves before entering the church. I will say he was much more than just your typical limo driver and I would highly recommend him and Princess Limos to anyone.
Transportation - Salon Salon Limos - B:This limo was used to pick the groom and his party up from the hotel to the church, then to transport the parents, flower-girl and ring bearer to the photo locations and venue. They were typical limo company and were just okay. Nothing to brag about. We used Salon Salon for my bachelorette party also and I was a little disappointed with them. Our driver was super nice and sweet, and the quality of service had nothing to do with him. Once we got into the limo the the Ipod connector didn't work in the limo and the only station that would come in without any static was Lite 105...that's a downer. Then the TV/DVD player in the limo was upside down, so no movie either.
Venue - Newport Marriott - A++++++++:If I had to do my wedding all over again, I would do at the Newport Marriott again in a heartbeat. I know it's your typical hotel ballroom, but our wedding venue looked stunning once everything was set up with uplighting, chiavari chairs, linens, centerpieces, etc. The staff there are just so unbelievably amazing and accommodating. Jennie Haywood in sales and events was great, easy to talk to and work with. Mary Ellen and Crystal our wedding co-ordinators were the best. They were by my side throughout the whole entire night and made sure that me and the husband were taken care of every second of the night. They were so great, during cocktail hour, they ended up taking care of 3 of my 8 bridesmaids that got a little carried away with the alcohol in the limo. They also took cleaned up our trashed honeymoon suite...my husbands groomsmens thought it would be hilarious to trash our suite, crank up the heat to 90, take out and hide all of the light bulbs, order porno on our tv and many other things. Mary Ellen and Crystal went upstairs and cleaned and straighten out everything. The food was EXCELLENT! The best food I have ever had at a wedding and I have been to many weddings. People were raving about the food. The cake was also included in our package and it was simply amazing, beautiful and delicious. It was buttercream frosting with lemon chiffon and mixed berries and one tier of apple caramel. People also raved about the cake. The wedding package already comes with 3 hours of open bar. My husband and I only had to extend it for another 2 hours. The Marriott was the most decent priced venue in the Newport area that accomadated all of our needs.
Florist - Golden Gate Florist - A+: my flowers were absolutely beautiful. I got 15 centerpieces, 9 bouquets, 8 bouts, 2 reader bouts, 1 place card/guestbook table centerpiece, 2 mother bouqs, and other little things for under $1600. It was a STEAL!!!!! The owner, Jay and his staff are so easy and nice to work with. I highly recommend them.
Entertainment - Larry from Engagements - A++++++: Pricey, but soooo well worth it. You definitely pay for what you get. Larry had the dance floor jammed all night long. People were even dancing during dinner. He is such a nice guy. He always made sure that we were ready for everything before playing any of the main songs (father/daughter, cake song, mother/son, etc). He played pretty much all of our songs that we requested and didn't play any of the "Do Not Play List". Highly, highly recommend Larry from Engagements.
Photog - Linda Hawkins - A++++++++: What can I say, Linda is amazing to work with. She was like a long lost friend; we connected immediately. I still haven't recieved any of my pictures, but she did send me a sneak peak of them the very next day after my wedding...they were so beautiful, that I teared up. Pricey, but you definitely pay for what you get and Linda so far has definitely been worth every penny. Here is the link to Linda's Blog:
http://lindahawkinsphotography.com/blog/
Just scroll down and our pictures are under Kathy and Brian - Married.
Hope this has been useful. Good Luck to you all and I hope your wedding day is amazing!