Tell us about your vendors!!!!

neuderke · August 2011

Ceremony
Ceremony Site -- STA A+
Officiant
Ceremony Music

Reception
Reception Site -- Kellogg Center A+
Caterer
Chair Covers/Linens -- Doves in Flight -- C
Bakery -- Roma Bakery A+
DJ -- Moonlighting -- C
Favors -- Theknot.com A+
Lighting

Other
Rehearsal Dinner -- Trippers A+
Limo --MSU Transportation A++
Florist -- Delta Florist F! Horrible. DO NOT USE EVER. Ruined my wedding basically. I was in tears. UGLY
DOC
Miscellaneous equipment

Photography
Photographer -- Bak Photography A+
Videographer
Photobooth
Picture Locations
Engagement Pictures

Beauty / Attire
Rings -- Zales
Wedding dress -- Fantastic Finds A+
Alterations -- Loi Loung B-
Tuxes -- Men's Wearhouse A+
Bridesmaid Dresses -- Black Market White house
Hair -- Panapolous IN EL B+
Makeup ChromaMakeup A++++

Paper
Save the Dates -- Private friend A+
Invites -- Private friend A+
Programs/Menus -- NONE

Noellemae · August 2011

Ceremony
Ceremony Site - Chapel at Hawk Hollow ($1200) - I would recommend this venue 100 times over, the coordinator Shannon is fantastic and the site itself is neutral and beautiful.
Officiant - Kya Rose ($130) - Kya is a wonderful woman!
Ceremony Music - String Theory ($250) - Communication wasn't really everything I'd hoped for, but overall I was happy with the performance.

Reception
Reception Site - Hawk Hollow Lakeview Room ($800) - Looks plain when you tour it, but once you decorate it looks terrific. A lot of natural light and a pretty view, plus you get access to the terrace. Melissa is wonderful and attentive.
Caterer - Hawk Hollow (about $6500, including special order alcohol) - We had nothing but rave reviews about the food, there were plenty of wait staff and bartenders that service went quickly and smoothly.
Chair Covers/Linens - Weddings by Nicole ($600) - Excellent communication, set up, and very easy to work with.
Bakery - Naomi at Hawk Hollow ($250) - The cake also received rave reviews. Not at all dry like most wedding cakes, the frosting was delicious and she did a beautiful job decorating it.
DJ - Tunes by T ($1225) - we paid extra to have T himself, and it was well worth the money. T was a great emcee for the evening, was able to switch gears quickly and smoothly when we had to make a change mid-evening, and was overall a great guy.
Favors - Hershey Kisses in organza bags ($75 total) - for those Michigan brides living in Miami, Chan's Silk Flowers has all sized organza bags for $2 per dozen. Worth the trek to Hialeah, and they're great quality.
Lighting - Tunes by T (included in DJ package) - I was worried about the lighting because I didn't want to have my reception feel like a Halloween party. T's lighting was tasteful and elegant.

Other
Rehearsal Dinner - Dusty's Cellar Bordeaux Room (approx. $3000) - Dusty's always has great service, and this dinner was no exception.
Florist - Petal & Forest ($1500) - We didn't want to spend a lot on flowers, but Dawn did a tremendous job providing us with beautiful, expensive looking centerpieces and was able to give me the all-calla lily bouquet I wanted in my budget. She was able to give us more for less than the bigger area florists.

Photography
Photographer - Edwards Photography ($2500) - Ron, jr. (and his second photographer Chance) is hands down the best wedding photographer ever. Period.
Engagement Pictures - Edwards Photography (included in wedding package)

Beauty / Attire
Rings - Medawar Frandor ($4000) - Eli is a fantastic designer and was able to take my chicken-scratch drawing for how I wanted my wedding ring to look and turn it into a great piece of jewelry. His prices are excellent.
Wedding Dress - Beckers Bridal ($1100) - I didn't go anywhere else, so I can't really make a comparison, but I was very happy with Beckers through the whole process.
Alterations - Fantastic Alterations ($100) - Kelly did a tremendous job. My dress came in huge, and she worked her magic to make it fit like a glove. I was an OOT bride, and she was able to work around my travel schedule, too. Highly recommended.
Tuxes - Baryames Tuxedo ($145/tux, groom free) - Great service. A couple of the tuxes came in with brown shoes and they were able to get the correct shoes the same day.
Bridesmaid Dresses - Beckers Bridal ($200) - Also very happy with the bridesmaid side of Beckers.
Hair - Douglas J Exchange ($250) - Tess is marvelous. As an OOT bride, they did two different trials, and each time I was thrilled. Day-of was even better. They also give you a couple of free gifts, which was fun.
Makeup - VixiDust Designs ($120) - Airbrush make up is the way to go if you sweat like an animal (I do). Angela is a very talented make up artist.

Paper

Save the Dates - MagnetStreet.com ($130) - If I had to do it again, I would have skipped the magnet STD's in favor of postcards. The quality was great, though, so if you have your heart set on magnets, they're a great vendor.
Invites - ExclusivelyWeddings.com ($330) - Excellent quality for not a lot of money. If you sign up for emails, they'll send out coupon codes frequently and you'll save even more.
Programs/Menus - DIY ($100) - I bought a ream of cardstock and some ribbon at Michaels. Easy-peasy.

cynthiaup · September 2011

My wedding was June 30, 2012.

Ceremony
Ceremony Site - MSU Gardens-Anniversary Garden-VERY beautiful! but HOT!!!
Officiant - Pam Klusak-AWESOME!!! She was just great!
Ceremony Music - I had my cousin play his guitar and ukelele.

Reception
Reception Site - Lansing Center-Very good! The food was good, the staff was good, and the room was big enough to fit all my guests!!!
Caterer- Lansing Center-good food-loved the strawberry coleslaw
Chair Covers/Linens - Lansing Center
Bakery- family member
DJ - Nightwatch Productions-pretty good

Favors- - candy buffet
Lighting - Lansing Center

Other
Rehearsal Dinner - Harper's-it was alright. They set up a very nice room with really nice decorations, but the service wasn't the greatest.
Limo - none, we all carpooled
Florist - Smith Floral-VERY good!!! They understood my vision and my flowers were gorgeous!

Photography
Photographer- Pictured Poetry Photography-I can't wait to see my pics!
Picture Locations - the gardens, the lansing center, MBC

Beauty / Attire
Rings-JB Robinson and Zales-both very good
Wedding dress - Fantastic Finds-LOVE!
Alterations-Amanda
Tuxes-Baraymes-Good!
Bridesmaid Dresses- Alfred Angelo, they ordered themselves from their local stores. pretty dresses
Hair-Salon Meridian-very good!
Makeup-Salon Meridian- good

Paper
Save the Dates snapfish
Invites - homemade
Programs/Menus - also homemade

Even though we did a lot ourselves, our wedding still was around 13,000-15,000!!! I can't believe how expensive weddings can be! Good Luck ladies!!!

stacydimmick · September 2011

Wedding is next May, still have some areas to cover!

Ceremony
Ceremony Site Grace United Methodist Church
Officiant My uncle
Ceremony Music family musicians

Reception
Reception Site The Spartan Club
Caterer Spartan Signature Catering
Chair Covers/Linens TBD
Bakery TBD
DJ   Jammin DJ's
Favors Photobooth pics
Lighting TBD

Other
Rehearsal Dinner   Walnut Hills
Limo TBD
Florist TBD

Photography
Photographer Kyle Bultman Photography

Picture Locations Lansing and East Lansing
Engagement Pictures   Did them in Kansas, where we live. RJ Stills

Beauty / Attire
Rings C Kirk Root Designs
Wedding dress Beckers Bridal
Alterations TBD
Tuxes TBD
Bridesmaid Dresses Priscilla of Boston Vineyard 1505
Hair and Makeup All Tressed Up

Paper
Save the Dates DIY and Magnets.com
Invites DIY Smartpress paper and envelopes.com
Programs/Menus   DIY

MC+SL · October 2011

Ceremony
Ceremony Site- Emanuel Lutheran Church, Lansing MI: $250 for members includes church and organist. This is the church I grew up in and is absolutely beautiful.
Officiant- Brother-in-law
Ceremony Music – Pastor’s wife

Reception
Reception Site – Perspective 2, $1800 for 4-midnight day of and 2-7 day before for setup. While this place is really unique and cool, they are very hard to work with. Be warned that EVERYTHING is an add-on and little costs will arise throughout your process. They are not flexible or willing to go above and beyond. Even though the place was beautiful and fun, if I had to do it over I don’t think I would have booked there due to the headache it was working with them. The cost for renting this place does not equal the value you get out of it. Be warned…
Caterer – Morton’s Fine Catering, around $5000 for 140 people with desserts and appetizers. Beth and her team were AMAZING. I know I'm biased because it was my wedding but, the food was excellent, and the best wedding food I have ever had. Beth was really easy to work with and helped us get the meal we wanted and even got us special items, like cider and donuts! Even when we had an issue with the hall Beth was there to save the day and work around it so that we didn’t have any issues. My new husband works in Lansing politics and has had their food many times is will also be recommending Morton’s to all of his colleagues as well. I HIGHLY recommend Beth and Morton’s to every bride; they will make everything go so smoothly and it was perfect, thanks Beth!
Chair Covers/Linens – Worked through my wedding planner for linens through BBJ. $375. Just table linens in a variety of colors and lengths
Bakery – Friend made my cake as my wedding present. Was amazing!!
DJ – W.E.D. $650 (discount because booked multiple services) Matt was a great DJ, he really knew how to get, and keep, everyone on the dance floor and keep the evening moving! What I really liked about Matt is that he felt the mood in the room and played the right music at the right time and picked great fill in songs - when my mother-in-law disappeared and we had to wait to cut the cake even though the song was already playing, or when the slideshow went longer than the music I picked, he just kept on going like it was planned. If you're looking for a DJ who will help make your day go smoothly and not be one of those loud and obnoxious DJs, then Matt is your guy! I would recommend Matt to everyone looking for a talented DJ!
Favors – Cookies and candy table
Lighting – W.E.D – awesome wedding planner and decorator,helped with everything!

Other
Rehearsal Dinner- Wall Nut Hills Country Club (not sure on cost, grooms family paid, but I know it was pretty reasonable. I think $30/person)
Limo- none
Florist – Family friend $1000
DOC – I had full wedding planning and décor by W.E.D. In short, I don’t know what I would have done without her. I used Lynn for full wedding planning and décor. There is no way our wedding would have been everything that I dreamed of without Lynn. She spent countless hours helping me plan, think of ideas, and nail down every possible detail to ensure that everything went smoothly. I initially met with Lynn and decided that I really needed her as my wedding planner. I’m one of those people who just “knows” when they meet someone, and Lynn was exactly what I was looking for. (It helped that she already had great reviews!) At first my mother was hesitant about hiring a wedding planner or anyone to do the decor because she felt that we could do it on our own. After a two hour long decoration and wedding detail meeting with Lynn, my mother left it saying, “thank goodness you have Lynn, because there is no way I could do all of that.” The Sunday after the wedding, my mom sighed and said, “you know what, I’m really glad you had a wedding planner. She made it a lot more fun for us”. I wanted a unique wedding that wasn’t just your ordinary “flowers in a vase” wedding. I met with other planners and decorators and no else seemed to get the vision that I had or was willing to help me pull all my ideas together. Lynn pulled everything together and made everything come to life. I had many people come up to me and my parents saying that it really was one of the most unique, fun, and best weddings they had ever been to and it was really all because of Lynn. Everything went smoothly (at least I didn’t know if anything went wrong) and Lynn (and her team) helped me pull of the perfect wedding for us! Thanks Lynn, you are truly a lifesaver and I recommend every future bride to book Lynn.
Miscellaneous equipment

Photography
Photographer – Chris Amos Photography – Chris was AMAZING and did our engagement and wedding.
Videographer - none
Photobooth- Extra fee at Perspective 2 to use their “photoroom” with props and everything. Our guests thought this was really fun.
Picture Locations – State Capital and Old Town Lansing
Engagement Pictures – Chris Amos

Beauty / Attire
Rings – Groom’: online at Amazon (1/2 price compared to jeweler) Mine needed to be custom made and Arendsen Jewelers did an amazing job
Wedding dress – The Wedding Bell was great! I actually found the dress that I wanted a different bridal salon, but because they were so busy and I waited for 20 minutes for someone to help lace me up, I ended up walking away from that store without buying. Then I went to the Wedding Bell with my family and tried on the same dress and re-fell in love with it. Service really matters and they have service down. I also would have bought my bridesmaids dresses from there, but the girls found a different dress they liked at another store. The Wedding Bell was great and I recommend them to every bride looking for her dress. Alterations S & Sue Tailors in Mason. Was REALLY reasonable $120 for alterations and they do an amazing job. They did my sister’s wedding dress as well.
Tuxes- Barayames was reasonably priced and my husband got his tux for free. They did call me a few times to let me know who had and hadn’t reserved their tux and to confirm the order right before the wedding. I know that they guys looked great, but a heard a couple of them complaining about the cleanliness of the shirts, otherwise, everything was fine. Bridesmaid Dresses – David’s Bridal, $100, the dresses were reasonable and since everyone was all over the country it worked out well working with them.
Hair –Lindsie McDougal, came to my parent’s house and did all of the girls hair. My aunt did my hair. Lindie did an amazing job.
Makeup- Lindsie also did my mom and my airbrush makeup. She only charged $50/person and did a really good job. The makeup stayed all day and looked great!

Paper
Save the Dates - $90, magnets from newandblue.com
Invites – Wedding Paper Divas $300
Programs/Menus – self! $60

gailpete · October 2011

tewellti- you may want to post this is a new thread. I'm sure a lot of brides come to this thread after posting their reviews.

smsnow26 · October 2011

Ceremony
Ceremony Site - Hawk Hollow Chapel
Officiant - Andrew Courtright of Hastings, MI
Ceremony Music - Four Seasons Quartet

Reception
Reception Site - Eagle Eye Golf Course
Caterer - Eagle Eye Golf Course
Chair Covers/Linens - Weddings by Nicole
Bakery - Cake by Cake Art (Beth Henderson)
DJ - Party in a Box (Hastings, MI)
Favors - Charlene Perry (sugar cookies)

Other
Rehearsal Dinner - Enso
Limo - Perfection Limo
Florist - Lois Snover
DOC - Weddings by Nicole

Photography
Photographer - Marvin Hall Photography
Videographer - Party in a Box

Beauty / Attire
Wedding dress - Fantastic Finds
Alterations - Mandolin Seams
Tuxes - President Tuxedo
Bridesmaid Dresses - David's Bridal
Hair - Lockworx Salon
Makeup - Lockworx Salon

Paper
Invites - Occasions - Mary Bower
Calligraphy - Kathryn Darnell
Programs/Menus - InstyPrints Downtown

MC+SL · October 2011

Ceremony
Ceremony Site- A+ Emanuel Lutheran Church, Lansing MI: $250 for members includes church and organist. This is the church I grew up in and is absolutely beautiful.
Officiant- A+ Brother-in-law
Ceremony Music –A+ Pastor’s wife

Reception
Reception Site – C- Perspective 2, $1800 for 4-midnight day of and 2-7 day before for setup. While this place is really unique and cool, they are very hard to work with. Be warned that EVERYTHING is an add-on and little costs will arise throughout your process. They are not flexible or willing to go above and beyond. Even though the place was beautiful and fun, if I had to do it over I don’t think I would have booked there due to the headache it was working with them. The cost for renting this place does not equal the value you get out of it. Be warned…

Caterer – A+ Morton’s Fine Catering, around $5000 for 140 people with desserts and appetizers. Beth and her team were AMAZING. I know I'm biased because it was my wedding but, the food was excellent, and the best wedding food I have ever had. Beth was really easy to work with and helped us get the meal we wanted and even got us special items, like cider and donuts! Even when we had an issue with the hall Beth was there to save the day and work around it so that we didn’t have any issues. My new husband works in Lansing politics and has had their food many times is will also be recommending Morton’s to all of his colleagues as well. I HIGHLY recommend Beth and Morton’s to every bride; they will make everything go so smoothly and it was perfect, thanks Beth!
Chair Covers/Linens – A Worked through my wedding planner for linens through BBJ. $375. Just table linens in a variety of colors and lengths
Bakery – Friend made my cake as my wedding present. Was amazing!!
DJ – A+ W.E.D. $650 (discount because booked multiple services) Matt was a great DJ, he really knew how to get, and keep, everyone on the dance floor and keep the evening moving! What I really liked about Matt is that he felt the mood in the room and played the right music at the right time and picked great fill in songs -when my mother-in-law disappeared and we had to wait to cut the cake even though the song was already playing, or when the slideshow went longer than the music I picked, he just kept on going like it was planned. If you're looking for a DJ who will help make your day go smoothly and not be one of those loud and obnoxious DJs, then Matt is your guy! I would recommend Matt to everyone looking for a talented DJ!
Favors – Cookies and candy table
Lighting – W.E.D – awesome wedding planner and decorator,helped with everything!

Other
Rehearsal Dinner- A Wall Nut Hills Country Club (not sure on cost, grooms family paid, but I know it was pretty reasonable. I think $30/person)
Limo- none
Florist – A+ Family friend $1000
DOC –A+ I had full wedding planning and décor by W.E.D. In short, I don’t know what I would have done without her. I used Lynn for full wedding planning and décor. There is no way our wedding would have been everything that I dreamed of without Lynn. She spent countless hours helping me plan, think of ideas, and nail down every possible detail to ensure that everything went smoothly. I initially met with Lynn and decided that I really needed her as my wedding planner. I’m one of those people who just “knows” when they meet someone, and Lynn was exactly what I was looking for. (It helped that she already had great reviews!) At first my mother was hesitant about hiring a wedding planner or anyone to do the decor because she felt that we could do it on our own. After a two hour long decoration and wedding detail meeting with Lynn, my mother left it saying, “thank goodness you have Lynn, because there is no way I could do all of that.” The Sunday after the wedding, my mom sighed and said, “you know what, I’m really glad you had a wedding planner. She made it a lot more fun for us”. I wanted a unique wedding that wasn’t just your ordinary “flowers in a vase” wedding. I met with other planners and decorators and no else seemed to get the vision that I had or was willing to help me pull all my ideas together. Lynn pulled everything together and made everything come to life. I had many people come up to me and my parents saying that it really was one of the most unique, fun, and best weddings they had ever been to and it was really all because of Lynn. Everything went smoothly (at least I didn’t know if anything went wrong) and Lynn (and her team) helped me pull of the perfect wedding for us! Thanks Lynn, you are truly a lifesaver and I recommend every future bride to book Lynn.
Miscellaneous equipment - NA
Photography
Photographer –A+ http://chrisamosphotography.smugmug.com/ Chris Amos Photography – Chris was AMAZING and did our engagement and wedding.
Videographer - none
Photobooth- Extra fee at Perspective 2 to use their “photoroom” with props and everything. Our guests thought this was really fun.
Picture Locations – State Capital and Old Town Lansing
Engagement Pictures – Chris Amos

Beauty / Attire
Rings – A+ Groom’: online at Amazon (1/2 price compared to jeweler) Mine needed to be custom made and Arendsen Jewelers did an amazing job
Wedding dress – A+The Wedding Bell was great! I actually found the dress that I wanted a different bridal salon, but because they were so busy and I waited for 20 minutes for someone to help lace me up, I ended up walking away from that store without buying. Then I went to the Wedding Bell with my family and tried on the same dress and re-fell in love with it. Service really matters and they have service down. I also would have bought my bridesmaids dresses from there, but the girls found a different dress they liked at another store. The Wedding Bell was great and I recommend them to every bride looking for her dress.

Alterations - A+ S & Sue Tailors in Mason. Was REALLY reasonable $120 for alterations and they do an amazing job. They did my sister’s wedding dress as well.
Tuxes- B Barayames was reasonably priced and my husband got his tux for free. They did call me a few times to let me know who had and hadn’t reserved their tux and to confirm the order right before the wedding. I know that they guys looked great, but a heard a couple of them complaining about the cleanliness of the shirts, otherwise, everything was fine.

Bridesmaid Dresses – B+ David’s Bridal, $100, the dresses were reasonable and since everyone was all over the country it worked out well working with them.
Hair –Lindsie McDougal, came to my parent’s house and did all of the girls hair. My aunt did my hair. Lindie did an amazing job.
Makeup- Lindsie also did my mom and my airbrush makeup. She only charged $50/person and did a really good job. The makeup stayed all day and looked great!

Paper
Save the Dates A - $90, magnets from newandblue.com
Invites – A Wedding Paper Divas $300
Programs/Menus – self! $60

sophie41412 · May 2012

Ceremony
Ceremony Site- St. John's Church in East Lansing
Officiant-
Ceremony Music- church musicians; very talented musicians at this church. We had a pianist and a cantor and they were wonderful.

Reception
Reception Site- Okemos Conference Center. Great place to have a reception. Not a "fancy" room, but very practical and clean. Cost of the room (all day), set-up, tables, tableclothes, serveware, etc. was about $1500 (plus taxes).
Caterer- A catered affaire. This is the only caterer that works with the conference center. Food was good. Cost was about $18 per person which included a salad, two entrees, a vegetable, a potato, rools, and apetizer.
Chair Covers/Linens- Included with reception site cost.
Bakery- Sweeti-licious out of DeWitt, MI. We had cupcakes. They were about $1.50 per cupcake. Made a beautiful cupcake display.
DJ- Push Play DJs. We had Joe Todd as our DJ. He was great. Everyone danced the whole night. He was about $650 for the night.
Favors- Homemade favors by my dad.
Lighting- Included with DJ.

Other
Rehearsal Dinner- Spagnoulos
Limo- none
Florist- Williamston Florist and Greenhouse. Florist made centerpieces for reception as well. She did a wonderful job. Flowers cost about $1000 for bride's bouquet, 10 bouts, 4 bouquets, 5 corsages, and 23 centerpieces. We used Gerber daisies only.
DOC- none
Miscellaneous equipment

Photography
Photographer- Natalie Draper. She did a great job. Charged only for pictures, not prints. Her husband also helped take pictures of the ceremony, so we had two photographers. She was about $650.
Videographer- none
Photobooth- none
Picture Locations- MSU campus!
Engagement Pictures- no "official" pictures.

Beauty / Attire
Rings-
Wedding dress- Beckers Bridal. $1000 dress. I loved this store.
Alterations- Silver Thread in Lansing.
Tuxes- President Tuxedo. They gave my husband a stained tie. So make sure to check everything before you take it out of the store.
Bridesmaid Dresses- David's Bridal
Hair- Salon Red in Okemos. Very happy with my hair.
Makeup- Salon Red in Okemos. Make up was also great.

Paper
Save the Dates- Made them ourself at Meijer. Cost about $1.25 each and incuded envelopes.
Invites- Michael's do it yourself invitations. We got ours on sale (1/2 off) for about $100 we got 150 invitations. The brand was BRIDE.
Programs/Menus - Programs we made ourself.

Kalidawn523 · October 2012

Ceremony
Ceremony Site-B+ St. John Neumann in Canton MI
Officiant-A Fr. Mark Prill
Ceremony Music C+- church musician; $150. He was fairly abrupt and not that great.
Church coordinatorsC- two ladies who helped during rehersal and ceremony. $80/2 they tried to each tell our party different things and really confused the whole rehersal. Definitely not needed.

Reception
Reception Site-B+ Laurel Manor - site had package deal that included meal, cake, hall, and bar. It was one of the best prices around. We got it for 44.45/plate for chicken picatta. Very good food.
Caterer- included in reception site fee
Chair Covers/Linens- A Sposa Seating - never met maya but our email interactions were good and the chair covers looked great.
Bakery- A Cakes by Stephanie...included in our reception site fee. Cake was beautiful and tasty!
DJ- A+++++ W.E.D. Matt was fantastic and we got so many compliments! ~500
Favors- donated to charity
Lighting- NA

Other
Rehearsal Dinner- A Buddy's Pizza - they were very nice and it was a great cool place.
Limo-A Millenium Limos- we had a friend who was a driver which made the experience even better. Very nice service
Florist-C Friend of parents...flowers were beautiful but cost way more than quoted and weren't as promised. $2700
DOC-A++++++++++ W.E.D. Lynn was FANTASTIC..A true lifesaver! ~$260
Miscellaneous equipment
Hotel- D Marriott Hotel in Laurel park in livonia. They were aweful...the honeymoon suite flooded, and after a hospital visit, I wasn't allowed to check out late. Don't go there!

Photography
Photographer-A+ Precious Memories photography. We had Jason and he was excellent! We loved having him there and he caught so many great moments! ~2000
Videographer- Family friend
Photobooth- none
Picture Locations- Summit on the park in canton.
Engagement Pictures- no "official" pictures.

Beauty / Attire
Rings- La Jolla in Chelsea
Wedding dress- Davids Bridal. $341 dress.
Alterations- Davids Bridal. $75
Tuxes- Jos A Banks. We got a completely different color in vests after we had to send them all back because they were too big. So make sure to check everything before you take it out of the store.
Bridesmaid Dresses-B David's Bridal ~100
Hair- Charisma salon in Livonia. Very happy with my hair.
Makeup- Charisma salon in Livonia. Make up was also great.

Paper
Save the Dates- Made them ourself. Cost about $1.25 each and incuded envelopes.
Invites- Michael's do it yourself invitations. We got ours on sale (1/2 off) for about $100 we got 150 invitations. The brand was BRIDE.
Programs/Menus - Programs we made ourself.

Kalidawn523 · October 2012

Ceremony
Ceremony Site-B+ St. John Neumann in Canton MI
Officiant-A Fr. Mark Prill
Ceremony Music C+- church musician; $150. He was fairly abrupt and not that great.
Church coordinatorsC- two ladies who helped during rehersal and ceremony. $80/2 they tried to each tell our party different things and really confused the whole rehersal. Definitely not needed.

Reception
Reception Site-B+ Laurel Manor - site had package deal that included meal, cake, hall, and bar. It was one of the best prices around. We got it for 44.45/plate for chicken picatta. Very good food.
Caterer- included in reception site fee
Chair Covers/Linens- A Sposa Seating - never met maya but our email interactions were good and the chair covers looked great.
Bakery- A Cakes by Stephanie...included in our reception site fee. Cake was beautiful and tasty!
DJ- A+++++ W.E.D. Matt was fantastic and we got so many compliments! ~500
Favors- donated to charity
Lighting- NA

Other
Rehearsal Dinner- A Buddy's Pizza - they were very nice and it was a great cool place.
Limo-A Millenium Limos- we had a friend who was a driver which made the experience even better. Very nice service
Florist-C Friend of parents...flowers were beautiful but cost way more than quoted and weren't as promised. $2700
DOC-A++++++++++ W.E.D. Lynn was FANTASTIC..A true lifesaver! ~$260
Miscellaneous equipment
Hotel- D Marriott Hotel in Laurel park in livonia. They were aweful...the honeymoon suite flooded, and after a hospital visit, I wasn't allowed to check out late. Don't go there!

Photography
Photographer-A+ Precious Memories photography. We had Jason and he was excellent! We loved having him there and he caught so many great moments! ~2000
Videographer- Family friend
Photobooth- none
Picture Locations- Summit on the park in canton.
Engagement Pictures- no "official" pictures.

Beauty / Attire
Rings- La Jolla in Chelsea
Wedding dress- Davids Bridal. $341 dress.
Alterations- Davids Bridal. $75
Tuxes- Jos A Banks. We got a completely different color in vests after we had to send them all back because they were too big. So make sure to check everything before you take it out of the store.
Bridesmaid Dresses-B David's Bridal ~100
Hair- Charisma salon in Livonia. Very happy with my hair.
Makeup- Charisma salon in Livonia. Make up was also great.

Paper
Save the Dates- Made them ourself. Cost about $1.25 each and incuded envelopes.
Invites- Michael's do it yourself invitations. We got ours on sale (1/2 off) for about $100 we got 150 invitations. The brand was BRIDE.
Programs/Menus - Programs we made ourself.

saragoldman777 · February 2013

We have been using www.PowerRealEstateMarketing.com for all of printing needs including postcards. They can print anything we want and the prices are pretty reasonable. The only thing you should know is that you have to provide them with the artwork, they don't have any wedding related artworks but there is no shortage of that on the internet.

coleyjay · March 2013

Ceremony
Ceremony Site: Radisson Hotel- Lansing at the Capitol, Grand Ballroom I ($250) B-
If we would have done more with décor and lighting, we could have avoided this, but it was a very yellow room and the sound equipment really stood out at the front. Also, guest parking was supposed to be complimentary for them and we were supposed to get a bill for it at the end. None of the valets knew that (although they knew the night before for our rehearsal), and almost all of our guests were charged. While the Radisson waived our fee for the guests they did catch, I would much rather have paid and it have gone smoothly.
Officiant: Roy Atherton of Imagine This, LLC ($0) A
Ceremony Music: DIY- musician friend ran laptop on Radisson speakers ($150)

Reception
Reception Site:  Radisson Hotel Grand Ballrooms II & III (total $27 per person for ballroom, custom champagne brunch, coordinator, linens, centerpieces) A-
Caterer:  Radisson Hotel Grand Ballrooms II & III A+
Everyone absolutely loved the food. It was incredible and plentiful. Everything to do with dinner went beautifully and smoothly, and we are still getting comments
Chair Covers/Linens:  Linens by Radisson Hotel, no chair covers A
Bakery: Sugar Shack ($1.50 per person) A+
We got a variety and I loved it! Since we were having a brunch we got a couple of fun “breakfast “ flavors, too, but my favorite was the red velvet
DJ:  DIY- musician friend provided PA and we used iTunes on our laptop ($0)
Favors:  Rock The Booth ($700) B
Lighting:  none

Other
Rehearsal Dinner:  Ted-Dees ($?- reasonable) A+
Ted-Dees was perfect!! It's a deli typically open for lunch, so we had the place to ourselves with a great sandwich buffet and Ted was fantastic. For us, just right.
Limo:  none
Florist:  DIY- Balsa flowers from Haven Spring on Etsy ($200)  B+
I loved my DIY balsa bouquets and have been selling them on Etsy since the wedding
DOC:  Aimee Wright at the Radisson A
What Aimee was involved in always got taken care of, and being what I'm sure was one of her, shall we say, budget clients, we still got a great level of attention and flexibility. She was not necessarily billed as a day of coordinator, (she's the sales and catering manager), but she definitely functioned in that capacity for us.

Photography
Photographer:  Sarah and Todd from Sarah Laman Photography ($850)  A
Sarah and Todd were a great team (out of Grand Rapids), and we got AMAZING photos on a budget, which I know is hard to do.
Videographer:  DIY- brother-in-law on video camera ($0)
Photobooth: Rock The Booth  ($700) B+
Time was limited, and the line moved kind of
Picture Locations:  Wentworth Park A
Engagement Pictures: Jacqueline Garner ($0, a gift) A

Beauty / Attire
Rings: Rogers and Hollands ($2000 engagement, $500 wedding, $200 his) A / F
My husband gets great service here, and would rate it an A (and I love our rings, so A for that too). But, every time I’ve been in, I had nothing but poor service and was reduced to tears at one point by the attitudes toward my questions. I don’t know if they assumed he was the one with the pocketbook, but I had a real problem with that.
Wedding dress:  Casablanca Bridal via Ebay ($90)  A+
Alterations:  European Custom Tailors ($40)  A
This is a Grand Rapids vendor, but they did a great job for a very budget friendly price. The only problem I had was that the bustle didn't lay right after they took in the sides of the dress.
Tuxes:  President Tuxedo ($185/tux) D
Sleeve lengths were all over the place, we had to fight for group pickups (for people farther away, for people working nights, etc), different stores had different totals for our final bill, one suit was so badly fit that we had to get a new one with 12 hours and counting to the wedding, which was more stress than it needed to be.
Bridesmaid Dresses:  Alfred Angelo ($90-$220/dress) B / F
Dresses get a B, the store (in Grand Rapids) gets an F. Dresses were beautiful, but not well made. The service we had was terrible, reps weren't knowledgeable or helpful, incorrect information was given, delivery was about a month after they told us it would be
Hair:  Meag Lafler, Fiesta Salon, on-site ($35 per updo) A+
Meag was fun to have around and super fast. I loved my updo!
Makeup:  self

Paper
Save the Dates: none
Invites: DIY- paperandmore.com for cardstock, graphic design a gift ($200 for all paper) A
Programs/Menus: DIY- paperandmore.com for cardstock A

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