After 2 years of planning we finally are married! During my time on these boards I found vendor reviews to be really helpful in guiding decisions so I am reviewing my vendors below.
Reception Hall: The Susquehanna Club, in New Cumberland
Grade: A++
The hall was spectacular. It is beautiful, cost effective and the food was great. The women you work with at the site are really helpful. And as an army/navy base it is a tax-free hall. The only complication is that the guard will check all of your guest for IDs, so you have to make sure to tell the guests that ahead of time. But it was just a beautiful space with really helpful people.
Florist: Hammaker's Florist, in Lemoyne
Grade: B
The flowers themselves were exactly what I asked for and very pretty. They also went out of their way to accomodate my request to have my grandfather's tie made into the bouquet ribbon. They were also great to work with. Some negatives though that made me dock their score. 1) They showed up an hour early to the church--this ended up being okay because we were there to get my makeup done, but initially we hadn't planned on being at the church that early and that could've turned into a big mess. 2) The flowers were falling apart. One rose fell off of my boquet (not a huge deal) but the men's corsages were done with the wires on the wrong side and the men's roses (which is all they had) fell off. We had to glue some back on.
Cake Baker: About Weddings in Camp Hill
Grade: A
The baker was fantastic. She brought us in and gave us cakes to sample with different frostings and fillings and we put together our own cake. She immediately jumped on board with our vision for the day and new exactly the kind of cake design we were interested. She was afforable, friendly, and the cake was delicious.
DJ: Complete Music in Lancaster
Grade: B+
We had Jason Williams and he did a fantastic job on the day of, he was attentive to what we wanted to have going on and kept people on the dance floor. He even came and brought our wedding party drinks at the beginning of dinner. My fiance and I weren't super thrilled by the fact that the company refuses to meet in person. That stressed us out a little prior to the day. Also without being able to talk to him more than a week in advance, we had purchased a meal for him that he later told us he wouldn't use. We ended up using it for somebody else, but it would've been good to know because that is an expensive plate to not be used. A final note. My brother and sister in law also used this company and our experience with them on that day was not as positive. I would've probably give them an A- had it not been for that experience. I want to warn whoever uses the company that all DJs are not created equal. My brother and sister-in-law got a DJ who brought CDs that skipped and didn't help the flow of the evening at all. I would recommend this company, but remember as anytime you work with a company, you could get anybody and have a very different experience.
Photographer: Tiffany Blackstone Photography
Grade: A++
Tiffany is friendly and relaxed. She knows her way around a camera and is willing to work with not the best lighting for photography, which is how our wedding was set up. We had a candlelight wedding and wanted outdoor pictures at night by a Christmas tree and she and her husband Andrew really went above and beyond for those things.When you go with this company you get the rights to all of your pictures without any need to purchase a print package (although the print packages also seem really affordable). Finally, to have both Tiffany and Andrew come for the whole day was more than afforable and I would recommend them any day.
Makeup: Mark of Elegance with Jacqueline
Grade: A++
This was a decision I had made more last minute and Jacqueline not only fit in my trial and my wedding day. She is friendly and really listens to what you want to look like. I woke up on the morning of the wedding with 2 major break outs and I didn't feel any stress because I knew Jacqueline could airbrush them away while keeping my face looking natural. I felt beautiful all day and when I got home at midnight, almost 12 hours after she had done my makeup--my breakouts were still covered. For your trial her salon is a little out of the way, but its quaint and she really is extraordinary at what she does.