I think I got lucky and had the most wonderful wedding ever! A few days before, I was getting really nervous - I went with mostly budget options and I was afraid it was going to be obious. But everything turned out beautifully!
Venue - The Lakes at Castle Hills (Castle Hills Golf Club) - Lewisville, TX: A
I knew I wanted to get married there before I knew I was going to marry my husband. My church had a power outage and they let us meet there for our service and I remember thinking it was beautiful. We got lots of compliments and the weather was perfect for our outdoor ceremony. There was a little confusion when the club reopened after rebranding and my coordinator changed, but overall it was a really good experience.
Photographer - Evan Godwin - A?
I don't have any photos yet, but he was fun to work with. He was definitely a budget-friendly choice and I think was more on the minimalist side compared to other photographers I've seen at weddings that pose everyone in lots of different ways. But he was always around taking pics and our E-pics turned out well, so I'm excited to see the photos!
Ceremony Music - Versa Strings - A
This was one thing that was really important to me, so I was somewhat nervous that I went with a lesser-known, cheaper option, but they were wonderful. I'm guessing there was some sort of discussion I missed because I expected them to be right up next to the guests, but they were way off in the back, probably because they needed shade. So they weren't as loud as I would have liked, but it still worked well and they played beautifully.
DJ - Melodies and Memories - A+
Everyone on here has already recommended Melody, and I have to agree. She helped me plan the ceremony even though she was only doing the reception, which saved us time with our pastor later. On our wedding day, she was constantly asking us if she could get us anything, and we had a full dance floor throughout almost the entire reception. Everyone told us how much they liked the music, and she seemed to really learn the crowd and play what would get them out there. She also did tutorials on the line dances so non-dancers would participate. She was wonderful!
Flowers - Sams - A
I went with the Wedding Collection - Bright 17 piece, and then ordered bulk lavender and white roses. The flowers were beautiful, although the bouquets could have been fuller. But flowers were not at all important to me, so the price was really good, and the colors of the flowers were perfect for my purple and silver wedding. I can't really say how much work it was to unpack/transport the flowers because my family took care of it all for me. The total cost was about $400, which is pretty amazing.
Dress - Lasting Bridal Couture - Addison - A++
They were no pressure, very helpful, and completely within my budget. The dress was the most important thing to me, but I still set a budget of $1500, because I think that's reasonable for a nice dress. Some shops (Demetrios in Frisco) just about laughed at me when I told them my budget. Others (David's Bridal) tried to get me to buy every dress I tried on. This shop let me try on dress after dress and didn't pressure me, then Laurie, the girl who helped me, suggested a dress that was similar to what I liked. It was absolutely perfect. I loved my whole experience at this shop and the dress was wonderful.
Hair/makeup - Kelly Espinosa from Haute Facade - A++
As a friend said at the reception: "I'm totally blown away." She really made me look good, and was pleasant to work with as well. I'd definitely recommend her.
Everything else - I did my own invitations (Joanne's), programs (Michaels), and had a friend of a friend do the cake. I ordered overlays from tableclothsfactory.com, which were a nice touch, and ordered favors from the knot store. They sent the wrong favors, but then fixed it right away and let us keep the old favors (some kids are going to wonder why there's a monogram on their halloween candy).
Overall, it was an amazing day, but I think even more important than all the vendors were our friends and family, who were amazing. I never want to plan a wedding again, but I'm happy it turned out so well!