Hi ladies,
Here was my experience with some Indiana vendors....
Dress - Perfect Dress - A-
The Perfect Dress has beautiful dresses, okay customer service
Dress - Totally You Alterations - A++++++
Totally You was freakin awesome to work with. They were understanding, helped out with a BM dress crisis, and talked through every decision and it's possible consequences before anything was done.
Hair - Jessie - A+
Every woman's hair was an upscale version of their nomal hairdo. She is a semi-retired hairstylist (in her 20s), only doing hair out of her home so she came to the hotel for us. Amazing work!!!
Make-Up - Lyz - A+
Lyz has worked at the MAC counter in Macys for years. She just switched to the Bare Minerals counter. She did amazing work as well and also met us at the hotel. Lyz is great about consulting with the bride about what her vision is and making it work for the girls. Lyz had done my make-up when I was a BM in a wedding a few years ago. That wedding had an old hollywood glam style to it so the make-up was somewhat dramatic but still tailored to each girl. I had asked for a more natural, fresh-faced look for my wedding and thats what she gave us, we still did the false lashes though.
Flowers - One of a Kind Events - A-
I didn't care what flowers were used, I just specified colors. They worked with my budget and we were able to get very nice flowers EXCEPT they picked flowers that didn't stand up t the heat. The hydrangeas in the BMs bouquets were beyond sad and droopy by the time we got to the reception and the guys' orchid bouts were brown and falling apart. I think some of this may have been miscommunication as these were flowers that I had said I liked but I would have preferred her to tell me they won't work in August than to have the wilted look. The rest of the flowers however looked amazing as did her additional decor. They really captured the feel of the wedding and brought a sense of continuity to the church and reception.
Wedding Coordinator - One of A Kind Events - A
Linda is amazing to work with. She had solutions to my every problem or request throughout the planning. the day of I had her team going on so many different errands I'm surprised she was still speaking to me by the end of the night. She was great to work with as was her team.
Church - Fort Wayne Baptist - A
H attended there several years ago but neither of us are members now. They were still very easy to work with and spelled everything out on their easy-to-read contract. We used our own minister, which they had no problem with. Their sound tech was a little hard to get ahold of at first but did a great job at the rehearsal and actual ceremony
Reception - Ceruti's Women's Club - B-
They have a good price point, good decor, and good customer service but the food was...eh. Their chicken skewer app was totally dry and overcooked and my chicken dinner was cold. I think I was a harsher judge than others because the food was SO much better at the taste testings. No one complained but no one gushed about it either.
DJ - RnB Sounds, DJ Heath - A
He kept the party going all night and saved me when our jazz band left early.
Jazz band - Skeeter Trio - D
They sounded great BUT we paid for a 3-piece band to play for 2 hours. One guy left 45 min into it and the other 2 guys left 90 min into it. I haven't called to find out why and to my knowledge they didn't give us a refund. I can't in good conscience recommend these guys for anything which sucks because they are good.
Transportation - Club Car Limo - A+
When our service ended WAY ahead of schedule, they sent their driver as fast as they could. When our transportation for guests to and from the hotel and reception never showed up, they found a limo and driver for us to use.
Menswear - Loui's Tux Shop - A-
The GM and fathers rented suits here. Everything was fine but the pocket squares. They were able to scrounge up the right ones in time. Ordered invites from here as well for free. he invites were free but all coorinating stationary was extra so I found similar, matching stationary online and printed the RSVP, reception, and directions cards myself. I got a lot of compliments on how elegant the invites were but I was super stoked to have spent so little on something that just gets thrown away.
Cake - Courtney's Bakery - B+
I ordered the cake in February. During the meeting, she said we could do a grooms cake for $75. When I called in June about a groomscake design, she said the minimum order was $150. So I skipped the groomscake. Ten days before the wedding, I tried to confirm the guest count. I left a couple of unanswered messages. The week of the wedding, Courtney finally called and couldn't remember what the cake was supposed to look like at all. The end product was beautiful, delicious, and exactly what I had pictured, but I didn't appreciate the extra hoops to jump through so close to the wedding.
Sweets Buffet - Mandys Cake Pops (facebook) - A++++
Mandy definitely deserves a shout-out. I had ordered cake pops through Etsy and they arrived the day before the wedding completely smashed. After googling I came across Mandy's. She was able to whip up some cake pops in time for our reception. They were delicious!
Sweets Buffet - GroovyCandies.com - A+
I ordered my candy from here. They had some of the best prices for bulk candy that I could find and were great to work with.
Sweets Buffet - LucettasLegacy.com - A+
We ordered chocolate-covered pretzels and oreo pops from here and guests cleaned us out.
Photographer - Photo Artistry by Judy - C+
I feel bad because I had been recommending her but I think she has lost her inspiration. Every shot felt like one I had already seen in her portfolio, nothing was creative and she was somewhat difficult to work with. I definitely dont feel she is worth the price. During our time for photos, she would ask me what I wanted to do next. I thought I had hired someone with experience so that I didn't have to be creative on my wedding day. She wasn't prepared, and she refused to let us take the pictures where we wanted. I am not a fan.
Videographer - Vibe Video Productions - A+
Jake was amazing!! He had us doing things that the photographer was then trying to capture. He was great to work with. OMG! The video is amazing!!! Handsdown this was THE BEST MONEY SPENT!
Rehearsal After-Party/Sunday Brunch/Hotel Block - Downtown Marriott - A++
The Downtown Marriott's Foster Room is where we hosted a Rehearsal After-Party for our many OOT guests. The food was amazing. People gushed about it. The atmosphere was great as well. The Marriott had basically given us reign over their outside courtyard that comfy patio furniture and big fire pits. It was a great way for everyone to mingle before and after the big day. We blocked rooms here as well. They were great at accommodating us.
Photographer for Rehearsal/Brunch - Jamie Trowbridge - A++
I wanted someone to take pics at the Friday night and Sunday affairs but didn't want to ask any family or guests. Jamie has done many weddings and has an awesome eye. I asked for just candids and no photoshopping as I really just wanted to make sure these were captured on film to some extent. Jamie was great about staying in the backgrounds but if given a special request, happily obliged. If you want great photos at a great price, this is your woman. The pictures were absolutely amazing!
Rehearsal Dinner - Biaggis - A+
This was a very easy dinner. H hosted it, we reser ved the wine room and had uests order off the menu. Biaggis was great at communicating and the whole affair went off with a very relaxed feel.
EDITED TO ADD THE FOLLOWING:
Photobooth - PartyBooths.com - A+++
Party Booths is a company that serves the entire US. They came with 2 attendants and who were so much fun that they ended up in some of the pictures. I had originally purchased 4 hours of time but added an extra hour that night because everyone was having a blast with it. There was a short line all night. The line moved fast but there were always more people coming up to have their pics taken. I also got the scrapbook option which was a lot of fun to look at later; I think if I had to do it again, I probably would have supplied my own scrapbook materials rather than purchasing their option. I supplied my own props since Party Booths won't, but I bought these at a Dollar Store and Hobby Lobby so it wasn't a huge expense. I had a DVD of all the pics waiting for me when I got back from my honeymoon as well as online access to all the pics within a few days of the wedding. The pictures are awesome! The booth was a hit with guests and I am
so glad my mom talked my into doing having one.
Hope this helps some of the Fort Wayne ladies! Good luck planning those weddings!!