Sedona Brides any vendor raves????

731brnigirl · August 2010

Hi Ladies,
New on the boards. Just starting to plan my April Wedding in Sedona. I am a second time bride. I was wondering about vendors that other Sedona Brides have used? My wedding will be at the chapel at Tlaquepaque. Reception is at L'Auberge. I have Liz Margin doing makeup. Andrew Holman doing my photos. I still need to do flowers, dj, buy a dress and pick our cake. The cake is included in my package and is from Sedona Cake couture.

Thanks in advance for your help.

divine_chaos · August 2010

Andrea from Sedona Cake Couture is amazing!

There is only one florist in Sedona and that is Showstoppers. I fired them for poor communication skills and inability to listen to what I wanted. They also seem to peg you into some money hole based on perceptions and like to say things "will be very very expensive" versus telling you what things cost and letting you determine it. I went with a florist for bouquets in Phoenix instead. And choose to have none floral centerpiecs as a result of the bad experience with them.

Do they have an officiant for you? If not I would check out Sterling Weddings-Shanadoah is amazing.

janjan550 · August 2010

Welcome and congrats! L'Auberge is so beautiful. I am getting married in Sedona in October at Poco Diablo Resort. I have all my vendors set, but a few are from Phoenix.

Flowers: We got a quote from Bliss Floral, and the lady was very nice; however the quote was $2,700 which was simply out of our budget. We were then referred to Mountain High Florist in Sedona, and they were also very nice and more affordable, so we just made our deposit with them for the bouquets, bouts, and corsages.

Rehearsal Dinner - Cucina Rustica, we had dinner there once and it was soooo good. We tried a couple other places around town but nothing was quite as good, and FH's parents who are hosting are big foodies, so it was worth it to them to have it at Cucina Rustica. I'm really looking forward to it. I hear great things about Heartline Cafe too and they even have a room with a fireplace you can use where you can supposedly bring your own alcohol, which might be a big savings if your group drinks much. They were already booked when I contacted them.

Cake - We are using Sedona Sweet Arts, I never met the Cake Couture lady

Officiant - we chose Anthony Flesch from Wedding in Sedona. He has a great South African accent which is so soothing. We talked to a few people on the phone, and met one person in person, and he was our favorite. They were all great. There was one I found to be really anoying over e-mail, and then he totally stood us up for our phone call meeting, so I would not recommend him, but maybe he was just having a rough week or something. His name was Joel something. He advertises himself as "Affordable Sedona Weddings" or something along those lines. He is noticeably cheaper than the others, but wasn't worth the savings to me.

Hair - I'm getting my hair done by a girl named Heather that works at the Head First salon in Flagstaff. She actually lives in Sedona, so it works out perfectly and she will come to the resort.

I still need make-up, have started e-mailing and calling around again. I was looking before and got distracted by all the other stuff.

Our photog and DJ are both from Phoenix. The DJ is a long time family friend of FH.

I guess that's everyone...although it feels like I am forgetting someone.

It's great to have another Sedona bride on here, so welcome!

731brnigirl · August 2010

Thanks Ladies! Great Advice. I am overwelmed with the choices. I have heard that showstoppers is PRICEY. I hear good things about Bliss and thought I would call them. I also like someones idea of safeway... why not I have paid a lot for L'Auberge so if I can save a bit in other areas I am going to try. I looked a Poco and it was nice too. It was my second choice. I will check into heartline cafe too for our friday night dinner. We are doing a wedding weekend and it just happens to be Easter weekend. Poor planning on my part. But a wonderful weekend to get all our family together.

dchaos...do you have any reception photos posted? Did you use Montet ballroom? Any pointers on things that you wish you had done at L'Auberge different?

JanJan did you try Liz Margin? I just talked to her and set my appointment. I hear wonderful things about her. I really liked her right away. I still have to find a dress... seems like my first wedding I did that first! Thanks again ladies and keep me posted of any new happenings.

melissaalawrence · August 2010

I am getting married at the chapel in Tlaquepaqe too. Our wedding is February 11th.

Cake- We're using Cake Couture as well. Her cakes in the showroom are gorgeous and they taste delish! You won't be disappointed. We liked all the flavors at the cake tasting. Honestly, they were all so good, we still haven't decided on our flavors.

DJ- we're meeting with a DJ named Bobby Russell on Saturday. I'll let you know how our meeting goes. I delegated the DJ to my fiance, so I don't know much about him.

Flowers- I'm using Bliss Floral and I love Amy's designs. She had creative ideas and I'm very happy with my choice at this point. I also met with Mountain High, but felt their ideas were a little dated. Although, if you're looking for something basic like roses, you should be fine. They're probably a more affordable option. I wouldn't even bother with Show Stoppers. I was surprised to read in their contract that they will not allow you to rent anything from other venders, provide your own center pieces or "self-decorate. Basically, they make it clear that they want complete control, which I feel is ridiculous, since it's your wedding. I considered a florist in Phoenix, but deliver would have been more than I was willing to pay.

Officiant- We're still looking. We met with Janice Metkiff and Suzeanne Loo-McCoy about a month ago, but didn't really click with either of them. Suzeanne was nice, but a little more business-like and serious than we wanted. Janice was way too New-Agey and went off on a tangent about numerology and how lucky were were to have double elevens in our wedding date. We're meeting with Andrew Murphy on Saturday. Keep your fingers crossed for us.

731brnigirl · August 2010

Melissa,
We are on the same page. LOL Ive been talking to Andrew Murphy already. I haven't meet with him yet he was busy on Saturday..... I wonder with who! LOL... Let me know what you think of him. I am also looking to have Laura be my day of planner for L'Auberge. My cake is part of my package with the resort so I will know more about that soon. I am excited because I am a cake fan! How many people are you having at the chapel? We are pushing it to its max capacity. I think I contact Bobby Russel too. Is he Sedona sound? Can't remember will have to check my emails. Let me know how Saturday goes!

Take care,
Tammy

janjan550 · August 2010

Running Mango also got married in Sedona in May. She posted all of her vendor reviews back on 7/18/10. If I was smarter, I could probably post a link to it, but I'm not, so I will just copy and paste the text for you

Here you go!

"Hi Ladies!

I hope all of your planning is going well and you're keeping cool! I cannot believe my wedding was already 50 days ago! It seems like just last weekend! I'm sorry I haven't posted these earlier but I've been swamped! Here are my reviews, and I'll post them on WeddingChannel as well. I HIGHLY encourage everyone to check out reviews on WeddingChannel, as well.

Venue: Creekside, Los Abrigados Resort & Spa - Sedona
Everything was perfect! The catering managers were on it and had every detail covered. From our room to the 35+ guest rooms we had booked everyone raved about the location. The food was served quickly and everyone complimented us on how smooth dinner went and how enjoyable it was. We had both our ceremony and reception creekside, over Memorial Day weekend, and you couldn't have asked for more perfect weather. The only issue with an outdoor reception in Sedona, is the noise ordinance that says music must be turned off at 9pm. So, we started our reception at 4pm, and by 9ish everyone moved to the bar on property and continued their party there.

Rehearsal Dinner - Heartline Cafe - Sedona
Phyllis and Dani are just awesome. We rented out the smaller building for our rehearsal dinner and had about 35 people there. The food was amazing, the atmosphere was intimate and laid back and exactly what we were looking for.

Flowers: Bliss Extraordinary Floral - Sedona
The flowers were ok. They were there, and in the end that's all that matters, but to be perfectly honest they were not what I envisioned and a little disappointing, especially for the price. The catch was that I was nervous to use a PHoenix florist because of accidents and fires on the 17 and there were no shortage of those on that day, so I was just happy to have flowers. My suggestion would be to have the florist send you pictures of what she is imagining to make sure it's in line with your thought.

Photography: Jenni Goldman Photography - Sedona
LOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE her. Can't say enough amazing things about Jenni and her husband Ron. They were so patient and calming, which was a nice thing to have on a hectic day, but most of all they captured so many moments that you can't plan for. I could go on forever about how wonderful they are.

Cakes: Donna Joy of Sedona Sweet Arts - Sedona
AMAZING! We had Donna Joy design our wedding cake & Groom's cake. Unbelieveable. People are still in shock at how amazing our cakes were and the fact that they tasted good too! I submitted our weddingin the Real Weddings section under Sarah & Chris' Red Rockin' Sedona Wedding if you'd like to see pics.

DJ: Got You Covered Entertainment - Phoenix
I had Eric dj a corporate event earlier this year and decided he HAD to do my wedding. Eric wasn't available but his partner Oscar was, and he was AWESOME!!!! He kept the party flowing without being overbearing or cheesey. Everyone was impressed by the variety of music and some really unique ideas he gave us for the garter toss (changed it to a baseball since we're sports fans) and bridal party welcome. I cannot say enough about how awesome these guys are!

Video: Taken Video - Phoenix
We won't have our video for a few months, but I'm sooo excited to see it! Kendra & Christa do amazing work, and they were so much fun on our big day. They are very laid back, but I feel, as women, they TOTALLY get the importance of certain parts of our day and how to capture that. I'll post an update once we get our video, but I know it's going to be fabulous

Linens: Verde Valley Rentals, Sedona
Perfect. I was looking for a specific eggplant linen to compliment our tables and Krysta knew exactly what I needed. We also rented our arch which added the perfect touch to the altar. Krysta was flexible with my ever changing headcount and questions, and totally on top of it! I'm soooo glad we went with Verde Valley instead of just using the standards.

**Extra
Pink Jeep Tours - Sedona
We really wanted to share our love of Sedona with our family and friends, and help them understand why we chose to have our wedding there. So, after our ceremony, we had Pink Jeeps pick up the bridal party and their significant others, along with all immediate family and take us on a jeep tour. We went to Merry Go Round Rock and took pictures and just enjoyed the scenery. Stella with Pink Jeep tours helped coordinate the entire thing and she was awesome. We changed our plan a few times, and every time she was extremely accomodating and suggestive on how we could make this an awesome experience for everyone.

So, in a quick nutshell, there's our day. If you have any other questions or want additional help, please feel free to email me at runningmango@gmail.com

I feel so blessed to have had the day that we did, and I'm happy to help others achieve the same!

Happy planning

"

melissaalawrence · September 2010

Hi Tammy,

Our meeting with Andrew Murphy went well. After meeting with the first two officiants, I was a little worried that we wouldn't find someone we'd be happy with in Sedona, but Andrew Murphy is great.

He's by far the best fit for us. He's a very genuine person and not too "New Agey."

Our meeting with Bobby Russell at Sedona Sounds went well too. We found out he also plays guitar, so he'll be playing guitar for our ceremony, which I think will be a nice touch in the chapel. Definitely check him out. All of my venders had good things to say about him too.

As for the chapel, we plan on maxing out the capacity. We both have large extended families, so there's no way around it.

Keep me posted on your planning and good luck with everything!

-Melissa

731brnigirl · September 2010

Hi Melissa,
I am so glad it went well. We are meeting with him in a few weeks. I am sure I will book with him as we have spoke several times and I really like him. We are also using Laura for our day of cordinator. I have already booked with Bobby, I too got all the good reviews about him from everyone in town. I still think we might use a trio for the wedding and just have Bobby for the wedding receptio only. I signed my contracts and paid my deposit to L'Auberge so that is done and I bought my dress too. I still have to do floral and pick our cake and food. I found a really great invitation person on Etsy too. She is doing a custom invite for us. Are you using a Videographer? I hadn't thought about that but I think I would like to have a video. Keep me posted on any new stuff. Not too many Sedona brides out there so we need to stay together! LOL

Take care,
Tammy

melissaalawrence · September 2010

Tammy,
Although a videographer would be nice, it's just not in our budget.

Sounds like you've accomplished a lot. Not sure if you or your fiance thought about tux rentals yet. My fiance and I debated renting them in Phoenix or Sedona. I think we're going to rent them in Sedona, since our groomsmen live all over and it'll be easier for them to pick them up, when they get into town for the wedding. We spoke with someone at Sedona Tuxedos last time we were in Sedona. You may want to check them out: www.SedonaTuxedos.com.

Are you having a rehearsal dinner? I'm looking for some casual and affordable options, since we'll be paying for it ourselves.

As a side note, I saw the "inspiration" centerpieces on your profile page and had to laugh... It appears we had a similar idea. These are my centerpieces: http://www.zgallerie.com/p-2872-britton-pillar-holder.aspx. I picked them up on sale after Christmas for $14.99!

Have a good one!
Melissa

731brnigirl · September 2010

Hey Melissa,
I will try them. We were just talking about use someone in Sedona for that reason less to take up and easier.

We are and I haven't decided were. We might just have L'Auberge cater something as we booked the creek house for the weekend too. They can do dinner for 50 (i think) at the creekhouse.

I feel stupid I have to look at my profile now to see what I had up on my inspiration stuff. Its been a crazy few weeks.

Take care!
Tammy

Sedona Brides any vendor raves????

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