So the first thing on our “to do list” after our honeymoon was vendor reviews. They were helpful for me in the planning process and I hope at least one person gains something from the following. I will warn you – we have no horror stories, only positive things to say. **Sorry if the formatting is horrible on this post, it is having issues - I've tried everything...perhaps it is just my computer.**
Kate McElwee Photography
http://www.katemcelweephotography.com
We can't say enough about Kate. One look through her website and her talent and experience is plain to see. From the very start, Kate was quick to answer our questions, and work around our desires for the pictures. This was no easy task, given she moved across the country between our engagement session and our wedding (she was completely forthright with that information before we hired her). Nervous about how to pose? Don't be. Kate changes from a fly on the wall to a director as needed. She will find a way to capture the energy of you and your surroundings, and make everything look good. She's infinitely nice, professional, and so darn cute! Kate is a complete joy to work with. It was money well spent and we'd hire her again in a heartbeat. 5/5, 10/10, A+, whatever your rating system is, she gets the highest possible marks from us.
See some of our photos here:
http://katemcelweeblog.com/2010/07/26/arctic-club-seattle-wedding-jackie-tim-preparations/
http://katemcelweeblog.com/2010/07/27/arctic-club-seattle-wedding-jackie-tim-first-look-and-portraits/
Morfey's Cakes
http://www.morfeyscake.com/home.html
Best cake in Seattle? We'd say so. Cake shopping is obviously an activity that you don't mind doing a few times, but we didn't have to look any further once we tasted Morfey's champagne cake. Wow. We're going to have Morfey's make us another small cake because we only got two bites at our wedding during our cake cutting! We brought in a picture of what we wanted the cake to look like, and they worked with us to ensure we'd get what we were after but within our budget. Their prices and required deposit were both reasonable, and they delivered the cake without issue. Their attention to detail was superb and they called if they had a question to make sure they got everything perfect – which we really appreciated. Everyone seems to have their favorite cake shop, but you're doing yourselves (and your wedding guests) a disservice if you do not give Morfey's a try.
Arctic Club Hotel - (Ceremony/Reception Venue)
http://doubletree.hilton.com/en/dt/hotels/wedding/index.jhtml;jsessionid=SAGW01B1AICNACSGBIV2VCQ?ctyhocn=SEAACDT&cid=OH,Dt,seaa,WeddingB
Want to visit the early 1900s with modern day amenities? The Arctic Club Hotel is your ticket. Art-deco styling that emanates class in the heart of Seattle. The Arctic Club took amazing care of us. The words flexible and customer-oriented do not even begin to describe how far the Arctic Club, and the Director of Catering - Brooke Byrne - went to meet our needs. The Dome room is amazing for a ceremony or reception, the hotel suites are equally stunning, the food is delicious and the service is impeccable. We ordered a keg of Pyramid beer which was served through their tap system, and we were allowed to bring our own wine and champagne (with a reasonable corkage fee of $15). They offer discounts on rooms for your wedding guests, and will work with you to design a menu of your choice. They supply tables, chairs and linens at no extra charge, but of course can accommodate other setups if desired. Because the room was not rented out the night before (and we were staying at the hotel) they allowed us to set up the entire room the day before – HUGE BONUS. The Dome room has enough room for a small band, and it has outlets for plenty of DJ equipment. Cocktail hour is easily accomplished in the bar downstairs. Prices are competitive with other luxury wedding venues - but you definitely get what you pay for. This was our dream wedding venue that we never thought we could afford, but they worked with us to make it happen.
That's Entertainment - (DJ)
http://www.mylifetimeevent.com/
Mike Bozinski
Mike is a consummate professional that has been doing weddings for years. Our family has extremely high expectations for wedding DJs, and Mike met or exceeded them all. Mike is easy to contact via email or phone, and his process ensures he and you are on the same page well before the ceremony and reception. He asks for specific ceremony and reception information, such as the type of music to play, specific songs and song order, and a do-not-play list. Mike has a large collection of music, both old and new, and will strive to acquire any unique songs you'd like. Mike takes direction willingly and without protest (except where his experience suggests your guidance might not work the way you intend). If you want to prescribe every song for your ceremony and reception, he will accommodate that - but it would be at the detriment of your party. He's excellent at reading and interacting with crowds. We gave him guidelines for the music we wanted, and he filled in the playlist with excellent choices. Every age group at our wedding was dancing at one time or another, and everyone walked away saying it was one of the best receptions they'd ever been to. We will be recommending Mike to every couple who needs a wedding DJ. Enough said.
Floressence - (Bouquets and Boutonnieres)
http://www.floressencedesign.com/
Anne Bradfield
Talk about a work of art! It wasn’t until the day after our wedding I really looked at the amount of great detail that was put into the bouquets. It had an assortment of white flowers (some individually wired into place). Anne was wonderful, she listened and worked with me to replicate a design I fell in love with. Super sweet and easy to communicate via email or phone, she also delivered our flowers for a small fee and helped the guys pin on their boutonnieres. A true professional and master with flowers. See photos of flowers in above link.
Katherine Bell - (makeup)
http://www.katherinebellmakeup.com/
I had always thought I’d do my own makeup for the wedding – I’m totally comfortable with it and really picky. But then I stumbled upon Katherine and decided to give a trial run with airbrushing a try. AMAZING! Katherine was really helpful at communicating throughout the trial and working with me to create the perfect blend of “me + a little fancy” and it turned out great. The airbrush make up was also really light and lasted all day, she also applied awesome false eyelashes which looked real. Katherine traveled to our hotel and did the makeup on both moms, bridesmaids and myself – all turned out perfect. Again, can’t recommend her enough. If you’re on the fence about airbrushing or getting your makeup done, please, at least spend the $60 (which becomes your deposit if booked) to test it out – you’ll be glad you did. Also, one less thing to worry about on the day of your wedding. Again, you can see photos of the makeup application and final product in the links above.
Costco - (Bulk Flowers for centerpieces)
Our flowers were shipped on time, arrived within 20 minutes of the scheduled arrival time, and were *exactly* what we wanted. We accounted for time to let them open up and they were perfect by the wedding day. The entire process went smoothly, and we wouldn't hesitate to buy flowers from Costco again.
R& R Party Rentals - (Charger Plates and Cake Stand Rental)
http://www.rr-partyrentals.com/
Not a ton to say, we only communicated a little via email. They were helpful and had everything ready and in good condition AND it was the cheapest compared to other rental places. They hand out coupons at the Seattle Bridal Show, be sure to pick one up…I wasn’t planning on renting anything but when I did that coupon was handy. They weren’t overly friendly when I went to pick stuff up, but I was in and out quick and they were fairly busy…so wasn’t a huge deal.
Eastside Wine Storage
http://www.eastsidewinestorage.com/
Want to get your wine and champagne purchase out of the way but afraid you have nowhere to store it? Eastside Wine Storage can help. They're located beneath a QFC in Bellevue. They have aisle after aisle of various-sized lockers, and the entire area is temperature and climate controlled to keep the wine as fresh as possible. We stored 9 cases of wine for over 3 months, and it all tasted just as good as if we had opened them the same day we bought them. Prices depend on the size of the storage locker you need, and the entire amount is due up front. A small price to pay to ensure your wine remains drinkable on your wedding day. We purchased all of our wine at Safeway in March (Washington Wine Month - when wine is the cheapest).
Katie’s Formal Wear – (Tux Rental)
Katie is adorable. Some reviews say to avoid this store, but we didn’t experience any problems. She was helpful and able to work with all the guys to get everything they needed. In addition to working with you in her store she also communicated with my husband (still strange to say) through email/phone when needed for size adjustments. The tuxes they decided to rent were a little more expensive than your typical tux - but they were lightweight and perfect for a hot July day. Going here was much more personal than just The Tux Shop. Katie also altered my mom’s dress, and it charged us all of $25. FYI - Katie’s also has a small selection of bridesmaid dresses.
Wedding Dress
Purchase: I purchased my dress at I Do Bridal in Wallingford, I went twice to try on dresses and both times they gave me their full attention. The gals there were great at giving input without being fake or pushy. My dress came in two months earlier than they had told me – and it arrived in great shape.
Alterations: I had my dress altered by a woman who made my prom dress from scratch several years ago. She is wonderful to work with, and I honestly wouldn’t have trusted my dress with anyone else (she said in her 25 years of wedding dress alteration – mine was by far the hardest, oops). It is a small in-house business in Kent/Covington area, so if you’re interested in her contact info message me. She doesn’t do pressing though, so I had to go elsewhere for that.
Pressing: Wallingford Cleaners – my mom was the one to work with them. She dropped my dress off and called me right away to say how wonderful, clean and helpful this establishment was. When she picked my dress up the day before the wedding the guy actually personally put my dress in the car so it wouldn’t get wrinkled. They took extra care of my dress and did a great job, they were recommended to me by I Do Bridal and now I see why.
Whew! I think that is all of them. Like I said all positive, we got really lucky - not one horror story! If you have questions feel free to ask, planning can be stressful and overwhelming…but if you do your research and surround yourself with professionals who really know their stuff, it isn’t stressful at all on the day of your wedding. I thought for sure I’d been a crazy person on our wedding day, but everything was taken care of and all our vendors were one step ahead of us.I think the biggest thing we learned, is to be as honest and open about your budget. If vendors are able and willing to work with you, they will. Happy Planning!