Venue- Sheraton Commander Hotel in Cambridge
We loved everything about the Commander. The hotel is beautiful. We had our ceremony in the Terrace Room and the reception in the George Washington Ballroom. We loved the chandeliers and the balcony in the ballroom. The coordinator there, Judy Brillhart is fabulous. She was always available to answer questions and help us out when we needed advice on different parts of the wedding. The day of the wedding she was unbelievable. She made sure everything ran smoothly without being overbearing. She even helped out at the rehearsal by standing in for our justice of the peace who wasn't able to go. The food was delicious. The hotel also recently opened NuBar which was perfect for post-wedding festivities. We wanted to throw a Harvard Square wedding and the Commander was perfect for that!
Accommodations- Kendall Hotel in Cambridge
We stayed at the Kendall Hotel for a variety of reasons, but mainly because it's where we got engaged. The Kendall was so nice to work with and treated us so nicely. The staff went above and beyond to make sure that our stay was perfect. Our guests loved the unique feel of the hotel. They even let us reserve their Solarium for our first look pictures. The front of the hotel is a great backdrop for pictures. Our guests loved the breakfast buffet. I cannot say enough good things about this hotel!
Photography- Ria MacKenzie Photography
http://riamackenziephotography.com/ I could go on and on about Ria. Ria is an amazing photographer who goes beyond "traditional" wedding pictures to something magical. If you're looking for something unique definitely check out her blog on her website.She is awesome to work with. We got so many compliments on our engagement pictures. One of our friend's told us that a particular picture looked like a movie poster. At the wedding her and her husband did so much. They orchestrated our first look perfectly. It didn't even feel like they were there at all. Ria's creativity is amazing! She's a master at editing pictures to make them so special. She took the time, on her own without me having to coordinate for her, to scout all of our picture locations. Ria even did little things like rebustle my dress when it came loose and videoing our vows for us when she overheard me asking a friend to do it. She made me feel so at ease throughout the whole day. She is extremely reasonably priced and you get all of the pictures on a disc which was really important to us.
Dress- New York Lace in Taunton
I went here on the suggestion of a friend. I have to say that I had a great experience here. They have a wide selection and really helpful staff. I liked that alterations were built into the price of the dress. They did a great job with the alterations and I felt very confident that when I went for my last fitting the dress would be perfect. They also have a wide selection of accessories and shoes which can be really helpful. The only downside is that they don't do alteration appointments on the weekends and that was difficult with my work schedule.
Hair- Franco's Hair Salon in Inman Square, Cambridge
Franco's is a hidden gem in Cambridge. The prices for updos are ridiculously good but beyond the price the staff is great. I loved the way my hair came out and everyone in the bridal party's hair stayed in the whole night.
Makeup- Faces by Tara
http://www.facesbytara.com/ Tara is great to work with. She came to the hotel and arrived and was all set up right on time. She did a great job with everyone's makeup and really listened to what people wanted. Her makeup lasted all day and night. I slept with it on and when I woke up the next morning it still looked good. She was really personable. She came to my apartment for my trial which was really convenient. Here prices are ridiculously good too.
Flowers- Hanaya Floral Design Cambridge
http://hanayafloral.com/ I cannot say enough good things about Hanaya Floral Design. Hiroko is amazing! At our first meeting we spent a great deal of time talking about my personal preferences and ideas for the wedding. When I met with her a few months later to solidify plans she had drawn up exquisite sketches and it really showed that she knew what we wanted for flowers. She was willing to meet as many times as necessary. She even spent time talking to Judy at the Sheraton to make sure the flowers would look great. She was very respectful of our budget. She created some really beautiful and unique bouquets and centerpieces. We just got rid of the centerpiece we took home, a week after the wedding. My bouquet is still looking good. We even had to make one adjustment at the end of the summer and she did so without any problems. She is fabulous to work with a does amazing work.
DJ- Mike Weile from Curtis Knight Entertainment
We had a very positive experience with CKE. The online tools for organizing the music was great. We were having a lot of trouble picking out music and Mike took the time to meet with us, around my crazy September school schedule. He offered some great ideas. He did a nice job of reading the crowd at the wedding although he didn't play everything on our must play list. That being said it didn't really bother us since everyone was having fun, including us!
Justice of the Peace- Liz Gemelli
http://www.jpliz.com/ Liz is wonderful! From the first minute we met her we knew she would be perfect for us. She really took the time to get to know us. We worked with her to create our ceremony and she really made the ceremony unique to us. We had a meeting with her in August to finalize the ceremony and she offered to meet at our house to make it easier for us. She wasn't able to attend our rehearsal because she had another wedding that night and we didn't want to do a Thursday rehearsal. She took it upon herself to coordinate with Judy at the Commander so we wouldn't have to worry about anything. The day of the wedding she checked in with us to make sure we had the rings and the vows. She helped us remember the little things like passing the bouquet to the maid of honor. Lots of guests commented on what a great job she did. We really enjoyed working with Liz and highly recommend her.