Long overdue but wanted to post reviews for any newly engaged brides-to-be who are starting to plan their weddings. Our wedding was Aug. 10, 2013 and we had a wonderful day!
Photography - Stephanie Barnes: A+
Stephanie takes such gorgeous photos! She was always super organized and professional, and had no trouble wrangling our group for photos. Highly recommend her!
Officiant - Greg Gordon: A+
Greg was on board with whatever we wanted for our ceremony and was organized and professional. He did a great job running our rehearsal and officiating on the day of. He sent our paperwork in right away (which was important because my driver's license was expiring right when we returned from our honeymoon the day before my birthday, so I had to get our marriage certificate right then).
Cake - Batter and Bowl Bakery (Sara Yates): A+
Our cake was delicious and really pretty. Our guests raved about it! Best of all, Sara's prices were the best I found. She also let us borrow her silver cake stand at no extra charge.
Florist - The Flowerman: A+
We did the DIY party and it was so much fun! It's not hard at all (even for non-crafty people) because they show you what to do and are very hands-on helpers. It was a nice bonding activity. Even my MIL and SIL who were kind of skeptical about DIY-ing had fun and thought it was an ingenious concept in the end (my MIL now wants to open one of these shops where she lives lol). My dad came, too, and even he had fun! We could not have afforded to have as many flowers as we did if it wasn't for The Flowerman.
DJ - Buckeye Entertainment: A+
Seriously, Byron is awesome. We extended our reception because our dance floor was packed and there were so many people left. He knows how to read a crowd and his rate is hard to beat.
Ceremony/Reception location and catering - Glenross Golf Club: B+
Glenross has a super pretty indoor event space and patio. Our ceremony was on the patio and our reception was in the party room. We had some tables set up on the patio after the ceremony so guests could hang out outside if they wanted. Their prices were the best around ($15 per person for salad, rolls and entree with two sides. $14 per adult for open bar with mid-shelf brands). And, the food was delicious!! The reception room fit 200 guests (which included the bridal party) pretty comfortably and the dance floor was plenty big even with a lot of our guests dancing all night. Some of the not so good things were that they were not very accommodating. We asked about renting their club room for a cocktail hour before the reception and they said no, even though we were willing to pay extra. In fact, the catering director seemed to get annoyed every time my husband or I asked a question or made a request. I think the rub was that we are pretty detail-oriented, and he seemed more laid back (though he was on top of pretty much everything on the day of - I say pretty much because they forgot to refill our cooler with water bottles for our guests before the ceremony. Also, we suggested they may want to have an extra bartender because we had a lot of guests and a lot of them drink. They didn't and the bar line ended up being really long, which is what we wanted to avoid.). One other thing was that the reception room got really hot (before any dancing started) even though it wasn't obnoxiously hot outside. The AC just wasn't powerful enough. We had paper fans for our guests though that we purchased for the ceremony since it was outside so they just used those and were fine. Also, Glenross gave us an extra hour of open bar time to make up for the uncomfortable heat and the long wait at the bar. Overall I would recommend Glenross. They just weren't as easy or enjoyable to work with as some of our other vendors. They haven't been doing weddings for a long time, so DH and I think their service will improve.
Dress and bridesmaid dresses - Trumpington Bridal: A+
I love this shop! It's so cute and you get such personalized attention, without pressure to buy. They also have a lot of different designers than the other shops in town. I definitely recommend looking here for your wedding or bridesmaid dresses.
Alterations - Linda Hammond: A+
Linda knows what she's doing and doesn't charge and arm and a leg for alterations. Taking in the bust, adding a bustle and adding extra lace around the neckline to create a scalloped edge was only $100. She gets very busy so it's best to go see her as soon as your dress is in, or at least four months before your wedding.
Tuxes - Men's Warehouse: A-
MW is really convenient if your groomsmen and dads live all over the country (ours are). I wouldn't say their prices are the best (definitely look for a coupon - they often have $40 off in bridal mags). Our was messed up (each guy had a different shirt?!) when we picked it up on Wednesday before the wedding, but they corrected it right away and the correct items were available for pick-up by Thursday. The staff at the Lennox Town Center store are great.
Transportation (guests to/from hotels) - Bexley Beat: A
Hard to get ahold of because there's only one guy, but cheap and they do show up and go where you tell them to (we changed our itinerary a few times and they got it right without a problem).
Transportation (bridal party) - American Limo: A+
Not too much to say here - these guys are reliable and their prices are not too bad.
Hotel Block - Hilton Garden Inn Polaris and Fairfield Inn & Suites Polaris: A+
The sales managers were very accommodating and helpful. The rooms are nice and clean. We also used their shuttles for guest transportation (in addition to Bexley Beat). I stayed with my bridesmaids in one of the big suites at the Fairfield the night before the wedding. Our hair/makeup stylists came to us there and we had plenty of room. We stayed at HGI the night of the wedding. Our room was comp'd because we had enough rooms pick up in our block, plus they had chocolate covered strawberries and prosecco for us as a bonus.
Rehearsal Dinner - The Worthington Inn: A+
My in-laws took care of everything with the rehearsal dinner so I can't comment too much, except to say that the food was wonderful and the staff seemed very attentive and eager to please.
Other advice: I created itineraries for everyone in the bridal party. That really worked out well - I didn't have people asking when/where they were supposed to be places. I also gave detailed timelines to all of our vendors so they knew what was happening when. Finally, hire a day-of coordinator if you can. A friend of mine was ours for us, and she took care of everything so neither us or our parents had to lift a finger or worry about a thing. A lot of guests commented on how relaxed we were that day and I really owe it all to her. Other than that, my advice is to have fun and stay organized throughout the process, and don't sweat the small stuff. Plus, remember to take care of your guests - they will notice and appreciate it (our guests loved the water/paper fans for the ceremony and transportation to/from the hotel.) Finally, don't forget to let everyone know how much you love and appreciate them, from your wedding party and parents to your guests and your new spouse!
Sorry for the book but reviews really helped me when I was picking vendors so I wanted to do the same for future brides!
