Hey ladies! My husband (!!) and I just returned from Aruba after getting married in September. We wanted to share reviews to help any local brides that may be considering some of the same vendors.
Ceremony & Reception Location - The Stockroom at 230 Raleigh, NC
Absolutely beautiful venue! We were looking for a unique, urban setting for our ceremony and reception. The Stockroom fit perfectly into our vision and budget! In addition, Sarah, the event coordinator, was extremely helpful and very timely in her communications with us. As long as the venue was open and there was no event currently being held, she allowed us to visit the site when my mother and bridal party were in town - so helpful when I was concerned about our guest list being larger than we'd thought! We had approximately 120 guests and it was the perfect size, with plenty of room for dancing. When we had questions for Sarah, we used emailed and she responded within the hour usually! She also coordinated the set up for the ceremony and assigned someone to work with our florist and caterers so that I didn't have to worry about a thing on the day of. One con is that there is no on-site parking - which was fine for us because a lot of our guests were from out of town and staying at a nearby hotel. But local guests had to park in the deck about a block away with the entrance on Wilmington St. which is free on the weekends, but maybe not the easiest to find.
Cocktail Hour Location - The Mahler Fine Art Gallery, 228 Fayetteville Street Raleigh, NC
While the event staff was switching the Stockroom from ceremony set-up to reception set-up, our guests enjoyed cocktail hour downstairs at the Mahler Fine Art Gallery. It was spectacular! It was also extremely convenient, being just downstairs from the Stockroom. The only con is that there are no steps between the floors, all guests must use the elevator. So it did get a little backed up when everyone was to go back upstairs for the reception. It was not very expensive to rent this space and would even be perfect for a small wedding. There was a little bit of additional cost associated with red wine and a guest list over 75 people, but all in all it was a great deal. The staff was a little difficult to get in touch with because the gallery has limited hours, but honestly we didn't need to get in touch with them hardly at all after we booked the space. Between the time we booked and the date of our wedding, the artwork did change so don't fall in love with the art they have up when you book! They have a list of rules/regulations for your vendors - but nothing crazy or restrictive. They have a sound system that our DJ was easily able to coordinate with an iPod.
Photographer - Michelle Gunton Photography
Stunning photographs!! We wanted pictures that we would be proud of for a lifetime and that's what we got! Michelle was very easy to work with and even customized a package for us. We didn't want an engagement or bridal session, but did want coverage for the full day so she hooked that right up. It poured on our wedding day!! We did a first look and family photos before the ceremony at the Marriott City Center. There were three other wedding parties, and since it was raining it was pretty crowded in the lobby. At of all the wedding parties, Michelle was the only photographer that found a way to take pictures outside under an overhang so we stayed dry! The photographs were gorgeous and had a very glamorous feel to them. Michelle was very quick and professional, but most importantly she was able to capture the magic of our day. She also takes maternity and newborn photos and she would absolutely be my first choice to photograph those moments as well.
Caterer and Cake - Catering Works, Raleigh, NC
Awesome! We picked them pretty early in the planning process mostly because they were recommended by Sarah at the Stockroom because of their experience there and their ability to coordinate as much or as little as we wanted. Not to mention, they had competitive prices and their invoices were itemized in such a way that it was very easy to determine where costs were coming from. We worked with EW and he helped out with a general outline of the event and a tasty menu, eventually working our way up to table settings, linens, and lighting. I was not particular about my cake, so I picked out a couple pictures from pinterest that I would be happy with and told them to make something similar and they made a stunning (and delicious!) cake. They were very helpful bringing over personal items that needed to be set out for the reception (cake toppers, guest book, etc). They provided beer and wine and we provided liquor that they served. I'm a pretty Type A person and work have preferred a break down of exactly who was doing what and when and what I needed to do on my own, but EW his team were more relaxed. I now know they were relaxed because they'll take care of EVERYTHING! But relinquishing control was a little difficult. However, well worth it! The food was delicious and the staff was great!
Flowers - Joseph at Catering Works, Raleigh, NC
Perfect! I gave Joseph our budget, the number of attendants, one picture of an altar idea, and our colors and said go. The flowers and table settings were gorgeous and I didn't have to make a single decision! My bouquet was fabulous - full of texture and different flowers, far better than I could have ever requested. He made life so much easier and I would recommend Catering Works just for Joseph alone!! I can't tell you how many people said it was beautiful.
Officiant - Rev. Robin Renteria, Hillsborough, NC
We found Robin through her website and were a little skeptical letting someone we met on the internet marry us, but in the first moment we met her we KNEW that she would be perfect! She connected to both of us and that was really important to us. We met several times over the course of pre-marital counseling and got to know her. Together we customized our ceremony to fit us and then Robin rounded it out with bits of personalization that was perfect. We really wanted the ceremony to be meaningful and memorable for us, but so many people said they really loved our ceremony too. In addition, she helped coordinate our wedding party during the rehearsal and the day-of. If your family is anything like ours, her experience was extremely helpful!!
DJ-Bill Baucom through Catering Works, Raleigh, NC
Bill made me a little nervous to begin with because he didn't respond to an email I sent to him. So I turned that job over to the hubby, and it was smooth sailing from then on. I think he probably does quite a few weddings, so he just keeps a running playlist for the cocktail hour, dinner, and dancing. We had some special requests that he was able to incorporate (although, he didn't include all of our requests but got the important ones!) and customized our introductions and special dances just fine. He also kind of helped take over coordination duties for the reception, by keeping us on track for cake cutting, lining us up for introductions, and giving the last call. He kept the dance floor packed and, honestly, we really never noticed him! I guess that's what you want in a wedding DJ!!
Hair and Make-up - Carla White, Greensboro, NC
Really, really loved Carla! I loved her style - naturally pretty, I would call it. And her prices were really great. It was important to me that I look pretty, not naked or like a clown and her style fit that perfectly. I also wanted someone that could come to our hotel and get ready in the room without paying an arm and a leg. Her area is Greensboro, so it did require a travel fee for her to come to Raleigh. But it was worth it! I met with her in the summer for a hair trial, and she took the two pictures I brought and optimized the styles for my own hair type and lenght. For the day-of, we decided it might look nicer to bulk up my hair with clip-in extensions and she worked them in fabulously. Lots of people told me they loved my hair and had no idea that half of it was fake!! She was also super quick, even with quite a few people getting hair and make-up - I was impressed!!
Bridal Gown and Alterations- David's Bridal Raleigh, NC
I started at David's because I knew they would be my best bet to find a less expensive dress, but I was pretty sure I wouldn't find what I was looking for and would have to get pricier. Little did I know!! The first dress I tried on was the one! And the staff was super friendly and helpful. I know they've received some bad reviews, but I had nothing but good experiences. I also got my alterations done that and that went smoothly as well. I've heard that the alterations may have been more expensive at David's than elsewhere, but I didn't look anywhere else and was happy with the quality for the service.
Bridesmaids' Dresses - Bella Bridesmaid Cary, NC
I loved working with Christy at Bella Bridesmaid. We started off looking there with a vague idea, just color, length, and fabric style. We were the only party in the store so that Christy could focus only on us. I don't know if we were an easy group to please, or if she is awesome at her job. But I think we had the dresses picked out in about 20 minutes! They ordered them in such a way that we were able to capitalize on the trunk show discount and then we received them right on time!
Grooms Tuxes - Men's Wearhouse Cary, NC
No complaints here. We worked with the consultant to make sure the tuxes would be a fitted style and were very happy with his suggestions for style and fits. I know that a couple of the tuxes had to be lengthened or shortened when they were picked up, but they accommodated the last minute alterations flawlessly.
Wedding Transportation - White Horse Transportation Raleigh, NC
Only bummer of the event. I really don't have anything good to say. We hired them to transport the wedding party and guests to and from the hotel and venue. They were late to start picking everyone up and said something about getting in a wreck or some nonsense?! They only had one van to start with. It was pouring down rain and they didn't drop guests off directly in front of the Stockroom (thank goodness they did drop me off, I would have been FURIOUS if I got wet!). Ultimately, the last van load just made it to the ceremony on time. When it was time to start bringing us and guests to the hotel, they stopped early! Most of the guests (including me, the bride) had to walk or take a cab back. Honestly, we should have booked them for a little later than we did, but they had already provided poor service AND they didn't transport me and the groom and we were waiting outside before they were supposed to stop.