VENUE
Coral Gables Courtyard Marriott – A (service prior to the Wedding)/ B (Day of the Wedding)
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/miagb-courtyard-miami-coral-gables/
I booked this Venue back in August 2008. It had recently been opened after they revamped the old hotel that used to be there and we looooved it the minute we walked in. The décor is very modern and stylish. The Ballroom was perfect for the small, intimate Wedding we wanted and since they only have one, we didn’t have to worry about running into another Wedding the same day.
Maggie, the Catering salesperson was very accommodating. We were the first ones to book a Contract for a Wedding once they opened as a Marriott. Their prices are very affordable being that is located in Coral Gables and the service is great! We did our tasting and changed a couple of things, so they scheduled another one for us to try the new Menu. Overall, the Cocktail Hour and Reception were perfect. The hor devours were delicious, they served Dinner on time, the waiters gave superb service to my guests and the food was great!
The only issue we had was on Wedding Day due to the weather. We really wanted the Ceremony to be Poolside in the Terrace but the forecast predicted rain for that Saturday so she called me on Friday to tell me that the Ceremony would not be outdoors as previously discussed in our meetings. The day of the Wedding the weather unexpectedly improved even though it was raining on and off. All we wanted was for her to give us the chance to wait a little longer to decide whether to move it or not but she was gave us a hard time and was not professional. Please contact me for further details…
My Ceremony was indoors but it was sooooo beautiful! (Even though, it didn’t rain outside in the end) We used our Chiavari chairs and they looked great! The Uplighting made it so romantic and we were very happy with how it turned out.
PHOTOGRAPHER
Devynn – DBImages A+++++++++++++++++++
http://www.dbimagesblog.wordpress.com/
http://www.dbimages.ca/
We were having issues with the photographer we had initially hired. Karla suggested to invest in a professional and reliable Photographer, and showed us Devynn’s wok. We fell in love right away! and hired her only 6 weeks before our Wedding. I am sooo glad she was still available for our date. Everything happens for a reason and even when you feel stressed, there’s something better out there. She was the BEST decision we made and we could not be happier with the end results.
Devynn was at the Hotel early to take some Getting-ready shots and even being pregnant, laid on the floor to get different angles. She and her crew were all over the place snapping shots of the night. She totally blew us away with the teasers only 2 days after our Wedding and captured our Beautiful Day perfectly. J I highly recommend Devynn to any bride looking for a Photographer, her work is awesome and she is a sweetheart!!!
VIDEO
Javier – My Treasure Videos A+++++++++
http://www.mytreasurevideos.com/
We contacted Javier right after we booked Devynn because my cancelled Contract with the other photographer included a video. I had seen his work and was crossing my fingers he was available so close to my Wedding date and he was!!!
We were very excited to have him on our Wedding Day. He is such a professional! plus he is very sweet. He was there early as well and started shooting our Pre-Ceremony pictures. We never really ‘felt’ him there because he did his job without being on everyone’s face. He even stayed over beyond the time contracted to get more footage and I can not thank him enough for being so generous. I totally recommend him!!!
UPLIGHTING
DJ Ubi A+++
http://www.ubismusic.com/
Ubi was our first option for DJ but he was booked for Our Wedding date already L. We hired him for Uplighting and he even went to walk-through our Venue to determine how many lights we needed. The end result was stunning! The room was glowing in pink and it gave such an ambiance! He also provided a GOBO and Pin-light for our Cake as a surprise to us from my sister. I highly recommend him!
MUSIC
JP Productions A++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.jpdisco.com/
Let me just say, JP had EVERYONE on the Dance floor all night long! He called me a couple of days prior to the Wedding to confirm our Play and Do not Play List. He followed everything to the T for all our Dances. We were going to provide him with a CD of music we wanted to play for our guests since it is very popular in our country but I was not able to get it. When he saw we didn’t have it, he downloaded the songs {very hard to find} into his laptop and played them for us!!! Our guests are very different to the usual Wedding crowd and he knew the in and outs of the music from our country which blew everyone away! We did the Crazy Hour and passed out masks and beads and he also did an amazing job with the Carnival Music.
This man went above and beyond our expectations and my guests are STILL talking about how good he was! At the end of the night, people were complimenting him as they left the party. I highly recommend!
LINENS & CHAIRS
ABCovers A+++++++++
http://www.abcoverdesigners.net/
I had a pleasant experience with Ana when I came in for my appointment. They have a great selection and she was very helpful when offering different options for Linens and Chairs. We came up with a Beautiful table set-up using my Wedding Colors, Lime Green and Pink.
I had rented some sashes for my Ceremony chairs but when we had to switch to plan B due to the rain, their crew came back to set-up those sashes on the white Chiavari Chairs we were using inside the Ballroom. It definitely looked even better than I had envisioned. Everything looked gorgeous on my Wedding Day!
FLORIST
Flowers by Gerardo- Final Product (A+++++++) Customer Service (Read below)
http://www.flowersbygerardo.com/
Gerardo came recommended by another bride who got married in November. She said he was affordable and her flowers were beautiful! When I came in for a consultation, he was not very helpful when it came to giving ideas (being the expert) but fortunately we knew exactly what we wanted. We just didn’t find his personality to be customer-friendly.
He gave us the quote right there and then, and when we saw the prices we knew we couldn’t get that somewhere else so we booked him on the spot! The fact that we were providing the Glass Cylinders helped us with pricing. When it was time to drop them off 2 weeks before my Wedding, I mistakenly took the wring vases to him. Once I realized that and took the right ones, we had an issue because he claimed not to know that they were that big but we had told him in advance.
In the end, he too blew us away with the Centerpieces, altar arrangements and my bouquet, oh so gorgeous!!! He even included a calla inside the vases, which he had told me wasn’t included so I appreciate that! Honestly, I just think his customer service can be improved but the quality and value for cost, it’s phenomenal! I highly recommend to all the brides on a budget just like me.
WEDDING CAKE
Rosie – Elegant Temptations A+++++++
http://www.eleganttemptations.com/
We met with Rosie to work on a custom design for my Cake. I wanted something that didn't look so common or copied out of a magazine. I told her that we were doing a Elegant Garden theme and she came up with a beautiful design that incorporated flowers, rhinestones and a gorgeous stand.
I was blown away when I saw my Wedding Cake. It was definitely a focal point in the Reception and my guests raved about the flavor and how original it was. I highly recommend Rosie if you want to have a delicious custom cake and great customer service.
I personally think that Edda's and Ana Paz are becoming too commercial and the service is not that good anymore. You feel like you are just another cake for the weekend and I prefer to pay a bit more for better service.
DOC
Karla – Stylish Events
http://www.stylishevents.net/
Karla designed our Wedding from scratch. We wanted a Garden-themed Wedding that was not overdone or tacky but Elegant and Classy. She took my vision and brought it to reality 100x more than I could have ever imagined! Our guests were WOWed with every detail throughout my Wedding, as it is I’m still getting calls to find out where I got this or how did I do that.
She designed and printed my paper goods (Programs, Placecards, Menus, Table Numbers and Signs). I wanted to have a Huppah for the Ceremony and Backdrop draping behind my Sweetheart Table but it was way out of my budget so she offered build it and it all came out perfect!. Karla also decorated the Cake stand to implement our theme and the result was stunning! I could go on and on talking about everything she did and it would still not be enough because it was all flawless!!!
I've been as impartially honest as possible and did not grade this review because besides being my DOC, she is also my sister and I'd like to avoid the validity of review being questioned.
Make Up
Jorge Pena - A+
786-306-5463
I had a trial with Jorge a few weeks before my Wedding and I loved how he did my make-up. That day, I had my Bachelorette party and the make-up looked weird (too white under my eyes) in the pictures so I brought this up to him the day of my Wedding and I showed him the pics. He worked on my make-up and then took pictures with my camera to make sure it was ok.
The make-up lasted all night and everyone told me how natural I looked which is what I really wanted. Jorge is really outgoing and clicks with you right away! I highly recommend him.
Hair
Alcira - A+
305-205-3579
I didn't have a trail with Alcira. I met with her in her house and showed her pictures of what I wanted my hair to look like. I simply wanted a loose updo that matched the natural make-up look I was going for.
She had done that Hair do for other brides as well and showed pictures of them. She arrived early the day of the Wedding and did my hair just as I had asked. It turned out perfect! After dancing all night, it started to undo a little bit but it was totally fixable. I was really pleased with Alcira and would recommed to other brides!
Alterations
Reina - A+
954-785-6222
I highly recommend Reina! She is not only very sweet but also does amazing work. She hemmed my dress and took in a couple inches. She steamed it for me and I was very pleased with the results! She is located in Pompano Beach but is worth the trip.
Tuxedo Rentals
Tommy's Tuxedos - A
http://www.tommystuxedos.com/
Best price in town. They are located on 87th Ave and SW 8th Street. Tommy takes care of his clients himself and the service is outstanding. They have tuxedos for $60.00 +tax and when you take the Bridal Party, the Groom gets his for free. I only had a Best Man and some family members but I think that is a great deal.
Vendor I do NOT recommend:
VARONA PHOTOGRAPHY- D
Do NOT use. Nestor Varona was the photographer I had initially hired and we canceled our Contract almost
6 weeks before the Wedding. Contact me for further details @ mayda.lester at gmail dot com
Showing posts with label Alcira. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alcira. Show all posts
Tazdvl3's Reviews 07.18.09
Day of Coordinator A+
Jennifer Johnson
http://www.jenniferjevents.com/
Where do I begin?After meeting with DOCs, Dario and I knew right away that Jenn was the one after our initial meeting. I feel that I didn't even take full advantage of all her abilities because I kept so much to myself. Prior to the day of the wedding we had another meeting to discuss timeline, hand over all contracts, room layout, etc. During that meeting she offered some of her own supplies to use. For example, she added her own cylinders during the cocktail hour and in some areas of the reception room. She also let me use her frames for the table names. She requested sample linens for the sign-in, escort cards, and groom's cake table. Not to mention she included uplighting in the room and cocktail for free. There were endless emails going back and forth from when I booked her and she was always so nice in her responses and prompt. There were times when I'd send 3 emails in a row saying that there was a correction to the previous one! She had established such great communication with my vendors, especially with the venue! While doing the final walkthrough at the venue she saw everything I had explained clearly and after that moment I felt that I could do nothing and still have a beautiful wedding. The day of the rehearsal I went to pick up a pay check from my summer job and it wasn't there. I had to go to the corporate office the day of the wedding to pick it up. I was so upset. When I arrived at the rehearsal Jenn was there with her husband to handle everything. She overheard me telling someone the situation and she offered to go pick it up and deposit it for me at the bank! What a relief. Day of the wedding she texted me a few times to check up on me. I asked her to get a few things I forgot and she did. She had 3 other people with her for my wedding. I couldn't believe she had so many there. Maria was with me at the hotel. Gave me water, handled bags and anything else I needed. Jennifer was at the church when I arrived. Took charge and had everything under control there. At the venue Mark was in charge of my dress and stuff. The whole team did so well! I didn't have to worry about a thing! She also took care of purchasing supplies or the groom's cake and assembled it herself. Everything ran on time, which is weird for me because with latin families we're always running late! The guests all commented on how well she did things. At the end of the night the catering company refused to put the tables and chairs away. Jenn and her husband stayed longer to put it all away and clean up some things left behind. While I was on my honeymoon she brought all my supplies to the house nicely packaged. In regards to her fee. I was looking to spend $500 on a DOC she is more expensive than that. I believe her standard price is around $900 for DOC. My wedding was in the off season and I was able to negotiate with her. I will not put the exact amount I got her service for, but it was reasonable for everything I was getting. Highly recommend her!
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Photography A
Brad's Creative Images
http://bciphoto.com/
Brad is located in St. Lucie County, but drove all they way to Boca to meet with me. At our meeting he had completed albums of 5 brides and he also brought a proof box of a wedding he just did. He captures the moments with great lighting and angles. We met with Brad to take our engagement pics and I couldn't have been happier. He captured who we are and had a blast! He is extremely prompt at emails and communication. I hired him because I think he captures the moments perfectly. I never really 'posed' a little at the beginning and at the church. However, I wish so badly it didn't rain so that we could've taken pictures along the river and by the park. Those shots would've been posed and would've been great, but what can you do. He arrived early and was always there with a smile. I never really had him in my face which is great because I was too busy dancing. There was an issue because my brother was taking photographs as well. He was suppose to act like a 2nd photographer and not get in the way. Well he was in the way and looked like the main photog and it became a little problem. No A+ because the portraits at the church I felt were rushed and there's a pic with Dario's mom with her eyes closed and one with my nephew is looking at his flower. He said he is going to fix the eyes closed and we're checking on the one with my nephew. I really enjoyed working with him and would recommend him. The cost was $4,800 (I know!! ouch!! - the one vendor I truly didn't budget for.) that included our engagement session, all our pics on high res cd, 3 enlargements, thank you cards, a leather bound coffee table book, and more.
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Little Flower Catholic Church, Hollywood A+
Little Flower Catholic Church
http://www.littleflowerhwd.org/
This is the Hollywood Little Flower. Our ceremony was held in the chapel. The church was extremely flexible to deal with. I did not have to go through too many rules. I didn't do anything extra. No mantilla, arras, unity candle, etc. I didn't have an aisle runner either. I didn't have to work too much with them because a friend of the family that is a priest flew down to celebrate the mass. There was no fee or recommended donation. $400
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Reception A+
Josephine S. Leiser Opera Center
http://www.leisercenter.org
Originally when I booked the Opera Center I worked with Patsy. They had tables and chairs. You had to work with outside caterers. There was a preferred vendor list for caterering. To use an outside caterer you had to pay an additional $700. Parking was valet only and they charged $7 per car + tax. I wish I would've tried to negotiate, but I just accepted it. Patsy was great to work with and always very nice on the phone. Now there is someone else in charge, Mike. I didn't communicate with him too much because Jennifer had already taken over. He agreed to clear out the cocktail room, which they had said no to before. They agreed to open the venue earlier than the original time. They also allowed for Hitched to pick up chairs the following Monday. The valet did a great job. It was pouring rain when we got there and they had humongous umbrellas and walked everyone safely. Unfortunately, I learned that they no longer had a preferred vendor list and do not charge that additional $700. When we tried to get the price dropped they wouldn't and I really couldn't say anything because it is in our contract. Total rental fee $2,760
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Catering B
Amelia & Carmen Catering
http://ameliaandcarmencatering.com/
I booked the company after they did my friend's wedding. I wanted the food to be good, but I wasn't looking for a meal people wouldn't forget, because I know that comes with a price tag. I dealt with Richard on the phone and face to face. Each time he was very pleasant. At the first meeting before the contract I got the $30 pp for chicken, basic linens, and open bar. When I went back and negotiated I had the same price, but they upgraded to filet mignon, glassware for the bar (was plastic before), and champagne. When I went to give Richard the final head count I asked about chargers and he included them for free. I was also going to use Damask linens for free but Dario didn't like them. The extras I got were well priced; cocktail tables and portable bar. The day of the wedding they showed up on time and had set up all under control. The bartenders did great. They didn't run out of liquor and everyone was very happy with their drinks. The food was better than I expected! They do not cook on site and picked out the appetizers and entree carefully to ensure the food would taste the best. Waiters did an excellent job and were very professional. They get a B for 2 reasons. 1) The linens did not go all the way down to the floor. The tables are extra large and they were slightly above. Luckily you couldn't really tell. 2) They refused to put back the tables and chairs. Jenn had to do it all. The price was $30 pp, service fee is 12% and no taxes if you pay cash.
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Chivari Chair Rental A+
Hitched Event Rentals
http://www.hitchedeventrentals.com/
Chivaris was a last minute decision. I'm so glad I made it and think that the whole look was so much cleaner and classier. Luis was super great to talk to on the phone. I originally got the price for $4 a chair and a $75 delivery. Well after Michi posted about the special, which btw she specifically said not to mention her name, I called him up. Since I booked so close to when he did the special he gave it to me for $3.50 a chair! Delivery was prompt and so was pick up. Jenn said there were no problems at all! Total cost about $470
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Cake A+
Mayu's Cakes
http://www.mayuscakes.com/
When I met Maria and saw "MY Cake" I fell in love. She is unique. I don't like flowers or very feminine looking cakes. I prefer clean, simple, and chic. The original plan was to spend about $250 - $300 and just get a cake at Publix, because we thought they would do a good job and we really didn't care about the cake. After meeting Maria at a wedding show I had to schedule a meeting. She has a warehouse where she bakes and decorates. We met at her home. Extremely detailed and organized. After the meeting Dario and I were like there's no question we need to book. She was one of my favorite vendors to work with. Unfortunately, I didn't have a piece beyond the cake cutting, but everyone loved it! $700 ($6.50 per person, based on 100; $50 delivery.... $250 security deposit for cake stand, which you get back when you return it)
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Flowers A+
Gil Sosa
This is now the third florist we've hired. LOL. First it was a family friend of Dario's and we kept getting the runaround. Then I had Al's Florist. I cancelled them less than a month away, because when I gave Jenn the contracts I was concerned about the wording. It turns out I had a right because the quote I thought I got for all 3 bridesmaid bouquets turns out was for just one! Well when I met with them they said they can make the bouquets smaller and I just got a bad vibe. So, I figured I'd loose the $50 deposit and went with Gil. I didn't have any of the communication issues other had because I booked so close to the wedding. He arrived on time the day of and had everything perfect. The flowers were more beautiful than I imagined! When I walked in the room and saw everything it looked unreal. He also included a flower on each charger for free! It was a surprise to me! He's a great guy and would recommend him in a heartbeat. Price was $880 (Bouquets - Bridal, Tossing, 3 BM; Boutonnieres - Groom, 2 RB, 2 Dads, 3 groomsmen; Coursages - 2 Moms, 2 Grandmas; 11 centerpieces, sweetheart table)
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Ceremony Music A
Master Musicians
http://www.mastermusiciansinc.com/
I was going to use Music for Anything because they were cheaper, but based on their lack of communication and other reviews I chose to switch. Julie from Master Musicians was easy to communicate with. I tried to set up a meeting to discuss music, but she said it wasn't necessary. We hired a cellist and once I finally got all the music settle it was about a week and a half before the wedding. She responded with an email saying some songs couldn't be played on a cello. So I replied with what should we do. I didn't like her email response, it was like well you just sent it what do you want me to do. In an effort to not burn any bridges she came through and performed the violin at the ceremony. I didn't like the email, but the fact that she canceled the cellist so late and filled in got her the A. She also arrived 15 min. early. $250 for an hour and a half
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DJ A+
Ubi's Music Productions
http://www.ubismusic.com/
Thank you Knotties. Ubi is the best. He is a pleasure to work with and is very professional. It actually turns out that my sister had used Ubi for her wedding! LOL. He definitely lives up to his reputation. He had the dance floor jamming the entire time. We didn't give him a playlist, besides the intro and stuff. I wanted him to just feel the crowd. I asked for my little booty remix, but the people loved it so much we stretched it a little longer. It may be a little ghetto, but I loved it. My poor dress suffered; I did hydraulics!! During the day we changed the BP introduction song to "I got a feeling" and there were no problems. The next day Dario's family was saying how good he was because he played something for everybody. Oh and he stayed off the mic! I can't take cheese and people talking to hear themselves. He let the music do the talking. Total for 4 hours $675.
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The Dress B-
The Bride's Choice Bridal Salon
http://www.abrideschoice.com/
Amazing salon. Stacy is great to work with. I purchased one of their designs. It was everything I wanted. I've also purchased a custom mantilla veil. The salon got a B instead of an A, because the mantilla did not come in how I had ordered it. A mantilla has lace around the trim right? Well it just had a border. They did fix it with no problems. I had no problems or issues with them other than that and do recommend their store. I decided however to take my dress somewhere else for alterations, because of the reviews on their alterations department. When I asked them to look at it for the alterations, they shrugged and looked vaguely and said, "I don't know maybe $300." With the reviews and their rough estimate, which you know would be more, I went elsewhere. Gown - $1,400, Veil - $375
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Alterations A+ quality/B for always waiting
Reina 954-785-6222
I decided to finally go see Reina, because the reviews were just phenomenal! She is sooo cute! She is did a lot of work to my dress. She's lifted up the top and sleeves, took in around the bust and waist, gave me room around the hips, bustle, and hem. Also, my comb for the mantilla needed to be fixed and she did no problems. I went to Reina 4 times. 1) to determine all the alterations, 2) adjustments with nothing sewed down, 3) everything sewed down and bustle, 4) final pick up. Reina's work is phenomenal! The bridal salon tried to scare me b/c of all the lace in my dress, but I'm so glad I went to her! I did give her a B- because every time I went I had to wait for my dress about 20 min. But please don't let that deter you!! She was always very cooperative and helpful throughout the entire process and so worth it! Work was $200.
The day before the wedding my sister finally convinces my mom to try on her dress. It turns out that it needed to be hemmed, let out at the waist and fixed at the top. So annoying that my mom waited until the last minute to get this all done! Well she went to Reina and the dress was ready the day of the wedding. It fit perfectly!
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Hair A, Make up A+
Jorge Pena
786-306-5463
I had a trial with Jorge for my epics and loved him. The day of he came late because he got lost, but he called me to explain. As soon as he walked in he opened up his cases and chair and got straight to work. He has such a great personality and does incredible work. All my girls had completely different looks and we all looked fab. I think they looked too good; j/k. Oh and let me just say that my girls kept bothering him to add more here and there. LOL, they overdid it. My mom was so scared about makeup and didn't want any! Luck ily she did it and was surprisingly happy with her look. He finished with time to spare! Bride- $150 ($50 due at trial, balance day of); BP $50; $60 if you get lashes.
Alcira
305-205-3579
I was going to have Gus do my hair, but he doesn't travel to you unless you do it at the salon and I did not want to travel the day of. The day of the wedding Alcira came earlier than she was suppose to and got straight to work. She did FABULOUS! Each girl had a completely different look and got exactly what they wanted! It showed her versatility. My hair looked exactly as it did for the trial. If you look at my pictures however you will notice that my hair was coming out. This was not because of Alcira. My hair kept getting caught on my dress! Also, people don't know how to hug! Oh gosh everyone kept pulling on it and touching it. =( Alcira did not get an A+ because there was an issue with the pricing. She told my girls $75; well she told me because of the number of girls it would be $60. She didn't get an attitude and after like 2 comments she agreed to leave it. Because of the way she handled it, I decided to still give her an A. I highly recommend her! If you go to her - $60, If she goes to you - $75, BM - $45 style, $60 updo. *Five or more BM you get a discount.
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Tuxedo - A+ service/C+ execution
The Tux Shop
http://www.thetuxshopfl.com/
Dario and the BP ordered their tuxes from the same shop. Their customer service is excellent. They were always incredibly pleasant and easy to talk to. When I called to pick up the tuxes earlier, to ensure there weren't any problems, they had no issue. Dario's tux was the only one that didn't have a problem! Some ties were stained, shirts were too big, shirts were too tight, etc. Even though there were problems with all of them. They completely took care of it with no issue what so ever! They really pulled through and the problems were resolved. Tuxes were $140 ($10 extra for the shirt with the wing tipped collar), RB I think were around $90.
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Limousine A+
Coastal Limousine
http://www.coastalcar.com/
Wow! On time, right, clean limo, and incredible service. Our driver was sooooo nice! I had a great experience everyone there was very nice. I got a standard, black 8-10 passenger stretched limo for 3 hours. $250 including tax and tip.
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Rings A+
Jared's
Pembroke Pines location.Dario purchased my engagement ring from there and charmed the woman at the counter. Always happens when he has "older" woman helping him. =) He had such a positive experience that we went back for our wedding bands. She showed us many options and even showed us more economical rings. I love our rings! They match perfectly. We also got our engraving done there and had absolutely no problems! Mine - $750; His - $550 ... Engraving - $17ea
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Rehearsal Dinner A+
Scruby's BBQ
http://www.scrubys.com/
I have used Scruby's for catering at school. The price cannot be beat and the food was excellent! Everything came perfect to order and everyone was happy. There wasn't much left at the end, if anything! $4.49/pp (1/4 chicken, baked beans, potato salad, bread and butter), $25 for a gallon of garden salad, $25 delivery, + tax.
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Honeymoon A+
Central Holidays
http://www.centralholidays.com/
I don't know if you all believe in the secret, but 3 years ago (prior to the engagement), I told Dario I wanted to go to Europe and we should just set a date. He blurted out, fine! July 19, 2009!! Our wedding date was originally July 11th and we had to switch it to the 18th because of family. So, we ended up in Europe on that date! Freaky! After ensuring our dae with the church and venue we booked our honeymoon! I didn't want the expenses we would spend to hinder the honeymoon. I'm so glad we did and I strongly recommend anyone that loves traveling to do the same. I didn't use a travel agent, because after meeting with so many I learned that I could find better prices on my own. I used Central Holidays to book a land & sea package. It was 2 days in Athens at a 5 star hotel, 6 day cruise (Istanbul, Mykonos, Kusadasi, Patmos, Rhodes, Crete), and a 2.5 day stay in Santorini at a 4 star hotel. The package was $4,000 for both, not including airfare. Dario's family one roundtrip tickets to Amsterdam and offered them to us for $500 each! So that is how we were able to go to Amsterdam. We were there for 2 days prior to Athens. Our honeymoon was the most amazing experience! It was a trip of a lifetime. We pinched ourselves the entire time, because we couldn't believe we were actually there! Prices: land & cruise with Central Holidays - $4,000; Amsterdam flight - $500; Hotel in Amsterdam - $450; Flight to Ams. - Athens, then Santorini-Athens, Athens-Ams. $1,500.
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Shoes
Endless - A+
http://www.endless.com/
After buying a pair of shoes on the trash to treasure board that didn't fit, I went online on the hunt. I love my shoes and it was super easy to shop through their site. I had free overnight shipping and they arrived beautifuly! Tip - check size comments; some shoes run too small. $90
Topper
Cake Topper Cake - A+
http://www.caketoppers.com/
I loved these monograms. Others I had seen were to flimsy and cheapy looking. I went with the solid brushed metal design. It came in right away and its beautiful! $67
Invitations
Envelopeme.com - A+
http://www.envelopeme.com/
I purchased the z-card, large envelope, RSVP envelope, and cardstock. The quality is great. Everything arrived faster than anticipated. The colors were also pretty true to form. $200 (70 - large and small envelopes, 70 wicked 5x7 cardstock, 70 z cards, and other cardstock)
Melissa Virguez Designs - A+
Melissa is my personal friend and was asked to design my invites on very short notice. She listened to every request and designed the invites beautifully. I'm extremely happy with how they came out. She rocks.
"Pillows"
StuffedAnimals.com - A+
http://www.stuffedanimals.com/
Purchased our monkey here as our ring pillow. It came right away and I was very happy with it. $10
Angie's Kids Zone - A-
http://www.angieskidszone.com/
Purchased our penguin here for my nephew's ring pillow. Was a little disappointed with the size but it works. $10
Centerpiece Items
Glass Cylinders and Stand
Costco. $20 each
River Rocks
Lowes $7 a ba (one bag filled about 2 sets of centerpieces).
Luggage
Paper-Source - B
http://www.paper-source.com/
I loved the suitcase and they came in fairly quickly. They get a B though just because I feel the pictures are deciving to the actual product. They are not super sturdy. $50
Photosharing Card
Vista Print - A
http://www.vistaprint.com/
I ordered 250 business cards. The cards were free. I paid extra for color (don't think I needed it, but wanted to make sure they were right and shipping. The quality is great for the price and it came super fast. $15
Shower Gifts
Umbrellas - A
http://www.horchow.com/
Michi gave me the best idea for a shower gift. Each hostess will receive a personalized monogramed umbrella. The umbrellas were on back order, but they were sent right when they said they'd be ready and they arrived much sooner than I expected. $20 ea
Guestbook
Blurb - A+
http://www.blurb.com/
Our guestbook was ordered 12 days before the wedding! I was so scared it wasn't going to get here on time. I paid extra for overnight shipping. The book came out better than expected. Would have liked the paper to have come out a little more glossy, but the quality was is excellent. Also, when using their program, the pages seem like there's more white space then there actually is. $35 + shipping (paid extra for hardcover, wrap around picture, and stronger paper)
Favors
Partywise Favors - B+
http://www.pricewisefavors.com/
I ordered 110 metal luggage tags. They came in nicely. Shipping took forever though. $1.18 ea
Gifts
Ring Bearers
Rumors.com - A+
http://www.rumors.com/
I purchased two car piggy banks for our ring bearers and had it personalized with their name. They are excellent quality and arrived as expected.
Parents
Molly and Mom - Communication A+/Delivery C
http://www.etsy.com/
I ordered personalized handkerchiefs for each of our parents. Communication has been great. However, it has taken much longer to receive them then it was initially suppose to take. ~ $15 ea
Groomsmen
Lillian Vernon - A+
http://www.lillianvernon.com/
Ordered the personalized wallets for the groomsmen. The quality is great and the shipping is accurate. $15 ea
Jennifer Johnson
http://www.jenniferjevents.com/
Where do I begin?After meeting with DOCs, Dario and I knew right away that Jenn was the one after our initial meeting. I feel that I didn't even take full advantage of all her abilities because I kept so much to myself. Prior to the day of the wedding we had another meeting to discuss timeline, hand over all contracts, room layout, etc. During that meeting she offered some of her own supplies to use. For example, she added her own cylinders during the cocktail hour and in some areas of the reception room. She also let me use her frames for the table names. She requested sample linens for the sign-in, escort cards, and groom's cake table. Not to mention she included uplighting in the room and cocktail for free. There were endless emails going back and forth from when I booked her and she was always so nice in her responses and prompt. There were times when I'd send 3 emails in a row saying that there was a correction to the previous one! She had established such great communication with my vendors, especially with the venue! While doing the final walkthrough at the venue she saw everything I had explained clearly and after that moment I felt that I could do nothing and still have a beautiful wedding. The day of the rehearsal I went to pick up a pay check from my summer job and it wasn't there. I had to go to the corporate office the day of the wedding to pick it up. I was so upset. When I arrived at the rehearsal Jenn was there with her husband to handle everything. She overheard me telling someone the situation and she offered to go pick it up and deposit it for me at the bank! What a relief. Day of the wedding she texted me a few times to check up on me. I asked her to get a few things I forgot and she did. She had 3 other people with her for my wedding. I couldn't believe she had so many there. Maria was with me at the hotel. Gave me water, handled bags and anything else I needed. Jennifer was at the church when I arrived. Took charge and had everything under control there. At the venue Mark was in charge of my dress and stuff. The whole team did so well! I didn't have to worry about a thing! She also took care of purchasing supplies or the groom's cake and assembled it herself. Everything ran on time, which is weird for me because with latin families we're always running late! The guests all commented on how well she did things. At the end of the night the catering company refused to put the tables and chairs away. Jenn and her husband stayed longer to put it all away and clean up some things left behind. While I was on my honeymoon she brought all my supplies to the house nicely packaged. In regards to her fee. I was looking to spend $500 on a DOC she is more expensive than that. I believe her standard price is around $900 for DOC. My wedding was in the off season and I was able to negotiate with her. I will not put the exact amount I got her service for, but it was reasonable for everything I was getting. Highly recommend her!
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Photography A
Brad's Creative Images
http://bciphoto.com/
Brad is located in St. Lucie County, but drove all they way to Boca to meet with me. At our meeting he had completed albums of 5 brides and he also brought a proof box of a wedding he just did. He captures the moments with great lighting and angles. We met with Brad to take our engagement pics and I couldn't have been happier. He captured who we are and had a blast! He is extremely prompt at emails and communication. I hired him because I think he captures the moments perfectly. I never really 'posed' a little at the beginning and at the church. However, I wish so badly it didn't rain so that we could've taken pictures along the river and by the park. Those shots would've been posed and would've been great, but what can you do. He arrived early and was always there with a smile. I never really had him in my face which is great because I was too busy dancing. There was an issue because my brother was taking photographs as well. He was suppose to act like a 2nd photographer and not get in the way. Well he was in the way and looked like the main photog and it became a little problem. No A+ because the portraits at the church I felt were rushed and there's a pic with Dario's mom with her eyes closed and one with my nephew is looking at his flower. He said he is going to fix the eyes closed and we're checking on the one with my nephew. I really enjoyed working with him and would recommend him. The cost was $4,800 (I know!! ouch!! - the one vendor I truly didn't budget for.) that included our engagement session, all our pics on high res cd, 3 enlargements, thank you cards, a leather bound coffee table book, and more.
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Little Flower Catholic Church, Hollywood A+
Little Flower Catholic Church
http://www.littleflowerhwd.org/
This is the Hollywood Little Flower. Our ceremony was held in the chapel. The church was extremely flexible to deal with. I did not have to go through too many rules. I didn't do anything extra. No mantilla, arras, unity candle, etc. I didn't have an aisle runner either. I didn't have to work too much with them because a friend of the family that is a priest flew down to celebrate the mass. There was no fee or recommended donation. $400
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Reception A+
Josephine S. Leiser Opera Center
http://www.leisercenter.org
Originally when I booked the Opera Center I worked with Patsy. They had tables and chairs. You had to work with outside caterers. There was a preferred vendor list for caterering. To use an outside caterer you had to pay an additional $700. Parking was valet only and they charged $7 per car + tax. I wish I would've tried to negotiate, but I just accepted it. Patsy was great to work with and always very nice on the phone. Now there is someone else in charge, Mike. I didn't communicate with him too much because Jennifer had already taken over. He agreed to clear out the cocktail room, which they had said no to before. They agreed to open the venue earlier than the original time. They also allowed for Hitched to pick up chairs the following Monday. The valet did a great job. It was pouring rain when we got there and they had humongous umbrellas and walked everyone safely. Unfortunately, I learned that they no longer had a preferred vendor list and do not charge that additional $700. When we tried to get the price dropped they wouldn't and I really couldn't say anything because it is in our contract. Total rental fee $2,760
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Catering B
Amelia & Carmen Catering
http://ameliaandcarmencatering.com/
I booked the company after they did my friend's wedding. I wanted the food to be good, but I wasn't looking for a meal people wouldn't forget, because I know that comes with a price tag. I dealt with Richard on the phone and face to face. Each time he was very pleasant. At the first meeting before the contract I got the $30 pp for chicken, basic linens, and open bar. When I went back and negotiated I had the same price, but they upgraded to filet mignon, glassware for the bar (was plastic before), and champagne. When I went to give Richard the final head count I asked about chargers and he included them for free. I was also going to use Damask linens for free but Dario didn't like them. The extras I got were well priced; cocktail tables and portable bar. The day of the wedding they showed up on time and had set up all under control. The bartenders did great. They didn't run out of liquor and everyone was very happy with their drinks. The food was better than I expected! They do not cook on site and picked out the appetizers and entree carefully to ensure the food would taste the best. Waiters did an excellent job and were very professional. They get a B for 2 reasons. 1) The linens did not go all the way down to the floor. The tables are extra large and they were slightly above. Luckily you couldn't really tell. 2) They refused to put back the tables and chairs. Jenn had to do it all. The price was $30 pp, service fee is 12% and no taxes if you pay cash.
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Chivari Chair Rental A+
Hitched Event Rentals
http://www.hitchedeventrentals.com/
Chivaris was a last minute decision. I'm so glad I made it and think that the whole look was so much cleaner and classier. Luis was super great to talk to on the phone. I originally got the price for $4 a chair and a $75 delivery. Well after Michi posted about the special, which btw she specifically said not to mention her name, I called him up. Since I booked so close to when he did the special he gave it to me for $3.50 a chair! Delivery was prompt and so was pick up. Jenn said there were no problems at all! Total cost about $470
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Cake A+
Mayu's Cakes
http://www.mayuscakes.com/
When I met Maria and saw "MY Cake" I fell in love. She is unique. I don't like flowers or very feminine looking cakes. I prefer clean, simple, and chic. The original plan was to spend about $250 - $300 and just get a cake at Publix, because we thought they would do a good job and we really didn't care about the cake. After meeting Maria at a wedding show I had to schedule a meeting. She has a warehouse where she bakes and decorates. We met at her home. Extremely detailed and organized. After the meeting Dario and I were like there's no question we need to book. She was one of my favorite vendors to work with. Unfortunately, I didn't have a piece beyond the cake cutting, but everyone loved it! $700 ($6.50 per person, based on 100; $50 delivery.... $250 security deposit for cake stand, which you get back when you return it)
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Flowers A+
Gil Sosa
This is now the third florist we've hired. LOL. First it was a family friend of Dario's and we kept getting the runaround. Then I had Al's Florist. I cancelled them less than a month away, because when I gave Jenn the contracts I was concerned about the wording. It turns out I had a right because the quote I thought I got for all 3 bridesmaid bouquets turns out was for just one! Well when I met with them they said they can make the bouquets smaller and I just got a bad vibe. So, I figured I'd loose the $50 deposit and went with Gil. I didn't have any of the communication issues other had because I booked so close to the wedding. He arrived on time the day of and had everything perfect. The flowers were more beautiful than I imagined! When I walked in the room and saw everything it looked unreal. He also included a flower on each charger for free! It was a surprise to me! He's a great guy and would recommend him in a heartbeat. Price was $880 (Bouquets - Bridal, Tossing, 3 BM; Boutonnieres - Groom, 2 RB, 2 Dads, 3 groomsmen; Coursages - 2 Moms, 2 Grandmas; 11 centerpieces, sweetheart table)
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Ceremony Music A
Master Musicians
http://www.mastermusiciansinc.com/
I was going to use Music for Anything because they were cheaper, but based on their lack of communication and other reviews I chose to switch. Julie from Master Musicians was easy to communicate with. I tried to set up a meeting to discuss music, but she said it wasn't necessary. We hired a cellist and once I finally got all the music settle it was about a week and a half before the wedding. She responded with an email saying some songs couldn't be played on a cello. So I replied with what should we do. I didn't like her email response, it was like well you just sent it what do you want me to do. In an effort to not burn any bridges she came through and performed the violin at the ceremony. I didn't like the email, but the fact that she canceled the cellist so late and filled in got her the A. She also arrived 15 min. early. $250 for an hour and a half
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DJ A+
Ubi's Music Productions
http://www.ubismusic.com/
Thank you Knotties. Ubi is the best. He is a pleasure to work with and is very professional. It actually turns out that my sister had used Ubi for her wedding! LOL. He definitely lives up to his reputation. He had the dance floor jamming the entire time. We didn't give him a playlist, besides the intro and stuff. I wanted him to just feel the crowd. I asked for my little booty remix, but the people loved it so much we stretched it a little longer. It may be a little ghetto, but I loved it. My poor dress suffered; I did hydraulics!! During the day we changed the BP introduction song to "I got a feeling" and there were no problems. The next day Dario's family was saying how good he was because he played something for everybody. Oh and he stayed off the mic! I can't take cheese and people talking to hear themselves. He let the music do the talking. Total for 4 hours $675.
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The Dress B-
The Bride's Choice Bridal Salon
http://www.abrideschoice.com/
Amazing salon. Stacy is great to work with. I purchased one of their designs. It was everything I wanted. I've also purchased a custom mantilla veil. The salon got a B instead of an A, because the mantilla did not come in how I had ordered it. A mantilla has lace around the trim right? Well it just had a border. They did fix it with no problems. I had no problems or issues with them other than that and do recommend their store. I decided however to take my dress somewhere else for alterations, because of the reviews on their alterations department. When I asked them to look at it for the alterations, they shrugged and looked vaguely and said, "I don't know maybe $300." With the reviews and their rough estimate, which you know would be more, I went elsewhere. Gown - $1,400, Veil - $375
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Alterations A+ quality/B for always waiting
Reina 954-785-6222
I decided to finally go see Reina, because the reviews were just phenomenal! She is sooo cute! She is did a lot of work to my dress. She's lifted up the top and sleeves, took in around the bust and waist, gave me room around the hips, bustle, and hem. Also, my comb for the mantilla needed to be fixed and she did no problems. I went to Reina 4 times. 1) to determine all the alterations, 2) adjustments with nothing sewed down, 3) everything sewed down and bustle, 4) final pick up. Reina's work is phenomenal! The bridal salon tried to scare me b/c of all the lace in my dress, but I'm so glad I went to her! I did give her a B- because every time I went I had to wait for my dress about 20 min. But please don't let that deter you!! She was always very cooperative and helpful throughout the entire process and so worth it! Work was $200.
The day before the wedding my sister finally convinces my mom to try on her dress. It turns out that it needed to be hemmed, let out at the waist and fixed at the top. So annoying that my mom waited until the last minute to get this all done! Well she went to Reina and the dress was ready the day of the wedding. It fit perfectly!
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Hair A, Make up A+
Jorge Pena
786-306-5463
I had a trial with Jorge for my epics and loved him. The day of he came late because he got lost, but he called me to explain. As soon as he walked in he opened up his cases and chair and got straight to work. He has such a great personality and does incredible work. All my girls had completely different looks and we all looked fab. I think they looked too good; j/k. Oh and let me just say that my girls kept bothering him to add more here and there. LOL, they overdid it. My mom was so scared about makeup and didn't want any! Luck ily she did it and was surprisingly happy with her look. He finished with time to spare! Bride- $150 ($50 due at trial, balance day of); BP $50; $60 if you get lashes.
Alcira
305-205-3579
I was going to have Gus do my hair, but he doesn't travel to you unless you do it at the salon and I did not want to travel the day of. The day of the wedding Alcira came earlier than she was suppose to and got straight to work. She did FABULOUS! Each girl had a completely different look and got exactly what they wanted! It showed her versatility. My hair looked exactly as it did for the trial. If you look at my pictures however you will notice that my hair was coming out. This was not because of Alcira. My hair kept getting caught on my dress! Also, people don't know how to hug! Oh gosh everyone kept pulling on it and touching it. =( Alcira did not get an A+ because there was an issue with the pricing. She told my girls $75; well she told me because of the number of girls it would be $60. She didn't get an attitude and after like 2 comments she agreed to leave it. Because of the way she handled it, I decided to still give her an A. I highly recommend her! If you go to her - $60, If she goes to you - $75, BM - $45 style, $60 updo. *Five or more BM you get a discount.
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Tuxedo - A+ service/C+ execution
The Tux Shop
http://www.thetuxshopfl.com/
Dario and the BP ordered their tuxes from the same shop. Their customer service is excellent. They were always incredibly pleasant and easy to talk to. When I called to pick up the tuxes earlier, to ensure there weren't any problems, they had no issue. Dario's tux was the only one that didn't have a problem! Some ties were stained, shirts were too big, shirts were too tight, etc. Even though there were problems with all of them. They completely took care of it with no issue what so ever! They really pulled through and the problems were resolved. Tuxes were $140 ($10 extra for the shirt with the wing tipped collar), RB I think were around $90.
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Limousine A+
Coastal Limousine
http://www.coastalcar.com/
Wow! On time, right, clean limo, and incredible service. Our driver was sooooo nice! I had a great experience everyone there was very nice. I got a standard, black 8-10 passenger stretched limo for 3 hours. $250 including tax and tip.
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Rings A+
Jared's
Pembroke Pines location.Dario purchased my engagement ring from there and charmed the woman at the counter. Always happens when he has "older" woman helping him. =) He had such a positive experience that we went back for our wedding bands. She showed us many options and even showed us more economical rings. I love our rings! They match perfectly. We also got our engraving done there and had absolutely no problems! Mine - $750; His - $550 ... Engraving - $17ea
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Rehearsal Dinner A+
Scruby's BBQ
http://www.scrubys.com/
I have used Scruby's for catering at school. The price cannot be beat and the food was excellent! Everything came perfect to order and everyone was happy. There wasn't much left at the end, if anything! $4.49/pp (1/4 chicken, baked beans, potato salad, bread and butter), $25 for a gallon of garden salad, $25 delivery, + tax.
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Honeymoon A+
Central Holidays
http://www.centralholidays.com/
I don't know if you all believe in the secret, but 3 years ago (prior to the engagement), I told Dario I wanted to go to Europe and we should just set a date. He blurted out, fine! July 19, 2009!! Our wedding date was originally July 11th and we had to switch it to the 18th because of family. So, we ended up in Europe on that date! Freaky! After ensuring our dae with the church and venue we booked our honeymoon! I didn't want the expenses we would spend to hinder the honeymoon. I'm so glad we did and I strongly recommend anyone that loves traveling to do the same. I didn't use a travel agent, because after meeting with so many I learned that I could find better prices on my own. I used Central Holidays to book a land & sea package. It was 2 days in Athens at a 5 star hotel, 6 day cruise (Istanbul, Mykonos, Kusadasi, Patmos, Rhodes, Crete), and a 2.5 day stay in Santorini at a 4 star hotel. The package was $4,000 for both, not including airfare. Dario's family one roundtrip tickets to Amsterdam and offered them to us for $500 each! So that is how we were able to go to Amsterdam. We were there for 2 days prior to Athens. Our honeymoon was the most amazing experience! It was a trip of a lifetime. We pinched ourselves the entire time, because we couldn't believe we were actually there! Prices: land & cruise with Central Holidays - $4,000; Amsterdam flight - $500; Hotel in Amsterdam - $450; Flight to Ams. - Athens, then Santorini-Athens, Athens-Ams. $1,500.
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Shoes
Endless - A+
http://www.endless.com/
After buying a pair of shoes on the trash to treasure board that didn't fit, I went online on the hunt. I love my shoes and it was super easy to shop through their site. I had free overnight shipping and they arrived beautifuly! Tip - check size comments; some shoes run too small. $90
Topper
Cake Topper Cake - A+
http://www.caketoppers.com/
I loved these monograms. Others I had seen were to flimsy and cheapy looking. I went with the solid brushed metal design. It came in right away and its beautiful! $67
Invitations
Envelopeme.com - A+
http://www.envelopeme.com/
I purchased the z-card, large envelope, RSVP envelope, and cardstock. The quality is great. Everything arrived faster than anticipated. The colors were also pretty true to form. $200 (70 - large and small envelopes, 70 wicked 5x7 cardstock, 70 z cards, and other cardstock)
Melissa Virguez Designs - A+
Melissa is my personal friend and was asked to design my invites on very short notice. She listened to every request and designed the invites beautifully. I'm extremely happy with how they came out. She rocks.
"Pillows"
StuffedAnimals.com - A+
http://www.stuffedanimals.com/
Purchased our monkey here as our ring pillow. It came right away and I was very happy with it. $10
Angie's Kids Zone - A-
http://www.angieskidszone.com/
Purchased our penguin here for my nephew's ring pillow. Was a little disappointed with the size but it works. $10
Centerpiece Items
Glass Cylinders and Stand
Costco. $20 each
River Rocks
Lowes $7 a ba (one bag filled about 2 sets of centerpieces).
Luggage
Paper-Source - B
http://www.paper-source.com/
I loved the suitcase and they came in fairly quickly. They get a B though just because I feel the pictures are deciving to the actual product. They are not super sturdy. $50
Photosharing Card
Vista Print - A
http://www.vistaprint.com/
I ordered 250 business cards. The cards were free. I paid extra for color (don't think I needed it, but wanted to make sure they were right and shipping. The quality is great for the price and it came super fast. $15
Shower Gifts
Umbrellas - A
http://www.horchow.com/
Michi gave me the best idea for a shower gift. Each hostess will receive a personalized monogramed umbrella. The umbrellas were on back order, but they were sent right when they said they'd be ready and they arrived much sooner than I expected. $20 ea
Guestbook
Blurb - A+
http://www.blurb.com/
Our guestbook was ordered 12 days before the wedding! I was so scared it wasn't going to get here on time. I paid extra for overnight shipping. The book came out better than expected. Would have liked the paper to have come out a little more glossy, but the quality was is excellent. Also, when using their program, the pages seem like there's more white space then there actually is. $35 + shipping (paid extra for hardcover, wrap around picture, and stronger paper)
Favors
Partywise Favors - B+
http://www.pricewisefavors.com/
I ordered 110 metal luggage tags. They came in nicely. Shipping took forever though. $1.18 ea
Gifts
Ring Bearers
Rumors.com - A+
http://www.rumors.com/
I purchased two car piggy banks for our ring bearers and had it personalized with their name. They are excellent quality and arrived as expected.
Parents
Molly and Mom - Communication A+/Delivery C
http://www.etsy.com/
I ordered personalized handkerchiefs for each of our parents. Communication has been great. However, it has taken much longer to receive them then it was initially suppose to take. ~ $15 ea
Groomsmen
Lillian Vernon - A+
http://www.lillianvernon.com/
Ordered the personalized wallets for the groomsmen. The quality is great and the shipping is accurate. $15 ea
Futureb's Reviews 06.07.08
Ceremony Location - Plymouth Congregatioal
WOW..the church has been great to work with! everytime I had a question they would call me the same day and always treat me nice. Gerry and Susan are great..Rehearsal and Day of ran super smooth! The Bride's room is nice and comfy too.
Officiant - David Menendez
I was iffy on doing the ceremony bilingual, but the Pastor was wonderful. He made everything flow and smooth. Never a stutter nor long pauses. The ceremony was beautiful and to the point. Everyone was able to understand him. I highly recommend him. Our meeting with him also went great, he made us feel very comfortable.
Reception Location - The Hotel
WOW...I knew my guests would like the hotel but they were beyond wowed! I am still hearing how wonderful it was. The hotel is a boutique property in the heart of South Beach, kind of hidden. The staff, the F&B Director and the food were A++++++. The staff was always accommodating with the food for everyone and the drinks too. The hotel is full of color and unique items that makes for gorgeous pics. We were a chaotic and loud group but they handled the entire party extremely well. ALl my guests felt very welcome there.
Caterers - WISH Restaurant
Everyone loved the food!. it was Surf and turf, filet mignon and lobster tail with asparagus and herbed mashed potatoes. Delicious and very accommodating, temperatures of the steaks were taken for each guest. Wine was served during dinner. The signature drink was the Mango Mojito served during the cocktail hour..they were perfect and refreshing! Food and drinks were delicious!
Cake Creator - Couture Cakes, formerly known as Cakeabilities
I had a few cake tastings before I chose this vendor. I went with Gladys (my BM, GLADYS0410) and we had a great tasting...better than the others I went to and she had delicious flavors. She was also pretty affordable so we booked her on the spot. Communication with her has been great via email of phone. I had her do a few sketches for me and she was always great to work with. I was so excited to see the finished produce and our two mini cakes, I had told her she can design those as she wanted. When we saw the cakes in the pool area, we loved them! the colors, the style, the setup. The only piece of cake I had was when we cut it for the pics..and it was little so I didn't concentrate on the flavor, I didn't worry on having a piece becuase I was going to take the minis home for after the HM. When I came back from the HM I had a few ppl tell me the cake was dry. The flavor was good..but it was not as moist as it was at my tasting. It's disappointing because I looooove cake and the tasting was delicious. I don't know what happened because the cake was not outside long. I did get my mini cakes after my HM and I tried them myself. They are delicious but maybe a bit dry for my taste. I think the minis were maybe more moist than the 3 tier cake but not as moist as the tasting. I still recommend this vendor because everything else was great (look of the cake, comm, etc) but I would make it a point to let her know maybe about my experience and make sure it is moist.
Florist - Nevot Flower Designs
I had heard he was a bit "flaky", but he was the MOST affordable florist I met and he knows what he is talking about. I met with him and booked him right away. I didn't know what I wanted for the bridal bouquet and the BMs but he helped me decide and I loooved the end product. Everytime I met with him or called him he was always available. He delivered on time and the bouquets and cocktail centerpieces were perfect. I didnt' get dinner table CPs with him because the hotel provided that. Nevot provided me with hot pink peonies in square vases for the cocktail hour...and i loved them! All the bouquets were fresh and beautifully bright! no complaints
Photographer - Trevor Goldsmith
I can't say enough of him. We truly love his work and his style. He has been awesome to work with and always has a great attitude. he loves what he does and it shows. At both the Epics and the Wedding day he was very punctual and goes to work right away...he is a Professional and has a great eye! My friends loved him! He has a great candid/classic style that we couldn't resist. The pics he posted on his blog are gorgeous!
Videographer - Utopia
Working with them has been great up to now. The videographers introduced themselves to us the day of the wedding, they were very professional and subtle. they left until the very end, I can't wait to see the video. From what I have seen I feel I'll be very happy though.
Disc Jockey - Sounds by Alex
It was April and I still had no DJ. I went to my coworkers wedding and we loved Alex. Luckily he was still available and he was the most affordable too. Loved him and he is definitely a sweetheart to work with. Everyone was on the dance floor...all night..never a "dead" moment.
Musicians - Mariachi Internacional
This was my dad's gift to us. They were very punctual and sang for 30 min. This was more for my dad..but we all had a great time listening to them. My dad's complaint..they should have been louder, but I did tell them they couldn't be too loud...Miami Beach has a noise ordinance law...so it wasn't really their fault.
Transportation - Miami Beach Rent a Car
They were great...very easy..I went and picked up the car and they picked it up from the hotel the day after the wedding. We rented a white Chrysler 300 for 100.00!
Invitations - Jackie's Graphics
She did my invitations and programs! Everyone raved about them. She is very nice..easy to work with, gives you lots of options and she works pretty fast. I recommend her in an instant! Prices are great and she really works with your budget!
Tuxedos - The Tux Shop
I found them through a friend. Johnny the owner is a sweetheart and so easy to work with! My out of town GM had no issues at all. We sent him the measurements via email and he had everything ready the week before the wedding. Soo many options to try on at the store. He also picked the tuxes at the hotel the day after, Free of charge!
My Dress - Brides of Florida
My dress got there on time..and the alterations (free) were done right. Macky is very enthusiastic and loves what she does. I can't say I had any issues with her or my dress. I ordered it in Oct and recieved it in April. Maggie Sotero..i loved my dress!
Bridesmaid Dresses - Sira D'Pion Couture
I wanted the BP to have their own dress style so we decided to have them made so we found her at a Bridal Show. She is very nice..and had great samples at her boutique so we all agreed and booked her. She did my BM dress for my best friends wedding March 2008 and even though they dresses came out ok..they were not what I pictured. Gladys who also walked the wedding was VERY unhappy with her dress and my aunt who is a seamstress thought the dresses were all badly made. At this point the deposit and fabric for my wedding was already given and it was too late to change so we hoped my wedding would be better. At the fitting the girls told me that Sira was much more detailed and involved in their dresses so we thought there would be no drama. Well in the end one of my BMs dress was terribly made, the underlining was all bunched up under the dress, the zipper was too long so it created a bump on her butt. My aunt fixed it as best she could but that should NOT have even been an issue for the amount she charge and she even puts SIRA COUTURE as a tag! Your work needs to represent you so I do not recommend her for making dresses. Apparently she has other ladies who work for her..so your dress might end up being great or just very badly made.
Hair Stylist - Alcira
Alcira has been GREAT! At my trial she was very patient and helpful. She did my hair for my bridal shower and day of wedding. I loved them all. She is very sweet and you can ask her a million questions and does not get annoyed. Very punctual and professional. She did my entire BP and my mother...there were no complaints!
Makeup Artist - Jenesse
She had done my makeup at two previous weddings I walked. I really liked her so decided to book her for my wedding. Very punctual and she even went in her wheelchair. She had an accident a few months ago. Very sweet...fun and friendly. Again..my BP loved her and there were no complaints!
Honeymoon Destination - MEXICO!
We stayed at Secrets Capri in Riviera Maya...wow..we were treated like VIPs all throughout! It's just for adults....we had a fantastic time! the food..the scenery, drinks..staff..everything was A+++ I definitely recommend it. They had champagne, petals, fruit for us, we had an oceanview and 24 hour room service! It rained 2 days, but that did NOT ruin our vacation.
Other Vendor - Bayleys Boxes
Boxes were adorable and arrived on time. We also ordered the blooms the go on top..super cute. We used them with 2 mini cupcakes inside...they fit perfectly. We got the large trinket boxes.
Other Vendor - Delicioso Bakery
Eli has been wonderful! I ordered cupcakes for my bday, bachelorette and minis for wedding favors. Always on time and great tasting. The minis were delicious and super cute....she also packaged them up for me!
Other Vendor - Shortys - Doral Area
WE wanted something very casual and laidback. They were very easy to work with..they have this room where we sat..all to ourselves no extra charge. There is no minimum per person..so you order what you want...we ordered 3 of their family meals for 18 of us...soo much food...I had to take chicken home! They also let us decorate..i took tablecloths and confetti (mexican theme). We had a great time!
WOW..the church has been great to work with! everytime I had a question they would call me the same day and always treat me nice. Gerry and Susan are great..Rehearsal and Day of ran super smooth! The Bride's room is nice and comfy too.
Officiant - David Menendez
I was iffy on doing the ceremony bilingual, but the Pastor was wonderful. He made everything flow and smooth. Never a stutter nor long pauses. The ceremony was beautiful and to the point. Everyone was able to understand him. I highly recommend him. Our meeting with him also went great, he made us feel very comfortable.
Reception Location - The Hotel
WOW...I knew my guests would like the hotel but they were beyond wowed! I am still hearing how wonderful it was. The hotel is a boutique property in the heart of South Beach, kind of hidden. The staff, the F&B Director and the food were A++++++. The staff was always accommodating with the food for everyone and the drinks too. The hotel is full of color and unique items that makes for gorgeous pics. We were a chaotic and loud group but they handled the entire party extremely well. ALl my guests felt very welcome there.
Caterers - WISH Restaurant
Everyone loved the food!. it was Surf and turf, filet mignon and lobster tail with asparagus and herbed mashed potatoes. Delicious and very accommodating, temperatures of the steaks were taken for each guest. Wine was served during dinner. The signature drink was the Mango Mojito served during the cocktail hour..they were perfect and refreshing! Food and drinks were delicious!
Cake Creator - Couture Cakes, formerly known as Cakeabilities
I had a few cake tastings before I chose this vendor. I went with Gladys (my BM, GLADYS0410) and we had a great tasting...better than the others I went to and she had delicious flavors. She was also pretty affordable so we booked her on the spot. Communication with her has been great via email of phone. I had her do a few sketches for me and she was always great to work with. I was so excited to see the finished produce and our two mini cakes, I had told her she can design those as she wanted. When we saw the cakes in the pool area, we loved them! the colors, the style, the setup. The only piece of cake I had was when we cut it for the pics..and it was little so I didn't concentrate on the flavor, I didn't worry on having a piece becuase I was going to take the minis home for after the HM. When I came back from the HM I had a few ppl tell me the cake was dry. The flavor was good..but it was not as moist as it was at my tasting. It's disappointing because I looooove cake and the tasting was delicious. I don't know what happened because the cake was not outside long. I did get my mini cakes after my HM and I tried them myself. They are delicious but maybe a bit dry for my taste. I think the minis were maybe more moist than the 3 tier cake but not as moist as the tasting. I still recommend this vendor because everything else was great (look of the cake, comm, etc) but I would make it a point to let her know maybe about my experience and make sure it is moist.
Florist - Nevot Flower Designs
I had heard he was a bit "flaky", but he was the MOST affordable florist I met and he knows what he is talking about. I met with him and booked him right away. I didn't know what I wanted for the bridal bouquet and the BMs but he helped me decide and I loooved the end product. Everytime I met with him or called him he was always available. He delivered on time and the bouquets and cocktail centerpieces were perfect. I didnt' get dinner table CPs with him because the hotel provided that. Nevot provided me with hot pink peonies in square vases for the cocktail hour...and i loved them! All the bouquets were fresh and beautifully bright! no complaints
Photographer - Trevor Goldsmith
I can't say enough of him. We truly love his work and his style. He has been awesome to work with and always has a great attitude. he loves what he does and it shows. At both the Epics and the Wedding day he was very punctual and goes to work right away...he is a Professional and has a great eye! My friends loved him! He has a great candid/classic style that we couldn't resist. The pics he posted on his blog are gorgeous!
Videographer - Utopia
Working with them has been great up to now. The videographers introduced themselves to us the day of the wedding, they were very professional and subtle. they left until the very end, I can't wait to see the video. From what I have seen I feel I'll be very happy though.
Disc Jockey - Sounds by Alex
It was April and I still had no DJ. I went to my coworkers wedding and we loved Alex. Luckily he was still available and he was the most affordable too. Loved him and he is definitely a sweetheart to work with. Everyone was on the dance floor...all night..never a "dead" moment.
Musicians - Mariachi Internacional
This was my dad's gift to us. They were very punctual and sang for 30 min. This was more for my dad..but we all had a great time listening to them. My dad's complaint..they should have been louder, but I did tell them they couldn't be too loud...Miami Beach has a noise ordinance law...so it wasn't really their fault.
Transportation - Miami Beach Rent a Car
They were great...very easy..I went and picked up the car and they picked it up from the hotel the day after the wedding. We rented a white Chrysler 300 for 100.00!
Invitations - Jackie's Graphics
She did my invitations and programs! Everyone raved about them. She is very nice..easy to work with, gives you lots of options and she works pretty fast. I recommend her in an instant! Prices are great and she really works with your budget!
Tuxedos - The Tux Shop
I found them through a friend. Johnny the owner is a sweetheart and so easy to work with! My out of town GM had no issues at all. We sent him the measurements via email and he had everything ready the week before the wedding. Soo many options to try on at the store. He also picked the tuxes at the hotel the day after, Free of charge!
My Dress - Brides of Florida
My dress got there on time..and the alterations (free) were done right. Macky is very enthusiastic and loves what she does. I can't say I had any issues with her or my dress. I ordered it in Oct and recieved it in April. Maggie Sotero..i loved my dress!
Bridesmaid Dresses - Sira D'Pion Couture
I wanted the BP to have their own dress style so we decided to have them made so we found her at a Bridal Show. She is very nice..and had great samples at her boutique so we all agreed and booked her. She did my BM dress for my best friends wedding March 2008 and even though they dresses came out ok..they were not what I pictured. Gladys who also walked the wedding was VERY unhappy with her dress and my aunt who is a seamstress thought the dresses were all badly made. At this point the deposit and fabric for my wedding was already given and it was too late to change so we hoped my wedding would be better. At the fitting the girls told me that Sira was much more detailed and involved in their dresses so we thought there would be no drama. Well in the end one of my BMs dress was terribly made, the underlining was all bunched up under the dress, the zipper was too long so it created a bump on her butt. My aunt fixed it as best she could but that should NOT have even been an issue for the amount she charge and she even puts SIRA COUTURE as a tag! Your work needs to represent you so I do not recommend her for making dresses. Apparently she has other ladies who work for her..so your dress might end up being great or just very badly made.
Hair Stylist - Alcira
Alcira has been GREAT! At my trial she was very patient and helpful. She did my hair for my bridal shower and day of wedding. I loved them all. She is very sweet and you can ask her a million questions and does not get annoyed. Very punctual and professional. She did my entire BP and my mother...there were no complaints!
Makeup Artist - Jenesse
She had done my makeup at two previous weddings I walked. I really liked her so decided to book her for my wedding. Very punctual and she even went in her wheelchair. She had an accident a few months ago. Very sweet...fun and friendly. Again..my BP loved her and there were no complaints!
Honeymoon Destination - MEXICO!
We stayed at Secrets Capri in Riviera Maya...wow..we were treated like VIPs all throughout! It's just for adults....we had a fantastic time! the food..the scenery, drinks..staff..everything was A+++ I definitely recommend it. They had champagne, petals, fruit for us, we had an oceanview and 24 hour room service! It rained 2 days, but that did NOT ruin our vacation.
Other Vendor - Bayleys Boxes
Boxes were adorable and arrived on time. We also ordered the blooms the go on top..super cute. We used them with 2 mini cupcakes inside...they fit perfectly. We got the large trinket boxes.
Other Vendor - Delicioso Bakery
Eli has been wonderful! I ordered cupcakes for my bday, bachelorette and minis for wedding favors. Always on time and great tasting. The minis were delicious and super cute....she also packaged them up for me!
Other Vendor - Shortys - Doral Area
WE wanted something very casual and laidback. They were very easy to work with..they have this room where we sat..all to ourselves no extra charge. There is no minimum per person..so you order what you want...we ordered 3 of their family meals for 18 of us...soo much food...I had to take chicken home! They also let us decorate..i took tablecloths and confetti (mexican theme). We had a great time!
Melinda.Reider's Reviews 11.08.08
Hair: Alcira
Contact Info: 305-205-3579
Grade: A
I loved the way Alcira did my hair for the wedding. She took my inspiration photo and added her own twist. My hair was just how I had envisioned it. Alcira was lovely and patient. I had two trials with her and each time she was polite and accommodating. The day of the wedding she was on time, didn't take forever to do my hair and didn't leave until I was completely satisfied.
What I will say is that during my crazy reception dancing my hair did start falling out a bit, but this always happens to me unless my hair is completely schalacked somehow...and who wants to have helmet hair for their wedding (or any time for that matter)??
Videography: Cousin Matt- A
We love him and our video was completely free. Sure, it wasn't fancy schmancy, but we are very happy with what we did get considering we weren't going to have video at all. Cousin Matt got everything that was important to us and even came to the rehearsal to scope out the place and find the best place to film our ceremony. And now we have a home movie of our wedding to show to our kids! :)
Ceremony & Reception Venue: Villa Salcedo (Owned and operated by Exquisite Productions)
Contact Info: www.epevent.com
Grade: A
Can I tell you a secret? Finding a venue was one of the most difficult parts of our wedding planning process. I had something VERY specific in mind, but we weren't finding it. I had to revise. This isn't the first place that I would have chosen to have my wedding, but honestly I am very very happy that we did have our wedding here. It was unconventional, very Miami, and very intimate for my guests. Jose and Raquel know what they're doing. They were very willing to work with everything we wanted to do. A small example of this: if you've seen my planning bio you know that I wanted the terra cotta pots that were everywhere on the grounds removed for our wedding. As you can see in the picture to the left, they're all gone. They did everything they could to accomedate us and made sure the wedding went very smoothly.
My only complaint: we had our ceremony overlooking the pool and a week before the wedding I saw this video. As if I didn't have enough to worry about.
Full Wedding Coordinator: Dayana Valero, Events by D
Contact Info: dayana@eventsbyd.com
Grade: A+
See the petite woman in the corner looking like she's in charge? That's Dayana! Hiring her was one of THE BEST decisions we made for our wedding. Worth every. freaking. penny. I planned our wedding from Los Angeles and I couldn't have done it without her. Most of my decisions were made either in a blur of marathon visits to Miami or over email. She took pics of EVERYTHING and sent them to me when I couldn't be in town. She talked to me AT LEAST 5 times a week (yeah...I was THAT bride). She's detail oriented. She's filled with great ideas. Honest without being overbearing. Quick to get back to you. My family LOVED HER. My SILs wanted to hang with her even more. Plus she's fiesty but polite with vendors. She gets THE BEST deals.
Just an example of her wonderousness: When Dayana found out that our day of hotel didn't have the room I had reserved available due to overbooking (story will be detailed), she called and talked to the hotel manager. 10 mins later we were in the Presidential suite. For free.
Make up: Sara Pino
Contact Info: 305-519-2647
Grade: A
Can I first say that this woman is beautiful?? I realize that it's not relevent to this particular discussion, but still. That is all.
Onto the matter at hand. Sara was great. She was so sweet, so patient and very talented. Unfortunately she doesn't speak much english and my spanish is as good as a 3 year old's. No matter though, one of my SILs is fluent (as well as Dayana) so we were all good. I LOVED my make up on the wedding day. It stayed in place (even though I danced the night away) and didn't feel like a mask. She was on time and didn't take forever to do my make up (but took her time to make sure everything was perfect) I would highly reccommend her to anyone. Not to mention that every time I teared up while she was doing my eye makeup she would say in english, "Don't cry for me, Argentina!" :)
Photographer: Stephanie Sokol
Contact Info: oceanwavesdeepblue@yahoo.com
Blog: www.stephaniesokol.blogspot.com
Grade: A+
I wanted an artistic and photo journalistic style for our wedding pictures. I saw Stephanie's work and was absolutely amazed. She was everything we wanted stylistically and more...I honestly couldn't be happier with our wedding photos. Also, this woman is amazing with people (all my guests loved her) and just a really positive presence. She was the first vendor to show up day of and one of the last to leave, and the whole time she was calm, happy and just awesome. She gave us all our images on DVD and I was able to do whatever I wanted with them. It was perfect. :) I would HIGHLY recommend her to anyone. There was only one of her (she didn't bring any assistants) but she got over 1600 images of the day!!!! NOTHING was missed. DH loves our pics too. This is HUGE as my DH is an amateur photographer and photography for our wedding was incredibly important. Stephanie Sokol ROCKS!
Catering/Food:
Info: www.torrellascatering.com
Grade: A
DH and I are foodies. Because of this it was imperative that we have great food at our wedding. Well, Torrellas was an awesome choice. People are STILL talking about the food at our wedding. It was amazingly yummy. This vendor was a joy to work with and totally calmed me down when I began feeling a bit stressed. They are great at what they do and I am SO glad we hired Torrellas. They also provided the chairs for the reception. Highly recommended.
Linens/Chargers: A Touch of Class
Info: www.atouchofclasslinen.com
Grade: A
As you can see, everything was beautiful! These weren't my original choice of linens, but they were really great when I told them I wanted to change. I got a very decent price, though not as cheap as it COULD have been. I knew that though...linens and chairs were my biggest splurge. I just loved how the color dressed up the tent. Everything was delivered on time (so I was told) so I'm happy.
Flowers: Joel's Floral
Info: www.joelsfloralpartydesign.com/home.htm
Grade: A
Joel is absolutely adorable. He's lovely and fun to work with. He's also talented. I didn't want to spend too much for flowers especially I'm one for simple arrangements. He is very talented! Showed up on time to the wedding, did a final walk through with me, my coordinator and my catering people a few weeks before the wedding and was really helpful. I also really appreciate his honestly; I had ordered two arrangements for the ceremony but after he had walked through the venue with me he told me that he didn't think I needed them (I agreed) and he took them out. I didn't feel pushed or like he was out just to make a buck. Two thumbs up from me. He'll do a great job for any bride, I think.
Mojito Bar/Coffee Station: Cafe On Wheels
Info: www.cafeonwheels.net
Grade: A
Instead of a full bar we decided that we'd have wine service with dinner and a mojito station and coffee bar for people to enjoy at the reception. Honestly, this was a HIT! Everyone loved the mojitos (they were VERY yummy), and there were even four different kinds. The coffee was a great pick me up after a long night of dancing. The service was lovely and people even now still talk about our awesome mojito and coffee fueled wedding. Highly recommended.
The Entertainment: Pangea
Info: www.pangeaband.com
Grade: A
So, one of the only things that DH had insisted on (besides amazing food) was a live band. We love to listen to live music and thought that it would be more than fitting to do the same at our wedding. When my MIL informed us that we had a family friend who was a pianist in a local events band, we were excited! They invited us to one of their shows to see how they could work a crowd and we were sold. The only reason why this band didn't get an A+ is because it was actually rather hard to get in contact with them for much of anything until about one or two months before the wedding. Besides that this band was completely and totally worth the money. We were dancing like crazy people. Please refer to the "reception" part of my bio to see what I mean!
Day of Hotel: The Westin Colonnade, Coral Gables
Info: Westin Colonnade
Grade: D+
I think my experience was an anomaly due to the fact that a few crazy things happened at this hotel the weekend of my wedding, including a VERY large conference as well as overbooking due to a pipe explosion (or something like that). But the way they handled this the night before my wedding was really not ok (and I am NOT one of those people to complain at every little thing. My BM's were much angrier than I was). The situation was, however, rectified in the end (with a quick call from my feisty coordinator) which was appreciated. However I chose this particular hotel to AVOID the kind of thing we experienced. I know that many knotties are using this hotel and that negative reviews aren't supposed to be "done" on our bios anymore, so I'll just say that if you want more details email me: melinda.reider@gmail
Contact Info: 305-205-3579
Grade: A
I loved the way Alcira did my hair for the wedding. She took my inspiration photo and added her own twist. My hair was just how I had envisioned it. Alcira was lovely and patient. I had two trials with her and each time she was polite and accommodating. The day of the wedding she was on time, didn't take forever to do my hair and didn't leave until I was completely satisfied.
What I will say is that during my crazy reception dancing my hair did start falling out a bit, but this always happens to me unless my hair is completely schalacked somehow...and who wants to have helmet hair for their wedding (or any time for that matter)??
Videography: Cousin Matt- A
We love him and our video was completely free. Sure, it wasn't fancy schmancy, but we are very happy with what we did get considering we weren't going to have video at all. Cousin Matt got everything that was important to us and even came to the rehearsal to scope out the place and find the best place to film our ceremony. And now we have a home movie of our wedding to show to our kids! :)
Ceremony & Reception Venue: Villa Salcedo (Owned and operated by Exquisite Productions)
Contact Info: www.epevent.com
Grade: A
Can I tell you a secret? Finding a venue was one of the most difficult parts of our wedding planning process. I had something VERY specific in mind, but we weren't finding it. I had to revise. This isn't the first place that I would have chosen to have my wedding, but honestly I am very very happy that we did have our wedding here. It was unconventional, very Miami, and very intimate for my guests. Jose and Raquel know what they're doing. They were very willing to work with everything we wanted to do. A small example of this: if you've seen my planning bio you know that I wanted the terra cotta pots that were everywhere on the grounds removed for our wedding. As you can see in the picture to the left, they're all gone. They did everything they could to accomedate us and made sure the wedding went very smoothly.
My only complaint: we had our ceremony overlooking the pool and a week before the wedding I saw this video. As if I didn't have enough to worry about.
Full Wedding Coordinator: Dayana Valero, Events by D
Contact Info: dayana@eventsbyd.com
Grade: A+
See the petite woman in the corner looking like she's in charge? That's Dayana! Hiring her was one of THE BEST decisions we made for our wedding. Worth every. freaking. penny. I planned our wedding from Los Angeles and I couldn't have done it without her. Most of my decisions were made either in a blur of marathon visits to Miami or over email. She took pics of EVERYTHING and sent them to me when I couldn't be in town. She talked to me AT LEAST 5 times a week (yeah...I was THAT bride). She's detail oriented. She's filled with great ideas. Honest without being overbearing. Quick to get back to you. My family LOVED HER. My SILs wanted to hang with her even more. Plus she's fiesty but polite with vendors. She gets THE BEST deals.
Just an example of her wonderousness: When Dayana found out that our day of hotel didn't have the room I had reserved available due to overbooking (story will be detailed), she called and talked to the hotel manager. 10 mins later we were in the Presidential suite. For free.
Make up: Sara Pino
Contact Info: 305-519-2647
Grade: A
Can I first say that this woman is beautiful?? I realize that it's not relevent to this particular discussion, but still. That is all.
Onto the matter at hand. Sara was great. She was so sweet, so patient and very talented. Unfortunately she doesn't speak much english and my spanish is as good as a 3 year old's. No matter though, one of my SILs is fluent (as well as Dayana) so we were all good. I LOVED my make up on the wedding day. It stayed in place (even though I danced the night away) and didn't feel like a mask. She was on time and didn't take forever to do my make up (but took her time to make sure everything was perfect) I would highly reccommend her to anyone. Not to mention that every time I teared up while she was doing my eye makeup she would say in english, "Don't cry for me, Argentina!" :)
Photographer: Stephanie Sokol
Contact Info: oceanwavesdeepblue@yahoo.com
Blog: www.stephaniesokol.blogspot.com
Grade: A+
I wanted an artistic and photo journalistic style for our wedding pictures. I saw Stephanie's work and was absolutely amazed. She was everything we wanted stylistically and more...I honestly couldn't be happier with our wedding photos. Also, this woman is amazing with people (all my guests loved her) and just a really positive presence. She was the first vendor to show up day of and one of the last to leave, and the whole time she was calm, happy and just awesome. She gave us all our images on DVD and I was able to do whatever I wanted with them. It was perfect. :) I would HIGHLY recommend her to anyone. There was only one of her (she didn't bring any assistants) but she got over 1600 images of the day!!!! NOTHING was missed. DH loves our pics too. This is HUGE as my DH is an amateur photographer and photography for our wedding was incredibly important. Stephanie Sokol ROCKS!
Catering/Food:
Info: www.torrellascatering.com
Grade: A
DH and I are foodies. Because of this it was imperative that we have great food at our wedding. Well, Torrellas was an awesome choice. People are STILL talking about the food at our wedding. It was amazingly yummy. This vendor was a joy to work with and totally calmed me down when I began feeling a bit stressed. They are great at what they do and I am SO glad we hired Torrellas. They also provided the chairs for the reception. Highly recommended.
Linens/Chargers: A Touch of Class
Info: www.atouchofclasslinen.com
Grade: A
As you can see, everything was beautiful! These weren't my original choice of linens, but they were really great when I told them I wanted to change. I got a very decent price, though not as cheap as it COULD have been. I knew that though...linens and chairs were my biggest splurge. I just loved how the color dressed up the tent. Everything was delivered on time (so I was told) so I'm happy.
Flowers: Joel's Floral
Info: www.joelsfloralpartydesign.com/home.htm
Grade: A
Joel is absolutely adorable. He's lovely and fun to work with. He's also talented. I didn't want to spend too much for flowers especially I'm one for simple arrangements. He is very talented! Showed up on time to the wedding, did a final walk through with me, my coordinator and my catering people a few weeks before the wedding and was really helpful. I also really appreciate his honestly; I had ordered two arrangements for the ceremony but after he had walked through the venue with me he told me that he didn't think I needed them (I agreed) and he took them out. I didn't feel pushed or like he was out just to make a buck. Two thumbs up from me. He'll do a great job for any bride, I think.
Mojito Bar/Coffee Station: Cafe On Wheels
Info: www.cafeonwheels.net
Grade: A
Instead of a full bar we decided that we'd have wine service with dinner and a mojito station and coffee bar for people to enjoy at the reception. Honestly, this was a HIT! Everyone loved the mojitos (they were VERY yummy), and there were even four different kinds. The coffee was a great pick me up after a long night of dancing. The service was lovely and people even now still talk about our awesome mojito and coffee fueled wedding. Highly recommended.
The Entertainment: Pangea
Info: www.pangeaband.com
Grade: A
So, one of the only things that DH had insisted on (besides amazing food) was a live band. We love to listen to live music and thought that it would be more than fitting to do the same at our wedding. When my MIL informed us that we had a family friend who was a pianist in a local events band, we were excited! They invited us to one of their shows to see how they could work a crowd and we were sold. The only reason why this band didn't get an A+ is because it was actually rather hard to get in contact with them for much of anything until about one or two months before the wedding. Besides that this band was completely and totally worth the money. We were dancing like crazy people. Please refer to the "reception" part of my bio to see what I mean!
Day of Hotel: The Westin Colonnade, Coral Gables
Info: Westin Colonnade
Grade: D+
I think my experience was an anomaly due to the fact that a few crazy things happened at this hotel the weekend of my wedding, including a VERY large conference as well as overbooking due to a pipe explosion (or something like that). But the way they handled this the night before my wedding was really not ok (and I am NOT one of those people to complain at every little thing. My BM's were much angrier than I was). The situation was, however, rectified in the end (with a quick call from my feisty coordinator) which was appreciated. However I chose this particular hotel to AVOID the kind of thing we experienced. I know that many knotties are using this hotel and that negative reviews aren't supposed to be "done" on our bios anymore, so I'll just say that if you want more details email me: melinda.reider@gmail
Romigu's Reviews 07.05.08
Ceremony/Reception Venue - The Ocean Club
The minute I walked into the reception area, I knew I was going to get married there. The ballroom is gorgeous and so different from the 20 other places I went to. It has a gorgeous pool area and the ocean just steps away from the ballroom. The ceremony was perfect in their garden and such a beautiful setting for our marriage. The food was incredible and I received compliments all night about how good everything was. The service was impeccable and we also lucked out with getting the premium bar upgrade.
I would say the only thing that went wrong (with the entire wedding as a matter of fact) was the catering manager, Claudio. He was completely unorganized and scatterbrained from the beginning. He never remembered our names...even the week of the wedding, he forgot Martin's name. It was very difficult to get a straight answer from him and he was constantly running 30 minutes late. The week of the wedding, we went to make the final payment and he lost the receipt of our payment of 25% of the cost. Luckily, I kept a receipt but he had to follow us home to get a copy. The night of the wedding, he also sprung on us a few costs he didn't remind us of since January..such as the last hour of bar not being included and the fact that he forgot to include Martin and I in the guest count. I really felt upset dealing with him and that he added more stress than necessary to the situation. On the other hand, he was in charge of the service and decor and it was all beautiful with everything laid out as instructed. In retrospect, I definitely would have had my wedding there but would have hired a wedding coordinator to deal with him.
Photographer - Gregory Paul Photography
One of my favorite vendors. Heidi and Greg were amazing to work with throughout the planning process. Heidi was always very prompt in returning my phone calls and was so helpful and flexible. My work schedule was so busy but they always were accomodating. I cannot say enough about my engagement session and how gorgeous the pictures turned out. Greg is truly a talented photographer and his eye for good shots is incredible. He really has a gift for seeing what will look good on camera and turned us from a camera shy couple to wanna be models. The days leading up to the wedding, Heidi reviewed the timeline with me several times to assure that there was enough time to get all the shots I wanted. They arrived on time the day of and almost acted as wedding coordinators, making sure everything was running on time. Greg was so detail oriented when he was shooting my bridal portraits and was practically invisible during the wedding. We actually only noticed him when we watched one of the videos our friend shot and realized he was crawling on the floor, etc. Our guests complimented his ability to really get in there without getting in the way of anyone's view. At one point during the ceremony, someone mentioned he had a worm crawling down his shirt and never once stopped shooting. That's dedication. They posted our teasers the week after the wedding and have kept contact with us to make sure we were happy with everything. Great experience!
Officiant - Eddie Rodriguez
My other favorite vendor. Eddie is remarkable. When we met him, we knew he would be perfect for our ceremony. He wasn't too religious or too preachy but had a wonderful sense of spirituality and character. Although we only met with him twice before the rehearsal/wedding, we talked for about 2 hours each time and I wouldn't mind signing up for every one of his seminars. He is really wise and intelligent. Ok but I digress. He did a phenomenal job at our ceremony. I really liked the fact that he had us fill out an extensive questionnaire regarding our relationship so that he could get an idea of what kind of a couple we are. When we went over the details of the ceremony, it was very obvious how experienced he was with his organization and ability to tailor the ceremony to the kind of personality we have. He prepared a beautiful dialogue for the ceremony that had so much meaning and was so personal...you would have thought we had known him for years. He was a wonderful choice for our officiant and I wish we were staying in Miami so I could go to all his seminars.
DJ - Ubi Marrero (DJ Ubi)
Ubi definitely lived up to his reputation. He played the music during the ceremony exactly on time and kept the dance floor jumping the entire reception. I was actually really surprised because we had such a huge mix of different people...Martin's family from Argentina, mine from Paraguay, Martin's surfer friends, my Miami friends..etc. Everyone was dancing and I found that to be incredible given everyone's different tastes.
Makeup - Anna Noriega
Well, I'm sure you all remember how many trials I had and I have to admit that I am really picky about my makeup but Anna did a spectacular job. She was always prompt in returning my phone calls and was extremely patient during my 2 trials with her. The day of the wedding, she arrived on time and with an assistant to prep all the girls. She was also very flexible despite the fact that 2 girls decided to get their makeup done at the last minute. Everyone looked gorgeous and not too overdone and their makeup lasted all night...even with all the dancing and sweating we all did. I loved the way she did my makeup and Martin was so happy that she managed to pull off my eyes so that they stood out but weren't too dark. It still looked the same when I took it off at the end of the night.
Hair - Alcira
Well, I first booked Angelica Fernandez to do my hair and really was happy with my hair trial. However, she cancelled on me 2 weeks before the wedding. If you would like my full review, please email me.
But things worked out well in the end and I booked Alcira. She was extremely pleasant, punctual, and patient. I loved my trial hairdo and she was able to reproduce it exactly for the wedding. She also did a phenomenal job on everyone else's hair and managed to come up with 8 (?) different hairstyles. And she was really gentle. My hairdo came out a bit towards the end of the night but I think I was the only one to notice the little strand to fall out. One word of advice - don't forget bobby pins!!!
Cake - Cake Designs by Edda
The cake turned out perfect and exactly the way I pictured it. We ordered the marble cake with fondant which was pretty yummy, although I still prefer Publix cake.
Florist - Desiree at Field of Flowers (Davie)
I loved my flowers!! I went to 4 different florists (Petunia, De la Flor, J. Morgan, and some other one in Key Biscayne who I can't remember) and found that Field of Flowers offered me the best price with the most amount of flowers. I had received the recommendation from 2 friends who had used Desiree for their wedding and had raved about her but I was a little worried because no one on the knot had used her. I am really glad that I went with her and the flowers were amazing. I'm also glad that I didn't go with someone more expensive that was more popular because all the flowers either were left at the reception or died the next week.
She did a wonderful job of taking detailed notes during our meetings and responding promptly to emails. She also discounted several of the arrangements. I was so happy when I turned the corner to see that the ceremony was right out of a magazine and that every detail was in place.
Dress - Leggenda
I loved my dress and the alterations were done very well but that's really all I can say about Leggenda. They are very unprofessional there and have no concept of customer service. Not to mention the fact that they cut the label off my dress and refused to tell me the designer even after I had purchased it. Boo.
Bridesmaid Dresses - Netbride
Although I didn't like the dresses at first (which was completely my fault for not seeing them in person) , I can't complain about Netbride's customer service. They offered me a 50% lower price on the dresses and had them delivered 4 weeks before their promised date. They also were willing to receive them back when I didn't like them but ultimately I used the dresses and the girls looked beautiful.
Shoes - Zappos.com
Colorrifics - Tori - These shoes were amazing. For the first time ever, I was on my feet for 8 hours and danced for half of that time and didn't complain about my feet. I had originally bought their "Desire" model but when I received them, they were so high that I knew I would be uncomfortable. Luckily, I returned them because my friend got married a month before me and used those shoes and was in so much pain the entire night.
Linens - Panache
I have to admit that I found the linens about 2 weeks before the wedding. Panache was great to work with and their prices were about the same as everyone else's but they seemed to have a wider variety from which to choose. They delivered everything as ordered and gave me a 10% discount because I was working with a vendor they work with pretty frequently.
"Guest Book" - Pictureframes.com - $120
Martin was in charge of this and he did a fantastic job of finding a creative way of making a guest book. We used one of the photographs from our engagement session and sent the image over to this company. They printed it onto a canvas print and the quality was excellent. They even sped up the processing time so that we could have it well before the wedding. Everyone loved signing the canvas and its a great piece of art that we now have hanging in our new home.
Invitations - Jack's Graphics
Jackie Alvarez was great to work with and very affordable. She was very flexible with our time constraints and was able to deliver our invitations 1 week after we put the order in. Everything was flawless and I received so many compliments on the gorgeous invites.
STD - Weddingpaperdivas.com
Great website, great prices. I also bought my thank you cards from them.
Rehearsal Dinner Invites - Vistaprint.com
It was cheap and they turned out really nice! You can't really beat the price...free plus shipping.
DIY -
Placecards - paper-source.com. Great price and nice quality paper. We bought the ribbon from Joann's and the blue cardstock from Michael's.
Table "numbers" - we spent a huge amount of time looking through old albums to find pictures of us doing similar things or in similar poses. We scanned the pictures and then put the two on one 8x11 photograph to be printed. We bought the silver frames from Walmart for $3 each and used card stock from Michael's as background.
Favors - I bought the tins at blissweddingsmarket.com - 2 boxes of 50 tins for $20 each. I custom ordered labels from myownlabels.com and we bought the ribbon from Joann Fabrics. It was a huge ordeal gluing the ribbon to the tins and then tying the bows. We filled the tins with either blueberry jelly bellies or blue m&m's. Most people took their tins home and I did notice that the clear cover to the tins came apart by the end of the night. Still, I was glad we didn't spend that much on favors since most people barely noticed them.
Jewelry - Twinkle Twinkle
They have a great selection of bridal jewelry at this tiny boutique store. I was having a lot of trouble finding what I wanted at other department stores and bought all my jewelry from there. Their prices were average for that type of jewelry and the owner is very courteous and helpful.
Alterations - Alterations by Reina
Reina did the alterations for 3 of my bridesmaids and she also lived up to her great reputation. She is such a sweetheart and was such a relief to work with after my initial problems with my bridesmaid dresses. Her prices were so affordable and she altered each dress perfectly.
Veil - Obridal.com
I bought a very simple veil for $23 from this website and I am so happy that I did. I couldn't afford to pay the $200 everyone else was charging and the veil looked stunning in the pictures, despite its simplicity. They promptly shipped me the veil in perfect condition within 3 days of my order and have a wide selection of more intricate veils.
Limo - Coastal Car & Limousine/ Brickell Key Tours & Transportation
My mom initially made the reservation with CCL for everyone but we decided to add on a limo at the last minute for the bridal party to return to the hotel after the wedding and hired a limo and car for us with BKTT. Both companies were on time and had very nice limos. BKTT even upgraded Martin and I from a Lincoln Town Car to a limo because their Town Car wasn't available. Both companies had very affordable prices and were great to work with.
Honeymoon Suite - The Ritz Carlton Coconut Grove
This hotel is on a completely different level from any hotel I've stayed in. They greeted me by name the moment I arrived and did not hesitate to go above and beyond our expectations. The suite was enormous and comfortably fit 6 bridesmaids, three moms, 2 photographers, the makeup artist, the hair stylist, and a partridge in a pear tree. Its too bad we couldn't stay there longer because it was truly in the lap of luxury.
Full Vendor List:
Dress - Leggenda Bridals
Venue - The Ocean Club of Key Biscayne
Photographer - Gregory Paul Photography
DJ - DJ Ubi
Save the Dates - Weddingpaperdivas.com
Bridesmaid Dresses - Netbride.com
Bridesmaid Alterations - Alterations by Reina
Veil - Obridal.com
Officiant - Rev. Eddie Rodriguez
Makeup - Anna Noriega
Hair - Alcira
Invitations - Jackie Alvarez (design by Giselle De Vera)
Cake - Cake Designs by Edda
Florist - Field of Flowers - Desiree
Limo - Coastal Car & Limousine and Brickell Key Tours & Transportation
Honeymoon - Amsterdam, Paris, Burgundy, Tuscany
Travel Agent - Olga at Jacaranda Travel
The minute I walked into the reception area, I knew I was going to get married there. The ballroom is gorgeous and so different from the 20 other places I went to. It has a gorgeous pool area and the ocean just steps away from the ballroom. The ceremony was perfect in their garden and such a beautiful setting for our marriage. The food was incredible and I received compliments all night about how good everything was. The service was impeccable and we also lucked out with getting the premium bar upgrade.
I would say the only thing that went wrong (with the entire wedding as a matter of fact) was the catering manager, Claudio. He was completely unorganized and scatterbrained from the beginning. He never remembered our names...even the week of the wedding, he forgot Martin's name. It was very difficult to get a straight answer from him and he was constantly running 30 minutes late. The week of the wedding, we went to make the final payment and he lost the receipt of our payment of 25% of the cost. Luckily, I kept a receipt but he had to follow us home to get a copy. The night of the wedding, he also sprung on us a few costs he didn't remind us of since January..such as the last hour of bar not being included and the fact that he forgot to include Martin and I in the guest count. I really felt upset dealing with him and that he added more stress than necessary to the situation. On the other hand, he was in charge of the service and decor and it was all beautiful with everything laid out as instructed. In retrospect, I definitely would have had my wedding there but would have hired a wedding coordinator to deal with him.
Photographer - Gregory Paul Photography
One of my favorite vendors. Heidi and Greg were amazing to work with throughout the planning process. Heidi was always very prompt in returning my phone calls and was so helpful and flexible. My work schedule was so busy but they always were accomodating. I cannot say enough about my engagement session and how gorgeous the pictures turned out. Greg is truly a talented photographer and his eye for good shots is incredible. He really has a gift for seeing what will look good on camera and turned us from a camera shy couple to wanna be models. The days leading up to the wedding, Heidi reviewed the timeline with me several times to assure that there was enough time to get all the shots I wanted. They arrived on time the day of and almost acted as wedding coordinators, making sure everything was running on time. Greg was so detail oriented when he was shooting my bridal portraits and was practically invisible during the wedding. We actually only noticed him when we watched one of the videos our friend shot and realized he was crawling on the floor, etc. Our guests complimented his ability to really get in there without getting in the way of anyone's view. At one point during the ceremony, someone mentioned he had a worm crawling down his shirt and never once stopped shooting. That's dedication. They posted our teasers the week after the wedding and have kept contact with us to make sure we were happy with everything. Great experience!
Officiant - Eddie Rodriguez
My other favorite vendor. Eddie is remarkable. When we met him, we knew he would be perfect for our ceremony. He wasn't too religious or too preachy but had a wonderful sense of spirituality and character. Although we only met with him twice before the rehearsal/wedding, we talked for about 2 hours each time and I wouldn't mind signing up for every one of his seminars. He is really wise and intelligent. Ok but I digress. He did a phenomenal job at our ceremony. I really liked the fact that he had us fill out an extensive questionnaire regarding our relationship so that he could get an idea of what kind of a couple we are. When we went over the details of the ceremony, it was very obvious how experienced he was with his organization and ability to tailor the ceremony to the kind of personality we have. He prepared a beautiful dialogue for the ceremony that had so much meaning and was so personal...you would have thought we had known him for years. He was a wonderful choice for our officiant and I wish we were staying in Miami so I could go to all his seminars.
DJ - Ubi Marrero (DJ Ubi)
Ubi definitely lived up to his reputation. He played the music during the ceremony exactly on time and kept the dance floor jumping the entire reception. I was actually really surprised because we had such a huge mix of different people...Martin's family from Argentina, mine from Paraguay, Martin's surfer friends, my Miami friends..etc. Everyone was dancing and I found that to be incredible given everyone's different tastes.
Makeup - Anna Noriega
Well, I'm sure you all remember how many trials I had and I have to admit that I am really picky about my makeup but Anna did a spectacular job. She was always prompt in returning my phone calls and was extremely patient during my 2 trials with her. The day of the wedding, she arrived on time and with an assistant to prep all the girls. She was also very flexible despite the fact that 2 girls decided to get their makeup done at the last minute. Everyone looked gorgeous and not too overdone and their makeup lasted all night...even with all the dancing and sweating we all did. I loved the way she did my makeup and Martin was so happy that she managed to pull off my eyes so that they stood out but weren't too dark. It still looked the same when I took it off at the end of the night.
Hair - Alcira
Well, I first booked Angelica Fernandez to do my hair and really was happy with my hair trial. However, she cancelled on me 2 weeks before the wedding. If you would like my full review, please email me.
But things worked out well in the end and I booked Alcira. She was extremely pleasant, punctual, and patient. I loved my trial hairdo and she was able to reproduce it exactly for the wedding. She also did a phenomenal job on everyone else's hair and managed to come up with 8 (?) different hairstyles. And she was really gentle. My hairdo came out a bit towards the end of the night but I think I was the only one to notice the little strand to fall out. One word of advice - don't forget bobby pins!!!
Cake - Cake Designs by Edda
The cake turned out perfect and exactly the way I pictured it. We ordered the marble cake with fondant which was pretty yummy, although I still prefer Publix cake.
Florist - Desiree at Field of Flowers (Davie)
I loved my flowers!! I went to 4 different florists (Petunia, De la Flor, J. Morgan, and some other one in Key Biscayne who I can't remember) and found that Field of Flowers offered me the best price with the most amount of flowers. I had received the recommendation from 2 friends who had used Desiree for their wedding and had raved about her but I was a little worried because no one on the knot had used her. I am really glad that I went with her and the flowers were amazing. I'm also glad that I didn't go with someone more expensive that was more popular because all the flowers either were left at the reception or died the next week.
She did a wonderful job of taking detailed notes during our meetings and responding promptly to emails. She also discounted several of the arrangements. I was so happy when I turned the corner to see that the ceremony was right out of a magazine and that every detail was in place.
Dress - Leggenda
I loved my dress and the alterations were done very well but that's really all I can say about Leggenda. They are very unprofessional there and have no concept of customer service. Not to mention the fact that they cut the label off my dress and refused to tell me the designer even after I had purchased it. Boo.
Bridesmaid Dresses - Netbride
Although I didn't like the dresses at first (which was completely my fault for not seeing them in person) , I can't complain about Netbride's customer service. They offered me a 50% lower price on the dresses and had them delivered 4 weeks before their promised date. They also were willing to receive them back when I didn't like them but ultimately I used the dresses and the girls looked beautiful.
Shoes - Zappos.com
Colorrifics - Tori - These shoes were amazing. For the first time ever, I was on my feet for 8 hours and danced for half of that time and didn't complain about my feet. I had originally bought their "Desire" model but when I received them, they were so high that I knew I would be uncomfortable. Luckily, I returned them because my friend got married a month before me and used those shoes and was in so much pain the entire night.
Linens - Panache
I have to admit that I found the linens about 2 weeks before the wedding. Panache was great to work with and their prices were about the same as everyone else's but they seemed to have a wider variety from which to choose. They delivered everything as ordered and gave me a 10% discount because I was working with a vendor they work with pretty frequently.
"Guest Book" - Pictureframes.com - $120
Martin was in charge of this and he did a fantastic job of finding a creative way of making a guest book. We used one of the photographs from our engagement session and sent the image over to this company. They printed it onto a canvas print and the quality was excellent. They even sped up the processing time so that we could have it well before the wedding. Everyone loved signing the canvas and its a great piece of art that we now have hanging in our new home.
Invitations - Jack's Graphics
Jackie Alvarez was great to work with and very affordable. She was very flexible with our time constraints and was able to deliver our invitations 1 week after we put the order in. Everything was flawless and I received so many compliments on the gorgeous invites.
STD - Weddingpaperdivas.com
Great website, great prices. I also bought my thank you cards from them.
Rehearsal Dinner Invites - Vistaprint.com
It was cheap and they turned out really nice! You can't really beat the price...free plus shipping.
DIY -
Placecards - paper-source.com. Great price and nice quality paper. We bought the ribbon from Joann's and the blue cardstock from Michael's.
Table "numbers" - we spent a huge amount of time looking through old albums to find pictures of us doing similar things or in similar poses. We scanned the pictures and then put the two on one 8x11 photograph to be printed. We bought the silver frames from Walmart for $3 each and used card stock from Michael's as background.
Favors - I bought the tins at blissweddingsmarket.com - 2 boxes of 50 tins for $20 each. I custom ordered labels from myownlabels.com and we bought the ribbon from Joann Fabrics. It was a huge ordeal gluing the ribbon to the tins and then tying the bows. We filled the tins with either blueberry jelly bellies or blue m&m's. Most people took their tins home and I did notice that the clear cover to the tins came apart by the end of the night. Still, I was glad we didn't spend that much on favors since most people barely noticed them.
Jewelry - Twinkle Twinkle
They have a great selection of bridal jewelry at this tiny boutique store. I was having a lot of trouble finding what I wanted at other department stores and bought all my jewelry from there. Their prices were average for that type of jewelry and the owner is very courteous and helpful.
Alterations - Alterations by Reina
Reina did the alterations for 3 of my bridesmaids and she also lived up to her great reputation. She is such a sweetheart and was such a relief to work with after my initial problems with my bridesmaid dresses. Her prices were so affordable and she altered each dress perfectly.
Veil - Obridal.com
I bought a very simple veil for $23 from this website and I am so happy that I did. I couldn't afford to pay the $200 everyone else was charging and the veil looked stunning in the pictures, despite its simplicity. They promptly shipped me the veil in perfect condition within 3 days of my order and have a wide selection of more intricate veils.
Limo - Coastal Car & Limousine/ Brickell Key Tours & Transportation
My mom initially made the reservation with CCL for everyone but we decided to add on a limo at the last minute for the bridal party to return to the hotel after the wedding and hired a limo and car for us with BKTT. Both companies were on time and had very nice limos. BKTT even upgraded Martin and I from a Lincoln Town Car to a limo because their Town Car wasn't available. Both companies had very affordable prices and were great to work with.
Honeymoon Suite - The Ritz Carlton Coconut Grove
This hotel is on a completely different level from any hotel I've stayed in. They greeted me by name the moment I arrived and did not hesitate to go above and beyond our expectations. The suite was enormous and comfortably fit 6 bridesmaids, three moms, 2 photographers, the makeup artist, the hair stylist, and a partridge in a pear tree. Its too bad we couldn't stay there longer because it was truly in the lap of luxury.
Full Vendor List:
Dress - Leggenda Bridals
Venue - The Ocean Club of Key Biscayne
Photographer - Gregory Paul Photography
DJ - DJ Ubi
Save the Dates - Weddingpaperdivas.com
Bridesmaid Dresses - Netbride.com
Bridesmaid Alterations - Alterations by Reina
Veil - Obridal.com
Officiant - Rev. Eddie Rodriguez
Makeup - Anna Noriega
Hair - Alcira
Invitations - Jackie Alvarez (design by Giselle De Vera)
Cake - Cake Designs by Edda
Florist - Field of Flowers - Desiree
Limo - Coastal Car & Limousine and Brickell Key Tours & Transportation
Honeymoon - Amsterdam, Paris, Burgundy, Tuscany
Travel Agent - Olga at Jacaranda Travel
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