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
Showing posts with label Gil Sosa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gil Sosa. Show all posts
Friday, August 7, 2009
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Lafemmelor's Reviews 06.27.09
Church: St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church, Miami Beach
I went this this church because it was the easiest to book and the required steps were quite simple and short-- show up to the orientation, pay a deposit for my day $450, provide ONLY the baptismal certificates, attend the Engaged Encounter (total waste of time & $100), turn in marriage license, and attend the rehearsal. One thing that I didn't like is the fact that I cannot bring my own musicians, I would've loved to have a string ensemble but they said "no" and that I had to go w/ their music director who charges $300. I don't get to hear him until my actual wedding day. I'm trying to negotiate this music fee at the moment. The infamous Father Alberto was to have performed the wedding ceremony but there was a scandal and so I was assigned another priest, and it was no biggie to me.
Unfortunately, right next to the church a massive parking garage was under construction and the City of Miami Beach had construction on Lenox (the road in front of the church's main entrance).
Wedding Day Review: Walking to the church with the construction was a little tricky because of my dress and shoes, but I was ok and my guests parked in the back parking lot of the church and easily found their way without having to step on any construction debris.
The church's wedding coordinator, Adriana, was very organized and professional in getting us organized in walking down the aisle and reviewing our cues for the ceremony. The music director, Ivan Diaz, performed beautifully at the ceremony. Our priest, Father Julio Alvarez, performed a lovely and relatively quick ceremony with a thoughtful homily.
We were given 15 minutes for pictures and went a bit over so were warned by the coordinator who gave us an extra 5.
Overall Grade: A
Reception Site: Doral Park Country Club
I booked this venue waaaaay in advance and got a pretty good deal w/ a buffet dinner and 5 hour open bar package and I didn't have to pay a rental fee, which is something I'd have to pay with other venues. However, for cocktail hour guests would have to walk by the dining area w/ tables and see the setup because there is no wall.
One drawback (at the time) was that I had to find my own florist, dj, cake, lighting and any other thing as they didn't provide this. Looking back, I'm glad that it turned out this way as I was able to find vendors to my liking and avoided the 20% service fee that's tacked on the regular rate and taxes. I hear that now they do upgraded packages w/ the vendors.
I changed my wedding date w/ Doral Park a few times and when I finally booked a date w/ the church I asked DP to please change it and resend the contract. The catering manager did not charge me the $250 fee that the contract stated if I changed the date. She did however take over a week to get back to me w/ the papers after I had already booked the date w/ the church and was stressing over this.
With my selected package, basic linens and chair covers were offered but I didn't like them. Last year I upgraded the chairs but was charged a whooping $7 for each (and I needed 100)! Two months before my big day I began to do some research and got a fantastic deal w/ Hitched, who happened to be the very same vendor Doral Park was going to use. The assistant at Doral Park, Jessica, was very helpful and quick w/ communication via email/phone, but when I wanted to get the chairs removed from my catering agreement she didn't want to accommodate me. Luckily, her boss, Ana, said it was ok and took it off. Another thing I ended up upgrading was the glassware because it seriously looked cheesy like it came from the Dollar Store or something.
Finally, when I went to the last meeting prior to the wedding I was told that there would be another wedding reception at the venue after being told a year ago that they don't double-book events at Doral Park. I brought this up but Ana insisted that it was in another room and earlier than my event. If I hadn't had Letty Gobel, my day-of-coordinator, I would've been terribly nervous about leaving my items for decor and not knowing if someone from the other party would've taken something and it being a mess.
Wedding Day Review: As I hired a day-of-coordinator, I did not have direct contact with the venue regarding the arrival of the hired vendors and logistics, but was told they went back and forth with the timing. However, when I arrived to the reception site with my husband, we were kindly greeted by the catering manager and assistant (Ana and Jessica), we were immediately asked what we wanted to do/go and provided with a plate of our selected hors d'oeuvres, which were a treat! Throughout the night the two ladies were present and seemed to have things under control with their staff. Again, I had a DOC so I know she did many things as well.
On the food: All my guests raved about the five station buffet, and I had sampled a few items from it and it was scrumptious! In addition,the presentation of each station was very elegant and at the carving station there were three chefs all dressed up adding to the poshness of the event. I hired a second bartender and it seemed to help with the traffic of guests ordering drinks, and had no problem there. The waiting staff was very courteous.
All in all, the night was a success! :-D
Overall Grade: B+
Photography: Luis Manuel Photography http://www.luismanuel.com/index.php
Just like my reception venue, I booked this vendor a year in advance and was not aware of too many other photographers.
Michelle, Luis' wife, has been very professional in contacting me and providing all the information requested. They offer about 4 types of packages that include a matted album, a CD w/ images, unlimited shots of the event, 5 hour coverage, and a few portraits starting at $1750.
At my last meeting, we discussed what group photos would be taken and I said how I wanted detail shots of the reception as well. We also reviewed the types albums they provide. Michelle does most/all of the album designing.
Wedding Day Review: Luis showed up to the church on time and came in to the limo to take pics of my father and I in various angles. He followed the instructions given to him by the church's coordinator and priest and when the ceremony was over we were given only 15 minutes to take the posed shots at the altar. During this time a few of my family members were taking digital pictures as Luis was trying to take his, I could see he was annoyed by that as some of the flashing would interrupt his shots so he would joke w/ my family to stop. Some of them took this the wrong way, but I totally understood where he was coming from as a pro. Outside the church the sun was already setting and there was construction on the roadway to the church's entrance so Luis made sure we did not have any pictures in that direction, the lighting was great and he took some fantastic pics of my hubby and I at the church's doors and showed us right away!
At the reception Luis immediately got to photographing the reception, but some of the guests started to sit at the tables instead of being outside during the cocktail hour. He took photos of all the moments (cake cutting, garter toss, bouquet, etc)
I have yet to see his photos, but am hoping they look fantastic.
Overall Grade: A, Pending album review
Dress and veil: Leggenda's Bridal in Coral Gables
Mon Cheri in satin ivory w/ sweetheart neckline, mermaid cut.
($90 f/ alterations on dress, which included hemming and bustle.)
I tried various other bridal shops but they were either out of my budget OR didn't have a mermaid cut dress that wasn't made of lace. When I went to Leggenda's I actually tried on an oyster colored dress, which ended up being the one I bought but in ivory. So I never saw the actual dress and color until 7 months later! When I saw it on the hanger I was initially horrified and felt that it was a cheap looking dress, but when I put it on and the lady turned off the lights to show the "glowing effect of the dress" then I was totally loving my dress! I ordered my dress in August '08 and received it in April '09. Also, three days before my wedding I took it in for ironing and it was returned within an hour.
Overall Grade: A
Groom's Tux: Hugo Boss (Aventura Mall)
My fiance checked out the Men's Warehouse tuxes but didn't like the fabrics and already wears HB suits, so I told him to just buy one. Susana Rodriguez, the assistant manager, is very down to earth and helpful in finding the right suit for your guy. Alterations were also used and completed promptly. The final product made my husband look very dapper!
Overall Grade: A+
Bridesmaids (BM) & Jr. BM Dresses: Daisy Tarsi in Coral Gables; Lazaro & Jim Helm;
I had my mind set on getting a metallic blue and found a lovely style from the said vendor. I was considering of buying the dresses online but but wasn't comfortable buying something that might/might not be the real thing and didn't know of anyone who had. From my research only two local places in Miami carried the Lazaro & Him Helm so I went to the closest. At the store, the sales lady said that the alterations were overpriced there and recommended I go elsewhere and I ended up using my neighbor who I later found out makes wedding gowns and all sorts of alterations! With the purchase of 5 dresses I was given a 10% discount, although still pricey I ordered the dresses in late January (paid more than half the amount for the deposit) and received them at the end of May.
I called in between the waiting period to confirm arrival time and to make sure everything was going well. I received a call that the dresses were ready and picked them up promptly. When I asked about ironing the dresses as they were wrinkled the owner said to bring them the week of the wedding. So Just like my dress, I took the BM dresses for ironing but was told that they wouldn't be ready until two days later (a day before the wedding) and made the appointment. I was also informed that the fabric (silk taffeta) was very delicate and could not get wet as it would be permanently ruined. I said there should be a label or something informing the customer of this, so I asked the owner, why aren't there tags informing of the delicate nature of the fabric and she answered, "oh the Vera Wang dresses have them, but they're too big and we cut them off." WTF!
So in June when I arrived at the store carrying 5 dresses I find that the store was closed and I was getting upset. It took about five minutes for someone to arrive and open the store and then asked me if I had purchased the dresses (hello, the dresses were still in the bags provided by Daisy Tarsi that even had the name all over!) so I had to play it cool and dropped off the dresses and came back within an hour to get in writing that I had left those dresses there. I asked if I they would be ready at least by the end day and was told by the owner to call and see. I said "I'm getting married in two days and have a million things to do, can you please call me to let me know when I can pick up the dresses," the owner said to her employee to "write it down in the calendar."
Did I ever get a call from them? No. For two days I continuously called to follow-up on the status. The customer service there seriously lacks, starting with the owner who doesn't seem to care about the customer once she's got your money. However, when I picked up the dresses and inspected them, just as they did when I dropped them off I was helped by another employee to take the dresses to my car, which surprised me considering how I was treated the days before.
So basically I just want to inform you that Daisy Tarsi is overpriced and sucks when it comes to customer service!
Overall Grade: C
Groomsmen & Father's Tuxes: MW Tux (Aventura & Dadeland Malls)
At the Aventura store the young lady who worked there helped the groomsmen with the sizing and styles. The same could be said at the Dadeland store where the young man called me to review the styles of vests for my dad online.
I was not impressed with the quality of the ties and shirts and you would have to buy the handkerchiefs that would go in the outer pocket of the jacket and they didn't even match the ties in color. The actual tuxedos are okay and have adjusting buckles for varying waist widths. One of my uncles had a lot of trouble with it that it was loose and he had to carry the pants from the pockets! lol
When I went to pick up my dad's tuxedo I unzipped the bag and saw the shirt, vest, and tie had fallen from the hanger and requested it be ironed, which was promptly done.
Also, tuxes must be returned the next day or you're charged $20 for each day it's late.
Overall Grade: B
Florist: Gil Sosa
I choose him because his work is top-notch and his prices are not ;) At my first meeting with him he was really funny and showed my sister and I tons of pictures around my color scheme and suggested I change my centerpieces (see above color inspiration picture) as they wouldn't go well with the venue. I was hesitant at first because I felt that he was pushing what I think to be his signature centerpiece, but after seeing the demo at my venue I completely agree w/ his point of view. He isn't the best w/ communication, especially if you're event is months in advance but he was prompt w/ sending out a detailed list and pricing of the floral arrangements and bouquets discussed. He also informed me of when he received payment. Also, he was on time at the trial, something he prides himself in.
His son's wedding was actually a week before mine and he was kind enough to invite me and his other clients to view the reception decor a day before, which was absolutely breathtaking and stunning.
The week of my wedding Gil called to follow-up and review the contract detail by detail.
Wedding Day Review: When I arrived at the church (30 minutes early and a mass was going on) I contacted Gil via phone and asked about my bouquet and bridal party flowers, he said his staff was waiting for the mass to end to setup the altar pieces and provide us w/ the flowers. They absolutely delivered and the bouquet looked fantastic and was really heavy! The ribbon was done beautifully as was that of my bridal party's bouquets. The boutonnieres were also superb. The altar arrangements looks awesome, but the church placed those BEHIND the altar table and not on its sides :-(
At the reception, the centerpieces were so elegant and looked wicked with vase containing the blue water and long orchid stem. The sweetheart table looked just like the original floral arrangement I showed Gil at our first meeting but in ivory and included orchids too! The cake table was just as beautiful with a variety of orchids surrounding the cake. Finally, behind the sweetheart table there's a fireplace mantle that Gil decorated just beautifully.
Gil actually made the centerpiece arrangements on-site and was so generous with the flowers he put on display that made the reception look posh :) He truly delivered and used more flowers than what I paid for, which I am truly grateful. I would highly recommend Gil and use him again if I have a major event and require floral arrangements.
Overall Grade: A+
DJ/Lighting: Ubi's DJ & Lighting
I only met with him for this service and felt that he was very informative and even provided insight on my venue as far as service and food quality too! I had read from other brides that he isn't always the DJ at the wedding and asked him about this, which he said that depending on the music selection was how he determined who would be assigned for the night. Also, I booked him for uplighting and later emailed him about recommendations for colors.
He said that two weeks before the wedding to submit the playlist on his website and he'd contact me.
In searching for tracks for the reception, my fiance and I compiled a list of songs (Artist/Song Title) from a variety of genres and kept our guests in mind for the dancing portion, so we did our research using iTunes and Beatport.com.
Two weeks before the wedding, I submitted my playlist online and called him to make sure all was well. He said that I was the first bride to submit an entire playlist for a wedding and that I had to remove several tracks and limit it to 30, which I did and apologized for sending too many if that was the case. (My fiance and I are really into music, so much that he's a DJ and I use to have my own college radio show.) Anyhow, I promptly edited my list and let Ubi know. When we spoke again, I said it must be a good thing that I had given him a specific playlist but then he said "it's good for you, but not for us because it's more work." I thought to myself, but that's why I'm paying you for this! So I told him that for every song that I listed, I found it on iTunes or Beatport.com and it would be easy to locate. He seemed to take offense and said that he and his Djs don't use iPods for Djing and I was like ok, just letting you know WHERE you can find the songs. Ubi said he would be able to get the requested tracks and that it wouldn't be a problem.
Wedding Day Music Review: Ubi was not my DJ, rather it was Luis. I was not informed until I contacted my DOC. When I arrived at the reception, Luis was elegantly dressed in a tux and greeted us as a true professional. He briefly spoke w/ my husband about song selections and had the cocktail hour music (lounge/ambient) playing inside (songs that we had selected).
Dinner music (Frank Sinatra, Michael Buble, etc.) was played just as requested and guests were enjoying the vibe.
Luis mentioned how some of the first dance songs were too long and if we didn't mind him editing them, so we were really happy he asked us and we said sure. When it came time for the bridal party entrance songs and first dances, Luis' MC skills were impressive and very professional, not too loud/obnoxious.
When it came time for the dancing portion of the night, Luis started off with the songs I listed but then started to play songs that wasn't on our list and I wasn't going to let it bother me, but I noticed that it was clearing the dancefloor. Since a few people were dancing, I didn't say anything to him and just made my rounds and greeted my guests with my husband. Luckily, 30 minutes later or so it was time for the fun part of the night: bouquet toss, garter removal, cake cutting, etc. So those requested songs were played and got the crowd roaring.
But, just like Luis did earlier he played other songs that were not on the list and slowly my guests started to leave. I'm not completely blaming Luis for emptying the dancefloor because it was getting late and some guests had to go, but I was disappointed that it wasn't more of a party atmosphere in which Ubi is supposedly known for maintaining at weddings.
At one point one family member said, "your DJ is playing too much of the same thing, do you mind if I tell him to change it up and play some Spanish songs," and I quickly said, "yeah, go for it!" So as requested, Luis played the Spanish dancing songs that were on our list and people started to get up and dance and get into the party vibe, but there weren't as many people at the reception by this time.
Wedding Day Uplighting Review: As soon as I entered the reception room, I was floored by how awesome the place looked with the requested blue uplighting.
Overall Grade: B (DJ), A (Uplighting)
DOC: Letty Gobel, LMG Events
While doubtful of giving a complete stranger access to my contracts and such, I used a variety of vendors and felt the need to hire a day-of-coordinator (DOC).
I went with recommendations from The Knot's SoFla board and met w/ Letty. My fiance and I immediately liked her and felt she was perfect for the job, so far she has definitely gone above and beyond.
She even looked for a sugar-free groom's cake and printed my menus (they were slightly problematic).
We met about 3 times and I gave her the personal items for display at the reception. By hiring her, I felt more relaxed and calm days prior to my wedding day.
Wedding Day Review: Letty and I went back and forth via text messages and she came by my house as I was getting ready to wish me luck. She stayed at Doral Park to receive all the vendor products/services and coordinated the logistics. She worked with her assistant and both did a lovely job in keeping my fiance and I on track with the timeline of events, receiving the gifts, and staying after the night was over to collect my belongings. Everything was exactly as I requested it to be placed. She also helped me get my dress bustled. If there were any real problems that night, I never heard about and truly enjoyed the night. This is a service that I felt was a true investment.
I asked her to help me find a vendor for bouquet preservation and the next day she immediately contacted me about it, in the end I didn't do it and she took it to my sister. She also took my cake stand back to Edda's while I went on my honeymoon.
Overall Grade: A+
Transportation: Padrino's Limousine Service, 2 white limos.
The location is east of the airport and in a warehouse district. There's a variety of vehicles in their fleet. If you want a classic car, they have them but not as many as Meilan. Since I'm not getting a vintage vehicle, it was not an issue and my fiance and I selected an SUV and limo. The prices include tip and the invoice was immediately emailed to me. More to come after the wedding and actual service.
(I went to Meilan first but when I arrived and even called in advance we looked at the beautiful vehicles at the garage and waited for someone to come and meet us as I told the lady that we were there and she pretty much ordered me to go through the office. I found it a bit confusing as to where to locate the office. When my fiance and I got inside the lady was busy on the phone and took about 5 minutes. When she opened the schedule, very old school notebook, she said that she had booked the last limo the day before and asked if we wanted a Rolls Royce, which was not in my budget so we proceeded to the next vendor.)
Wedding Day Review: The drivers for both cars called about 40 minutes before the arrival time to confirm addresses and arrived 10 minutes later. Both gentelmen were dressed in suits and assisted us. The drive was smooth and we also arrived to the church early and this gave me the chance to soak in the day and enjoy the fun I was having with my bridal party and take pics on my digital camera. I also got to see all my guests enter the church without them seeing me, so it was a really great experience.
After the ceremony, the driver waited for my husband and I to take our photos w/ the photographer and drove us to the reception. On the way, he drove at a comfortable speed that gave my husband and I to talk about getting ready and ceremony.
Overall Grade: A+
Make-up: George
An old friend recommended George who use to work for MAC and is now self-employed and tag-teams w/ Gus. I had my first and only trial w/ him at his apartment, he is great for conversation and makes the time fly. I went w/ fake lashes and gave him a few pictures of what I was looking for. I don't usually wear a lot of makeup so I felt that it was too heavy and some of the eye shadow was too pink for my liking. He said that w/ all the photography and wear that the color wasn't too much and would be fine. I took a digital picture and he was completely right about it. I did request to change the lipgloss color to something more natural and coral as my eyes were dramatic w/ pinks and gold and eyeliner. I don't have pics of the trial as my MacBook's hard drive died a few weeks ago and I LOST my wedding files and stuff :(
Wedding Day Review: George arrived to my house 5 minutes before scheduled (I was still at the salon w/ Gus!) and started to work on my family members. He was very professional and asked where he could set up and worked on over 6 people in my living room. He actually worked in the dark because the lighting was too yellow for him, but it seemed to have worked for him!
He asked me how I wanted my sister's makeup and I showed him a picture and did a fantastic job.
When it was my turn he dicussed the colors we used at the trial and I told him how I wanted to change the long fake eyelashes to something shorter (I spoke with him a few days before so he could bring them) and showed him another picture, so he proceeded to work on me (it took about 45 minutes but felt like 10). Everyone was really impressed and it was the best I've ever looked! He is very focused on his work and is more of an artist than a "makeup guy" he knows his colors and does wonders.
He offerred to help me put on my dress and veil and it was fun! Never did I imagine my makeup artist to be the one dressing me on my wedding day!
Overall Grade: A+
Hair: Gus @ D&L Hair Studio
I also had my hair done w/ Gus who's roomate is George and the trial hair was too high for my liking and felt too messy for the amount of money that I paid. Gus said that because it was only a trial he would make it look more polished on my wedding day. I will be going to the salon he works at, which happens to be owned by "Dee" the winner of Bravo's Sheer Genius and it's a fantastic place w/ a great vibe. The only drawback to the salon is that it's in Sunset and you have to pay for parking and when it comes to tipping you have to bring spare cash or pay w/ your debit card and request cash back, and it's a pricey place.
Wedding Day Review: I went to the salon and showed Gus the Emily Blunt picture of how I wanted my hair for the wedding. He promptly started to blowry my curly hair and chat away. The salon was surprisingly slow that day, which was to my advantage, and his co-workers offered to help him so I basically had a glam squad working on my hair. Gus used a curling iron and bobby pins to achieve the hair-do and loads of hairspray. I was at the salon for a full hour, but had a blast. I also brought my hair jewelry (see pics above) and he placed them on the right, back side of my hair and it looked quite lovely.
When I got home and bent over t o get something on the floor, one of my hair jewels was loose and a bobby pin fell out. I had George help me with this but it was stubborn and kept on falling most of the night so in some pictures I have a loose curl at the back of my head.
Overall Grade: A
Linens and Table Number Holders: Leyani Linens
I'm paying $20 f/ each table linen (10) plus a delivery and pickup fee.
At a bridal show I saw the linen and absolutely wanted those for my wedding and as my fiance and I are going w/ a fleur-de-lis motif we are getting table number holders in gold as well. When I called to borrow a sample of my selected linen for a table mock-up at the venue, the ladies at Leyani could not find the linen in the warehouse. I waited over 15 minutes with the cleaning staff and they told me that the linen wasn't even in stock. I was then given the one linen they had with the samples and nervous about them having the 10 linens
Wedding Day Review: All the correct linens were on the tables as ordered as well as the table numbre holders.
Overall Grade: A-
Glassware: A Party 4 Less, I had to order your basic water goblet and fluted champagne glasses as my venue has these hideous glasses that look like they're from the dollar store--no joke! I received a prompt email with the quote for the glasses and everything went smoothly.
Wedding Day Review: As far as I know, all the glasses ordered arrived and all the tables looked great!
Overall Grade: A
Chiavari Chairs: Hitched Events,
Fantastic deal @ $4 p/ chair compared to my venue $7 p/chair + 20% service fee
Luis is very quick with emails/calls/text messages. He called the week of the wedding to follow-up and then contacted my DOC for the logisitics.
Wedding Day Review: 100 Chairs were ordered and they sent 4 extra and made the room look elegant. At the end of the night (1:30 a.m.) his staff was waiting outside with the truck for pickup as my venue requested.
Overall Grade: A
Invitations: Encore (purchased online from An Occasion to Celebrate stationary store based in California)
Overall Grade: A
Guestbook: DIY from Blurb
The software is slightly complicated and the book was smaller than expected. Paper quality is nicer than Shutterfly's albums.
Overall Grade: B
Paper Menu: Paper & More (website)
A+ speedy delivery, ordered and received items in 2-3 days f/ reg. ground shipping, fantastic paper quality on champagne metallic card stock 5x7 (100 sheets) this will not work with regular laser printers and is more of a backing!
Overall Grade: B
Paper Ceremony Program: Paper & More (website) see above but champagne regular paper 8 1/2 x 11 (100 sheets)
I ended up using this paper as well for the menus (THANKS Letty!)
Overall Grade: A
I went this this church because it was the easiest to book and the required steps were quite simple and short-- show up to the orientation, pay a deposit for my day $450, provide ONLY the baptismal certificates, attend the Engaged Encounter (total waste of time & $100), turn in marriage license, and attend the rehearsal. One thing that I didn't like is the fact that I cannot bring my own musicians, I would've loved to have a string ensemble but they said "no" and that I had to go w/ their music director who charges $300. I don't get to hear him until my actual wedding day. I'm trying to negotiate this music fee at the moment. The infamous Father Alberto was to have performed the wedding ceremony but there was a scandal and so I was assigned another priest, and it was no biggie to me.
Unfortunately, right next to the church a massive parking garage was under construction and the City of Miami Beach had construction on Lenox (the road in front of the church's main entrance).
Wedding Day Review: Walking to the church with the construction was a little tricky because of my dress and shoes, but I was ok and my guests parked in the back parking lot of the church and easily found their way without having to step on any construction debris.
The church's wedding coordinator, Adriana, was very organized and professional in getting us organized in walking down the aisle and reviewing our cues for the ceremony. The music director, Ivan Diaz, performed beautifully at the ceremony. Our priest, Father Julio Alvarez, performed a lovely and relatively quick ceremony with a thoughtful homily.
We were given 15 minutes for pictures and went a bit over so were warned by the coordinator who gave us an extra 5.
Overall Grade: A
Reception Site: Doral Park Country Club
I booked this venue waaaaay in advance and got a pretty good deal w/ a buffet dinner and 5 hour open bar package and I didn't have to pay a rental fee, which is something I'd have to pay with other venues. However, for cocktail hour guests would have to walk by the dining area w/ tables and see the setup because there is no wall.
One drawback (at the time) was that I had to find my own florist, dj, cake, lighting and any other thing as they didn't provide this. Looking back, I'm glad that it turned out this way as I was able to find vendors to my liking and avoided the 20% service fee that's tacked on the regular rate and taxes. I hear that now they do upgraded packages w/ the vendors.
I changed my wedding date w/ Doral Park a few times and when I finally booked a date w/ the church I asked DP to please change it and resend the contract. The catering manager did not charge me the $250 fee that the contract stated if I changed the date. She did however take over a week to get back to me w/ the papers after I had already booked the date w/ the church and was stressing over this.
With my selected package, basic linens and chair covers were offered but I didn't like them. Last year I upgraded the chairs but was charged a whooping $7 for each (and I needed 100)! Two months before my big day I began to do some research and got a fantastic deal w/ Hitched, who happened to be the very same vendor Doral Park was going to use. The assistant at Doral Park, Jessica, was very helpful and quick w/ communication via email/phone, but when I wanted to get the chairs removed from my catering agreement she didn't want to accommodate me. Luckily, her boss, Ana, said it was ok and took it off. Another thing I ended up upgrading was the glassware because it seriously looked cheesy like it came from the Dollar Store or something.
Finally, when I went to the last meeting prior to the wedding I was told that there would be another wedding reception at the venue after being told a year ago that they don't double-book events at Doral Park. I brought this up but Ana insisted that it was in another room and earlier than my event. If I hadn't had Letty Gobel, my day-of-coordinator, I would've been terribly nervous about leaving my items for decor and not knowing if someone from the other party would've taken something and it being a mess.
Wedding Day Review: As I hired a day-of-coordinator, I did not have direct contact with the venue regarding the arrival of the hired vendors and logistics, but was told they went back and forth with the timing. However, when I arrived to the reception site with my husband, we were kindly greeted by the catering manager and assistant (Ana and Jessica), we were immediately asked what we wanted to do/go and provided with a plate of our selected hors d'oeuvres, which were a treat! Throughout the night the two ladies were present and seemed to have things under control with their staff. Again, I had a DOC so I know she did many things as well.
On the food: All my guests raved about the five station buffet, and I had sampled a few items from it and it was scrumptious! In addition,the presentation of each station was very elegant and at the carving station there were three chefs all dressed up adding to the poshness of the event. I hired a second bartender and it seemed to help with the traffic of guests ordering drinks, and had no problem there. The waiting staff was very courteous.
All in all, the night was a success! :-D
Overall Grade: B+
Photography: Luis Manuel Photography http://www.luismanuel.com/index.php
Just like my reception venue, I booked this vendor a year in advance and was not aware of too many other photographers.
Michelle, Luis' wife, has been very professional in contacting me and providing all the information requested. They offer about 4 types of packages that include a matted album, a CD w/ images, unlimited shots of the event, 5 hour coverage, and a few portraits starting at $1750.
At my last meeting, we discussed what group photos would be taken and I said how I wanted detail shots of the reception as well. We also reviewed the types albums they provide. Michelle does most/all of the album designing.
Wedding Day Review: Luis showed up to the church on time and came in to the limo to take pics of my father and I in various angles. He followed the instructions given to him by the church's coordinator and priest and when the ceremony was over we were given only 15 minutes to take the posed shots at the altar. During this time a few of my family members were taking digital pictures as Luis was trying to take his, I could see he was annoyed by that as some of the flashing would interrupt his shots so he would joke w/ my family to stop. Some of them took this the wrong way, but I totally understood where he was coming from as a pro. Outside the church the sun was already setting and there was construction on the roadway to the church's entrance so Luis made sure we did not have any pictures in that direction, the lighting was great and he took some fantastic pics of my hubby and I at the church's doors and showed us right away!
At the reception Luis immediately got to photographing the reception, but some of the guests started to sit at the tables instead of being outside during the cocktail hour. He took photos of all the moments (cake cutting, garter toss, bouquet, etc)
I have yet to see his photos, but am hoping they look fantastic.
Overall Grade: A, Pending album review
Dress and veil: Leggenda's Bridal in Coral Gables
Mon Cheri in satin ivory w/ sweetheart neckline, mermaid cut.
($90 f/ alterations on dress, which included hemming and bustle.)
I tried various other bridal shops but they were either out of my budget OR didn't have a mermaid cut dress that wasn't made of lace. When I went to Leggenda's I actually tried on an oyster colored dress, which ended up being the one I bought but in ivory. So I never saw the actual dress and color until 7 months later! When I saw it on the hanger I was initially horrified and felt that it was a cheap looking dress, but when I put it on and the lady turned off the lights to show the "glowing effect of the dress" then I was totally loving my dress! I ordered my dress in August '08 and received it in April '09. Also, three days before my wedding I took it in for ironing and it was returned within an hour.
Overall Grade: A
Groom's Tux: Hugo Boss (Aventura Mall)
My fiance checked out the Men's Warehouse tuxes but didn't like the fabrics and already wears HB suits, so I told him to just buy one. Susana Rodriguez, the assistant manager, is very down to earth and helpful in finding the right suit for your guy. Alterations were also used and completed promptly. The final product made my husband look very dapper!
Overall Grade: A+
Bridesmaids (BM) & Jr. BM Dresses: Daisy Tarsi in Coral Gables; Lazaro & Jim Helm;
I had my mind set on getting a metallic blue and found a lovely style from the said vendor. I was considering of buying the dresses online but but wasn't comfortable buying something that might/might not be the real thing and didn't know of anyone who had. From my research only two local places in Miami carried the Lazaro & Him Helm so I went to the closest. At the store, the sales lady said that the alterations were overpriced there and recommended I go elsewhere and I ended up using my neighbor who I later found out makes wedding gowns and all sorts of alterations! With the purchase of 5 dresses I was given a 10% discount, although still pricey I ordered the dresses in late January (paid more than half the amount for the deposit) and received them at the end of May.
I called in between the waiting period to confirm arrival time and to make sure everything was going well. I received a call that the dresses were ready and picked them up promptly. When I asked about ironing the dresses as they were wrinkled the owner said to bring them the week of the wedding. So Just like my dress, I took the BM dresses for ironing but was told that they wouldn't be ready until two days later (a day before the wedding) and made the appointment. I was also informed that the fabric (silk taffeta) was very delicate and could not get wet as it would be permanently ruined. I said there should be a label or something informing the customer of this, so I asked the owner, why aren't there tags informing of the delicate nature of the fabric and she answered, "oh the Vera Wang dresses have them, but they're too big and we cut them off." WTF!
So in June when I arrived at the store carrying 5 dresses I find that the store was closed and I was getting upset. It took about five minutes for someone to arrive and open the store and then asked me if I had purchased the dresses (hello, the dresses were still in the bags provided by Daisy Tarsi that even had the name all over!) so I had to play it cool and dropped off the dresses and came back within an hour to get in writing that I had left those dresses there. I asked if I they would be ready at least by the end day and was told by the owner to call and see. I said "I'm getting married in two days and have a million things to do, can you please call me to let me know when I can pick up the dresses," the owner said to her employee to "write it down in the calendar."
Did I ever get a call from them? No. For two days I continuously called to follow-up on the status. The customer service there seriously lacks, starting with the owner who doesn't seem to care about the customer once she's got your money. However, when I picked up the dresses and inspected them, just as they did when I dropped them off I was helped by another employee to take the dresses to my car, which surprised me considering how I was treated the days before.
So basically I just want to inform you that Daisy Tarsi is overpriced and sucks when it comes to customer service!
Overall Grade: C
Groomsmen & Father's Tuxes: MW Tux (Aventura & Dadeland Malls)
At the Aventura store the young lady who worked there helped the groomsmen with the sizing and styles. The same could be said at the Dadeland store where the young man called me to review the styles of vests for my dad online.
I was not impressed with the quality of the ties and shirts and you would have to buy the handkerchiefs that would go in the outer pocket of the jacket and they didn't even match the ties in color. The actual tuxedos are okay and have adjusting buckles for varying waist widths. One of my uncles had a lot of trouble with it that it was loose and he had to carry the pants from the pockets! lol
When I went to pick up my dad's tuxedo I unzipped the bag and saw the shirt, vest, and tie had fallen from the hanger and requested it be ironed, which was promptly done.
Also, tuxes must be returned the next day or you're charged $20 for each day it's late.
Overall Grade: B
Florist: Gil Sosa
I choose him because his work is top-notch and his prices are not ;) At my first meeting with him he was really funny and showed my sister and I tons of pictures around my color scheme and suggested I change my centerpieces (see above color inspiration picture) as they wouldn't go well with the venue. I was hesitant at first because I felt that he was pushing what I think to be his signature centerpiece, but after seeing the demo at my venue I completely agree w/ his point of view. He isn't the best w/ communication, especially if you're event is months in advance but he was prompt w/ sending out a detailed list and pricing of the floral arrangements and bouquets discussed. He also informed me of when he received payment. Also, he was on time at the trial, something he prides himself in.
His son's wedding was actually a week before mine and he was kind enough to invite me and his other clients to view the reception decor a day before, which was absolutely breathtaking and stunning.
The week of my wedding Gil called to follow-up and review the contract detail by detail.
Wedding Day Review: When I arrived at the church (30 minutes early and a mass was going on) I contacted Gil via phone and asked about my bouquet and bridal party flowers, he said his staff was waiting for the mass to end to setup the altar pieces and provide us w/ the flowers. They absolutely delivered and the bouquet looked fantastic and was really heavy! The ribbon was done beautifully as was that of my bridal party's bouquets. The boutonnieres were also superb. The altar arrangements looks awesome, but the church placed those BEHIND the altar table and not on its sides :-(
At the reception, the centerpieces were so elegant and looked wicked with vase containing the blue water and long orchid stem. The sweetheart table looked just like the original floral arrangement I showed Gil at our first meeting but in ivory and included orchids too! The cake table was just as beautiful with a variety of orchids surrounding the cake. Finally, behind the sweetheart table there's a fireplace mantle that Gil decorated just beautifully.
Gil actually made the centerpiece arrangements on-site and was so generous with the flowers he put on display that made the reception look posh :) He truly delivered and used more flowers than what I paid for, which I am truly grateful. I would highly recommend Gil and use him again if I have a major event and require floral arrangements.
Overall Grade: A+
DJ/Lighting: Ubi's DJ & Lighting
I only met with him for this service and felt that he was very informative and even provided insight on my venue as far as service and food quality too! I had read from other brides that he isn't always the DJ at the wedding and asked him about this, which he said that depending on the music selection was how he determined who would be assigned for the night. Also, I booked him for uplighting and later emailed him about recommendations for colors.
He said that two weeks before the wedding to submit the playlist on his website and he'd contact me.
In searching for tracks for the reception, my fiance and I compiled a list of songs (Artist/Song Title) from a variety of genres and kept our guests in mind for the dancing portion, so we did our research using iTunes and Beatport.com.
Two weeks before the wedding, I submitted my playlist online and called him to make sure all was well. He said that I was the first bride to submit an entire playlist for a wedding and that I had to remove several tracks and limit it to 30, which I did and apologized for sending too many if that was the case. (My fiance and I are really into music, so much that he's a DJ and I use to have my own college radio show.) Anyhow, I promptly edited my list and let Ubi know. When we spoke again, I said it must be a good thing that I had given him a specific playlist but then he said "it's good for you, but not for us because it's more work." I thought to myself, but that's why I'm paying you for this! So I told him that for every song that I listed, I found it on iTunes or Beatport.com and it would be easy to locate. He seemed to take offense and said that he and his Djs don't use iPods for Djing and I was like ok, just letting you know WHERE you can find the songs. Ubi said he would be able to get the requested tracks and that it wouldn't be a problem.
Wedding Day Music Review: Ubi was not my DJ, rather it was Luis. I was not informed until I contacted my DOC. When I arrived at the reception, Luis was elegantly dressed in a tux and greeted us as a true professional. He briefly spoke w/ my husband about song selections and had the cocktail hour music (lounge/ambient) playing inside (songs that we had selected).
Dinner music (Frank Sinatra, Michael Buble, etc.) was played just as requested and guests were enjoying the vibe.
Luis mentioned how some of the first dance songs were too long and if we didn't mind him editing them, so we were really happy he asked us and we said sure. When it came time for the bridal party entrance songs and first dances, Luis' MC skills were impressive and very professional, not too loud/obnoxious.
When it came time for the dancing portion of the night, Luis started off with the songs I listed but then started to play songs that wasn't on our list and I wasn't going to let it bother me, but I noticed that it was clearing the dancefloor. Since a few people were dancing, I didn't say anything to him and just made my rounds and greeted my guests with my husband. Luckily, 30 minutes later or so it was time for the fun part of the night: bouquet toss, garter removal, cake cutting, etc. So those requested songs were played and got the crowd roaring.
But, just like Luis did earlier he played other songs that were not on the list and slowly my guests started to leave. I'm not completely blaming Luis for emptying the dancefloor because it was getting late and some guests had to go, but I was disappointed that it wasn't more of a party atmosphere in which Ubi is supposedly known for maintaining at weddings.
At one point one family member said, "your DJ is playing too much of the same thing, do you mind if I tell him to change it up and play some Spanish songs," and I quickly said, "yeah, go for it!" So as requested, Luis played the Spanish dancing songs that were on our list and people started to get up and dance and get into the party vibe, but there weren't as many people at the reception by this time.
Wedding Day Uplighting Review: As soon as I entered the reception room, I was floored by how awesome the place looked with the requested blue uplighting.
Overall Grade: B (DJ), A (Uplighting)
DOC: Letty Gobel, LMG Events
While doubtful of giving a complete stranger access to my contracts and such, I used a variety of vendors and felt the need to hire a day-of-coordinator (DOC).
I went with recommendations from The Knot's SoFla board and met w/ Letty. My fiance and I immediately liked her and felt she was perfect for the job, so far she has definitely gone above and beyond.
She even looked for a sugar-free groom's cake and printed my menus (they were slightly problematic).
We met about 3 times and I gave her the personal items for display at the reception. By hiring her, I felt more relaxed and calm days prior to my wedding day.
Wedding Day Review: Letty and I went back and forth via text messages and she came by my house as I was getting ready to wish me luck. She stayed at Doral Park to receive all the vendor products/services and coordinated the logistics. She worked with her assistant and both did a lovely job in keeping my fiance and I on track with the timeline of events, receiving the gifts, and staying after the night was over to collect my belongings. Everything was exactly as I requested it to be placed. She also helped me get my dress bustled. If there were any real problems that night, I never heard about and truly enjoyed the night. This is a service that I felt was a true investment.
I asked her to help me find a vendor for bouquet preservation and the next day she immediately contacted me about it, in the end I didn't do it and she took it to my sister. She also took my cake stand back to Edda's while I went on my honeymoon.
Overall Grade: A+
Transportation: Padrino's Limousine Service, 2 white limos.
The location is east of the airport and in a warehouse district. There's a variety of vehicles in their fleet. If you want a classic car, they have them but not as many as Meilan. Since I'm not getting a vintage vehicle, it was not an issue and my fiance and I selected an SUV and limo. The prices include tip and the invoice was immediately emailed to me. More to come after the wedding and actual service.
(I went to Meilan first but when I arrived and even called in advance we looked at the beautiful vehicles at the garage and waited for someone to come and meet us as I told the lady that we were there and she pretty much ordered me to go through the office. I found it a bit confusing as to where to locate the office. When my fiance and I got inside the lady was busy on the phone and took about 5 minutes. When she opened the schedule, very old school notebook, she said that she had booked the last limo the day before and asked if we wanted a Rolls Royce, which was not in my budget so we proceeded to the next vendor.)
Wedding Day Review: The drivers for both cars called about 40 minutes before the arrival time to confirm addresses and arrived 10 minutes later. Both gentelmen were dressed in suits and assisted us. The drive was smooth and we also arrived to the church early and this gave me the chance to soak in the day and enjoy the fun I was having with my bridal party and take pics on my digital camera. I also got to see all my guests enter the church without them seeing me, so it was a really great experience.
After the ceremony, the driver waited for my husband and I to take our photos w/ the photographer and drove us to the reception. On the way, he drove at a comfortable speed that gave my husband and I to talk about getting ready and ceremony.
Overall Grade: A+
Make-up: George
An old friend recommended George who use to work for MAC and is now self-employed and tag-teams w/ Gus. I had my first and only trial w/ him at his apartment, he is great for conversation and makes the time fly. I went w/ fake lashes and gave him a few pictures of what I was looking for. I don't usually wear a lot of makeup so I felt that it was too heavy and some of the eye shadow was too pink for my liking. He said that w/ all the photography and wear that the color wasn't too much and would be fine. I took a digital picture and he was completely right about it. I did request to change the lipgloss color to something more natural and coral as my eyes were dramatic w/ pinks and gold and eyeliner. I don't have pics of the trial as my MacBook's hard drive died a few weeks ago and I LOST my wedding files and stuff :(
Wedding Day Review: George arrived to my house 5 minutes before scheduled (I was still at the salon w/ Gus!) and started to work on my family members. He was very professional and asked where he could set up and worked on over 6 people in my living room. He actually worked in the dark because the lighting was too yellow for him, but it seemed to have worked for him!
He asked me how I wanted my sister's makeup and I showed him a picture and did a fantastic job.
When it was my turn he dicussed the colors we used at the trial and I told him how I wanted to change the long fake eyelashes to something shorter (I spoke with him a few days before so he could bring them) and showed him another picture, so he proceeded to work on me (it took about 45 minutes but felt like 10). Everyone was really impressed and it was the best I've ever looked! He is very focused on his work and is more of an artist than a "makeup guy" he knows his colors and does wonders.
He offerred to help me put on my dress and veil and it was fun! Never did I imagine my makeup artist to be the one dressing me on my wedding day!
Overall Grade: A+
Hair: Gus @ D&L Hair Studio
I also had my hair done w/ Gus who's roomate is George and the trial hair was too high for my liking and felt too messy for the amount of money that I paid. Gus said that because it was only a trial he would make it look more polished on my wedding day. I will be going to the salon he works at, which happens to be owned by "Dee" the winner of Bravo's Sheer Genius and it's a fantastic place w/ a great vibe. The only drawback to the salon is that it's in Sunset and you have to pay for parking and when it comes to tipping you have to bring spare cash or pay w/ your debit card and request cash back, and it's a pricey place.
Wedding Day Review: I went to the salon and showed Gus the Emily Blunt picture of how I wanted my hair for the wedding. He promptly started to blowry my curly hair and chat away. The salon was surprisingly slow that day, which was to my advantage, and his co-workers offered to help him so I basically had a glam squad working on my hair. Gus used a curling iron and bobby pins to achieve the hair-do and loads of hairspray. I was at the salon for a full hour, but had a blast. I also brought my hair jewelry (see pics above) and he placed them on the right, back side of my hair and it looked quite lovely.
When I got home and bent over t o get something on the floor, one of my hair jewels was loose and a bobby pin fell out. I had George help me with this but it was stubborn and kept on falling most of the night so in some pictures I have a loose curl at the back of my head.
Overall Grade: A
Linens and Table Number Holders: Leyani Linens
I'm paying $20 f/ each table linen (10) plus a delivery and pickup fee.
At a bridal show I saw the linen and absolutely wanted those for my wedding and as my fiance and I are going w/ a fleur-de-lis motif we are getting table number holders in gold as well. When I called to borrow a sample of my selected linen for a table mock-up at the venue, the ladies at Leyani could not find the linen in the warehouse. I waited over 15 minutes with the cleaning staff and they told me that the linen wasn't even in stock. I was then given the one linen they had with the samples and nervous about them having the 10 linens
Wedding Day Review: All the correct linens were on the tables as ordered as well as the table numbre holders.
Overall Grade: A-
Glassware: A Party 4 Less, I had to order your basic water goblet and fluted champagne glasses as my venue has these hideous glasses that look like they're from the dollar store--no joke! I received a prompt email with the quote for the glasses and everything went smoothly.
Wedding Day Review: As far as I know, all the glasses ordered arrived and all the tables looked great!
Overall Grade: A
Chiavari Chairs: Hitched Events,
Fantastic deal @ $4 p/ chair compared to my venue $7 p/chair + 20% service fee
Luis is very quick with emails/calls/text messages. He called the week of the wedding to follow-up and then contacted my DOC for the logisitics.
Wedding Day Review: 100 Chairs were ordered and they sent 4 extra and made the room look elegant. At the end of the night (1:30 a.m.) his staff was waiting outside with the truck for pickup as my venue requested.
Overall Grade: A
Invitations: Encore (purchased online from An Occasion to Celebrate stationary store based in California)
Overall Grade: A
Guestbook: DIY from Blurb
The software is slightly complicated and the book was smaller than expected. Paper quality is nicer than Shutterfly's albums.
Overall Grade: B
Paper Menu: Paper & More (website)
A+ speedy delivery, ordered and received items in 2-3 days f/ reg. ground shipping, fantastic paper quality on champagne metallic card stock 5x7 (100 sheets) this will not work with regular laser printers and is more of a backing!
Overall Grade: B
Paper Ceremony Program: Paper & More (website) see above but champagne regular paper 8 1/2 x 11 (100 sheets)
I ended up using this paper as well for the menus (THANKS Letty!)
Overall Grade: A
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Jessie720's Reviews 05.23.09
The weather suuuucked and it poured for the only moment in time I wanted it to be clear- getting out of the limo and to church. I had a team of men come and get me with umbrellas and they got soaked and my hair lost its curl. Also I would recommend tucking a hankie into your cleavage or something; I couldn’t stop crying through the whole ceremony and had a snot rocket type situation going on when we exchanged rings. Not pretty. However, I loved how my wedding turned out overall and I am so happy to be married!
Ceremony: St. Hugh Catholic Church- B
First off, I LOVE Maria, who is the church coordinator. She is so sweet and super helpful. Father Garcia also delivered a wonderful ceremony for us. There were a few things that did disappoint me. I was told that Father will not be happy if you are late to your rehearsal because he does them all in one day, so I drilled it in to my bridal party to be there super early. Our rehearsal was scheduled for 5 PM and we were there at 4:30, except for my in laws who arrived around 5:10. Anyway, we started the rehearsal around 4:50 with a few people missing, and when they showed up at 5:10, he refused to go over the order of things again, even though we were scheduled to have rehearsal till 5:30. This wasn’t a huge deal. The day of the wedding, Ollie and his crew of men showed up at the church at 3 PM, which is when the second photog was going to be there to get some shots. Well some guy that works for the church refused to open the gate for them. He didn't want anyone in the church before 3:30. They didn't want to go into the sanctuary, the just wanted to park thier cars and take some pics out front. At this time there were about 10 cars clogging up the road, trying to get in for my ceremony (invites said 3:30, it started at 4.) Ollie threatened to call the archdiocese of Miami and magically the gates opened. I was mostly disappointed that during the ceremony, the readings were not placed on the stand for the lectors to read them. Luckily my one reader printed it out and brought it with her to the stand. My second reader, poor girl was only 11, just stood there for a minute like a dear in headlights. Luckily, I had made programs with the readings in there, and my MOH finally ran up to her with the reading. Since then, I have become an advocate for programs! Also my cousins went up to bring the gifts to the priest, and there was no bread or wine for them to bring up. What REALLY upset me was we only had 10 minutes to take pictures at the altar. Just when our grandmas were lining up to take pics with us, we got kicked out and we never did get to take a picture with them. They are all still upset over this, as am I.
Ceremony Vocalist: Cecilia Witkowski from St. Hugh- A
I was really surprised that people even paid attention to the songs at the ceremony, but they kept coming up to me all night commenting on how amazing she made the ceremony. Her communication was great and she gave an excellent performance.
Reception Venue: The Rusty Pelican- B
I was working with Betty originally, and then I was assigned to Edward. I will say that this place did give me some headaches early on, and what annoyed me the most was when they informed me I couldn’t bring my wedding items to the venue until the morning of the reception. This was just not possible for me logistically. When I signed our contract, they said we could bring in all of our stuff when we gave the final payment, which is 4 days before. Needless to say, I argued until they let me bring the stuff Friday afternoon, but I was still super peeved. I ended up buying a ton of things to bring to the reception, and if I had known about this rule when it changed, I wouldn’t have accumulated so much stuff. Also, because we opted to have a buffet set up, we were invited to the Sunday brunch as our tasting, but none of the food was the same as what we could select, so we really didn’t have a tasting. At our cocktail hour, which was scheduled from 6-7 PM, they told our guests the bar will not open till 7, which was an error because I paid for them to begin serving liquor at 6. They did fix it but I had some unhappy guests for awhile. During our planning meetings, they kept telling me not to stress about the timeline. If guests arrive for cocktail hour early, they will serve everything early and just move up the timeline. My guests arrived at 5:30, and food and liquor was not served until 6, after the minor mishap of when to open the bar. I would have much preferred everything moved up a half hour like they said they would. Sometime towards the end of the reception while I was dancing, a server came up to me to give me a comment card to fill out. Ummm I was kinda busy and did not need to be bothered with that. I told them to leave it on the sweetheart table and I have no idea what happened to it. Overall I am still thrilled to have had my wedding there, because the ballroom, the view, and the food are still being raved about.
A little story about their valet drivers- while we were partying at the Rusty Pelican, one of the valet drivers ran a customer’s car into the limo my in laws had. The police came to do the report, and it was discovered the valet did not have a license. He went to jail that night. 2 other valet drivers were found to either have no license, or a suspended license. Not sure if they went to jail or were fired or whatever. Craziness that valet companies don’t check to see if people have valid licenses! And the clientele of that restaurant have expensive cars.
Fabulous Fetes, Justine- A
She was VERY helpful prior to the wedding day, printed my programs free of charge and also did my menus and printed them free of charge for me. I spoke with her when I was having doubts with my vendors and she was a good sounding board. She offered to meet with vendors when I had meetings with them, but I didn’t really need her to do that. She dropped off my menus at AB Covers for me and finalized all of my vendor contracts. She attended our rehearsal and took all the directions from the priest. Everything was set up the day of the way I wanted it to, and came out beautifully. I tried to keep my guests out of the ballroom until my photogs got there, but my mom told her to open the doors so I got overruled. I spoke with her several times during the night to have her do something for me and it was never a problem. Everything was packed up nicely at the end of the night. Overall I thought she did a good job.
Photography: DB Images- A (pending pictures)
Based on how my e-pics and shower pics came out, and my incredible wedding teasers, I am super happy with my decision to have used Devynn. I spoke with her constantly during the planning process and she always got back to me, it really feels like we have become friends. She is also shooting my cousin’s wedding so I know we will be in touch for a long time to come.
Photography: Joseph Keith Photography- A (pending pictures)
I really wanted a second photographer, and Devynn hired Joseph for me. I had no prior contact with him before the wedding. He brought along a ton of lighting gear, and I love a lot of the ideas he had for posing us and setting up shots. He went to the church to photograph the guys before I got there, and they thought he was super cool and they loved working with him. Ollie couldn’t stop raving about him on our honeymoon lol. I have yet to see any of his final photos though, but based on his professionalism that day, I am super excited to see his shots. I have heard he is relatively inexpensive, so check him out if you don’t have a large budget for photos.
Video: My Treasure Videos- A+!! (pending final video)
I had not even met Javier in person until my wedding day, so I really didn’t focus too much on our video. After the drama I experienced with another video company, I felt I could trust him 100% to do his thing and he did. He gave us a ton of upgrades just because he really wanted us to have certain things. Our video recap is so beautiful and I barely noticed Javier at all that night, even in our cramped hotel room getting ready. I really cannot get over how nice he is and how he couldn’t wait to do our recap, it was ready the next day!
Video: Dreammaker Events- no grade, just do NOT use them!
I feel entitled to review them since for a long time I was a client of theirs. This review is based on my actual experience with them, ALL CRAZY KNOT DRAMA ASIDE. I can say that Rob always returned messages, however I had a lot of concerns based on the experiences of other brides. When I brought the concerns to his attention, he basically said everyone was lying and his company would never do these things. When I originally booked with them, I was told you had to have the blu ray package, they didn’t shoot in standard definition anymore. Of course when I told him he was no longer worth the 2 grand I was contracted for, he told he would let me change my package to a smaller one, without blu ray. Where was this package when I originally asked for it? He refused to do anything to make me happy, and was saying that all I wanted was a discount. Not completely true, I just felt he was no longer worth the money and that I wouldn’t receive what I was paying for. I ultimately went elsewhere and could not have been happier.
DJ: Liquid DJs- A
Shannon sent us DJ L.A. and the dance floor was busy all night, which is really the only thing I cared about. Communication with Shannon was great leading up to the wedding. We wanted to be announced into the ballroom and then go straight into our first dance, and I don’t know why there was a delay, but after we were announced, the DJ played some dance music and told everyone to join us on the dance floor, then 30 seconds later they all sat down when our first dance song came on. Kinda awkward, but it wasn’t a big deal.
Uplighting: Ubi- A
Ubi tried to get me a DJ a few weeks before my wedding, but he was all booked up. He offered to try and hunt one down for me with another company, but I ended up finding Liquid DJs so it was fine. The lighting looked awesome and as far as I know it was there on time and set up properly.
Cocktail hour violinist: Music for Anything- A
I had heard stories about how bad their communication is but I actually had an awesome experience in that regard. I only hired them about 2 weeks before and it was constant communication. I didn’t hear the music at all, and nobody really told me about the performance, but I know they did their job and were prompt.
Cake: Lily with Edible Creations- A
This woman is as sweet as her cakes. It was delicious and the design was exactly what I requested. The red velvet was a the biggest hit with our guests.
Florist: Gil Sosa- A
What can I say that already hasn’t been said about this man. His communication definitely improves when your wedding nears (but you have to be super close, like a week out.) 4 days before the wedding, he offered me a new idea for my centerpieces that sounded really awesome. It was to use the floralytes like on one of the weddings on Justine’s blog, with opaque white vases. He said it would blow my mind and it probably would have, but I opted to keep my original design because my flowers and linens were white, so I just felt like white vases would have been too much white. My flowers turned out beautifully. My sign in table was my favorite thing. I will be nitpicky for a second and say that a few things were different from my contract. The BM bouquets were supposed to be only calla lilies, but they ended up having several types of white flowers with the little green berries. This was fine, they looked good. I wish my cake had flowers on the very top tier though; I am not sure why that part was left out. Lastly, my centerpieces were surrounded by cylinders with floating orchids, as opposed to the candle holders that were originally used during my trial. It still looked nice, but I would have preferred the candle holders with different heights.
Linens: AB Covers- A
I love Ana, she did several different set ups for me and didn’t pressure me into upgrading. The only linens I upgraded were the napkins, I wanted them to be teal. She offered to take my extra damask fabric and make napkin ties. This came out so fabulous and she didn’t charge me anything for it, even though sewing the edges on all those ties must have taken a lot of work and time.
Limos: A-1 Limos out of Boyton Beach
We had 2 limos and a towncar the whole night. They were on time and very professional. They tried as hard as they could to get me close to the front doors of the church, the parking area of St. Hugh is quite awkward. My FIL booked the limos so I do not know how their prices were or their customer service prior to that day. I do know my FIL told me we would be getting an 8 passenger limo, and we got a huge SUV limo that could have fit 15.
Flower preservation: Forever Flowers: A (pending final product)
They picked up my flowers at the reception venue on time, I still need to pick out how I want my display to look.
Wedding Gown: bestbridalprices.com- A
Although they no longer sell Maggie Sottero gowns, I was able to get mine from there before they stopped. The dress was perfect and came a few weeks early. I agonized over this decision, since buying a wedding gown online is not ideal for a nervous bride. It was probably one of the better decisions I made during the planning process.
Alterations: Reina- C
This review disappoints me so much. I loved the way my dress fit, don’t get me wrong. Reina did a fabulous job with it and had to do a significant amount of alterations. However, my mom and I tried on our dresses for the last time, and then we waited over an hour for her to steam and press them and then took everything home. Imagine my surprise when I take my dress out of the bag on my wedding day to find it is NOT pressed or steamed at all! I had to call the Biltmore and they sent a steam machine up to my room, so my aunt and I were steaming my dress. I only had enough time to do the front, which looked awesome. You can see how wrinkled the back of the dress was though in a black and white photo on Devynn's blog. I was so upset by this, it was my biggest disappointment. I still love her and would recommend her to anyone for alterations; I just don't understand how my dress wasn’t pressed when I was sitting there while they worked on it. It didn’t occur to me to take the dress out of the bag to check and make sure it was steamed. My dress really needed it because I ordered online and it was packed up in a box for a while.
Hair: Dina Acle- A
What a sweetheart! She did my hair, my mom’s, my grandma’s, 2 of my bridesmaid’s, and my flower girl’s. Everyone looked great. My hair did lose some of it’s curl throughout the night but only because it downpoured on me. I can’t blame her for that, I still insisted on having my hair down regardless of the weather. I am still happy I decided to have it down, because it still looked decent in pictures. She also did my eyebrows for me a week before the wedding, and she will send you lots of pictures of her work.
MAC Makeup: Jorge Pena- A
This guy is a trip and half and kept up the entertainment factor while doing my cousin’s makeup, my mom’s, and myself. My mom looked so awesome, she never wears makeup. Same with my cousin, she usually wears none and she looked great that night. I loved my own makeup and it help up all night. Great communication with him as well.
Bridesmaids Dresses: Patricia South- A
The dresses were fabulous and all the guests loved them and the girls looked smokin. They came in on time and were the best price I found besides online ordering.
Groomsman Tuxes: MW Tux Aventura- C
I don’t know too many details because everyone hid the problems from Bridezilla, but I do know that our long distance groomsman had their tuxes delivered to their local tux places instead of here in Aventura. A bunch of them had to get refitted, and one groomsman did not have his tux delivered to him until 1 PM on our wedding day (ceremony started at 4 PM!)
Hotel block: Biltmore Hotel- A
LOVE this hotel, it is a great backdrop for photos. I recommend staying here because they allow you take photos for free as a guest on their gorgeous grounds, instead of paying the $200 fee or whatever it is. They had a few weddings going on that day, so they asked us to leave those areas, but that is understandable. Those brides are paying an exorbitant amount of cash and deserve priority. They also dropped our room rates by 70 bucks a night a week prior our stay, for no reason that we know of. Super grateful for that! When I needed my wedding dress steamed, they sent a commercial steamer up to me right away to take care of my dress. That was lifesaving right there.
Rehearsal Dinner: Los Ranchos Cocowalk- A
I had never been there before, but their food was amazing. The steak I had with tons of chimichurri was a lifechanging experience. Service was great and prices seemed reasonable, although I know we had a large bill due to the alcohol we consumed. I cannot wait to go back there and have more steak. Everyone had a great time and the families got to know each other better. My in laws did all of the arrangements, so I cannot comment on that experience but I am guessing it went smoothly.
Honeymoon: Sandals Regency in St. Lucia- A
We used Nancy Finn as our travel agent and she was a pleasure to work with. We were orginially booked at the Sandals Grande, but we decided to switch over to the Regency to save money. The amount was saved was significant, and we think the Regency was the resort for us anyway, after visiting all of the other Sandals on St. Lucia. Our room was super cute and we had a phenomenal view. The food is okay, and the bartenders are very liberal with the alcohol. The only thing that is odd is that you can't eat lunch past 2:30 or dinner past 9:30, and a few times were were later than that so we got stuck eating at the burger grill that is open all the time. I would highly recommend the zipligning excursion, as well as Simon Says tours. He is independent from Sandals but gives you a local tour of the entire island, and he even brings you back to his house and his wife cooks you some awesome carribbean food. Money well spent, and we definitely needed the time to relax after the wedding planning.
Ceremony: St. Hugh Catholic Church- B
First off, I LOVE Maria, who is the church coordinator. She is so sweet and super helpful. Father Garcia also delivered a wonderful ceremony for us. There were a few things that did disappoint me. I was told that Father will not be happy if you are late to your rehearsal because he does them all in one day, so I drilled it in to my bridal party to be there super early. Our rehearsal was scheduled for 5 PM and we were there at 4:30, except for my in laws who arrived around 5:10. Anyway, we started the rehearsal around 4:50 with a few people missing, and when they showed up at 5:10, he refused to go over the order of things again, even though we were scheduled to have rehearsal till 5:30. This wasn’t a huge deal. The day of the wedding, Ollie and his crew of men showed up at the church at 3 PM, which is when the second photog was going to be there to get some shots. Well some guy that works for the church refused to open the gate for them. He didn't want anyone in the church before 3:30. They didn't want to go into the sanctuary, the just wanted to park thier cars and take some pics out front. At this time there were about 10 cars clogging up the road, trying to get in for my ceremony (invites said 3:30, it started at 4.) Ollie threatened to call the archdiocese of Miami and magically the gates opened. I was mostly disappointed that during the ceremony, the readings were not placed on the stand for the lectors to read them. Luckily my one reader printed it out and brought it with her to the stand. My second reader, poor girl was only 11, just stood there for a minute like a dear in headlights. Luckily, I had made programs with the readings in there, and my MOH finally ran up to her with the reading. Since then, I have become an advocate for programs! Also my cousins went up to bring the gifts to the priest, and there was no bread or wine for them to bring up. What REALLY upset me was we only had 10 minutes to take pictures at the altar. Just when our grandmas were lining up to take pics with us, we got kicked out and we never did get to take a picture with them. They are all still upset over this, as am I.
Ceremony Vocalist: Cecilia Witkowski from St. Hugh- A
I was really surprised that people even paid attention to the songs at the ceremony, but they kept coming up to me all night commenting on how amazing she made the ceremony. Her communication was great and she gave an excellent performance.
Reception Venue: The Rusty Pelican- B
I was working with Betty originally, and then I was assigned to Edward. I will say that this place did give me some headaches early on, and what annoyed me the most was when they informed me I couldn’t bring my wedding items to the venue until the morning of the reception. This was just not possible for me logistically. When I signed our contract, they said we could bring in all of our stuff when we gave the final payment, which is 4 days before. Needless to say, I argued until they let me bring the stuff Friday afternoon, but I was still super peeved. I ended up buying a ton of things to bring to the reception, and if I had known about this rule when it changed, I wouldn’t have accumulated so much stuff. Also, because we opted to have a buffet set up, we were invited to the Sunday brunch as our tasting, but none of the food was the same as what we could select, so we really didn’t have a tasting. At our cocktail hour, which was scheduled from 6-7 PM, they told our guests the bar will not open till 7, which was an error because I paid for them to begin serving liquor at 6. They did fix it but I had some unhappy guests for awhile. During our planning meetings, they kept telling me not to stress about the timeline. If guests arrive for cocktail hour early, they will serve everything early and just move up the timeline. My guests arrived at 5:30, and food and liquor was not served until 6, after the minor mishap of when to open the bar. I would have much preferred everything moved up a half hour like they said they would. Sometime towards the end of the reception while I was dancing, a server came up to me to give me a comment card to fill out. Ummm I was kinda busy and did not need to be bothered with that. I told them to leave it on the sweetheart table and I have no idea what happened to it. Overall I am still thrilled to have had my wedding there, because the ballroom, the view, and the food are still being raved about.
A little story about their valet drivers- while we were partying at the Rusty Pelican, one of the valet drivers ran a customer’s car into the limo my in laws had. The police came to do the report, and it was discovered the valet did not have a license. He went to jail that night. 2 other valet drivers were found to either have no license, or a suspended license. Not sure if they went to jail or were fired or whatever. Craziness that valet companies don’t check to see if people have valid licenses! And the clientele of that restaurant have expensive cars.
Fabulous Fetes, Justine- A
She was VERY helpful prior to the wedding day, printed my programs free of charge and also did my menus and printed them free of charge for me. I spoke with her when I was having doubts with my vendors and she was a good sounding board. She offered to meet with vendors when I had meetings with them, but I didn’t really need her to do that. She dropped off my menus at AB Covers for me and finalized all of my vendor contracts. She attended our rehearsal and took all the directions from the priest. Everything was set up the day of the way I wanted it to, and came out beautifully. I tried to keep my guests out of the ballroom until my photogs got there, but my mom told her to open the doors so I got overruled. I spoke with her several times during the night to have her do something for me and it was never a problem. Everything was packed up nicely at the end of the night. Overall I thought she did a good job.
Photography: DB Images- A (pending pictures)
Based on how my e-pics and shower pics came out, and my incredible wedding teasers, I am super happy with my decision to have used Devynn. I spoke with her constantly during the planning process and she always got back to me, it really feels like we have become friends. She is also shooting my cousin’s wedding so I know we will be in touch for a long time to come.
Photography: Joseph Keith Photography- A (pending pictures)
I really wanted a second photographer, and Devynn hired Joseph for me. I had no prior contact with him before the wedding. He brought along a ton of lighting gear, and I love a lot of the ideas he had for posing us and setting up shots. He went to the church to photograph the guys before I got there, and they thought he was super cool and they loved working with him. Ollie couldn’t stop raving about him on our honeymoon lol. I have yet to see any of his final photos though, but based on his professionalism that day, I am super excited to see his shots. I have heard he is relatively inexpensive, so check him out if you don’t have a large budget for photos.
Video: My Treasure Videos- A+!! (pending final video)
I had not even met Javier in person until my wedding day, so I really didn’t focus too much on our video. After the drama I experienced with another video company, I felt I could trust him 100% to do his thing and he did. He gave us a ton of upgrades just because he really wanted us to have certain things. Our video recap is so beautiful and I barely noticed Javier at all that night, even in our cramped hotel room getting ready. I really cannot get over how nice he is and how he couldn’t wait to do our recap, it was ready the next day!
Video: Dreammaker Events- no grade, just do NOT use them!
I feel entitled to review them since for a long time I was a client of theirs. This review is based on my actual experience with them, ALL CRAZY KNOT DRAMA ASIDE. I can say that Rob always returned messages, however I had a lot of concerns based on the experiences of other brides. When I brought the concerns to his attention, he basically said everyone was lying and his company would never do these things. When I originally booked with them, I was told you had to have the blu ray package, they didn’t shoot in standard definition anymore. Of course when I told him he was no longer worth the 2 grand I was contracted for, he told he would let me change my package to a smaller one, without blu ray. Where was this package when I originally asked for it? He refused to do anything to make me happy, and was saying that all I wanted was a discount. Not completely true, I just felt he was no longer worth the money and that I wouldn’t receive what I was paying for. I ultimately went elsewhere and could not have been happier.
DJ: Liquid DJs- A
Shannon sent us DJ L.A. and the dance floor was busy all night, which is really the only thing I cared about. Communication with Shannon was great leading up to the wedding. We wanted to be announced into the ballroom and then go straight into our first dance, and I don’t know why there was a delay, but after we were announced, the DJ played some dance music and told everyone to join us on the dance floor, then 30 seconds later they all sat down when our first dance song came on. Kinda awkward, but it wasn’t a big deal.
Uplighting: Ubi- A
Ubi tried to get me a DJ a few weeks before my wedding, but he was all booked up. He offered to try and hunt one down for me with another company, but I ended up finding Liquid DJs so it was fine. The lighting looked awesome and as far as I know it was there on time and set up properly.
Cocktail hour violinist: Music for Anything- A
I had heard stories about how bad their communication is but I actually had an awesome experience in that regard. I only hired them about 2 weeks before and it was constant communication. I didn’t hear the music at all, and nobody really told me about the performance, but I know they did their job and were prompt.
Cake: Lily with Edible Creations- A
This woman is as sweet as her cakes. It was delicious and the design was exactly what I requested. The red velvet was a the biggest hit with our guests.
Florist: Gil Sosa- A
What can I say that already hasn’t been said about this man. His communication definitely improves when your wedding nears (but you have to be super close, like a week out.) 4 days before the wedding, he offered me a new idea for my centerpieces that sounded really awesome. It was to use the floralytes like on one of the weddings on Justine’s blog, with opaque white vases. He said it would blow my mind and it probably would have, but I opted to keep my original design because my flowers and linens were white, so I just felt like white vases would have been too much white. My flowers turned out beautifully. My sign in table was my favorite thing. I will be nitpicky for a second and say that a few things were different from my contract. The BM bouquets were supposed to be only calla lilies, but they ended up having several types of white flowers with the little green berries. This was fine, they looked good. I wish my cake had flowers on the very top tier though; I am not sure why that part was left out. Lastly, my centerpieces were surrounded by cylinders with floating orchids, as opposed to the candle holders that were originally used during my trial. It still looked nice, but I would have preferred the candle holders with different heights.
Linens: AB Covers- A
I love Ana, she did several different set ups for me and didn’t pressure me into upgrading. The only linens I upgraded were the napkins, I wanted them to be teal. She offered to take my extra damask fabric and make napkin ties. This came out so fabulous and she didn’t charge me anything for it, even though sewing the edges on all those ties must have taken a lot of work and time.
Limos: A-1 Limos out of Boyton Beach
We had 2 limos and a towncar the whole night. They were on time and very professional. They tried as hard as they could to get me close to the front doors of the church, the parking area of St. Hugh is quite awkward. My FIL booked the limos so I do not know how their prices were or their customer service prior to that day. I do know my FIL told me we would be getting an 8 passenger limo, and we got a huge SUV limo that could have fit 15.
Flower preservation: Forever Flowers: A (pending final product)
They picked up my flowers at the reception venue on time, I still need to pick out how I want my display to look.
Wedding Gown: bestbridalprices.com- A
Although they no longer sell Maggie Sottero gowns, I was able to get mine from there before they stopped. The dress was perfect and came a few weeks early. I agonized over this decision, since buying a wedding gown online is not ideal for a nervous bride. It was probably one of the better decisions I made during the planning process.
Alterations: Reina- C
This review disappoints me so much. I loved the way my dress fit, don’t get me wrong. Reina did a fabulous job with it and had to do a significant amount of alterations. However, my mom and I tried on our dresses for the last time, and then we waited over an hour for her to steam and press them and then took everything home. Imagine my surprise when I take my dress out of the bag on my wedding day to find it is NOT pressed or steamed at all! I had to call the Biltmore and they sent a steam machine up to my room, so my aunt and I were steaming my dress. I only had enough time to do the front, which looked awesome. You can see how wrinkled the back of the dress was though in a black and white photo on Devynn's blog. I was so upset by this, it was my biggest disappointment. I still love her and would recommend her to anyone for alterations; I just don't understand how my dress wasn’t pressed when I was sitting there while they worked on it. It didn’t occur to me to take the dress out of the bag to check and make sure it was steamed. My dress really needed it because I ordered online and it was packed up in a box for a while.
Hair: Dina Acle- A
What a sweetheart! She did my hair, my mom’s, my grandma’s, 2 of my bridesmaid’s, and my flower girl’s. Everyone looked great. My hair did lose some of it’s curl throughout the night but only because it downpoured on me. I can’t blame her for that, I still insisted on having my hair down regardless of the weather. I am still happy I decided to have it down, because it still looked decent in pictures. She also did my eyebrows for me a week before the wedding, and she will send you lots of pictures of her work.
MAC Makeup: Jorge Pena- A
This guy is a trip and half and kept up the entertainment factor while doing my cousin’s makeup, my mom’s, and myself. My mom looked so awesome, she never wears makeup. Same with my cousin, she usually wears none and she looked great that night. I loved my own makeup and it help up all night. Great communication with him as well.
Bridesmaids Dresses: Patricia South- A
The dresses were fabulous and all the guests loved them and the girls looked smokin. They came in on time and were the best price I found besides online ordering.
Groomsman Tuxes: MW Tux Aventura- C
I don’t know too many details because everyone hid the problems from Bridezilla, but I do know that our long distance groomsman had their tuxes delivered to their local tux places instead of here in Aventura. A bunch of them had to get refitted, and one groomsman did not have his tux delivered to him until 1 PM on our wedding day (ceremony started at 4 PM!)
Hotel block: Biltmore Hotel- A
LOVE this hotel, it is a great backdrop for photos. I recommend staying here because they allow you take photos for free as a guest on their gorgeous grounds, instead of paying the $200 fee or whatever it is. They had a few weddings going on that day, so they asked us to leave those areas, but that is understandable. Those brides are paying an exorbitant amount of cash and deserve priority. They also dropped our room rates by 70 bucks a night a week prior our stay, for no reason that we know of. Super grateful for that! When I needed my wedding dress steamed, they sent a commercial steamer up to me right away to take care of my dress. That was lifesaving right there.
Rehearsal Dinner: Los Ranchos Cocowalk- A
I had never been there before, but their food was amazing. The steak I had with tons of chimichurri was a lifechanging experience. Service was great and prices seemed reasonable, although I know we had a large bill due to the alcohol we consumed. I cannot wait to go back there and have more steak. Everyone had a great time and the families got to know each other better. My in laws did all of the arrangements, so I cannot comment on that experience but I am guessing it went smoothly.
Honeymoon: Sandals Regency in St. Lucia- A
We used Nancy Finn as our travel agent and she was a pleasure to work with. We were orginially booked at the Sandals Grande, but we decided to switch over to the Regency to save money. The amount was saved was significant, and we think the Regency was the resort for us anyway, after visiting all of the other Sandals on St. Lucia. Our room was super cute and we had a phenomenal view. The food is okay, and the bartenders are very liberal with the alcohol. The only thing that is odd is that you can't eat lunch past 2:30 or dinner past 9:30, and a few times were were later than that so we got stuck eating at the burger grill that is open all the time. I would highly recommend the zipligning excursion, as well as Simon Says tours. He is independent from Sandals but gives you a local tour of the entire island, and he even brings you back to his house and his wife cooks you some awesome carribbean food. Money well spent, and we definitely needed the time to relax after the wedding planning.
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