Citytoshore09 Reviews 04.04.09

My wedding *weekend* was everything I dreamed of and more. So many of our friends and family came from out of state to celebrate with us. And it was absolutely incredible, thanks largely to our amazing vendors!

The South Florida Knotties all were so helpful to this long-distance bride, so I want to return the favor. I'm a very tough grader, but my vendors really pulled through for me.

VENUE (The Rusty Pelican): A+
PLANNING: Christina was my lifesaver. She kept me organized and accommodated my every need, including all of my crazy requests. I felt completely confident in her recommendations and suggestions. As a long-distance bride, you need to work with someone you trust. Christina was all that and more; I'm so grateful I worked with her!

SERVICE: Wow. I was so impressed. Our glasses never went empty, the food was delivered promptly and according to schedule, the cake was cut and distributed quickly. We couldn't ask for anything more.

FOOD: De-li-cious. The appetizers we had were so tasty! The seafood buffet our guests had was awesome and my dad was thrilled with the giant shrimp and crab claws. For dinner, we had caesar salad, a dual-entree of steak and salmon, veggies and garlic mashed potatoes on the side. Everything was perfectly cooked, most notably the steak which was so tender that guests could cut it with a butter knife. Our very picky NY crowd was raving! We rarely get food this good at the country clubs up north. Quite simply, this was the best food of any wedding/black-tie/semi-formal event out of the dozens we've attended. I'm so happy I got to eat my full meal!

LOCATION: The ceremony went perfectly on the terrace, and we had our cocktail hour in the foyer. Since we were the only wedding, we spread out and everyone relaxed and got their drink on. The view from the Biscayne Room can't be beat, and we had plenty of room for all of our tables, the photobooth, and dessert stations. Later on, we had a cigar bar on the terrace that was a total hit. Our friends were lounging outside with cigars and cocktails, chatting and having the best time. I swear, I almost cried. Total bliss.

I couldn't recommend TRP more. To the upcoming brides - you're in for an amazing night!


CAKE (Edible Creations): A+
Meeting Lily first was one of the best decisions of this wedding. I wanted square, simple, elegant. She went above and beyond. She made some design suggestions that were incredible -- the cake was my dream come true and beyond! Everyone stopped and stared when they saw it. And then their jaws dropped at the groom's cake! I wanted a black t-shirt with his favorite band's logo on it, and it was EXACTLY the same as the picture I sent her. (He absolutely flipped out when he saw it!) I'm so glad Lily was setting it up in person because we just HAD to hug her!

Our wedding cake was vanilla rum with dulce de leche filling and chocolate kahlua with hazelnut filling. It was so ridiculously to die for, people were stealing pieces off of other tables! The groom's cake was red velvet with cream cheese filling and he was in cake heaven. Her fondant was delish. Neither of us ate any other desserts - nothing but cake. When we came back from the honeymoon, we were still eating vanilla rum cake and it was just as good as the day we cut it. Awww.

I will gladly order all my special events cakes from her from now on. She made a birthday cake for my dad that was just as incredible! She puts so much care and offers such wonderful customer service... Edible Creations is by far the top cake vendor in Florida.


PHOTO (Lux Images): A+
I cannot express in words how much I love Andy, Oscar, and Jennifer. Seriously. Andy completely GOT US, from our e-pic session to the very last minute of the wedding. He was quick to reply to email/phone calls, was always on top of scheduling, and always had the best personality. He and Oscar were great in capturing sneaky candids without us noticing, and accommodating all the craziness that occurred. They even dealt with my rude extended family with a smile on their face (sorry guys!)

Their work? Speaks for itself. I can't believe that's really us in the photos. I told him I wanted a bunch of detail pics, and certain specific shots -- they got them all and then some. The teasers were AMAZING! We were on our honeymoon when we saw them and they were just incredible. Our parents burst into tears when they saw them.

We received teasers, our full online gallery, and album designs before some friends even received their teasers. Our album design is incredible and will be a fabulous reminder of such a special day with the people we loved.

Choosing Lux ensures that your big day -- or any important event! -- will be captured flawlessly and completely. Our pictures were full of emotion, fun, and love. I will always be grateful that we worked with them. Thanks Andy & team!


VIDEO (Reinhardt Productions): A+
I'm in love with Marty and Kenya. They're the sweetest people in the world. My husband has worked in film production, so he did all the research here. Marty was so professional and impressed him, which is hard to do. There were no other choices in videography; they were the only ones we spoke to and we booked them without meeting them in person.

Reinhardt did a great job of filming our wedding in its entirity. They were with us the ENTIRE day - from the first fluff of hair to the very last dance. We appreciated that there was no time limit and we didn't feel rushed with them. They worked beautifully with our photographers so they could both record the wedding without getting in each others' shots. And they did not disturb people who were partying and celebrating, and did a fabulous job getting interviews without any awkwardness. Everyone loved being around them, because of their friendly personalities and professional ease.

We received the completed DVD within 2 months of the wedding. Aaaand... it's awesome. They captured everything beautifully, the sound quality was perfect, and they really "got" what we were all about. There wasn't a single moment missed. They got every dance, every bite of dessert, all of our friends lounging on the terrace. Watching it makes me feel like I'm reliving the events. We are so happy to have our memories captured so well, and at such a fantastic price.


HAIR/MAKEUP (VIP Salon in Sunny Isles): A+
William is the only person I trust to cut my hair, so of course I wanted him to make my bridal party gorgeous. He did everyone's hair; Jessica did our makeup including individual lashes. Everything went perfectly on schedule, and everyone looked stunning! The hair and makeup lasted all night, looked very natural yet striking in pictures. We hardly needed to touch up. And I can't believe how great his prices were! I wish I hadn't wasted so much money on trials with "bridal specialists." William works on photo shoots and with magazines, and he knew exactly what we wanted. DEFINITELY give him a call!


DJ (Ubi's Music): B
We had a really detailed intro script and an unusual playlist, and they accommodated both. The DJ (I didn't get his name) was able to read the crowd well and played a good mix of music. The uplighting is stunning in the Biscayne Room. Page me for more info.


PHOTOBOOTH (Partybooths): A
Took a recommendation from Knottie Mrs. Orly and I can't thank her enough! They had the best pricing of everyone I spoke to, and were prompt in replying to all my emails. They even put a custom graphic at the bottom of our photo strips! I didn't get the name of the woman who worked with us to supervise the booth, but she was very sweet. My friends all flipped out and had a BLAST in the booth -- even the older guests got in on the action! One of my bridesmaids says this is a must-have for weddings from now on.


ICE LUGE (Elegance in Ice): A+
This was included in my package at TRP. Ed is a genius. We wanted a kind of crazy ice sculpture - for the football fans, we wanted "the catch" of the 2008 Super Bowl, when a NY Giants player caught a ball on his helmet. We would have been happy with just the helmet, but he created a TORSO, too! And he put the team name and the player's number on it, too!!! It was probably the biggest secret of our wedding and it was a great "WOW" for our guests at the cocktail hour.


DESSERT (Misha's Cupcakes): B+
Before we decided to add vanilla rum to our cake, we ordered mini-cupcakes to compliment the dessert buffet. We had cinnamon sugar and coconut, and they were very yummy. They worked well over email and matched the color sample of icing. However, when they delivered the cupcakes, they forgot the cupcake stand I'd sent a deposit for. It didn't show up until 7PM -- ceremony time! I'm grateful they brought it at all... but I didn't appreciate them calling my cell phone at 6:59pm to tell me to come outside and get it. They didn't know I was about to walk down the aisle. :)


DOC (Tara @ Platinum Weddings Florida): A-
Tara and her team had the tough job of setting up the ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception within 2 hours. I can't imagine! I gave her really detailed instructions and timelines and she followed everything perfectly. I wish we had a little bit more attention during the dinner, but she was busy taking care of other stuff. Her prices were AMAZING for the services she provided.


FLOWERS (Terra Flowers Miami): A
Terra Flowers did all of our personals and they gave me EXACTLY what I wanted. The flowers were flawless and I was pleased with pricing. Heidi even tied on the little bouquet charms I'd bought for each girl. I was so happy she included a toss bouquet, because I was in LOVE with mine. She responded promptly to calls and emails, even last minute changes.


LIMOS (Meilan): A
Prompt, professional, perfect. We rented two limos to get there, one on the way back. We asked for one Excursion and one regular, but the second limo was upgraded to an Excursion as well. The ride flew by! Our driver Bartolo was the coolest. Our dads loved him!


BUSES (Gator Trax): A
I loved working with Buddy. He made it so easy and the buses were lovely. He had the best prices of all the vendors I researched. My friends had a BLAST the entire drive, and it made everyone more willing to indulge in the fabulous open bar. I kinda wish we'd rode with our friends on the way back!


INVITATIONS/PLACECARDS (Twin Ravens Press): A-
CALLIGRAPHY (Calligraphy by Michele): A
PROGRAMS (BeyondDesign at Etsy): A
MINI-MENUS, PHOTOCARDS, TABLE NUMBERS (My MOH!): A+
YARMULKES (Mazeltops): A
CUSTOM TIES (B-Screened): B
CUSTOM TOTE BAGS (CSI Studios Chicago): A
GUEST HOTEL (The Monaco, Sunny Isles): A+
BRIDE HOTEL (The Thunderbird, Sunny Isles): A
LATE NIGHT BARS (The Thunderbird and The Porterhouse, Sunny Isles): A

Page me for more details! Thanks again for all of your help. :)