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
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