A DaniRella Wedding Review, 9/9/07!!!! *FLOWERFIELD, Leli Photo/Video, Heart & Soul, Lovin Oven Floral, Jackie Nicole, The Rock Twins, Burton's for Dresses, Royalty Limos, Denise Leli, and more!*
My Review:
I put off writing this for a long, long time because I knew it was going to be a lot of work. I should give future brides a big helpful hint here: compile your review as time goes by!! It makes it so much easier than doing what I did which was starting from scratch and writing out the ENTIRE thing from nothing. Here we go: I had such a FANTASTIC experience with all of my DAY OF vendors and the wedding day itself was – well, there are no words to describe it. It was like taking the best vision of your wedding day that you can possibly have –in your mind – and it actually being a reality… then, times that by like 1,000 and that was our wedding day, lol! BUT, I still didn’t “feel like” doing the review because I knew it would be a TON of work - however, I said to myself – I *must* write the review and have it posted by the end of 2007 because it is just the right thing to do – and here it is (even a little early)!! Look at me being ahead of the deadline I made for myself!
The big reason I DO want to write the review is for future brides – 08ers and forward -- because I learned so much from past bride’s posting their experiences, advice and overall feelings so I felt compelled to contribute to that for everyone who was, like me, clueless when I started planning.
OK -- My biggest piece of advice and I hope that future brides read this and follow suit: PLEASE, for the love of God, ENJOY YOUR WEDDING DAY!! Stress, cry, whine and pull your hair out all you want before your wedding day – everyday if you have to -- but DO NOT allow any of that crap to affect your day. That just makes it so NOT worth all the work, money and sacrificing! So, from one bride to another – take it from me – the best part of my wedding day was that I was completely calm, so unbelievably happy and I can firmly say that I enjoyed every single second… THAT is the best feeling! So, if you walk away from this review with nothing else – have it be THAT word of advice!
I even slept great the night before – I planned so well and knew that everything was all set – there was nothing else I could do but relax and ENJOY. I slept like a ROCK and when my sister woke me up @ 8am I asked for five more minutes haha!!! It was great – just great.
Vinny and I started planning this FOREVER ago lol and it seemed like the day would NEVER come. Well, it did! It comes up very fast and almost sneaks up on you! So, all the brides who are reading this that are far away from their days (meaning, your countdown says anywhere from 250 days and up)… ENJOY the time to save, plan and prepare because those final few months come up and take you by surprise. We paid for a HUGE amount of our wedding – lets put it this way – we could have had an Infiniti for the amount that we alone put into this day and there were times I thought we were NUTS and other times I thought it wouldn’t be worth it but it was worth every single cent and don’t let anyone tell you that you don’t deserve it, that it is not worth it, or anything of that nature. Let me just tell you – you can’t take money down with you when you die! …so might as well enjoy it and live it up while you can. I’m not saying you should make yourself bankrupt but if you work hard and you want to spend your money and have a lavish wedding – then good for you! People who try and say it is “ridiculous” or a “circus” or “over done” are just JEALOUS and BITTER. I’m saying this because I had people tell me, to my face, that what I was doing was over the top and I always told myself – Why am I not allowed to have a big wedding? I deserve it, Vinny deserves it and we work hard for our money – It is the first and ONLY time we are ever going to do this – we want to do it BIG and we did. So girls, remember that – don’t let others rain on your parade!
THE REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Long Island Weddings: Wow, this place was such a huge help – I can’t even rate them! I seriously had no idea what I was doing before I came here! Now, family and friends come to ME for tips, advice, ideas, style, vendor recommendations, etc. I cannot believe that – especially after the wedding – how many people want to imitate what I have done and I am so flattered and surprised by that – it is a very nice feeling to know that all of the hard work you put in was noticed, appreciated and admired. Thanks to Ron, Liz, Kim and the crew! You guys are very generous and it meant a lot to Vinny and I. I know we had our moments where we didn’t see eye to eye on things but you were always so professional and courteous – even when I was annoyed about vendors – you guys understood, listened and cared about what I went through which was very nice. For a while, we were the King and Queen of winning prizes lol and the Barbados trip was the BEST!!! We cannot thank you enough for that – what a wonderful trip and it was our very first vacation as a couple! Thanks again – for everything.
Also, if it weren’t for LIW I would not have met my very dear friend Melissa – who was one of my bridesmaids and offered me much needed sanity haha! I really can’t thank her enough for all of her help throughout the entire planning process. From the first moment we met on LIW and HATED each other to becoming such great friends – It wouldn’t have happened without this site so I am truly thankful for that too.
There’s my Papaya:
Look at that rack!!!
And on the big day:
PRE-WEDDING VENDORS:
Engagement Party: A++++ Tellers - Islip, New York 631.277.7070 http://www.tellerschophouse.com/ Tellers is a fantastic steakhouse I never thought we could afford lol but for parties they are actually pretty reasonable and the quality of food, amount of food and service is just phenomenal. It was excellent and all of our guests raved about the food. I didn’t need a big show, I didn’t need a DJ – I just wanted a classy, elegant, subtle sit down dinner with good conversation and GREAT food. That is exactly what I got! I was very pleased and everything was understated in just the way I wanted it to be. We worked with Lina – the banquet manager there – who customized a wine and drink menu for us because good wine is very important to Vinny. We loved it and they even made custom menus with our names on them – everything was SUPERB! I highly recommend them for ANY type of party you want to have and they are a great Rehearsal Dinner location too!
Favors: A+ Wrap With Us in Syosset 277 Robbins Lane Syosset, NY (516) 942-7890 http://www.wrapwithus.com/ We did the LOVE coaster favors for our Engagement Party and they were so affordable at Wrap With Us that we were able to do one per person! People were thrilled by this because couples had a full set of 8 coasters – they loved them. I bought a personalized sticker with our names and date on it from some website and it took forever to come so I can’t recommend the website but Wrap With Us was excellent AND they even had some cute boy carry the boxes out to the car for me when I went to pick them up, haha! Kudos to them for that!
Save The Dates: A- The Writing Place in Stony Brook (in the Village) Ehhh I didn’t love this place. It was hit or miss with who you got to help you – some of the employees were pleasant and some of them were NOT. I ordered my Save The Dates from there and they were beautiful, cute, flirty and fun because that is exactly what I wanted for STD’s – nothing too formal because it is not the wedding invite and I found the perfect one because the Bride had red hair and the Groom had dark hair – adorable! I also got my Engagement Party invites from there – again, they were very helpful with the wording and ordering – everything came in great but there were times when I received a completely unnecessary attitude and that’s just uncalled for so that is why I gave them an A- instead of an A+
Return Address Labels: A+ Cortney from CJB Designs http://www.cjbdesigns.com/ Cortney is a 2006 bride from LIW that I heard about through several people. I had asked her to make me custom return address labels because Vinny and I lived together but it was before the wedding so I wanted them to say “The Future Mr. & Mrs. Rella” with our address and a picture of Charlotte York, our little pup. She DREW a picture of Char from a photograph and did one with a pink bow around her neck (adorable!) and one with Char wrapped up in Christmas lights for our Christmas cards that we sent out!!!! She was a pleasure to work with, they came quick, she was so responsive and helpful – I highly recommend her and she does a lot more than just return address labels so check her site out, email her, etc! I wish I had pictures of how adorable the labels were and how much the drawing looks like Char!!! I have been meaning to order new ones from her now that we are Mr. and Mrs. – but things have been so crazy – I will soon. I have been so busy that I didn’t even DO Christmas cards this year – shame on me!
Invitations: A Inklinations in Manhasset 1699 Northern Blvd Manhasset, NY (516) 365-4940 I went to Inklinations simply because they were the only Vera Wang distributors in the area. Very few people are licensed to sell Vera Wang invitations and I saw them at a showcase once, briefly, and knew from that moment that those were the invites I wanted. I went looking for others that I liked as much for cost reasons but, of course, I didn’t like anything as much as those. I have very picky yet simplistic and elegant style so it was hard for me to find something I liked and something I felt was classy. But Vera – wow, now that girl knows class. I ADORE everything she touches – her taste is just pure perfection. I had a pretty good experience with Inklinations – they ordered the invites for me, gave me a fair price, took a discount off because of LIW and the service was good – being in Manhasset I judged them and figured they would give me an attitude but they didn’t – they were great. The only reason they didn’t get a + sign after the A is because the woman who helped me asked me when I wanted to make the RSVP date for and I had no clue being that I’ve never done this before so I said – make it for whatever you guys usually recommend. She made it a LITTLE close for my taste – and it didn’t dawn on me until after they were printed. It worked out FINE and everything was great but the date was August 19th for my wedding date of September 9th. I just wished I would have had a little more time for those pesky guests that you have to hunt down. My hall wanted my seating like two days after the RSVP date so that is why I felt a little rushed. My hall was flexible and everything worked out but I did call the owner and let him know that they need to give the brides a little more time lol!
Calligraphy: A++++ Michele Clark Email: calligraphybymichele@verizon.net Phone: (718) 967-3559 OMG one of the best vendors I used! Not only is she efficient, a pleasure to deal with and makes like, NO mistakes – she was CHEAP!! I mean, CHEAP!! She charged me $1.00 per outer envelope for HAND calligraphy. Then, it was just 25 cents for the inner envelope!!!! I paid $1.25 per set and it LOOKED like I paid $5.00 per set which is what they charge at Inklinations for hand calligraphy!! She was fantastic. I simply blocked off a couple of days where she would work on my envelopes and sent her the list of names with addresses AND my envelopes (make sure you get insurance ladies – just incase)… and then she mailed them back to me. When I opened them, they were so gorgeous that I gasped!! Beautiful!! I highly recommend her but ladies – she books up so MOVE fast!
*Important: just make sure you send her the complete list! She is smart so she keeps a couple of envelopes just incase you have add-ons or people you forgot but for me – I had people I “had” to invite last minute after the “real” guests were invited (lol) even though we knew they weren’t coming and I was not going to go out of my way to have her do the calligraphy so I just wrote out those few myself lol they looked AWFUL but I didn’t care about who they were going to – I know, I’m a mean person haha oh well!
*Note: We purchased custom stamps from Zazzle.com and they were fantastic!! A little more expensive than regular ones but we got to have our pup, Charlotte, on our invitations! We loved them!!
Hotel for OOT Guests: A- Hyatt Regency Windwatch 1717 Motor Pkwy. Hauppauge, NY 11788 (631) 784-1234 This was the only Hotel that was nearby and was really nice – I wanted a suite for our wedding night and their suites were gorgeous. We originally worked with Heather who was GREAT and then it switched, for some reason, to Constance and I was NOT happy with her attitude. (Are you noticing a trend? I don’t deal well with people who give attitudes lol). Anyway, I didn’t quite understand the contract and how the blocking of rooms worked – again, I have not DONE this before – so she was snippy when I simply asked her questions regarding it. She needs to learn the meaning of customer service. The Hotel still gets an A though because the rooms were gorgeous, our suite was BEAUTIFUL and spacious – and because they are a recommended vendor at Flowerfield we got a GREAT room rate – guests that stayed there were very happy and we JUST made our minimum of ten rooms – yay! We made adorable little OOT boxes – just ordered some cute boxes online with personalized stickers and went to Target for some mini sized goodies: peanuts (all different kinds), pretzels, bottles of water, chocolate truffles, cookies, gum, etc. Guests actually went out of their way to tell me how nice the baskets were. We had one guest who brought two kids – and while they attended our wedding they have a Nanny who stayed at the Hotel with the kids – but I included an extra basket for the kids and they were very thankful. The little things you do definitely get noticed and appreciated. The boxes looked so cute lined up like little soldiers all pretty with ribbon and our personalized stickers – I also took the time to write a personal note of thanks to each OOT guest who came and stayed at the Hotel – on nice stationary – and I think that goes a long way too.
Bridal Party Gifts: Coach Outlet: A+ Things Remembered: A+ Lord & Taylor: A+ Yankee Candle Company: A+
AND Parent Gifts: Andy @ Commack Jewelry Exchange: A+++ Movado Outlet: A+
I bought the girls Coach Leather wristlets and my sister, being the MOH, a Coach bag from the Outlet in Riverhead. The wristlets were adorable and beautiful – elegant black leather lined with the silk C’s on the inside! FAB! The bag I got my sister was just divine – like deep crimson leather – almost brown – and it was a great deal too. The girls were very happy and they thought I spent a fortune but with the Outlet you can get quality gifts without killing yourself and SOMETIMES they have coupons! Shop smart ladies!!!
I also bought them earrings to wear on the day of the wedding. It was important to me to get them earrings that I felt they could USE again - not typical Bridal Party jewelry. I bought dropped “antique like” earrings from Lord & Taylor – again, they were pricey but I got them on sale and used a coupon so I was able to get them nice earrings for reasonable. They are made of Austrian crystal and not too fancy but just fancy enough – they could wear them to the office, out to dinner at night, etc. and that is what I wanted – not something that will sit in their jewelry box until they are sixty.
Yankee Candles are usually very pricey for a good sized candle but the store at Smith Haven had a sale AND the lady was very helpful and allowed me to save a lot – I bought each girl a BIG candle with two wicks (love those!!!) that smells like cookies baking – DEAR GOD IN HEAVEN the smell is just EDIBLE. I wanted something that everyone would like and wasn’t too overpowering and with the Holidays being just around the corner – baked goods was the best smell ever!
Then, I took the earrings, wristlet (well, bag for my sister) and candles and wrapped them up – along with tissue paper – I put them in a canvas bag I got for dirt cheap from a website (can’t remember the name, sorry) and then I had the bags embroidered from that place in Commack Corners – next to the Italian restaurant – they do printing and stuff. But it was so cheap to get them and then have them embroidered with each girl’s first name and it was a cute tote that they could actually USE – my sister uses hers for work and so does my SIL – otherwise they could use it for the beach, etc. It was a personal touch too. Everything looked so cute wrapped up in their totes and they loved them!
The boys – I sent Vinny to Things Remembered and hoped for the best, LOL! Vinny was, throughout the entire wedding process, so helpful and he gladly went to the store to pick out gifts for his groomsmen. He bought them cufflinks that were sterling silver (very nice AND he got them on a HUGE sale – I married a good man!!). They did the engraving of each guy’s initials and we, for that price, also bought the Dad’s a set each. Then, Vinny bought his best man a matching sterling silver keychain that he had engraved. They were very well made and a little pricey so that is all we got the boys – hey, money was tight, haha.
The parents: I bought my Mom a beautiful antique diamond necklace from the Commack Jewelry Exchange – the guy I use is Andy. He is the very first booth on the right when you walk in the door. I have used him for years and I highly recommend him! My Mom LOVES her necklace – it was fancy enough that she wore it that day but can still wear it daily – and she does. I spent a lot on it lol more than I had planned on spending but it’s my Mom and she is worth it – I have never really bought her anything extravagant and I’ve been a pain in the asss to deal with pretty much my whole life so she deserved something extra special for putting up with me. You can see the diamond pendant here:
My Dad – what could we possibly get him besides GOLF? I got him a day of Golf with a friend to a Country Club course that he has never played before – he was beyond delighted. We put together a gift bag with score cards, tees, a hat from the Country Club, the gift certificate for golf, a GC for two buckets of balls so he and his guest could warm up before at the driving range and then a GC for lunch at their restaurant/club. He was thrilled haha and I knew he would be! It was really nice because he ended up waiting until we got back from our Honeymoon and he took Vinny – that was very sweet and made Vin’s day!
My Father in Law – what do you get the man that has everything? LOL well, he didn’t have a Movado – until the wedding. I went to the outlet during their once-a-year sale where they mark down everything in the store 75%. They don’t advertise this sale and they are always changing the dates – my friend Erick who used to manage the Adidas outlet in Riverhead tipped me off to this. I went and got my FIL a two-toned Movado – wow! And it was SO cheap it is not even FAIR! He loved it, wore it to the wedding and has worn it quite a few times since – score!
My Mother in Law – she has so much jewelry so it is hard to buy for her – also, I usually get her spa days and I got her a spa day for Mother’s Day (along w/ my Mom) so I was stumped. I finally just asked her and she said she has been eyeing a necklace (I could never afford) and that it would make her day if we just gave her money towards it – so, we did. It was nice that she was able to get something she really loves and she wore it that night – it matched her dress perfect. Score!
My Bridal Shower: A++++ Mannino’s in Commack 169 Commack Road Commack, NY 11725 (631) 462-0909 http://www.manninosrestaurant.com/ I’m not into all of the “fluff” that comes along with a Bridal Shower – I didn’t even want one but my MIL tried to convince me based on the gift getting factor lol and she was right. But, I made some rules – NO frilly décor, NO games, NONE of that crap! And my bridal party and the Mom’s were great – listened to me 100% and I was very pleased. They decorated just a little - it was subtle and elegant – and they chose the place WITH me, my help and input because I wanted it to be the “right” place and I mean, I’m not dumb – I know if I’m being taken to my Shower lol it’s kind of obvious so it was not going to be a secret – I was happy to know it was my Shower day so I could pick a dress, get my hair and make up done, etc. That’s how I WANTED it and they listened – love that! I wanted a place with great food more than anything else and that was Mannino’s – good, New York style, homemade, family owned ITALIAN food and no one appreciated that more than the big Italian family I married into! It was great and people had nice conversation – we formed a quick assembly line so that the gifts would not take FOREVER and everything was great – people still rave about the food and that was ALL I wanted! Nothing is worse than going somewhere and NOT eating! The men who own Mannino’s were very helpful, customized the menu for me, were reasonable in their price and they are pretty cute too so that helped!
BMs
LIW girls:
Rehearsal Dinner: A+++ Butera’s in Smithtown 65 East Main Street Smithtown, New York 631-979-9113 http://www.buteras.com/ I had a hard time choosing a place – all of the places in my area have been done before and I wanted something unique. Then, BAM, a place in Smithtown closed down and a new restaurant was opening up in its place. It used to be the Smithtown House (dreadful) and then it closed down (SHOCK!) and once I saw it was Butera’s opening up I was like OMG I need to have the RD there. I normally would not have taken a risk like that with a new restaurant but I know Butera’s from Woodbury and Massapequa (their other locations) and they have GREAT food… it is like a coastal, Nuevo Italian – very good! So, MIL, Vinny and I went and we loved the way they renovated it because the way it was decorated before was, like everything else about that place – DREADFUL. So, I was very happy to see that they made it beautiful inside. You would never know it was the place it was before – thank ya Jeeeesus!!! (That’s for you Melissa). The food was OUTSTANDING the night of the Rehearsal Dinner when 35 starving people showed up straight from the Church and I had a special Groom’s Cake that was delivered by Audrey’s Bakery (I need to ask Melissa if she has a pic – I was too busy having fun for pics!) Everything was great – the service was wonderful, they offered seconds to people, the menu was awesome, the price was right – it was fantastic! I could not ask for better. I highly recommend Butera’s. Again, people raved about the food and that was all I could ask for – I just wanted people to eat, drink and enjoy themselves.
Melissa had a pic – Sorry about the quality – it was taken w/ her cam phone – it was a remote and the only buttons on it: Animal Planet, Discovery Channel, Power and Volume! LOL, because those are the only two channels he EVER watches!
Re: A DaniRella Wedding Review, 9/9/07!!!! *FLOWERFIELD, Leli Photo/Video, Heart & Soul, Lovin Oven Floral, Jackie Nicole, The Rock Twins, Burton's for Dresses, Royalty Limos, Denise Leli, and more!*
The Day of the Wedding!!!!
This is what I was like the entire morning:
Weather: A++++++++ Oh man – this was a big worry for me. I do not deal well with rain and I know there’s nothing I can do about it and it is out of my control but you know what? I can still pray and hope! I literally prayed for good weather, first and foremost, just about everyday since I got engaged haha! I didn’t care about the E-party, Shower, RD, etc… I just cared about the wedding. Well, God must like me because I got gorgeous PERFECT weather for the E-party, Shower, RD …and the WEDDING!!! The week leading up the wedding day was stressful because they kept saying there was going to be a coastal storm – so, I simply STOPPED looking at it and then the storm changed course or whatever and everything was FINE! My wedding day was a little humid – just a tad – but the sun was SHINING, there were BIG puffy white clouds and –when we needed it most- there was a nice breeze (while taking pics outside the church and at Flowerfield outside)… So, for me, that was more than I could ask for!! Thank GOD!!!! I literally said thank GOD for the weather like 15 times lol I never take anything for granted!!
Sunny and pretty like in this pic – ALL DAY LONG!!!
-At night, it got more humid and the breeze went bye-bye but we were inside for HOURS already by that point and – when our photographer took us outside for night pics – it made for some GREAT shots because the humidity made the light all like, it is hard to explain, it is like a cool glare effect – check it out:
See what I mean – how nice is that?! So, it really worked out PERFECT for us! Another…
Hair: A++++++ Sarah and Bridget Rock AKA The Rock Twins! http://www.nybridallooks.com/hair.html Email: RockTwin@aol.com OR Phone: 917-363-0788 OMG I totally love these girls – another fave vendor!!!! Seriously, they do hair like nothing I have ever seen. They are true artists – AND they are quick and efficient! They are an absolute PLEASURE to be around the morning of your wedding. I was so above and beyond pleased with them – I cannot recommend them enough. They are also extremely punctual and professional. I had a tough time deciding what to do with my hair so I needed like three trials before I was finally HAPPY lol. Sarah was so patient and understanding and just great to work with. I send business her way constantly because I want brides to be as happy as I was! My bridal party looked SO hot – I had the hottest bridesmaids ever! Everyone looked like a model and people noticed it and commented on it – everyone said how professional, sleek and modern everyone’s hair looked. I didn’t want those 80’s up-do’s with the curls everywhere – KWIM? I didn’t want my girls looking like they were 10 years late for the prom – I wanted them to look sexy, sleek and TIMELESS and the Rock twins delivered!!!
*Important word of advice: I did a dumb thing the day of my wedding. Sarah set my hair, it was great but she wanted to add more pins – at the time she said this I heard the florist upstairs delivering my personals so I was too excited to sit and have her extra pin me – and I’m the bride so she wasn’t going to force me – DUMB BRIDE ALERT!!!! - that was stupid! I should have sat there and let her pin and spray me to make sure it would stay, stay, stay. It gets better – and I get dumber – she is so good that it would have stayed even though she didn’t extra pin me – HOWEVER, like a true ditz when a pin (naturally) would come loose instead of just sticking it back in – you know how it is girls when you have bobby pins – they can come loose as you dance – well, I would just REMOVE the pin!!! I can honestly tell you I don’t know WHAT I was thinking or WHAT was going through my mind – STUPID girl! So, by the time the tenth pin came out a little bit of my hair came down during the tarantella (HAHA!). Was it a big deal? Not really because my Bridal Attendant just pinned me back up but what an IDIOT I was. Thank God, Sarah’s work is THAT good that it didn’t come out more! It pretty much stayed the whole day and night even in spite of the fact that I didn’t really let her finish like she wanted to AND because I started to just REMOVE pins! I was blond in a past life, I SWEAR!
There’s Sarah!
Non-Pro pic of Jaime’s hair (so nice):
Make Up: A+++++++++ Jacqueline Nicole OMG another FAVE vendor – so wonderful!!! I love Jackie because she is so sweet, SO talented and very efficient. Again, completely punctual, completely professional and FANTASTIC to be around the morning of your wedding – sooooo calm. She was SO calm that even my Mom and sister were like “wow, this is NOT stressful at all”… at a time where you would think the most stress and running around would occur and we were all chilling and eating bagels! It was the best. Everyone got done SO fast and looked like MODELS. My girls came out so good. I had airbrushed make up application and so did my girls – can I tell you I looked, at the end of the night, like I did when I got out of that make up chair. Both the hair and make up people were also so great b/c they were reasonably priced AND came to the house. Girls, HAVE SOMEONE COME TO THE HOUSE! It makes everything so much nicer and calmer! Also, have the girls come there too – it’s just easier!
The morning of my wedding was probably the best couple of hours of my entire life – seriously. And that is the way it should be! We got so many raves about our hair and make up – my skin, people could not compliment my skin enough! For a girl who was plagued with acne growing up – I had several people tell me my skin looked like a porcelain doll… that is b/c of Jackie (well, and my dermatologist, hah!).
There’s Jackie!!
Everyone hanging out and the fabulous Melissa getting her M/U done:
Limousines: A Royalty Limousines 315 Franklin Avenue Franklin Square, NY 1-800-797-8355 (516) 326-9100 http://www.liweddings.com/vendors/limousine/royalty/ I loved our car – we chose the Daimler Convertible AKA The Queen’s Car and we loved it because it looks like a Rolls but it is open in the back and I just thought that was great! Vinny and I truly felt like a King and Queen riding in that thing – it was so gorgeous and our driver was VERY nice and VERY helpful. I was very pleased with him (don’t know his name- an older black man). When my Dad and I drove together to the Church it was so beautiful and people were honking and waving as we went down the road – it was just, there are no words! The nice soft breeze was blowing – we were not hot AT ALL and it was perfect.
For our Bridal Party we had the BMW. I was originally going to have the Mercedes but we added one girl and one guy to our BP from when we booked so we wanted the most room we could get without going to an SUV because I did not like the look of them. So, the BMW it was – the car was clean (as well as the other one) and they looked new and in good condition but the AC was not working in the BMW. Luckily, it wasn’t THAT hot of a day but the BP was pretty toasty when they got the Flowerfield from the Church – it was tight with that amount of people so the fact that it wasn’t cold in there was not good. My brother tried to ask the driver about it and the driver was not very friendly so my brother just said “forget it”. At the end of the day, it wasn’t a HUGE problem – not even a big problem actually – and that was because it wasn’t THAT hot and because it was only a five minute ride from the Church to the Hall. At the end of the evening we had a Chrysler 300 pick us up – very nice and the AC was working great. I wish they would have made an executive decision and sent ANY other car instead of that BMW as long as it had AC but again, wasn’t the end of the world for us – the company still gets an A b/c their prices were great, they were very nice to work with, etc. I did call them and let them know about what happened – they were very apologetic, they have offered money back to make it right – we have yet to hear from them about it further but it is the Holidays – they are probably really busy and I’ll settle it another time. I still highly recommend them – I think they are, IMO, the best Limo Company out there right now. They also have an unbelievable selection of cars. OOH – forgot to add – they were completely and totally on time!!!
Limo Drivers helping me out – they were all over the place!!
Church: A (did not give an A+ b/c of the head Priest) Parish of the Holy Cross http://www.pothc.org/ Whoever said you can’t rate a Church hasn’t experienced my Church! You CAN rate a Church… I love my Church and it has been my Church since I was like, four years old. My parents raised money to get the Church I was married in BUILT – I’m sure a lot of you have heard about my not-so-nice experience with my not-so-nice Priest. Well, in the Catholic Church there are people who are wonderful and then there are people who are not very friendly and don’t go out of their way for others as much. It doesn’t make them bad people but it certainly disappoints a lot of devoted parishioners. We originally met with Father McNamara and told him when we wanted to get married – a Sunday – and he said that he would NOT marry us on a Sunday unless we did a “simple and quick ceremony”. However, it was important to Vinny and I (and our families) that we have a Catholic Mass… but Father McNamara said that he already does two Masses in the morning and refused to do another. He asked us why we wouldn’t just get married on a Saturday (lol) and I said “we would love to but we cannot afford the extra $70 per person”. He was not helpful, didn’t offer any compromise and for lack of a better word – he was RUDE. I do not go to Mass when he is the Priest and I want my old Priests back! (my “good” Priests that I grew up with were transferred to other Parishes). We left so upset and turned off by his demeanor that I didn’t want him marrying us. I thought he would be HAPPY that we wanted a Mass because the meaning of it was important to us! I was very wrong. I had to then go and try to find another Priest who could do a Mass. Deacons can’t do Masses so we needed a Priest who would travel from another Parish to do our Mass. It put a bad taste in my mouth about my religion, my Church that I grew up in and made me want to switch Churches but Vinny PROPOSED to me at that Church – in the Courtyard – so, I just tried to find someone else and Father Mickey was our savior!
The Church, regardless of the head Priest, is beautiful:
That is the courtyard I mentioned – where Vin proposed!!
My face before I see Vin b/c I could only see him, with all the people there, when I got half way down the aisle:
When I saw Vinny:
Priest: Father Martin Bancroft Jr. (A++++++) We did our FOCCUS with Father Mickey and he said that he hasn’t seen such great results and compatibility in a long, long time! He was very positive, realistic and understanding. He was kind, soft spoken – these are the words that come to mind when you think PRIEST! I knew he was the man for us when I read that he donated his kidney to save the life of a parishioner that he didn’t even know!!! I also knew that there is something, sometimes, fundamentally wrong with the Catholic Church because they “frowned upon” him donating his kidney to save that woman’s life! They got mad at him and scolded him for not asking permission – I think a lot of the things that they do are just outrageous BUT I believe in a lot of the good that they do and I have a strong sense of faith so it is important to remember that there are bad apples in every bunch – no matter what.
Father Mickey sat with us and made a personalized Nuptial Mass – it was SO Vinny and I – everything about the Mass. I can’t thank him enough and if it wasn’t for the fact that he happens to be a family friend (which is how we found him) – we would have been in bad shape! We were very fortunate to find him.
In the end, even though the head priest at my Church gave me a lot of stress and unnecessary heartache I was so happy we stayed there because I love the look of the building – all white and modern and clean – it let so much natural light in – when I was coming down the aisle the sun lit me up from behind – it was just beautiful. I could not have asked for a more elegant and beautiful Church… very peaceful and serene.
Nuptial Mass Items: Unity Candle: got this from a website, sorry I don’t remember, but we wanted a unity candle with the claddagh on it and we got one! The meaning of the claddagh is very important to us and our relationship. I got the stand from Long Island Wedding Planners – they are a vendor on this site and also did my seating board (see below). They are great!
Petal Cones: I bought personalized stickers from a website (I’m bad with remembering names, SORRY!) and had Keyth, our FAB florist, put them on the petal cones for me – he also put the rose petals in the cones and delivered them to the Church – easy as can be!
Programs: I wrote the program myself and worked with Father Mickey to get all of the Mass details down correct – also, I got some help from a few girls on LIW with wording – thanks ladies!!! I do not recommend the company I ordered them from but that’s all I can say, sorry!!!
Memorial Candles: Got them from the same place as the programs – not recommended. It was important for me to have candles for our dear friend, my Grandmother and Grandfather and all of Vin’s Grandparents.
Aisle Runner: A+++++++++ Laurie from LA Blossom 516.650.3010 http://www.lablossom.com/index.html LOVE LOVE LOVE Laurie!! She was the best to work with and SUCH a doll. I wanted an aisle runner for my pictures – I thought runners look so beautiful in pictures and I wanted our Mass to be unique and personalized. It was so beautiful and SO worth the money – Laurie’s prices are great and it was so worth it considering how much work doing an aisle runner is!! So, I started out wanting one because of pictures but ended up surprised at how many people noticed it and complimented it. I had people, coming up for Communion, who were reading it as they went along and they came up to me after and said that it brought tears to their eyes! I was amazed at the fact that people DO notice little things! I love it because it makes all the hard work WORTH it. I highly recommend Laurie – my runner was gorgeous, she was timely and a DOLL!
String Quartet: A++++++++++ Vintage String Quartet http://www.vstringq.com/ Phone: (631)-443-5005 OR (631)-801-2186 Email: vstringq@vstringq.com When I booked VSQ they were a new vendor on LIW. I was their first LIW bride! I sent so many people to them lol the woman I worked with – Francesca was SO thankful for that which was really sweet but that is how I am – I don’t want money or praise for my recommendations – I just want people to be able to benefit from having GREAT vendors and I want the GREAT vendors to be rewarded for the fact that they are amazing. The members of VSQ are all classically trained and it SHOWS… wow, the music was so beautiful. I wanted specific songs played because music means a lot to me and that was my way of personalizing our Mass. My Grandmother loved Andrea Bocelli (mind you, she was like ALL Irish haha)… But she loved him and before she passed away she listened to him A LOT. My Mom told me one of her fave songs was “The Prayer” and it is just beautiful instrumental. I had them play that during Communion and I also had them play Con Ti Partiro because she loved that one too during another part of the Mass. The Unity Candle song was my parent’s, well sort of their wedding song, “In My Life” by the Beatles and I came down the aisle to Canon in D by Palchebel… the Bridal March is NOT for me! We needed another song so I chose “The Long and Winding Road” because it is just BEAUTIFUL on strings and then when we came back I wanted them to do the first few seconds of the traditional song and then just go right into “All you need is Love” (an ode to Love, Actually – one of me and Vinny’s FAVORITE movies)… it was important to us to have that done and it came out perfectly. I worked with Francesca the entire time via phone and email and she was AWESOME – very helpful and they were SO worth it and everyone complimented the music. The level of elegance it adds to an affair is just immeasurable. They include, when you book them for a Ceremony/Mass, playing for the Cocktail Hour too so I had them do that. We also received a keyboard player from our band contract so I had the keys outside so the people who ventured out there could sit and listen and I had the strings inside – people thought we went all out but it was really just a part of the contracts we were already booking, lol. Strings are hard b/c sometimes they can sound like dying cats but I was very careful to choose people that really know how to play and these people are TOTALLY professional. I HIGHLY recommend the Vintage String Quartet – they were fantastic.
Bagpiper: A+++ Tim Grant – Pipe Tutor http://www.liweddings.com/vendors/bagpipers/pipetutor/ 646-489-4532 I spoke with Tim regarding having a bagpiper at my wedding – he and his guys that do the piping are all members of the Emerald Society. It is tricky with pipers because this instrument, like the strings, can tend to sound like dying cats if it is not being played by a talented professional. I heard Tim and put my trust in either him or whoever he sent that day. On the wedding day we had a guy named Butch – who was pleasant, very friendly, nice on the eyes and played beautifully – I was thrilled! Our guests commented on how great he sounded and his ability to play for LONG periods at a time which is very difficult to do. HIGHLY recommended!!!
Engagement Ring and Wedding Bands: A+++++ Engagement Ring: Richard Bivona (wholesale jeweler) Contact Phone: 631.834.4608 Vinny did so much research before selecting the diamonds that became my engagement ring that the jeweler was surprised at how much he knew about diamonds. Vinny researched and saved for almost seven months to get my ring – he wanted, and he is not ashamed to say it, size AND quality. He wanted me to have a ring I’ll never have to replace or “upgrade” and he wanted a ring that I could pass down to our daughter one day. I was blown away by his exceptional taste and how much effort he put into getting/designing my ring. It is not really that involved because I didn’t want anything “over done” but it took a lot of work and insight to put it together and that was all Vinny. I wanted a classic round brilliant – timeless with a LITTLE twist and that twist I left up to him. He chose to put one pear/teardrop shaped diamond on each side… perfect! When I saw the ring (when he proposed) it was just perfect. Richie was honest with him, helpful and went out of his way for us. He worked with Vinny and would go into the City to get certain stones. Then, he would bring them back to Vinny and have him inspect them under the microscope – all in all, I think Vinny said he met with Richie about 8-10 times during the “making the ring” process. Richie did the center stone first and got Vinny the best quality for the best price from the Diamond District but he did all the leg work so Vinny didn’t have to go. He is a close family friend, came recommended and that is how we found him. We saved so much money because of him and I was able to get an absolutely breathtaking ring for a VERY reasonable price – still a lot, I mean we are talking diamonds but compared to what it would go for retail or if we didn’t use Richie – wow! Richie would take trips into the city to get each piece and hand select it – one by one - he came with the pears once Vinny selected the type of setting and settled on pears – Richie was very honest and told Vinny that, for the price he was paying, he could have bought me a five carat ring (in another shape b/c round is the most expensive shape) but because I wanted ROUND I had to get a ring that was smaller than that – but I didn’t care, Vinny said he was tempted by the offer of the five carat (it was an emerald shape) but I wanted round – to me, round is an engagement ring – I love my ring and sometimes, size isn’t always everything. Don’t get me wrong ladies – size matters haha! But I am so beyond happy with my ring vs. going a carat or two higher to get the five in emerald– just not worth it to me BUT the point is that we loved how Richie was so honest with us! That was refreshing and we enjoyed working w/ him. He was great – highly recommend.
Taken on our Honeymoon!
Wedding Bands: Christian Bernard (Walt Whitman Mall) Phone: Phone: (631) 385-4050 http://www.christianbernardusa.com/ We worked with Jake (the manager) and he was FANTASTIC. He didn’t treat us differently b/c we are young – we didn’t plan on buying them there and told him that and he STILL helped us. He was so great that we decided to give him our business mainly because of their stone guarantee. I couldn’t even believe it – I would have gone to Richie again for our bands but this stone guarantee was so great and something that we needed b/c I was so nervous about losing stones in an eternity band. My only concern with getting an eternity band was the diamonds falling out – at Christian Bernard (I don’t know if they still do this) but if you buy a diamond ring there and you EVER lose a stone – they replace it, no charge, no questions asked, for the lifetime of the ring. That made it so worth it to me. If it loses more than two stones they consider it defected and take it back entirely – replacing the entire ring for FREE. I was SO happy with this and I never “worry” about the stones b/c of that peace of mind. They stand by the quality of their work and that is very important.
So, we got the eternity band for me and Vinny picked out a band with three diamonds in it – past, present and future. It is not platinum – his line of work and platinum do NOT mix – so we got Tungsten and LOVE it. It looks brand new and he doesn’t have to worry about it bending, scratching, etc. It is completely scratch resistant! He loves it and I love it’s “dark metal” look – he was very happy… AND with the stone guarantee – no worries about losing any diamonds. I highly recommend Jake at Christian Bernard in Walt Whitman. The quality on these rings – wow!
Burton’s Bridals – My Wedding Gown/Slip: A+++++++++++++++++++ http://www.burtonsbridals.com/ Phone: (631) 424-3377 There really aren’t enough plus signs to put after the A I am giving Burton’s! This place is NO frills ladies – I’m not going to lie. This is not the place to come if you want your asss kissed and you want to sip champagne during every appointment, lol. If you want good service, no hassles, no nonsense and GREAT prices – then you come here. You can go to a retail place for champagne and they’ll charge you double for the dress and give you an attitude in the process!
From day one I worked with Carole – she is the owner and FABULOUS. She is very dry and has a no BS attitude which is what I like about her most. In an industry where so many people are so fake it is refreshing to be around someone like Carole. You know the prices she’s giving you are the best and her dresses are 100% authentic. Also, her alterations are out of this WORLD. The woman that does alterations there works in this little, tiny corner and you think “OMG how are they going to come out?!” and they are FANTASTIC. That dress fit me like a glove and they gave a flat-chested girl BOOBS! Not only that but after my last fitting Carole and her decided that the torso of the dress was just too long on me – it didn’t look right – something wasn’t quite right and they went above and beyond to make that dress into perfection. I was SO thrilled wearing that dress all day and it was ULTRA comfortable. When we went outside to take pictures at night I was actually JOGGING in it – I adored my dress! I also got a slip from them – great price and the perfect amount of POOF.
My dress went for almost DOUBLE what I paid in most retail centers, by the way! I paid only $900 for my dress – and alterations cap at $150.
The Gown was by Jim Hjelm designing under his full first name and middle name: James Clifford. I had no idea that it was the same designer and that he has collections under two different names – NO idea! The dress was so well made and so beautiful – I was delighted.
I VERY HIGHLY RECOMMEND BURTON’S … Shop in the pricey stores – BUY at Burton’s! ? A pic of my gown with the SLIP underneath – it gets hot sometimes and you just have to air out your legs! Trust me! One of my fave shots, lol.
Detail of the lace on my train:
Here you can see the buttons on the back of my dress and my sister’s!
Top of the dress detail and Elbow length Veil:
Back of the dress – buttons again and detailing:
Dress Accessories:
Veils: A+++++++++++++ Denise Leli – amazing. Phone: 631.862.1932 Denise and the word amazing should consistently go hand-in-hand. When I first met her – I loved her and her sassy attitude. She is real, she is no nonsense and I just ADORED that about her! She is also a very talented designer – she creates veils, headpieces, clips, sprays, tiaras, etc. and her work is just gorgeous. If she doesn’t have what you want she simply custom makes it – her prices are great and the personalized attention that you get – it’s phenomenal.
I had two veils made – she did a cathedral veil for that elegant and dramatic look I wanted coming down the aisle. To me, a traditional girl, there is nothing more gorgeous than a Cathedral veil coming down a Church aisle during a Nuptial Mass.
Then, she did a veil that went to my elbow – beautiful!!!!!!!!! She bent over backwards for me when I had trouble verbalizing my “vision” and she is an absolute pleasure to work with. I was so lucky to have found out about her. So, I did the shorter veil with the cathedral down the aisle and then for some pics, took the long one out and then just had my shorter one for other pics, my entrance, etc. because the long one to me, after the Mass, would have gotten annoying.
The master herself putting my veil on me that day:
Quick back shot of the veils:
Another:
Headpiece: A+++++++++++++ Denise Leli – yet again. Phone: 631.862.1932 AMAZING! I loved my spray – and we went through quite a few sprays! I was hemming and hawing over what to get and she NEVER got impatient with me – she never got flustered – she is a TRUE professional. So, the third spray was THE spray and it worked perfect with my hair style – it was FAB!!!! I have gotten so many compliments and so many people have asked me where I got that, who did that, etc. I say – who else? Denise!
The Spray:
The fabulous Christie helping me w/ my veil and spray!
She also did a small spray for my sister, b/c she was the MOH.
I can’t even verbalize how highly I recommend Denise! (BTW – she works along with her daughter, Christie, who is equally PHENOMENAL and was such a pleasure to deal with – They are my favorite vendors!!!)
More Accessories:
Custom Patch (for inside dress): A+++++ Done by: Denise AKA BNBDreamin Her Company: DJ Chic Site: http://www.djchic.com/ Melissa told me about this 06 bride who does fantastic patches for inside your dress… come to find out her name is Denise and we were actually married on the same day (but she was the year before). These patches say the names, date and your soon-to-be initial on them! Then, they go inside your dress by the label. She was very friendly, helpful and got back to me quickly. She created my patch in the color I wanted (blue for my something blue) and I then had the seamstress at Burton’s sew it in. It was nice for me to be able to personalize my gown. I highly recommend her & the price was great!! I totally forgot, on the wedding day, that it was in there so I don’t believe Gary got a picture of it because I didn’t even mention to him that I had it put inside – oops! It was pretty – take my word for it haha!
This was not mine but it shows what the patch looks like:
*I will look through all my proofs to see if there is one of mine – maybe he took it without me knowing it but since I didn’t say anything about it I doubt my photographer would just go snooping around inside my wedding gown haha!!!
Jewels (Day Of): Vinny bought me a beautiful diamond cross as my wedding present that I wore on the big day, of course. I just loved it – he has such great taste in jewelry. He actually saw it and bought it at Fortunoff – he said they were very helpful and it came with a certificate and complimentary appraisal. He had been looking for the right cross for me for MONTHS and finally found it – the style was just a little unique and the size of it was just right.
You can see the cross pretty good here:
I bought my earrings at Lord & Taylor – they have a great jewelry section with antique like drop earrings and such. I was very happy with them – I continue to wear them to this day – they were elegant and beautiful.
You can see the earrings a little here:
Earrings and the Cross:
Shoes: A+ David’s Bridal Believe it or not I got my shoes at David’s Bridal – they were great! I am tall – almost as tall as Vinny so I didn’t want a big heel. Also, I have a HUGE foot (size 11 – that’s right) and I have trouble finding shoes. I went to David’s and found these great dressy shoes with just a LITTLE incline of a heel and they were VERY comfortable! They were about 30 bucks and are dye-able so I’m going to dye them silver and use them again – why not? Score! I also bought slippers there for dancing – ladies, very important to buy yourself slippers for when your feet hurt!!! Don’t forget this or think that your shoes are fine – no matter how comfy – your feet WILL hurt. I recommend checking out David’s for their shoes!
Garter, Hankie AND Shoes:
Garter: A+++ Irish Elegance in Smithtown Again, the claddagh was very important so even though I didn’t do the garter toss (not my thing) I still wanted to have one for pics and I wanted to make sure it had something meaningful on it. I bought a lot of little Irish goodies at Irish Elegance – they have a great wedding section for us pale, I mean, Irish brides out there. Definitely check them out – the ladies in there are super sweet. I also bought my Grandfather a hankie that said “Bride’s Grandfather” with the claddagh embroidered on it.
Mother of the Bride and Mother of the Groom Gowns: Carole at Burton’s – again! My Mom got her dress through Carole at Burton’s. She went shopping at a retail location to FIND the dress and then I got the style number, color, designer and called Carole – she saved us a bundle! My Mom’s dress was so beautiful and elegant – it was black which some people still gasp at lol how old fashioned can you be?! But my Mom has my coloring – pale with red hair and nothing looks as good on her then a formal, elegant black evening gown – it was beautiful. She is also a size FOUR so that helps the overall look haha – the drummer in our band thought myself, my mom and my sister were ALL sisters, lol!
My Mother in Law went to Commack Wedding Center for her dress b/c she knows someone who works there and, because of that, felt obligated to go there. She was not very pleased with the service and the alterations – it is no secret that the alterations there are sub par at best. So, she bought the dress and took it someplace else for alterations – she was very happy, in the end, because she took it elsewhere to have it altered. The dress was very pretty – was great for her figure and the color was perfect! Sorry, I don’t know the name of the other seamstress she took it to!
…annnnnnd THAT concludes the amount of wedding related things I did at The Wedding Center, LOL!!! Girls – if you can, avoid it – that place is a factory and they are not producing quality items – no matter what you get there!
Quick Picture:
Bridesmaid and MOH Gowns: A++++++++++++++ Burton’s, yet again! Carole delivered again with my girl’s dresses! She was fantastic and everyone enjoyed working with her. Each of them also got their alterations done and they came out excellent. SO many people complimented the Bridesmaid’s dresses. I put my sister in strapless because she is so thin that the other dress didn’t do much for her slender figure – a lot of my other girls were busty so since she happened to also be the MOH I put her in the same designer, same color – just strapless and that dress also happened to have buttons on the back like mine did! It worked out perfect and that was all thanks to Carole’s suggestion! The dresses were by Watters & Watters and the color – my fave part – was like a Cranberry they call pomegranate with wine waist ribbons.
Each girl had like a little “bustle” look in the back which was created by pick-ups. I’m not really a fan of the pick-ups all over look – sorry girls – just not my thing and I fear they will one day look dated – but I really fell in love with the pick ups in just the back b/c it looked like an elegant bustle.
Tuxes: A++++ Wedding World in Commack (AKA Helen’s Wedding World) 50 Austin Blvd Commack, NY (631) 543-5700 We worked with Vito – the Tuxedo King! – and were so very pleased. He was great, very accommodating and helpful – and the prices were awesome! All of the guys were very happy and it was a simple process. I chose the tux I wanted (Ralph Lauren) and put Vin in a white vest with white tie, the boys in black vest/black ties, my little RB in the same as the boys and the Dad’s and Grandfather – charcoal grey vests with matching ties! Everyone looked so handsome and it was elegant. I am not usually a fan of the “matching the boys to the girl’s dresses” unless it is a neutral color like maybe navy blue – but otherwise I feel it looks too “prom like” so I went with black – very formal. I very highly recommend Vito from Wedding World – they were local too so that was nice.
My nephew in his little Tux:
DOC: A++++++++++ Denise Leli and Christie Leli I used Denise and Christie (who do not normally do DOC so don’t be calling them asking them if they are available haha!). Denise came to my rescue when I was left without a DOC two days before my wedding (right before my RD). I am not allowed, due to possible legal repercussions, to mention the other vendor I was booked with – sorry! I can not and will not mention names because I know this vendor will be scouring the boards and is probably reading my review RIGHT now to make sure I’m not using their name – go ahead and read – I know what happened and the truth – and that’s what matters. Anyway, Denise and Christie did a fantastic job – they do everything exceptionally. They were so sweet to offer to help me out (and save my pale Irish asss), they set up Church items, were there with me at my house, got my veil and headpiece on perfectly, helped me with my dress, helped me down the aisle, got me to the Hall, etc. They were like little Angels – very attractive, well dressed Angels, haha! Love them – highly recommend that they go into the business of being a DOC! But they probably won’t, lol… they do very well just being the Queen’s of custom bridal headpieces and veils!
...EDITED TO ADD: I just wanted to add a quick note stating that the DOC I had a bad experience with and am referring to above (since I can't say their name) I just want to make sure I state for the record that it was *NOT* Christine from Exquisite Affairs - As a lot of you know I was originally booked with Christine so she has been getting a lot of worried clients asking questions after seeing my review - I feel so bad for this and didn't realize that would happen to her. There is nothing wrong with the way Christine does business - infact, all of her brides rave about her! I should have stayed with her! BUT I was "encouraged" to go with the other person over Christine - lets just say it was a big mistake! Thankfully, everything worked out FANTASTIC on my wedding day b/c of the fabulous Denise Leli and I was a stress-free, happy bride who had a flawless day BUT I just needed to come on here and state, for Christine's sake, that it was *NOT* her!!! Rock on happy brides - do not fret!! xoxoxoxo
How hot is Christie?!
Reception Accessories:
Cocktail Hour Napkins: they said “Eat, Drink and be Married - Danielle and Vincent - September 9, 2007” and I bought them online – SORRY I, again, do not remember the website but they were pretty cheap and added a nice, personal touch – people commented on them! I was shocked!
We had a table with pictures of our parents, grandparents and our dog (of course). We used everyone’s wedding pictures, a few of us and then a cute shot of the puppy…
Seating Board: A++++ Long Island Wedding Boutique 6003A Jericho Turnpike Commack, NY (631) 543-8555 I worked with Bridget who was very helpful and made everything easy. I put a seating board on hold and rented it for a great price. It saved me time, money and aggravation to do a seating chart rather than having place cards done and I think it not only looked so elegant but was easier on the guests because they didn’t have to carry around these little place cards throughout the CH. Also, there was no clutter on the table – people just looked at their names alphabetically, saw their table number and that was that! It was out for the entire CH right as people walked in and then the hall had it moved over by the door into the main room and people either saw it again or saw it if they didn’t catch it the first time. We had no problems with it whatsoever and everyone – even the older folks – found their seats on their own, no problemo! I highly recommend Long Island Wedding Boutique for all of their services – they are really on the ball when other companies were a complete disheveled mess – they were right on and professional. In hindsight, had I known, I would have used them for more things! Lesson: learned!!!
Favor Cards and Menu Cards: I did a donation to MADD in lieu of traditional favors and I did custom menu cards (glued the crystals on myself! Look at me!) but I do not recommend the company I got them from, unfortunately. At least they look cute in pictures!!!
Our Cake: A++++++ Audrey's Bake Shop - West Sayville www.audreybakes.com 631-244-7288 Our cake was provided by our Hall but I have to mention it and the bakery because it was so beautiful and the bakery does such a great job so if anyone ever needs cakes or other goodies – this is a fantastic recommendation: Audrey’s Bakery in West Sayville. The company that owns Flowerfield, Lovin Oven, owns this bakery too and all of their halls use their baked goods and cakes. The pastries we had on our dessert cart and our cake, along with our chocolate fountain – everything this bakery did – was outstanding and delicious. They also did a RD Groom’s Cake for Vinny – fantastic!
The dessert cart:
“The Biggies” – the BIG vendors!!!
Florist: A+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Keyth from Lovin Oven Floral Designs http://www.liweddings.com/vendors/florists/lovinovenfloral/ 631-244-0850 Where do I even begin? Working with Keyth – well, let’s put it this way: once the wedding was over I was SAD at the idea of not seeing him anymore! He was THAT much fun to work with. Anything I asked, any idea I had, anything I needed – he went ABOVE, OVER and BEYOND! His work is fabulous and just gorgeous and he is an extremely talented designer. Flowers were very important to me and I wanted a Florist who is an artist – someone who understands that if I’m dropping thousands of dollars on FLOWERS – it is a BIG deal and it should LOOK like I spent that much. To me, flowers are so important because they are in all of your pictures – they are romantic and set a tone.
I was so over the moon with my centerpieces, the bo-k’s, the accessories and my church décor – we had these big gothic candelabras – holy!
Everything was beautiful and guests, more than pretty much anything, commented on my flowers. Flowers are not usually what guests notice – these stole the SHOW – that room, when I saw it, took my BREATH away because of the flowers that FILLED it. He did rose petals on all of the window ledges with votive candles- the room just OOZED romance – it was so rich and just so US. I cannot thank Keyth enough for all that he did for us. I refer brides to him because I want everyone to be as happy, satisfied and thrilled as I was. I had guests, no joke, asking the wait staff to HELP them carry the centerpieces out to their cars – one relative took three centerpieces herself and she wanted more but had no room in the car! Another friend of the family took two and brought them to work to show her coworkers how amazing the flowers were – THAT is how good his work is. My mom brought some back w/ all of the bo-k’s and had them in water – they were good for almost TWO WEEKS. My bo-k was just breathtaking – people commented on how stunning the different shades of red were – all Keyth’s ideas. The amount of ideas he bounced off of me – it is just AMAZING.
*I VERY HIGHLY recommend him – once you meet him – you’ll understand!*
Lighting: A++++++++++++++++++++ TJ Picozzi from Apple Entertainment 655 Old Willets Path Hauppauge, NY (631) 348-0008 For me, lighting was very important. It was a detail I did not add until the last minute but I now realize how important it truly was. That is why I’m including it with my “big vendors” because it was a huge deal – it made a HUGE difference in my pictures, in the elegance and overall vibe of the main room… it affected the dancing – everything. TJ was awesome – from start to finish. He was there and personally set up everything himself. He had a technician stay the entire night to morph the lights specifically depending on the music, how fast it was, how much people were dancing, the mood, etc. TJ also did lighting for the dance floor so as people danced different lights went across the dance floor. We had perimeter color kinetics lighting… they changed color and I can’t tell you how worth it this service was. Lighting, in general, can get very expensive but I was THRILLED with TJ’s price… and his service – he really delivered! It is hard for girls with bands b/c a lot of them don’t offer this – most girls who get lighting get it through their DJ but since I had a band I had to hire lighting separately but the cost was very economical. This was probably the best “add on” that I did. We also had a GOBO light with our initials that TJ set up. I have to give a very special thanks to Laura (an 07er and good friend) for creating the design for me and then TJ made the GOBO using that design with our initials. Thanks Laura!!
Our Band: A++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Heart & Soul (Franklin Wayne Music) Franklin Wayne Music 5 Great Bands St. James, NY http://www.liweddings.com/vendors/bands/franklinwaynemusic2/ (631) 751-1900 Our band blew our guests AWAY. I cannot recommend them enough – they were just fantastic. I was concerned about Jill, one of the lead female vocalists who was VERY pregnant, but I really didn’t have to worry because Frank Wayne had Rasheeda (from their other band “Vision”) take her place and she was just as FANTASTIC. The entire band was just – it amazes you how they can have THAT much talent. Janessa – the other female lead’s voice was unbelievable – people were in awe of her and Rasheeda’s voices. They did ALL of our fave songs – ALL of our requests and they kept that floor packed from beginning to end which was exactly what I wanted. I wanted constant FUN and DANCING. They sang our wedding song beautifully and the show-stopper was indeed the Michael Jackson singer! Michael (ironic lol) Clark – the male lead was my absolute favorite part of the band – I booked that band because of him. He was outstanding and used to actually be a Michael Jackson impersonator in Las Vegas. I have pictures (and on the video) of people with their mouths WIDE open just watching and listening to him – while dancing, of course. He just made such an impact- people RAVED about them. I have never been asked so much for a business card – EVERYONE asked for their card or number. For me, I got asked the most about flowers and the band – “Can I please have their information??” I was very happy to give it out – they are wonderful. Highly, highly recommended!!!
I saved the best two for last (Photo and Our Hall)–
Photography and Video: A+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Gary Leli – Leli Photography and Video http://www.leliphotography.com/ Email: Leli@optonline.net 631.862.1941 What can you possibly say about Gary? He is so wonderful – he is such a nice guy and the fact that he has that way about him – that humble, kind and calming approach – THAT is why we came out the way we did in our pictures. THAT is why people kept saying how calm we looked – because we were and that was because of him. It is amazing how he is the ONLY photographer we met with that didn’t give me that ‘sleazy’ feeling. That is the WORST – the “money shot” photographers as I like to call them. THAT is not what I want around me on my wedding day – I want someone who is down to earth, talented and professional and Gary was all of those things and BEYOND. I cannot recommend his work enough – he was reasonable, very generous with the package that he let us customize when other photo companies would not budge from their predetermined packages – Gary was happy to customize and flex to meet our needs. I received my proofs in a VERY timely manner and am happy to report that they exceeded every expectation I ever had – and then some! I can’t even believe that it is US in those pictures – I look at them and think “wow, who are they?” LOL! He had the ability to make us look better than we have ever looked before – and his shots are so artistic and just the right combo of traditional and photojournalistic – exactly what I wanted and asked for. All of our shots are so beautiful – he didn’t miss a THING!
We were so pleased with our video too – the crew that we worked with (from the second photog, to the assistant, to the video guy) were such nice guys – all had the same type of personality that Gary has and we truly had such a GREAT day with them – it was so much fun and completely natural. Some of my absolute favorite shots are in this review and honestly, it would be impossible for me to post them all – I don’t know HOW I’m going to choose pics for an album because they are all AMAZING – I highly times a thousand recommend Gary and his company. There are no words to describe how great personalized service is! So, here are some faves chosen from the 3,000 pictures we have :::FAINT::::
Funniest picture EVER – My nephew knocked me RIGHT on my butt while we were taking pics – not a single stain, SOMEHOW! LOL!! As I’m waiting for help our other photographer just had to sit there and laugh! …at my expense haha!
Reception Hall: A++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (INFINITE) Flowerfield Celebrations – Lovin Oven Catering http://www.flowerfield.com/ 631.862.0100 Our Banquet Manager was Carolyn who went to work with Keyth (the florist) so then we had Maryanne… both were wonderful. They were very helpful and informative from the beginning while always being so professional. We had Andy as our MD and he was like a MACHINE – completely and totally ON and all over the place. I do not remember the name of my Bridal Attendant but she had reddish hair – in her 30’s – very nice, very sweet and helped a lot… especially when a little bit of my hair came out towards the very end because I removed pins like an IDIOT… haha!! It really looked fine but to me it was so funny b/c how DUMB?!
Flowerfield exceeded our expectations in every single way, shape and form. From the moment we walked in there I knew it was the Hall because it was the only Hall where I got choked up just walking in the door – I still, to this day, get teary eyed whenever I walk through the front doors – just like the first time I ever saw it! But, we knew right away – we just hoped that it was affordable, haha. It was pretty expensive – not going to lie – but we made it happen by switching our day to a Sunday instead of the more expensive days… and I would have went to off season if that didn’t do the trick. I would rather have the worst night and the worst month with a FABULOUS hall than have to settle for a crappy hall to get a Saturday night in June, lol… but that’s just me!
The food was outstanding – I cannot say that enough. The food there is like restaurant/gourmet food but at a wedding! Our guests were blown away and whenever I would tell people where we were having our reception they would immediately tell me, if they had been there before, what a fantastic place it was and how good the food was – that it was the best food they ever had at a wedding, etc. I just love the way they do things – with so much class and elegance yet a little unique. It is SO us and everything about that place seemed like US.
The service is impeccable – the waiters were very nice and all over the place – great with bringing drinks, cleaning things up – there was not one plate, one tray, a dirty pile of something – NOTHING. Everything was spotless and flawless from start to finish – I’ve never seen anything like it. I allowed myself, throughout the day and night, to have moments where I would take all of this in. You have to keep in mind that the first wedding I had ever attended at Flowerfield was my own – so, it was such an experience for me. People always rave most about the CH – the food and the room – the room is just beautiful and I loved the fact that people also commented on how great our menu selection was for the main course. I had so many people tell me that even though they were so full from the CH – they ate their dinners and thought they were delicious.
If you are unsure about what Hall to choose – like I was – and have searched high and low but think it may be out of your price range – check it out – you never know what playing around with dates, availability and days can do for you! We looked at over 30 halls before seeing Flowerfield and if I happened to see Flowerfield first I wouldn’t have had to even LOOK at the other places – it is fantastic.
There ya go ladies – that’s it – a DaniRella style review!
Hope you enjoyed – if you have any questions please DO forum mail me!
Re: A DaniRella Wedding Review, 9/9/07!!!! *FLOWERFIELD, Leli Photography/Video, Heart & Soul, Lovin Oven Floral, Burton's Bridals, Royalty Limos, Denise Leli Headpieces/Veils, and much more!!!*
Wow can I just say that you have awesome pictures! You looked gorgeous!!! I am using Gary from Leli photography and after seeing your pictures I'm even more happy for choosing him! I agree with you that he did not give us that sleazy feeling and I felt so comfortable with him and that is the reason we went with him! I am so happy you had such a wonderful day!!! I loved your flowers too!!!!
Re: A DaniRella Wedding Review, 9/9/07!!!! *FLOWERFIELD, Leli Photography/Video, Heart & Soul, Lovin Oven Floral, Burton's Bridals, Royalty Limos, Denise Leli Headpieces/Veils, and much more!!!*
wow danielle! i am speechless...THANK YOU FOR YOUR HONEST, THOUGHTFUL REVIEW! you and vinny look so beautiful together...i got chills when i saw your donation to MADD with Kenny's picture. We all used to be really close (back in the day). Im using heart and soul and i was so excited to see your pictures (although i hear micheal is no longer with them--i have him on contract....booo...) you really are stunning! thank you!
Re: A DaniRella Wedding Review, 9/9/07!!!! *FLOWERFIELD, Leli Photography/Video, Heart & Soul, Lovin Oven Floral, Burton's Bridals, Royalty Limos, Denise Leli Headpieces/Veils, and much more!!!*
Everything looked fabulous, and you were a stunning bride. The details and everything you put into it definitely were worth it.
I loved the part where you said, to do what you want and if you want to do it big or however you want to do what makes you happy. It is true that others feel they have to tell us what we should do for our own weddings...its our wedding, our money and in the end only our happiness matters
so she deserved something extra special for putting up with me.
to go with the other person over Christine - lets just say it was a big mistake! Thankfully, everything worked out FANTASTIC on my wedding day b/c of the fabulous Denise Leli and I was a stress-free, happy bride who had a flawless day BUT I just needed to come on here and state, for Christine's sake, that it was *NOT* her!!! Rock on happy brides - do not fret!! xoxoxoxo 
