Recommended Bridal Vendors

[Gypsy]

If this goes well, maybe we can make it a sticky. This is to help other brides find vendors that other PSers have used and been really happy with.

Restrictions:
You must have already recieved their completed work to recommend them, (so pretty much after the wedding, and after the pics are in). And if you have posted a thread of your pics... please link to it.

Please list your geographical area, approximate cost (just a range) and why you think they were great.

I''ll go first. I live in Northern CA, and the wedding was here as well. My Pro Pic Thread: https://www.pricescope.com/forum/op-requested/gypsy-s-professional-wedding-pictures-t116669.html

Seamstress: Kirsten Tucker Designs.
COMPLETELY re-designed my gown (which is what I wanted) made mea veil, and had a great attitude and everything was on time and stress free. http://www.kirstentuckerdesigns.com/aboutKirsten.html

Cost: 450 for everything... complete bodice redesign, hemming, bustle, and a veil.

Photographer: Art of Emotion
What can I say, Becky is the whole package. She more than delivered on my pics, and I am actually having trouble picking out pictures for my album because there are too many I love. Seriously well over 250 of the pics are album worthy, and the rest are lovely too. http://www.artofemotion.com/

Cost: now I believe her prices are 5000-5500 for 2 photographers for 8 hours plus all proofs in an album and in digital format too, plus webhosting.

Venue: Deer Ridge Vinyards (catered by Haps Original in Pleasanton)
The Venue is new (pictures on their site do not do it justice) the owners really understand that for every bride this is their ONE day the ballroom is grogeous and if you want California Winery without Napa prices, this is perfect. The catering was very flexible and the food was outstanding.
http://www.deerridgevineyards.com/
http://hapscatering.blogspot.com/

Cost for Venue was reasonable (I don''t remember exactly) but 1500 sounds right, only one wedding per day, and the entire facility is yours. Catering is only through Haps. Per head it was somewhere around 110 for three courses (no cake cutting fee), not including alcohol. We served Deer Ridge Wine ONLY and beer, and soft drinks. Mid-to High end prices for food. But the quality was worth it.

Florist. Katherine Bergman Floral Designs Flowers were so important to me I interviewed more florists than ANY other vendor, and to say that Katherine delivered would be a gross understatement. www.Floraldesigner.com and my wedding is listed in her Portofolio under Wedding at Deer Ridge.

Cost: reasonable. Katherine has a very VERY professional set up at her house and low overhead. I think I spent around 2,000. And I got A LOT of flowers, and a lot of expensive ones at that. She only does one wedding per weekend though, and books up fast.

Dress: Netbride... read the reviews of them everywhere... They ROCK got my dress $400 of retail, and in early. Plus they were a breeze to deal with. www.Netbride.com

Hair and Makeup: Professional Makeup Artistry (PMA) Maria Chang. http://www.professionalmakeupartistry.com/

Read her reviews on wedding wire, yelp, and project wedding. She is TRULY just flat out amazing. She stayed with me from 9 am to 6 pm. Seriously. She did it all. She was like my personal DOC.

Cost: HIGH, but worth every penny. I paid 1000 for my trial, and my wedding day (just for me, no one else)

 

[mrscushion]

Great idea, gypsy. I''d love a thread like that. Unfortunately, haven''t got anything to recommend yet.

 

[Lilac]

I live in New York and the wedding was here. I don''t have a pro pic thread (I hated my pictures) but here is my thread with some re-takes where you can see my gown, veil, makeup, and outside of the venue: http://www.pricescope.com/forum/op-requested/got-pictures-back-t120111.html

My wedding was an Orthodox Jewish wedding, so many of my vendors are geared more towards weddings like mine (particularly the band). But I''ll post anyway about it, because... you never know who it can help!

PHOTOGRAPHER: En Vogue
I know we''re only supposed to write good things, but I think I need to just say something about them. Most people I know who used them LOVED them. Only two other people I know disliked them as much as I did, and I think it was because of the specific photographers the studio sent to our weddings. If you use them, you should be absolutely sure you have seen the work of the SPECIFIC photographer that is going to be taking your pictures. Also - discuss in advance what types of pictures you want. I didn''t do this because I looked at their portfolio and assumed they would do a great job and I was very wrong.

Cost: I think it was around 8000 for 2 photographers for 8 hours. The proofs are also included, and we paid for the album in advance as well. They''re charging a lot extra for a cd with pictures though, which bothers me because they made it sound like it would be included but now they''re not being too nice about it (or anything) at all.


VENUE: Marina del Rey in Bronx, NY
I absolutely loved it. We used the kosher caterer (so I don''t know anything about the regular caterer or food there) but we were SO happy with everything! The place was beautiful, the views outside were gorgeous, and everything was just so elegant and stunning. They run everything so smoothly and they''re all very sweet and helpful throughout the whole process. Only one wedding per time slot (so you don''t have to worry about seeing other brides or not having the staff''s attention if there are any issues.)
http://www.themarinadelrey.com/main.html

Cost: We paid around 140 per person, but again that''s the kosher caterer and it was a Sunday afternoon wedding (I know their prices vary based on day and time.) That included the smogasbord/cocktail hour, 3 course meal, and liquor/bar. Everyone LOVES the kosher caterer''s food, and even though I didn''t have the pleasure of eating any at my own wedding because I was so busy, I have been to other peoples'' weddings there and it''s just as yummy as everyone says it is!


FLORIST: Lilac Florist in Flushing, NY
They FAR exceeded our expectations. Easy to work with and did an incredible job. Better than we could have imagined.

Cost: Around 7000-8000 for 4 bridesmaid bouquets, 3 junior bridesmaid bouquets, 13 bouts, a ton of chuppah flowers, 1 bridal bouquet, multiple large flower arrangements for different rooms, and centerpieces (half tall and overflowing, half short, simple, yet still pretty) for around 50 tables.


DRESS: Kaituz Bridal in Flushing, NY
I needed a modest dress with sleeves and this was a great place for me to go. Marlene oversees all of these dresses herself, and even though it seems like a small (and not that nice) place to begin with, she really cares about the happiness of her brides. Marlene basically took 3 different parts of dresses that I loved and combined various looks into one dress. The final product can be seen in my thread above.

Cost: Reasonable for what I was looking for. I think the final product (for the basically custom made dress) was around 3500.


HAIR AND MAKEUP: Stacey and Alaina at Elements in Cedarhurst, NY
Stacey did my hair and Alaina did my makeup. They were so sweet for both the trial and the actual wedding day - and did my hair and makeup again when I went with DH to re-take pictures (again, thread with pictures is above.) I loved how my hair and makeup turned out and it was exactly what I wanted.

Cost: Not sure how to compare to others because I haven''t really tried anyone else or heard what other people paid, but hair was around 100 and makeup was around 100 also. The trials were about the same prices (so altogether paid around 200 for hair and 200 for makeup plus tips). Neither of them came to the venue with me, but they were so great at what they did that even by the end of the night with ALL the dancing, happy tears, more dancing and picture-taking everyone said my hair and makeup STILL looked like it had just been done - 12 hours after they first did it! I know they WILL come to the venue if you want them to, but it costs a lot more.

Hope this helps someone!

 

[princessplease]

Awesome idea Gypsy!
Although I am not married yet, I have some awesome vendors I'd like to recommend.

My area is Philly/South Jersey.

First is the photog, Artistic Imagery, located in Bensalem, PA. They photographed FSIL's wedding in May, and were phenomenal. Their album and proofs were incredible. The photogs meshed right in with everyone in the wedding. They made everyone feel so comfortable. They laughed and joked with us, and most of the time, you hardly knew they were there. For wedding photography, they customize packages for you. FI and I booked 2 photographers for 8 hours each, digital rights to our photos, a proofbook ready within 2 weeks, and a 30 page flush mount 10x12 album for $2800 (including tax). They will travel

DJ: DJ's Available. One of their DJ's is a friend of mine who is an incredible DJ. We met two years before FI and I got engaged, and I've seen him in action at many events at my work. They are very reasonable, and will do ceremony music too. Although we received a discount, I believe their regular rate is $900-$1000.

Gowns: Jay West in Haddonfield, NJ. They have wonderful sales associates, and took care of every need. They have MOB gowns as well as BM gowns. They sold me my dress off of the rack for 40% off, so I got an amazing deal on my dream dress. They were wonderful to work with. Their dresses start around $1000.

 

[Lilac]

For some reason I can''t edit my post, but I also want to add:

BAND: Nafshenu Orchestra
I think they''re best for a Jewish wedding, but they also do regular dance and wedding/party music and I know they sound AMAZING both ways. They do all types of events, and I have never heard anything bad about them. They were so great, so easy to work with, and sounded incredible (so good that 2 of our friends have now booked them for their weddings just from hearing them at ours!) I would definitely recommend them.

Cost: Around 8000. But that was for an 8-piece band and also a sound system throughout the rooms of the venue to improve the acoustics in the rooms (this way the music wouldn''t be too loud but would still sound great). Definitely worth it.

 

[mia1181]

Okay I eloped, but I could recommend my wedding photographer.

Josef Kohn of IQ Photo (We are picture 17 of the slideshow on the homepage!)
He serves Northern California but also will travel. I don't really know the costs for a full wedding but I think our elopement package might have been around $1,000 for 2 hours of unlimited shots and all the unedited hi-res image files.

Here are our elopement pics

 

[mia1181]

Oh and a shout-out to Zillycakes in Buffalo, NY.

I ordered a cake from them for my sister''s shower and it was amazing! Zilly was so sweet and the cake was much more intricate than I was expecting.
Here is the link to the thread with pics of the cake: link

 

[Gypsy]

This is great.

BTW.... feel free to review vendors to avoid as well. That''s important for people to know too!

 

[marlie]

this thread is an AWESOME idea. thanks gypsy!!

 

[Clairitek]

Wedding location: Newport, RI
Live in: Philadelphia, PA
Pro-pics Threads Clairitek''s Pro Pics

Seamstress: Nilah in Drexel Hill, PA
Very professional and easy to deal with. Promptly returned phone calls for appointments. Relaxing setting and low pressure. I almost felt like I was standing in my mother''s house having her alter my dress. She was lovely to be around. She altered my wedding dress as well as a second dress I bought for the after party. My fit and flare gown fit me well on my day even after being taken in 3+ inches at the hips. My bustle was placed well (5-point french bustle). She added a "modesty panel" to my second dress. It was done well and you could hardly tell it wasn''t part of the original dress. I hardly got to wear this dress but I was satisfied with the work. She certainly wasn''t cheap to hire but I think a perfectly fitted gown on your day is worth the money.

Cost: $360 to take in top and hips of wedding gown, bustle, press, and garment bag as well as adding in modesty panel to second dress (from silk organza) and pressing second gown.

Photographer: Phil Seaton of Living Photo in Boston, MA
One word- stellar. He was a joy to work with and easy to be around. After looking through countless photography websites and getting pricing from many similar style photographers (photojournalism with a hint of creativity) I think we got an amazing deal by hiring him.

Cost: $2500 for high resolution files (including rejects), 400 photos edited and 4x6 proof prints of those edited photos, unlimited time on wedding day (he worked for 13 hours + driving for us).

Venue: One Bellevue Restaurant in Hotel Viking in Newport, RI
Prompty communication, easy to negotiate with. Food was AMAZING. Our guests are still talking about it. Wine list was delicious and suited all of the winos amongst our guests. We were only supposed to have the room until 9 and we were there until 1030. They never once tried to rush us out. I would not change one thing about my experience at this place.

Cost: We negotiated down the $800 room fee to $500 + a food and beverage minimum. Cost per head ended up being about $150 for 5 hours of drinking and eating. We just paid the menu prices for everything which can be found at the Hotel Viking''s website.

Dress: Pearl''s Place
Great experience with them. I had to choose my own size from the chart since I didn''t get measured by them but it all turned out fine (I also successfully purchased bridesmaid''s dresses from them for another wedding I am in). Since we moved our wedding date from April 2010 to June 20, 2009 I had to pay a rush fee but even with the $200 fee (worth it since I got my dress in plenty of time) I still paid $500 under retail for the gown. It was in perfect condition and shipped to me in the manufacturer''s box.

Hair: Jo D''Alan Salon in Middletown, RI
Tracy was wonderful as were her 3 assistants who did my bridal party''s hair. They pretty much shut down the salon for us on Saturday morning and successful did hair for 7 of us. I was very pleased with my experience there.

 

[Elmorton]

Wedding Location: Springfield, IL
Vendor location(s): Central IL
Ceremony Venue: Washington Park Gazebo

Dress: Michelle's Bridal
I worked with Melissa, who is fabulous and had worked with another friend of mine when she got married. I can't recommend them enough. My dress was entirely re-built to my specs, and my BM dresses had custom paired fabric because Melissa took the time to order/look at different swatches to find the perfect shade of aqua blue that I wanted. Service here was impeccable, with the one exception of the time I came in midday on a Saturday in April (Prom/Wedding season at the same time - eek). Prices extremely competitive.

Photographer: Kristen Schmid Weddings
DH and I wanted a journalistic style photos by an actual photojournalist (she has her MA in Journalism from the University of Missouri - so she's definitely the real deal). Kristen is amazing at capturing emotion and also excellent in terms of fading into the background - so many times photographers disrupt the events of a wedding to "capture a moment" - Kristen doesn't stop your wedding day, she just captures the scenes/emotions as they happen. I hardly knew she was there. I love her work and again, would recommend her a million times over.

Cake: Incredibly Delicious
If you're getting married anywhere near Springfield, do not, repeat do not, get your cake anywhere else but here. Hands down, it's the best cake, wedding or otherwise, that I've ever had. French pastry chef, real french buttercream (not that sugary stuff that most bakeries do), and just overall delish. My bridal shower cake was also from here and all my guests took pieces back with them - we literally had no leftovers. Truly divine. Every time we're back in Springfield, DH and I try to make it over just to have a slice from the case.

Reception: Hoogland Center for the Arts
We actually had both our reception and rehearsal dinner here (Reception in Theater 3, Rehearsal in the Club Room). Amazing venue, and I don't think it's used often (or enough) for weddings. Staff is amazing, very kind, extremely accommodating. I wanted something other than a hotel and I literally cried tears of happiness when I walked in - it was perfect. Theater 3 dates back to the 20's or 30's and is a restored theater with that awesome detail around the stage like old theaters have, a balcony, huge dance floor, tons of room - and best of all, the room is already completely wired for sound, so we were able to forgo having a DJ (which we really dislike in the first place) and plug in our iPod. For the bouquet toss, my BIL manned the spot light. It was really, really cool.

Catering: Arena Food Service
This is the only caterer for the Hoogland, but even if we could have chosen someone else, I'd choose Arena all over again. Don't let the stark name fool you - this is the caterer of choice for the Governor's Inaugural Ball and other main events in Springfield. The food is impeccable and very modestly priced for what you get. We worked with Shawn and he was amazing in terms of putting together a menu. Don't eat before the tasting - it will be an amazing meal and you'll want to have room. Arena is absolutely fantastic. Our reception meal was TDF and pretty formal, but they can also rock a "low key" gathering - we wanted pulled pork and picnic style foods for our rehearsal dinner and it was phenomenal. Very, very good food all around. Staff is amazing.

Hair and Makeup: BJ Grand Salon
I've gone to the BJ Grand Salon in Champaign, IL for awhile so I knew what to expect. Top notch services but also top notch prices (at least for Central IL). Todd did my hair and he was FANTASTIC. My mom and I had our makeup done and I don't think either of us have ever looked more beautiful.

Hotel: The President Abraham Lincoln Hotel
I was not a fan of their policy for blocking rooms, but this hotel is extremely underrated in Springfield. Yes, it filed for bankruptcy

but the service was excellent. We were given the Presidential Suite (which was larger than my apartment at the time) at an extremely discounted rate, which was a perfect place for my "getting ready" photos and for the wedding night. As we arrived back at the hotel, we were greeted with champagne and chocolate dipped strawberries with orchids on the platter - beautiful presentation (and something I know you don't get at the Crowne Plaza, Springfield's priciest hotel). Brunch on Sunday at Lindsay's was wonderful and the staff was excellent in accommodating our growing party. Location can't be beat - our wedding party had an awesome afterparty in downtown Springfield. DH and I recently stayed again for New Year's Eve - beautiful hotel. Oh, and all the bath products are Coconut Lime Verbena from Bath and Body Works.

Florist: Flora Scape
This is a half-review. I loved my flowers, but I said NO BOWS a million times - and what did I get? Huge bows! Also, they forgot to give us the "toss" bouquet (which ended up just fine, I used my MIL's mini bouquet, and they refunded us later without any hassle at all). But, they were a last minute vendor because our other florist went bankrupt and didn't notify us until 3 mos before the wedding AND they not only quoted us less but also found different ways to expand my budget (like renting boston ferns instead of making a huge floral arrangements) that worked perfectly. The boutonnieres were really kinda cool. All in all, I'd say an A-, but I'd definitely choose them again and I do call them whenever we send flowers to family in town.

My wedding photo thread: https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/elmortons-wedding-after-a-2-year-wait.117469/