Church: Newtown Presbyterian -- A+. The pastor here is amazing. Our ceremony was short but meaningful and fun. Exactly what we wanted.
Reception: Normandy Farm -- A. We had some issues with them during our planning that were frustrating, and they forgot about some of the discounts they'd offered, but when the day came everything was perfect. Melissa, the day of coordinator there, was awesome.
Photography: Sean Marshall Lin -- A-. Sean is great and we got all 1200 of our pictures plus a fully retouched blog entry within 3 weeks of our wedding! So quick and fantastic. I gave him an A- only because he didn't take a few of the shots we'd asked for and also we missed out on some outdoor shots because we lost the light, something I was afraid of and raised with him weeks before the wedding. But, we're very happy with the shots we did get and can't complain too much.
Florist: Domenic Graziano's -- A. Tammy did a great job and gave us exactly what we were looking for (before we even knew what we wanted). The price was great for everything we received. Our only complaint is that our centerpieces were candelabras with four candles around the outside and a large, draping floral arrangement in the middle. When they delivered the centerpieces and set them up, the people at Normandy Farm realized the draping vines were catching on fire and they cut all of the draping pieces off, leaving the plastic floral cup and foam exposed. I have no idea why the formatting is weird for this entry and I can't fix it. Oh well.
Videography: Martin's Video -- A. Stayed out of the way and we barely knew they were there. Will have more to report when we pick up the video next month.
Entertainment: 176 Keys -- A++. This was the best wedding-related decision we made. They're such a great option for people who don't want a DJ but can't afford a band. They arrived on time, played everything the crowd wanted (from the Beatles to Dave Matthews to Metallica! Seriously, everything!), kept the dance floor packed, and did so many things that night to make it special for Matt and I. We had so much fun and people are still telling us it was the best wedding entertainment they've ever seen.
Limousine: Limos Today -- A+. Super professional. We had an 18-passenger limo bus. The driver was on time, held my train for me while I waited to go in the church, and had water for us on the limo (though we mostly boozed it up). Also had the lowest rates around. Great vendor.
Cocktail Hour Music: Mike Brill -- A+. Mike worked with us to choose our setlist in advance and even came to our house for a private meeting and played as many songs as we wanted to hear! He helped us pick a great mix of contemporary and Irish songs and it set the tone perfectly for our reception. He is such a sweetheart and was a great addition to our wedding.
Bridal Shop: Fantasy Weddings by Anna Marie -- A. No issues to report and prices were great.
Rehearsal Dinner: Washington Crossing Inn -- A. Service and food was great. We had our own private room with fireplace that was very cozy. Only complaint is that there were a bunch of smaller tables and we felt a little isolated from some of the guests, but otherwise, a really lovely place.
Travel Agent: Mindy @ My Vacation Lady -- A. I had a few issues on our honeymoon and had to email her, she responded right away and got things resolved. Mindy is fantastic and we'll book all of our future travel with her.
Bridesmaid Dresses: Ann Taylor -- A+. Beautiful and ridiculously cheap with a coupon code (under $70 for each girl!)
Makeup: Cindy Singer, Dylan Michael Cosmetics -- A+. Cindy did a great job with all of the girls and moms. She's quick and her work is amazing. No complaints at all!
Tuxes: Bell Tuxedo -- D. This was our huge disappointment. We chose them b/c they were local and we'd heard back things about Men's Wearhouse. When we were ordering initially, I asked if "plus size" was the right term for men, since my brother is bigger. The girl helping us said, "I don't know, how about fat ass?" That should have been it for us right there but my husband just wanted to get it over with. The week of the wedding, our order was late arriving to the store, so guys who turned up in the afternoon to pick up their tuxes were told to come back in a few hours, which turned out to be six hours. Many pieces didn't fit and had to be returned for different sizes. Matt's sleeves were way too short and his shoes were too small. Our ring bearer was missing his shoes altogether and his tie was about 5 inches too short. Another groomsmen's vest was ripped. Just a disaster all around that caused a lot of stress the week of the wedding. I complained to the owner/manager, who defended his staff and never once apologized for the headache he caused. An awful store.
Hair: Kirsten @ Natalie & Company -- A+. Kirsten did my hair plus three other bridesmaids and did such an amazing job. Our hair stayed in place all day and looked beautiful. She also put my hair pins all on one side to look like a barette, which I never would have thought of doing but looked beautiful. She is my new stylist forever! Will never go to anyone else.
Day of Coordinator: Susan Hart -- A++. Susan is inexpensive and was a total godsend the day of our wedding. We really couldn't have gotten through the day without her. She was so incredibly detail oriented and had everything set up exactly as we wanted it, paid and tipped all the vendors, bought soft pretzels for after the reception, and took all the gifts and decorations back to my parents' house at the end of the night. At one point she even put socks on my feet to prepare for our first dance. Totally went the extra mile and I would recommend her to anyone; she's really amazing.
Bagpiper: Gary Guth, Symphony Sounds -- A+. We're so glad we had a bagpiper, it was another surprise for our guests and everyone loved it. Our recessional behind the bagpiper was one of my favorite parts of the day.
