If you have any specific questions, feel free to email me.
The Big Dogs
Church - First United Methodist of Farmington - A
Can you give a church a grade? We had some troubles finding a church that would marry non-members. I had been to FUMC one year for their Good Friday service and remembered liking it so we gave it a shot. Pastor Jeff was great. We did 4 counseling sessions with him & really couldn't have been happier. He's not stuffy or at all intimidating. The wedding "package" comes with two coordinators, Linda & Maureen. They helped everything run smoothly & were friendly the couple times I called with questions.
Ceremony Musician - Hope Hesano - A
Hope was great. She plays the piano, harp, cello and organ and works with other musicians if you need anything else. We exchanged several emails making sure the music would be exactly what I wanted. We've gotten a ton of compliments on how great she was.
Hall - St. Mary's Cultural Center - A
I don't have anything bad to say about St. Mary's. Throughout the planning stages we worked with Keith who was always pleasant and didn't seem to mind all my questions. You bring your own alcohol, which was budget friendly, and the food was excellent, we've gotten a lot of compliments.
Photographer - Kate of KBL Photography - A!
We love Kate! Our engagement pictures were great & the teasers we've received so far are excellent. She's friendly, personable and fun to work with. Most of the night I didn't know she was even taking pictures. Her price is low but don't let it fool you, I stalk her site and she just keeps getting better.
Videographer - Paul Briles - A
Paul is the brother of Kate, our photog. He is just starting out in the wedding video business, even tho he's been a filmmaker for years. While I don't doubt that the video will be great, we'll be thankful regardless that we have a video, as we didn't think we could afford it.
DJ - Shea Sounds, Michael Shea - A
We won 4 hours with Shea Sounds at a bridal show. I didn't look into it further, just accepted what we won & added 2 hours. I was a little nervous as I heavily researched all the other vendors but Mike was great. He even helped unload us & our things out of the limo. He was very accomodating to our Arabic/American combo entrance & had no problems making what we wanted happen. He walked around to the tables for song requests, which was a hit. The dance floor was always full & we got a lot of compliments on him. However, he was very slow to reply to emails, which irks me, because I like emails. I was told he wasn't very cooperative with our DOC. He's been doing this a long time & has it down, but our DOC was there for a reason so I wish he collaborated a bit more.
Cake - Cakes by Kara, Kara Clarke - A
I seriously can't say enough about Kara. If all my vendors were as efficient and professional as her, wedding planning would have been a breeze. She always was quick to respond to emails, has an awesome personality & her cake is delicious, not to mention affordable! She did mention putting some cake making on hold to tend to some things with her kids, but if you can book her, I'd highly recommend it.
Florist - Irelynn Designs, April Oboza - A
April works out of her house, which helps keep prices low. I'm not a huge flower person but April helped us pick out a good combination and I thought they turned out beautifully. She was quick to respond to emails & everything turned out as requested. Tell her Melissa sent you! :)
DOC - A Beautiful Day Events, Rachel - A!
If you can work a DOC into your budget, do it. If you can't, I'd recommend making room elsewhere so that you can have one, preferably Rachel. The list she sent me prior to the wedding baffled me. I had no idea how many details I had never thought of. She is meticulous & efficient and because of her, our day ran incredibly smooth. She's a professional and definitely knows what she's doing. Seriously, hire her.
Makeup - Gigi of ULTA - A
Great Lakes Crossing store
I was refered to Gigi from another knottie. I went to the store for my trial and was very impressed. I don't wear makeup so I needed help & she made me pretty without looking silly. She is very affordable and came to our house to do mine & all my bridesmaids makeup. They all looked hot.
Linens - Stephanie's Wedding Creations
Final Product - B
Communication up to the big day - eh, C-
I booked Stephanie off another knottie's referral. We soon decided that chair covers weren't fitting into the budget tho, so we nixed them & just stuck with table runners & head table decoration. Coming up to the wedding, Stephanie emailed me & offered to do the chair covers for a very discounted rate, so we said yes. Sometimes she was quick to reply to emails, other times it took days. After I booked her & paid the deposit online, she was harder to get ahold of & I never got a fully executed contract. The week before the wedding she was supposed to drop of table runners. I got a call from the hall the day before the wedding that they were never dropped off. I left her a VM, as did our DOC. I never got a call back but the table runners made it there, as well as the chair covers & head table decoration. Our DOC said that teenagers were sent to do the setting up, Stephanie herself never made an appearance. Her prices can't be beat and the final product was pretty (overall, but in the pics the linens were very wrinkled, I was too busy to notice), but if you need to be coddled (or even acknowledged, sometimes...) by your vendors, I wouldn't recommend her. I think a lot of the final product being beautiful needs to be credited to our DOC, but for the price I paid, I won't complain too much.
Limo - Luxury Limos of Dearborn - D
We "won" $400 at a bridal show to use at Luxury Limos, so we didn't really shop around. After we booked, we realized all they did was hike up the price then take it back down to normal. We booked the Hummer but the morning of the wedding we got a call saying it had been in an accident so they were sending an Escalade. Whatever. It got there early but there was NO air. 15 people all dressed up + no air = a sweaty mess. Besides sweating, the limo was hit up. It was pretty dirty, the speakers were broken, the cup holders were broken. It just kinda sucked. Luxury Limos had implemented a $70 gratuity (I wasn't about to add to that, I wouldn't have tipped that much for the 45 minutes the guy drove in a 4 mile radius) but the driver asked for an additional tip when dropping us off, which irritated me. When we got back from our HM, I called to voice my concerns and all I was offered was a $100 gift certificate, like I ever want to use them again. A lot of limo stories I've heard haven't been positive, from lots of companies, but I def wouldn't use this company again or ever recommend them.
Can you give a church a grade? We had some troubles finding a church that would marry non-members. I had been to FUMC one year for their Good Friday service and remembered liking it so we gave it a shot. Pastor Jeff was great. We did 4 counseling sessions with him & really couldn't have been happier. He's not stuffy or at all intimidating. The wedding "package" comes with two coordinators, Linda & Maureen. They helped everything run smoothly & were friendly the couple times I called with questions.
Ceremony Musician - Hope Hesano - A
Hope was great. She plays the piano, harp, cello and organ and works with other musicians if you need anything else. We exchanged several emails making sure the music would be exactly what I wanted. We've gotten a ton of compliments on how great she was.
Hall - St. Mary's Cultural Center - A
I don't have anything bad to say about St. Mary's. Throughout the planning stages we worked with Keith who was always pleasant and didn't seem to mind all my questions. You bring your own alcohol, which was budget friendly, and the food was excellent, we've gotten a lot of compliments.
Photographer - Kate of KBL Photography - A!
We love Kate! Our engagement pictures were great & the teasers we've received so far are excellent. She's friendly, personable and fun to work with. Most of the night I didn't know she was even taking pictures. Her price is low but don't let it fool you, I stalk her site and she just keeps getting better.
Videographer - Paul Briles - A
Paul is the brother of Kate, our photog. He is just starting out in the wedding video business, even tho he's been a filmmaker for years. While I don't doubt that the video will be great, we'll be thankful regardless that we have a video, as we didn't think we could afford it.
DJ - Shea Sounds, Michael Shea - A
We won 4 hours with Shea Sounds at a bridal show. I didn't look into it further, just accepted what we won & added 2 hours. I was a little nervous as I heavily researched all the other vendors but Mike was great. He even helped unload us & our things out of the limo. He was very accomodating to our Arabic/American combo entrance & had no problems making what we wanted happen. He walked around to the tables for song requests, which was a hit. The dance floor was always full & we got a lot of compliments on him. However, he was very slow to reply to emails, which irks me, because I like emails. I was told he wasn't very cooperative with our DOC. He's been doing this a long time & has it down, but our DOC was there for a reason so I wish he collaborated a bit more.
Cake - Cakes by Kara, Kara Clarke - A
I seriously can't say enough about Kara. If all my vendors were as efficient and professional as her, wedding planning would have been a breeze. She always was quick to respond to emails, has an awesome personality & her cake is delicious, not to mention affordable! She did mention putting some cake making on hold to tend to some things with her kids, but if you can book her, I'd highly recommend it.
Florist - Irelynn Designs, April Oboza - A
April works out of her house, which helps keep prices low. I'm not a huge flower person but April helped us pick out a good combination and I thought they turned out beautifully. She was quick to respond to emails & everything turned out as requested. Tell her Melissa sent you! :)
DOC - A Beautiful Day Events, Rachel - A!
If you can work a DOC into your budget, do it. If you can't, I'd recommend making room elsewhere so that you can have one, preferably Rachel. The list she sent me prior to the wedding baffled me. I had no idea how many details I had never thought of. She is meticulous & efficient and because of her, our day ran incredibly smooth. She's a professional and definitely knows what she's doing. Seriously, hire her.
Makeup - Gigi of ULTA - A
Great Lakes Crossing store
I was refered to Gigi from another knottie. I went to the store for my trial and was very impressed. I don't wear makeup so I needed help & she made me pretty without looking silly. She is very affordable and came to our house to do mine & all my bridesmaids makeup. They all looked hot.
Linens - Stephanie's Wedding Creations
Final Product - B
Communication up to the big day - eh, C-
I booked Stephanie off another knottie's referral. We soon decided that chair covers weren't fitting into the budget tho, so we nixed them & just stuck with table runners & head table decoration. Coming up to the wedding, Stephanie emailed me & offered to do the chair covers for a very discounted rate, so we said yes. Sometimes she was quick to reply to emails, other times it took days. After I booked her & paid the deposit online, she was harder to get ahold of & I never got a fully executed contract. The week before the wedding she was supposed to drop of table runners. I got a call from the hall the day before the wedding that they were never dropped off. I left her a VM, as did our DOC. I never got a call back but the table runners made it there, as well as the chair covers & head table decoration. Our DOC said that teenagers were sent to do the setting up, Stephanie herself never made an appearance. Her prices can't be beat and the final product was pretty (overall, but in the pics the linens were very wrinkled, I was too busy to notice), but if you need to be coddled (or even acknowledged, sometimes...) by your vendors, I wouldn't recommend her. I think a lot of the final product being beautiful needs to be credited to our DOC, but for the price I paid, I won't complain too much.
Limo - Luxury Limos of Dearborn - D
We "won" $400 at a bridal show to use at Luxury Limos, so we didn't really shop around. After we booked, we realized all they did was hike up the price then take it back down to normal. We booked the Hummer but the morning of the wedding we got a call saying it had been in an accident so they were sending an Escalade. Whatever. It got there early but there was NO air. 15 people all dressed up + no air = a sweaty mess. Besides sweating, the limo was hit up. It was pretty dirty, the speakers were broken, the cup holders were broken. It just kinda sucked. Luxury Limos had implemented a $70 gratuity (I wasn't about to add to that, I wouldn't have tipped that much for the 45 minutes the guy drove in a 4 mile radius) but the driver asked for an additional tip when dropping us off, which irritated me. When we got back from our HM, I called to voice my concerns and all I was offered was a $100 gift certificate, like I ever want to use them again. A lot of limo stories I've heard haven't been positive, from lots of companies, but I def wouldn't use this company again or ever recommend them.
Paper Products
VistaPrint - A
Used for photo share cards, return address labels, "thank you" sign. I think that's it. They were quick & the quality was good.
Paper & More - A
Used for STD envelopes, invite paper, invite envelopes. They were fast, everything was packed well & the price/quality was excellent. When I ordered the wrong size envelopes, I contacted customer service, who, very quickly, got my order fixed & adjusted with no problems.
Papermart - A
Used for take out boxes for candy buffet. Super cheap & served their purpose perfectly.
Anchor Paper - A
I emailed Tom, who quickly responded and figured out which paper would be best for my rehearsal dinner invites.
Used for photo share cards, return address labels, "thank you" sign. I think that's it. They were quick & the quality was good.
Paper & More - A
Used for STD envelopes, invite paper, invite envelopes. They were fast, everything was packed well & the price/quality was excellent. When I ordered the wrong size envelopes, I contacted customer service, who, very quickly, got my order fixed & adjusted with no problems.
Papermart - A
Used for take out boxes for candy buffet. Super cheap & served their purpose perfectly.
Anchor Paper - A
I emailed Tom, who quickly responded and figured out which paper would be best for my rehearsal dinner invites.
Apparel
My Dress - Moni's Bridal - A
I found my favorite dress at Moni's. Despite some unpleasant reviews, I had no problems or issues. My dress came in earlier than quoted & everyone was nice.
Tuxes - Men's Warehouse - A- & President Tuxedo - A
DH and the groomsmen got their tuxes from the MW in Dearborn. There were no problems, however I felt the salespeople were snotty & unhelpful at times.
We won 3 tuxes from President Tuxedo so we went to the Novi one for the ushers. No problems.
Bridesmaids Dresses - Diane's Dream Brides - A
No problems here either. The employees were helpful and pleasant and the dresses came in early.
Undergarments - Harp's - A
Their reputatation preceeded them & like everyone else, I had an awesome experience. The lady I dealt with was friendly & helpful. I got a bustier & underwear for $80.
Alterations & Veil - Mary of LaValle Bridal - A
All of my cousins have used Mary & have always had good experiences, I was no different. She really knows what she's doing, even if she sometimes appears scattered. My alterations were extremely affordable. She also sells veils and all types of accessories so I got my veil and some reception "slippers" from her.
Wedding Necklace - Etsy Seller: handmadebydiana - A
I loved my wedding necklace. I slightly tweaked a lariat design on her site (swapped out pearls for silver stardust beads). She was fast & the product was well worth the money.
Wedding Earrings, Wedding Bracelet & DH's band - M. Mazzoni's - A-
My mom bought me silver stardust drop earrings to match my etsy earrings. FI got me a charm bracelet that was delivered to me on the day of, that I love. I ordered FI's band at a trunk show they had. Everyone was nice & helpful. However, their "minus" comes in b/c they never called when the band came in. Then when I went to pick it up, the saleslady handed it to me in a baggie - no box or bag. When I asked for one, she sounded irritated. I'm not sure of her name, but everyone else was nice.
I found my favorite dress at Moni's. Despite some unpleasant reviews, I had no problems or issues. My dress came in earlier than quoted & everyone was nice.
Tuxes - Men's Warehouse - A- & President Tuxedo - A
DH and the groomsmen got their tuxes from the MW in Dearborn. There were no problems, however I felt the salespeople were snotty & unhelpful at times.
We won 3 tuxes from President Tuxedo so we went to the Novi one for the ushers. No problems.
Bridesmaids Dresses - Diane's Dream Brides - A
No problems here either. The employees were helpful and pleasant and the dresses came in early.
Undergarments - Harp's - A
Their reputatation preceeded them & like everyone else, I had an awesome experience. The lady I dealt with was friendly & helpful. I got a bustier & underwear for $80.
Alterations & Veil - Mary of LaValle Bridal - A
All of my cousins have used Mary & have always had good experiences, I was no different. She really knows what she's doing, even if she sometimes appears scattered. My alterations were extremely affordable. She also sells veils and all types of accessories so I got my veil and some reception "slippers" from her.
Wedding Necklace - Etsy Seller: handmadebydiana - A
I loved my wedding necklace. I slightly tweaked a lariat design on her site (swapped out pearls for silver stardust beads). She was fast & the product was well worth the money.
Wedding Earrings, Wedding Bracelet & DH's band - M. Mazzoni's - A-
My mom bought me silver stardust drop earrings to match my etsy earrings. FI got me a charm bracelet that was delivered to me on the day of, that I love. I ordered FI's band at a trunk show they had. Everyone was nice & helpful. However, their "minus" comes in b/c they never called when the band came in. Then when I went to pick it up, the saleslady handed it to me in a baggie - no box or bag. When I asked for one, she sounded irritated. I'm not sure of her name, but everyone else was nice.
Randoms
Bridesmaids Brooches - Etsy Seller: TipsyWhimsey - A
I found a brooch I liked on her site & she quickly tracked down 3 more. They came quickly & were very cheap for the quality.
Bridesmaids Mirrors - Etsy Seller: Iszle - A
I found little pocket mirrors on Iszle's site that were really cute so they were a small addition to my BM gifts. They have really cute designs on them. I ordered them the week before the wedding & luckily, they got to me the day of the rehearsal. She gave me a discount for ordering 5.
Rehearsal Dinner - G. Subu's Leather Bottle, Livonia - B
We wanted a restaurant semi-close to the church. My mom contacted Subu's, which offered a pizza/salad/breadsticks buffet for $9.99/person. That was lower than we hoped for, so we went with it. The room was nice, the staff is great, the food just wasn't amazing, to me. We did get compliments on it tho. I was slightly ticked at the end of the night when 2 nearly full pizzas were left & when we asked for boxes, we were told they don't normally allow that, but they did let us take it. I understand, I just don't see the point in throwing food away.
Photo Guest Book - Picaboo - A
I ordered our guest book during a "buy one get one free" promotion Picaboo was having. The site was easy to use, even tho I ended up making half the pages in Photoshop. When I received the books, the corners were pretty bent up. I contacted customer service, who quickly sent out 2 new books.
I found a brooch I liked on her site & she quickly tracked down 3 more. They came quickly & were very cheap for the quality.
Bridesmaids Mirrors - Etsy Seller: Iszle - A
I found little pocket mirrors on Iszle's site that were really cute so they were a small addition to my BM gifts. They have really cute designs on them. I ordered them the week before the wedding & luckily, they got to me the day of the rehearsal. She gave me a discount for ordering 5.
Rehearsal Dinner - G. Subu's Leather Bottle, Livonia - B
We wanted a restaurant semi-close to the church. My mom contacted Subu's, which offered a pizza/salad/breadsticks buffet for $9.99/person. That was lower than we hoped for, so we went with it. The room was nice, the staff is great, the food just wasn't amazing, to me. We did get compliments on it tho. I was slightly ticked at the end of the night when 2 nearly full pizzas were left & when we asked for boxes, we were told they don't normally allow that, but they did let us take it. I understand, I just don't see the point in throwing food away.
Photo Guest Book - Picaboo - A
I ordered our guest book during a "buy one get one free" promotion Picaboo was having. The site was easy to use, even tho I ended up making half the pages in Photoshop. When I received the books, the corners were pretty bent up. I contacted customer service, who quickly sent out 2 new books.
Honeymoon
Travel Agent - Gold Key Travel - A
Ed & Mary Jane were easy to work with. They kept us organized, got us the butler we requested & even visited us in Jamaica (not really, they were there for an event, but it was funny running into them at the pool). No complaints.
Resort - Sandals Grande Ocho Rios, Jamaica - A
This was our first all inclusive vacation, so we don't have anything to compare to, but we had a great time. The food was better than I expected (to the point that I bought sweat pants at the airport coming home because my capris were snug...). We booked the Honeymoon Oceanview Villa with Pool & Butler. There was construction going on next to our room so I brought it up to our butler, who moved us to the Romeo & Juliet suite, which was amazing. This resort is huge, like there's a highway running thru the middle. But there are constant jitneys that take you all over, and our butlers drove us around on their golf carts. We didn't do any excursions, I was content eating, laying out & napping. We did get a couples massage, which was amazing.
Ed & Mary Jane were easy to work with. They kept us organized, got us the butler we requested & even visited us in Jamaica (not really, they were there for an event, but it was funny running into them at the pool). No complaints.
Resort - Sandals Grande Ocho Rios, Jamaica - A
This was our first all inclusive vacation, so we don't have anything to compare to, but we had a great time. The food was better than I expected (to the point that I bought sweat pants at the airport coming home because my capris were snug...). We booked the Honeymoon Oceanview Villa with Pool & Butler. There was construction going on next to our room so I brought it up to our butler, who moved us to the Romeo & Juliet suite, which was amazing. This resort is huge, like there's a highway running thru the middle. But there are constant jitneys that take you all over, and our butlers drove us around on their golf carts. We didn't do any excursions, I was content eating, laying out & napping. We did get a couples massage, which was amazing.
