Jason is fantastic -- I cannot say enough good things about him. From the beginning, I really wanted a videographer but couldn't find one with a style/price I liked. I was so happy to finally find Jason, who had both. Jason showed up early and stayed late. He was so nice to me and to my family and he got so much great footage (without being intrusive at all). In fact, guests remarked to me how much they liked him -- we had some pretty wild dancers, and I heard later that he did a little instant-playback for people that wanted to see it. He was genuinely enthusiastic about everything. I have our DVD back (received it promptly) and it's everything I hoped for. He did a great job.
Circle Park Bridal was a wonderful experience for me. I thought the store had a great ambiance. It was the perfect size -- cozy and comfortable, not overwhelming, and everywhere I looked was something pretty and tempting to accessorize with! I actually ordered a dress and a custom-made veil. From the manufacturer's website, I knew what the dress should cost and knew that Circle Park had a very reasonable price. (I'd already seen another boutique in the area add $200 to the manufacturer's retail price, so I loved that CPB did not do that). Their service was great each time I went in. I'd paid in full when ordering the dress, so they already had their money, but every time I came in to pick something up, they treated me like a very valued customer. It might sound cheesy, but they were also friendly in a very real, natural way, and I really appreciated that. Shopping there was a pleasure.
Halo did hair and makeup for my mom and I before the wedding rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. We just wanted to look a little extra nice for the night, and Rachael did a great job. My curls lasted all night, which is quite a feat since my hair is normally so straight and I did a lot of dancing after the dinner! We also got airbrush makeup done by Kari, and she also did a great job. Our makeup was flawless and also lasted all night. We also called about a week prior to see if we could add two appointments in for some relatives that also wanted their hair done at the same time we were there, and they managed to squeeze them in without a problem, which we appreciated!
The cakes Sandy made for our wedding were delicious, beautiful, and affordable. We'd had to ask around to find a cake baker willing to work with our special request of wanting a pound cake for the groom's cake. Sandy was great, suggesting a combo chocolate cake/pound cake that people loved. She was so nice throughout the whole process --- she was willing to change up anything at a moment's notice (especially important for us because we had a huge number of No RSVPs, so our cake size was cut in half from our initial order!) Along with the cakes, she also dropped off a little box of chocolates she'd made for our wedding planner to give us later. I loved that thoughtful extra little detail - and the chocolates were delicious!
Silver West provided a shuttle bus for several wedding events; they picked up a big group of guests from the airport on Thursday, provided transportation for the rehearsal/rehearsal dinner on Friday, and then again for the wedding/reception Saturday. The same driver drove on Friday and Saturday and did a great job. If I could score higher than 5.0 on flexibility, I would -- he agreed to stay later than previously arranged on Saturday night and made a special trip to drive a guest home. (We would have understood if he would've declined the extra hours, but were so thrilled that he agreed.)
Becky did a great job altering my dress for a very reasonable price. She really took time to listen to what I wanted, showing me all the different bustle options before I chose one, and showing me what straps would look like added to my strapless dress. She did a great job and was so sweet to work with.
Rachel from Kelly & Company did the wedding hair and makeup for me and my bridal party. She came to my hotel and she and her assistant worked without stopping from 9 a.m. until 2:30 p.m., doing the hair and makeup for a total of nine ladies (including the MOB, MOG, GMOG, and a daughter of one of the bridesmaids). In fact, when the groom stopped in to visit me, he mentioned not liking his hair very much, so the stylists fixed him up quickly at no charge! They did traditional makeup on everyone else and airbrush makeup on me, and did a great job with all the hair and makeup. Everyone looked great all night!
On our tight budget, I never imagined I'd be able to afford to have Reata restaurant cater our wedding reception! But my planner suggested Reata, and the price they quoted me was fantastic, so I never considered anyone else. I knew Reata's food was fantastic, and their catering service (Reata On The Road) did not disappoint. The food was delicious, and the service they gave was more than I expected. They had plates prepared for my husband and I at our table, they moved guests through the buffet efficiently, and I think my videographer mentioned that they brought him a plate of food also so he didn't have to stop filming any more than necessary. They did a great job for us.
Stacie was the first wedding vendor I booked. I'd been doing a lot of researching, but the whole wedding planning process was so foreign to me, I just felt overwhelmed. Then, I stumbled across Stacie's blog and saw the photos she'd taken of brides and grooms, and I wanted to be in those pictures! I initially had a very small budget, and she offered to work with my budget by limiting the hours she was there, etc. But in the end, I actually added additional hours, had her do our engagement pictures, and had her photograph our rehearsal dinner -- because I wanted Stacie's pictures of those events too. She got all the pictures back to me promptly and was very responsive and great throughout the whole process. As for the photos, I'm amazed at everything she was able to capture. She got every single combination of family member I'd asked her for (and it was a long list) with no problem at all. It was so quick and organized! She also captured some moments I hadn't even remembered -- quick moments with my husband before the ceremony and with my mom that I didn't remember until I saw the photographs! It was worth every penny we paid, and then some!
My mother in law hosted our rehearsal dinner at 809 at Vickery. The space was beautiful. I especially loved the floors and the marble-looking bar. It was a great value, as the rental price was one of the lowest I'd seen and included tables and chairs and allowed us to bring in our own caterer, alcohol, and bartenders. There was plenty of room for the 65 guests we had, a special area for the band that my mother in law had booked, and a nice-sized dance floor. I highly recommend this venue for weddings or wedding-related events.