Marjorie hand-made my wedding gown, using my grandmother's original dress pattern as a guide for the remade top and adding two other layers of fabric over the original satin skirt on the bottom. Marjorie's attention to detail and technical abilities had me feeling like I was in good hands the whole time. And her finished product was stunning!
My mom found perfect little chocolate oak leaf and acorn favors from The Chocolate Vault. The company was able to print customized labels to tie on to each of the little gift bags.
We ordered the bridesmaids' dresses through the Bella Bridesmaid store in San Francisco. They were really pleasant to work with, and we especially liked the fact that my bridesmaids living in different cities were able to visit their local boutiques to try on the dress, see the fabric swatch in person, and get measured for sizing. They represent a number of different designers so we were able to consider many options, but the Lula Kate dresses were a favorite from the beginning.
The bridesmaid dresses are by Lula Kate, but we ordered them through Bella Bridesmaid. My sister (MOH) chose a dress with a more fun, ruffled collar, but the other bridesmaids wore classic boat-neck, A-line, knee-length dresses. All of the dresses were cinnamon-colored silk dupioni, which worked perfectly for the fall setting, and they were accented with colored silk scarves which I gave as gifts at the bridesmaid brunch.
If it were possible to give Jenny at Trends & Traditions six stars, I would have! I knew that I was going to be able to put together most of the big vendor items myself and was happy to make all the decisions. But we hired Jenny to help us in the months leading up to the wedding, and we are so glad that we did. Jenny met with my mother and me a few months in advance of the big day to go through all the vendors, our plans and expectations, the schedule for the weekend, etc. It was incredibly helpful -- and reassuring -- to know that every detail and logistic had been though and that Jenny and her assistant would be on site for the event to handle any issues that popped up. The wedding went totally smoothly for our families and our guests, and we were able to relax and just enjoy the joyous moment.
We loved having a trolley to bring the wedding party from the ceremony to the reception. It was really nice to have a large and comfortable vehicle but I'm glad that it could also have some character and charm. We used the trolley again at the end of the night to ferry guests who had been enjoying our open bar a little too much from the reception to the hotels and after-party. The driver was an angel to put up with our horrific singing during that ride!
Gordon's Liquors was recommended by our caterer, and they worked out well. Our contact person was less responsive than we'd prefer, but in the end we got wine and liquors that worked well for our budget and our guests both.
Mike from Come Rain Or Shine was recommended by the property manager at the Pierce House, and it worked out really well. The tent looked great, and Mike was flexible with pricing, which we appreciated, of course. We were able to share the costs of the tent and some associated items with the wedding reception that took place at the Pierce House the day before us.
Michael from Blue Vintage Spa is the best updo hairstylist I've ever used. I was really skeptical about finding someone who could do what I wanted for my hair, which was to pull it back loosely and romantically and to allow the natural wave to show through. My sister recommended him after he did the bridal party for a wedding she was in, and I'm really happy that we hired him. The bridesmaids all loved their updos, and each one was unique, interesting, and flattering.
We love the photos that Liz took for our wedding! She had a great combination of classic must-have shots with some creative settings and poses. Liz is organized and responsive, and she and her assistant photographer, Jenna, were a pleasure to work with. They are based in San Francisco but are in Massachusetts periodically and were able to cover our wedding for us, which we were so grateful for.