vendors - dcgirl924

Vendors

All of these were written prior to the wedding. To view my post-wedding vendor reviews please click here.

Day of Coordinator - Milestones-An Event Company: We met with Lacey not that long ago when I realized how crazy I would be if I tried to pull everything off the day of myself. She has tons of experience as an event coordinator and routinely does meetings for thousands of people. She is very knowledgeable about different places in DC and I would definitely recommend her.
Ceremony Location - Holy Rosary Catholic Church: Highly Recommend - They have been great to deal with, which is a big relief because we are having FI's uncle preform our ceremony and I am not Catholic - two issues which I was worried would be a problem at some churches in the area. I really like the fact that Holy Rosary is a smaller church as well. I think it will be a more intimate feel than a big cathedral like St. Matthew's for our 120+ guests. Lucia is so sweet and great to deal with - I don't think that dealing with a church should be a source of stress in a wedding and I am so happy to be dealing with Holy Rosary.
Reception Location - St. Regis Hotel, Washington DC: Highly Recommend - The St. Regis has been great to work with. They are very responsive to all of my questions and were willing to work with our budget. They will be doing everything including our cake, which is great and makes it a lot easier on me. The hotel reopened in January and the new restaurant and spa will be opening sometime this spring/early summer. Can't wait!
Photographer - Joseph Allen: A really nice laid back guy that photographs a lot of special events and bands in the DC area. Clearly his website is not as fancy as some of the other photographers we have seen online, but we really liked his pictures, especially of Jenn & Paul's wedding which is the most recent one that he shot. Also a really good deal - he doesn't print anything, so we will be putting together our own album. I don't plan on getting on shots where I look like I'm being ravished against a brick wall but the rest of them are great. UPDATE - got our engagement pics back and I really like them! Very happy with our decision.
DJ - Aaron Platt of Chris Laich DJs: I had really wanted a band, but I just didn't think we could swing it. However, when I talked to Chris he really calmed my nerves and made me feel great about my decision to have a DJ. We went with Aaron Platt who came very highly recommended from Chris and is more affordable. We haven't met him yet but will talk to him as we get closer to the wedding.
Dress - Hannelore's of Old Town: I found a dress I LOVED there but I thought they had bad attitudes and seemed annoyed that I wasn't getting my dress altered there. However, I don't know why they would be surprised considering that alterations START at over $500. Great selection, snobby service.
Alterations - Angie Cavallaro: Renowned in the DC area, I've read too many positive reviews to have any concerns about her abilities.
Jeweler - Mervis Diamond Importers: Highly Recommend - I am such a fan of both my engagement and wedding rings - they did a great job. We went to the Tyson's Corner location and worked with Lisa Binder.
Save the Dates - My Candy Paper and Zazzle.com: Do Not Recommend and Recommend - Page me for a review of My Candy Paper. Zazzle.com was easy to use and that is where we got our custom stamps as well.
Calligraphy - Calligraphy by Jennifer: Very nice, beautiful work and VERY responsive. Being easy to get a hold of, especially via email, is a huge thing for me so I was really happy to see how quickly Jenn responded to my emails. Her work looks beautiful and I was really surprised and happy to learn that she is working with my invitation designer on another project so they already have great communication. Also, she was very flexible in regards to me not knowing exactly what kind of services I was going to need when I signed a contract with her (i.e. inner and outer envelope or just outer, ect.)
Inviations - Paperzest: See my pictures under the Paper tab - LOVE THEM. We're going to make a couple minor changes, but I am very excited about them. I think that Jennifer's calligraphy will be a great touch as well. Can't wait.
Rehearsal Dinner - Old Ebbitt Grill: Great location within walking distance from the St. Regis and really good food and service. We're using the Cabinet Room downstairs and couldn't be happier. We looked at just about every restaurant close to both the hotel and the church and this was far and away the best option.
Room Blocks - Capital Hilton and Hilton Garden Inn: Pretty simple, I called, got their rates and then emailed copies of the contracts. We've got the Capital Hilton for $169 a night for Friday and Saturday and the Hilton Garden Inn for $129 for a single, $139 for a double and so on for Friday and Saturday. I did find an Internet only rate of $119 a night for the Capital Hilton that I posted on our website. Its non-refundable but a bunch of our family members took advantage of the rate because they knew they would be coming.