Vendor Reviews

Long Before

My Publisher

I used MyPublisher for our guestbook and for a boudoir book.  The guest book had WAAAY too many blank pages (I only needed about 15 and we had 30+).  The quality is excellent and even our photographer Rob was stunned that I was able to find something like this online.

Something Bold

My mother was supposed to make two veils for me.  Three weeks before the wedding she realized that she couldn't find the french netting for the birdcage veil.  So I set out.  An Etsy store, Something Bold, delivered the most absolutely perfect birdcage veil.  And for $30.  It was exactly what I wanted, rush delivered and arrived in perfect condition.

Icing on the Ring - DH Ring, my wedding present

I don't think I can say anything about IOTR that hasn't been said before.  They were absolutely fabulous.  In every single respect.  We miswrote the engraving. They fixed it.  It was engraved wrong.  They fixed it. I can't say enough good things about Icing On The Ring. 

DH went back to buy my wedding present.  He told them he wanted an aquamarine emerald cut stone set in a simple platinum setting.  They delivered.  And it's perfect.

Jenny - First Dance Choreography

Jenny was referred to us by our florist, Michele.  She was absolutely wonderful and less expensive than most of the other options I had considered.  We had 3 sessions and I felt super comfortable with the piece.  I totally butchered it that day, but that's my own fault.  The only issue is that she doesn't have a dance space, so you have to find your own.  Email me for her contact information. (jord.taylor @ gmail.com)

The Day Before

Lucky Strike

My BM Ani hooked us up for the Rehearsal Dinner.  I wanted to do something fun and silly... no sit-down dinner for this group.  Few of guests knew each other and there was going to be a lot of us... 50 of us to be exact.  Dinner at a resturant was going to be (a) a disaster and (b) not fun! 

Lucky Strike was perfect... it's right across the street, fun, silly and BM Ani knew the event manager.  We scored a great deal and after a bit of convincing with my MIL, we booked it!

Lucky Strike was amazing.  The food was great.  The drinks were heavy. The room was perfect.  Our video played without a hitch. I don't think we had a single problem. 

DH spent a ton of time and energy on this video.  And I'm so proud of him.  So it gets posted. Again.

Jonilyn Photography

I adore this woman. She's fun. She's adorable. She knows her stuff.  I asked her to set up a photobooth (idea totally stolen from Knottie Shananah and her photographer Leigh Miller).  I wanted lots of candid, fun and ridiculous shots of our guests.  I wanted to remember this event through a professional lens as there were 50 of our guests there!

The booth was a HUGE hit.  Even the stuffy guests who NEVER have fun in front of a camera had a blast.  I giggle out loud every single time I watch this slideshow.  The stills are amazing, but together it's like one of those flipbooks you had as a kid.  Slow motion movement.  It was perfect.

She also took candid shots all over the place.

The Blog. The Slideshow.

The Day

The Roosevelt

The Roosevelt is a toughy.  You can’t beat the location for the Out of Towners.  It’s close to many less expensive hotels, tons of restaurants, and a million things to do.  The metro is super close if they want to venture out.  The hotel screams Old Hollywood.  The lighting is fabulous.  The décor is stunning. Our photos around the hotel are amazing. There’s just something about that place that envelops you in luxury the moment you walk in. 

The Valet staff is, by far, the most amazing staff in the entire world.  They took care of me like no other.

The Hotel Sales Staff leave something to be desired. There was tons of turn over in the beginning and it took be 4 months to book a block of rooms for the OOT guests.  I was amazed at how difficult it was to give people my money!  When I finally settled down with one Sales Manager things got much better.  She was very accommodating and always responded.

The Front Desk Staff is very accommodating to my every need.  I moved into a one-bedroom suite at the hotel on Thursday. They knew exactly who I was when I told them my name at check in, which was really cute… “OHHH the BRIDE!”  Unfortunately, they’re all over the place.  They totally butchered my bill when I was checking out.  I’m so glad I had enough sense to check over it as it was about $400 more than it was supposed to be.  It took my Aunt over 30 minutes to check in and then she had to go through it all over again with her son even though she was told it was already taken care of.

The Catering Department is super disorganized.  I would get 4 different price quotes for the same service/item.  I would get the lowest price in writing and then into the contract. We saved a bundle of dough this way.  So it definitely worked out in our favor.  I simply had to make sure that I asked, followed up, saw it in writing and then saw it on the contract.  It was a lot more work than I wanted it to be. 

The Day of the event, they were perfection.  The Banquet Manager was wonderful.  He talked to security for us and we were able to get some amazing photos in the penthouse suite and on the rooftop with our entire bridal party.  The event ran so smoothly I couldn’t believe that it was over without a single hiccup.

The food is to die for.  Every guest commented on how good it all was.  From the salad, to the wine to the chicken that fell apart with a touch of the fork.  It was stunning.

They were extremely accommodating with set-up and teardown.  Letting me start on Friday afternoon in the reception area and clean up on Sunday.  We were able to leave everything as is and pick it up on Sunday afternoon after the Morning After Brunch.  It made my life so much easier!

I couldn’t imagine having our wedding anywhere else.  The Roosevelt is my absolute favorite hotel in Hollywood and continues to be. 

Style & Grace Events

Stephanie & Jill were my fairy godmothers for this wedding.  I felt totally at ease in handing it all over to them the week of the wedding.. and I'm a super control freak who doesn't let anything out of my sight.  I really liked that it was two primary coordinators, not a coordinator and assistant.  Both of them were at every meeting and new exactly what I wanted.  Two for the price of one!

They ran the rehearsal with ease and everyone listened!   My most favorite part - everyone was given their phone number and given strict instructions NOT to call DH or me.  It didn't work, but it was really awesome of them.

On wedding day, they took the wall o'crap out of my room and set everything in the room exactly as I had asked.  Some of the program holders were broken, and they made it work.  The wreath for the cake wasn't big enough, so they made it work.  It all worked.  (and I didn't have to do it!)

The sound system at the Roosevelt had a problem and the recessional music (Hey Jude, version from Across the Universe) was supposed to be played deafingly loud.  And it only whispered.  The song was a surprise for DH and I really wanted it to make an impact, but it didn't.  One of the coordinators asked the band to play it when we walked into the reception and it was PERFECT!  Aboslutely perfect.

The ceremony ran smoothly.  The transition from cocktails to reception (up a flight of stairs and around the corner) ran smoothly.  The reception ran smoothly.  Super smooth.

After the last dance & final call, they packed everything up for me and piled it in a corner so we could easily move it all the next day.  It was packed perfectly... the massive group of boys I sent down to the Roosevelt to throw it all in the car on Sunday didn't break a thing!

Natalie Buketov - Hair

I had a trial with Natalie after reading some rave reviews on the Knot and Project Wedding.  She was super fun and we fell into easy conversation.  I gave her a handful of pictures and she came up with something perfect for me!  I then took a nap and went out to a dinner party.  I got home late and my hair was still perfect!

For the wedding, she arrived early (I love early people!) and we made a few small changes to the trial (poufier & less curl).  I don't realize until I look back at the pictures that my hair was actually less poufy and more curly than the trial.  It didn't faze me then, so I'm guessing it wasn't that big of a deal for me.  It didn't move all night!  So, all in all, I'm very happy with her work.

When I left for my pictures and first sight, she even fitted the Mom's with false eyelashes!  They felt so special and uber-Hollywood!  It was so cute.

Alexia Culton - Make Up

I met Alexia through one of our GM.  She was the MUA for a movie that he was in and they had become good friends.  She just moved to LA from Kansas City where she had worked a lot in the wedding industry and is just getting into it out here.

I was blown away at the prices MUA charge.  Astounded that it costs me twice as much (if not more) than a BM because I'm the bride.  Hell, it's make-up people!  I refused to pay ridiculously for make-up.

Alexia was perfect.  Very reasonably priced!  She came to my house for the trial and I loved her the minute I opened the door.  She's warm and fun.  He work was exactly what I wanted.  We even invited her to stay for dinner and we spent hours chatting about everything.

For the wedding, she brought a second MUA that was just as good!  They were able to power through the 6 BM's and I with skill and agility.  My make-up was just as perfect as it was at the trial. I cried for the entire 30 minute ceremony and my make-up wasn't fazed.

Rob Holley Photography

Rob's work is stunning.  He was the only photographer we met with and I knew right off the bat that he was perfect for us.  He's an east coaster with an undying love for the Red Sox.  A match made in heaven.  He moved to Virginia in November, so he won't be much help for LA Knotties, which is super sad. 

Our photos were posted on Pictage the day we got back from our honeymoon.  Less than two weeks from the wedding day!  I was blown away when we landed and I checked my email from the phone.  We spent the entire ride home from the airport cajoling the iPhone into loading faster.  And we were not dissapointed.  The pictures are perfect.  He captured us perfectly.  I wanted a lot of Old Hollywood shadow shots and he made a real effort to get quite a few in different poses/areas.  They are, by far, my most favorite.

Today's the Day Videography

The day we hired Joe we'd never met him.  I'd heard rave reviews on The Knot and loved the work on his website. It seemed effortless, stunning and, most importantly, there was very little cheese.  He was willing to shoot the raw footage in HD with two cameramen for a great price and let DH do all the editing.

He arrived early on the wedding day, introduced himself and that was the last I really saw of him.  He was inconspicous and quiet.  The next day I had fears that he didn't catch it all!  What was I thinking hiring some man I'd never met!? I never told him really really what I wanted because it was so late in the planning process I just wanted it done.  I started to quetsion myself and my decisions.

Then we took a look at one of the tapes.  I nearly fell off the bed.  His work is STUNNING.  BEAUTIFUL.  DH would say "I hope he got X shot" and then that shot would magically appear.  It was as if he was listening to our conversation right then!  The picture quality is amazing and the sound quality is even better! 

Joe went above and beyond for us.  He threw in an extra SD camera for wide shots of the ceremony.  He stayed a bit longer as we were running behind schedule to make sure he got every important moment.  He even offered to do a set-up package for us after the wedding!

I adore Joe.

Flora by Fauna

Michelle Brue is amazing.  Creativity simply flows out of her and she is able to translate these amazing ideas into reality.  I was blown away when I saw the mock centerpiece.  She gave us a few options and reworked things as we went.  She was always open to our ideas and worked them all in for us.  She spent WEEKS finding just the right bling for my bouquet and the perfect feather for the bridesmaids bouquet. Her work is absolutely stunning.  The only thing better than her work is her pricing.  She even found ways to save us money! 

She was at the hotel for set-up early and did quite a bit of the assembly there.  Our cocktail hour was in the same room as our ceremony, so she stayed through the ceremony and cocktail hour to break down the chuppah and clean it all up for us. 

Paul Cathers - Keyboards

I've worked a lot with Paul in the past and knew he would be perfect.  We just wanted backgroud jazz as people arrived, basic processional/recessional and more jazz for cocktails.  After I hired him I decided that I wanted him to play a song that my father had written me when I was born for the processional.  The problem was that it was never written down... just in my fathers' head!  Dad jotted some nearly illegible notes on an 8.5 x 11 and Paul was not only able to decipher it, but was able to play it to Dad's enormously high standards.  I was more than thrilled with his work.

Dwight Kennedy & the Le Jazz Hot Dance Band

Prior to, he was a little difficult to get a hold of and unflexible in a meeting time... so we did it over the phone.  That actually worked out better because I saved myself a trip to Marina Del Rey the week before the wedding. 

My advice, don't be picky about specific songs, because they didn't listen to any of it.  I requested "Fly Me To The Moon" for the cake, they played "Sugar Sugar".  Our Last Dance, I requested "Closing Time", they played "Accidently in Love".  It's all itty bitty stuff, and it didn't kill the event, but it wasn't what I asked for either.  Why ask the question if you're not going to listen to the answer?!

All in all, I really like them and was happy to be a zen-esque bride, because the control freak in me would have had a coniption fit.

Rosebuds Bakery

I wanted a fabulous cake.  I love cake.  I knew exactly what I wanted.  Ivory buttercream with branches made of dark chocolate.  Some bakeries looked at me like I was insane for asking for something as ridiculous as custom chocolate branches.  But Rosebuds merely shrugged that it was doable.  Then they offered a chocolate monogram... our monogram.  I was bowled over.  They were so super easy to work with I signed a contract and paid in full without asking my usual itty bitty detail quetsions.  How wide? How tall? Delivery? etc. etc.  Months later I would look back and think I was ridiculous!

But boy did they deliver.  We had two different kinds - Chocolate cake with banana cream and chocolate ganache & white cake with caramel cream.  It was so tasty. 

The branches are much larger than I wanted... I think they look more like coral than branches, but they tasted so good it didn't matter.  The monogram at the top, completely edible, was PERFECT.

Their pricing was fabulous for what we received.  More than typical, but not as outrageous as I expected. On a side note, I did get a RIDICULOUS quote from them for a Rehearsal Dinner cake.  Apparently they have a minimum charge of $300.  What is it about weddings that makes it seem perfectly appropriate to spend hundreds of dollars on sugar?!

I'm not sure if it was delivered on time, or if there was a problem... if there was I don't know about it.  I'm beyond happy with their service and you just can't beat the cake. 

Mark Villa - Lighting

Mark is a great friend of ours.  He does lighting for the television industry, but I couldn't not mention him and his excellent work.  I'm not sure exactly what he did, but it was stunning.  The gobo, the chuppah lighting and the reception were exactly what we wanted!

The Day After

Almost Famous Catering

Hiring other people to take care of the Morning After Brunch was the best thing I ever did.  Starting on Friday I thought "What the hell was I thinking.  30 people over to my 700 square foot house the day after the biggest party I will ever throw!" Almost Famous came in, set-up, cooked, served, cleaned up, packaged leftovers and left. For $15/person.  It was the best money that I spent throughout this whole process.  They were fast, clean & efficient.  The food was excellent!  And super nice. 

I would definitely recommend Almost Famous and I would encourage the Morning After Brunch.  We only had 60 guests and I felt that I didn't get to see/talk/spend time with any of them.  It flies by so quickly.  An informal affair the next day gave me time to relax with everyone, see their pictures (which definitely helped with the post wedding depression!) and squeeze just a few more minutes.  Our guests loved it so much that we had to kick the last handful of people out at 11 that night!