Vendor Reviews (DC and PA)

We live in Arlington, VA  and got married in Lancaster, PA so we ended up with amazing vendors in both places. I have broken them up by state.

DC Vendors:

Wedding Dress - Lady Hamilton  Grade: A   Website

Lady Hamilton was the first dress shop I went to and I bought my dress on the first visit (I would recommend shopping around b/c I had definite buyer's remorse although I never found something I liked better then my original dress). I worked with Peggy who was super sweet and I bought the dress off the rack for a lower price. Dress Pictures

 

Alterations - Angie Cavallaro  Grade: A+   

Angie is every bit as amazing as everyone says she is. She did my alterations for 1/2 the price that I was quoted at Lady Hamilton. She was also able to take my dress out since I gained weight since I bought it. She scheduled me for 3 fittings and was able to fit in two of my BMs alterations as well.

 

Tuxedos - Men's Wearhouse  Grade: B   Website

MW was okay but my husband wasn't thrilled with the quality of his tux (mainly he had a problem with the shirt and tie). He ended up wearing his own shirt and tie. The guys ditched the vests too b/c they looked a little leprechaun-ish (we got their ties from Ann Taylor to match the BMs). Tux Pictures

 

Dance Lessons - Plaza Dance Studio, Joyce Bova  Grade: A jjbova@cox.net

We took two lessons from Joyce b/c we really wanted a quick fix just so we didn't look like idiots during our first dance. We learned a basic step, a couple turns, and a dip. They studio is located in an apartment building in an apartment that has been converted to a small studio. We were a little skeptical walking in there because we had no idea what to expect but everything turned out fine.

 

Photography - The Regetis  Grade: A+   Website

The Regeti's photography speaks for itself, they are fabulous. Amy and Srinu are also amazing, warm, friendly people and so much fun to spend an afternoon with. They made me feel super comfortable for my boudoir photos and as soon as we started the shoot, all my nerves went away. I walked away with gorgeous photos and a lot more self-confidence.

Our TTD shoot was just tons of fun, a great way to get relaxed and unique pictures after the hoopla of the wedding day. Again, we had lots of fun hanging out with the Regeti's for the day.

 

Wedding Day Makeup

I did my makeup myself. I went to the Nars counter at Neimans to have a makeover done, bought the colors I wanted and then put my own twist on it. Click here for pictures and reviews on specific products.

 

Band - Eleven Eleven (they play in DC and PA) Grade: A+   Website

Eleven Eleven was amazing! They are such nice, fun guys and they really made our reception awesome. We first heard them at Ri Ra in Clarendon and found out that they play from DC to the Jersey Shore. They play more rock type music (Bon Jovi, Greenday, Journey, etc.) but enough variety that everyone knew some songs and was singing along.

 

PA Vendors:

Ceremony and Reception Site - Riverdale Manor  Grade: A+   Website

I cannot recommend the Riverdale enough! We were sold on it based on the beautiful site, the fact that we would be the only wedding that day, and the options in case of rain. The grounds at Riverdale are gorgeous  and we loved the ballroom and farmhouse!

Once booking with the Riverdale, we were assigned Maureen (one of the owners) as our coordinator. She was helpful every step of the way, always friendly and on top of things. Planning a wedding from out of town was a little difficult, but we were always able to fit in meetings with our schedule. Maureen answered our emails in a timely manner and was an emense asset on the day of. She was really responsible for the flow of the wedding, and making our day fantastic! I was stressed before the wedding for no reason, Maureen ran the day perfectly.

The food was delicious at the tasting and just as good the day of. We had the seasons salad to start then filet and crabcake with mashed potatoes and green beans. Everyone loved the food!

All in all, we had a fabulous wedding at the Riverdale and I would recommend it in a heartbeat to other brides!  Pictures of Riverdale

 

Flowers - Backwoods Florist  Grade: A   bckwdsflrst@aol.com

Marion was lovely to work with, super friendly and professional. She gave us the best quote we could find and after seeing many rave reviews on the knot, we decided to go with her. I gave Marion pictures of what I wanted and all the flowers turned out exactly as I had envisioned and they were all beautiful!Flower Pictures

 

Cake - Bella Manse  Grade: A   Website

We loved Renee from the minute we met her, she is very nice and her cakes are fabulous. Renee's prices were good in comparison to others we looked at and she was willing to do embelishes without a lot of upcharges. We ended up doing a different flavor in each layer of the cake and had many raves about them all! We gave Renee a picture of what we wanted our cake to look like and a swatch for her to color match and the cake turned out beautifully. It was topped with flowers from Backwoods. Cake Pictures

 

Photographer - Ryan Estes (Wedding and Engagement)   Grade A+  Website

I saw Ryan's pictures from a girl who posted hers on the knot and I fell in love with his style! We decided to book him for our wedding and later decided to do e-pics. I am so glad we did the e-pics, they turned out to be so much fun and we even got some pictures with our dogs. It was a great chance to meet Ryan and get comfortable with having our pictures taken before the wedding. The e-pics turned out fabulous as well.

We knew that our wedding photos would be awesome, and they were! Ryan is very nice and great to work with. We got our pictures back in a timely manner and everyone loves them. We are so happy with Ryan's services and highly recommend him.

 

Band - Eleven Eleven (they play in DC and PA)  Grade: A+   Website

Eleven Eleven was amazing! They are such nice, fun guys and they really made our reception awesome. We first heard them at Ri Ra in Clarendon and found out that they play from DC to the Jersey Shore. They play more rock type music (Bon Jovi, Greenday, Journey, etc.) but enough variety that everyone knew some songs and was singing along.

 

Hair - Salon Rouge  Grade: A  (717) 626-9174

Christina at Salon Rouge did my hair and her sister did my BM's hair. We were all very happy with the way things turned out. Christina's salon is attached to her house and very nice. We got to sip on drinks while we got our hair done and Christina and her sister were both super nice. It was a great way to relax before the wedding! I was incredibly happy with my hair, it turned out exactly the way I wanted and stayed put through the hot outdoor ceremony, and dancing at the reception.

 

Limo - Landis Limos  Grade: A   Website

Not much to say here except that Landis provided excellent service. Our driver, Rich, picked us up on time and was very nice. The limo was in excellent condition. Rich made several trips from the Riverdale to the hotel first with us then the BP then a few remaining guests. All in all, great service.

 

Ceremony Musicians - The Music Factory  Grade: A

My MIL treated us to a cello and violin duo at the ceremony. She made all the correspondance with them but they were able to select most of the music (since I wasn't picky) and played the song of my choice for my enterance. Honestly, I was mostly deaf at the ceremony so wasn't able to pay attention to the music but from what I heard, the performed beautifully.