...how it all came together...
Ceremony Site: Fort Snelling Memorial Chapel
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this church! We had no problems. They now have air conditioning and it is beautiful for a military wedding.
For more information, click here
Pastor: Family Friend
Reception Site: Cityview Evet Center at the Lost Spur, Eagan
The food was amazing and it was very affordable. The only semi-complaint I have is that their sound system isn't outstanding, but it all worked out in the end. I've heard a couple girls on the knot voice concern about the size of the dance floor, and honestly, it wasn't a problem. We asked Geri to take down the front two tables and there was plenty of room...and it was actually kind of nice because some of my friends and kids that were at the wedding were able to take off their shoes and not have to worry about how disgusting those wooden dance floors get...
Photographer: Stephen Geffre
I think it is pretty obvious that he did an amazing job :) What might not be obvious is that he was with us for about 10 hours that day! I was really impressed. I didn't want a lot of traditional pictures and Stephen is a true photojournalist. He picked out all the pictures for our album himself, and there isn't anything I would change. It tells the story of our day perfectly. I love all the color contrast in the pictures, which really shocked me because I was pretty sure that I wanted a lot of black and white pictures. If you want more details, or have any specific questions...just ask! We paid $2300 and that included the album, about 250 edited pictures and every picture taken on CD with the rights. He also gave us two small albums for our parents (10 pictures each) and a bottle of wine.
Invitations: DIY
My mom's friend actually did them for me...and they turned out great!
Programs: DIY
I bought the covers from Walmart, did the formating myself, and brought them to a printing place in Circle Pines (can't remember the name). They were awesome and cost somewhere around $50 for 200 programs I think...They got them done quickly and it was perfect.
Advice: I kind of waited to the last minute, and depending on the type of printing you can't always do that...especially if you are printing front and back...you need to factor in drying time! I luckily didn't have any problems, but just wanted to give you a warning :)
Hair: Allure Salon, Ashley Hynes
Fabulous! I got exactly what I wanted...finally! My hair held up just fine all day. Ashley is young and fresh, and knows what she is doing. She listens well and really helped me figure out what I wanted.
For rates, packages, location, etc. click here
Make-up: DIY
What can I say? I think I did a pretty good job :) I used ERA face from classifiedcosmetics.com for my foundation (it has been used on What-Not-To-Wear and gives you and airbrushed look).
Dress: Mori Lee 2105, The Wedding Shoppe
My dress was perfect, and I had a really amazing experience with the Wedding Shoppe.
I originally ordered my dress in ivory in July 2006, however in January my DH and I decided that he was going to wear his white trousers instead of the blue with his military uniform. I called the Wedding Shoppe with low expectations...I talked to Mary and asked if it was possible to reorder my dress in White. To my surprise she said I could for no extra charge!!! I was thrilled!!! I then proceeded to ask her who the designer of my veil was...because I was going to need to sell that one in order to buy another. Once again, I was told that could be exchanged at for no additional expense! This was really suprising because when my dress first came in I was told I needed to get in to inspect my veil ASAP because the designer was very picky about returns and only did them within the first 30 days.
I should also mention that I was originally measured wrong. So when my first dress came in September 2006 we had to send it back and get a smaller size. IDK. I guess it might not have been that I was measured wrong. So my second dress came in about mid-November, and then I reordered it again in January (in white) and I believe I received my final dress in April. So they shipping was very quick from my designer.I was very pleased.
Veil: Ebay
Cheap, cheap, cheap! I paid about $30 for a 120" cathedral length veil...can't beat that!
Shoes: DSW
My shoes were great and comfortable! My grandpa somehow got stuck carrying my flip-flops around in his walker and went home early, with them, so I was stuck wearing my heals all night...which ended up not being a problem.
Hair Accessories: Claire's
Jewelry: Looney Maiden
I purchased my earrings and bracelet from Looney Maiden, and my necklace at the Wedding Shoppe (where I also bought my dress). Everything matched my dress perfectly! I never wear bracelets but I LOVED it! I really wouldn't be surprised if the Wedding Shoppe got their merchandise from Looney Maiden and marked it up quite a bit.
Flower's: Jared's Aunt
Videographer: YellowTree
We were incredibly pleased with YellowTree. They did a fantastic job! Ourhighlight video is wonderful...and they actually taped us as we were driving on the highway...it was amazing! I would highly recommend themto anyone. Shannon and Ryan are very laid back and easy to work with.
DJ: Midwest Sound and Light Show
I'm not totally sure what to say about this vendor. Overall, our DJ did a pretty good job and they were VERY affordable...I think we only paid $495. However, I had to call them and ask when we were going to hear from our DJ about a week before the wedding. I was told our DJ would call in the next day or so. He never did, so I called them again. Whatever...when we booked I was under the impression I would get to meet with him, and that obviously wasn't the case. They don't assign DJ's to wedding until a week before the event which is kind-of annoying. Anways...the DJ invited everyone to the dance floor before the father-daughter dance, which made me very angry. Other than that, it was a great night. He kept people dancing, which I guess is the goal!
Ceiling Draping: Illuminations by Cole
Lori is great and affordable! She sent me a card thanking me for referring so many girls to her from the knot.com and a gift card because she said thanks to all the business I gave her she is now almost able to be a stay-at-home mom! She doesn't have a website, but is really easy to get a hold of by phone.
Musicians: Takumi and Konomi Lynch
Takumi's a classmate of my youngest brother. He is truly an amazing musician!He plays the violin and his mother, Konomi accompanies him on the piano. They were very affordable and professional. I cannot begin to tell you how many hours they practiced! So many people were impressed with them. You can contact them at: konomi1@comcast.net.
Here's a link to Takumi performing!
Alterations: Marge Schmidt
Ahhh...what to say. My dress fit like a glove, so I have no complaints about that part of it...however, I was referred to her by a local knottie. I needed someone that was affordable and could do some beading because I needed some adjustments around the neckline of my dress.
Well...Ican't say she was affordable. I spent $300 on alterations. I later found out this knottie is also in the process of becoming Marge'sbusiness partner...so I'm not sure if the referral had something to do with that.
Ialso have one major complaint. The most important point of my bustle broke right away! And I mean...we didn't even get it hooked once.Another minor issue I had was that I had four fittings and then a final trip out there to pick up my dress. I kind of felt that more should have been done before each of my trips out there.
Marge is also a motormouth. I probably spent an extra 30-60 minutes at two ofmy fittings because of how much she talked. She's pleasant, but I'm not really into talking to people that much. She also talked a lot abouthow she thought her prices were reasonable...and told me that places like Macy's start their alterations at $300. WELL...that's why I would NEVER go there!
But in the end...I really shouldn't complain because I had so many people ask me if I had my dress made. I was told endlessly not only was my dress beautiful, but that it looked like it had been designed for my body. I fit PERFECTLY. I think it was probably worth it in the end.
Icould probably even elaborate more on some of my issues...but yous hould email me if you have anymore questions. I think I still have her contact information in an email somewhere if you are interested.
Rings: Helzberg
...I'm not going to waste my time...JUST STAY AWAY! Run, very far, and never return...