Venue: Hyatt Harborside – B+
The communication with my coordinator, Megan, was amazing throughout the entire process. From day one, she would return my emails quickly, which was very important to me. She was easy to talk to and never made me feel like I was annoying, which, let’s be real, I’m sure I was at some points. The weekend of the wedding is the only place where some points were lost. We had a heck of a time getting our welcome bags delivered. We had to continue reminding them, and even at the end of the weekend, not all of the bags were delivered. On top of that, we were charged $3 delivery per bag, so the fact that it was such a hassle to get them delivered was irritating. It was disappointing that my mom had to keep nagging them to make sure they were delivered. There was some issue with the open bar and a tip jar. I guess there wasn’t supposed to be a tip jar (per my MIL’s request or something), but there was, and that made my MIL angry. Also, they used the wrong linens on my tables. There weren’t supposed to be any overlays, but there were. One of those things that no one else noticed, but it was kind of a bummer to me because aesthetically, it wasn’t what I was going for. But, everyone raved about the food (I mean, it was hot and tasty, which is more than most hotel weddings can boast), and pretty much everything else went accordingly. Our view was what I consider to be the best in the city, and the prices were reasonable. Would recommend.
Cake: Montilio’s – A
It was a package deal with the hotel, but I really loved it. Despite what I’ve heard others complain about, I found them to be easy to communicate with and everything came out as expected. My design was somewhat simple, though, so maybe that makes a difference. But it was delicious, for sure. Would recommend.
Groom's Cake: Cakes for Occasions - D
It was disappointing, for sure. The cake was burnt, which you could see once it was cut into slices. It was therefore dry. The icing was nothing special. Also, the 'superman' symbol was just eh. It didn't look very professional. I have actually made a cake with the same symbol that looked just as good. And considering the price, which was pretty high, I was definitely displeased. Had the wedding not taken my mind off of it, I would have called and complained. Would not recommend.
Favors: Mike’s Pastry – A
Relatively easy to set up, though you do have to pay in cash. But everything was delicious and surprisingly cheap. Would recommend.
Uplighting: RC Uplighting – A
Again, communication was key. They were quick to respond and just so nice! Very easy to work with, and on the day of, I didn’t even know they were there. And the room looked amazing. Good people. Prices are also good compared to others. Would recommend.
Makeup: Caitlin Murphy – A
I had originally booked someone else, but something came up in her schedule, and she wasn’t able to do it anymore. So a couple months before the wedding, I lucked out and found that Caitlin was still available for my date. She was awesome. She’s a really nice person and really listened. She was easy to talk to, and I felt comfortable speaking up when there were things I wanted to change. She did a great job on the day of and made everyone look beautiful. She was fun to have around, as well. Would recommend.
Hair: Gina Joubert – C
I thought she did a good job, though I think she sort of has her own ideas of how she wants to do things. You show her a picture, she does her thing, then tells you it looks exactly like the picture, even though it doesn’t really. I thought my hair came out well, despite it not exactly being what I wanted. I was happy with the result. She, however, didn’t do as great of a job with the moms’ hair. And I didn’t like the way she talked to my mother. She was just pretty rude to her. Knowing I drove all the way out to Shrewsbury to get my trial done, and now looking back, I definitely would not have booked with her again. I would have found someone closer, and maybe someone who might be more knowledgeable as to what is ‘trendy’. Don’t think I’d recommend.
Florist: The Tangled Web (Jen Cahill) – A-
She was great. Easy to talk to, delivered exactly what I wanted. The only reason I’m throwing in the minus is because when we originally talked, she said that if I rented a chuppah from her, she’d stay until after the ceremony and move the chuppah decorations inside and then take the chuppah back with her. This wasn’t exactly how it worked out. She delivered the stuff, and set up the chuppah. But between the time she set it up and the time the ceremony started (about an hour), the weather had totally changed (it was supposed to have been an outdoor ceremony). I watched from my 9th floor room as the chuppah was blowing over (literally), and my uncle, who was sitting in the chairs, waiting for the ceremony to start, had to stand up and hold the chuppah up. People were running around, trying to find things to weigh down the posts. Because we were watching this happen, my mom then called Jen and asked her if she could put more weight on it or fix it, but Jen informed my mom she was already gone and wouldn’t be back until after the reception was over. The ceremony then had to get moved into a tent, so other people had to re-set it up. Not a huge deal at all, but it would have alleviated some stress if she had been there like she had said. But, bottom line, I loved my flowers! And she has great prices. Would recommend.
Ceremony Musicians: Boston String Quartet – A
Honestly, this grade is based solely on the communication we had prior to the wedding. They were quick and accommodating. I didn’t hear any of the music at the ceremony or the cocktail hour, so I can’t say if they played what I wanted or anything, but people said they did a great job. When I see the video, I might have more to say. Would recommend.
Officiant: Elly Jackson – B+
She was a bit of a spaz at the rehearsal and seemed to have a bit of a know-it-all attitude when my venue coordinator was trying to give her some suggestions (as far as microphones at our outdoor ceremony and dealing with the wind). But she knows a lot about interfaith weddings and was very open to suggestion from me. Would recommend.
Photography: Perfectweddingphoto.com – A (pending photos)
I really love their style, and you could just tell they knew what they were doing. They were pretty invisible during everything, which was nice. They, however, aren’t up on this whole ‘blog’ thing that most photographers are into these days, so I don’t have any teasers or anything like that, which is the one thing I wish they did differently. Hopefully, the pictures turn out well (I saw a few on their camera and they looked good), so I can officially give them an A. Would recommend.
DJ: Rhythms by Ryan – A
Full disclosure – Ryan is a friend of my husband’s. I wouldn’t book him until I heard him perform at another wedding, and I liked what I heard, so we went ahead with him. He did a great job. Our dance floor was more packed than I have ever seen at a wedding. I think he is still building his website, but he has been doing this DJ thing for a long time, and I think his business will be booming soon. Would recommend.
Jewelry: Etsy seller Croska – F
STAY AWAY. I feel obligated to warn the world about her. She had my custom order since August of 2009. In May 2010, two weeks before my wedding (actually, less than two weeks), she emailed me to tell me she wasn’t going to be able to complete my order. I had been bugging her for months, and she kept pushing back the date it would be completed, but assured me, it would be finished. Her work looks beautiful, but from her recent reviews, I’m not the only one with this complaint. I think she maybe got too popular for her own good and couldn’t keep up with her workload. WOULD NOT RECOMMEND.
Jewelry: Etsy seller Tztudio – A
Teresa saved the day and was able to send me a necklace and bracelet similar to what I had tried to order from Croska. I actually ended up liking it better than what I was going to have made. I explained to Teresa the situation I had been put in, and she was so nice and accommodating and was able to get me my order asap. It was totally gorgeous. Would recommend.
Dress and alterations: Sabella Couture – A
Maria is the owner and a designer and seamstress and she is amazing. Absolutely amazing. From start to finish, she went above and beyond. I loved going in to her store, and she did a fabulous job. She even helped out my mom with her dress a few days before the wedding by fixing a bad hem job someone else in the Midwest had done. Maria and Christina are pleasures to work with, and I would recommend them and the store to anyone, for bridal gowns, bridal accessories, or just any type of alterations on any type of garment. Would recommend.
Invitations: Blush Design Studio – A
What can I say about Liz at Blush that hasn’t been said before? Nothing. She is just as amazing as what everyone else says. My invitations were gorgeous, and people continue to talk about them. I consider myself lucky to have been able to get to use Liz before she totally blows up and becomes completely out of my (price range) league. Talented, sweet girl. Would recommend.
Calligraphy: Etsy seller Dancing Pen – A
Beautiful, affordable, and quick. Excellent communication. Would recommend.
Tuxes: Russo Tux Shop in Chelsea – A
Prices were right. Selection was good. They have a Wednesday pick up, so it gave us time to find a few things that weren’t quite right and were able to correct the issues without stressing, so that was wonderful. They guys looked fabulous. Would recommend.
Rings: Gary Sachs Diamond Jewelers (Salem, NH) – A
Awesome, family owned business. Honest people, beautiful selection. They were able to custom make my band (twice! – I sort of changed my mind a bit). Great prices. Would recommend.
The communication with my coordinator, Megan, was amazing throughout the entire process. From day one, she would return my emails quickly, which was very important to me. She was easy to talk to and never made me feel like I was annoying, which, let’s be real, I’m sure I was at some points. The weekend of the wedding is the only place where some points were lost. We had a heck of a time getting our welcome bags delivered. We had to continue reminding them, and even at the end of the weekend, not all of the bags were delivered. On top of that, we were charged $3 delivery per bag, so the fact that it was such a hassle to get them delivered was irritating. It was disappointing that my mom had to keep nagging them to make sure they were delivered. There was some issue with the open bar and a tip jar. I guess there wasn’t supposed to be a tip jar (per my MIL’s request or something), but there was, and that made my MIL angry. Also, they used the wrong linens on my tables. There weren’t supposed to be any overlays, but there were. One of those things that no one else noticed, but it was kind of a bummer to me because aesthetically, it wasn’t what I was going for. But, everyone raved about the food (I mean, it was hot and tasty, which is more than most hotel weddings can boast), and pretty much everything else went accordingly. Our view was what I consider to be the best in the city, and the prices were reasonable. Would recommend.
Cake: Montilio’s – A
It was a package deal with the hotel, but I really loved it. Despite what I’ve heard others complain about, I found them to be easy to communicate with and everything came out as expected. My design was somewhat simple, though, so maybe that makes a difference. But it was delicious, for sure. Would recommend.
Groom's Cake: Cakes for Occasions - D
It was disappointing, for sure. The cake was burnt, which you could see once it was cut into slices. It was therefore dry. The icing was nothing special. Also, the 'superman' symbol was just eh. It didn't look very professional. I have actually made a cake with the same symbol that looked just as good. And considering the price, which was pretty high, I was definitely displeased. Had the wedding not taken my mind off of it, I would have called and complained. Would not recommend.
Favors: Mike’s Pastry – A
Relatively easy to set up, though you do have to pay in cash. But everything was delicious and surprisingly cheap. Would recommend.
Uplighting: RC Uplighting – A
Again, communication was key. They were quick to respond and just so nice! Very easy to work with, and on the day of, I didn’t even know they were there. And the room looked amazing. Good people. Prices are also good compared to others. Would recommend.
Makeup: Caitlin Murphy – A
I had originally booked someone else, but something came up in her schedule, and she wasn’t able to do it anymore. So a couple months before the wedding, I lucked out and found that Caitlin was still available for my date. She was awesome. She’s a really nice person and really listened. She was easy to talk to, and I felt comfortable speaking up when there were things I wanted to change. She did a great job on the day of and made everyone look beautiful. She was fun to have around, as well. Would recommend.
Hair: Gina Joubert – C
I thought she did a good job, though I think she sort of has her own ideas of how she wants to do things. You show her a picture, she does her thing, then tells you it looks exactly like the picture, even though it doesn’t really. I thought my hair came out well, despite it not exactly being what I wanted. I was happy with the result. She, however, didn’t do as great of a job with the moms’ hair. And I didn’t like the way she talked to my mother. She was just pretty rude to her. Knowing I drove all the way out to Shrewsbury to get my trial done, and now looking back, I definitely would not have booked with her again. I would have found someone closer, and maybe someone who might be more knowledgeable as to what is ‘trendy’. Don’t think I’d recommend.
Florist: The Tangled Web (Jen Cahill) – A-
She was great. Easy to talk to, delivered exactly what I wanted. The only reason I’m throwing in the minus is because when we originally talked, she said that if I rented a chuppah from her, she’d stay until after the ceremony and move the chuppah decorations inside and then take the chuppah back with her. This wasn’t exactly how it worked out. She delivered the stuff, and set up the chuppah. But between the time she set it up and the time the ceremony started (about an hour), the weather had totally changed (it was supposed to have been an outdoor ceremony). I watched from my 9th floor room as the chuppah was blowing over (literally), and my uncle, who was sitting in the chairs, waiting for the ceremony to start, had to stand up and hold the chuppah up. People were running around, trying to find things to weigh down the posts. Because we were watching this happen, my mom then called Jen and asked her if she could put more weight on it or fix it, but Jen informed my mom she was already gone and wouldn’t be back until after the reception was over. The ceremony then had to get moved into a tent, so other people had to re-set it up. Not a huge deal at all, but it would have alleviated some stress if she had been there like she had said. But, bottom line, I loved my flowers! And she has great prices. Would recommend.
Ceremony Musicians: Boston String Quartet – A
Honestly, this grade is based solely on the communication we had prior to the wedding. They were quick and accommodating. I didn’t hear any of the music at the ceremony or the cocktail hour, so I can’t say if they played what I wanted or anything, but people said they did a great job. When I see the video, I might have more to say. Would recommend.
Officiant: Elly Jackson – B+
She was a bit of a spaz at the rehearsal and seemed to have a bit of a know-it-all attitude when my venue coordinator was trying to give her some suggestions (as far as microphones at our outdoor ceremony and dealing with the wind). But she knows a lot about interfaith weddings and was very open to suggestion from me. Would recommend.
Photography: Perfectweddingphoto.com – A (pending photos)
I really love their style, and you could just tell they knew what they were doing. They were pretty invisible during everything, which was nice. They, however, aren’t up on this whole ‘blog’ thing that most photographers are into these days, so I don’t have any teasers or anything like that, which is the one thing I wish they did differently. Hopefully, the pictures turn out well (I saw a few on their camera and they looked good), so I can officially give them an A. Would recommend.
DJ: Rhythms by Ryan – A
Full disclosure – Ryan is a friend of my husband’s. I wouldn’t book him until I heard him perform at another wedding, and I liked what I heard, so we went ahead with him. He did a great job. Our dance floor was more packed than I have ever seen at a wedding. I think he is still building his website, but he has been doing this DJ thing for a long time, and I think his business will be booming soon. Would recommend.
Jewelry: Etsy seller Croska – F
STAY AWAY. I feel obligated to warn the world about her. She had my custom order since August of 2009. In May 2010, two weeks before my wedding (actually, less than two weeks), she emailed me to tell me she wasn’t going to be able to complete my order. I had been bugging her for months, and she kept pushing back the date it would be completed, but assured me, it would be finished. Her work looks beautiful, but from her recent reviews, I’m not the only one with this complaint. I think she maybe got too popular for her own good and couldn’t keep up with her workload. WOULD NOT RECOMMEND.
Jewelry: Etsy seller Tztudio – A
Teresa saved the day and was able to send me a necklace and bracelet similar to what I had tried to order from Croska. I actually ended up liking it better than what I was going to have made. I explained to Teresa the situation I had been put in, and she was so nice and accommodating and was able to get me my order asap. It was totally gorgeous. Would recommend.
Dress and alterations: Sabella Couture – A
Maria is the owner and a designer and seamstress and she is amazing. Absolutely amazing. From start to finish, she went above and beyond. I loved going in to her store, and she did a fabulous job. She even helped out my mom with her dress a few days before the wedding by fixing a bad hem job someone else in the Midwest had done. Maria and Christina are pleasures to work with, and I would recommend them and the store to anyone, for bridal gowns, bridal accessories, or just any type of alterations on any type of garment. Would recommend.
Invitations: Blush Design Studio – A
What can I say about Liz at Blush that hasn’t been said before? Nothing. She is just as amazing as what everyone else says. My invitations were gorgeous, and people continue to talk about them. I consider myself lucky to have been able to get to use Liz before she totally blows up and becomes completely out of my (price range) league. Talented, sweet girl. Would recommend.
Calligraphy: Etsy seller Dancing Pen – A
Beautiful, affordable, and quick. Excellent communication. Would recommend.
Tuxes: Russo Tux Shop in Chelsea – A
Prices were right. Selection was good. They have a Wednesday pick up, so it gave us time to find a few things that weren’t quite right and were able to correct the issues without stressing, so that was wonderful. They guys looked fabulous. Would recommend.
Rings: Gary Sachs Diamond Jewelers (Salem, NH) – A
Awesome, family owned business. Honest people, beautiful selection. They were able to custom make my band (twice! – I sort of changed my mind a bit). Great prices. Would recommend.
