Not Your Everyday Super-Costly Vendor List
Well ladies, let me just put this out there - graduate school has broken my bank, and I am now a person I never thought I would be: cheap. =) I have always agreed that often, one must pay for quality. However, I am learning that when it comes to wedding, if you have enough time and are willing to put in the effort to research and negotiate, quality does not have to equal expensive. I am happy to share with you the prices of anything I list here, just email me and ask!
Ceremony/Reception Site : Olympic Hills Golf Club, Eden Prairie
Grade: A-
REVIEW: Overall, the venue was amazing. We got so many compliments on how beautiful the setting was, the banquet hall was the perfect size for our 150 guests with plenty of room for high top bar tables near the bar and our hors douvres table and photo booth in an adjacent open area. The setup was great, except for somehow our two VERY last minute guests (literally RSVPd the day before) ended up at our vendor table. Not a big deal, but not where I asked them to be placed.
I am told the food was excellent, but I literally did not eat any of it. So, I can't speak for it personally!! It looked nice, the presentation was decent and it was piping hot.
One thing I was disappointed in was the tipping situation. We paid for open bar of wine and beer and the required 20% gratuity, so I asked for there to be no tip jars on the bar. While there were not any out, the bartenders deliberately left a dollar or two on the bar to "encourage" tipping. I'm not going to run up and tell people not to tip, but c'mon. I noticed this, and FI's brother who is a chef noticed as well. The professional thing to do would have been to immediately remove any cash left on the bar so that people didn't feel obligated to leave some as well.
Our coordinator at OH, Amy, was not present on the day of our wedding as expected. I was told around 4pm by my DOC that she had been in a minor car accident the night before, and while she was fine, she would not be coming in. No big deal, on the surface, and of course I am glad she is okay. However, I am not sure if she didn't have notes to give to her back-up person or what, but the replacement lady had no idea what was going on. She didn't come up to introduce herself or explain any of the situation to me. I still am not sure she was even present during the reception since I have no idea who she was. Luckily, Suz (DOC) had most of the same notes and was able to direct the staff appropriately. The one big issue we had was with the chairs we rented. There were VERY specific instructions that they needed to be taken down immediately after the ceremony and put back on the pallet they were delivered on, because the time frame for pick up was pretty tight. We were outside taking photos away from the chairs, and they still weren't being taken down, so I had to tell a groundskeeper that was standing nearby that it needed to happen. They got right to work, but left them in the back of the clubhouse, not on the pallet in front where they were supposed to be. Later, during dinner, I looked out the window and there were the stacks of chairs, still there about 2 hours after they were supposed to be picked up. I told Suz, and she took care of it - no idea how, or if there was a late fee charged that Ohills paid for or what.... but when I looked later that night, they were gone.
The week leading up to my wedding, Amy (OHills coordinator) was actually relatively helpful and accommodating. I was a little worried based on our previous interaction, but she came through and essentially fulfilled all of my needs and expectations. She is still not the most warm or inviting person, but she got the job done.
Pre-wedding Impressions: Melissa S. was the wedding coordinator here, but Amy W. just replaced her. She has been relatively helpful via email, but our first meeting was a tiny bit weird. She wasn't the most accommodating - I felt like I needed to remind her that I am paying her a boatload of money, and that she really should be catering a bit more to what I want. The room layout, for instance - she said she would set it all up and put the tables (gift, placecards, cake, etc) where she thought they'd look best, and didn't want my input. After talking to her on the phone a week or so later, she seemed like she was more willing to work with me. We'll see how it goes day-of.
OHills does all the catering, and has a tasting in April for all of their couples for the year, although you do have to pay for it. We attended, and the food was very good. We decided to do the Grand Marnier chicken with cheddar mashed potatoes and mixed veggies. The cost here is extremely reasonable, and one great thing about this place is that the out time is 1am - so no worrying about people having to leave at midnight and thinking they have two hours to drive around and find a bar!
Grade: A-
REVIEW: Overall, the venue was amazing. We got so many compliments on how beautiful the setting was, the banquet hall was the perfect size for our 150 guests with plenty of room for high top bar tables near the bar and our hors douvres table and photo booth in an adjacent open area. The setup was great, except for somehow our two VERY last minute guests (literally RSVPd the day before) ended up at our vendor table. Not a big deal, but not where I asked them to be placed.
I am told the food was excellent, but I literally did not eat any of it. So, I can't speak for it personally!! It looked nice, the presentation was decent and it was piping hot.
One thing I was disappointed in was the tipping situation. We paid for open bar of wine and beer and the required 20% gratuity, so I asked for there to be no tip jars on the bar. While there were not any out, the bartenders deliberately left a dollar or two on the bar to "encourage" tipping. I'm not going to run up and tell people not to tip, but c'mon. I noticed this, and FI's brother who is a chef noticed as well. The professional thing to do would have been to immediately remove any cash left on the bar so that people didn't feel obligated to leave some as well.
Our coordinator at OH, Amy, was not present on the day of our wedding as expected. I was told around 4pm by my DOC that she had been in a minor car accident the night before, and while she was fine, she would not be coming in. No big deal, on the surface, and of course I am glad she is okay. However, I am not sure if she didn't have notes to give to her back-up person or what, but the replacement lady had no idea what was going on. She didn't come up to introduce herself or explain any of the situation to me. I still am not sure she was even present during the reception since I have no idea who she was. Luckily, Suz (DOC) had most of the same notes and was able to direct the staff appropriately. The one big issue we had was with the chairs we rented. There were VERY specific instructions that they needed to be taken down immediately after the ceremony and put back on the pallet they were delivered on, because the time frame for pick up was pretty tight. We were outside taking photos away from the chairs, and they still weren't being taken down, so I had to tell a groundskeeper that was standing nearby that it needed to happen. They got right to work, but left them in the back of the clubhouse, not on the pallet in front where they were supposed to be. Later, during dinner, I looked out the window and there were the stacks of chairs, still there about 2 hours after they were supposed to be picked up. I told Suz, and she took care of it - no idea how, or if there was a late fee charged that Ohills paid for or what.... but when I looked later that night, they were gone.
The week leading up to my wedding, Amy (OHills coordinator) was actually relatively helpful and accommodating. I was a little worried based on our previous interaction, but she came through and essentially fulfilled all of my needs and expectations. She is still not the most warm or inviting person, but she got the job done.
Pre-wedding Impressions: Melissa S. was the wedding coordinator here, but Amy W. just replaced her. She has been relatively helpful via email, but our first meeting was a tiny bit weird. She wasn't the most accommodating - I felt like I needed to remind her that I am paying her a boatload of money, and that she really should be catering a bit more to what I want. The room layout, for instance - she said she would set it all up and put the tables (gift, placecards, cake, etc) where she thought they'd look best, and didn't want my input. After talking to her on the phone a week or so later, she seemed like she was more willing to work with me. We'll see how it goes day-of.
OHills does all the catering, and has a tasting in April for all of their couples for the year, although you do have to pay for it. We attended, and the food was very good. We decided to do the Grand Marnier chicken with cheddar mashed potatoes and mixed veggies. The cost here is extremely reasonable, and one great thing about this place is that the out time is 1am - so no worrying about people having to leave at midnight and thinking they have two hours to drive around and find a bar!
Wedding Photographer : Cadence Cornelius
Grade: A+
(also Engagement Pics Part 3 and Boudoir Pics)
REVIEW: (Pending final photos) Cadence lived up to every expectation I had. She was a great asset to the day and fun to be around. She and her assistant, Tricia, were very professional. They showed up right on time (Cadence with the girls at the hotel, and Tricia with the boys at our house) and got right to work. She kept us on track but also let us have fun during the photos at the Guthrie. There were a few "must-take" photos I wanted to get, and when I asked Cadence about them, she accommodated right away. It was very clear that she had an eye for great photos though- she needed no suggestions from me! Our videographer commented on how talented he thought she was, too. At around 9:45pm, Cadence came to get us for our "last look" photos, and I had barely been on the dance floor and hadn't gone to the photo booth yet - too busy! She came over to the photo booth, took a bunch of great photos, then did our "last look" outside. Afterward, I asked her to come snap a few pics of me and FI dancing (as though we'd been out there all night long) and she stayed for another 45 minutes taking photos of us on the dance floor. She completely came through for me and I could not be happier with our decision to book her. Our sneak peek photos were posted on Facebook on Wednesday night, and I love them. As of today, about seven weeks later, we are still waiting on the rest, but she gave us a realistic expectation of 8-10 weeks.
Pre-wedding impressions: Cadence is pretty much the friendliest person I've ever met. She is so incredibly nice, super funny, and overall my favorite vendor. I almost feel bad calling her a vendor because I kinda feel like we are friends now :) Again, super reasonable price, but even better, she has a great personality and has been VERY excited that we asked her to be a part of our wedding. Her pictures are very creative, with a more journalistic style, which is exactly what we want. We are also doing a studio-style photo booth!! I can't say enough about how much we have enjoyed working with Cadence so far. She literally makes me feel like she's looking forward to my wedding as much as I am!
Boudoir Pics
This was so. much. fun. I sorta surprised myself by wanting to do it, but I am so glad I did!! I went to her annual January marathon at her new studio space. Everything went very smoothly - hair and makeup took about 45 minutes, and I seriously looked fabulous :) Then the actual photography was super great too! Cadence and Steph (a wedding coordinator who was helping to direct the shoot) were awesome, very encouraging, and very professional. The results were incredible!! I printed a book for FI through Mixbook, and he totally loved it :)
Engagement Session
We. love. Cadence. Our e-session was so much fun!! She is very creative and fun, and truly just a blast to be around. We started at W. A. Frost in St. Paul, then went down to the East River Parkway below the Franklin Bridge and got some great shots on the tresses. Her assistant joined us as well, which was unexpected but very cool. I am so overjoyed that Cadence will be a part of our wedding.
Grade: A+
(also Engagement Pics Part 3 and Boudoir Pics)
REVIEW: (Pending final photos) Cadence lived up to every expectation I had. She was a great asset to the day and fun to be around. She and her assistant, Tricia, were very professional. They showed up right on time (Cadence with the girls at the hotel, and Tricia with the boys at our house) and got right to work. She kept us on track but also let us have fun during the photos at the Guthrie. There were a few "must-take" photos I wanted to get, and when I asked Cadence about them, she accommodated right away. It was very clear that she had an eye for great photos though- she needed no suggestions from me! Our videographer commented on how talented he thought she was, too. At around 9:45pm, Cadence came to get us for our "last look" photos, and I had barely been on the dance floor and hadn't gone to the photo booth yet - too busy! She came over to the photo booth, took a bunch of great photos, then did our "last look" outside. Afterward, I asked her to come snap a few pics of me and FI dancing (as though we'd been out there all night long) and she stayed for another 45 minutes taking photos of us on the dance floor. She completely came through for me and I could not be happier with our decision to book her. Our sneak peek photos were posted on Facebook on Wednesday night, and I love them. As of today, about seven weeks later, we are still waiting on the rest, but she gave us a realistic expectation of 8-10 weeks.
Pre-wedding impressions: Cadence is pretty much the friendliest person I've ever met. She is so incredibly nice, super funny, and overall my favorite vendor. I almost feel bad calling her a vendor because I kinda feel like we are friends now :) Again, super reasonable price, but even better, she has a great personality and has been VERY excited that we asked her to be a part of our wedding. Her pictures are very creative, with a more journalistic style, which is exactly what we want. We are also doing a studio-style photo booth!! I can't say enough about how much we have enjoyed working with Cadence so far. She literally makes me feel like she's looking forward to my wedding as much as I am!
Boudoir Pics
This was so. much. fun. I sorta surprised myself by wanting to do it, but I am so glad I did!! I went to her annual January marathon at her new studio space. Everything went very smoothly - hair and makeup took about 45 minutes, and I seriously looked fabulous :) Then the actual photography was super great too! Cadence and Steph (a wedding coordinator who was helping to direct the shoot) were awesome, very encouraging, and very professional. The results were incredible!! I printed a book for FI through Mixbook, and he totally loved it :)
Engagement Session
We. love. Cadence. Our e-session was so much fun!! She is very creative and fun, and truly just a blast to be around. We started at W. A. Frost in St. Paul, then went down to the East River Parkway below the Franklin Bridge and got some great shots on the tresses. Her assistant joined us as well, which was unexpected but very cool. I am so overjoyed that Cadence will be a part of our wedding.
Engagement Pics Part 1 : FI's brother Chris
Chris does photography as a hobby and offered to shoot some e-pics for us on the beach when we were out in LA a few weeks ago. They look great!! He unfortunately doesn't have a ton of free time, so I did the editing in Photoshop myself. It was my first time ever. Be kind.
Engagement Pics Part 2 : Jen Meneghin Photography
We weren't planning to have an autumn set of e-pics, but a friend of mine from high school posted these great pics of her kids, and I followed the link of the photog/friend who shot them for her, and found Jen's page. She is relatively new and trying to build her portfolio, and was doing 2 hour sessions anywhere in the Twin Cities for $50. We couldn't pass it up - we really were excited to get some "urban" photos to contrast the beach ones that Chris took for us. Check out the e-pics page... there are some great pics but it was definitely a $50 session's worth of pictures. We only got about 50 photos back from her, and only about 20 of those I really liked. We had a fun time with Jen, but I am so glad that its Cadence who is doing our wedding.
Chris does photography as a hobby and offered to shoot some e-pics for us on the beach when we were out in LA a few weeks ago. They look great!! He unfortunately doesn't have a ton of free time, so I did the editing in Photoshop myself. It was my first time ever. Be kind.
Engagement Pics Part 2 : Jen Meneghin Photography
We weren't planning to have an autumn set of e-pics, but a friend of mine from high school posted these great pics of her kids, and I followed the link of the photog/friend who shot them for her, and found Jen's page. She is relatively new and trying to build her portfolio, and was doing 2 hour sessions anywhere in the Twin Cities for $50. We couldn't pass it up - we really were excited to get some "urban" photos to contrast the beach ones that Chris took for us. Check out the e-pics page... there are some great pics but it was definitely a $50 session's worth of pictures. We only got about 50 photos back from her, and only about 20 of those I really liked. We had a fun time with Jen, but I am so glad that its Cadence who is doing our wedding.
Videographer : eMotion Media
Grade: A
REVIEW: (pending final product, 3-6 months out) Its so hard to review our videography team when we won't have a video for months!! I am hoping for at least a teaser or something a little sooner :) The team consisted of three guys, and they were all very professional. Our photographer felt like they were getting in the way of her photos a few times, but I think that is to be expected - I would imagine most photographers prefer to work alone. My one bummer, which really isn't their fault, is that I didn't get on the dance floor until after they left at 9:30pm. So, no reception video of me dancing. They came to let me know they were packing up, and I wish I would've asked them to stay and gotten out dancing right away. Again, not their fault, but mine. I'm guessing the last footage of me they have is from dinner and our first dance. I still can't wait to see the finished product, and I'm really hoping that I feel justified in spending the money that I did on this service.
Pre-wedding impressions: I met with Dan after falling in love with his videos posted on the website, and he is super cool. A little quiet at first, but totally opened up and we were joking around by the end of the meeting. We spent about an hour chatting about his work and what I'm looking for, and its definitely a good fit. He actually worked for one of the local news stations for several years and then kind of fell into doing these wedding videos, which he found he loved. Check out his website, they are great videographers at a very reasonable price!!
Grade: A
REVIEW: (pending final product, 3-6 months out) Its so hard to review our videography team when we won't have a video for months!! I am hoping for at least a teaser or something a little sooner :) The team consisted of three guys, and they were all very professional. Our photographer felt like they were getting in the way of her photos a few times, but I think that is to be expected - I would imagine most photographers prefer to work alone. My one bummer, which really isn't their fault, is that I didn't get on the dance floor until after they left at 9:30pm. So, no reception video of me dancing. They came to let me know they were packing up, and I wish I would've asked them to stay and gotten out dancing right away. Again, not their fault, but mine. I'm guessing the last footage of me they have is from dinner and our first dance. I still can't wait to see the finished product, and I'm really hoping that I feel justified in spending the money that I did on this service.
Pre-wedding impressions: I met with Dan after falling in love with his videos posted on the website, and he is super cool. A little quiet at first, but totally opened up and we were joking around by the end of the meeting. We spent about an hour chatting about his work and what I'm looking for, and its definitely a good fit. He actually worked for one of the local news stations for several years and then kind of fell into doing these wedding videos, which he found he loved. Check out his website, they are great videographers at a very reasonable price!!
Dress : PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com
See "attire" for details on how this worked out! Michele is my wedding fairy godmother!!
See "attire" for details on how this worked out! Michele is my wedding fairy godmother!!
Wedding Band : Thomas Joseph and Sons
Grade: A+
My e-ring didn't come with a wedding band, so we had to have one custom made. We came across Thomas Joseph and Sons on yelp.com. They are located in downtown Minneapolis and don't advertise at all - they essentially base their entire business on referrals. You'd never find them, either - they are in the 7th floor of an old office building. That being said, the store has had customers in it each time I visited. I worked with Katherine for the design of my wedding band. She was fantastic! Very prompt with email and phone communication, and totally a perfectionist on matching the rings. They make ALL of the jewelry on site - no sending your e-ring off to New York, which I know makes us all uncomfortable. Plus, it literally took 2 weeks from when we first met with her until the day I had my ring in hand at home, and it would have been faster if my work schedule wasn't so limiting!! After the first "draft" of the ring, the diamonds didn't quite match up on the bands, and she noticed right away. I left my e-ring for the setter, went back again 2 days later, and voila!! It was perfect!! I think we have found a jeweler with whom to have a long-term relationship :)
Engagement Ring Setting : Robbins Brothers Jewelers
Grade: A
My fiance is from California, and purchased my setting at Robbins Brothers, which specializes in engagement rings. They only have stores in California and Texas, so that makes keeping the warranty up by getting it looked at once a year a little difficult, but oh well. I'm sure we'll be back in LA once a year at least to see his family. One of the side diamonds was a tiny bit loose, and we brought it to the store last week. They fixed it immediately while we waited, and were very friendly and professional.
Engagement Ring Center Diamond : Blue Nile
Grade: A+
I didn't know this, but when you purchase a diamond outside of the state you live in, you don't pay sales tax. That's 10% more that can go towards the quality of your diamond! Greg got my 1-carat diamond from Blue Nile, and we are VERY happy with it.
Greg's Wedding Band: Blue Nile
Grade: A+
We just ordered Greg's band, and received it literally 48 hours later. We love it! Link here (click) They have great customer service, a warranty, and a huge selection. Plus, if you are a AAA member, you get 10% off!!!
Grade: A+
My e-ring didn't come with a wedding band, so we had to have one custom made. We came across Thomas Joseph and Sons on yelp.com. They are located in downtown Minneapolis and don't advertise at all - they essentially base their entire business on referrals. You'd never find them, either - they are in the 7th floor of an old office building. That being said, the store has had customers in it each time I visited. I worked with Katherine for the design of my wedding band. She was fantastic! Very prompt with email and phone communication, and totally a perfectionist on matching the rings. They make ALL of the jewelry on site - no sending your e-ring off to New York, which I know makes us all uncomfortable. Plus, it literally took 2 weeks from when we first met with her until the day I had my ring in hand at home, and it would have been faster if my work schedule wasn't so limiting!! After the first "draft" of the ring, the diamonds didn't quite match up on the bands, and she noticed right away. I left my e-ring for the setter, went back again 2 days later, and voila!! It was perfect!! I think we have found a jeweler with whom to have a long-term relationship :)
Engagement Ring Setting : Robbins Brothers Jewelers
Grade: A
My fiance is from California, and purchased my setting at Robbins Brothers, which specializes in engagement rings. They only have stores in California and Texas, so that makes keeping the warranty up by getting it looked at once a year a little difficult, but oh well. I'm sure we'll be back in LA once a year at least to see his family. One of the side diamonds was a tiny bit loose, and we brought it to the store last week. They fixed it immediately while we waited, and were very friendly and professional.
Engagement Ring Center Diamond : Blue Nile
Grade: A+
I didn't know this, but when you purchase a diamond outside of the state you live in, you don't pay sales tax. That's 10% more that can go towards the quality of your diamond! Greg got my 1-carat diamond from Blue Nile, and we are VERY happy with it.
Greg's Wedding Band: Blue Nile
Grade: A+
We just ordered Greg's band, and received it literally 48 hours later. We love it! Link here (click) They have great customer service, a warranty, and a huge selection. Plus, if you are a AAA member, you get 10% off!!!
Bridesmaids Dresses : Bill Levkoff Style #372 in navy
Two of my six bridesmaids came with me to the Wedding Shoppe, and after many horrific bridesmaid dresses (they wouldn't be there if people didn't buy them!!), we settled for two that would probably be fine. As they girls were getting dressed to do, I was leafing through the rack across from the dressing rooms one last time and came upon this gem that I had somehow missed previously. Both girls tried it on, and LOVED it. Its super comfy, very flattering and exactly what we were looking for. They are at the Wedding Shoppe for $147.20, and on Netbride.com for $138. Only a ten dollar difference, so we decided to just order them from WS. I was hoping not to have to give them my business after the terrible reviews I've heard, but I actually haven't had any issues with them so far. We received our dresses about 3 weeks before the expected date, which was a pleasant surprise. They are beautiful, but definitely need alterations on the sleeves - they are off the shoulder, but it should be very easy to fix.
Two of my six bridesmaids came with me to the Wedding Shoppe, and after many horrific bridesmaid dresses (they wouldn't be there if people didn't buy them!!), we settled for two that would probably be fine. As they girls were getting dressed to do, I was leafing through the rack across from the dressing rooms one last time and came upon this gem that I had somehow missed previously. Both girls tried it on, and LOVED it. Its super comfy, very flattering and exactly what we were looking for. They are at the Wedding Shoppe for $147.20, and on Netbride.com for $138. Only a ten dollar difference, so we decided to just order them from WS. I was hoping not to have to give them my business after the terrible reviews I've heard, but I actually haven't had any issues with them so far. We received our dresses about 3 weeks before the expected date, which was a pleasant surprise. They are beautiful, but definitely need alterations on the sleeves - they are off the shoulder, but it should be very easy to fix.
Cake : Jeff Perila
Grade: A+
REVIEW: Couldn't be happier!!! The cupcakes were delicious. Compliments all around. We ordered the french vanilla with white chocolate mousse, oreo fudge crunch, and chocolate dipped strawberry. The oreo ones were gone before I could even try one!! The set up was gorgeous, as well - Jeff and his wife put the cupcakes out on a large cupcake stand and also on the small glass cake plates I had. Communication with Jeff was very prompt. I continue to get requests for his name from my wedding guests. :)
Pre-wedding impressions: I decided that I wasn't going to spend a fortune on our wedding cake. I don't need it to be super fancy, because, to be honest, I don't remember what ANY wedding cake has looked like from weddings I have been to. But, of course, we want it to be tasty. A friend recommended a family friend of her's that quoted me $200 for cake for 180 people, but we unfortunately never got a chance to do a tasting with her. Instead, we first met with Buttercream, basically just to see what all the fuss was about (what a waste of time - gross frosting that actually tastes like butter, irritating sales guy who used the word "upcharge" about 50 times during our meeting). Then we met with Jeff, after Kayla on TK posted about him. All I can say is that his cake. is. incredible. We sampled the French Vanilla with white chocolate mousse, the chocolate dipped strawberry cake, and the raspberry torte. They were all phenomenal!! Seriously, WORLDS better than Buttercream at less than half the price. He even sent us home with extra cupcakes (they were gone about an hour later). We decided to go with a 3-tier cake (bottom being fake) and then cupcakes for the guests - without the cake cutting fee, they end up cheaper than doing sheet cakes!!
The taste, quality, service, and price cannot be beat here, people. Do yourself (and your guests) a favor and serve his cake at your wedding.
Grade: A+
REVIEW: Couldn't be happier!!! The cupcakes were delicious. Compliments all around. We ordered the french vanilla with white chocolate mousse, oreo fudge crunch, and chocolate dipped strawberry. The oreo ones were gone before I could even try one!! The set up was gorgeous, as well - Jeff and his wife put the cupcakes out on a large cupcake stand and also on the small glass cake plates I had. Communication with Jeff was very prompt. I continue to get requests for his name from my wedding guests. :)
Pre-wedding impressions: I decided that I wasn't going to spend a fortune on our wedding cake. I don't need it to be super fancy, because, to be honest, I don't remember what ANY wedding cake has looked like from weddings I have been to. But, of course, we want it to be tasty. A friend recommended a family friend of her's that quoted me $200 for cake for 180 people, but we unfortunately never got a chance to do a tasting with her. Instead, we first met with Buttercream, basically just to see what all the fuss was about (what a waste of time - gross frosting that actually tastes like butter, irritating sales guy who used the word "upcharge" about 50 times during our meeting). Then we met with Jeff, after Kayla on TK posted about him. All I can say is that his cake. is. incredible. We sampled the French Vanilla with white chocolate mousse, the chocolate dipped strawberry cake, and the raspberry torte. They were all phenomenal!! Seriously, WORLDS better than Buttercream at less than half the price. He even sent us home with extra cupcakes (they were gone about an hour later). We decided to go with a 3-tier cake (bottom being fake) and then cupcakes for the guests - without the cake cutting fee, they end up cheaper than doing sheet cakes!!
The taste, quality, service, and price cannot be beat here, people. Do yourself (and your guests) a favor and serve his cake at your wedding.
DJ : Neon Express (Marc)
Grade: A-
REVIEW: I am happy with how the music turned out. He played the songs I requested, plus a bunch more that went over very well. He even got the songs I asked for that he didn't already have, no problem. My one tiny complaint was that we literally said FI's last name to him about 20 times, and he still had the inflection slightly wrong when he announced FI's brothers and us. It wasn't all that noticeable to anyone who wasn't listening for it, but oh well. We also said that we didn't want them announced like they were sports stars, but he sort of did anyway (Firstnaaaaaaame LASTNAME!!!!) The dance floor was mostly packed all night - he played a few songs that cleared the floor, but remedied that quickly. You just never know what the crowd will or won't like. The other thing was that I gave him a list of our must play and don't play songs, and I think he took it as the must plays were the only ones that could be played? My SIL and bridesmaid were requesting a few songs that weren't on the list, and he wouldn't play them because he said he had to play the other ones first. It was sorta weird... so if you use this company, be specific about what your lists mean. My must play list were simply suggestions I wanted dispersed throughout the night, not an all-inclusive list of songs.
Pre-wedding Impression: Upon the recommendations of several Knotties, we booked the DJ with the best deal I could find - $450 for the ceremony sound, music all night long, and use of his projector/screen for the slide show. I met with Marc and I thought he had a great vibe, and great taste in music! While I have seen a few unflattering reviews (music skipping, cutting off processional music), they seem to have all been his partner Dave's weddings. I actually emailed Marc twice with concerns and he has been very understanding and reassuring. I am still very happy with my decision to go with Neon Express.
Grade: A-
REVIEW: I am happy with how the music turned out. He played the songs I requested, plus a bunch more that went over very well. He even got the songs I asked for that he didn't already have, no problem. My one tiny complaint was that we literally said FI's last name to him about 20 times, and he still had the inflection slightly wrong when he announced FI's brothers and us. It wasn't all that noticeable to anyone who wasn't listening for it, but oh well. We also said that we didn't want them announced like they were sports stars, but he sort of did anyway (Firstnaaaaaaame LASTNAME!!!!) The dance floor was mostly packed all night - he played a few songs that cleared the floor, but remedied that quickly. You just never know what the crowd will or won't like. The other thing was that I gave him a list of our must play and don't play songs, and I think he took it as the must plays were the only ones that could be played? My SIL and bridesmaid were requesting a few songs that weren't on the list, and he wouldn't play them because he said he had to play the other ones first. It was sorta weird... so if you use this company, be specific about what your lists mean. My must play list were simply suggestions I wanted dispersed throughout the night, not an all-inclusive list of songs.
Pre-wedding Impression: Upon the recommendations of several Knotties, we booked the DJ with the best deal I could find - $450 for the ceremony sound, music all night long, and use of his projector/screen for the slide show. I met with Marc and I thought he had a great vibe, and great taste in music! While I have seen a few unflattering reviews (music skipping, cutting off processional music), they seem to have all been his partner Dave's weddings. I actually emailed Marc twice with concerns and he has been very understanding and reassuring. I am still very happy with my decision to go with Neon Express.
Wedding Musician : Cassius Stein (classical guitar)
Grade: A
REVIEW: Cassius did a great job. The music was beautiful, he showed up on time and looked very professional - especially for a 20 year old. He did our processional and recessional, as well as accompanied our groomsman vocalist for a song during our unity ceremony. It was flawless. I would definitely recommend him in a heartbeat.
Pre-wedding impression: Yet another lucky find. This one happened because of a miscommunication with a company that does ceremony music (violins, cellos, etc). I had been emailing with the owner of this company about hiring a classical guitarist, and after I told her that yes, I did want to book, she emailed me a few days later and said that since I hadn't put down a deposit yet, she booked their classical guitarist that morning. Grrr. Luckily, she recommended I contact the guitar professor at the U of M and see if he had any suggestions. He recommended contacting his student, Cassius, who is in Argentina for a semester. I did, and he agreed to play for our ceremony for only $150! We met him last week - and we were floored. He is amazing!!! I was seriously in awe listening to and watching him play. Contact me for his contact info!
Grade: A
REVIEW: Cassius did a great job. The music was beautiful, he showed up on time and looked very professional - especially for a 20 year old. He did our processional and recessional, as well as accompanied our groomsman vocalist for a song during our unity ceremony. It was flawless. I would definitely recommend him in a heartbeat.
Pre-wedding impression: Yet another lucky find. This one happened because of a miscommunication with a company that does ceremony music (violins, cellos, etc). I had been emailing with the owner of this company about hiring a classical guitarist, and after I told her that yes, I did want to book, she emailed me a few days later and said that since I hadn't put down a deposit yet, she booked their classical guitarist that morning. Grrr. Luckily, she recommended I contact the guitar professor at the U of M and see if he had any suggestions. He recommended contacting his student, Cassius, who is in Argentina for a semester. I did, and he agreed to play for our ceremony for only $150! We met him last week - and we were floored. He is amazing!!! I was seriously in awe listening to and watching him play. Contact me for his contact info!
Invitations : Paper Depot
The design is pretty simple - gray envelope (just one), gray backing/pocket with yellow and white paper inside, with a navy blue strip. I spent over 4 hours (in 2 visits) with the staff at Paper Depot and they were amazing - so helpful and creative!!! Check out our finished product in "Paper."
P.s., if you don't buy your paper the same day you get your mockup, they will give you a 15% off coupon to use within two weeks.
The design is pretty simple - gray envelope (just one), gray backing/pocket with yellow and white paper inside, with a navy blue strip. I spent over 4 hours (in 2 visits) with the staff at Paper Depot and they were amazing - so helpful and creative!!! Check out our finished product in "Paper."
P.s., if you don't buy your paper the same day you get your mockup, they will give you a 15% off coupon to use within two weeks.
Florist and DOC : Suz Colbeth
Grade: A
REVIEW: Suz was great to work with. First, the flowers: they were lovely and exactly what I asked for. She did a fantastic job with all of our bouquets. Regarding the DOC work she did for me, Suz was a lifesaver for sure. She got to our venue around 10am with her sons, and they set up everything, including our centerpieces, escort cards, guest book table, photo booth props, easels with engagement photos on them, gift table... literally everything. The room was stunning! The only thing she said she'd charge extra for was the chair covers, so I had my parents and in-laws go over to the venue to do those. Suz got our WP set up with their flowers and pocketsquares, and also did the job of organizing the BMs and GMs in line to walk down the aisle. This was one small area where I think she annoyed some of the guys, because they were goofing off (FI's brother had a beer in his hand and she took it away from him). But, I'm glad I didn't have to be the one telling people to focus! She did a great job making sure everyone was ready. Suz came back with her sons at the end of the night to take everything down, which was SO awesome. I can't imagine having to ask my family to do that task. Everything was boxed up and left in the coat room at the venue for us to pick up the next day. Overall, Suz mad the entire day a ton easier for me and was well worth the investment.
Pre-wedding impressions: This woman LOVES flowers, and weddings. I found her by doing a search for "wedding flowers" on Craigslist, and met with her after emailing back and forth about ideas. She and I sat for about 1.5 hours at a coffee shop talking about weddings and flowers - so fun! I was looking through her album of her work, and saw a picture of a good friend of mine as a bridesmaid!! I called her and she said that the flowers were for her sister's wedding, and they were incredible. Suz is super reasonably priced, and has 20 years of experience. Not only is she a wonderful florist, she also does day-of coordination. Her price, experience and talent CANNOT be beat. Seriously. And the best part is that she totally loves doing it! She is already doing much more than day-of help, and will also be at the rehearsal to help with timing of the processional. We met with her again last night for over 2 hours, just chatting about the wedding and different details - she gave me a ton of great ideas!!! I highly recommend chatting with her!!
Grade: A
REVIEW: Suz was great to work with. First, the flowers: they were lovely and exactly what I asked for. She did a fantastic job with all of our bouquets. Regarding the DOC work she did for me, Suz was a lifesaver for sure. She got to our venue around 10am with her sons, and they set up everything, including our centerpieces, escort cards, guest book table, photo booth props, easels with engagement photos on them, gift table... literally everything. The room was stunning! The only thing she said she'd charge extra for was the chair covers, so I had my parents and in-laws go over to the venue to do those. Suz got our WP set up with their flowers and pocketsquares, and also did the job of organizing the BMs and GMs in line to walk down the aisle. This was one small area where I think she annoyed some of the guys, because they were goofing off (FI's brother had a beer in his hand and she took it away from him). But, I'm glad I didn't have to be the one telling people to focus! She did a great job making sure everyone was ready. Suz came back with her sons at the end of the night to take everything down, which was SO awesome. I can't imagine having to ask my family to do that task. Everything was boxed up and left in the coat room at the venue for us to pick up the next day. Overall, Suz mad the entire day a ton easier for me and was well worth the investment.
Pre-wedding impressions: This woman LOVES flowers, and weddings. I found her by doing a search for "wedding flowers" on Craigslist, and met with her after emailing back and forth about ideas. She and I sat for about 1.5 hours at a coffee shop talking about weddings and flowers - so fun! I was looking through her album of her work, and saw a picture of a good friend of mine as a bridesmaid!! I called her and she said that the flowers were for her sister's wedding, and they were incredible. Suz is super reasonably priced, and has 20 years of experience. Not only is she a wonderful florist, she also does day-of coordination. Her price, experience and talent CANNOT be beat. Seriously. And the best part is that she totally loves doing it! She is already doing much more than day-of help, and will also be at the rehearsal to help with timing of the processional. We met with her again last night for over 2 hours, just chatting about the wedding and different details - she gave me a ton of great ideas!!! I highly recommend chatting with her!!
Hotel Block : Hilton Bloomington
Grade: A
REVIEW: I really have no complaints with the hotel. A few guests had difficulty finding our block with the national line (1-800-Hilton) but when they called the Bloomington location directly, there were no issues. Marty, the block coordinator, extended our block date by 1 week, and also honored our block rate up until the night of - literally, a couple booked the hotel for Saturday night on Saturday morning, and it was no problem at all. Marty was extremely prompt in returning emails and phone calls, and answering my incessant questions about the shuttle :) Speaking of, the shuttle worked out very well, to my knowledge. We didn't take it at all, but it came to pick up all the guests that were left at the reception for the last run, and when not everyone fit, they sent another shuttle about 15 minutes later. It seems like it worked great! I believe we had over 20 rooms booked Friday and Saturday night, so we received a two room suite for free both nights. It was perfect to get ready in on Saturday morning, then FI and I used it as our "honeymoon suite" that night.
Pre-wedding impression: I looked at all the hotels in the 494/100 and 494/France area, and decided on the Hilton off France Ave, on American Blvd West. They are offering us a great rate, $89/night, and scheduled private use of their shuttle to and from the venue. The event coordinator, Marty, is really nice and was very helpful in answering all my questions and making the shuttle work for us. The ceremony is at 5pm, and we were hoping for a shuttle run at 4:15 and 4:45, but the 4pm one is booked - he said that as soon as the shuttle gets back, they will start bringing our guests over. Just in case, we did book an outside shuttle which we will be using anyway to take the wedding party around for pictures, and the last hour of it will be for the guests to get to the venue. The Hilton had the latest shuttle, running until midnight for airport pickups and 11pm for other guest pickups. We paid $40 to extend the guest pickup until 12:30am, which was hassle free and no problem at all. The hotel itself is very classy and will hopefully impress our out of town guests :)
Grade: A
REVIEW: I really have no complaints with the hotel. A few guests had difficulty finding our block with the national line (1-800-Hilton) but when they called the Bloomington location directly, there were no issues. Marty, the block coordinator, extended our block date by 1 week, and also honored our block rate up until the night of - literally, a couple booked the hotel for Saturday night on Saturday morning, and it was no problem at all. Marty was extremely prompt in returning emails and phone calls, and answering my incessant questions about the shuttle :) Speaking of, the shuttle worked out very well, to my knowledge. We didn't take it at all, but it came to pick up all the guests that were left at the reception for the last run, and when not everyone fit, they sent another shuttle about 15 minutes later. It seems like it worked great! I believe we had over 20 rooms booked Friday and Saturday night, so we received a two room suite for free both nights. It was perfect to get ready in on Saturday morning, then FI and I used it as our "honeymoon suite" that night.
Pre-wedding impression: I looked at all the hotels in the 494/100 and 494/France area, and decided on the Hilton off France Ave, on American Blvd West. They are offering us a great rate, $89/night, and scheduled private use of their shuttle to and from the venue. The event coordinator, Marty, is really nice and was very helpful in answering all my questions and making the shuttle work for us. The ceremony is at 5pm, and we were hoping for a shuttle run at 4:15 and 4:45, but the 4pm one is booked - he said that as soon as the shuttle gets back, they will start bringing our guests over. Just in case, we did book an outside shuttle which we will be using anyway to take the wedding party around for pictures, and the last hour of it will be for the guests to get to the venue. The Hilton had the latest shuttle, running until midnight for airport pickups and 11pm for other guest pickups. We paid $40 to extend the guest pickup until 12:30am, which was hassle free and no problem at all. The hotel itself is very classy and will hopefully impress our out of town guests :)
Chair Rental : Festivities in Medina
Grade: B+
REVIEW: The chairs were delivered on time, I believe, but no one came in to the venue to let them know that the chairs were there and ready to be set up. Our DOC happened to see them sitting around a corner when she went out to her car. OHills set up the chairs and took them down for the 6pm pick up. Unfortunately, I looked out the window at 7pm and saw the chairs were still sitting there. We were told there would be a $150 late fee if the chairs weren't ready to be picked up on time, so I got a little worried. Our DOC took care of everything, and I'm not 100% sure what happened - if they forgot to come pick up the chairs, or if they came and didn't see them and left? Either way, I haven't heard from Festivities about a late fee, so I will assume for now that there won't be one. Other than that, the chairs were clean and good quality.
Pre-wedding impression: We are going with the white folding fanback chairs for $1.70 each + $75 delivery fee. I went to check them out, they are great quality and very sturdy - super important since we are getting married on a small grassy hill! Heather has been helpful so far. Their setup/breakdown fee is $200, but our venue will do those things for us so we ended up with what I think is a great deal.
Grade: B+
REVIEW: The chairs were delivered on time, I believe, but no one came in to the venue to let them know that the chairs were there and ready to be set up. Our DOC happened to see them sitting around a corner when she went out to her car. OHills set up the chairs and took them down for the 6pm pick up. Unfortunately, I looked out the window at 7pm and saw the chairs were still sitting there. We were told there would be a $150 late fee if the chairs weren't ready to be picked up on time, so I got a little worried. Our DOC took care of everything, and I'm not 100% sure what happened - if they forgot to come pick up the chairs, or if they came and didn't see them and left? Either way, I haven't heard from Festivities about a late fee, so I will assume for now that there won't be one. Other than that, the chairs were clean and good quality.
Pre-wedding impression: We are going with the white folding fanback chairs for $1.70 each + $75 delivery fee. I went to check them out, they are great quality and very sturdy - super important since we are getting married on a small grassy hill! Heather has been helpful so far. Their setup/breakdown fee is $200, but our venue will do those things for us so we ended up with what I think is a great deal.
Chair Covers : Heartstrings Bridal in Hopkins
Grade: A+
REVIEW: Best price around, by far. They were clean and looked beautiful in our banquet hall. We picked them up, set them up, and returned them, so nothing to review there - but I am happy we decided to get chair covers. It really truly completed the room. We did get a bill for three of the chair covers (totaling $30), and they said they'd keep them for two weeks if we wanted to view the damage. I didn't take advantage of that - just paid the bill.
Pre-wedding impression: If you book in September for use anytime during the year, they are $1.50 for cover and sash! We will be setting them up ourselves to avoid the extra fees for that, but a few friends are planning to help and we think we can bust them out in under an hour. The employees at Heartstrings have been very pleasant each time I've spoken with them. They even offered to let me change the sash cover last minute (which I eventually decided not to do).
Grade: A+
REVIEW: Best price around, by far. They were clean and looked beautiful in our banquet hall. We picked them up, set them up, and returned them, so nothing to review there - but I am happy we decided to get chair covers. It really truly completed the room. We did get a bill for three of the chair covers (totaling $30), and they said they'd keep them for two weeks if we wanted to view the damage. I didn't take advantage of that - just paid the bill.
Pre-wedding impression: If you book in September for use anytime during the year, they are $1.50 for cover and sash! We will be setting them up ourselves to avoid the extra fees for that, but a few friends are planning to help and we think we can bust them out in under an hour. The employees at Heartstrings have been very pleasant each time I've spoken with them. They even offered to let me change the sash cover last minute (which I eventually decided not to do).
Garters : etsy seller JLWeddings
Fantastic experience!! Etsy is the modern bride's best friend :) The garters were $20 total for the two of them, and they are gorgeous! Jen at JLWeddings was great to work with and always emailed me back super fast. I highly recommend her if you want a quality, custom garter set in your own wedding colors!!
Fantastic experience!! Etsy is the modern bride's best friend :) The garters were $20 total for the two of them, and they are gorgeous! Jen at JLWeddings was great to work with and always emailed me back super fast. I highly recommend her if you want a quality, custom garter set in your own wedding colors!!
Popcorn Machine : Midway Party Rental
Grade: D-
REVIEW: The only reason they didn't get an F is because Zong was very helpful throughout the whole mess. When I booked, I asked if the machine would fit in my car, and was told yes. My mom and I went to pick up the machine and while the staff was loading it into my car, he scratched the paint on the rear door. These things happen, and he was very apologetic. He directed me inside to speak with the manager. I waited 20 minutes for her, and when she (her name escapes me, but she had longish bleached blond hair and was maybe in her late 40s or early 50s) finally came out, she walked right past me and out to my car.
I followed her out, and she essentially acted like the whole thing was my fault. First, she minimized it and said it would buff right out for practically free. Not true, as I can feel the gouge from the scratch with my fingernail. She told me that it is a "courtesy" that they even loaded the thing into my car in the first place, and that I really should've brought someone who could do the heavy lifting. Then, she told me she didn't like the way it was loaded into the front seat of my car anyway, as though I was the one who put it there!! I was very calm and polite, and said that it was not communicated to me that I should have brought someone to lift it, or that it should've been loaded into a truck instead. I also explained to her that being as her staff loaded it into my car, that they would be the person who would benefit from the lesson on how to properly load it, being as I am not the expert.
As far as the scratch, she said "Well, get it fixed, send us the invoice and we'll see what we can do." She was very confrontational and the whole experience made me uncomfortable enough that I finally said I no longer wanted to do business with her. I worked with Zong for the rest of the transaction, and via Zong this woman told me that they don't do refunds within a week of the rental. FINALLY, after going back and forth, the manager said they would refund my money if we could call the scratch "a wash." Essentially, we both walk away now. So, for the two hours of my time spent driving from Chan to St. Paul, and a super nice scratch on my car, I get nothing but my money back. A few weeks after my wedding, I had to email and ask again for the refund, which was finally credited to my card the next day.
Grade: D-
REVIEW: The only reason they didn't get an F is because Zong was very helpful throughout the whole mess. When I booked, I asked if the machine would fit in my car, and was told yes. My mom and I went to pick up the machine and while the staff was loading it into my car, he scratched the paint on the rear door. These things happen, and he was very apologetic. He directed me inside to speak with the manager. I waited 20 minutes for her, and when she (her name escapes me, but she had longish bleached blond hair and was maybe in her late 40s or early 50s) finally came out, she walked right past me and out to my car.
I followed her out, and she essentially acted like the whole thing was my fault. First, she minimized it and said it would buff right out for practically free. Not true, as I can feel the gouge from the scratch with my fingernail. She told me that it is a "courtesy" that they even loaded the thing into my car in the first place, and that I really should've brought someone who could do the heavy lifting. Then, she told me she didn't like the way it was loaded into the front seat of my car anyway, as though I was the one who put it there!! I was very calm and polite, and said that it was not communicated to me that I should have brought someone to lift it, or that it should've been loaded into a truck instead. I also explained to her that being as her staff loaded it into my car, that they would be the person who would benefit from the lesson on how to properly load it, being as I am not the expert.
As far as the scratch, she said "Well, get it fixed, send us the invoice and we'll see what we can do." She was very confrontational and the whole experience made me uncomfortable enough that I finally said I no longer wanted to do business with her. I worked with Zong for the rest of the transaction, and via Zong this woman told me that they don't do refunds within a week of the rental. FINALLY, after going back and forth, the manager said they would refund my money if we could call the scratch "a wash." Essentially, we both walk away now. So, for the two hours of my time spent driving from Chan to St. Paul, and a super nice scratch on my car, I get nothing but my money back. A few weeks after my wedding, I had to email and ask again for the refund, which was finally credited to my card the next day.
Bridesmaid Necklace: etsy seller Fluerfaraway
Great seller, beautiful necklace, fast shipping! The necklaces are exactly what I wanted, they look really great with the dresses. The girls will be wearing them with simple pearl studs.
Great seller, beautiful necklace, fast shipping! The necklaces are exactly what I wanted, they look really great with the dresses. The girls will be wearing them with simple pearl studs.