We made it into "The Knot Real Weddings" magazine!!! We're featured in the Winter 2006 issue. Here are the pages. And you can download the article here.
Here are our thought on the "personal" experience we shared with the vendors that helped make our event happen. This only exemplifies "our" experience. Please use your own judgment.
Kirsten was wonderful! She took the time to listen to what I wanted, go through pictures and make my crazy bustle idea a reality. Not only that, but she color-coded everything to make bustling a breeze for my attendants.
Despite their recent bankruptcy announcement (which came to me as a shock, btw), I had a great experience w/ DBS and especially my DBS rep, Rachel. Rachel looked up all my questions and was really responsive. DBS also secured my and my attendants' designer gowns for a 30% discount, which considering the cost of those dresses, was awesome!
Note: my experience with them was ONLY regarding pressing. They required several weeks of lead time to just press, which in my opinion is ridiculous, especially considering that the place I ended up taking it to took less than a week for both my dress and the flower girl.
We both felt very strongly about signing a pre-nup. We did just about all of the learning and research ourselves. We had already come up w/ our own draft and needed her to go over it, extrapolate our goals and create the final/formal version. The process took over two months, and her drafts barely noted any of our requested changes. She was a very nice person, but not nearly as responsive as we would have liked.
The cake was DELICOUS! We had three layers and although I only ended up tasting two at the wedding, both were great. Margaret was sure to follow-up w/ me the week of the wedding to make sure she had everything in place and coordinated directly with our florist to ensure that the cake arrangement was complete. I plan to use her again, whether for anniversary, birthday - I'm sure I'll find an occasion :
The planners were both great. They were helpful, they reviewed the quantities of alcohol we planned to purchase (since we provided our own) and made some recommendations. The day of, we had one of the bartenders drinking, but overall the service was quite good.
The experience here was kind of iffy. As part of planning services, they were really not what they advertised to be - they really earned their keep primarily in the delivery fee and the ability to return. Their saving grace here was Ruben, who was our sales guy who kicked major butt and saved face for the company and their prices.
Yum! Pre-planning was great, the food was also amazing. It's very rare that the tasting is as good as the final outcome (cooking for 2 is much different than cooking for 100). When our 1-year anniversary rolls around, we've both said that we can easily skip the cake as long as we can go back to the caterer and have our reception dinner all over again. The only thing that we should note: vendor meals were NOT included in the bid and they ended up costing the same as a regular guest.
When people kept telling us that Marcia was a great coordinator and we would have the perfect wedding with her I was a little skeptical - vendors do tend to look after one another, but with Marcia, it really was the case. She is WONDERFUL! She's been in the industry for well over a decade and she knows what she's doing. She provided us with a great referral list. Although we did some independent research, the people we ended up using turns out came from her recs. She's very nice, but also very stern. She's organized to a T - and dealt with all the headaches that we didn't want to deal with - planning the timelines, organizing deliveries and pick-ups. Our day went remarkably smoothly. Everything went right and she's a big reason for it.
Melissa is really sweet. We'd taken classes with her before so we knew her personality would match up to what we needed. We had a difficult song, that was a little old-school, but she helped us choreograph a great dance to it.
Adrian really worked with the suggestions we gave him. His attention to detail and knowledge of music was wonderful. He really paid attention to our "play" and "do not play" list and really went the extra mile on some of our requests in the 12th hour.
We only did favors through them, but they were good. Easy to get to, well priced and we felt like we got as good a deal w/ them as best as anywhere else.
Rick was a nice guy. He does beautiful work. I'm quite happy with the flowers, but I felt like he could have listened a little more.
Monina is a sweet-heart. I've worked w/ her on 4 occasions now and she's been great the whole time. She really listens to what you want, and makes recommendations based on her experience. She's not afraid to try things either, which for me was great, because I didn't really know what I wanted - I kind of came to it based on different trials. She travels too which is great!
Both did a PHENOMENAL job. They started working at 8:30 in the morning and didn't stop until we left the hotel. Sava did the hair and his work was stunning. Each girl was unique but amazing. The makeup Silvia did was dramatic but downplayed and worked very well for each lady. I couldn't have done it w/o them.
I loved this place. It's not your typical "night after" wedding location, but it was just right for us. Had an internet connection (because we're both junkies), a big fridge, comfy bed, nice shower. All in all good! The location was lovely.
I used this place to print our invitations. I designed them, but they did the heavy-work. They were inexpensive (in comparison to a place like Kinko's) and the guy was very nice and patient. They even will do cutting, which I took advantage of for the programs and wished I had for the invites considering how long it took to do.
I really liked their cost and selection. They were fast to ship and easy to work with! For my jewelry I was a little disappointed with the quality because up close it looked cheap, but I guess you get what you pay for. It photographs really well though :
Phenomenal location. Our guests LOVED it and we people kept asking us how we found the place. It's a hidden jewel in Los Gatos, and it's just stunning. It is pricey and if you're not using a coordinator I can see it being a headache, but I couldn't imagine having our event anywhere else.
Augie was great! I work w/ him so I'm a little biased, but I've also seen his work over the last 3 years. We used him for our engagement shots which came out phenomenal, and we know our wedding pics will be just as great. He was really unobtrusive, does photojournalistic/artistic work. He lets you have your day, but for the mandatory "posed" photos he does very creative work that just makes you look wonderful!
Michelle and Patrick were lovely people. Since neither of us is part of a church, but felt that marital counseling is a must, this was a very good alternative. We practiced some very valuable communication techniques and did actually learn things about ourselves and our behaviors that were quite intriguing. Because it's in a group format, you don't really get too much individual attention but the class was still very rewarding.
Fast, reliable, great work, great price! 'Nough said :)
The food was great and priced very reasonably. The event coordinator was wonderful - he followed up well, sat down and talked us through their services, and his proposals. If planning any time of event, I would certainly go back. Top notch all the way around.
The dealer was really nice and patient. He wasn't pushy, didn't try to oversell or force a decision. The ring was finished earlier than promised. He's been very easy to work with since sale (for cleanings etc.). Several friends have purchased jewelry from him over the past 6 months and have been really happy.
It took them 12 weeks for an order that we were told would come in 4-6. Although the ring was very nice, dealing with them was painful. If you would like to use, give them a date no more than 8 weeks away from order. They did a lot of "you'll get it in time for your wedding" which was not too cool.
They were one of only 2-3 places that offered service for an hour, which is all we needed. Our driver was professional, courteous and on time. We'd use them again, given the opportunity.
Yeah…. not seeing this relationship perpetuate in the future. We had 6 people rent from them, and 5/6 renters reported incorrectly delivered attire. Even though they had been measured IN THOSE stores, they came in some too short, some too long, and one in the wrong style. Barely anything fit. It took us 4 trips and MANY phone conversations to get everything right over the span of 3 days before the wedding. If we hadn't rented early (thank you groom for being so insightful) we would have really been in trouble. What really drove us crazy is that 1) we were given wrong information in the registry process, and 2) when things went wrong the manager didn't appear particularly motivated to correct things for us.
We had two cameras and both videographers were professional, courteous and unobtrusive. I'm doing the editing myself, so their services only extended the day of.
Taken by Augie Chang. See them all.
Being Bulgarian by birth I really wanted at least one thing that was authentically Bulgarian to acknowledge the place that's contributed so much to who I am. We're not doing the food, or traditional costumes or dance, but instead I picked a beautiful Bulgarian folklore song to come down the isle to. Every time I hear it, it sends shivers down my spine so I know it's the one. ....Now, picture me coming down a long staircase, amongst tall red-wood trees.
Shane and I both fell in love with this song -- now we need to figure out how to dance to it :)
I heard Chris Botti on Oprah's wedding episode. I really liked him, and whereas I couldn't really see Shane loving his music, I was happy that I could use it for the dance w/ my dad.
My dress is Avalon, by Maggie Sottero (diamond white/pewter), the grooms (and groomsman's) outfit will be a simple tux w/ silver vest and orange tie. The bridesmaids will be wearing Mackenzie Michaels 88151 in black, and the flowergirl's dress will resemble the following. The flower girl dress is from David's Bridal, style S1008 The groom, his party, and our fathers will be getting their attire from After Hours. The guys will be wearing gray vests and orange ties, except for the fathers whos ties will be silver.
After I purchased my gown I realized I really gravitated towards dresses that have mini-bustles all over the skirt. But... in attempts to be a cost-consious bride and stay within budget, I denied myself the need to go and try any of them on. Instead... this is my comprimise -- my bustle :) Kirsten Tucker (who so far was been awesome so far) is doing an asymetric 6-point bustle.
I kinda went back and forth on the jewels. I bought some things from eBay, but nothing that I really loved. I got this entire set for $131.34 (Mika's Wedding - www.mikawed.com). It's not super cheap, but it's worth it and I'd totally wear it again.
Thanx to the Knotties out there (esp. salsabrosa). I saw this shoe referral from another dancer-bride and I loved them. danceshoesstore.com, $58.74. Can't wait for them to come in!
I have two pairs of shoes. These are from David's bridal ($51.96). I'm not sure if I'm going to wear these yet -- I really like the ballroom shoes I got (pic above), so I'll most likely sell these.
Can you say orange? I want the bright, brilliant collcolorstand in contrast to my very white dress. My favorite idea is that in the center. The bridesmaids bouquets will also be orange, but offset w/ small white blooms here and there (to tie them to my dress).
Some more thoughts.
The three words I told my florist were: elegant, simple and unique.... with a stress on the unique. Here are some centerpiece concepts I proposed to Rick. He actually came up w/ a great suggestion of suspended orchids in rectangular vases
I love this picture of a barn decor. We're going to wrap our posts w/ tulle, similar to this photo, but we're kicking it up a little by sewing in pockets where we'll have loose ornaorangeals (silk, since no one will be close enough to stare and care) and a orange satin ribbon wrapped around. Pics to come soon!
We got this great book called "The Artful Bride Wedding Invitations". We got the idea from there.
See how to make them
We designed, printed, assembled and envelopped all of these on our own. Total price for 110 invites? $295.70!!!! And that includes all shipping, tax, blah blah blah. Beat that baby!
Purchased from Mika's Wedding: www.mikawed.com ($48.95).
In addition, they each get a black chiffon wrap: sweetsuzy.com ($21.00).
My best friend is performing our ceremony. As a gift, I've purchased this necklace. Purchased from eBay ($29.71) from seller Busarin. I really dig her work! Check it out!
Also purchased from Mika's Wedding (www.mikawed.com). $36.95 for the whole set.
This is one of two gifts the GMs will be getting as well: cuff-daddy.com ($21.99)
We're doing two gifts for the moms (actually all the family ladies): a photo album and hankies (yeah, it's cheecheesy butt our mom's are both all about cheecheesiness) I really did't like the look of the poems, so I re-printed them -- and make them a little more personalized. American Bridal Accessories: $15.95
Well, my dad will never dawn a tux other than at my sister's wedding, so having these cufflinks isn't too much of a waste :) American Bridal Accessories: $18.95
theKnot's Enchanted Flower Girl Basket - $29.95
I also bought this one: it's a little smaller than what I was looking for, so I'm selling it. $11.95!!!
We're using Restaurant-O. I won't stop raving about how AMAZING our tasting was. Here's an actual picture of one of our salads.
Our ceremony and reception will be held at Nestldown in Los Gatos, California. It was the most magical location we ran into.
I'm not planning on having a veil -- I've tried on a few and I just look silly. I didn't think that was possible, but I prove it fact! So instead I'm going to have flowers in my hair. I want my hair up, and I want some twisty craziness :) Here are some ideas.
I like lots of knot/twistie things so this style works out really well. I plan to put some white stephanotis in my hair.
I would like something simple -- like the small card holders to the left.
In terms of table names: Shane and I met while working for a consultant company, so our tables will be named after project codenames.
This is my engaengagementg (except that the stone is a princess-cut instead of round). It's by Verragio. I absolutely love it!
Our guest mat. We designed our mat to fit 5 4x6 pictures. Frame and cutting from Cheap Petes. All came out to be aroun $76.
Our favors will also double as name holders at the beginning of the reception. They're small and simple picture frames. Got them at Hyegraph in San Francisco for $1.35 each.
These are our personalized Champagne flutes. Got them off of eBay (ds_decals for $12.95)
The dress I'll be wearing at the rehearsal and dinner. Macy's purchase.
My mom in her dress
These are the "Thank You!" cards we're sending our guests. Complete 100% DIY project. I got the photomagnets from VistaPrint. SUPER easy process... cheap too!
I made the video from our wedding day. In addition I designed our DVD cover and CD label. Here they are!
I realized I'm quite drawn to the coffee-table album design. Our photographer doesn't do these, so I put one together myself. MyPublisher is awesome for this type of project. In the long run each album came out to be about $50. Not cheap when you're buying in bulk, but SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper then making a professional one which is several Benjamins a pop :)
Making these types of invitations/programs is pretty simple. Here's the overall process:
You will need:
The process:
Best part? You can unfounfold for easy transportation and put together on the spot :) Total cost? $2.36!!!
Download the template
Budget/Tasks
Cake - Caterer - Florist - Location - Videographer
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Kirsten TuckerSan Mateo; Grade: A
Rachel O'NealBerkeley (Discount Bridal Service); Grade: A
David's BridalSerramonte; Grade: C
Angela WarrenSan Francisco; Grade: C
Margaret's French bakeryCampbell; Grade: A+
Best Beverage CaterersSan Francisco; Grade: Pre-work: A; Grade: Onsite: B
BevMoCampbell; Grade: C
Restaurant "O" CateringCampbell; Grade: A+
Marcia Joyner (A Joyous Occasion)San Jose; Grade: A+
Melissa Saphir (Metronome Ballroom)San Francisco; Grade: A
Adrian Cavlan (Sound In Motion)Santa Cruz; Grade: A
HyegraphSan Francisco; Grade: A
Rick James (Luxuries)Santa Cruz; Grade: B
Monina Wright (Natural Images)San Jose; Grade: A
Sava and Silvia - my cousinsBulgaria; Grade: A+
Garden InnLos Gatos; Grade: A
The Copy FactoryPalo Alto; Grade: A
Mika's Weddingwww.mikawed.com; Grade: A-
NestldownLos Gatos; Grade: A+
Augie Chang PhotographySan Ramon; Grade: A+
Marriage Prep 101San Francisco; Grade: A-
One Hour Martinizing & AlterationsCampbell; Grade: A
California CafeLos Gatos; Grade: A+
Arthur (Steve Padis in SFJM)San Francisco; Grade: A
Absolute TitaniumCanada; Grade: D
West Coast Limousines; Grade: A
After HoursSerramonte; Grade: D-
Sound In Motion; Grade: A