About Us


Kevin and I met three years ago when he was a patient at the optometry clinic I was working at. We started dating almost immediately after meeting and the rest is history. We couldn't be more excited about planning our wedding. This has been a big three years for us, with our first home, and now our engagement!

Oh, and yes, yes, standard disclaimer:_____________. Please email me at my knottie name at hotmail if you'd like credit or removal of your picture.




ENGAGEMENT PICTURES
VENUE
DECOR
BOUQUETS
CAKE AND SWEETS
DIY INVITES
SAVE THE DATES AND FAVORS
DIY PAPER PRODUCTS
HAIR AND MAKEUP
WEDDING BANDS
THE DRESS
BRIDESMAIDS DRESSES
ACCESSORIES
GUY'S ATTIRE
RECEPTION TABLE NAMES
CEREMONY MUSIC SAMPLES
MISCELLANEOUS
THE BUDGET
PRE-WEDDING VENDOR REVIEWS
VENDOR INFO

ENGAGEMENT PICTURES

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How it all started....my beautiful ring! The center stone is a 2.66ct fancy yellow set in 18k yellow gold, and the side stones are trapezoids set in platinum. Perfect!


These are proofs from our e-pic session with our fab photographer Anna Kuperberg. Please do not borrow without permission. Thanks! It's so cool how our photographer focused the image through the glasses. Very sentimental to us, seeing as how we met.


E-pics were taken in our first home together for extra sentiment for us. Besides it was a very cloudy, overcast day that day so a park was out of the question. =P I love how we're looking at each other in this one.


Sure, Kevin gets to sit while I risk my life standing on an end table from Target!


What a handsome guy. =)


Probably our favorite shot...but too bad I'm about to fall off the back



VENUE

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Our ceremony will be in the pavillion room adjacent to the rooftop gardens.  We'll have the cocktail hour in the gardens, and in the Fountain Room on the opposite side.  We're bringing in 4 outdoor space heaters just in case.  =)

A lovely NorCal knottie (Jen) who got married in the Pavillion Room.  Photo taken from the knot's real weddings gallery.


Reception will be in the lovely Crown Room, the top floor of the Fairmont's 23-story tower.

Crown Room decorated for our very own, fabulous, MGH!  I can only hope the view on my day is as gorgeous as it was on hers!



DECOR

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Our colors are champagne, ivory, gold, etc. We're keeping it to just this color pallate.


We'll have candles lining our aisle and along all window sills during the reception


I'd like this on the guestbook table

 
Here's our version.  I found these wall plaques at Michael's for $15 each, and I tied votive holders to them using chocolate ribbon.  I've attached four votives to the middle screen, and will do the same for the outer two.

 I like this decor, but we'll tone it down just a bit...smaller centerpieces, and a little less gold...


We also like this look


We'll have our centerpieces with branches, but in our wedding colors


We might have hanging votives on the branches

 Gorgeous branch and votive centerpiece from the RW of Patricia & Paul.

 Neat idea from the Real Wedding of Penny & Dave; perhaps for the BM bouquets?

 Gotta have lots of candles.  Thanks again to Penny & Dave.

One of my favorite centerpieces.  I love the free form and texture. (Also helps that it's in my colors  =) )

Another centerpiece I love.  The second one is a pew arrangement, but I love the texture and color.  Credit to the wedding of Jennifer & Alfred from the Real Weddings gallery for the pew arrangement photo.

 Another beautiful tall centerpiece idea from the RW of Jamie & Greg

Last one.  This was taken from the Real Weddings gallery...can't remember the knottie; page me if this is yours and you want credit.  This would be great for the cocktail tables, or if larger, for reception centerpieces.

We'll have colchester rust linens with ivory lamour napkins
BOUQUETS

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I really want an all white bouquet. Amaryllis and sweet pea are some nice flowers for texture


Peonies, Calla lillies, and Lily of the Valley


White iris.  I like how clean and modern this looks.

knottie NPwedding's gorgeous bouquet!

Another gorgeous bouquet from Natalini Flowers by Crispy.

Lovely idea for the BM bouquets.  Thanks to the Real Wedding of Jamie & Greg.

Another great BM bouquet idea from Petalworks.  I might add chocolate cosmos as well (thanks to the bio of the awesome Lu-Lu for the second pic)

 My BMs picked out this centerpiece from Martha Stewart Weddings and they liked the color combo and style, so I might do something like this for them (but in bouquet form, of course)

Here's how several of them might look.  I wonder if the color is too bright for their taupe dresses...thoughts?

CAKE AND SWEETS

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We want a traditional cake with a twist....we like a single color with each layer decorated differently.  This is our favorite so far


Well, we decided to do mini cakes instead. This is what we designed, and our baker did a fabulous job bringing our vision to life. Too bad I smashed up the cake trying to get it out of the box. =(


This is a closeup of the sugarpaste orchid and the rock candy between the tiers.


Detail shot of the orchids which we will have made bigger.  We couldn’t decide between the two, so we’re doing half the cakes with the first flower, and the other half with this one.


I am having a surprise groom’s cake for FI. We’ll cut this since we are serving mini cakes. It’s modeled after knottie Amy Hu’s FABULOUS cake.


This is my terribly crude mockup of my design. I have an acoustic guitar with a sheet of tabs for a Beatles song (FI is a huge Beatles fan), a replica of FI’s NJ license plate, a mechanical engineering book, duffle bag for his alma mater, spaghetti to honor his Italian background, and the Movado watch I gave him for Christmas a couple years back.


Okay, we caved and are doing the candy bar. We'll do all white/gold/champagne, etc


I found LARGE containers! Woo Whoo!

Me sitting behind them for size perspective. These will be available for sale after the wedding. However, I'll be renting them to other brides beforehand. If you're interested email me at my knottie name at hotmail. $25 rental fee for all of them. =) UPDATE:  These have sold!

I finally decided on candy for the buffet.  Thanks to all the knotties who participated in my poll!  You guys were a great help!  I'll be having:  white chocolate covered mini pretzels, chocolate toffee almonds, coconut Jelly Bellies, cream colored m&ms, Ferrero Rocher, Ferrero Raffaello, and Reese's mini PB cups.  So far, I've bought everything but the m&ms.  I think I'll have about 60lbs of candy when it all comes in! 

CANDY BUYING GUIDE

Not sure how much candy to buy?  Here's a little bit of info that might help.  I bought test bags of candy and measured it's density in lbs/cups, then measured the container's volume to calculate how many lbs of a given candy I'd need.  Here's the how-to. 

First, fill each of your containers with water.  Count how many cups of water it takes to fill the container to your liking.  Then use the following conversions to determine how many lbs and oz of a given candy you need:

1 cup m&ms = 7 oz

1 cup jelly beans = 7 oz

1lb shelled almonds = 3 cups    -    1lb almonds in shell = 1 1/2 cups

1 cup Ferrero Rocher/Raffaello = 7 to 8 pieces

1 cup Reese's mini PB cups = 15 pieces = 5.6 oz (just over 1/3 lb)

1 cup chocolate covered mini pretzels = about 16 pieces (candywarehouse.com states 80pcs/lb) therefore
1 cup mini pretzels = about 3.2 oz


My DIY candy buffet bags. I used the same ivory linen paper as I did for my invites and other paper goods. Used raffia for the handles.


Closeup of the window. I cut out our monogram and backed it with clear cellophane so you can see into the bag.

After making the first 30, I drove myself crazy, and finally came to my senses.  I bought these toffee-colored organza bags from Paper Mart and made the tags out of some leftover cardstock from my invites.  I'll use the other bags at the bridal shower, probably.

DIY INVITES

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These babies were a labor of love. They're silk wrapped pocketfolds that took a bazillion hours to design so that no seams or cut edges were visible. There's also a hidden magnetic closure. [begin shameless plug] If you're interested, I am offering my services to other brides. Page me on the Norcal board or email me at my knottie name at hotmail dot com [end shameless plug]


Closeup of my DIY calligraphy


Invite enclosures. We've still got some tweaking to finish....the RSVP text isn't centered...We'll also be having the invitation and enclosures letterpressed.  We are so lucky to have gotten this for free as a wedding gift from one of FI's work vendors who works at a printing house.


We'll also have a separate but coordinating invite for our second reception on the East Coast


East Coast invite pocket on the back.  Custom map for East Coast.

Sample of my work for another bride.  Names and wedding information are not correct, but this was just for visual purposes.  It's hard to tell in the photo, but I used chocolate brown silk satin, and copper mesh ribbon.  Also hard to see, but the squares are actually cut out of the top layer, revealing the copper cardstock beneath.

Shot of the pocket on the back with a mother of pearl button accent.  Button will be hand sewn on the final version, not just glued like this.

Last shot of the inserts.  I reversed the cutouts, and this time, copper cardstock was cut and pasted on each card, so it is raised to the touch.  Don't know why the copper looks different on each insert, it's all the same color in real life.

SAVE THE DATES AND FAVORS

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We're doing the pen STD's from Martha Stewart. We'll wrap the mailing tube in the same paper as our invites.


This is our version. We wrapped the mailing tubes in the same paper/ribbon as our invites, and added a printed calendar that has our website and password info, and “Invitation to Follow” at the bottom. I’ll take another picture during the day so the colors are more accurate.

For our favors, FI found these unfinished trinket boxes, and stained and painted them like this. We also etched our monogram into the glass window using etching cream.


What are we going to put in them, you ask? Well if you look at our monogram, the answer is quite obvious - Tea Leaves! (get it?..hehe). We'll give each guest a display tea (sewn tea leaves that bloom in the cup) which we'll also serve at the reception


Our display teas, which we will serve in a wineglass.   We have 12 different varieties of blooming teas, each with their own flavor and flower pattern...some are really intricate!  Purchased from Kasora (www.kasora.com).  Super highly recommend.

This project has taken over our dining room table.  Sorry the pic is blurry.

DIY PAPER PRODUCTS

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Front of our programs. We used bronze metallic cardstock and ivory linen finsh paper. Finished with a skeleton leaf, and raffia.


Inside has the ceremony order and a little information about our bridal party. The inside cover also has a thank you note to everyone.


Reception Menu.  We'll have one at each place setting in a napkin pocketfold.  I don't know if you can tell in this picture, but the fork, knife, and spoon graphic is cut out of the cardstock.

Color is off, but this gives you a good closeup of the cutout backed with vellum and the sample of the text layout and tea pairing information.

 This is our escort card in the silver-plated holder we bought.  The meal selection is cut out of the cardstock just like the graphic on our menu and then backed with vellum. 

I saw these placecard holders online and they are waaaaaaay smaller than I originally thought they would be, but it turned out to be perfect.  Each one measures about 1.25" x 1.25"  Purchased from ebay store, Lucy and Pearl.  Highly recommended.  These will be for sale after the wedding.  I have just over 100 pieces and they'll go to the first $50 offer.

 DIY RD invites.  I stitched raffia through the cardstock for some texture, and I lined the envelope with this funky woodblock print paper.

HAIR AND MAKEUP

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I want a slightly smokey eye.  I like how fresh Zhang ZiYi looks.

I like this whole look...very glamorous  Ditto for the second girl.

After much flip-flopping on styles, I think I'll go with the tried and true simple french twist.  I like how this one is updated by not being so tight and polished, but is left soft and loose, with some face framing bangs and height at the crown.  (Too bad I found this pic, after my trial)  I've found some hairpins that are really similar to this, but I think I might save the money and just use my comb.  UPDATE:  Now I'm thinking I'll leave my hair down...*sigh*...decisions, decisions...UPDATE II:  I just had a trial with half up off to the side like the model with the silver dress and flower in her hair...love it!

Here are some down hair styles that I like.  I think I like the last one the best, but the first one would definitely be the easiest as my natural texture is straight.  But I don't know if it's too casual for my dress.  We'll see what the stylist says...

Trial with Jonathan Nguyen. The skin looked great and was a fantastic compromise between looking natural in person, and looking flawless in photos. The hair comb will be worn in front of a veil, not by itself.  It looks too "princessy" this way...makes me want to gag. 

After 7 hours, no touch-up, AND a 2 hour nap on the couch! I also realized I forgot to take a picture with my veil and hair comb, so I added it now. I’m very pleased that my hair held up and my makeup didn’t smudge off. BTW, this is my natural lip color, which I think I prefer over the peachier lipstick shade I had earlier. I think I may just go with a tinted gloss the day of that matches my natural shade.

Closeup of the eye makeup Jonathan did.  I am debating whether to use the false lashes again or if I want to shell out for extensions.

TRIAL #2:

 I wanted a 2nd trial to try a different hair style and makeup look.  Jonathan was super-easy to work with and I think we really nailed it this time.  We did a much more classic makeup look with tinted gloss instead of lipstick.  It'll be half up with volume at the crown and side-swept curls.  He'll also add extensions on the day of so the curls go down to the fullest part of my bustline.  

The first picture was taken about a month before the trial (though conveniently I'm wearing the same sweater)  However, they were in much different lights, hence the skin color change.  Whatcha all think?  Any suggestions?  BTW, I have gotten another veil which is far less pouffy.  Much better.

WEDDING BANDS

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I'm so excited! FI got me this lovely band from Tiffany's! It's perfectly dainty being only 2mm thick and it works perfectly with my ring...can't wait til that comes in!  FI also got his band from Tiffany's. I love how it's so simple, but the ring isn't as domed as other plain platinum bands we saw. Also very hefty which FI likes.



THE DRESS

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I fell in love with this dress the instant I put it on. I'm so glad the saleslady pulled it out despite the fact that it had about 5 features I specifically requested I didn't want....boy does she know her stuff or what....too bad this is such a terrible terrible picture of it. Henry Roth 49044

Pictures from the Henry Roth runway show.

Mine is diamond white and we added buttons all the way down the length of the train, which we also had made 8" longer. I'll almost definitely do a french bustle with this.

Hello, gorgeous bustle.

My dancing dress for the reception.  Maggie Sottero Destinations AD1004.  I love how it will show my footwork and form.  I have had about 17 years of dance experience, and FI will have two by the time the wedding rolls around, so this part was important!  The best part? $329 shipped!

Mine will be in ivory.  I might have to cut that train, unless I feel okay with a very distinct risk of completely wiping out on my wedding day during one of our complex routines...

 
UPDATE ON THIS SECOND DRESS:

I bought this dress from www.bestbridalprices.com and have nothing but good things to say about them.  That's where the good news ends.  The dress itself is of terrible quality.  The workmanship is cheap, and the dress is so stiff and thick that it's quite unflattering.  It makes me look totally fat, and this is difficult being that I'm a street size 0.  That said, perhaps I just don't have the right figure for this dress and that's why it looked bad.  I am going to donate it to Brides Against Breast Cancer (my mom is a survivor) so hopefully it'll make another bride very happy.  =)

SECOND  DRESS - TAKE TWO...

Scala dress #86008.  I'm in love with the beaded straps and the pleated bodice.  I hope this works out!  A steal of a deal at $425, shipped!  This train is too nice to cut, so I'm thinking of a very secure bustle.

BRIDESMAIDS DRESSES

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I'm letting my BMs chose their own dress style from Bill Levkoff. They chose these styles and we’re getting them all in Taupe/Euro Taupe. They didn’t have a picture of the upper left dress in that color, and the colors in real life are much more similar to the one with the pickup skirt. There is also really no difference in real life between Taupe and Euro Taupe.

This is what they'll all look like together, hopefully.  Thanks to the Real Wedding of Quinn & James.

Here are the dresses, fresh out of the UPS box!  In real life, you can tell the two on the right are slightly different colors, but that's okay.  It's more important that my BMs got to chose a dress they loved, than for the shades of taupe to match exactly. 

Full-length shot of the dresses.  From left to right, they are Bill Levkoff 304 in Euro Taupe, BL 265 in Euro Taupe (both in Euro Satin), BL 310 in Taupe (diva satin), and BL 308 in taupe (taffetta). 

 
I didn't designate a maid of honor, but I think it's funny that the girl I would have picked if I had to, seemed to make herself stand out already.  My BM, Jenn, was the only girl who picked out a taffeta dress (everyone else has satin), in a full ballgown style (everyone else's is slimmer) and hers is the only one with a sash.  =P

ACCESSORIES

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I have fallen in love with hats and would love to incorporate one in my wedding.  When my mother got married in the 80's, she wore the most elegant hat and looking back, it is/was so much more classy than the crazy pouffy veils of the era.  She told me she spent more money on her hat than her dress!

This is the necklace I'll be wearing. It's 4.63ctw but still very dainty. Dear FI got this for me a couple years ago.  There's a hidden loop behind the center link so I could hang a pendant....perhaps a sapphire for my "something blue?"  UPDATE:  Tried this on with my dress and it turns out my dress looks better sans necklace, so this will be staying home. 

My sweet FI got me this diamond locket for my daddy.  He passed in 2004 and is my angel.  I am really looking forward to having him next to me on my big day.  I think I might put this around the bouquet for the ceremony, and then wear it on the chain for the reception.  BTW, this was a great eBay find...14k and 0.5ctw diamonds for $187.50 shipped!

My earrings are the yellow and white diamond ones in the back. I like how the colors match my e-ring. Can you tell I'm a diamond addict? Poor FI... I've also got some Nadri crystal earrings from Nordstrom I might use instead.


Old brooch I bought off of ebay for my 1st reception dress. Might also work as a hair brooch. Dunno what I'm going to do with it now...  The seller was auctioning a lot of two brooches, so the leaf brooch came with it. Perhaps for the bouquet? Either way, 2 brooches for $10 including shipping, I can’t complain! =)

I finally picked out some shoes and a garter.   Garters are all cheap and tacky.  All of them.  =P I settled for this because it's simple and I liked how the rhinestone ring matched my shoes (not that anyone will notice...)

I successfully tea-dyed my shoes!  I ordered them in the dyeable white satin, and it was a bit bright for my diamond white dress, so I dyed them with tea, and ta-da!  Perfect!  The shoe on the left is post-dye and the one on the right shows the color it was originally.  It's very subtle, but enough to notice.  I tea dyed the garter, too.  =)

GUY’S ATTIRE

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FI's tux: Calvin Klein 2-button, notch-lapel
FI will wear the Rio vest and tie in the ivory color.  I love how the tie is striped and the vest dotted.

GMs will wear the Rio vest in latte.  The color in real life is very close to the taupe color of the BM dresses.

RECEPTION TABLE NAMES

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We named our tables after famous couples/duos, etc. and took our photographer with us to a local costume shop where we had rented costumes. We'll have the pictures and the name of the couple on each table. Here's a couple of our favorites. Bonnie and Clyde Inspiration photo


Our version. Being Italian, Kevin does a great gangster face. Gotta love the oversized rubber pistol. =P


Cleopatra inspiration and our version of Anthony and Cleopatra. Love the lighting.


Robin Hood and Maid Marion. The costumes were great, the angle was great, but what's up with Kevin's suction cup arrow?


Hansel and Gretel. Who knew skipping was this much fun. Too bad Kevin is missing his alpine hat in this shot...


Czar Nicholas and Empress Alexandra inspiration


Czar Nicholas and Empress Alexandra. Kevin is so handsome. =)


Romeo and Juliet inspiration and our version. I originally thought this shot might be too morbid, but it came out quite peaceful.


Fake fern leaves from Michael's: $8.99. Convicing Kevin to do this shot: Priceless.
 

CEREMONY MUSIC SAMPLES

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I finally edited all the music for the ceremony.  Here is the clip I made for our mothers to walk to.  It's from a song called "Romance"

Mothers' Song

I used Bach's Orchestral Suite No. 3, "Air" for the bridal party, but sped it up a bit because the original version was very slow.

Bridal Party Song

Lastly, I edited the theme from a movie soundtrack for my music.  I cut bits and pieces here and there to make a somewhat complete song that runs long enough for me to walk down the aisle, say thanks to my Uncle who is escorting me, and make my way to the head of the altar.

My Song

MISCELLANEOUS
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Guy's bathroom baskets.  Contains: lotion, Shout wipes, first aid kit, breath strips, floss, eyedrops, Tylenol, Rolaids, and I will also add a bottle of contact lens solution, and possibly some hair gel.  Total cost with items shown (including wood tray):  $13

Girl's bathroom basket.  Contains:  lotion, Shout wipes, first aid kit, Tylenol, Rolaids, breath strips, floss, bobby pins, various feminine products, hair spray, eye drops and emery boards.  I will also be adding contact lens solution here as well as some safety pins and maybe some Hollywood Fashion Tape.  Total cost with items shown (including wood tray):  $17

OOT bags.  Blue damask bag from Target ($4), chocolate dipped peanut butter bars, and cheddar sourdough twists ($2.99/box), bottled water ($0.40/bottle).  We wanted something simple and cheap that will still leave our guests satisfied.  We're going to include an SF city guide and a DIY welcome booklet as well.

THE BUDGET
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THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE DOWNRIGHT UGLY...

 Okay, let's face it, things cost money.  Especially weddings.  With that said, nothing was more helpful to me while planning than to know what to budget for certain vendors and it was really helpful to know what other brides were paying so I could compare.  I have broken down our wedding into all costs I can think of (if I'm missing one, please let me know).  I have also compared what percentage of our total budget we allotted for each item, against what most general budget guides suggest.  'Recommended' amounts come from the budget calculator on brides.com

VENUE - The Fairmont Hotel: working with Barbara Greaves, Catering Manager

A+     So far, great to work with, they have been very accommodating of my needs and quick to respond.  It also helps the place is gorgeous!  Also, considering everything you get, the packages are very reasonable. 

PHOTOGRAPHER - Anna Kuperberg

A+     Anna made our e-pic shoot so fun and has a great eye for style and really puts humor into the pictures.  She has also been very responsive and easy to work with.  Our e-pic proofs came quickly and our order was put in and handled quickly.  I also like how she gave me guidance on how to smile, pose, etc. It was really helpful for a photo-putz like me. 

VIDEOGRAPHER -  Weddings on Film

A+     Justin and Georgina are an amazing pair.  They are friendly, charismatic, and they really know their stuff.  I cried watching their demo video.  We got along great and are looking forward to working with them!

COORDINATOR - Morgan Doan, Events by Morgan

A+    Morgan has negotiated some great deals for us, and is always there to answer our questions as well as give suggestions and insight that comes from being a seasoned pro.  She has a great sense of style and is very well organized, so we appreciate how much stress she has relieved us from.  Her vendor recommendations have always been top notch.  We can't wait to see how it all comes together on the Big Day!

DJ - Kerri Teyler, 1st Class DJs

A+    Kerri is a really friendly, outgoing person and easy to get along with.  She is knowledgeable about her equipment and capabilities and quick to respond to any of my questions.  She was also a fantastic deal and we booked her through a referral for $100 off her usual package price.  Tell her Kevin and Andrea sent you to get the same!  Can't wait to get dancing, I'm sure she'll make the whole evening a huge success!

FLORIST - Mandy Scott, Mandy Scott Flowers

A+    Mandy is the sweetest lady, ever, and is best described as a breath of fresh air.  She has a great sense of style and design and her work speaks for itself.  She was also very considerate of working within our budget while still giving us what we were looking for.  She is honest about what can/cannot be done and always has a positive attitude.  I just know her arrangements are going to be gorgeous.

CAKE - Rose Grabowski, Cakes by Rose

A+    Rose is a very nice lady who rents space at a commercial kitchen.  She does great work and is reasonably priced.  She drove all the way from Belmont to Cupertino to do a free tasting by our house before we even booked her.  Her flavors are inventive and not too sweet.  The mini cake sample she made, blew me away.  Looking forward to seeing all 120 of them, and the grooms cake!  Also, she just recently went to a convention and learned a new technique for covering a cake flawlessly in white chocolate.  She even offered to make us another sample cake, FREE OF CHARGE just so we could try it out before our big day.  This was all after we had already drafted the contract and paid the deposit.  She really cares about her brides being happy.  Rose rocks!

CEREMONY GOWN - Bella Mia Bride

A-/B+    Lani is the owner there and she is very knowledgeable. Same with her super-friendly assistant, Saralyn.  They always greet me by name when I walk in and have been very helpful.  Were it not for Lani's expertise, I would never have tried on the gown I ended up falling in love with.  Bella Mia Bride gets slightly lower marks because they were a little pushy on the sale when it came down to purchasing (they were great when I was browsing and trying things on, though).  Pushy sales, really rub me the wrong way.  Also, when I bought my gown, they were in this cute little boutique in downtown Saratoga, and now they are in a mall.  The environment there is more "commercial" and they lose some marks for ambiance. 

RECEPTION DRESS - www.bestbridalprices.com

A+    As much as I love my gown, I can't really dance in it, so I needed a second dress.  I spoke on the phone with a lady named Joann, and she is a sweetheart.  She gets right on top of things, double and triple checks to make sure every detail is correct, and is very knowledgeable about her products.   They're pricing is great and they have been very easy to work with.  They are a brick and mortar store that has a web presence, so I felt comfortable ordering through them.

 RECEPTION DRESS; TAKE TWO -   www.rissyroos.com

A+   I called and spoke with a girl named, Marissa, and she was very sweet and accommodating.  She got my dress and shipped it out the same day!  They also have a return policy (which is just unheard of in this industry) so I feel very comfortable if the dress doesn't work out for whatever reason.  Also, they price match!  They are also a brick and mortar store located in NJ, so I felt comfortable that they weren't some crazy web scam.  =)

BRIDESMAID DRESSES - www.netbride.com

A+    Like every other bride, I am happy with their excellent customer service.  They responded to my quote request quickly, and were able to make sure that one of my dresses would be able to be made in my requested color, one that wasn't listed as being available on the manufacturer's website.  They all shipped 4 weeks early and arrived in perfect condition.  Netbride is awesome!

OFFICIANT - Reverend Timothy Mills

A+    If you are looking for an officiant with tons of wedding experience, and who is versatile, well versed in many different religious and cultural ceremonies, and who is also charming and funny, then this is your guy!  We loved his personality right from the get go, and he has been very helpful in guiding us on how to write our vows, and even how to stand at the alter and how to kiss.  =)  We like that he can infuse some religious aspects if we want him to, but is perfectly fine performing a secular ceremony if need be.  His flexibility, honesty, and personality made him the perfect choice for us.  We're looking forward to a great ceremony!

HAIR/MAKEUP - Jonathan Nguyen

A/A-    Jonathan came recommended to me by my planner and was great to work with on the trial.  After having a horrible trial with another artist, I tried Jonathan, and he rocked!  He is such a diva himself, which kept me laughing, and has a huge arsenal of makeup tricks.  The reason he doesn't get an A+ is that he is difficult to get a hold of and the makeup, while it looked good in person, didn't quite photograph the way I wanted it to.  However, I'm not sure if this was my mistake in asking for the wrong look, or whatever.  In any case, I'll be doing a second trial to nail down the details.  His makeup was comfortable and long lasting. UPDATE:  I did a second trial and it rocked!  Jonathan is super-busy, but when he does a trial, he's all yours and really takes his time.  I really appreciate that sort of dedication.  Also, he drove to my house in Cupertino from SF both times.  Very convenient.  Love it.

LINEN RENTALS - Classic Party Rentals

A+    We went to classic with our planner, Morgan, but I forgot the name of the girl helping us...Michelle?  Anyway, she was very nice and worked quickly to pull out all the different pieces we were considering.  The total time spent there was under 20 minutes, and it was nice knowing that we could get in, get out, and get a great product and service. 

 ALTERATIONS - Si Arima

A+  I found Si (pronounced like 'sigh') through the knot and I can't say enough great things about her.  She is super sweet and she turned my dress around in a week and a half.  Everything came out perfectly, and I can't even tell where the alterations were done.  She also put in a really secure hook and eye for my bustle, and ended up giving me exactly the look I was going for, with only 1 point!  Love it!  I had her take in the bodice, add cups, replace hook and eye above zipper, add bra guides (to keep my bra from slipping up and showing), add hook/eye for bustle, and press the dress, all for $100!  I'm definitely going to take my reception dress to her as well!       Note:  I also had alterations done by another highly recommended seamstress on the knot, and was not nearly as impressed.  I had her take in the dress, alter the hem and add straps.  The cost came to $165, and the dress wasn't pressed, it came back with pen marks where she had marked the fabric to be cut, and the straps were uneven and unfinished.  So much so, that I had to alter them myself at home.  Thank goodness I know how to sew...

 

VENDOR INFO

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Venue - The Fairmont Hotel, San Francisco

Photographer- Anna Kuperberg

Videographer - Weddings on Film

 Wedding Coordinator - Morgan Doan - Events by Morgan

DJ- Kerri Teyler - 1st Class DJs

Florist- Mandy - Mandy Scott Flowers

Cake- Rose Grabowski – Cakes by Rose

Ceremony Dress- Henry Roth through Bella Mia Bride

Reception Dress - Maggie Sottero Destinations through Best Bridal Prices

Reception Dress, Take Two - www.rissyroos.com

Bridesmaids Dresses- Bill Levkoff through NetBride

Officiant- Reverend Timothy Mills

Hair/Makeup - Jonathan Nguyen

Linen Rentals- Classic Party Rentals

Seamstress - Si Arima - 408-988-3144

All paper projects - DIY

Favors - DIY by me and FI