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ibekatieg
10.6.07
Page me on the Philadelphia board or email me at tobekatieg@gmail.com
Visit my planning bio here
Wine bottle guest book instructions here
CREDIT: CINDY PATRICK PHOTOGRAPHY
www.cpatrickphoto.com
Vendor Reviews
Highly Recommend | very satisfied with, went above and beyond
Recommend | very satisfied with
Recommend with advice | satisfied with but recommend with a few points of caution
Do not recommend | do not recommend
Alternations & Veil: Nilah | http://www.nilah.com/
Recommend
My mom, sister, friend and I used Nilah for alterations and were all satisfied with her work. Her prices are very fair. She stored my dress for me more than six months prior to the wedding. She was more than accommodating to my last minute request to try on the dress two days before the wedding. And, most importantly, the dress fit perfectly. She even made my veil, exactly as I wanted. We all were more than pleased with her work and service.
Bridal Dress: Melissa Sweet “Lia” from Michael’s Consignment Shop | http://www.michaelsconsignment.com/
Recommend with advice
Michael’s is a resale shop in Manhattan that carries high-end, couture women’s clothing but they also have a small section of wedding gowns. My experience was great as that’s where I found “the dress”. Buying my dress here was much cheaper than buying it new and they shipped it promptly after receiving full payment. While my dress was never worn, most are previously worn at weddings so expect some wear and tear, alterations, light dirt, etc. They mostly carry big-name, high-end bridal designers but their inventory turns over quickly and they are not a full service salon that will assist you while you shop. The dress arrived to my house in a box so the buyer is responsible for properly protecting and storing the dress. I really lucked out with my find and recommend it for those looking for high design on a dime.
Bridesmaids Dresses: Jim Hjelm “5701” from Pearl’s Place | http://www.pearlsplace.com/
The quote from Pearl’s Place was 20% less than the discounted price at a local bridal salon. The dresses arrived two weeks earlier than their earliest estimated delivery. The shipping charge was $12 total for all five dresses. Each dress arrived in perfect condition and in the correct size. My experience was great and I can’t recommend Pearl’s Place enough.
Ceremony Location: St. Patrick’s Church | archdiocese-phl.org/parishes/8305.htm
I feel Father Mackle tends to get blown out of the proportion on the Philly board. He was very sweet during planning and fielded each of my phone calls, albeit they were few. We learned everything we needed to know in one meeting and were given great materials that provided guidance on our reading and music selections. The church allows you to attend Pre-Cana at the church of your choosing. The music director is very responsive to emails and coordinated well with the string duo I hired. The church is beautiful and needs very little, if any, decorations. My only gripe is that it was pretty expensive for us to hold our “out of parish” wedding here, but what can you do? It was a great experience overall.
Ceremony Musicians: Glorious Strings
I found Dottie of Glorious Strings on Craigslist.com and booked her after seeing her quartet play at the Rittenhouse Row Spring Festival. She was so incredibly easy to work with, and is a sweet lady to boot. She was helpful in making recommendations for our traditional church ceremony and coordinated these pieces with the church organist on her own. She’s very responsive to emails and to my requests and kept constant communication through the planning process. I hired a two piece string ensemble and they sounded beautiful. The best part is that they were the best price of all string ensembles I researched.
Cocktail Hour Musician: David Kelly Guitarist | http://www.davekellymusic.com/
Dave plays at our favorite Mexican restaurant and we asked him to do exactly what he does there – play well-known rock tunes (Hotel California, Saw her Standing There) in a Latin guitar style. He was such a fun twist and I was surprised as to how many guests stopped me to ask about him and compliment him during the cocktail hour. He apparently drew a crowd of dancers too. Dave was great to work with and I recommend him for anyone who wants to do something different musically at their cocktail hour.
Florist: Michael Bruce Florist | http://www.michaelbruceflorist.com/
Michael Bruce is not mentioned on theknot often but of the florists I met with, he was the most talented and creative at the best price. After meeting him, I knew he was the best equipped to take the Sofitel Ballroom (which, IMO, looks like an IT convention room instead of a wedding ballroom) and transform it into something special. Michael and his staff did just that. The room was breathtaking. The shop was very quick to respond to emails and they coordinated very well with the Sofitel. I do have some words of advice for those considering him:
Make your budget well known and stick to it. He never scoffed at my budget but his initial proposal came in higher than what he quoted me verbally at our consultation. I was able to get a quote back within my budget.
Do not try to negotiate once you get to the centerpiece trial stage. Once you’re there, he considers the proposal final. I did not realize this.
He books up fast. I called to hire him three days after the hold on my date was released and he already booked another wedding. He charged me extra to take my wedding. He was still the best at the best price despite this.
If you have a specific idea and want it executed exactly, make it known. He executed two of my centerpieces and the escort card table exactly as we discussed. He did something totally different for the third, “tall” centerpiece, and it was not taller than the medium centerpiece. I recall glazing over the details of the third centerpiece at our final meeting and not discussing in detail. Regardless, the room looked fantastic.
Michael is a ball of energy and a blast to work with. Overall, I was pleased!
Guest Parking: Penn Warwick Garage
The Penn Warwick Garage, operated by Park America, was the most responsive of all the garages we looked into. They offered us a great rate for our guests. They handed out the walking directions to the church I provided them. I heard of no complaints from our guests with their experience there. Overall, they did a great job.
Hair: Meghan Cahill
Highly Recommend
I booked Meghan even though she had another wedding that same morning. We arranged that she would be to the hotel by 12:00 but would send an assistant to get us started at 11:30, as it would be tough getting 7 heads done in time.
The day of, Meghan was in the suite and working by 11:00 and finished all seven of us before 1:00. Meghan is fantastically talented, quick!, and a joy to spend the afternoon with. She took extra care to make sure that we were each satisfied with our hair and was willing to make any adjustments. Everyone, myself included, loved their hair and the ‘dos stuck all day and night. Her prices are extremely reasonable and she comes to you on your wedding day. I can’t recommend her enough.
Hotel Block: Club Quarters | http://www.clubquarters.com/
We received a great rate and chose them based on price and their proximity to our reception venue. No issues were reported to me by our guests who stayed here.
Hotel Block: Holiday Inn Express | http://www.holidayinn.com/
We received a very good rate and they were responsive to email and handed out guests bags. Again, I did not hear of any complaints from our guests.
Hotel Bock: Hotel Sofitel | http://www.sofitel-philadelphia.com/
The room manager was very quick with email responses and kept thorough notes on our guests and their check-in times. They handed out the guests bags as requested. The room rate was the most expensive of our hotel blocks but the rooms are beautiful, the beds are so comfortable, and the hotel in general is one of the best in the city. They were a breeze to work with.
Invitations: Brooke
I called Brooke based on the work she did for a friend and am so glad I did. In our initial meeting, she went over all of my printing and paper options while being mindful of my budget. I gave her freedom to come up with ideas and design options and she did not disappoint. In total, she provided over ten designs for me to react to and insisted I give her specific feedback on exactly what I liked and what I could do without. She kept constant communication during the design phase. She didn’t kill me after I had to fix typo after misprint after incorrect piece of information because of my mistakes or after I changed my mind from 4 insert cards to 3 insert cards and back to 4 insert cards. The end product was beautiful. I was thrilled. I can’t tell you how many emails and notes on the reply cards I received in response to our invitations. She did a beautiful job. At the time I worked with her, Brooke was operating her own startup business. She can now be found at Two Paper Dolls.
Make-Up: Janet Indorf of Face the Occasion | http://www.facetheoccasion.com/
I booked FTO based on knottie reviews alone and was assigned Janet. After my trial, I knew I made the right decision. Janet's approach makes you look “done” but not overdone. I, my mom and BMs looked like us, only prettier. Everyone, including myself, was very happy with their make-up.
The day of, Janet arrived earlier than her 10:00 ETA, finished all 7 of us before her 1:30 estimated end time, and stayed later to make sure we got off okay. She was fantastic to have with us all day and was a great, positive energy. As we ran around in the final minutes before leaving, I overheard her call the front desk of the hotel and request they clean up and make the suite extra nice, as it was where DH and I were staying. No one asked her to do this. For her thoughtfulness, her talent, her customer service and responsiveness, and her skin care recommendations that improved my skin in the months leading up to the wedding, she has a life-long customer in me. Janet is also found at Blue Mercury on Walnut St. Center City; she is a Bobbi Brown rep.
Our guests
Highly recommend
I feel as though I could have hired all of the top vendors available to me but the night would have never been the same with the fun-loving, energetic friends and family we had in attendance. When we were announced and entered the ballroom, they didn’t clap. They screamed and cheered. When the band went immediately into loud, fun dance music before the salads, no one hesitated. They charged the dance floor and hopped right in to the congo line. When my eyes finally focused after our introductions, I realized that everyone was wearing a white sash. My husband wrote a humor book about words “real guys” shouldn’t say (enter shameless plug here). Each person wore a sash bearing one of the words, for fun. As it was the same night as the final Phils vs. Rockies play-off game, my rabble-rouser, 87 year-old grandfather showed up in a Colorado Rockies hat in a sea of Phillies fans. Our guests danced until the very end and sincerely complimented me on what fun they were having. Without them, it would have been another, ordinary wedding.
Photography: Cindy Patrick Photography | http://www.cpatrickphoto.com/
Engagement Pictures
Our package included e-pics and we decided to take pictures in the town we live in. Cindy was very creative in spotting places to stop for pictures, her sweet demeanor put us at ease, and she was right with us as we ran around town. She took a ton of pictures -- 633 in total -- and delivered the CD of touched-up, high quality digital negatives (which we own) just three weeks after the shoot. The quality of her work was phenomenal and the photos were stunning. We left very optimistic and excited to have her with us on our wedding day.
Wedding Pictures
Reception Band: Drop Dead Sexy | http://www.dropdeadsexy.com/
We first became aware of Drop Dead Sexy at our friends’ wedding a few years ago. We knew right then that, once we decided to make this thing official, this band had to be there.
We walked into the ballroom and onto the dance floor for our first dance, and never looked back. They immediately kicked in with high energy and kept it going all night. After our first dance, they threw plastic leis around the necks of our guests and started a congo line. They kept the momentum going with medleys of oldies (ABC, Build Me Up Buttercup, Sweet Caroline) mixed with young/contemporary songs (Gold Digger, Little Black Back Pack, Umbrella). They have props. They have costumes. They have goofy choreography. They interact with the crowd. Their energy and excitement is contagious. You can’t help but have a good time with them. Even the “non-dancers” were entertained by their stage act.
Paul, the bandleader, was great to work with. The band played every one of our requested live songs and hit nearly all of my requested recorded songs in-between sets. They learned our first dance song and played it perfectly. They worked well with the event staff at the Sofitel. But, most impressive was their ability to read the crowd and take breaks when appropriate to keep the fun going all night. They are true professionals.
If you want “Love Train”, I suggest spending your money elsewhere. It’s a guarantee your guests will have fun with DDS playing. They will walk away not knowing what hit them. I can’t convey enough how much I loved this band. Best wedding decision we made!
Reception Venue: Hotel Sofitel | http://www.sofitel-philadelphia.com/
I came to the Sofitel battered and worn from the reception venue hunt. I left excited to have a wedding again. Amy, the event manager at the time, drew up a fantastic package with more perks and pleasures than I could have asked for and all in our budget. All of the concerns I had about service, food, and unexpected fees with other venues were put to rest.
All of the details for my wedding were handled and executed by the current event manager, Melody. She documented everything and pulled it all off– even the tiniest of details - flawlessly. I found it a little difficult to get in touch with her in the week leading up to the wedding but everything was addressed and finalized in the last few days and all of my concerns were eased.
Our cocktail hour and reception went perfectly. Shelly, the catering manager, runs the show and knows what she’s doing. Passed hors d'oeuvres were easy to come by and food stations were plentiful. Bar service was quick and friendly. The food servers were friendly and thorough with requests. All four courses were absolutely delicious. The pastry chef recreated the cake I wanted exactly, and it was quite tasty as well. And everything stayed on schedule.
The Sofitel is not a typical hotel and you will not have a typical hotel wedding. The food is gourmet. The ballroom is modern. The service is first class but not stuffy. They are true professionals and will not disappoint.
Rehearsal Dinner: Branzino Italian Ristorante | http://www.branzinophilly.com/
Do not recommend
We wanted a BYO within walking distance to the church and Branzino had the best food at the best price. Their private room accommodates up to 40 which fit our 30 guests very well, but the large pillars in the room did separate our tables. They are very laid-back and were very easy to work with during planning. However, our experience was disappointing on the night of the rehearsal dinner. We were told we could be seated by 8:15 but did not enter the room until more than a half hour later, because the previous private party ran late. We all stood on the sidewalk until they were ready as they did not indicate it would take that long before we could be seated. Although DH and I met with the restaurant that afternoon to confirm the menu offerings, the servers verbally recited the wrong menu to our guests and the restaurant did not have menu cards at each setting as they promised. They frantically corrected this by printing out the right menu on sheets of paper but quite some time passed before food finally hit the tables. The night went smoother once orders were taken but things only started moving after the urging of my husband. Our guests enjoyed the rest of the night. The food was delicious and they were prompt with keeping wine on the tables. I love Branzino for a dinner date, and I’m sure other private parties go off without a hitch, but based on my experience, I cannot recommend them.
Tuxedos: After Hours | http://www.afterhours.com/
I was scared to use After Hours after the bad reviews I had read on theknot. However, each tux arrived on time, fit well, and the price was right. Each groomsmen was able to order in the city they live in, and the tuxes were delivered to the correct After Hours location as requested. I was ultra careful when dealing with them and did review our order on their computer screen to double check each groomsmen’s name, height, etc. and found a few incorrect entries. They promptly fixed this and even followed-up with me one week prior to the wedding to confirm and review our order. Overall our experience was great.
Shopping
I recommend…
AC Moore, for the cheapest votive candles
BeverageFactory.com, for painted wine glasses that make great BM gifts.
Christmas Tree Shops, for the cheapest frames and photo boxes (perfect for bathroom boxes)
Ikea, for the cheapest glass votive holders
JCrew.com, for sparkly flat shoes and quick, reliable shipping.
Moore Brothers Wine Company, for expert wine advice, which we used for our guest book
Ninewest.com, for cool, heeled bridal shoes and quick, reliable shipping.
Paperandmore.com, for the best prices on pearlescent vellum
Paper-papers.com, for the best prices for metallic flat cards
Storus.com (smartclip.com), for a different kind of money clip for GMs at a great price with quick shipping.
Trader Joes in Westfield, NJ, for quality wine at the cheapest prices around, perfect for BYO rehearsal dinners, receptions, or gifts.
Vistaprint.com, for the best prices on custom magnets, postcards and return address labels.
I do not recommend…
Libbey Co. I placed an order with a month until the wedding. More than a week later, I received an email saying the item was out of stock and will ship in 6 weeks. I called Libbey and, several days later, I was told the order was successfully cancelled. Several days after that, my credit card was charged for the cancelled order. I called Libbey and they refunded me. Three days after that I receive an email saying the order was shipped. I called Libbey and they said they were able to stop the shipment. The week of the wedding, I receive a box on my step from Libbey. Libbey said they’ll schedule a pick-up and FedEx will make three attempts. I didn’t leave the box out on day 1 due to rain. FedEx never came back. Libbey then changes story and says FedEx only makes one attempt. I was told I needed to drop the box to a FedEx location.
honeymoon
Spain
Barcelona | Figueres | Gerona | Seville | Canary Islands | Madrid