Amy & Andrew Andrew and I first became friends just about a decade ago, and he instantly became one of my favorite people in the world! After many years of dating other people, we happened to both be single at the same time two years ago and had our first date. He proposed to me at Millenium Park the day after Thanksgiving 2006. We'd snuck up onto the empty stage of the Pritzker Pavillion, and while the sun was setting, he pulled out my gorgeous ring and asked me to be his wife. We quickly started planning our October 2007 wedding! Amy & Andrew Planning Photos The Look Random Photos of Us Where We're Headed & How We'll Get There Cake & Flowers Rehearsal Dinner My Showers Details Bachelorette Party Lake Geneva,WI August 10-12 Wedding Photos Vendor Info Free STLWed Bio Builder             Planning Photos Back to Top My E-Ring that Andrew choose without any input from me- I couldn't love it more! (photo courtesy of Tiffany) Three of my BMs and best friends celebrating my last birthday with me With Andrew's sister, also a BM Me and My Mom- she has been a huge help with everything for the wedding- especially putting up with me : ) My sister (MOH), my Dad, and me A bunch of my girlfriends Another BM and wonderful friend With my MOH at another friend's bachelorette party Fave photo with one of my BM on her super-fun 30th bday With the girls at Ravinia         The Look Back to Top   Shoes by Grace (www.gracefootwear.com) BM dresses by Bari Jay- they will be in chocolate organza......Pashminas that I've purchased for the girls in ivory (ww w.amazingcollections.com) Tuxes for the guys- 16 in total! (After Hours) My Something Blue that will be sewn into my dress (www.herecomesyourbride.com) My Something Old: My great, great grandmother's bracelet that is 102 years old and was worn by my mother and grandmother on their wedding days. My Hair Trial I love, love, love this look! Isela is a hair genius, and now that I see it with a veil, I'm glad that I gave in and bought one. The Bustle....since there ar e pleats on the back of the dress, a traditional bustle looked all wrong to me. I love this different look! I found this sample dress at Wedding Belles in Barrington. It was about 70% off of the original cost, so you can't beat that. I didn't even want to try it on at first, but when I did, my mom, MOH, and I all fell in love with it. You can't really tell from these photos, but the bust is tiny vertical pleats of lace, below is tiny horizontal pleats, and the skirt is organza. There are about 50 pins in the dress in this picture as I have to have it taken in a full size or two, so I don't think it does the dress justice. I ordered one for Andrew's nephews to carry- a great job for 2 & 4 year olds Cheering for the Cubbies with my twin nephews (RBs) and little brother (GM)         Random Photos of Us Back to Top   One night out on Lake Michigan At a friend's RD last summer         Where We're Headed & How We'll Get There Back to Top   We're using Elegant Trolley St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church in Lake Zurich The Stonegate in Hoffman Estates Grand Foyer for our Cocktail Hour Grand Ballroom         Cake & Flowers Back to Top   I don’t have a photo of our cake, but this one is similar. Our 5 tiers are squares/cubes. I'm not a big fan of flowers on cakes, so I think we'll have a few dark brown/burgundy/orange silk leaves on the table with our "I DO" letters. These are the exact bouts we’ve chosen for the guys- FI loves orange (Go Illini!) The BM bouquets will be similar to what he’s holdin g, too, but with no yellow. This is actually a BM bouquet, but mine will be similar. It will be a larger, hand tied version with: Chocolate roses, Black Magi c roses, Mango Calla Lilies, Burgundy Dahlia, just a couple of Ivory roses, and accents of sage, seeded greenery, & berries.         Rehearsal Dinner Back to Top   Our rehearsal dinner will be at Millrose Restaurant, and this the room we've reserved.         My Showers Back to Top   The invitation for my first shower -with someone else's info (www.weddi ngpaperdivas.com) & the a photo of our room at the Glenview Park Golf Club. My mom, me, my sister (MOH) The Gifts! Mom and a couple of friends relaxing on the terrace connected to our room for the shower. We had a lovely view of the golf course from three walls of windows and out over covered terrace. With FSIL at shower Andrew's family hosted my second shower at La Tasca Tapas Restaurant Our favors were a bottle of Raspberry Sangria mix and the hostesses also created menus for the day since some of our guests were new to tapas. With my mom and FMIL Still no clue where all of this stuff is going to go....but with about 15 cookbooks and just about every cooking gadget you can imagine, I'm sure we'll be expected to start entertaining soon.         Details Back to Top   Our Invitations (www.invitationconsultants.com)- well sort of.... our wording is not the same as this sample. I love the hint of fall with the leaf, without having autumn just smack you in the face. Some seasonal things are just too much for me, but we really liked this one. We'll use a large glass jar like this for our cards at the reception The front and back side of the table tents menus I made for our cocktail hour Our 6x6 programs that took a ridiculous amount of time to make, but I love them! Cards the we left in the bathroom for guests Baskets for men and women I made menus that were rolled up to also serve as a place card- we got so many compliments on there. Calligraphy by Knottie Marilena The BEAUTIFUL ring bearer pillow my mom handmade for us!         Bachelorette Party Lake Geneva,WI August 10-12 Back to Top   Twelve of us stayed in two suites at The Cove We rented a 25" Pontoon boat for Saturday afternoon Opening gifts         Wedding Photos Back to Top Gettin' Ready         Vendor Information Back to Top   Ceremony Location - St. Francis de Sales, Lake Zurich IL   Officiant - Father John Hoffman   Reception Location - The Stonegate, Hoffman Estates, IL A+ I don’t have a single complaint about Stonegate. We started working with them nine months before the wedding, and our rep there was AMAZING. I just loved her. Well, she took another job a month before our wedding, and suddenly we were in limbo. It took A LOT of time and energy to make sure the new person was up to speed on what we’d planned with the last girl, to make sure she understood what my expectations were, and to get everything ironed out prior to the reception. There were a couple of rough patches in there, and I think I had a couple of bridezilla moments with her, but she took it in stride and really came through. Actually, when I went in to make our final payment the week before the wedding, someone else in the office said “Oh, you’re Amy…” when I came in. So, clearly there were some discussions about me, but I don’t really care. I complain about my clients at work all the time, too, but when I’m the one spending well over 40k at this place, they’d better follow through on what we’ve planned. And that they did! I literally can’t even count how many of our guests said that the food was the best they’ve ever had at a wedding, or at many restaurants, and how stunning the room was, and how excellent the bartenders were, and how the wait staff was more attentive and professional than they’ve ever seen at a wedding. It’s unreal how many of our guests are still making these comments now, two weeks later, when we saw them at a Halloween party last night. The banquet captain checked in with me and the DOC throughout the night, asking me if I needed a drink, could he get me anything at all, how was my suite, etc. (They set up a little suite for your with water, champagne, chocolate covered strawberries, a dressing table, chaise lounge, and personal bath…boy was I glad to have that room!) I would recommend Stonegate in a heartbeat to anyone looking for a site in the burbs- they really were amazing.   Cake Creator - Stonegate See Above   Florist - Artistic Floral Design Onwer: Valerie Soos Sinclair- A Five minutes into my consult with Valerie, I knew I wanted her to be my florist, even though hers is not a name you see on the board a lot. She has been in the biz for 20 years and doesn’t advertise, which is rather impressive. All of her clients are word of mouth/referrals, and she was recommended to me by our rep at Stonegate. (sidenote: she has a $1500 min) Valerie had a great eye, really listens to her clients, is extremely organized, has a great attention to detail, and is overall AMAZING at what she does. We got SO many compliments on our flowers, and they were exactly what I wanted. I made minor changes to our order several times, and Valerie was totally fine with this. We paid for her full service delivery which meant that we had her services for several hours and that she would transport the flowers from the church to the reception. She even brought an extra bout and corsage as back up in case we needed it, additional flowers in case anything was wilting, vases for me and the BM to keep our flowers in prior to the ceremony so they’d be fresher for the whole day. I think her rates were reasonable for the quality of service, the number of flowers we needed, and how gorgeous every bouquet and arrangement looked. She even gave me a couple of rental items free. Check out her website!!   Photographer - Bella Pictures   Disc Jockey - Something 2 Dance 2- Andrew Moody A+ They are very thorough, professional, and non-cheesy. Exactly what we were looking for in a DJ. The consult meeting was over an hour, and Andrew wanted to be sure he knew exactly what we wanted, asked great questions, and really got to know a lot about us. He sent us a very detailed timeline of the night to be sure everything was correct, and was very open to our suggestions while providing great feedback on what has worked well at his events in the past. He worked well with our DOC and reception site, arriving early to set up, and keeping things moving all night. He was almost a DOC that night for us…checking in with wait staff, the site manager, the DOC, and with us, too. He was getting us drinks when we needed them, asking if it was okay to play a certain song that had a few requests (we had a no request policy)….he was wonderful, and I’m so glad we went with this vendor. The dance floor was full all night, people commented on how great the music was, and that they liked him. I will tell every engaged person I know to use them.   Transportation - Elegant Trolley A+ They were on top of things through the whole planning process, and sent us agendas/timelines based on the information we’d given them for confirmation. They made quick adjustments to this when we found out that our photo site for post-ceremony would have to change. Worked well with DOC in final week. The driver was there 20 min early to pick up the girls, and he was happy to wait. The trolley came stocked with soda and water, decorated with flowers and tulle, and they roll out the red carpet for you (literally). He drove safely, but got us everywhere we needed to be on time. There were 18 of us on the trolley, and we aren’t a quiet bunch, but he never seemed bothered. Quiet guy, but a smile on his face the whole time. Not a single complaint about this vendor.   Invitations - Invitation Consultants They were inexpensive and quickly delivered our invites. When there was one error, they apologized promptly, corrected it, and rush delivered new reception cards all within 48 hours. I was impressed!   Tuxedos - After Hours B After hearing so many horror stories about After Hours, I was hesitant to use them. Unfortunately, when you have groomsmen spread out between 4 states, and in IL all over the place, it’s still the easy go-to. The only issue we had is that my dad’s order never made it from the Crystal Lake store to the main location where DH placed the orders. Since I knew After Hours might be an issue, I asked DH to check in with them twice after all the guys said they’d been in, just to make sure they actually had ALL the guys on the order and that the sizes seemed right, etc. That’s how we found the error with my dad. Otherwise, it was smooth sailing. DH’s shirt was too small when he picked up his tux, but he got a new one on the spot (I can’t believe there are guys who don’t try it on before the leave!).   My Dress - Wedding Belles, Barrington, IL A It was hard to get an appointment, and I felt a bit rushed when I was there, but I found the dress of my dreams….so can you really complain? The place is so charming, and they have some great sample dresses at very reasonable prices ( I was torn between mine and a Vera Wang for $1600 that was gorgeous). After I bought my dress, I was on their mailing list and received a flyer for an accessory sale, so I returned to buy my shoes and veil at 25% off. Great deal considering that I’d planned on the full price anyhow.   Bridesmaid Dresses - Marrilee Bridal, Arlington Heights, IL A They gave us a discount since we were ordering more than 5 dresses, were flexible in setting up appts with the girls, and provided great service overall. My one disappointment was their lack of commitment on a delivery date (they would only give me a 4 week range, and having worked as a bridal consultant, I know they can narrow it further than that). Otherwise, the girls were all happy with the dress, the price, and the service. Three girls had their alterations done there and paid less than the others AND got the dresses back faster.   Hair Stylist - Michael Thomas Salon and Spa- Isela Isela is a hair genius! I absolutely adore her, and she can really do just about anything...just bring her a photo. I have very fine, thin hair, and I was shocked at how full it looked in my updo. I loved it.   Makeup Artist - Sharon Slater   Wedding Coordinator - Vaught Events- Anika Jackson A++++ I’d heard many great things about Amy Vaught as a DOC, but was still hesitant to hire one for a long time…I’m just such a total control freak and thought I had to take care of everything myself. Well, signing a contract with Amy was one of the best decisions I made in wedding planning. I hired her on with just about three months to go before the wedding, and she snapped into action right away. We met to cover all of the details of my planning thus far, and I trusted her instantly. She matched me with one of her assistants, Anika, who I met at another meeting between the three of us. Both Amy and Anika made me feel so confident they could handle things and that I didn’t need to worry. Beginning two weeks before the wedding, Anika was in contact with all of my vendors, confirming timelines, balances due, directions, etc…all the things that I have no clue how I would have found the time to take care of being that I was at a brand new job. She handled many situations that came up immediately and effectively in those couple of weeks, and was a definite source of support and sounding board for me. Anika was also there at our rehearsal and gave all the members of bridal party timelines for the following day (believe me, they appreciated that one page document far more than my 4 page timeline that I’m still getting teased about!). On our wedding day, Anika’s help was INVALUABLE. From meeting the girls at the hotel, to bringing us a great lunch, to running to the store for something a BM needed, to sewing buttons on a dress, to tipping vendors, to getting everyone lined up every time they needed to be….she did it all. Anika also brought all the things from the church to the reception site that needed to get there, made sure set up at the reception was okay, checked in with me to make sure that I was okay, had what I needed, was happy with things, pointed out things that she thought I might want taken care of….indeed, INVALUABLE. Every BM that saw her in action, and my mother, commented that they didn’t know how we would have had such a great day without her help, and they are all right. I can’t say enough about how amazing it was to have Anika’s help.   Honeymoon Destination - Puerto Vallarta- Westin Resort & Spa We stayed at the Westin for 10 nights. It was fantastic, and I have no complaints. I'd return in a heartbeat.   Other Vendor - Alterations- La Modista (Angelica): A+ Wonderful people! The work quickly, and Angelica is a doll. My dress was very hard to alter because the whole top is tiny little pleats of lace, and since it was a sample, I needed it to be taken in about two sizes all over. I went in for 4 fittings total, they had made great progress each time. I love my unique bustle, the length was perfect, and I felt the $300 I paid for the major alterations was a great price. I know I would have paid more elsewhere, and I’ll be taking all my tailoring to La Modista from now on.   Other Vendor - Calligrapher- Marilyn Frisz (Knottie Marilena) Knottie Marilena: A+ I couldn't be happier with how our place cards turned out! We hired Knottie Marilena to do the calligraphy (she has some samples in her bio you should check out). I'd looked into several companies and individuals who do calligraphy and ended up choosing Marilena because of the great recs on the knot, and her VERY reasonable prices. They were the best I found actually. She was always quick to respond when I had questions, has great attention to detail (matching the ink color to the color print I used in our monogram), and her turnaround time on over 200 pieces was fantastic! I wish I'd hired her to do our invitations, too. She even contacted me when she thought I may have made some errors in spelling on the guest list I gave to her...she was right...who else would take the time to do that?     For help with your own bio try: www.STLWed.com/help/bio For help with Signatures go to: www.STLWed.com/help/siggy

src="http://barijay.com/dress/popuppics/343bg_black.jpg">BM dresses by Bari Jay- they will be in chocolate organza......Pashminas that I've purchased for the girls in ivory (ww w.amazingcollections.com)


Tuxes for the guys- 16 in total! (After Hours)


My Something Blue that will be sewn into my dress (www.herecomesyourbride.com)


My Something Old: My great, great grandmother's bracelet that is 102 years old and was worn by my mother and grandmother on their wedding days.


My Hair Trial

I love, love, love this look! Isela is a hair genius, and now that I see it with a veil, I'm glad that I gave in and bought one.


The Bustle....since there ar e pleats on the back of the dress, a traditional bustle looked all wrong to me. I love this different look!

I found this sample dress at Wedding Belles in Barrington. It was about 70% off of the original cost, so you can't beat that. I didn't even want to try it on at first, but when I did, my mom, MOH, and I all fell in love with it. You can't really tell from these photos, but the bust is tiny vertical pleats of lace, below is tiny horizontal pleats, and the skirt is organza. There are about 50 pins in the dress in this picture as I have to have it taken in a full size or two, so I don't think it does the dress justice.


I ordered one for Andrew's nephews to carry- a great job for 2 & 4 year olds


Cheering for the Cubbies with my twin nephews (RBs) and little brother (GM)

 
 
 
 
Random Photos of Us
Back to Top
 


One night out on Lake Michigan


At a friend's RD last summer



 
 
 
 
Where We're Headed & How We'll Get There
Back to Top
 


We're using Elegant Trolley


St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church in Lake Zurich


The Stonegate in Hoffman Estates


Grand Foyer for our Cocktail Hour


Grand Ballroom

 
 
 
 
Cake & Flowers
Back to Top
 


I don’t have a photo of our cake, but this one is similar. Our 5 tiers are squares/cubes. I'm not a big fan of flowers on cakes, so I think we'll have a few dark brown/burgundy/orange silk leaves on the table with our "I DO" letters.


These are the exact bouts we’ve chosen for the guys- FI loves orange (Go Illini!) The BM bouquets will be similar to what he’s holdin g, too, but with no yellow.


This is actually a BM bouquet, but mine will be similar. It will be a larger, hand tied version with: Chocolate roses, Black Magi c roses, Mango Calla Lilies, Burgundy Dahlia, just a couple of Ivory roses, and accents of sage, seeded greenery, & berries.

 
 
 
 
Rehearsal Dinner
Back to Top
 

Our rehearsal dinner will be at Millrose Restaurant, and this the room we've reserved.

 
 
 
 
My Showers
Back to Top
 

The invitation for my first shower -with someone else's info (www.weddi ngpaperdivas.com) & the a photo of our room at the Glenview Park Golf Club.


My mom, me, my sister (MOH)


The Gifts!


Mom and a couple of friends relaxing on the terrace connected to our room for the shower. We had a lovely view of the golf course from three walls of windows and out over covered terrace.


With FSIL at shower



Andrew's family hosted my second shower at La Tasca Tapas Restaurant


Our favors were a bottle of Raspberry Sangria mix and the hostesses also created menus for the day since some of our guests were new to tapas.


With my mom and FMIL


Still no clue where all of this stuff is going to go....but with about 15 cookbooks and just about every cooking gadget you can imagine, I'm sure we'll be expected to start entertaining soon.

 
 
 
 
Details
Back to Top
 


Our Invitations (www.invitationconsultants.com)- well sort of.... our wording is not the same as this sample. I love the hint of fall with the leaf, without having autumn just smack you in the face. Some seasonal things are just too much for me, but we really liked this one.


We'll use a large glass jar like this for our cards at the reception

The front and back side of the table tents menus I made for our cocktail hour

Our 6x6 programs that took a ridiculous amount of time to make, but I love them!




Cards the we left in the bathroom for guests




Baskets for men and women

I made menus that were rolled up to also serve as a place card- we got so many compliments on there. Calligraphy by Knottie Marilena






The BEAUTIFUL ring bearer pillow my mom handmade for us!

 
 
 
 
Bachelorette Party Lake Geneva,WI August 10-12
Back to Top
 

Twelve of us stayed in two suites at The Cove


We rented a 25" Pontoon boat for Saturday afternoon








Opening gifts

 
 
 
 
Wedding Photos
Back to Top



Gettin' Ready















 
 
 
 
Vendor Information
Back to Top
 

Ceremony Location - St. Francis de Sales, Lake Zurich IL

Officiant - Father John Hoffman

Reception Location - The Stonegate, Hoffman Estates, IL

A+ I don?t have a single complaint about Stonegate. We started working with them nine months before the wedding, and our rep there was AMAZING. I just loved her. Well, she took another job a month before our wedding, and suddenly we were in limbo. It took A LOT of time and energy to make sure the new person was up to speed on what we?d planned with the last girl, to make sure she understood what my expectations were, and to get everything ironed out prior to the reception. There were a couple of rough patches in there, and I think I had a couple of bridezilla moments with her, but she took it in stride and really came through. Actually, when I went in to make our final payment the week before the wedding, someone else in the office said ?Oh, you?re Amy?? when I came in. So, clearly there were some discussions about me, but I don?t really care. I complain about my clients at work all the time, too, but when I?m the one spending well over 40k at this place, they?d better follow through on what we?ve planned. And that they did! I literally can?t even count how many of our guests said that the food was the best they?ve ever had at a wedding, or at many restaurants, and how stunning the room was, and how excellent the bartenders were, and how the wait staff was more attentive and professional than they?ve ever seen at a wedding. It?s unreal how many of our guests are still making these comments now, two weeks later, when we saw them at a Halloween party last night. The banquet captain checked in with me and the DOC throughout the night, asking me if I needed a drink, could he get me anything at all, how was my suite, etc. (They set up a little suite for your with water, champagne, chocolate covered strawberries, a dressing table, chaise lounge, and personal bath?boy was I glad to have that room!) I would recommend Stonegate in a heartbeat to anyone looking for a site in the burbs- they really were amazing.

Cake Creator - Stonegate

See Above

Florist - Artistic Floral Design

Onwer: Valerie Soos Sinclair- A Five minutes into my consult with Valerie, I knew I wanted her to be my florist, even though hers is not a name you see on the board a lot. She has been in the biz for 20 years and doesn?t advertise, which is rather impressive. All of her clients are word of mouth/referrals, and she was recommended to me by our rep at Stonegate. (sidenote: she has a $1500 min) Valerie had a great eye, really listens to her clients, is extremely organized, has a great attention to detail, and is overall AMAZING at what she does. We got SO many compliments on our flowers, and they were exactly what I wanted. I made minor changes to our order several times, and Valerie was totally fine with this. We paid for her full service delivery which meant that we had her services for several hours and that she would transport the flowers from the church to the reception. She even brought an extra bout and corsage as back up in case we needed it, additional flowers in case anything was wilting, vases for me and the BM to keep our flowers in prior to the ceremony so they?d be fresher for the whole day. I think her rates were reasonable for the quality of service, the number of flowers we needed, and how gorgeous every bouquet and arrangement looked. She even gave me a couple of rental items free. Check out her website!!

Photographer - Bella Pictures

Disc Jockey - Something 2 Dance 2- Andrew Moody

A+ They are very thorough, professional, and non-cheesy. Exactly what we were looking for in a DJ. The consult meeting was over an hour, and Andrew wanted to be sure he knew exactly what we wanted, asked great questions, and really got to know a lot about us. He sent us a very detailed timeline of the night to be sure everything was correct, and was very open to our suggestions while providing great feedback on what has worked well at his events in the past. He worked well with our DOC and reception site, arriving early to set up, and keeping things moving all night. He was almost a DOC that night for us?checking in with wait staff, the site manager, the DOC, and with us, too. He was getting us drinks when we needed them, asking if it was okay to play a certain song that had a few requests (we had a no request policy)?.he was wonderful, and I?m so glad we went with this vendor. The dance floor was full all night, people commented on how great the music was, and that they liked him. I will tell every engaged person I know to use them.

Transportation - Elegant Trolley

A+ They were on top of things through the whole planning process, and sent us agendas/timelines based on the information we?d given them for confirmation. They made quick adjustments to this when we found out that our photo site for post-ceremony would have to change. Worked well with DOC in final week. The driver was there 20 min early to pick up the girls, and he was happy to wait. The trolley came stocked with soda and water, decorated with flowers and tulle, and they roll out the red carpet for you (literally). He drove safely, but got us everywhere we needed to be on time. There were 18 of us on the trolley, and we aren?t a quiet bunch, but he never seemed bothered. Quiet guy, but a smile on his face the whole time. Not a single complaint about this vendor.

Invitations - Invitation Consultants

They were inexpensive and quickly delivered our invites. When there was one error, they apologized promptly, corrected it, and rush delivered new reception cards all within 48 hours. I was impressed!

Tuxedos - After Hours

B After hearing so many horror stories about After Hours, I was hesitant to use them. Unfortunately, when you have groomsmen spread out between 4 states, and in IL all over the place, it?s still the easy go-to. The only issue we had is that my dad?s order never made it from the Crystal Lake store to the main location where DH placed the orders. Since I knew After Hours might be an issue, I asked DH to check in with them twice after all the guys said they?d been in, just to make sure they actually had ALL the guys on the order and that the sizes seemed right, etc. That?s how we found the error with my dad. Otherwise, it was smooth sailing. DH?s shirt was too small when he picked up his tux, but he got a new one on the spot (I can?t believe there are guys who don?t try it on before the leave!).

My Dress - Wedding Belles, Barrington, IL

A It was hard to get an appointment, and I felt a bit rushed when I was there, but I found the dress of my dreams?.so can you really complain? The place is so charming, and they have some great sample dresses at very reasonable prices ( I was torn between mine and a Vera Wang for $1600 that was gorgeous). After I bought my dress, I was on their mailing list and received a flyer for an accessory sale, so I returned to buy my shoes and veil at 25% off. Great deal considering that I?d planned on the full price anyhow.

Bridesmaid Dresses - Marrilee Bridal, Arlington Heights, IL

A They gave us a discount since we were ordering more than 5 dresses, were flexible in setting up appts with the girls, and provided great service overall. My one disappointment was their lack of commitment on a delivery date (they would only give me a 4 week range, and having worked as a bridal consultant, I know they can narrow it further than that). Otherwise, the girls were all happy with the dress, the price, and the service. Three girls had their alterations done there and paid less than the others AND got the dresses back faster.

Hair Stylist - Michael Thomas Salon and Spa- Isela

Isela is a hair genius! I absolutely adore her, and she can really do just about anything...just bring her a photo. I have very fine, thin hair, and I was shocked at how full it looked in my updo. I loved it.

Makeup Artist - Sharon Slater

Wedding Coordinator - Vaught Events- Anika Jackson

A++++ I?d heard many great things about Amy Vaught as a DOC, but was still hesitant to hire one for a long time?I?m just such a total control freak and thought I had to take care of everything myself. Well, signing a contract with Amy was one of the best decisions I made in wedding planning. I hired her on with just about three months to go before the wedding, and she snapped into action right away. We met to cover all of the details of my planning thus far, and I trusted her instantly. She matched me with one of her assistants, Anika, who I met at another meeting between the three of us. Both Amy and Anika made me feel so confident they could handle things and that I didn?t need to worry. Beginning two weeks before the wedding, Anika was in contact with all of my vendors, confirming timelines, balances due, directions, etc?all the things that I have no clue how I would have found the time to take care of being that I was at a brand new job. She handled many situations that came up immediately and effectively in those couple of weeks, and was a definite source of support and sounding board for me. Anika was also there at our rehearsal and gave all the members of bridal party timelines for the following day (believe me, they appreciated that one page document far more than my 4 page timeline that I?m still getting teased about!). On our wedding day, Anika?s help was INVALUABLE. From meeting the girls at the hotel, to bringing us a great lunch, to running to the store for something a BM needed, to sewing buttons on a dress, to tipping vendors, to getting everyone lined up every time they needed to be?.she did it all. Anika also brought all the things from the church to the reception site that needed to get there, made sure set up at the reception was okay, checked in with me to make sure that I was okay, had what I needed, was happy with things, pointed out things that she thought I might want taken care of?.indeed, INVALUABLE. Every BM that saw her in action, and my mother, commented that they didn?t know how we would have had such a great day without her help, and they are all right. I can?t say enough about how amazing it was to have Anika?s help.

Honeymoon Destination - Puerto Vallarta- Westin Resort & Spa

We stayed at the Westin for 10 nights. It was fantastic, and I have no complaints. I'd return in a heartbeat.

Other Vendor - Alterations- La Modista

(Angelica): A+ Wonderful people! The work quickly, and Angelica is a doll. My dress was very hard to alter because the whole top is tiny little pleats of lace, and since it was a sample, I needed it to be taken in about two sizes all over. I went in for 4 fittings total, they had made great progress each time. I love my unique bustle, the length was perfect, and I felt the $300 I paid for the major alterations was a great price. I know I would have paid more elsewhere, and I?ll be taking all my tailoring to La Modista from now on.

Other Vendor - Calligrapher- Marilyn Frisz (Knottie Marilena)

Knottie Marilena: A+ I couldn't be happier with how our place cards turned out! We hired Knottie Marilena to do the calligraphy (she has some samples in her bio you should check out). I'd looked into several companies and individuals who do calligraphy and ended up choosing Marilena because of the great recs on the knot, and her VERY reasonable prices. They were the best I found actually. She was always quick to respond when I had questions, has great attention to detail (matching the ink color to the color print I used in our monogram), and her turnaround time on over 200 pieces was fantastic! I wish I'd hired her to do our invitations, too. She even contacted me when she thought I may have made some errors in spelling on the guest list I gave to her...she was right...who else would take the time to do that?

 

For help with your own bio try: www.STLWed.com/help/bio
For help with Signatures go to: www.STLWed.com/help/siggy