Early on in our research, we realized it was important to both of us that we work with small businesses, particularly when it came to photography and videography. I wanted the person working with us to also be the business owner, not part of some big studio that dictates their artistic style and who I wouldn’t meet until just before the wedding. I felt that those who own their own business are more motivated toward perfection and friendliness, as it is their name on the line, not the studio’s. I also have owned a few very small businesses and hope to own more in the future, so I always try to support small businesses when I can.
Venue: The Patrick Haley Mansion
Joliet, IL
GRADE: A++
The mansion is so unbelievably gorgeous, words can’t even describe and pictures just cannot capture it. Just go see it – I still catch my breath every time I walk into the ballroom. You don’t need to do much decorating at all because the mansion is so spectacular, it speaks for itself. The ballroom is so open, airy, and romantic because of the incredible windows on 3 sides and the tall tent-like ceiling is draped in sheer white fabric. The rest of the mansion is so gorgeous with beautiful woods, floors, light fixtures, wallpapers, stained glass, fireplaces, etc and everyone thoroughly enjoyed exploring all the parlors on the 3 different floors. The only downside is that your guests can wander around and are not contained to the ballroom, so they may miss some events if you’re doing a bouquet toss or special dance later in the evening (or in our case, have groomsmen hiding in a parlor to listen to the end of an NCAA game…grrrrrr). Before you visit, make sure you can afford it. Once we took the tour, we knew that we simply could not get married anywhere else. We went from planning a Saturday wedding in September to a Friday in March just so we could afford to have our fairy tale wedding here. It was well worth it!
Melanie and her staff are truly incredible! 5 star impeccable service with a smile. They made our day flawless and worry-free. They set up everything – centerpieces, placecards, guestbook, favors, etc. at no extra charge, which was a big deal for me since I DIY’d almost everything and thought I’d have to hire a DOC just to set it up. All of the staff members have earpieces and walkie-talkies, so they are constantly in contact with each other and the kitchen to ensure that everything runs smoothly and the food is served warm and on time. We did not want to see each other before the ceremony, so they made sure that we weren’t on the same floor at the same time and that there was no chance of us getting a glimpse of each other. All of our guests were so impressed with the service and the food (the chicken breast was enormous!). It’s clear that they have been doing this for a very long time and have everything down to a T. My Dad used to work in events and was thoroughly impressed with their skill and professionalism. If anything went wrong that day, I have no idea because Melanie and her staff took care of it without having to bother me with a thing. I truly can’t sing their praises enough!!!
The mansion is so unbelievably gorgeous, words can’t even describe and pictures just cannot capture it. Just go see it – I still catch my breath every time I walk into the ballroom. You don’t need to do much decorating at all because the mansion is so spectacular, it speaks for itself. The ballroom is so open, airy, and romantic because of the incredible windows on 3 sides and the tall tent-like ceiling is draped in sheer white fabric. The rest of the mansion is so gorgeous with beautiful woods, floors, light fixtures, wallpapers, stained glass, fireplaces, etc and everyone thoroughly enjoyed exploring all the parlors on the 3 different floors. The only downside is that your guests can wander around and are not contained to the ballroom, so they may miss some events if you’re doing a bouquet toss or special dance later in the evening (or in our case, have groomsmen hiding in a parlor to listen to the end of an NCAA game…grrrrrr). Before you visit, make sure you can afford it. Once we took the tour, we knew that we simply could not get married anywhere else. We went from planning a Saturday wedding in September to a Friday in March just so we could afford to have our fairy tale wedding here. It was well worth it!
Melanie and her staff are truly incredible! 5 star impeccable service with a smile. They made our day flawless and worry-free. They set up everything – centerpieces, placecards, guestbook, favors, etc. at no extra charge, which was a big deal for me since I DIY’d almost everything and thought I’d have to hire a DOC just to set it up. All of the staff members have earpieces and walkie-talkies, so they are constantly in contact with each other and the kitchen to ensure that everything runs smoothly and the food is served warm and on time. We did not want to see each other before the ceremony, so they made sure that we weren’t on the same floor at the same time and that there was no chance of us getting a glimpse of each other. All of our guests were so impressed with the service and the food (the chicken breast was enormous!). It’s clear that they have been doing this for a very long time and have everything down to a T. My Dad used to work in events and was thoroughly impressed with their skill and professionalism. If anything went wrong that day, I have no idea because Melanie and her staff took care of it without having to bother me with a thing. I truly can’t sing their praises enough!!!
Photographer: Two Birds Photography - Jake Moreland
GRADE: A++
I only have wonderful things to say about Jake and Jen Moreland, a husband and wife team who own TBP. They are both wonderfully friendly people who are highly professional and beyond talented. Jake does all the photography and Jen does the editing and album design. They were the first vendor we booked after the mansion and they have truly been a delight to work with throughout. We took a chance with them, as we had never heard of them, no one on the Knot boards had heard of them, and we didn’t have any recommendations for them; we came across their website, fell in love with their photography style, and then fell in love with them when we met them. Despite the risk, it was probably the best decision we made. Our engagement photos were absolutely beautiful. TBP specializes in a photojournalistic style and Jake loves to play with lighting, backgrounds, poses, and cameras. I spent a great deal of time with Jake on my wedding day and he was absolutely wonderful. During the family and WP portraits, he took command of the situation so that we could quickly (but beautifully) get through all of the different portraits we wanted, and he was never demanding or rude. All of our guests were so complimentary of how efficient and professional he was, yet they could see in the way that he set up and posed the shots that he was also very creative and passionate and that our photos would be beautiful. Our wedding photos are stunning and all of our friends/family are in awe. We purchased the largest package, which included engagement session, 8 hours on the wedding day, our album, 2 parent albums, a canvas, a number of prints of varying sizes, and the digital rights to the photos. I think we got a total steal! Considering all of the items and the quality, I could not have asked for a better value. Book them now – his prices should go up once everyone catches on to the talent that these two possess!
I only have wonderful things to say about Jake and Jen Moreland, a husband and wife team who own TBP. They are both wonderfully friendly people who are highly professional and beyond talented. Jake does all the photography and Jen does the editing and album design. They were the first vendor we booked after the mansion and they have truly been a delight to work with throughout. We took a chance with them, as we had never heard of them, no one on the Knot boards had heard of them, and we didn’t have any recommendations for them; we came across their website, fell in love with their photography style, and then fell in love with them when we met them. Despite the risk, it was probably the best decision we made. Our engagement photos were absolutely beautiful. TBP specializes in a photojournalistic style and Jake loves to play with lighting, backgrounds, poses, and cameras. I spent a great deal of time with Jake on my wedding day and he was absolutely wonderful. During the family and WP portraits, he took command of the situation so that we could quickly (but beautifully) get through all of the different portraits we wanted, and he was never demanding or rude. All of our guests were so complimentary of how efficient and professional he was, yet they could see in the way that he set up and posed the shots that he was also very creative and passionate and that our photos would be beautiful. Our wedding photos are stunning and all of our friends/family are in awe. We purchased the largest package, which included engagement session, 8 hours on the wedding day, our album, 2 parent albums, a canvas, a number of prints of varying sizes, and the digital rights to the photos. I think we got a total steal! Considering all of the items and the quality, I could not have asked for a better value. Book them now – his prices should go up once everyone catches on to the talent that these two possess!
Videographer: Shoot The Bride - Jeff
GRADE: F
I should start by saying that Jeff was wonderful to work with leading up to and on our wedding day; he was professional, communicative, and friendly. The trailer he produced of our wedding was stunning and we were beyond thrilled. Then we waited. And waited. And waited. We emailed, we texted, we called, we Facebook messaged...to no avail. Every few months he would send an email with some lame excuse as to why we didn't have our video yet. My messages to him got more and more harsh and to the point. Finally, 8 months after our wedding (and 7 months after the stated delivery time in our contract), he delivered our wedding video in a FedEx envelope with no note or apology. The quality of the video was beyond disappointing. The audio is very low, there are moments of shaky camera work, the songs we picked out for the video are no where to be found, and the reception editing is awful. He cut out entire sections of the night that we really wanted to see - the flower girl and ring bearer walking down the aisle, the wedding party introductions, etc. Instead, there is footage of our drunk guests making lude gestures....Just the thing I want to show my Grandma who couldn't make it to the wedding and someday to my children....
Overall, it was clear that he had procrastinated editing our video, rushed through it, and delivered a crap product. We've demanded the raw footage from him and asked him to fix some of the technical issues, but our hopes are not high that it will actually happen.
I should start by saying that Jeff was wonderful to work with leading up to and on our wedding day; he was professional, communicative, and friendly. The trailer he produced of our wedding was stunning and we were beyond thrilled. Then we waited. And waited. And waited. We emailed, we texted, we called, we Facebook messaged...to no avail. Every few months he would send an email with some lame excuse as to why we didn't have our video yet. My messages to him got more and more harsh and to the point. Finally, 8 months after our wedding (and 7 months after the stated delivery time in our contract), he delivered our wedding video in a FedEx envelope with no note or apology. The quality of the video was beyond disappointing. The audio is very low, there are moments of shaky camera work, the songs we picked out for the video are no where to be found, and the reception editing is awful. He cut out entire sections of the night that we really wanted to see - the flower girl and ring bearer walking down the aisle, the wedding party introductions, etc. Instead, there is footage of our drunk guests making lude gestures....Just the thing I want to show my Grandma who couldn't make it to the wedding and someday to my children....
Overall, it was clear that he had procrastinated editing our video, rushed through it, and delivered a crap product. We've demanded the raw footage from him and asked him to fix some of the technical issues, but our hopes are not high that it will actually happen.
Florist: Zuzu's Petals
GRADE: A++
Oh my gosh, Natalie is incredible!!! I had such a wonderful experience working with Natalie and can’t say enough good things about her and her work. FI and I had already met with another florist that comes highly recommended on TK boards, but we were not at all impressed; we felt like she was just filling out a form and not really getting to know us or our vision for the wedding, but maybe she was just having an off day. As soon as I met Natalie, we totally hit it off and I knew it would be totally different with her. We spent the first 20 minutes just getting to know each other and talking about the wedding; not a single mention of flowers. I felt like she was really trying to get an overall vision of the day and what my thoughts were first before we delved into the details. I know absolutely nothing about flowers, so we talked about the few that I know I like and the colors we were looking for, and then Natalie told me her suggestions and kept running into her warehouse to grab some actual examples so I could see what she was talking about. I could tell she was so excited and getting into it. The flowers on our wedding were absolutely spectacular. She completely exceeded my expectations and our guests were raving about the bouquets and the ceremony décor. Everything was stunning and I couldn’t be happier!!!
Oh my gosh, Natalie is incredible!!! I had such a wonderful experience working with Natalie and can’t say enough good things about her and her work. FI and I had already met with another florist that comes highly recommended on TK boards, but we were not at all impressed; we felt like she was just filling out a form and not really getting to know us or our vision for the wedding, but maybe she was just having an off day. As soon as I met Natalie, we totally hit it off and I knew it would be totally different with her. We spent the first 20 minutes just getting to know each other and talking about the wedding; not a single mention of flowers. I felt like she was really trying to get an overall vision of the day and what my thoughts were first before we delved into the details. I know absolutely nothing about flowers, so we talked about the few that I know I like and the colors we were looking for, and then Natalie told me her suggestions and kept running into her warehouse to grab some actual examples so I could see what she was talking about. I could tell she was so excited and getting into it. The flowers on our wedding were absolutely spectacular. She completely exceeded my expectations and our guests were raving about the bouquets and the ceremony décor. Everything was stunning and I couldn’t be happier!!!
Officiant: Rev. Ron Crowley-Koch
GRADE: A
Josh and I were both raised Catholic, but decided not to be married in the church. This was upsetting to some family members on both sides, regardless of the fact that we wanted to have a religious ceremony, just not in the church. So when I stumbled upon Married Catholic Priests on the Knot local resources, I felt like I had found the solution to the world's problems!!! Rev. Ron was a Catholic Priest for years until he fell in love with a Nun and they decided to marry. They have been happily married for 33 years and have two grown children. We met with Rev. Ron in his home and felt instantly at ease and comfortable that he would make our ceremony a very personal celebration of our marriage, while also bringing in some of the Catholic wedding elements that will delight and surprise our guests. His wife, Mary Grace, also serves as a coordinator for the wedding party, which came in handy for our 21 person WP, but we really didn’t need her since our venue coordinator did that as well (needless to say, there were some bumping of heads at the rehearsal!). It was a beautiful ceremony and we received a ton of compliments on it! The only reason he's not getting a + is because he pronounced my last name wrong!!
Josh and I were both raised Catholic, but decided not to be married in the church. This was upsetting to some family members on both sides, regardless of the fact that we wanted to have a religious ceremony, just not in the church. So when I stumbled upon Married Catholic Priests on the Knot local resources, I felt like I had found the solution to the world's problems!!! Rev. Ron was a Catholic Priest for years until he fell in love with a Nun and they decided to marry. They have been happily married for 33 years and have two grown children. We met with Rev. Ron in his home and felt instantly at ease and comfortable that he would make our ceremony a very personal celebration of our marriage, while also bringing in some of the Catholic wedding elements that will delight and surprise our guests. His wife, Mary Grace, also serves as a coordinator for the wedding party, which came in handy for our 21 person WP, but we really didn’t need her since our venue coordinator did that as well (needless to say, there were some bumping of heads at the rehearsal!). It was a beautiful ceremony and we received a ton of compliments on it! The only reason he's not getting a + is because he pronounced my last name wrong!!
Wedding Dress: A L'amour
GRADE: A+
I love love love A L’Amour in Barrington!! It was the first and only bridal shop I went to, because I bought the 4th dress I tried on! Rhonda, my consultant, was incredible. She asked me what I imagined for my dress and what I wanted – and she LISTENED. She brought me everything they had that I had asked for and none of them looked good on me. She asked if she could bring me some other dresses that didn’t fit my description perfectly, but that she thought might work for my body type while still incorporating the characteristics that were important to me. The first dress of that group was the one I fell in love with and had The Moment with and I didn’t put on a single dress after that. Through all the fittings and appointments, I felt so comfortable at the salon and got to know almost everyone there. They are all so friendly and accommodating. The only downside is that they only do alterations on Wednesdays. Not too inconvenient for me since I live in the NW burbs, but it would be a major PIA if I lived in the city.
I love love love A L’Amour in Barrington!! It was the first and only bridal shop I went to, because I bought the 4th dress I tried on! Rhonda, my consultant, was incredible. She asked me what I imagined for my dress and what I wanted – and she LISTENED. She brought me everything they had that I had asked for and none of them looked good on me. She asked if she could bring me some other dresses that didn’t fit my description perfectly, but that she thought might work for my body type while still incorporating the characteristics that were important to me. The first dress of that group was the one I fell in love with and had The Moment with and I didn’t put on a single dress after that. Through all the fittings and appointments, I felt so comfortable at the salon and got to know almost everyone there. They are all so friendly and accommodating. The only downside is that they only do alterations on Wednesdays. Not too inconvenient for me since I live in the NW burbs, but it would be a major PIA if I lived in the city.
Bridesmaid Dresses: NetBride
GRADE: A+
We ordered the BM dresses online through Netbride and had a wonderful experience. We ordered 2 different dresses (3 each) and saved $40/dress versus the bridal store. They match prices, so we got a quote from Pearl’s Place that was $2 less than Netbride’s quote plus cheaper shipping, and Netbride matched it. I was a little weary of ordering online, so I did a ton of research including the Better Business Bureau, and then I visited their brick and mortar store in MN when I was visiting some friends there. The dresses came in a full month ahead of schedule and we couldn't be happier. Everything was correct, original manufacturer tags still on, high quality, and no damage. Some of the dresses were a little big, but that's not Netbride's fault. I would HIGHLY recommend using Netbride and will suggest it to all of my friends for their future weddings!
We ordered the BM dresses online through Netbride and had a wonderful experience. We ordered 2 different dresses (3 each) and saved $40/dress versus the bridal store. They match prices, so we got a quote from Pearl’s Place that was $2 less than Netbride’s quote plus cheaper shipping, and Netbride matched it. I was a little weary of ordering online, so I did a ton of research including the Better Business Bureau, and then I visited their brick and mortar store in MN when I was visiting some friends there. The dresses came in a full month ahead of schedule and we couldn't be happier. Everything was correct, original manufacturer tags still on, high quality, and no damage. Some of the dresses were a little big, but that's not Netbride's fault. I would HIGHLY recommend using Netbride and will suggest it to all of my friends for their future weddings!
Hair/Makeup: Sharon Daniel Salon
GRADE: A
My friend used them for her wedding, and we all looked beautiful, so I decided to use them as well! I love the salon - it's intimate (only 3 chairs plus a makeup counter) and now everyone there knows me and my whole story. Lindsey (hair) and Judy (makeup) traveled to Joliet and setup in my hotel room. They did a beautiful job on me and I couldn’t be happier with their quality service and friendly attitudes. I will continue to go back to Lindsey for haircuts from now on!!
My friend used them for her wedding, and we all looked beautiful, so I decided to use them as well! I love the salon - it's intimate (only 3 chairs plus a makeup counter) and now everyone there knows me and my whole story. Lindsey (hair) and Judy (makeup) traveled to Joliet and setup in my hotel room. They did a beautiful job on me and I couldn’t be happier with their quality service and friendly attitudes. I will continue to go back to Lindsey for haircuts from now on!!
Facials: Mariola's Organic Spa
GRADE: B
I went to Mariola's Organic Spa in Long Grove for a series of 4 chemical peels and facials in the 2 months leading up to the wedding. It was the best! My skin really is glowing and it feels so much healthier, plus my acne has improved. I got the one hour facial and they always give me a mini massage while the hydrating mask is soaking in. SOOOO relaxing and a great way to get pampered throughout the stressful parts of the planning process! Unfortunately my last facial really tainted my experience with the spa. The facial itself was great, but the unprofessionalism of the owner was astounding to me. Apparently the aesthetician that had been giving me all my facials was fired, but they never called to tell me that (if they had, I would have cancelled and saved myself the 1.5 hour car ride). The owner gave me the last facial, but she was 20 minutes late getting there and then made me sit and wait for another 15 minutes to see if her other client was going to show up, in which case she would bump me for another hour – all this 6 days before my wedding! As if I had nothing better to do on the last Saturday before my wedding than sit around a salon all morning.
I went to Mariola's Organic Spa in Long Grove for a series of 4 chemical peels and facials in the 2 months leading up to the wedding. It was the best! My skin really is glowing and it feels so much healthier, plus my acne has improved. I got the one hour facial and they always give me a mini massage while the hydrating mask is soaking in. SOOOO relaxing and a great way to get pampered throughout the stressful parts of the planning process! Unfortunately my last facial really tainted my experience with the spa. The facial itself was great, but the unprofessionalism of the owner was astounding to me. Apparently the aesthetician that had been giving me all my facials was fired, but they never called to tell me that (if they had, I would have cancelled and saved myself the 1.5 hour car ride). The owner gave me the last facial, but she was 20 minutes late getting there and then made me sit and wait for another 15 minutes to see if her other client was going to show up, in which case she would bump me for another hour – all this 6 days before my wedding! As if I had nothing better to do on the last Saturday before my wedding than sit around a salon all morning.
Music: Dave Tamkin
DJ Taito
Both Dave and Taito are very good friends of mine for many years and I am so thrilled that they are provided the music for our wedding!
Dave Tamkin is a singer / songwriter from Chicago, now living in Denver. He has one of the most beautiful voices I've ever heard and is truly the most genuine musician I have ever met. He flew in from CO just for our wedding! I cannot think of a nicer person, more talented musician, or more beautiful voice to hear as I walked down the aisle!
DJ Taito is really my very good friend Matt. He used to DJ for extra $$$ in college and now only does it for his friends' weddings. It was great to have full control over the playlist! Taito did us a huge favor and saved us a ton of money. Thank you!!!
Dave Tamkin is a singer / songwriter from Chicago, now living in Denver. He has one of the most beautiful voices I've ever heard and is truly the most genuine musician I have ever met. He flew in from CO just for our wedding! I cannot think of a nicer person, more talented musician, or more beautiful voice to hear as I walked down the aisle!
DJ Taito is really my very good friend Matt. He used to DJ for extra $$$ in college and now only does it for his friends' weddings. It was great to have full control over the playlist! Taito did us a huge favor and saved us a ton of money. Thank you!!!
Tuxedos: Black Tie Formalwear
GRADE: A
We originally had booked with Men’s Wearhouse because most of our GM were from out of town and we thought that would be the simplest solution. The tuxes were going to be $160 (including the 4 year old RB!!!), which we thought was pretty high, and we were only getting 2 free tuxes – and we had 15 guys renting! So I started doing some more research and discovered Black Tie Formalwear after reading some good reviews. For the same exact tux, it was only going to be $120 and we’d get 3 free ones. My DH took one, we gave the other to the father of the RB so they didn’t have to pay for 2 tuxes, and we took the 3rd one and split the savings amongst all the other guys. Plus the guys living out of town could just go to any local formalwear shop to get measured and either call BTFW or submit their measurements through their website. It was sooo convenient, much more affordable, the quality was impeccable (not one thing wrong with any of the 15 tuxes), and the service was so much better! LOVE LOVE LOVE them and will never go to MW again!
We originally had booked with Men’s Wearhouse because most of our GM were from out of town and we thought that would be the simplest solution. The tuxes were going to be $160 (including the 4 year old RB!!!), which we thought was pretty high, and we were only getting 2 free tuxes – and we had 15 guys renting! So I started doing some more research and discovered Black Tie Formalwear after reading some good reviews. For the same exact tux, it was only going to be $120 and we’d get 3 free ones. My DH took one, we gave the other to the father of the RB so they didn’t have to pay for 2 tuxes, and we took the 3rd one and split the savings amongst all the other guys. Plus the guys living out of town could just go to any local formalwear shop to get measured and either call BTFW or submit their measurements through their website. It was sooo convenient, much more affordable, the quality was impeccable (not one thing wrong with any of the 15 tuxes), and the service was so much better! LOVE LOVE LOVE them and will never go to MW again!
Transportation: Standard Shuttle Service
GRADE: C
We rented a shuttle bus to transport our guests and WP from the hotel to the mansion, since the hotels in Joliet do not have their own shuttles. It was a very nice thing that we offered and many of our guests took advantage of it so that they wouldn’t drink and drive or have to wait for a taxi. I would do it again in a heartbeat, but unfortunately, I found SS to be subpar so I wouldn’t hire them again.
First, they were 10 minutes late to pick us up and the owner of the company drove the shuttle to the hotel just to get it there, loaded me and the BMs on it, and then disappeared. Turns out she wasn’t the driver and we waited for another 10 minutes for the driver to show up and drive us to the mansion. Second, it was the wrong shuttle. We had agreed on a shuttle bus, like you would have going to the airport with rows and seats. What showed up was the party bus, complete with stripper pole, blue lights, wraparound couch, TV, and liquor. Not a big deal, but not what we wanted to transport our grandmothers in. Finally, the emergency window fell out of the bus at some point in the night and they’re trying to get us to pay for its replacement. There’s nothing in our contract about liability, so we don’t think they have a leg to stand on and their insurance will pay for it anyway. And there’s nothing to prove that any of our guests pushed it out or that it was somehow our fault – the driver never saw/heard/noticed anything. Needless to say, we’re very irked by this whole experience.
We rented a shuttle bus to transport our guests and WP from the hotel to the mansion, since the hotels in Joliet do not have their own shuttles. It was a very nice thing that we offered and many of our guests took advantage of it so that they wouldn’t drink and drive or have to wait for a taxi. I would do it again in a heartbeat, but unfortunately, I found SS to be subpar so I wouldn’t hire them again.
First, they were 10 minutes late to pick us up and the owner of the company drove the shuttle to the hotel just to get it there, loaded me and the BMs on it, and then disappeared. Turns out she wasn’t the driver and we waited for another 10 minutes for the driver to show up and drive us to the mansion. Second, it was the wrong shuttle. We had agreed on a shuttle bus, like you would have going to the airport with rows and seats. What showed up was the party bus, complete with stripper pole, blue lights, wraparound couch, TV, and liquor. Not a big deal, but not what we wanted to transport our grandmothers in. Finally, the emergency window fell out of the bus at some point in the night and they’re trying to get us to pay for its replacement. There’s nothing in our contract about liability, so we don’t think they have a leg to stand on and their insurance will pay for it anyway. And there’s nothing to prove that any of our guests pushed it out or that it was somehow our fault – the driver never saw/heard/noticed anything. Needless to say, we’re very irked by this whole experience.
Etsy Jewelry Seller: KarinAllie
GRADE: A
I bought necklace and earring sets for each of my BMs for their dresses. Since gold was our accent color and I knew that most of my girls don’t wear gold jewelry, I had a challenge to find them jewelry that went with their dresses (sage green) and shoes (champagne gold). I found KarinAllie on Etsy – she makes a lot of jewelry out of invisible cording and pearls, so I was able to bypass any metal in the jewelry. She worked with me to pick out a good color of pearl to match the green of the dress and was very patient with me. I ordered one set from her first just to make sure it would work with the dresses and then ordered the other 5 once I saw that it worked. She also makes little cards to hold the earrings and personalizes them with the girl’s name and a little saying about thank you for being my bridesmaid. It was a really cute touch and went over so well!
I bought necklace and earring sets for each of my BMs for their dresses. Since gold was our accent color and I knew that most of my girls don’t wear gold jewelry, I had a challenge to find them jewelry that went with their dresses (sage green) and shoes (champagne gold). I found KarinAllie on Etsy – she makes a lot of jewelry out of invisible cording and pearls, so I was able to bypass any metal in the jewelry. She worked with me to pick out a good color of pearl to match the green of the dress and was very patient with me. I ordered one set from her first just to make sure it would work with the dresses and then ordered the other 5 once I saw that it worked. She also makes little cards to hold the earrings and personalizes them with the girl’s name and a little saying about thank you for being my bridesmaid. It was a really cute touch and went over so well!
Honeymoon: The Iberostar Grand Bavaro, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
GRADE: A
The IGB was incredible! We felt like we were in paradise and couldn’t believe that we were there. The beach was beautiful, the pool was amazing, the food was really good, and the service was impeccable! We were going to do some excursions to swim with sharks or zip line, but we couldn’t drag ourselves off the beach beds! We were a little annoyed with all the Star Friends (the people that tried to get everyone involved in activities) – although they were all incredibly nice, they were constantly harassing us to play volleyball or go to a show and we just wanted to be left alone on our honeymoon! We were probably some of the youngest people there, so it was pretty quiet and there wasn’t much nightlife – but that’s perfect for what we wanted our honeymoon to be anyway. If you’re looking for something more like Cancun, this is not your place! But if you want a relaxing, quiet, luxury vacation to enjoy your new spouse, it’s perfect. We booked the trip on Orbitz and when we arrived at the resort, they informed us that they didn’t have our reservation (but that it was either their or Orbitz’s fault). We had to wait an hour for them to clean a room for us (but they brought us plenty of food and drinks as we waited), and as a result, they upgraded us to an incredible corner room with an ocean view. It was spectacular and they were so accommodating. I’d love to go back there some day!!
The IGB was incredible! We felt like we were in paradise and couldn’t believe that we were there. The beach was beautiful, the pool was amazing, the food was really good, and the service was impeccable! We were going to do some excursions to swim with sharks or zip line, but we couldn’t drag ourselves off the beach beds! We were a little annoyed with all the Star Friends (the people that tried to get everyone involved in activities) – although they were all incredibly nice, they were constantly harassing us to play volleyball or go to a show and we just wanted to be left alone on our honeymoon! We were probably some of the youngest people there, so it was pretty quiet and there wasn’t much nightlife – but that’s perfect for what we wanted our honeymoon to be anyway. If you’re looking for something more like Cancun, this is not your place! But if you want a relaxing, quiet, luxury vacation to enjoy your new spouse, it’s perfect. We booked the trip on Orbitz and when we arrived at the resort, they informed us that they didn’t have our reservation (but that it was either their or Orbitz’s fault). We had to wait an hour for them to clean a room for us (but they brought us plenty of food and drinks as we waited), and as a result, they upgraded us to an incredible corner room with an ocean view. It was spectacular and they were so accommodating. I’d love to go back there some day!!