Vendor Reviews
I am slow! LOL. I will post my vendor reviews here as I finish them.
Priscilla of Boston: Wedding Dress (~$2500)
Dress: Dolly – Vineyard Collection
Sales Associate: Michelle
First Appt: 3/29/08
Ordered Dress: 6/28/08 (Expected Delivery: December ’08)
Dress Arrived: 3/30/09
First Fitting: 12/12/09
Picked Up Dress: 3/2010
Okay, so the first thing I did when I got engaged was start looking at wedding dresses. I looked online. I looked in magazines. I ordered catalogs. Overall I probably looked at several THOUSAND wedding dresses. When I saw Dolly from Vineyard Collection, I immediately saved it as a favorite. Every dress I looked at after that I compared to Dolly. I knew it was the one. I tried to keep an open mind though. I called up PoB to schedule an appointment.
The day of the appt I went in with my mother. Someone greeted us shortly after we walked in and we took a seat while we waited for the consultant. Michelle was great!
FYI: I am very anti-“sales” people in general. I worked in retail for years and am very leary of pushy sales people. I knew about PoB and was expecting the worst, BUT I also knew they had my dream dress, and couldn’t NOT try it on. Although I was on guard, Michelle was really very nice, not at all pushy, and I left without purchasing (I knew it was the one, but also knew that PoB had a lot of trunk sales & sample sales, and would rather buy it at a discount—not to mention it was more than 2 years before my wedding).
She led us into a private room and started asking me questions. She asked about my style, what type of wedding we were planning on having, when it would be, what kind of dresses I liked, my budget, etc. She grabbed a long line bra and a pair of heels for me to wear while I was trying on the dresses. She made sure she brought in Dolly, and I tried that one on first. She only grabbed 1-2 dresses that were out of my price range, and only after first asking me if it was okay if she brought them in. I LOVED Dolly, but still tried on several other dresses—just to be sure. Everyone agreed that Dolly was the most flattering dress on me, and I knew it was “the one.” Because I was planning such a long engagement, I didn’t order my dress that day, but Michelle made a record that Dolly was my first choice. I think my entire appointment was maybe 45 minutes to an hour, but we didn’t feel rushed.
About 3 months later I got a call from Michelle to tell me that they were discontinuing Dolly! She seemed to want me go in and order the dress right away—and seemed more pushy this time to get me in the door & order the dress. I told her I was busy until Saturday (I probably COULD have made it in if I REALLY had to, but I wanted to buy it when they were having a sale—10% off is 10% off—and needed to talk to my fiance about it before spending so much money). I missed my chance to try on the dress again because they sold the sample in a sample sale the day before my appt.
My 2nd appt: we walked in (me and fiance) about 20 minutes late for my appt because we couldn’t find parking anywhere remotely nearby. No one said anything to us for quite a while. Finally someone came over and asked me who my appt was with. We waited some MORE and then someone else came to say Michelle was with another customer and that someone else would help me. The girl who helped me wasn’t very good at all! She was supposed to take my measurements to order my dress and she kept leaving the room to ask someone “what else” she had to measure. I feel like she only took like 4 measurements and then started asking questions (“How tall are you?” “What size bra do you wear?” etc). She never asked about any customization, and only asked about the color (“Do you want white or ivory?”). Fiance was so disappointed with the service on this visit, and so was I.
I was told that it would take about 6 months to come in, and it took about 9 months. I haven’t seen the dress yet (they are holding it until my first fitting), but I’m a little nervous that that other girl didn’t know what she was doing. Especially since she ordered my street size, and everyone always tells me that you need to order a few sizes bigger.
3rd appt: my FMIL, fiance, and I arrived at the appt on time. I forgot the name of the girl who helped us. We waited for a while before they lead me to a room to try on my dress. My dress fit pretty well. It was a tiny bit big, but the hem was correct. Now, I am glad the hem was correct with my shoes because I didn’t have to pay for additional alterations, but thought it might have been a little longer in case I wanted to wear taller shoes. Basically this appt I just tried on my dress, had FMIL take some photos to show my mom, and then we left. They pressured me to set up a fitting to start alterations, as well as a separate appointment to look at accessories. I don’t understand why I couldn’t look at the veils & accessories that day—they were all right there, and it wouldn’t have been in anyone’s way or anything, but I made the appointments & we left.
I called them back a few weeks later & cancelled both appointments. PoB is notorious for having over-priced alterations, and I knew I could find someone cheaper who could do just as good (or even better) job.
A few months later I went in to pick up my dress before my first fitting with a different seamstress (Fay Carraher). Overall, I’d say that they were okay. I definitely wasn’t “WOW-ed” by their customer service (especially having to wait so long before every appointment), but I didn’t have any terrible experience there either. For me, they were the only place I could go to in the area that had my dream dress, so they really were my only option.
Cons:
Parking on Boylston St/Back Bay stinks. I feel like every time I went to PoB I had to buffer 15-30 minutes extra to give myself time to find a place to park.
They no longer will hold dresses for brides—once your dress comes in you have to immediately go there to pick it up or start your alterations process.
Alterations notoriously expensive, and have heard several stories of them making alterations mistakes on other girls dresses.
Pros:
Beautiful dresses with several lines to choose from, and reasonable options for BM/MOH with many styles, fabrics, and colors to choose from.
Sales Associate: Michelle
First Appt: 3/29/08
Ordered Dress: 6/28/08 (Expected Delivery: December ’08)
Dress Arrived: 3/30/09
First Fitting: 12/12/09
Picked Up Dress: 3/2010
Okay, so the first thing I did when I got engaged was start looking at wedding dresses. I looked online. I looked in magazines. I ordered catalogs. Overall I probably looked at several THOUSAND wedding dresses. When I saw Dolly from Vineyard Collection, I immediately saved it as a favorite. Every dress I looked at after that I compared to Dolly. I knew it was the one. I tried to keep an open mind though. I called up PoB to schedule an appointment.
The day of the appt I went in with my mother. Someone greeted us shortly after we walked in and we took a seat while we waited for the consultant. Michelle was great!
FYI: I am very anti-“sales” people in general. I worked in retail for years and am very leary of pushy sales people. I knew about PoB and was expecting the worst, BUT I also knew they had my dream dress, and couldn’t NOT try it on. Although I was on guard, Michelle was really very nice, not at all pushy, and I left without purchasing (I knew it was the one, but also knew that PoB had a lot of trunk sales & sample sales, and would rather buy it at a discount—not to mention it was more than 2 years before my wedding).
She led us into a private room and started asking me questions. She asked about my style, what type of wedding we were planning on having, when it would be, what kind of dresses I liked, my budget, etc. She grabbed a long line bra and a pair of heels for me to wear while I was trying on the dresses. She made sure she brought in Dolly, and I tried that one on first. She only grabbed 1-2 dresses that were out of my price range, and only after first asking me if it was okay if she brought them in. I LOVED Dolly, but still tried on several other dresses—just to be sure. Everyone agreed that Dolly was the most flattering dress on me, and I knew it was “the one.” Because I was planning such a long engagement, I didn’t order my dress that day, but Michelle made a record that Dolly was my first choice. I think my entire appointment was maybe 45 minutes to an hour, but we didn’t feel rushed.
About 3 months later I got a call from Michelle to tell me that they were discontinuing Dolly! She seemed to want me go in and order the dress right away—and seemed more pushy this time to get me in the door & order the dress. I told her I was busy until Saturday (I probably COULD have made it in if I REALLY had to, but I wanted to buy it when they were having a sale—10% off is 10% off—and needed to talk to my fiance about it before spending so much money). I missed my chance to try on the dress again because they sold the sample in a sample sale the day before my appt.
My 2nd appt: we walked in (me and fiance) about 20 minutes late for my appt because we couldn’t find parking anywhere remotely nearby. No one said anything to us for quite a while. Finally someone came over and asked me who my appt was with. We waited some MORE and then someone else came to say Michelle was with another customer and that someone else would help me. The girl who helped me wasn’t very good at all! She was supposed to take my measurements to order my dress and she kept leaving the room to ask someone “what else” she had to measure. I feel like she only took like 4 measurements and then started asking questions (“How tall are you?” “What size bra do you wear?” etc). She never asked about any customization, and only asked about the color (“Do you want white or ivory?”). Fiance was so disappointed with the service on this visit, and so was I.
I was told that it would take about 6 months to come in, and it took about 9 months. I haven’t seen the dress yet (they are holding it until my first fitting), but I’m a little nervous that that other girl didn’t know what she was doing. Especially since she ordered my street size, and everyone always tells me that you need to order a few sizes bigger.
3rd appt: my FMIL, fiance, and I arrived at the appt on time. I forgot the name of the girl who helped us. We waited for a while before they lead me to a room to try on my dress. My dress fit pretty well. It was a tiny bit big, but the hem was correct. Now, I am glad the hem was correct with my shoes because I didn’t have to pay for additional alterations, but thought it might have been a little longer in case I wanted to wear taller shoes. Basically this appt I just tried on my dress, had FMIL take some photos to show my mom, and then we left. They pressured me to set up a fitting to start alterations, as well as a separate appointment to look at accessories. I don’t understand why I couldn’t look at the veils & accessories that day—they were all right there, and it wouldn’t have been in anyone’s way or anything, but I made the appointments & we left.
I called them back a few weeks later & cancelled both appointments. PoB is notorious for having over-priced alterations, and I knew I could find someone cheaper who could do just as good (or even better) job.
A few months later I went in to pick up my dress before my first fitting with a different seamstress (Fay Carraher). Overall, I’d say that they were okay. I definitely wasn’t “WOW-ed” by their customer service (especially having to wait so long before every appointment), but I didn’t have any terrible experience there either. For me, they were the only place I could go to in the area that had my dream dress, so they really were my only option.
Cons:
Parking on Boylston St/Back Bay stinks. I feel like every time I went to PoB I had to buffer 15-30 minutes extra to give myself time to find a place to park.
They no longer will hold dresses for brides—once your dress comes in you have to immediately go there to pick it up or start your alterations process.
Alterations notoriously expensive, and have heard several stories of them making alterations mistakes on other girls dresses.
Pros:
Beautiful dresses with several lines to choose from, and reasonable options for BM/MOH with many styles, fabrics, and colors to choose from.
Fay Carraher: Wedding Dress Alterations ($135)
What can I say? I LOVE Fay! She did an amazing job with my dress.
I heard about Fay on the Boston Knot message board; she was highly recommended.
I E-mailed her in Feb or March to inquire if she was available to do my dress alterations. She was on vacation, so I didn't hear anything for a few days, and when she got back from vacation she wrote me back and basically said she was available and that she'd contact me in a week or so to set up my first appointment. Well the next day I got a call from her asking if she could set up the appointment right away. Apparently she got a bunch of messages while on vacation from girls (must've been the hot topic on The Knot!), but she said since I contacted her first she wanted to give me first dibs, which I thought was so sweet.
I had my first appointment at the end of March. I arrived and she lead me upstairs to her sewing room. She laid down a clean sheet on the floor to protect my dress and took it out of the bag. She got a good look at it and then left me to change. I made sure to bring my shoes! I think the first fitting was less than an hour. She pinned a few places that were gaping, and I needed cups sewn in the front & she showed me several different ones to choose from; I tried them out before picking the one that gave the look I wanted. She also showed me some different bustle looks. I wasn't sure what I wanted going in to the appointment, but she took the time to pin & show me probably at least 5 different bustle variations! She took lots of notes and I made my 2nd appointment before leaving.
My second appointment was at the end of April. She once again pinned a few places to be adjusted on the body of my dress. I picked my bustle; a 9-point French bustle. She pinned where the ribbons would go.
I had noticed that at the first appointment she pricked her finger with a pin and got a tiny dot of blood on my dress. At the second appointment it was completely gone; very well done! :)
My third (and final fitting) appointment was at the end of May, about 2 weeks before the wedding. My SIL came with me so she could show her how to tie up my bustle. She showed her how to tie the bustle, pinned a few adjustments, and we were set.
My SIL had also brought along her dress to wear to the wedding because it had a split seam and she wanted to see if Fay could fix it for her. Fay said no problem and fixed it no charge! She pinned the last few adjustments and I set the date/time to pick up our finished dresses.
Four days before the wedding I went to pick up my dress. Fay had pressed it for me and it was ready in the garment bag. I paid her with a check (check/cash only), and she gave me a little sewing kit!
Fay is so friendly and does AMAZING work. My dress came out beautiful! So many people commented on how well it fit me, and how gorgeous my bustle looked. And I wore my dress from about 2pm until after 1am and my bustle did not BUDGE!
I HIGHLY recommend Fay for wedding gown/bridesmaid dress/mother-of-the-bride dress/etc. alterations.
I heard about Fay on the Boston Knot message board; she was highly recommended.
I E-mailed her in Feb or March to inquire if she was available to do my dress alterations. She was on vacation, so I didn't hear anything for a few days, and when she got back from vacation she wrote me back and basically said she was available and that she'd contact me in a week or so to set up my first appointment. Well the next day I got a call from her asking if she could set up the appointment right away. Apparently she got a bunch of messages while on vacation from girls (must've been the hot topic on The Knot!), but she said since I contacted her first she wanted to give me first dibs, which I thought was so sweet.
I had my first appointment at the end of March. I arrived and she lead me upstairs to her sewing room. She laid down a clean sheet on the floor to protect my dress and took it out of the bag. She got a good look at it and then left me to change. I made sure to bring my shoes! I think the first fitting was less than an hour. She pinned a few places that were gaping, and I needed cups sewn in the front & she showed me several different ones to choose from; I tried them out before picking the one that gave the look I wanted. She also showed me some different bustle looks. I wasn't sure what I wanted going in to the appointment, but she took the time to pin & show me probably at least 5 different bustle variations! She took lots of notes and I made my 2nd appointment before leaving.
My second appointment was at the end of April. She once again pinned a few places to be adjusted on the body of my dress. I picked my bustle; a 9-point French bustle. She pinned where the ribbons would go.
I had noticed that at the first appointment she pricked her finger with a pin and got a tiny dot of blood on my dress. At the second appointment it was completely gone; very well done! :)
My third (and final fitting) appointment was at the end of May, about 2 weeks before the wedding. My SIL came with me so she could show her how to tie up my bustle. She showed her how to tie the bustle, pinned a few adjustments, and we were set.
My SIL had also brought along her dress to wear to the wedding because it had a split seam and she wanted to see if Fay could fix it for her. Fay said no problem and fixed it no charge! She pinned the last few adjustments and I set the date/time to pick up our finished dresses.
Four days before the wedding I went to pick up my dress. Fay had pressed it for me and it was ready in the garment bag. I paid her with a check (check/cash only), and she gave me a little sewing kit!
Fay is so friendly and does AMAZING work. My dress came out beautiful! So many people commented on how well it fit me, and how gorgeous my bustle looked. And I wore my dress from about 2pm until after 1am and my bustle did not BUDGE!
I HIGHLY recommend Fay for wedding gown/bridesmaid dress/mother-of-the-bride dress/etc. alterations.
Shoebuy.com: Bride's Shoes (~$65)
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Neiman Marcus: Groom's Suit (~$1500)
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Brook's Brothers: Groom's Shirt ($?)
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Hermes: Groom's Tie ($180)
So my darling husband, is VERY picky about ties. He wanted something that was very nicely made, and, let's be honest, he wanted something that was cool. We looked at HUNDREDS of ties. We looked online. We looked at a bunch of department stores (Saks, Neiman Marcus, Barney's, etc), we went to designer boutiques (Ferragamo, Zegna, Gucci, etc), and finally he fell in love with a pale pink Gucci tie with little cartoon cats. I put my foot down & said he had to find something else. Well, he has been a craps player for years and a month or so before the wedding he found this amazing Hermes tie online (part of their "Lucky Tie" series) with little dice embroidered on it. It was deep purple, and I agreed it was an excellent choice. So we set off to Hermes at Boylston & Arlington St. in Boston.
When we got there an employee opened the door for us. We walked around the store until we found the tie section. It was a Saturday and the girl behind the tie customer was helping another customer, so we waited. We waited. We waited. We walked around the store...a few times. No one greeted us. No one asked if we needed help. No one acknowledged us. Now, we had been out running errands, and I have to admit we were dressed pretty casually to be shopping at Hermes. But this was almost "Pretty Woman" style discrimination based on how we looked! We both got pretty annoyed, especially since we knew exactly what we wanted and could have been in & out of there rather quickly.
Finally, after maybe 20-25 minutes, my hubby asked the man who had opened the door for us if he could help us find someone to wait on us because we'd be waiting so long. That guy said, "oh, I can help you." (rolling eyes) That guy had been just standing by the door the ENTIRE time--we thought he was just a doorman or security or something, not a salesman! Oh, well.
Anyway, once he helped us, things went great. He found the tie for us right away & we both loved the quality (hello! it's HERMES!), and my hubby mentioned to the salesman that he was impressed that the dice embroidered on it had the dots in the correct position (which is rare to see in drawings of dice). We couldn't resist requesting we be added to their customer database, just so we could drop our prestigious address (after all, we'd waited 20+ minutes to be helped!), but really, the salesman was very nice to us. He also mentioned to us that their "Lucky Tie" series was done every year, and that they mixed up the tie colors and what little symbols were embroidered each year. This got hubby so excited, and he told me he would be on the look out to collect the dice ties in other colors.
A couple weeks later on Hermes.com, I came across the dice tie in black. I told hubby and he immediately went to the Hermes boutique to get it. The same salesman was there and remembered him. Hubby laughed and said, "Sorry man, is it because I thought you were the doorman?" And the salesman said, "No, it's because you told me about how the dice were done with the dots in the correct place; I'd never realized that and was impressed." Well hubby asked about the black dice tie we'd seen online. The salesman said that that was old stock from a previous season, so they didn't have it in stock, but that he could do a search and have it sent from another store. He also mentioned that it had also previously come in blue. Hubby asked him to order the black tie and the blue tie. The guy called him a few days later & said he found the black one, but couldn't find the blue one. Hubby wouldn't take no for an answer and asked what the other options were. The salesman said, "Well, I suppose I could do a WORLD search, but that will take a few days." Hubby just about drooled at the thought of this guy doing a world search to find him this tie, and told him to go ahead. It turned out there never was a blue dice tie--that was a mistake by the salesman--but he did end up getting the black tie.
Overall, once we got someone to wait on us at the Hermes boutique, he was very nice & helpful. I would recommend Hermes if you have the budget to splurge on something special, since they are quite expensive. Oh, and we love that they wrapped up the ties in tissue and presented them to us in their famous orange tie boxes with brown grosgrain ribbon--made the entire purchase seem that much more luxurious!
*I'll try to find out the name of the salesman who helped us, and post it when I find it*
When we got there an employee opened the door for us. We walked around the store until we found the tie section. It was a Saturday and the girl behind the tie customer was helping another customer, so we waited. We waited. We waited. We walked around the store...a few times. No one greeted us. No one asked if we needed help. No one acknowledged us. Now, we had been out running errands, and I have to admit we were dressed pretty casually to be shopping at Hermes. But this was almost "Pretty Woman" style discrimination based on how we looked! We both got pretty annoyed, especially since we knew exactly what we wanted and could have been in & out of there rather quickly.
Finally, after maybe 20-25 minutes, my hubby asked the man who had opened the door for us if he could help us find someone to wait on us because we'd be waiting so long. That guy said, "oh, I can help you." (rolling eyes) That guy had been just standing by the door the ENTIRE time--we thought he was just a doorman or security or something, not a salesman! Oh, well.
Anyway, once he helped us, things went great. He found the tie for us right away & we both loved the quality (hello! it's HERMES!), and my hubby mentioned to the salesman that he was impressed that the dice embroidered on it had the dots in the correct position (which is rare to see in drawings of dice). We couldn't resist requesting we be added to their customer database, just so we could drop our prestigious address (after all, we'd waited 20+ minutes to be helped!), but really, the salesman was very nice to us. He also mentioned to us that their "Lucky Tie" series was done every year, and that they mixed up the tie colors and what little symbols were embroidered each year. This got hubby so excited, and he told me he would be on the look out to collect the dice ties in other colors.
A couple weeks later on Hermes.com, I came across the dice tie in black. I told hubby and he immediately went to the Hermes boutique to get it. The same salesman was there and remembered him. Hubby laughed and said, "Sorry man, is it because I thought you were the doorman?" And the salesman said, "No, it's because you told me about how the dice were done with the dots in the correct place; I'd never realized that and was impressed." Well hubby asked about the black dice tie we'd seen online. The salesman said that that was old stock from a previous season, so they didn't have it in stock, but that he could do a search and have it sent from another store. He also mentioned that it had also previously come in blue. Hubby asked him to order the black tie and the blue tie. The guy called him a few days later & said he found the black one, but couldn't find the blue one. Hubby wouldn't take no for an answer and asked what the other options were. The salesman said, "Well, I suppose I could do a WORLD search, but that will take a few days." Hubby just about drooled at the thought of this guy doing a world search to find him this tie, and told him to go ahead. It turned out there never was a blue dice tie--that was a mistake by the salesman--but he did end up getting the black tie.
Overall, once we got someone to wait on us at the Hermes boutique, he was very nice & helpful. I would recommend Hermes if you have the budget to splurge on something special, since they are quite expensive. Oh, and we love that they wrapped up the ties in tissue and presented them to us in their famous orange tie boxes with brown grosgrain ribbon--made the entire purchase seem that much more luxurious!
*I'll try to find out the name of the salesman who helped us, and post it when I find it*
Jerry's Tailoring & Alteration: Groom's Suit & Shirt Alterations ($115)
So, I didn't actually ever go with my husband to the tailor, so this review is based entirely on what he told me. I found Jerry's Tailoring online, and decided to send my hubby there to have his suit tailored after reading all 5/5 star reviews on Yelp. He procrasinated and ended up waiting until just 3 weeks before the wedding before taking his suit in. He needed his suit jacket taken in, his pants hemmed, and his shirts taken in (they were a little too loose, and bunched up under his suit coat). Jerry is an old, Italian guy who has been in the business for years! He's been the tailor for a lot of famous/powerful Bostonians. His shop is on the 4th floor of a building on Boylston St. in Back Bay, near the Prudential Center. Hubby said Jerry was chatty, nice, and professional. He altered the suit and 2 shirts in about a week, and the work is incredible! You can't even tell that they've been altered. VERY professional. Hubby's suit fits him perfectly, and looks wonderful. He was so happy with the results he brought Jerry 3 more shirts to have taken in the next week. We highly recommend Jerry's Tailoring. Oh, and FYI, he isn't in everyday, so it's best to call first to set up an appointment, and it is a check/cash only business.
Smartwool.com: Groom's Socks ($15)
Hubby will only wear Smartwool brand socks. Fortunately they make socks to suit all of his sock needs, from snowboarding socks to dress socks. We wanted to find something colorful for him to wear at the wedding that would be fun for some feet photos since I was wearing such brightly colored shoes. We did a lot of searching online and eventually found a few options. They don't make too many colored options in mens socks, so we ended up purchasing ladies socks that came in his larger size. They were easy to order online and arrived in about a week. Overall, it was a good experience.
Cole Haan: Groom's Shoes ($122)
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Faces By Robin: Make-Up ($125)
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Kristine England: Hair ($150)
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A. Quinn Salon: Bride's Ouidad (Curly) Cut ($100)
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Winston Flowers: Flowers ($1000)
Recommend: details to come!
Nystedt Photography: Wedding Photos ($1900)
When picking a photographer we literally checked out over 30 photographers recommended by girls on the Knot Boston message board, and we liked Dan's style the best. We wanted beautiful photos, but didn't want someone who was stuck on only taking traditional formals. We were interested in having quality candids as well. Photos that you couldn't necessarily tell were taken at a wedding.
Dan was very professional and easy to work both on the wedding day and beforehand. He is super friendly. His prices are very reasonable, and we loved the fact that we got hi-res DVDs with all of the photos, and that his packages included edited photos. The day of the wedding he had a list of some of the photos we wanted and did a great job making sure we got everything we asked for.
He was very unobtrusive, and always moved out of the way if our guests wanted to take their own pics of us--without any complaint. Before he left for the night he asked if there were any last minute "must take" shots--which was great. He doesn't book more than 1 wedding each day. And he gives you the option to decide to add additional time the day of the wedding if needed--so if the party is running late or things are still hopping, you can pay for additional shooting time.
His editing eye is awesome and when we got back the set of edited photos, we LOVED every single one! He was very timely, posting the edited photos online with a link exactly 1 week after our wedding, and sending the hi-res DVDs of the pics within 2 weeks.
We highly recommend Nystedt Photography if you are looking for an amazing photographer, and are interested in more than just traditional posed wedding photos.
We couldn't be happier with how our wedding photos came out. Dan was awesome to work with.
Dan was very professional and easy to work both on the wedding day and beforehand. He is super friendly. His prices are very reasonable, and we loved the fact that we got hi-res DVDs with all of the photos, and that his packages included edited photos. The day of the wedding he had a list of some of the photos we wanted and did a great job making sure we got everything we asked for.
He was very unobtrusive, and always moved out of the way if our guests wanted to take their own pics of us--without any complaint. Before he left for the night he asked if there were any last minute "must take" shots--which was great. He doesn't book more than 1 wedding each day. And he gives you the option to decide to add additional time the day of the wedding if needed--so if the party is running late or things are still hopping, you can pay for additional shooting time.
His editing eye is awesome and when we got back the set of edited photos, we LOVED every single one! He was very timely, posting the edited photos online with a link exactly 1 week after our wedding, and sending the hi-res DVDs of the pics within 2 weeks.
We highly recommend Nystedt Photography if you are looking for an amazing photographer, and are interested in more than just traditional posed wedding photos.
We couldn't be happier with how our wedding photos came out. Dan was awesome to work with.
Shannon Sorensen Photography: Post-Wedding Brunch Photos & Trash the Dress Photos ($250)
http://www.shannonsorensenphotography.com
Okay, so I am going to start just by saying, I LOVE SHANNON! :)
I first met Shannon through the Knot forums. She was another bride getting married about 6 months before us. She totally had a sweet personality and seemed like so much fun. A few months before our wedding she started her own photography studio. She did some photo shoots of other brides from the Knot and eagerly stalked her blog to see the results. Wow! She did an amazing job!
The week before my bridal shower I E-mailed her to find out if she would be available to shoot my shower. Unfortnately for me (but good for her!), she already had another shoot booked at the same time. So I asked her if she would be interested in photographing our brunch the day after the wedding, and soon after started talking about doing a Trash the Dress/Rock the Frock shoot sometime after the wedding. Lucky us; she was able to do both!
At our post-wedding brunch Shannon had a bit of a challenge. The restaurant was very dark, and the waitstaff seated everyone at a long row of tables surrounded by a partial wall. Shannon had to get creative, and used the mirrors and glass in the restaurant to her advantage. She took photos of every guest, and lots of detail shots. Before she left she even came out on Newbury Street to take a few photos of us in front of the restaurant and down the street. She posted the edited photos online in less than a week, and mailed me the discs right after. We love them! These photos are most special to me, as most of the guests who attended our brunch were from my side of the family who flew in from all over the country (and a few international visitors!), and I get to spend so little time with them, I am so happy I have these precious photos. Somehow (and I still have no idea how she did it) she ended up with countless photos of people smiling and laughing through brunch--no awkward shots of people with food in their mouth or drinks blocking their faces. She did an awesome job!
About a month later we met up with Shannon again for our Rock the Frock/Trash the Dress. We were ALL really looking forward to this shoot. We had decided to meet at Green Animals Topiary Garden just north of Newport, RI, on a Sunday morning. The day we did our shoot it was SUPER hot. Shannon was such a trooper though, and hung in there with us the whole time! She got SOOOO many amazing shots, and did everything from laying across train tracks, to wading in the ocean, to climbing up a stone wall to get them! We had such a great time; Shannon is so much fun to work with! Because it rained on our wedding day, we weren't able to take the photos in the park before our ceremony that we'd planned on. These photos fill in the missing pieces and we are so happy that we were able to get some fun, outdoor shots in our wedding attire for our wedding album. We love every single shot!
Again she posted the photos online so quickly, and I got the discs in the mail with the hi-res photos within 2 weeks.
We have received so many compliments on our photos taken by Shannon, we really couldn't be happier with them. We highly recommend Shannon Sorensen Photography; Shannon is an amazing photographer with extremely reasonable prices and a great eye. She is a joy to work with. I can't wait to see her first set of wedding photos! ;)
I first met Shannon through the Knot forums. She was another bride getting married about 6 months before us. She totally had a sweet personality and seemed like so much fun. A few months before our wedding she started her own photography studio. She did some photo shoots of other brides from the Knot and eagerly stalked her blog to see the results. Wow! She did an amazing job!
The week before my bridal shower I E-mailed her to find out if she would be available to shoot my shower. Unfortnately for me (but good for her!), she already had another shoot booked at the same time. So I asked her if she would be interested in photographing our brunch the day after the wedding, and soon after started talking about doing a Trash the Dress/Rock the Frock shoot sometime after the wedding. Lucky us; she was able to do both!
At our post-wedding brunch Shannon had a bit of a challenge. The restaurant was very dark, and the waitstaff seated everyone at a long row of tables surrounded by a partial wall. Shannon had to get creative, and used the mirrors and glass in the restaurant to her advantage. She took photos of every guest, and lots of detail shots. Before she left she even came out on Newbury Street to take a few photos of us in front of the restaurant and down the street. She posted the edited photos online in less than a week, and mailed me the discs right after. We love them! These photos are most special to me, as most of the guests who attended our brunch were from my side of the family who flew in from all over the country (and a few international visitors!), and I get to spend so little time with them, I am so happy I have these precious photos. Somehow (and I still have no idea how she did it) she ended up with countless photos of people smiling and laughing through brunch--no awkward shots of people with food in their mouth or drinks blocking their faces. She did an awesome job!
About a month later we met up with Shannon again for our Rock the Frock/Trash the Dress. We were ALL really looking forward to this shoot. We had decided to meet at Green Animals Topiary Garden just north of Newport, RI, on a Sunday morning. The day we did our shoot it was SUPER hot. Shannon was such a trooper though, and hung in there with us the whole time! She got SOOOO many amazing shots, and did everything from laying across train tracks, to wading in the ocean, to climbing up a stone wall to get them! We had such a great time; Shannon is so much fun to work with! Because it rained on our wedding day, we weren't able to take the photos in the park before our ceremony that we'd planned on. These photos fill in the missing pieces and we are so happy that we were able to get some fun, outdoor shots in our wedding attire for our wedding album. We love every single shot!
Again she posted the photos online so quickly, and I got the discs in the mail with the hi-res photos within 2 weeks.
We have received so many compliments on our photos taken by Shannon, we really couldn't be happier with them. We highly recommend Shannon Sorensen Photography; Shannon is an amazing photographer with extremely reasonable prices and a great eye. She is a joy to work with. I can't wait to see her first set of wedding photos! ;)
Joe Kennaley, Kennaley Photography: B&W Engagement Portrait Session (Free/$68)
So, another knottie posted a message about a deal for a free portrait session (with no obligation to buy) from her photographer, Joe Kennaley. The deal was available through Facebook. I thought that sounded great! I E-mailed Joe right away asking for details. He said that yes, he was looking to expand his portfolio of studio shots and was offering free B&W portraits. He said we’d get a free 8x10 (his choice of picture) and that anything additionally we wanted to purchase would be 50% off. So we made an appointment for a couple weeks after that. He E-mailed me about a week before and said we should wear jeans and dark colored tops. Since that’s basically what we’d been planning on wearing, it was no problem.
He said it'd take about a week to post the pics and it ended up taking about 2-3 (if I remember right). We LOVED some of our pics. He said they'd be online for 1 week, and we would get 1-8x10 (his choice of pic) for free and could order anything else we wanted for 50% if we ordered the first week and then the prices would go up.
I E-mailed him to see what his choice of pic was bc there was one pic I really wanted an 8x10 of, but I didn't want to pay for it if that was already going to be the "free" one. He wrote me right back and said which one it was (a different one from the one I wanted). So I placed an order for the other one. There was no place to pay, so I asked him and he said I could just send the check to him, so I mailed the check.
About 6 weeks went by and I didn’t hear anything from him (actually I pretty much totally forgot about the whole thing until another knottie who had done the same thing sent me a message). I sent him an E-mail since I had already mailed him a check!); it looks like it was cashed about 2 weeks ago.
I E-mailed Joe right after posting that message and got an E-mail back within the hour saying he had our photos and that he’d send them the next day. A week later I got an E-mail saying that he’d shipped them the day before and actually I got them that day in the mail. They were shipped via the USPS in a photo mailer. They were in a wax envelope in the photo mailer with a piece of cardboard slid into the mailer so they wouldn’t be accidently creased. The photos are very nice quality. I wish the Kennaley Photography logo in the corner was smaller, but that’s not really something I can control.
Overall Joe was friendly, and a decent photographer, but his lack of communication got a bit annoying. I wouldn't have minded waiting for the pics, but I feel he should have at least sent me periodic updates saying what the status of everything was (i.e. "I've placed the order for your print and am expecting to mail it by such-and-such date."). I probably wouldn't recommend him as we worked with other photographers who I felt took better photos and had better communication.
He said it'd take about a week to post the pics and it ended up taking about 2-3 (if I remember right). We LOVED some of our pics. He said they'd be online for 1 week, and we would get 1-8x10 (his choice of pic) for free and could order anything else we wanted for 50% if we ordered the first week and then the prices would go up.
I E-mailed him to see what his choice of pic was bc there was one pic I really wanted an 8x10 of, but I didn't want to pay for it if that was already going to be the "free" one. He wrote me right back and said which one it was (a different one from the one I wanted). So I placed an order for the other one. There was no place to pay, so I asked him and he said I could just send the check to him, so I mailed the check.
About 6 weeks went by and I didn’t hear anything from him (actually I pretty much totally forgot about the whole thing until another knottie who had done the same thing sent me a message). I sent him an E-mail since I had already mailed him a check!); it looks like it was cashed about 2 weeks ago.
I E-mailed Joe right after posting that message and got an E-mail back within the hour saying he had our photos and that he’d send them the next day. A week later I got an E-mail saying that he’d shipped them the day before and actually I got them that day in the mail. They were shipped via the USPS in a photo mailer. They were in a wax envelope in the photo mailer with a piece of cardboard slid into the mailer so they wouldn’t be accidently creased. The photos are very nice quality. I wish the Kennaley Photography logo in the corner was smaller, but that’s not really something I can control.
Overall Joe was friendly, and a decent photographer, but his lack of communication got a bit annoying. I wouldn't have minded waiting for the pics, but I feel he should have at least sent me periodic updates saying what the status of everything was (i.e. "I've placed the order for your print and am expecting to mail it by such-and-such date."). I probably wouldn't recommend him as we worked with other photographers who I felt took better photos and had better communication.
Persona+ Jewelry: Engagement Ring Setting & Bride's Wedding Band
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Michael Goldstein Ltd: Engagement Ring Diamond
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James Binnion Metal Arts: Groom's Wedding Band
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Leslie Lindsey Memorial Chapel at Emmanuel Church, Boston: Ceremony Venue
We had a hard time finding the perfect ceremony venue. We looked at many places before narrowing down the list. I loved the idea of getting married in a church, but neither my husband or
Old Town Trolley Tour: Transportation from Ceremony to Reception (~$1200)
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Tapeo Restaurant & Tapas Bar: Reception Venue
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Jeni Lu Weddings: Day of Coordinator
So, booking Jeni was probably the absolute best money we spent on our entire wedding!
I first met Jeni through The Knot Boston message board. She was another bride getting married about a year before me. She was a very detail-oriented bride who put together an amazing wedding. She loved the planning process and bouncing ideas off other brides online. She mentioned online that she was thinking about starting her own wedding planning business. A few months after her wedding Jeni was hired as the the DOC for another very high profile knottie wedding. The bride gave Jeni rave reviews for her professionalism and attention to detail.
I contacted Jeni first to ask if she had any advice for me, as I was looking for a DOC for my own wedding. She wrote me back a couple very thoughtful E-mails with suggestions on traits or services to consider when picking a DOC, and shared her own experiences. She had hired a DOC for her own wedding who turned out not to be that great, but learned what not to do from what her DOC had done poorly (or not at all). And from working as a DOC she had started learning about what she could do to help coordinate for the bride, groom, and their guests, at the wedding. I asked her if she would be available/interested in working as my DOC, and fortunately for me, she agreed.
Right from the start Jeni showed grace and professionalism. I set up an initial consultation to meet with her, and included my husband, who wanted to be involved. He told me later that he thought she was so professional, he couldn't believe that she was new to the business (and as a former salesman, he can be very critical of vendors). She went over what services she could offer, and let me go on & on about the details of our wedding. One of her best traits is that she actually cares! Unlike many vendors, Jeni really wants you to have an unbelievable wedding.
Jeni also works with an assistant, Dane. Dane is just as awesome as Jeni! You can see why they are such great friends. They work very well together.
We met again a couple months before the wedding so Jeni & Dane could check out our venues and we could go over some of the logistical details. We included a lot of quirky details, and wanted to make sure everything ended up where it was supposed to on the day of the wedding. Despite it being cold & raining, they both were troopers as we trekked around Back Bay making stops at our various venues.
Throughout the entire process Jeni would send me periodic check-in E-mails, and was always available when I needed to contact her. Starting a month or so before the wedding she sent me checklists of items to take care of and helped create a "day of" timeline. The week before the wedding she contacted and confirmed all of our vendors (which is a task I was dreading), and sent me reminder E-mails for all of the last-minute details.
The day of our wedding Jeni & Dane arrived early, ready to go. I immediately sent them out with a list of things to take care of that I'd run out of time to do, and my credit card! They took care of everything! They set up at the church, they set up at the reception, they moved everything from the church and reception venues back to our apartment, took care of distributing the envelopes with payment for each of our vendors, and even took care of reimbursing our vendors for parking with the petty cash I provided for just that reason. I think they ended up working about 14 hours!!
The day of the wedding they kept everything running smoothly. I later found out that there were a few hiccups along the way (like, the JP didn't introduce himself to them, and his cell was off, so they didn't know if he was there, and they had trouble with setting up the speakers/projector for the video shown at the start of the ceremony), but I had no idea because they were able to take care of it. In fact, the day was virtually stress-free for me and my husband, and there is no way it would have been so relaxing for us if we didn't have Jeni & Dane to take care of so many tasks for us. Jeni even helped out after the wedding dealing with an issue with the one vendor we did have a problem with.
We got such great feedback from our guests and vendors as well--everyone said that they did an awesome job, and we couldn't agree more. I can't tell you how valuable a great Day of Coordinator really is, and if you are considering hiring someone, I highly recommend Jeni & Dane.
I first met Jeni through The Knot Boston message board. She was another bride getting married about a year before me. She was a very detail-oriented bride who put together an amazing wedding. She loved the planning process and bouncing ideas off other brides online. She mentioned online that she was thinking about starting her own wedding planning business. A few months after her wedding Jeni was hired as the the DOC for another very high profile knottie wedding. The bride gave Jeni rave reviews for her professionalism and attention to detail.
I contacted Jeni first to ask if she had any advice for me, as I was looking for a DOC for my own wedding. She wrote me back a couple very thoughtful E-mails with suggestions on traits or services to consider when picking a DOC, and shared her own experiences. She had hired a DOC for her own wedding who turned out not to be that great, but learned what not to do from what her DOC had done poorly (or not at all). And from working as a DOC she had started learning about what she could do to help coordinate for the bride, groom, and their guests, at the wedding. I asked her if she would be available/interested in working as my DOC, and fortunately for me, she agreed.
Right from the start Jeni showed grace and professionalism. I set up an initial consultation to meet with her, and included my husband, who wanted to be involved. He told me later that he thought she was so professional, he couldn't believe that she was new to the business (and as a former salesman, he can be very critical of vendors). She went over what services she could offer, and let me go on & on about the details of our wedding. One of her best traits is that she actually cares! Unlike many vendors, Jeni really wants you to have an unbelievable wedding.
Jeni also works with an assistant, Dane. Dane is just as awesome as Jeni! You can see why they are such great friends. They work very well together.
We met again a couple months before the wedding so Jeni & Dane could check out our venues and we could go over some of the logistical details. We included a lot of quirky details, and wanted to make sure everything ended up where it was supposed to on the day of the wedding. Despite it being cold & raining, they both were troopers as we trekked around Back Bay making stops at our various venues.
Throughout the entire process Jeni would send me periodic check-in E-mails, and was always available when I needed to contact her. Starting a month or so before the wedding she sent me checklists of items to take care of and helped create a "day of" timeline. The week before the wedding she contacted and confirmed all of our vendors (which is a task I was dreading), and sent me reminder E-mails for all of the last-minute details.
The day of our wedding Jeni & Dane arrived early, ready to go. I immediately sent them out with a list of things to take care of that I'd run out of time to do, and my credit card! They took care of everything! They set up at the church, they set up at the reception, they moved everything from the church and reception venues back to our apartment, took care of distributing the envelopes with payment for each of our vendors, and even took care of reimbursing our vendors for parking with the petty cash I provided for just that reason. I think they ended up working about 14 hours!!
The day of the wedding they kept everything running smoothly. I later found out that there were a few hiccups along the way (like, the JP didn't introduce himself to them, and his cell was off, so they didn't know if he was there, and they had trouble with setting up the speakers/projector for the video shown at the start of the ceremony), but I had no idea because they were able to take care of it. In fact, the day was virtually stress-free for me and my husband, and there is no way it would have been so relaxing for us if we didn't have Jeni & Dane to take care of so many tasks for us. Jeni even helped out after the wedding dealing with an issue with the one vendor we did have a problem with.
We got such great feedback from our guests and vendors as well--everyone said that they did an awesome job, and we couldn't agree more. I can't tell you how valuable a great Day of Coordinator really is, and if you are considering hiring someone, I highly recommend Jeni & Dane.
Silver Fox Coach: Shuttle Bus for Guests ($825)
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Paperandmore.com: Paper, Cardstock, Envelopes for Invitations, Guestbook, Escort Cards, & Signs (~$300)
So I looked at thousands of invitations before finding one that I loved. I knew though that with all of the inserts we’d need to include, we’d never be able to afford our invitations if we had to pay retail. So I created my own custom invitations based on a couple different designs that I loved (the scanner & light box became my friend!). I ordered all of the cardstock, envelopes & paper I used from paperandmore.com. They have really nice quality paper, for much cheaper prices than a lot of other places I looked. You can order samples for just $0.50-1/each, and they arrive within a couple of days. When I ordered the paper, everything came shrink wrapped and packaged in a big box with bubble wrap and packing peanuts so that nothing was damaged. Oh, and their shipping is just $4 for any order over $15 ($1 for orders of samples). I highly recommend them.
Macy's/Macys.com: White Rehearsal/Pre-Wedding Party Dress ($37)
I saw a white Calvin Klein dress I LOVED at Lord & Taylor and Macy’s at Burlington Mall (full price, $139, of course, my luck!), but neither store had my size. I looked online the next day and found that Macys.com had in my size for sale! I used a coupon code for an extra discount, and since we’re registered with Macy’s, I also earned an extra 10% toward my registry rewards. In the end, with shipping, I got 30% off the price of the dress, and it arrived 3 days earlier than the expected delivery date. Yay!
UPDATE: This dress was discounted even FURTHER about 2 months after I bought it. It was still hanging unworn/untouched in my closet, so I ended up returning the one I bought online (minus the $15 shipping fees), and rebuying it at the store for $22 with a coupon! WHOO-HOO!
Definitely would recommend Macy's dress department at Burlington Mall. I don't know how good the other ones are, but I usually find something, and they have 20% off (or more!) coupons regularly, so you can always get a deal.
UPDATE: This dress was discounted even FURTHER about 2 months after I bought it. It was still hanging unworn/untouched in my closet, so I ended up returning the one I bought online (minus the $15 shipping fees), and rebuying it at the store for $22 with a coupon! WHOO-HOO!
Definitely would recommend Macy's dress department at Burlington Mall. I don't know how good the other ones are, but I usually find something, and they have 20% off (or more!) coupons regularly, so you can always get a deal.
Legal Sea Foods: Steven Santosuosso (Mail Order Dept): OOT Bags ($10)
Steven is AWESOME! I filled out an inquiry form on the Legal Sea Foods (LSF) website asking about paper take-out bags and oyster crackers. We wanted 50 large LSF take-out bags to use as our OOT bags to fit with our Boston theme, and 100 of those little bags of oyster crackers to put in the bags. Steven wrote me back a day or two later, asking about how they’d be used (obviously they don’t want their name being used for anything negative). I explained that we wanted them for our OOT bags for our wedding and he said that was fine, and that he’d get back to me with a price. About a week later he E-mailed me back and said we could have the bags & oyster crackers for a flat fee of $20!!! Since it’s almost a year to our wedding I decided to pay $10 now and get the bags (I just sent him a check, and he said I can stop by their warehouse and pick up the bags any time from the security office), and I’ll order the oyster crackers a bit closer to the wedding (so they don’t get stale). So far he has been great to work with, and I am very excited about spending only $0.20/bag for our OOT bags!
UPDATE: I went to pick up the bags and the security guard didn’t know what I was talking about. So I E-mailed Steven and let him know, he apologized and said he’d make sure the guard knew where they were. The 2nd time I went to pick them up, they were there and were perfect! They are the ones that look like paper bags (with handles), but are made of plastic. They are white with the LSF logo in red & blue. At first I think they smelled slightly of seafood, but that quickly went away. I am super excited to use them.
UPDATE: About a month before the wedding I E-mailed Steven back to order the oyster crackers. He had left the company, so I re-submitted an online form explaining what I wanted. A few days later I got a voicemail from a lady who was very confused about what I was looking for. I never got an E-mail follow-up. I ended up NOT calling her back, and never got the oyster crackers. Oh, well.
UPDATE: I went to pick up the bags and the security guard didn’t know what I was talking about. So I E-mailed Steven and let him know, he apologized and said he’d make sure the guard knew where they were. The 2nd time I went to pick them up, they were there and were perfect! They are the ones that look like paper bags (with handles), but are made of plastic. They are white with the LSF logo in red & blue. At first I think they smelled slightly of seafood, but that quickly went away. I am super excited to use them.
UPDATE: About a month before the wedding I E-mailed Steven back to order the oyster crackers. He had left the company, so I re-submitted an online form explaining what I wanted. A few days later I got a voicemail from a lady who was very confused about what I was looking for. I never got an E-mail follow-up. I ended up NOT calling her back, and never got the oyster crackers. Oh, well.
Boston.craigslist.org:
Vintage Schwinn Bicycle Built for Two ($200)
Vintage Typewriter ($20)
Large Frame for Photobooth ($10)
Frames for Photobooth ($10)
So craigslist can be hit or miss. Fortunately for me I found exactly what I was looking for exactly when I wanted it, for not much money. I decided one day I wanted a tandem bike, and that day I found the perfect vintage tandem bike for sale on CL. I decided I wanted a vintage typewriter, and found one within 20 minutes of searching online on CL. The frames though, I wasn’t so lucky. I posted an ad because I didn’t find any frames advertised in any posts and got a few sketchy responses. I ended up buying about 30+ used frames from an older couple for $10, but once I got them home and went through them, found that I couldn’t really use most of them—just used 1 (the 2nd largest rectangle frame). Waiting for E-mail responses can be really annoying, and some people practically harass you if you don’t want their stuff, but if you are patient, depending on what you are looking for, you might snag a great deal—we found the same EXACT typewriter that we bought for $20 on CL for sale on etsy.com & ebay.com for $150-250. I also bought the large rectangle frame used in our photobooth on CL for just $10.
Ebay.com: Large Oval Frame for Photobooth ($16)
Like CL, ebay.com can be hit or miss. The hubby specifically wanted an oval frame used for our photobooth, so I did some searching online and found one on ebay.com for $8 + $8 shipping. Not bad. Easy payment using PayPal.
Bikesomewhere.com: Wicker Basket w/Lid ($33)
I ordered our bike basket online from them because they had the cheapest price I could find for a basket with lid including shipping costs. The basket was shipped the next day via UPS Ground and arrived a few days later, exactly as promised. The basket was exactly as described, great service, quick delivery; I’d use them again!
