Note: I put a ton of time and effort into finding
each one of the people I worked with, going through and talking to lots of
people before selecting someone and making sure all the prices were great. I’d
say the only place I really gave in was the ceremony venue but I loved it so
much and it was the one compromise I made.
Ceremony Venue: Villa
at Park Lane
Melissa was a great help to me. She was easy to meet with
even when I got delayed at work and missed our appointments. She worked
wonderfully with my vendors and came in early to let the Pianist set up. We
were able to negotiate 300$ off the price of 1200$ for a Ceremony Only Venue.
It is a beautiful venue, an old ballroom feel with a great entranceway, grand
steps and balconies and a sitting area in the main room and up a beautiful
classic spiral staircase. It holds about 120 people which was a perfect
intimate ceremony for me. She also made a lot of great recommendations during
rehersals to make things run smoother and fill me and my dad (officiant) on how
she’d recommend things go.
Reception Venue:
Brennan’s Catering Center
Since I had a Friday in February Wedding I got some great
discounts negotiated through Dina and Jason. The sapphire room (the one on their
own) I think is perfect for like 150, even though they say for like 250.
Underestimate your guaranteed number though because they’ll get you for a lot
on that. The lighting is wonderful, lots of space, great clean bathrooms,
wonderful service from all the staff. Everyone loved it.
Sapphire room has its own entrance, ramps and stairs and is
a very classic room for a banquet center. Parking is free and there is a ton of
it.
Engagement Photos:
Cleveland Botanical Garden
It wasn’t the best experience, being that I had to pay them
and they rushed me for my 1 hour of time in the Gardens and other people could
still wonder through. The pictures were fun and great (did them in late
September) but I’m not sure I’d recommend it to others.
Engagement Photos:
Cleveland Public Library
If you love classic architecture then you’d love it. It’s
free and we pretty much had the run of the place. I’d recommend going and
picking out spots before hand but there are so many little places to take
spots. No one tracks your time or cares when you come or go or bothered us at
all. All you have to do is sign a form and you’re good. People apparently have
weddings in there too, so that’s an idea. I loved it and would definitely
recommend it for always unique and interesting pictures. Bonus, lots of cool
benches where you can take pictures and rest your tired feet.
Photographer: White
Sands Photography
Heather is definitely a certain type of personality and
either you get along with her and have fun or it’s a little stressful. She can
be very pushy and take lots of pictures and she really wants you to smile with
your teeth, for my husband, it was hard and annoying to him but she does great
pictures and fast turn around. She gives you a 50$ print credit but also all
the photos with all the rights to print and use them how you want.
Florist: Fair Rarity
Floral
Heather McCoy was great to work with. We only met twice but
she’s wonderful. Very nice and easy to get along with. She does wedding flowers
exclusively which meant unlike floral shops she wasn’t bogged down by valentine’s
day and could focus and wasn’t stressed out. The flowers were beautiful and I
shared a pinterest board of ideas with her and she worked them out beautifully.
Everyone loved them. I didn’t give her specifics but that didn’t bother her, I
trusted her to make it wonderful and she did. She met with me at a Panera near
me and in two short meetings we got everything done.
She let me rent vases and we did a cool floating candle in a
cylinder with surrounding votives and it was wonderful and so reasonably
prices, no types of flowers were off-limit to her. She suggested ones that I
loved and didn’t even know off. She knows her flowers and her weddings.
Hair: Lisa Wayman
Lisa was great, a gave her a couple photos of what I wanted
and she went with it. I tried to grow my hair out and I was worried I wouldn’t
have enough hair for the style but she made it work beautifully anyway. She
charges based on the number of girls but will come to you and does a trial for
20$ at her shop in Norton, OH. She was so fast and efficient and worked all the
girls’ hair into a theme while making them each unique and beautiful in their
own way. Can do amazing things with short hair! Charges around 50$ for each
person, more if less girls. No deposit needed.
Note: She’s doing less hair this year, as she just had a
child so if you want her, make sure to give her a lot of warning.
Makeup: Innovations
By Jen
Jen was great. Fast, efficient, and knows her makeup. Great
quality makeup, friendly and adjusts for each person, and makes them
comfortable in makeup, even if they never wear it. Everyone looked beautiful.
She came to us, brought her own chair and lighting setup and did a free trial.
She is also about 50$ a girl, more for the bride (because it includes trial).
You have to do a deposit with her and contract.
My Life DJ Media
Services: Jim
Our photographer Heather recommended Jim and she was right.
Everyone loved him. Everyone was always dancing and he knew how to pick the
perfect songs, one for the older people, the little kids, everybody. I’ve never
had so much fun at a wedding and everyone said the same. When he says he reads
the audience, he does, and amazingly. So glad to have him for the wedding. We
only met once to cover the schedule and suggest and select a few songs and he
went with it. He even was okay when I changed our father/daughter dance at the
last minute and made the best man/ maid of honor comfortable for their
speeches. Wonderful, can’t recommend him enough! Worth every dollar, and very
reasonably prices for DJ Services. He even had some lights he brought with him.
He’s great with kids too and runs the show making sure it runs on times and
coordinating with photographers and vendors alike.
Colozza’s Bakery
Everyone loved the cake. When I imagined wedding cake, it
was like that one. They take pictures and ideas and make it work for you. Their
flavors are unique and different. I did a half yellow half chocolate with
chocolate fudge between and everyone loved and complimented it. Very reasonably
priced and easy to work with. They took some ribbon I had and my topper and incorporated
it. I’d definitely recommend trying and doing a tasting with them, available on
short notice too.
Colozza’s offers for a 75$ deposit beautiful cake stands.
Once you return it, you get the money back.
Alterations: Affordable
Bridals
Can’t recommend her enough, Karen Lockwood. She sells
wonderful inexpensive but high-quality veils and tiaras and shoes also which
she collects on super-sales and sells them discounted to you. She hand-beaded
my veil to match my necklace. She works hourly and she works fast. She did
bustle, hem, and the veil beading for 80$. She works at home and it is tight
but she definitely knows how to do wedding alterations. She’ll also clean and
press your dress at the same rate and send it off for preservation and
everything.
Pianist: Jessica
Lieberth
Jessica is 150 for ceremony, 50 for practice. Wonderful
pricing and totally worth it. The music was beautiful, she’ll bring her own
piano and amplifier or use one there. We gave her two songs not on her list
with a month and the day of the wedding she played the beautifully and
perfectly like I imagined. Nothing is off limits for her. We used the Throne
Room from Star Wars as our recessional and she played it beautifully and took
cues perfectly and kept up with us.
David’s Bridal –
Mayfield, OH
Everyone says bad things about David’s Bridal but I got a
beautiful dress for 800$ on sale and I loved it and everyone loved it. They
helped me out so much through picking them out and didn’t try too hard to push more
things. Their alterations aren’t the best and super expensive, but for dresses,
can’t beat the prices and good quality for the price.
