We just got our professional photos back and can’t stop reliving our wedding day. Everything was perfect and we could not have asked for a better day or experience. I wanted to share our vendor information for anyone in the NYC area. I highly recommend each and every one of them. They were all a pleasure to work with even with a COVID postponement thrown in the mix.
The day does fly by and it was great to have vendors that we trusted, who knew what they were doing and just did it without any problems. Everyone says don’t sweat the small stuff and it’s so true. At the end of the day you’re marrying the love of your life and that’s what matters. Your guests will feed off of your energy. If you’re loving it and having a great time so will they. It doesn’t matter what color table linens you have or if your décor is Pinterest or Instagram worthy. It’s about celebrating your love.
I have to be honest in that I followed my gut when I booked vendors. If I got a good vibe from them and could see us working well together, they were booked. My advice is to always follow your instincts, even if they might not be the least expensive vendor. You get what you pay for. If your gut feels like something is off about a vendor, it probably is. We would hire each of these vendors again in a heartbeat.
Venue – Nicotra’s Ballroom. From the minute we stepped into this venue we knew it was the one. The grounds are just gorgeous which makes for great photos and with a beautiful gazebo for the ceremony. The staff are top notch especially our coordinator, Jenn. From the minute we met her, it felt like we were dealing with an old friend who only wanted the best for us. She and our bridal attendant, Sue treated us like royalty. The food was phenomenal. People are still raving about it. It’s part of the Hilton Garden Inn. We definitely feel like we got more than our money’s worth here.
Photographer/Videographer – Joey G’s Memories and Videos – We actually used them twice. Once for our first, smaller wedding. Our photographer for that one was great. A pleasure to work with and creative with the poses especially given that we only had him for an hour. He wasn’t available this time. This photographer was good but not as creative with the shots and utilizing the grounds as much as we would have liked. That being said, the pictures are beautiful. We haven’t gotten our video yet, but he was also great to work with. Both were very unobtrusive.
DJ – Dash of Class Platinum We had a big mix of age groups and everyone agreed the music as fantastic! The dance floor was only empty when people were eating. Mike G and Justin were our MC and DJ and they did an outstanding job not only playing music that appealed to everyone and getting everyone up and dancing but they made it the party we wanted. We’ve been to weddings where the DJ/MC makes it all about them. Mike and Justin let it be about us. They also provide a ton of other services. We also got up-lighting and the photo booth from them.
Florist – Enchanted Florist. I was shocked at how expensive flowers could be. I kept shopping around and found a very reasonable florist in my neighborhood. Nestor was a pleasure to deal with and really listened to what I wanted. With minimal direction from me, I only told him our wedding colors, he put together beautiful, vibrant bouquets and centerpieces. I received so many compliments on my flowers and they really pop in the pictures.
Hair/Makeup – Angel Face NYC. I can’t say enough wonderful things about Angel and her team, specifically Janine who did our hair. They come to you which is a big stress reliever and time saver. Angel brings out your natural beauty. Her makeup is flawless and natural looking. I didn’t feel like I had a ton of makeup on, nor did I look like it. But I felt, and looked, more beautiful than I ever have. My mother doesn’t ever wear much makeup so was a little apprehensive to get her makeup done. She loved it! She looked stunning and said she looked like she had a facelift. Janine was great, fun to talk to and really listened to what everyone wanted. She did an amazing job with all of us. I would use them again in a heartbeat.
Officiant – Peace and Love Ceremonies – Jay was a delight to work with. He took the time to get to know us and what we wanted our ceremony to be. He made our ceremony uniquely us, and didn't just follow a generic script. So many people told us how beautiful and special our ceremony was.
Wedding Gown – David’s Bridal. I have very mixed feelings about David’s Bridal. My buying experience was fantastic. My consultant was great and I never felt pressure to buy something. However, my alterations experience was an absolute nightmare with them ruining my original gown a week before my wedding! They did give me another dress and made all the necessary alterations in a matter of days. I ended up loving my new gown even more than the original, though I didn’t think that was possible. It was a lot of stress at the last minute that I really could have done without. My suggestion is to buy from them but take them to a trusted seamtress for alterations.
Tuxedos – Men’s Wearhouse. Very easy process, especially if your guys are spread out around the country as some of ours were. The tuxes were beautiful and we didn’t have any problems at all with them.
