Vendor Reviews

Reception Venue: the Sheraton Colonial Hotel - Wakefield, MA
Review: B
We booked the Colonial after losing our first venue to bankruptcy.  They were very accommodating and their package is a fantastic value for the money.  They lose points for being difficult to contact in the weeks leading up to the wedding.  The day of was FANTASTIC.  The guests were happy, the food was great and the room looked beautiful.  Hotel block was a nightmare for several reasons – they have an attrition so it was difficult to guess how many rooms to block without being stuck with extras to pay for.  They cancelled my MIL’s room and we didn’t find out until a week before the wedding (they did fix the problem).  The night of the wedding, we had an after party in the bar upstairs and even though we told them to staff appropriately, there was only 1 bartender on duty (for 50 of our guests plus restaurant patrons).  All in all, the day was great and we are happy we ended up at the Sheraton Colonial.

Photographer: David Bibeault Photography - Lincoln, RI
Review: A (pending photos)
Dave and Nick were great to work with on the wedding day.  They were on time, stayed until the very last song and were present without being overbearing.  I can’t wait to see teasers!!

DJ: Mark Cherone from Curtis Knight Entertainment - Billerica, MA
Review: A+
Mark was absolutely fantastic.  He kept the dance floor full all night and was such a charming MC.  People commented all night about how great he was.  He played a variety of music that appealed to our guests and us.

Florist for Bouquets & Personal Flowers: AD Floral Design - Stoneham, MA
Review: A
Andrea was very flexible with working with my small budget.  She modified designs several times since I booked her and the end result was phenomenal.  She was early dropping the bouquets off at the house too!  Her style is modern and fun and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her.  I absolutely loved my bouquet!

Florist for Centerpieces & Church: Jody Palange Roffi from My Personal Florist - Reading, MA
Review: B+
I booked Jody as part of the Sheraton’s package.  She really understood what I was going for with my centerpieces and was willing to work with the Sheraton’ package prices since I didn’t want to pay extra.  The centerpieces were HUGE too.  Way bigger than I expected (but appropriate for the size of the table).  I deducted points because she did include orange flowers in our altar arrangements which I thought was really strange since our colors were black, white and red.

Jeweler: Engagement Ring: The Jewelry Exchange - Sudbury, MA  Review: Recommend
       Wedding Rings: Day's Jewelers - Manchester, NH   Review: Recommend

Bridal Attire: Dress & Veil: David's Bridal - Danvers, MA Review: Recommend
       Shoes: Angela Nuran (bought from Shoes to Dye For - Natick, MA)  Review: Recommend
       Alterations: Adam and Eva Tailoring - Medford, MA  Review: Recommend with reservations

Cake Baker: D'Amici's Bakery - Wakefield, MA
Review: A
The cake flavor was outstanding.  We were hesitant about D’Amicis because they don’t get much press in the wedding world.  They only have a few flavors but they do those few flavors fantastically.  We chose white cake with strawberries and lemon cake and both were delicious.  The size of the cake was really nice too.  They were great to work with for the tasting an the design process.

Makeup & Hair: Special Event Beauty - Bridgewater, MA
Review: A+
If my trial deserved an A+, my wedding day was off the charts.  They knocked it out of the park.  Rachel, Noel and their assistant traveled to my parent’s house and did 11 hair styles and 8 faces in about 5 hours.  They were professional and fun at the same time.  Their prices are very reasonable for the quality of their work.  I have never felt so beautiful as I did on my wedding day and I have Rachel and Noel to thank.  They started my day off on the best foot possible.

Transportation - 1954 Jaguar: Excelsior Limousine - Wakefield, MA
Review: A
Joe was a fantastic chauffer and was a hit among the bridal party!  He was early picking me up and the car was beautifully clean and pristine for photos.  My dad and I loved driving in it to the ceremony.  He hid me in back of the church so no one would see me before the ceremony.  Then he helped fluff my dress and open the doors to the church before I walked down the aisle.  He suggested a new, nicer place for photos post-ceremony.  Joe even stayed a bit late when photos went into overtime.  He really helped complete our day!!

Bridesmaids' Attire: David's Bridal - Danvers, MA (Style F13573)  Review: Recommend
David's was fantastic to deal with.  We had a helpful consultant who was not overbearing.  Two of the girls had to exchange their dresses for smaller sizes after the 90 day return period, and David's was very accommodating.  We did not get alterations done there.

Groom and Groomsmens' Attire: Men's Wearhouse - Medford, MA  Review: Recommend

Dance Lessons: Studio 665 - Woburn, MA  
Review: A
When my fiance and I arrived at Studio 665, we didn't even know what a box step was.  We were TOTAL newbies to dancing.  After only 5 lessons we felt comfortable enough to do our first dance!  We worked with Sarah and she was very patient and gave tons of constructive criticism.  We had a lot of fun with the lessons.  Even though it was a big investment in time and money, we would definitely do it again!  In fact we may be taking group classes in the future there!  On the wedding day, everyone was really impressed by our dancing and we felt very confident.

Rehearsal DinnerExchange Street Bistro - Malden, MA
Review: B+
Dinner was delicious and the waitstaff was very good as well.  They were very accommodating and the private room was a nice touch.  I take off points because they offered to print our menus, and they spelled my name wrong!

Catholic Pre-cana: Engaged Encounter in Framingham
     Review: A
We signed up for the engaged encounter weekend because it was the only pre-cana date we had available (out of all the Mass. programs) last summer.  We really enjoyed the weekend.  It's led by two couples who kind of guide the discussion topics and inspire ideas.  Then you and your fiance separate and each write in notebooks, your thoughts about the topic.  Twenty minutes later, you meet up and discuss what you wrote.  It's totally private...you meet just the two of you and no one knows what you write in the book.  Even after being together for 4+ years and living together almost all of that, we found out new things about each other and discussed really important topics.  We didn't socialize much with the other couples, but you do have to bunk with the a same-sex roommate.  The first day ends in a group discussion and prayer service which I found really meaningful.  It was nice to hear other people's thoughts on some topics.  This was the only time we actually had a group talk.  So if you're worried about "public speaking" or your feelings being on display, don't worry!  We would recommend this to any Catholic couple needing the pre-cana, and even for those that don't need it!

Etsy sellers:
DragonsTailDesings (Review: A) - I used this vendor to create a swirly graphic for my invitation off of a low-resolution image I found on the internet.  She was able to copy it perfectly, and even add in some different shades of gray and black to add depth.  She had it to me within a few hours in a high-resolution image and I've used it on all my invitation products.  She's a very talented graphic designer!
qacreate (Review: A) - I bought custom cufflinks from this seller for my dad and future husband's gifts.  Very cool creations!
CakeToppersStudio (Review: A+) – Michelle was so easy to work with on my cake topper. I sent her tons of pictures and she was so nice and patient with me.  The topper was a huge hit and it was beautifully detailed.  I will treasure it for many years!
Handwired (Review: A) - I used this seller for my pearl and crystal hair pins.  Fast shipping and beautiful craftsmanship.  The pearls match perfectly with the pearls in my jewelry.
YellowBeatleBug (Review: A) - I used this seller for bridesmaid gifts.  She was able to customize notecards for me and I received them very quickly.
FlirtButtons (Review: A) - I used this seller for bridesmaid gifts.  She created a dozen button mirrors for me, which I included in makeup cases.  She was very flexible and was able to suggest different fabrics.  The mirrors have held up very well.
JLWeddings (Review: A) – I used this seller for my garter.  She was able to add length for no charge and was very nice.