We did it!
Vendor Reviews
Dress - Kasia's Bridal
Highly Recommended
Agitha (I think that was her name?) was my consultant, and she could not have been more helpful. There was no pressure to buy right then and there, which I had felt from other salons I visited. Their prices were reasonable (as reasonable as they can be for wedding dresses), and my dress was amazing.
Highly Recommended
Agitha (I think that was her name?) was my consultant, and she could not have been more helpful. There was no pressure to buy right then and there, which I had felt from other salons I visited. Their prices were reasonable (as reasonable as they can be for wedding dresses), and my dress was amazing.
Veil - ValuVeil.com
Highly Recommended
I only wanted a veil for the 20 minute ceremony, and I couldn't justify spending $100 or more for the cathedral style I was looking for. I ended up using Valuveil.com and got a two tier chapel-length veil for $14.99. Seriously.
Highly Recommended
I only wanted a veil for the 20 minute ceremony, and I couldn't justify spending $100 or more for the cathedral style I was looking for. I ended up using Valuveil.com and got a two tier chapel-length veil for $14.99. Seriously.
Alterations - Mary Catomy ([email protected])
Recommended
Mary was very personable and seemed to be fairly affordable (I've never had a wedding dress altered before, so I really don't have anything to compare it to) - $200 for her to take up the straps and hem and to take in the sides. She also altered my mom's dress for $25.
Tuxes - Formally Modern Tuxedo
Very Highly Recommended
We LOVED Formally Modern - great service, and everything fit or was fixed on the spot. Perfect.
DJ - One Stop DJ Service
Recommended
This is probably not a good company for high-stress or particular brides. My must-play list was about 5 songs long, there were about 5 on the suggested play list, and ONE on the do-not play list (The Chicken Dance, FYI). H and I really just wanted our DJ to take requests.
Our DJ was Brad, and we talked to him for the first time on December 30th (the wedding was January 2). If you are someone that needs constant communication from your vendors, One Stop DJs are probably not for you. If you're looking for a good deal and aren't too picky, they are AMAZING. We also had the advantage of having really fun wedding guests that LOVE to dance, so we knew we didn't need some music snobs* coming in and playing what they thought was good.
*NOTE: As a musician, I may be one of the biggest music snobs out there. However, it's not my place to push that on our guests or my husband. I just wanted everyone to dance! Mission accomplished. :)
Officiant - Rev on the Run
Highly Recommended
We booked Reverend Jeff after reading knottie TheMorrisseys' rave review, and we're so happy we did. Maria was so quick to communicate, and an absolute joy to work with. One small speed bump - Reverend Jeff wasn't able to make our rehearsal. Maria called me at 3pm the day of to let me know another reverend from Rev on the Run, Margo, would be subbing for him at the rehearsal. PM me if you're thinking about using Margo. :)
H and I both met Jeff the day of the wedding, but all our guests thought we'd known him forever because the ceremony was so personal. It was funny and touching and all about me and H - it was absolutely perfect.
Ceremony/Reception Site - Victoria in the Park
Highly Recommended
We booked VIP when they had only one or two weddings under their belt, mostly because H and I remembered the delicious food from another Victoria wedding we had attended a couple of years ago. We figured if we positively remembered wedding food more than a year later, it MUST have been good! Not to mention how stunningly beautiful VIP is - I can't tell you how many compliments we had on our venue!
Arvey and Sarah were our contacts throughout the process, and they could not have been more helpful and accommodating. Our entire day ran so smoothly, mostly thanks to them. We could not be happier!
Photographer - Kara Schultz
Very Highly Recommended
We highly recommend Kara. She was absolutely phenomenal. Our bridal party and families were raving about how nice and agreeable she was on the wedding day - and she even freaking CURLED MY HAIR before the ceremony. No joke.
Kara took over 2,500 pictures...and all of them are amazing. They perfectly capture the day!
We also had the photo booth! The props were great and it was a hit all night!
Hotel Block - Hilton Garden Inn O'Hare
Very Highly Recommended
We were SO pleased with the Hilton. They were beyond easy to work with, and really went the extra mile, customer service-wise. They allowed the bridal party a crazy-early check in time for the wedding day, which was so very helpful. They even extended the radius of their shuttle to take our guests to the ceremony/reception and back to the hotel - amazing. They kept the bar open past 11pm so our guests would be able to continue partying, and didn't even bat an eyelash when we asked a few weeks prior to the wedding if we could order pizzas and have them delivered to the bar (which was a genius idea dreamed up by my mom).
Recommended
Mary was very personable and seemed to be fairly affordable (I've never had a wedding dress altered before, so I really don't have anything to compare it to) - $200 for her to take up the straps and hem and to take in the sides. She also altered my mom's dress for $25.
Tuxes - Formally Modern Tuxedo
Very Highly Recommended
We LOVED Formally Modern - great service, and everything fit or was fixed on the spot. Perfect.
DJ - One Stop DJ Service
Recommended
This is probably not a good company for high-stress or particular brides. My must-play list was about 5 songs long, there were about 5 on the suggested play list, and ONE on the do-not play list (The Chicken Dance, FYI). H and I really just wanted our DJ to take requests.
Our DJ was Brad, and we talked to him for the first time on December 30th (the wedding was January 2). If you are someone that needs constant communication from your vendors, One Stop DJs are probably not for you. If you're looking for a good deal and aren't too picky, they are AMAZING. We also had the advantage of having really fun wedding guests that LOVE to dance, so we knew we didn't need some music snobs* coming in and playing what they thought was good.
*NOTE: As a musician, I may be one of the biggest music snobs out there. However, it's not my place to push that on our guests or my husband. I just wanted everyone to dance! Mission accomplished. :)
Officiant - Rev on the Run
Highly Recommended
We booked Reverend Jeff after reading knottie TheMorrisseys' rave review, and we're so happy we did. Maria was so quick to communicate, and an absolute joy to work with. One small speed bump - Reverend Jeff wasn't able to make our rehearsal. Maria called me at 3pm the day of to let me know another reverend from Rev on the Run, Margo, would be subbing for him at the rehearsal. PM me if you're thinking about using Margo. :)
H and I both met Jeff the day of the wedding, but all our guests thought we'd known him forever because the ceremony was so personal. It was funny and touching and all about me and H - it was absolutely perfect.
Ceremony/Reception Site - Victoria in the Park
Highly Recommended
We booked VIP when they had only one or two weddings under their belt, mostly because H and I remembered the delicious food from another Victoria wedding we had attended a couple of years ago. We figured if we positively remembered wedding food more than a year later, it MUST have been good! Not to mention how stunningly beautiful VIP is - I can't tell you how many compliments we had on our venue!
Arvey and Sarah were our contacts throughout the process, and they could not have been more helpful and accommodating. Our entire day ran so smoothly, mostly thanks to them. We could not be happier!
Photographer - Kara Schultz
Very Highly Recommended
We highly recommend Kara. She was absolutely phenomenal. Our bridal party and families were raving about how nice and agreeable she was on the wedding day - and she even freaking CURLED MY HAIR before the ceremony. No joke.
Kara took over 2,500 pictures...and all of them are amazing. They perfectly capture the day!
We also had the photo booth! The props were great and it was a hit all night!
Hotel Block - Hilton Garden Inn O'Hare
Very Highly Recommended
We were SO pleased with the Hilton. They were beyond easy to work with, and really went the extra mile, customer service-wise. They allowed the bridal party a crazy-early check in time for the wedding day, which was so very helpful. They even extended the radius of their shuttle to take our guests to the ceremony/reception and back to the hotel - amazing. They kept the bar open past 11pm so our guests would be able to continue partying, and didn't even bat an eyelash when we asked a few weeks prior to the wedding if we could order pizzas and have them delivered to the bar (which was a genius idea dreamed up by my mom).
Makeup - Cynthia Sally
Very Highly Recommended
Cynthia was recommended by Kara, and I went for my trial in October. I instantly knew Cynthia's calm presence would be wonderful during the stress of getting ready, and I was right. Not only did she make me look beautiful, but she also made all 5 of my BMs, my mom, and my three aunts look amazing. She was a real trooper! She was on her feet ALL DAY (we tried to get her to sit, I swear!) and was never irritated or less than personable the entire time. And I think our makeup speaks for itself!
Very Highly Recommended
Cynthia was recommended by Kara, and I went for my trial in October. I instantly knew Cynthia's calm presence would be wonderful during the stress of getting ready, and I was right. Not only did she make me look beautiful, but she also made all 5 of my BMs, my mom, and my three aunts look amazing. She was a real trooper! She was on her feet ALL DAY (we tried to get her to sit, I swear!) and was never irritated or less than personable the entire time. And I think our makeup speaks for itself!
Table Numbers - Etsy seller JessicasDesignShop
Very Highly Recommended
Table 8, where we both had the same haircut. SEXY.
Early on, I had the idea of using a picture of myself and H at every age on the tables. I attempted doing this myself, and failed rather miserably...enter Etsy seller JessicasDesignShop. She made our AMAZING table numbers, and I can't tell you how many compliments we received on them!
Flowers - MilleFiori!
Very Highly Recommended
I went to see Tracy from MilleFiori! with a small budget and a color I liked (red). I am not a flower person, nor did I have any idea about what kind of flowers I wanted. All I knew was that I didn't want floral centerpieces, bouts or corsages. Thank God for Tracy, seriously. She took my one idea (red) and gave me options and pictures with prices for almost everything I could think of. We ended up with 6 bouquets, two large arrangements for the ceremony, and an aisle runner lined with flower petals - and everything was stunning.
Hair of BMs - Brides by Kelly
Very Highly Recommended
I knew all along I wanted my good friend to do my hair for the wedding, but didn't want her to have to do the rest of the BMs and wanted them to have an on-site option. The amazing Cynthia Sally recommended Kelly, and that was good enough for me! She was prompt and professional and did a fantastic job on everyone's hair! My MIL had never had her hair done in her life, and Kelly handled that amazingly well. Everyone raved about how great they looked, and some of the BM's hair still looked good a breakfast the next morning!
Very Highly Recommended
I knew all along I wanted my good friend to do my hair for the wedding, but didn't want her to have to do the rest of the BMs and wanted them to have an on-site option. The amazing Cynthia Sally recommended Kelly, and that was good enough for me! She was prompt and professional and did a fantastic job on everyone's hair! My MIL had never had her hair done in her life, and Kelly handled that amazingly well. Everyone raved about how great they looked, and some of the BM's hair still looked good a breakfast the next morning!