Stationery- Twin Ravens Press, Eugene, Oregon. A-
If there was any aspect of our wedding that I obsessed over more, it would have to be the invitations. At first, I told myself (and others) that I couldn't justify spending a lot of money on something that would just end up in the trash.
My resolve didn't last long.
I kept seeing gorgeous letterpress invitations all over the internet, and I fell in love. I coveted letterpress. I never dreamed I could ever afford them. And then I ran across a recommendation for Twin Ravens Press. Imagine my surprise when I learned it was a local business. Well, I was flat out stunned when I saw the prices. Suddenly, letterpress seemed...attainable.
Kristin was kind enough to provide her pricing sheet and explain her services, and invited me to her studio. I spent more than two hours there looking over samples of her work, then talking about the design and wording. By the time I left, I had a pretty solid design that my fiance and our parents thought looked great, and that improved after a few more tweaks. Kristin was patient, friendly, and accommodating with each change - and I was really nitpicky about the color of the envelopes and the wording of the invitations. The final cost of the invites was made very clear in the invoice before I gave the final approval and authorized the work.
When the invites were done, Kristin delivered them to me at work, and they were amazingly beautiful and elegant. The invitations have gone out, and friends have commented on how beautiful they are, and how great they feel (letterpress is a tactile experience as well as a visual one). I am very pleased with the service and quality of the invitations.
My resolve didn't last long.
I kept seeing gorgeous letterpress invitations all over the internet, and I fell in love. I coveted letterpress. I never dreamed I could ever afford them. And then I ran across a recommendation for Twin Ravens Press. Imagine my surprise when I learned it was a local business. Well, I was flat out stunned when I saw the prices. Suddenly, letterpress seemed...attainable.
Kristin was kind enough to provide her pricing sheet and explain her services, and invited me to her studio. I spent more than two hours there looking over samples of her work, then talking about the design and wording. By the time I left, I had a pretty solid design that my fiance and our parents thought looked great, and that improved after a few more tweaks. Kristin was patient, friendly, and accommodating with each change - and I was really nitpicky about the color of the envelopes and the wording of the invitations. The final cost of the invites was made very clear in the invoice before I gave the final approval and authorized the work.
When the invites were done, Kristin delivered them to me at work, and they were amazingly beautiful and elegant. The invitations have gone out, and friends have commented on how beautiful they are, and how great they feel (letterpress is a tactile experience as well as a visual one). I am very pleased with the service and quality of the invitations.
Dress - David's Bridal, Eugene, Oregon. B+
For what it is, David's Bridal is not that bad. I'll grant you that it's the Wal-Mart of bridal boutiques. When you consider how much emphasis the Wedding Industrial Complex places on The Dress, and being "princess for a day," many brides might be disappointed at David's Bridal. You will not be served champagne in a luxurious salon with beautiful fresh flowers. You will also be spending hundreds less on a dress you will wear for one day.
I got engaged in March 2010 and was planning on a July 2010 wedding. Knowing how much time it can take to alter a gown, I went shopping almost immediately. As a plus size woman, I knew my options would be limited in most bridal boutiques. My budget was similarly limited. So, David's Bridal it was. I had a positive experience. The consultant who helped me was friendly and attentive, and she did not rush me or make me feel bad about myself or my body. I found a lovely dress that made everyone squeal with excitement when I walked out of the dressing room. Is it a beautiful silk gown hand-sewn by Vera Wang? No, but it will look pretty in pictures, it fit, and it didn't bust the budget.
If you are plus-sized, or have a limited budget, David's Bridal is a reasonable place to search for your gown. Keep your expectations in check about what you will find and what the gown shopping experience will be like (avoid "Say Yes to the Dress" beforehand), and you may be pleasantly surprised. Bonus: if you have a short engagement or need to buy a dress in a hurry, you are likely to be able to take a dress home the same day, avoiding the months-long wait at other boutiques.
I got engaged in March 2010 and was planning on a July 2010 wedding. Knowing how much time it can take to alter a gown, I went shopping almost immediately. As a plus size woman, I knew my options would be limited in most bridal boutiques. My budget was similarly limited. So, David's Bridal it was. I had a positive experience. The consultant who helped me was friendly and attentive, and she did not rush me or make me feel bad about myself or my body. I found a lovely dress that made everyone squeal with excitement when I walked out of the dressing room. Is it a beautiful silk gown hand-sewn by Vera Wang? No, but it will look pretty in pictures, it fit, and it didn't bust the budget.
If you are plus-sized, or have a limited budget, David's Bridal is a reasonable place to search for your gown. Keep your expectations in check about what you will find and what the gown shopping experience will be like (avoid "Say Yes to the Dress" beforehand), and you may be pleasantly surprised. Bonus: if you have a short engagement or need to buy a dress in a hurry, you are likely to be able to take a dress home the same day, avoiding the months-long wait at other boutiques.
Bridal Shoes - Zappos.com, Nationwide. A+
Ordering my shoes from Zappos.com was a breeze. Love the free shipping both ways and the generous return policy. I didn't need it - my shoes were great, but I was glad for it.
Bridal Shoes - Heels Above, Nationwide. B
Getting married in a backyard poses a logistical challenge for brides, especially those who can't bear to marry in flats or wedges. The answer was Heels Above. I ordered online through their website, and received two pairs of rubber disks to put on the heels of my shoes. These disks prevent you from sinking into the grass and protect your shoes. One disk cracked before the wedding, when I gave it a test run, but I attribute that more to my weight than anything. In any case, they did their job. Unfortunately, the wedding took place on an extremely rainy day, and my MIL's yard was muddy and wet. The heel stoppers came off a couple of times, but they did reasonably okay at keeping me from losing my shoes to the muck.
Alterations - Sheryl Peterson, Dressmaker, Eugene, Oregon. B+
I used Sheryl Peterson, an independent dressmaker, on the recommendation of my brother's fiancee; her mother knows Sheryl. Sheryl was also at the Oregon Wedding Showcase in Eugene in January 2011. I called her shortly therafter and booked an appointment for May 14, nine weeks before my July 16 wedding. On the morning of the first appointment, I showed up at her house on time with two of my friends, who were in town for my bridal shower. I was first put off by the condition of Sheryl's home, with dirty, stained carpets. But her studio space in the basement seemed just fine, and the fitting proceeded well. She said she would be able to hem my dress, let it out (don't buy a dress 15 months before your wedding and gain weight. Trouble!), add bra cups, tack down the sash, and add hooks to the jacket so it would stay shut. I wasn't in a huge hurry, with so much time before the wedding.
But.
Six weeks later, I still hadn't heard from her. I was now three weeks from my wedding and hadn't had a second fitting. I called her on T-minus 19 days and left a message. No answer. No return call on T-minus 18 days. I was starting to get stressed. Called her on the morning of T-minus 17 days. Left a message with her husband. Waited all day--nothing. Finally, that evening at 6, I called her again and finally talked to her. I scheduled my second fitting for the following Wednesday (T-minus 10 days)--but as of the time of the call, the dress was not done. I found out later that a new coworker of mine had used Sheryl for her wedding several years ago, and had the same issues with lack of responsiveness.
Despite my frustration, the alterations were done well before the wedding, were expertly done, and the dress looked beautiful on my wedding day. I would probably use Sheryl again, but would lower my expectations about her responsiveness.
But.
Six weeks later, I still hadn't heard from her. I was now three weeks from my wedding and hadn't had a second fitting. I called her on T-minus 19 days and left a message. No answer. No return call on T-minus 18 days. I was starting to get stressed. Called her on the morning of T-minus 17 days. Left a message with her husband. Waited all day--nothing. Finally, that evening at 6, I called her again and finally talked to her. I scheduled my second fitting for the following Wednesday (T-minus 10 days)--but as of the time of the call, the dress was not done. I found out later that a new coworker of mine had used Sheryl for her wedding several years ago, and had the same issues with lack of responsiveness.
Despite my frustration, the alterations were done well before the wedding, were expertly done, and the dress looked beautiful on my wedding day. I would probably use Sheryl again, but would lower my expectations about her responsiveness.
Hair - Christine Reel of Just Hair, Eugene, Oregon. A+
Christine has become my regular stylist in the last year, and so I asked her to do my hair for the wedding. Originally, I had wanted loose waves, vintage style. In the end I went with an updo (inspiration pic: TIna Fey's loose curly updo at an awards show) in order to keep my hair looking nice longer on the day of the wedding. I got so many compliments on my hair. It held up very well despite the humid conditions. I loved it!
Men's Wear - Mr. Formal, Eugene, Oregon. B+
We came here to rent suits for my father and stepson, who was 11 at the time of the wedding. The service was very friendly, though the store was small and the selection wasn't terribly huge. I was shocked at the prices, however. Granted, a $140 per suit rental seems high, but it includes the shirt, the vest (which we opted to forego), the cufflinks and tie pin (again, skipped), the tie, the pocket square, the shoes, and the pants and jacket. But still, especially for my stepson, we probably could have purchased these things at a department store and saved a pretty penny.
Two days before the wedding, we picked up the suits. My stepson's pants were way too big, so they were reordered. The new pants arrived on time and fit great. All the best men in my life looked fantastic on the wedding day, and Mr. Formal staff was super friendly.
Two days before the wedding, we picked up the suits. My stepson's pants were way too big, so they were reordered. The new pants arrived on time and fit great. All the best men in my life looked fantastic on the wedding day, and Mr. Formal staff was super friendly.
Jewelry - Kays Jewelers, Eugene, Oregon. B-
Skeie's Jewelers, Eugene, Oregon. A+
Jason ordered my engagement ring from Kay.com, and I've taken it to our local store for cleaning and regular inspections. When it came time to pick out wedding bands, I figured we'd just stick with Kay, especially since I was interested in buying an enhancer and soldering it to my engagement ring. We had a somewhat pushy salesman who told us way too much about his life, but we are both pleased with our rings. I sent my wedding band to be sized and soldered to the engagement ring three weeks before the wedding, and it arrived on time. Unfortunately, Kays didn't tell me that soldering rings together will usually mean that your rings fit tighter. I was not sized for a wide ring, and thus the ring was too small. With one week until the wedding, Kays could not guarantee a rush resizing would be back in time. I ended up taking my ring to Skeie's that day to request a resizing. They said they could get it to me by the Thurday or Friday before the wedding - and they got it to me on Tuesday. It fit and looked beautiful.
If I were making a major jewelery purchase, I'd probably prefer Skeie's - the jewelers are skilled and the staff accommodating. I love my ring from Kays, but I accept they use lower quality diamonds. Whatever - they still sparkle!
If I were making a major jewelery purchase, I'd probably prefer Skeie's - the jewelers are skilled and the staff accommodating. I love my ring from Kays, but I accept they use lower quality diamonds. Whatever - they still sparkle!
Flowers - Sun Blossoms Floral, Eugene, Oregon. D.
I met with several florists a few months before our wedding to discuss what we needed. Since it was a backyard wedding with no wedding party, we had a rather modest order. Shannon came highly recommended by my sister-in-law, who used her for her wedding in 2009, although another sister-in-law commented that the flowers at that wedding had wilted very early. It was suggested that was due to the more delicate flowers that had been used, but I specifically discussed the hardiness of the flowers we were using, and went primarily with roses. Shannon met with my mother-in-law and me to go over my ideas, and her prices were reasonable and she seemed to understand best the look I was trying to achieve.
The contract Shannon uses requires a $100 deposit to reserve the date. One half of the balance is paid one month before the wedding, and the balance is due on the date of delivery. In mid-June, one month before my wedding, I had not heard from Shannon. I sent her an email asking when she would like to meet, and advised her I had some changes to make to the estimate she had given me at the time I booked her. Despite an email and a phone call (that went straight to voicemail), she did not get back to me for a week. We exchanged some emails discussing the changes I wanted, and I thought everything was fine. She said only that she would deliver my flowers by 4 on the wedding day (pictures at 5, ceremony at 7), and that she would get back to me with that information. I wasn't terribly concerned when she didn't tell me an ETA on the wedding day.
Imagine my surprise when I got to the ceremony site at noon and was told that the flowers had been delivered nearly three hours earlier. Apparently Shannon dropped them off and left very quickly with instructions to refrigerate everything. I can only imagine that the reason she did not stay to discuss the flowers and their care with my mother-in-law is because she had used inferior flowers which were beginning to wilt and turn brown.
The centerpieces had white hydrangeas, white lisianthus, and freesia with pink lisianthus accent. The hydrangeas were turning brown and looked incredibly wilted. The pink lisianthus was far more lavender than the pale pink I had wanted. The roses in my bouquet were starting to turn brown at the tips of the petals - with seven hours to go until the ceremony.
But the cake topper was the absolute worst part. Rather than constructing an actual cake topper that could simply be placed on the cake at the time of delivery, Shannon put six wilting *long-stemmed* roses that were already starting to turn brown and lose their petals into a vase, along with some freesia that was also losing its petals. Apparently someone else was supposed to put these flowers onto the cake, though that was certainly not explained to me and NOT what I paid for. Fortunately, a friend's mother is a former florist and she came over to help me out and transform the roses into the cake flowers that I'd requested. She took one look at the cake flowers and declared them to be ugly and in bad shape. She graciously took over the project, and went out to Michaels and the grocery store to find suitable flowers and made an absolutely gorgeous cake topper that looked lovely on our cake. It cost her $30 - a mere $10 more than what Shannon charged me for a sparse and unsuitable arrangement.
My mother and MIL did the best they could to cut off petals on the centerpieces to make them look presentable, but everyone who was there during the set up agreed that they looked unimpressive, including my husband. My bouquet was rough looking during the wedding, despite having been in water for most of the 10 hours it was at the house before the wedding. I turned it so that the worst of the flowers were facing me, but it was still disappointing. After the wedding, I cut the stems and put it in a vase with water, and surprise surprise, the flowers perked up. It's a shame they looked better in a vase on my dining room table than on my wedding day. Of course, they only looked better for a day or two. On the third day after the wedding, some of the roses in the interior of the bouquet had turned completely brown and rotten. I have never seen a $125 bouquet of roses go so bad so quickly.
To sum up this long review: I found the flowers and Shannon's service and professionalism to be disappointing in nearly every aspect. I cannot recommend her to anyone.
The contract Shannon uses requires a $100 deposit to reserve the date. One half of the balance is paid one month before the wedding, and the balance is due on the date of delivery. In mid-June, one month before my wedding, I had not heard from Shannon. I sent her an email asking when she would like to meet, and advised her I had some changes to make to the estimate she had given me at the time I booked her. Despite an email and a phone call (that went straight to voicemail), she did not get back to me for a week. We exchanged some emails discussing the changes I wanted, and I thought everything was fine. She said only that she would deliver my flowers by 4 on the wedding day (pictures at 5, ceremony at 7), and that she would get back to me with that information. I wasn't terribly concerned when she didn't tell me an ETA on the wedding day.
Imagine my surprise when I got to the ceremony site at noon and was told that the flowers had been delivered nearly three hours earlier. Apparently Shannon dropped them off and left very quickly with instructions to refrigerate everything. I can only imagine that the reason she did not stay to discuss the flowers and their care with my mother-in-law is because she had used inferior flowers which were beginning to wilt and turn brown.
The centerpieces had white hydrangeas, white lisianthus, and freesia with pink lisianthus accent. The hydrangeas were turning brown and looked incredibly wilted. The pink lisianthus was far more lavender than the pale pink I had wanted. The roses in my bouquet were starting to turn brown at the tips of the petals - with seven hours to go until the ceremony.
But the cake topper was the absolute worst part. Rather than constructing an actual cake topper that could simply be placed on the cake at the time of delivery, Shannon put six wilting *long-stemmed* roses that were already starting to turn brown and lose their petals into a vase, along with some freesia that was also losing its petals. Apparently someone else was supposed to put these flowers onto the cake, though that was certainly not explained to me and NOT what I paid for. Fortunately, a friend's mother is a former florist and she came over to help me out and transform the roses into the cake flowers that I'd requested. She took one look at the cake flowers and declared them to be ugly and in bad shape. She graciously took over the project, and went out to Michaels and the grocery store to find suitable flowers and made an absolutely gorgeous cake topper that looked lovely on our cake. It cost her $30 - a mere $10 more than what Shannon charged me for a sparse and unsuitable arrangement.
My mother and MIL did the best they could to cut off petals on the centerpieces to make them look presentable, but everyone who was there during the set up agreed that they looked unimpressive, including my husband. My bouquet was rough looking during the wedding, despite having been in water for most of the 10 hours it was at the house before the wedding. I turned it so that the worst of the flowers were facing me, but it was still disappointing. After the wedding, I cut the stems and put it in a vase with water, and surprise surprise, the flowers perked up. It's a shame they looked better in a vase on my dining room table than on my wedding day. Of course, they only looked better for a day or two. On the third day after the wedding, some of the roses in the interior of the bouquet had turned completely brown and rotten. I have never seen a $125 bouquet of roses go so bad so quickly.
To sum up this long review: I found the flowers and Shannon's service and professionalism to be disappointing in nearly every aspect. I cannot recommend her to anyone.
Photography - Primrose Photography, Eugene, Oregon. A-
Mike Primrose is a friend of my husband's family and photographed Jason's sisters' weddings, as well as a colleague's daughter's wedding. His prices are extremely reasonable - $500 got us six hours of coverage, all of the images on a CD with the rights to them, and an album with 150 pictures. Mike is an old school photographer, which means he doesn't edit the images, and I thought they were a little too warm. A few hours with a photo editing software largely took care of that. The composition of the pictures was great and we got some wonderful group shots and portraits. Mike was easy to work with; I told him what I did and didn't want, and he cheerfully did it. But being an old school photographer means his work appears dated compared to more cutting edge photographers, and he has lost a lot of business in the last few years to upstart photographers with fancy digtal cameras. Ours was the only wedding he did this year - and it's the last one he'll ever do. Nonetheless, both of us were happy with the quality of our pictures and have quite a few pictures we can't wait to frame.
Party Rentals - Essig Entertainment, Eugene, Oregon. A+
I found Essig Entertainment at the Oregon Wedding Showcase in Eugene in January 2011. They had a four star review on a wedding website, unlike some of the other party rental companies with numerous bad or neutral reviews. After getting an estimate I was able to compare their prices with two other vendors, Green Eyed Girl and Parties To Go, and Essig came out ahead.
From the very beginning, I found everyone at Essig to be friendly, helpful, and very responsive to my inquiries. I had an opportunity to go to their warehouse and see the tables, chairs, linens, china, flatware, and glassware in person and pick out the colors I wanted. It was a very easy process.
Delivery came on the Thursday before the wedding and the items were in great shape and exactly what I'd ordered. Better yet, the crew came on Sunday after the wedding and loaded everything up in 30 minutes on a VERY rainy day, allowing my in-laws to relax and enjoy a quiet day after a hectic week.
From the very beginning, I found everyone at Essig to be friendly, helpful, and very responsive to my inquiries. I had an opportunity to go to their warehouse and see the tables, chairs, linens, china, flatware, and glassware in person and pick out the colors I wanted. It was a very easy process.
Delivery came on the Thursday before the wedding and the items were in great shape and exactly what I'd ordered. Better yet, the crew came on Sunday after the wedding and loaded everything up in 30 minutes on a VERY rainy day, allowing my in-laws to relax and enjoy a quiet day after a hectic week.
Catering - Carte Blanche Caterers, Eugene, Oregon. A+
One of the most important elements of a wedding is the hospitality offered to the guests. I thus made it a priority to find an excellent caterer who would provide a delicious and beautiful meal to our guests, at a reasonable price. I found Mark Stern and Carte Blanche Caterers at the Oregon Wedding Showcase in Eugene in January 2011. I read the reviews for his services on Yelp and Google - they were glowing.
From the moment I first contacted Mark, I found him responsive, thoughtful, funny, and a joy to work with. He offered his advice and was wiling to answer all of my questions and review our menu choices. We were having our wedding at my MIL's house, and he met us there to go over the proposed menu and to discuss what he and his crew would need on the day of the wedding. Right on time, he contacted me two weeks before the wedding to get the final headcount and go over the details of the wedding. With the exception of the alcohol (which we served), I felt like my wish was his command. His motto was that he wanted my husband and me to be guests at our wedding and to enjoy ourselves.
The wedding was planned for a July day - which turned into an incredibly rainy one. Mark and his crew were adaptable, friendly, quick, professional, and efficient. They set the tables with glassware and lit the candles, filled water pitchers, and set the cake table beautifully. The buffet was set up right on time, and the staff was wonderful. They cleared plates and moved around the rather tight space with relative ease. Mark was kind enough to cut the cake for us. When dinner was done, his crew cleaned up, boxed up the leftovers, and quietly disappeared in the night. They were not an obtrusive presence at the wedding, but were definitely welcome.
I noticed very few plates with any food left--I know I cleaned mine! We had salmon and prime rib as our main entree choices, and there was plenty for everyone. The prime rib was tender and well-seasoned, and made an excellent day-after roast beef sandwich. All of my guests said the food was delicious and the service impeccable.
There were many things about our wedding that were stressful and did not go according to plan. I am so relieved and happy that the food was one thing that went exactly right. I heartily recommend Carte Blanche to anyone looking for gracious and excellent catering.
From the moment I first contacted Mark, I found him responsive, thoughtful, funny, and a joy to work with. He offered his advice and was wiling to answer all of my questions and review our menu choices. We were having our wedding at my MIL's house, and he met us there to go over the proposed menu and to discuss what he and his crew would need on the day of the wedding. Right on time, he contacted me two weeks before the wedding to get the final headcount and go over the details of the wedding. With the exception of the alcohol (which we served), I felt like my wish was his command. His motto was that he wanted my husband and me to be guests at our wedding and to enjoy ourselves.
The wedding was planned for a July day - which turned into an incredibly rainy one. Mark and his crew were adaptable, friendly, quick, professional, and efficient. They set the tables with glassware and lit the candles, filled water pitchers, and set the cake table beautifully. The buffet was set up right on time, and the staff was wonderful. They cleared plates and moved around the rather tight space with relative ease. Mark was kind enough to cut the cake for us. When dinner was done, his crew cleaned up, boxed up the leftovers, and quietly disappeared in the night. They were not an obtrusive presence at the wedding, but were definitely welcome.
I noticed very few plates with any food left--I know I cleaned mine! We had salmon and prime rib as our main entree choices, and there was plenty for everyone. The prime rib was tender and well-seasoned, and made an excellent day-after roast beef sandwich. All of my guests said the food was delicious and the service impeccable.
There were many things about our wedding that were stressful and did not go according to plan. I am so relieved and happy that the food was one thing that went exactly right. I heartily recommend Carte Blanche to anyone looking for gracious and excellent catering.
Cake - Market of Choice. A+
The part of wedding planning I enjoyed the most was the cake tasting. I have had Market of Choice cakes in the past, and think they are the best in town--and thus they were my first choice for our wedding cake!
My husband and I met with James at the Delta Oaks location. He brought a box of samples - four flavor combinations I'd selected when we booked the appointment. We tasted each one and came to a decision, then picked a design. We opted not to pay the $100 delivery fee, since the wedding was taking place at my in-laws' house a mile from the store and we had the time and means of transporting the cake. It was a small, two tier cake that traveled just fine.
The cake was absolutely gorgeous on our cake table, and better yet - it was delicious!! We received lots of compliments, and my stepson had at least 3 large pieces. We did not save the top tier, but were left with enough of the bottom tier to save for one year. I bet if we treat it right it might taste just as good as it did on our wedding day.
My husband and I met with James at the Delta Oaks location. He brought a box of samples - four flavor combinations I'd selected when we booked the appointment. We tasted each one and came to a decision, then picked a design. We opted not to pay the $100 delivery fee, since the wedding was taking place at my in-laws' house a mile from the store and we had the time and means of transporting the cake. It was a small, two tier cake that traveled just fine.
The cake was absolutely gorgeous on our cake table, and better yet - it was delicious!! We received lots of compliments, and my stepson had at least 3 large pieces. We did not save the top tier, but were left with enough of the bottom tier to save for one year. I bet if we treat it right it might taste just as good as it did on our wedding day.