My Reviews...
Venue: The Westin Beach Resort & Spa, Ft Lauderdale: A
The food was DELICIOUS and the staff set up my room beautifully! The cocktail hour didn't go as planned, but that was Mother Nature's fault. If there were any problems, I didn't know cuz the coordinator handled it. The only complaint I actually heard was from my mom about the line for the bar being too long... we should've had 2 bartenders for the amount of people we had, but apparently we only had 1. Ahhh well... I didn't care.
I just have one HUGE complaint not regarding the wedding. The bridal concierge took PJ's bag that had his wallet and cellphone in it and said she would put it somewhere safe. Well, turns out it was stolen. His wallet was found on the side of the road and his phone is nowhere to be found. They should be held responsible for the phone and we've been trying to contact them about it, but they haven't returned our calls. Kinda frustrating.
***The hotel security decided it wasn't their fault the bag went missing and refused to reimburse us. So my grade is PURELY for the wedding itself.
Photographer: Joseph Casal Photography: C+
Joe is very talented and personable. I didn't even notice him most of the time at the wedding which is good! I only wish we would've taken pics around the hotel, but that was my fault. I didn't mention it to him... I was too busy in bridal bliss!!! However, a great photographer takes the initiative to say "Hey, there's a great spot over here that would make for an awesome pic".
***Update: From everyone that I spoke with about Joe, they all said he looked miserable most of the time he was there. Also, I had given him a list of MUST-TAKE shots which he had forgotten to bring and emailed me the morning of the wedding asking me to bring it with me. WTF??? He also didn't respond to a lot of my emails. I had asked him if he could take a few pics of me and my girls right before we walked down the aisle, got no response.
I was truly disappointed.
DJ: Infinity Sound Productions, Tony Hernandez: B+
The music was great, the uplighting was beautiful and they mixed some specific songs for me prior to the wedding so we could rehearse our dances. Only a few complaints, we paid for 25 uplights, but I don't think we even had 20 of them set up and we requested a mother/father dance which we never got. Besides that, they were great and I would totally recommend them.
Florist: Gil Sosa: A++++++
His work is AMAZING!!! He got EVERYTHING exactly how we wanted it! He really worked within our budget too! He IS a little difficult to get in touch with and he knows it and apologized to me about that, but his work speaks for itself!!! I do NOT regret hiring him whatsoever!!!!
Photobooth: Peekaboo Photobooth Company: A+
I had sooo much fun with this. This booth is a very roomy cabana that fits a TONNNN of people!! The tech was fun and very personable and the price was good. I only wish I would've gotten into it more!!
Cake: We Take the Cake: B
The cake was SERIOUSLY delicious!!! I gave them a photo of what I wanted and they pulled it off to a T!!! They just gave me a hard time about what was included in our package with the venue and when they changed staff, it made it even more difficult.
Grooms Cake: Art Edibles: A++++++++++++++++++
Really nothing to say but WOW!!!!! Holy crap did Paul do an AWESOME job with the mustang cake!!! Not only was it extremely detailed with the dashboard dials, working lights, car alarm and spinning wheels, but it was DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This guy is EXTREMELY talented and super creative and seems to always be up for a challenge!!!!
Dress Store: Patricia South's: A Bride's Choice: F
I had nothing but problems with this place. We ordered my dress (paid in full) to find out 5 months later that it had been discontinued and they knew about it after 3 weeks! I wound up ordering another dress and when it came in, I went to pick it up and the consultants were extremely rude when I wanted to try on a veil. I DO NOT recommend them.
Alterations: Alterations by Reina: A++++++++++
Reina is one of the nicest people around and she's very talented!!! Her prices are AMAZING and she works sooooo quickly!!!! I HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend using her!!!!
Hair & Makeup (for me): Lutz Karpf: A++++++
He is AMAZING!!! Couldn't recommend him more! He is extremely meticulous and sooooo easy to get along with. He made me laugh (which calmed my nerves) and I just looooove him!!!
Makeup (for my girls): Dianna Pantalena: A++++++
She is sooo much fun to work with. She is really talented and fairly priced!!!! I definitely recommend her!!!
Favors: Donut Divas Candy Apples: A+++++
The owners of this company are super fun and sweet! I won the candy apples from a contest they held and they came out amazing!! All of their food stations are delicious and I highly recommend hiring them for your event!!!
Officiant: Rosario Cobar: A++++++++++++
This woman is amazing!!! We were honored she wanted to perform our ceremony for us and she brought such a sense of calmness to (at least) me! Her words were beautiful and we were just soooo happy with everything!
_______________________________________________________
BRIDAL SHOWER REVIEWS:
Cake: Publix Bakery: B+
It was a vanilla cake with cannoli filling and chocolate icing. The cannoli was lacking it's flavor, and the icing was SUPER thick. However it was still DELICIOUS!!!
Favors: My BM Jenn: A++++++
She saved us a TON of money by baking mini cupcakes and packaging everything soooo professionally. I can't wait to see pics so I can show everyone how freakin ADORABLE they were!!!
Photographer: Tanya LaMadeleine: A+++++
She's just getting into the wedding business and she's super professional and affordable. She showed up ON TIME and didn't get in the way. Was pleasant to speak with and even helped set some stuff up when we were rushing to get things done! I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend her!!
Makeup & Hair: Dianna Pantalena: A++
I found her at a bridal show and decided to use her for me and my MOH for the shower. She came 30 minutes late which made us 30 minutes late in setting up at the venue however, she got lost, so I wasn't mad. She gave both of us exactly what we wanted and we were sooo happy with her work! And her prices are SUPER affordable! I'm pretty sure we're gonna use her for the day of for the girls.
Venue: Galuppi's on the Green: FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOOOOTTTTTT USE THEM FOR ANNNNY FUNCTION!!!!!!
The catering manager, Cecelia is super abrasive on the phone. I didn't like her from the getgo and neither did my mother. However, we were getting the most bang for our buck there, so we thought it would be ok. On our contract, we were promised a semi-private area with enough room to play games. When we got there, they had us pushed up against a wall with no privacy whatsoever! There was barely enough room to walk around. When I mentioned this to the hostess, she said there was nothing she could do and to call Cecelia in the morning.
So during the shower, one of the waiters came by, introduced himself and said he and another waiter would be helping us and if there was anything we needed, just to ask. Well...... people had to track them down to get refills or coffee. One girl even asked for coffee THREE times before he brought it to her!! It took them a while to clear plates (mind you, this was a buffet... you finish your plate.. go up to get more and magically the plate is gone by the time you come back... not here!!!). It was like we were completely forgotten!!!! They were also supposed to bring the cake out and diplay it for a while. They brought it out 45 minutes before the end, left it out for 10 minutes and then brought it back in to cut it. They never offered coffee or tea while serving it and one of the servers had the nerve to try to hand me a piece while I was in the middle of opening my gifts. WTF???
OHHH btw, we FINALLY got a room divider 30 minutes before the end!
I had my grandmother call Cecelia on Monday to complain nicely and see if they could compensate us at all for such horrible service. She didn't seem to care and said there was nothing she could do. Her reply was basically.. "well you should've asked for the manager". Really?? Well we spoke with someone who said to speak to YOU!! We weren't really looking for a reimbursment (although that would've been nice). An apology and maybe a free dinner would've sufficed.
She OBVIOUSLY doesn't care what people think AFTER she's gotten the sale... so BUYER BEWARE!!! DO NOT GO TO GALUPPI'S! YOU WILL REGRET IT!!
The food was DELICIOUS and the staff set up my room beautifully! The cocktail hour didn't go as planned, but that was Mother Nature's fault. If there were any problems, I didn't know cuz the coordinator handled it. The only complaint I actually heard was from my mom about the line for the bar being too long... we should've had 2 bartenders for the amount of people we had, but apparently we only had 1. Ahhh well... I didn't care.
I just have one HUGE complaint not regarding the wedding. The bridal concierge took PJ's bag that had his wallet and cellphone in it and said she would put it somewhere safe. Well, turns out it was stolen. His wallet was found on the side of the road and his phone is nowhere to be found. They should be held responsible for the phone and we've been trying to contact them about it, but they haven't returned our calls. Kinda frustrating.
***The hotel security decided it wasn't their fault the bag went missing and refused to reimburse us. So my grade is PURELY for the wedding itself.
Photographer: Joseph Casal Photography: C+
Joe is very talented and personable. I didn't even notice him most of the time at the wedding which is good! I only wish we would've taken pics around the hotel, but that was my fault. I didn't mention it to him... I was too busy in bridal bliss!!! However, a great photographer takes the initiative to say "Hey, there's a great spot over here that would make for an awesome pic".
***Update: From everyone that I spoke with about Joe, they all said he looked miserable most of the time he was there. Also, I had given him a list of MUST-TAKE shots which he had forgotten to bring and emailed me the morning of the wedding asking me to bring it with me. WTF??? He also didn't respond to a lot of my emails. I had asked him if he could take a few pics of me and my girls right before we walked down the aisle, got no response.
I was truly disappointed.
DJ: Infinity Sound Productions, Tony Hernandez: B+
The music was great, the uplighting was beautiful and they mixed some specific songs for me prior to the wedding so we could rehearse our dances. Only a few complaints, we paid for 25 uplights, but I don't think we even had 20 of them set up and we requested a mother/father dance which we never got. Besides that, they were great and I would totally recommend them.
Florist: Gil Sosa: A++++++
His work is AMAZING!!! He got EVERYTHING exactly how we wanted it! He really worked within our budget too! He IS a little difficult to get in touch with and he knows it and apologized to me about that, but his work speaks for itself!!! I do NOT regret hiring him whatsoever!!!!
Photobooth: Peekaboo Photobooth Company: A+
I had sooo much fun with this. This booth is a very roomy cabana that fits a TONNNN of people!! The tech was fun and very personable and the price was good. I only wish I would've gotten into it more!!
Cake: We Take the Cake: B
The cake was SERIOUSLY delicious!!! I gave them a photo of what I wanted and they pulled it off to a T!!! They just gave me a hard time about what was included in our package with the venue and when they changed staff, it made it even more difficult.
Grooms Cake: Art Edibles: A++++++++++++++++++
Really nothing to say but WOW!!!!! Holy crap did Paul do an AWESOME job with the mustang cake!!! Not only was it extremely detailed with the dashboard dials, working lights, car alarm and spinning wheels, but it was DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This guy is EXTREMELY talented and super creative and seems to always be up for a challenge!!!!
Dress Store: Patricia South's: A Bride's Choice: F
I had nothing but problems with this place. We ordered my dress (paid in full) to find out 5 months later that it had been discontinued and they knew about it after 3 weeks! I wound up ordering another dress and when it came in, I went to pick it up and the consultants were extremely rude when I wanted to try on a veil. I DO NOT recommend them.
Alterations: Alterations by Reina: A++++++++++
Reina is one of the nicest people around and she's very talented!!! Her prices are AMAZING and she works sooooo quickly!!!! I HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend using her!!!!
Hair & Makeup (for me): Lutz Karpf: A++++++
He is AMAZING!!! Couldn't recommend him more! He is extremely meticulous and sooooo easy to get along with. He made me laugh (which calmed my nerves) and I just looooove him!!!
Makeup (for my girls): Dianna Pantalena: A++++++
She is sooo much fun to work with. She is really talented and fairly priced!!!! I definitely recommend her!!!
Favors: Donut Divas Candy Apples: A+++++
The owners of this company are super fun and sweet! I won the candy apples from a contest they held and they came out amazing!! All of their food stations are delicious and I highly recommend hiring them for your event!!!
Officiant: Rosario Cobar: A++++++++++++
This woman is amazing!!! We were honored she wanted to perform our ceremony for us and she brought such a sense of calmness to (at least) me! Her words were beautiful and we were just soooo happy with everything!
_______________________________________________________
BRIDAL SHOWER REVIEWS:
Cake: Publix Bakery: B+
It was a vanilla cake with cannoli filling and chocolate icing. The cannoli was lacking it's flavor, and the icing was SUPER thick. However it was still DELICIOUS!!!
Favors: My BM Jenn: A++++++
She saved us a TON of money by baking mini cupcakes and packaging everything soooo professionally. I can't wait to see pics so I can show everyone how freakin ADORABLE they were!!!
Photographer: Tanya LaMadeleine: A+++++
She's just getting into the wedding business and she's super professional and affordable. She showed up ON TIME and didn't get in the way. Was pleasant to speak with and even helped set some stuff up when we were rushing to get things done! I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend her!!
Makeup & Hair: Dianna Pantalena: A++
I found her at a bridal show and decided to use her for me and my MOH for the shower. She came 30 minutes late which made us 30 minutes late in setting up at the venue however, she got lost, so I wasn't mad. She gave both of us exactly what we wanted and we were sooo happy with her work! And her prices are SUPER affordable! I'm pretty sure we're gonna use her for the day of for the girls.
Venue: Galuppi's on the Green: FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOOOOTTTTTT USE THEM FOR ANNNNY FUNCTION!!!!!!
The catering manager, Cecelia is super abrasive on the phone. I didn't like her from the getgo and neither did my mother. However, we were getting the most bang for our buck there, so we thought it would be ok. On our contract, we were promised a semi-private area with enough room to play games. When we got there, they had us pushed up against a wall with no privacy whatsoever! There was barely enough room to walk around. When I mentioned this to the hostess, she said there was nothing she could do and to call Cecelia in the morning.
So during the shower, one of the waiters came by, introduced himself and said he and another waiter would be helping us and if there was anything we needed, just to ask. Well...... people had to track them down to get refills or coffee. One girl even asked for coffee THREE times before he brought it to her!! It took them a while to clear plates (mind you, this was a buffet... you finish your plate.. go up to get more and magically the plate is gone by the time you come back... not here!!!). It was like we were completely forgotten!!!! They were also supposed to bring the cake out and diplay it for a while. They brought it out 45 minutes before the end, left it out for 10 minutes and then brought it back in to cut it. They never offered coffee or tea while serving it and one of the servers had the nerve to try to hand me a piece while I was in the middle of opening my gifts. WTF???
OHHH btw, we FINALLY got a room divider 30 minutes before the end!
I had my grandmother call Cecelia on Monday to complain nicely and see if they could compensate us at all for such horrible service. She didn't seem to care and said there was nothing she could do. Her reply was basically.. "well you should've asked for the manager". Really?? Well we spoke with someone who said to speak to YOU!! We weren't really looking for a reimbursment (although that would've been nice). An apology and maybe a free dinner would've sufficed.
She OBVIOUSLY doesn't care what people think AFTER she's gotten the sale... so BUYER BEWARE!!! DO NOT GO TO GALUPPI'S! YOU WILL REGRET IT!!