As you know, Matt & I have been dating for 8.5 years and on August 13, 2017, he proposed at my favorite place in the world, Mohonk Mountain House (@mohonkmountainhouse). To say I didn’t have an idea is hardly true – I felt it coming from when we got in the car! From the day after the proposal, we started planning everything. It’s been a roller coaster – up’s and down’s, stress, and also excitement. We have learned so much throughout this process and it has taught us what we liked and didn’t like for a wedding! In this post I’m going to give the inside scoop of everyone we used for the big day – stylist, flowers, shoes, hair & makeup, photographer, etc. What Matt & I learned the most throughout this process is that it is very important to keep your options open and to shop around. Don’t settle for what you don’t want and don’t make any vendor choose anything for you.
Engagement Ring – Matt got my ring from Buono Jewelers on Hylan Blvd in Staten Island, NY. He was taken care of by John & his son. Matt told them exactly the setting I wanted and that I loved small diamonds around my band. He went 3/4 of the way around my band with diamonds so when you look at my fingers, you can still see the diamonds on the side (Bonus Points Matt for thinking that ☺️). John presented Matt with a few diamonds that he got in the Diamond District in NYC and Matt chose the diamond he wanted. I adore my ring, it’s gorgeous! Follow them on Instagram: @buono_jewelers (you’ll see my picture with Matt when you scroll down!)
Venue –Vetro by Russo’s on the Bay, Howard Beach, Queens, NY – I contacted so many places in Long Island – prices, menu’s, room, etc., but we figure it would be too far for our guests. We visited another vendor in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn called Dyker Beach Club. I really liked it there because it was cozy, there was a fireplace in the room and I felt it fit the winter theme I was going for. The reason why we didn’t go with Dyker Beach was because the padding on their table chairs were so old, torn, stained, and the gold was peeling off the back of the chairs. With new chairs, this place may have hosted our party! We decided on Vetro because of their really amazing package. We booked our party with Audrey. The night was really beautiful and there was a HUGE amount of delicious food. We had the Premier Menu, which included a 5 hour party (an hour long cocktail hour), open bar – premier liquor all night long, a custom cake, and 3 trays of cookies and pastries for every table. I barely could eat the food because of anxiety except the food during the cocktail hour – my favorite things were the creamed spinach and the spanakopita. The maitre’d we met with before the party kept pushing for us to get a certain pasta but we really wanted to get a soup due to it being winter. We did wind up going with the pasta in order to keep it simple for guests but we didn’t like being pushed. Follow them on Instagram: @vetronyc.
**Tip: In case you didn’t know, vendors charge more money for Saturday events. If you don’t want to break the bank, go with a Friday affair, you get the same things just on a different day! Sometimes, slight things change. For us, we were able to have the cookies & cake for free just for booking a Friday night. Save a Saturday affair for your wedding 🙂
- Cake – Our snowflake cake was custom made for us, which helped to incorporate a winter-y theme into the party. We chose cannoli cream with vanilla cake – so yummy! We got tons of people telling us after it was over about how great the cake was! The matching cake knife and the server were a gift that night from my aunt. They matched the cake perfectly, we loved them!
Dress – Omnibus Fashions, Long Island, NY – What a wonderful experience. My mom and I were so happy to have Ann Marie to help us. I tried on countless dresses but the one she found for me I couldn’t have been happier with. It was so couture and classy, perfect for the party. Since it was the last style dress they had in the store, and it was discontinued, they cleaned it up by fixing the rhinestones, taking out the bra cups, and letting out a little material to make sure it wasn’t super clingy. I highly recommend going to them even if you are looking for prom dresses, they have a huge selection of dresses for any event. Follow them on Instagram: @omnibusfashions. My mom’s dress was from Macy’s Herald Square on 34th Street).
- My fur wrap was my grandmother’s mink, I’ve worn it for other special occasions but I absolutely loved it with this dress. It kept me so warm for pictures outside and it just helped to tie the whole look together.
Stylist – Elle New York, Staten Island, NY- After hearing recommendations for her from 3 different people, we had to check her out. Our invitations were beautiful. We had square laser cut ivory shimmer invites with a silver/gold paper and ivory shimmer envelopes. One strange thing that we encountered was that half of the invitations had rhinestones on my first initial and Matt’s first initial. Also, on more than half of the envelopes, the guests’ zip codes were underneath the city and state – which didn’t look right at all because zip codes go next to the state. We also got our favors, guest seating chart, and card box (the last two items on rental). We had gorgeous pearl/rhinestone brooches, which were on our favors, seating chart, and card box. On the card box, the 3 brooches fell off the day before. My mom and I rushed to glue them but with gorilla glue! It held up, but not something we wanted to worry about. The brooch on the seating chart also fell off the night of the party right before the guests arrived – good thing for the maitre’d, she found a pin and somehow got the brooch to stay on. Lastly, the end of the ribbon on the favors were fraying, it seemed careless and it was not work that I would produce. Follow on Instagram: @elle_newyork.
**Tip: Communication between your vendors is super important and without it, things can be stressful. Shop around before you settle on anything. Vendors shouldn’t bring stress, they should relieve it.
Flowers – James Anthony Floral, Mineola, Long Island, NY & Long Island City, NY – Jenn was wonderful, she was young, fun, and had a vision for what we wanted. It’s really important to trust your vendors and for them to know your vision. Our sample piece was stunning but when we got to Vetro the night of the party, there were changes that were not in the contract, there were pink/peach roses instead of white/cream, and there were regular roses instead of large bloomed tibet roses. Things were changed and it wasn’t what we wanted. This was a disappointment. The piece was similar to what we wanted but not what we agreed upon. We also had 4 candles around the base of the centerpieces (2 short, 2 high), which was a very nice touch. Instagram: @jamesanthonyfloral.
Photographer – PhotoDH, Brooklyn, NY shout out to Jaymo and his sister Jayla! Matt and I loved him and couldn’t be happier with our photos! Despite the cold, he was outside with us taking pictures in the street and making sure he captured the perfect shots. He made us feel comfortable even while we were smooching in the street. He took so many pictures and had great ideas. If you live in NYC and need a wedding photographer, contact him because you won’t be disappointed. Follow PhotoDH on Instagram: @photo_dh.
Shoes – Badgley Mishka – Gorgeous, gorgeous shoe, the color Latte matched my dress perfectly but once I was wearing them for 4 hours, they came off. The most uncomfortable shoe I’ve ever worn. I was wearing stocking so maybe that had to do with my foot not feeling so comfortable in it. I was so disappointed because they are so gorgeous I don’t know if I can wear them again that’s how uncomfortable they were. They also come in many other colors if you are looking to try them for another formal dress. Shop them here & here too.
**Tip: Walk around in your shoes for a few hours a couple of days before your party, get comfortable in them. Make sure if you plan on wearing stockings, your feet still don’t slide around. Go for a shoe that has a strap around the ankle and a platform on the bottom for extra support. I will not make this mistake for my wedding! Comfort is the key to a good time!
Earrings – Eliot Danori (Macy’s) – At one point we had all three colors, the silver, the gold, then back to silver, and then finally the rose gold. SO happy with the rose gold, they matched my dress and stood out with my hair color. My bracelet was my grandmother’s tennis bracelet, it looked gorgeous with the dress, I’m so happy my mom thought for me to wear it. I’m linking a similar bracelet based on style.
**Tip: Macy’s has gorgeous jewelry you just have to know where to look. Go to the 34th Street Location in Manhattan and you’ll find that the Macy’s there is better than ones that are in malls.
Makeup & Hair – I made mine and my mom’s appointments a week before. It was extremely hard to book someone because I do my own makeup and I know what I like. Everyone kept saying I should just do my own but I wanted to get it done and not be stressed for the day.
Hair comb – Lotus Bridal, Brooklyn, NY. My hairpiece was stunning – it had rose gold, gold, silver, & small pearls in the flowers. I couldn’t have picked a better piece. I wish I could wear it all of the time. All of their accessories were 50% off & we scored it for under $85! They also have a Long Island location. Follow them on Instagram: @lotusbridal.
Makeup – Da Noi on Fifth, Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, NY – I had Jovi do my makeup. My hairstylist recommended her to me. She just came back from a Makeup by Mario class (does the Kardashian’s makeup). I figured I would try her. What I didn’t like about my makeup was that I didn’t look like me – everyday I use Naked 3 and Tartlette in Bloom palettes. I didn’t want to look different, I wanted to look the same just amplify my makeup some more. When I made the appointment, the makeup artist said that she had the Naked 3 palette and can use it on me. When I went that day to get it done, she said she didn’t have the palette. She used browns and golds and nothing rose-gold like I wanted. I feel like I’m going to wind up doing my own makeup on the day of my wedding! I’ll definitely be doing it for myself on the day of my bridal shower. Instagram: @_jovihairmakeup_
**Tip: Do a trial run for your makeup, especially if you are particular and like it done a certain way (like me). Even if you aren’t and you don’t usually wear makeup, you may feel drastically different on the day of your wedding/party. You want to look like you when you look back at pictures. Also, don’t be last minute with your appointments, give yourself enough time for a trial run (unlike me!)
Hair – Da Noi on Fifth, Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, NY – Ericca Jane is amazing! The week before the party I colored my hair with her and she gave me exactly what I wanted. She’s fun, creative, listens to what you want, and will protect your hair. She did finger waves on my hair which stayed in for hours, the entire night, even while it was windy outside, and it stayed till the next day! Amazing! Follow her on Instagram: @styles_by_ericcajane.
DJ – Black Tie DJ NY – The set up looked great and the lighting was adjusted to what I wanted. When you are looking for a DJ, shop around and go to showcases so you can meet them and get comfortable. My DJ was based on a recommendation and I didn’t look at anyone else. I would like to look more for the wedding. I made a playlist of songs I wanted him to play and at some point he was playing songs I didn’t like.
** Tip: Make sure you’re on one page with your DJ, music is crucial to help keep the party hopping all night long. Get a copy of the contract in advance so you know the breakdown of prices. You don’t want any hidden and surprise costs.
Final Thoughts: Create a separate email address for all things wedding/party planning. Having everything in one place can help you stay organized! My biggest tip would be to shop around and have help! Don’t settle for vendors based off of recommendation. Don’t limit yourself because of someone’s recommendation. Make a list and compare vendors to see what works best for you. I don’t have a bridal party yet, so it was hard balancing everything in such a short amount of time. The day came and went and I can’t believe after all of that planning it’s over! The night was truly memorable. I’m thankful for those who celebrated with us and I look forward to wedding planning!
Beautifully done….
Thank you!