Vendor Review

-Location-

The Grand Tradition Estate – Beverly Mansion
Fallbrook, CA
(760) 728-6466
www.grandtradition.com
Our on-site coordinator - Jenna Fransway
Rating: (A+) My first visit to the Grand Tradition was alone and just a recon mission as my FI was at work. We had visited quite a few places, maybe 10, before here. As soon as I left I called him and told him he HAD to see it. We went back later that afternoon and I showed him around. He loved it as much as I did. We took our Mom's with a week after and it was a unanimous decision...we we're all smiling from ear to ear as we paid the deposit and selected our date. The night of the wedding, Jenna and the whole Grand Tradition staff was amazing. They had always been very friendly and willing to help through our months of planning and the wedding night was no difference! Everything went so smooth and I didn't have to worry about a thing with Jenna by my side. All of the guests had a great time, the facilities were as beautiful as ever, the food was outstanding and the night was a dream! Worth every penny and then some, A++++ from my husband and I!!

-Photography-

Engagement and Wedding:
Meurer Image
Carlsbad, CA
(760) 634-9782
www.meurerimage.com
Husband and wife team - Chris and Andrew Meurer
Rating: (A+) Engagement pictures were great. There were only a few posed shots and then plenty of fun natural ones. Their team dynamic is stellar! They always answered emails within 24 hours and were really flexible. They showed up early on the wedding day and stayed all night log. We actually ended up with all 3 photographers for the night (what a value)! We've seen a few pictures and they are great so far...can't wait for the rest! They were all professional and you never noticed them in your face but you knew they were all around shooting their hearts out! 

Boudoir:
HenryC Photography
Orange County, CA
(562) 254-8871
www.henryc.com
Husband and wife team - Henry and Cindy Chan
Rating: (A) They were so easygoing. With a topic like boudoir it's important to feel calm, relaxed and have fun and they really made that easy for me! Would recommend this style of photography to anyone looking for a good time as well as a terrific boost in self esteem!

Trash the Dress:
Dezign Photography by DeShun
San Marcos, CA
(760) 809-1240
www.dezignphotography.com
Husband and wife team - Deshun and Yasmine
Rating: (C) Photos were not that great. He was looking for more “high-fashion” and his wife was looking for trashing. We too thought we were doing a TTD shoot so we were prepared to get dirty. She got a bit of an attitude on the phone with me because they weren’t what she was looking for. He seemed rushed when he was shooting; I think they packed his schedule too full. Can’t complain too much since it was free (he was just starting out in the TTD field).

-DJ-

Can-Do Productions, Inc.
San Marcos, CA
(760) 471-4796
www.candodj.com
Owner and DJ – Victor Cannon
Rating: (A+) Victor is so funny and outgoing! We met with him twice before the wedding and I liked his attention to detail. He went over everything with us and practiced the names of the bridal party until he had it down pat. He did a great job at working with our coordinator to make the night run smoothly. Our guests really liked his style and interaction. He was a great addition to our memorable night!

-Officiant-

Pastor David Plank
Vista, CA
(760) 727-1555
www.pastorplank.com
Rating: (B+) Pastor Plank is such a sweet, caring man. He seemed to be a little forgetful about some things but he did a nice job at the wedding. He put some character into the ceremony and had the guests laughing a little.

-Flowers-

Anar Floral
Vista, CA
(760) 734-1400
www.anarfloral.com
Our floral designer – Ariana Parsi
Rating: (C) Ariana did a nice job with the flowers, I wish they were a little fresher. Some had brown spots starting to show by the end of the night. She was patient through the process and let me change my mind a lot! When she brought the flowers they were not marked so the guys didn't know who was supposed to wear what bout. The groomsmen and father's ended up with the wrong ones but whatever. The rentals that we were supposed to used had to be changed a little bit since a previous bride didn't return all of them so we had to use backup versions. It was a little off without the blue vases but nobody knew but me! Last, I don't remember her telling me that I was in charge of returning the rentals...I thought she would go pick them up but apparently I was wrong. She called a week after the wedding while we were on honeymoon and I had to call my Mom and ask her to deal with Ariana since I wasn't going to be back. She needed the vases in 3 days for another wedding and my Mom said she tried to argue with her and that she had a little attitude.

-Cake-

Jodee’s Bakery
Temecula, CA
(951) 699-2399
www.jodeesbakery.com
Owner and Master Designer - Malinda
Rating: (A) Malinda, the designer/owner, is so cute! I loved the cake tasting, her ideas are so neat and she was willing to work with us on our style, guest count and cake wishes! The cake turned out almost perfect. We wanted a dark ivory frosting with white design...the ivory could have been a little darker but that's the only thing, everything else was spot on. The taste was just like the tasting, delicious! There was enough cake to go around and some people even came back for a second piece! I told my husband that I want to order cakes from her for every occasion now!!

-Limo-

Palomar Limo
Carlsbad, CA
(760) 720-9400
www.palomarlimo.com
Rating: (A+) Our driver was early, kind and didn't have a lead foot! He did a great job manuvering the stretch limo through the cars and up the narrow driveway leading to our hotel room. I didn't think any driver would be able to get us close enough to our room but he pulled it off like it was nothing! Price was great too, didn't want to take us for every penny!

-Photobooth-

Photo Booth Now 
Fallbrook, CA
(877) 517-7770
www.photoboothnow.com
Booth coordinator and contact: Christopher
Rating: (A+) Christopher was a big help with the contract and questions. The price was a steal compared to the bigger name companies and I liked that it was a curtain all the way around instead of a wood box...it allowed for more people to be in the shot with the curtain! Everyone loved the booth and I liked that the attendant printed extra copies for the bridal party when we did group shots! Less than 2 weeks after the wedding we had a disc in our mailbox of all the pictures taken!

-Table Linens-

Bonsall Village Florist
Fallbrook, CA
(760) 941-7314
www.bonsallvillageflorist.net
Our coordinator - Sharon
Rating: (A+) Sharon was really helpful and sweet! Prices are great and she wasn't trying to push a lot of extra pieces off on us! The linens looked great, even though they were simple...it was exactly what we wanted!

-Hair & Makeup-

Cindy Rankin
Oceanside, CA
(760) 994-7733
www.cindyrankin.com
Celebrity Make-up and Hair Stylist
Rating: (A+) Had my trial with Cindy and it was great. We tried 3 hair styles and the 3rd was a charm. I had a good time with her, she's very friendly and was so patient. She did a fab job for the wedding. I looked beautiful, the bridesmaids looked so pretty and natural as well. Cindy made my Mom look a few years younger and the best part...it lasted all night long!! Cindy is very talented and affordable!!

-Bridal Gown-

Wedding Gown:
BridalGown.Net
Webster, NY
(315) 524-4526
www.bridalgown.net
Rating: (A) I went to local shops and tried on gowns until I found the one I loved. I then found bridalgown.net and read up about their services and quality and purchased from them at a $200.00 savings. Dress came in perfect condition and exactly as I wanted. Came a little later than quoted (said 16-18 weeks and arrived at week 20). Worth the price!!

Trash the Dress Gown:
David’s Bridal
Vista, CA
(760) 806-9745
www.davidsbridal.com
Rating: (A) Usually I don’t like David’s Bridal stores as their employees always seem to be mad at the world unless they make the sale. I went here for a $99 dress for my TTD shoot and found what I was looking for. The girls were nice, helped me but didn’t push and had the dress steamed overnight for me!

-Alterations-

Bridal Showcase
Vista, CA
(760) 630-1440
www.bridalshowcasebrides.com
Rating: (A+) Alterations are going great. Both myself as well as 1 bridesmaid are having alterations done at Bridal Showcase. They are very fast and turning out perfect! Alterations all done and 110% satisfied. My dress and BM's fit like a dream, great pressing service and fast turn around!

-Bridesmaids Dresses-

Bridal Showcase
Vista, CA
(760) 630-1440
www.bridalshowcasebrides.com
Sales Rep - Jennifer
Rating: (A+) Dresses arrived quickly and as ordered. Jennifer was a big help and was understanding to the fact that I had to come in multiple times before making my decision on which dresses to order.

-Mother of the Bride/Groom Dresses-

Mother of the Bride:
Chantik
Escondido, CA
(760) 737-5017
Rating: (B+) The sales women were a little pushy but backed off as soon as I let them know that if we needed assistance I would go and find one of them. We didn’t go with the intention of purchasing, we were just looking but did end up buying that day. They had a small selection of dresses and not a lot of sizes but we did manage to find a nice pair of dress pants and a beautiful top (my Mom isn’t the dress type)!

Mother of the Groom:
Aria Bridal
Escondido, CA
(760) 834-2742
www.ariabridal.com
Rating: (D) Customer service wasn’t what it should be and prices are high. Purchased off the rack and they gave a small discount since it was a discontinued style. I went back weeks later and the sales girl made a few snide comments about our previous visit. Good selection of dresses so I suggest using their store to try on and get an idea but not to purchase. They cut off as many dress tags as possible and switch around item numbers so take notes on what the dress looks like if you plan to purchase elsewhere. Watch out though, they are on you like hawks!

-Tux-

Friar Tux Shop
Vista, CA
(760) 414-9800
www.friartux.com
Rating: (A+) Guys looked great. Easy to order with, flexible when it came to pick up and drop off dates and times and they were right on with the measuring and all of the orders were right the first time.

-Rehearsal Dinner-

Monterey Bay Canners
Oceanside, CA
(760) 722-3474
www.montereybaycanners.com
Rating: (A) The service was great, our waitress was a hit! The food was good and everyone enjoyed their meal and drinks. They accomodated us with bringing in our own cake! The restaurant doesn't have a seperate room so they try to keep you in your own area but it's hard to keep nosy people away. 

-Invitations and STD Magnets-

DIY Invitations:
*paper supplies from*
Kelly Paper
Escondido, CA
(760) 489-0093
www.kellypaper.com
Rating: (A+) The girls that work there are really nice and helpful. Helped me pick out paper weight and colors, called other stores to check availability and they have great prices. Invites turned out great and I really think they helped with the outcome by being so knowledgeable.

Save the Date Magnets:
Ebay Vendor – Our Space on the Web
www.stores.ebay.com/Our-Space-On-The-Web
Rating: (A) Magnets came out good and it was so easy. They email you the proof based on what you say you want and then you can make changes until you’re content. Magnets came 3 days after I gave the “go ahead” and they looked great for the price, they were so affordable. I should have spent a little more time tweaking the colors, but other than that I was pleased.