This is where we ordered our ketubah. We thought it would take weeks, but our custom wedding contract, with the text written in both Hebrew and English, was shipped in just about a week. If you’re in the WCF area, you can just give them a call and pick it up. We were able to make ours custom with 100 signature lines so that all of our guests could sign the contract as witnesses. It was the perfect artwork for our taste in art, colors, venue, and our own style as a couple.

Since our whole wedding party was staying at a luxurious B&B, I decided to have sort of a pampering theme for their gifts. I ordered spa slippers each with a coordinating monogram. I chose white slippers with tan thread for the monograms, which I though looked more elegant than the pink ones on their website. Everything came in quickly and was just amazing!

The innkeepers Kathy and Peter are the most welcoming and thoughtful hosts. I love this place and want to return again and again. In March we had reserved the entire B&B (12 rooms in what is actually 2 houses with a pool and jacuzzi in the courtyard inbetween) and were so excited to finally be able to stay there. We checked in the night before the wedding and they had wine and homemade cookies waiting for us. Seth and I had the Pembrooke room, which is actually like a seperate cottage and there was a wedding-cake soap waiting for us in the bathroom (fabulous attention to detail). The breakfasts are delicious home-made original recipes and each of the rooms is a magical hideaway decorated in a different way. Four poster beds, a million threadcount sheets, and a calm feel throughout. The hot-tub was a hit and my only regret is not taking advantage of our own personal jacuzzi. Kathy and Peter handled with class and ease our somewhat crazy crowd of 20- and 30-somethings, and never complained about our late-night habits (although they may have in private - I probably would have!). FYI, this is the perfect location for a smaller wedding of about 20-24 people, especially since Peter is a notary. They've hosted weddings before, one of them coming all the way from Scotland. We hope to return again sometime for an anniversary. Highly recommended!

Our planner recommended a couple of caterers, and Harry's was one of them! Is it normal to have mouth-watering *wedding* food? I must admit, we only ever sampled Harry’s menu, but we were instantly sold on them. The coconut-crusted grouper was to die for. They were also incredibly accommodating in terms of menu modifications (we didn't want to serve shellfish, but love crab cakes, so they made fish cakes!) We also got countless compliments on the hors d’oeuvres, which ranged from sushi to latkes to duck wontons, and the desserts - my oh my - the desserts! The croquembouche was fun, memorable, and delicious. Everyone was wondering what it was all about, then they grabbed a piece... excellent. We also had mini key lime pies and a coffee service with clear coffee mugs, which really added a special touch of European elegance to the whole dessert room. Harry’s gave us all the left over desserts and those cream puffs from the croquembouche were the first to go! Harry’s is a bit pricier than the average caterer, but worth every penny. They organized all the rentals and were so accommodating to our idea of serving my mom’s famous carrot cake cupcakes (another hit!). The waitstaff was friendly and attentive. We always had at *least* one server tending to us, to make sure we had everything we needed - and that we didn’t miss the delicious food during picture taking! I couldn’t have asked for more.

We are a musical family that likes to support the local musicians, and especially original talent. We really enjoyed Tom Kersey’s group, Kelp, and their blend of jazz, ska, and classical. It was really awesome having a live cellist - how many reception bands include one of those?!! Many of our guests enjoyed it too, but some of the older generation couldn’t relate to the change in tempo and the band’s neglect of playing covers (our request of course). Tom Kersey can arrange a variety of groups and will gladly play jazz standards if you give him some notice, we just decided to go with 100% originals.

Observant and discreet, yet assertive when necessary, Jason Angelini has an artistic eye for capturing moments of a significance you may not even realize at the time. He got along so well with our guests, they really opened up to him and some even thought he was a friend of ours that happened to have some fancy equipment! We did some traditional shots, and some that were, well, “edgy” to say the least, and the whole time we felt comfortable and were having fun. Confession: some of our very favorite moments of our wedding day were actually those we spent shooting pictures!

For those of you who have decided to do your own flowers like I did (though not recommended for the novice!), consider ordering them at least a week in advance! They can still be delivered the day before the event. I waited to place my order until just a couple days before (don’t ask why - I somehow thought I needed to do that for a more fresh delivery or something), and especially during the holidays, that was not smart. Thank goodness for Flower Farms to Go! I ordered everything online and the coordinator actually called me from Columbia to confirm everything and help me find replacements for flowers that were not in season (oops - didn’t check that). The flowers arrived via FedEx overnight delivery - along with plant food for each flower - and wow, they were stunning. The ginger flowers and orchids didn’t require any arranging. Just snip and put them in a glass vase of water. I got the tall, tropical feel for the receoption tables that I was going for. In fact, the staff of Harry’s catering was excited to get them all at the end of the night - they said they’d use them for an event the following day. The roses were more work, of course, because you have to take off their leaves and thorns. I had done the bouquets for a friend’s wedding a couple years ago and so this whole task didn’t overwhelm me too much, but it really helped to have a team of cousins and friends that were willing to help cut stems and prepare the flowers. The day of the wedding, we made our own bouquets using flower tape from Michael’s. I made all the boutonnières, which were a cinch. My bouquet was the most complicated, because I just had to have a stem of giant orchids in there. Filling in the gaps with roses and hypericum was fine, but if you’re into symmetry, it’s not the arrangement for you. The total was a little under $700. Even after one week the roses were still holding up well, and even some of the orchids I saved looked fresh.

The perfect venue for a historical and old Spanish colonial ambiance. It was the mix of antique and tropical that we were dreaming of. I literally got choked up when I first saw it - I couldn’t speak! We didn’t need many decorations at all to have a beautiful backdrop for our perfect day. The architectural details are seemingly endless and one of the best things about the Crosley is that the whole place was “ours” for the day. Not a random swimmer or wandering tourist in sight. The bar prices are reasonable and the drinks were delicious. I can’t even complain about the house wine (I only tried the white), which was great with our seafood meal. The only con is the size: luckily we only had 82 guests, so we all fit in the great room, but any more than about 90 and you have to spill over into other rooms.

I got frustrated because I couldn't find a hair & makeup professional who would travel to us that I liked. Our planner recommended that I check out Michele Renee, and everything just clicked right away after my first initial contact with her. I scheduled a trial appointment, and booked her as soon as she was done! Michele is such a sweetheart who made me laugh and smile! Her work is amazing, and her prices were great!

My husband organized the groomsmen's attire by grabbing up or having others snatch the linen and cotton blend suits that went on sale this past summer. They looked great and everyone seems happy with them - they are definitely pieces that can be worn again. I think they were marked down to about $100 for pants and $200 for the blazer. More than a tux rental, but exactly the look Seth was going for! Here again, this was an easy option because Banana Republic is a national chain and the groomsmen live in LA, New Jersey, North Carolina, Cleveland, and London (we picked up the one for the Londoner). They all went out the *day of* the wedding and got ties to match the bridesmaids' dresses, fabric swatches in hand. Wow, they looked great.