IStitch's reviews

I personally created my invitations, place cards, floral table arrangements, favors, thank you notes and wedding veil, none of it would have been possible without the help of all the staff of Joann Fabrics in Warwick. From opinions, to tips and tricks to the numerous special orders and transfers placed by management to make sure I had just enough silk hydrangeas over 300 plus, the orchids and greenery. The women were so kind, excited and genuinely helpful every step of the way. The selection, price and availability of each component was exceptional.

I rented an exquisite Cake Plateau from quality rentals in North Providence. Due to the extreme heights of the ceilings of my reception venue, the statue of my cake was most important. Having a small wedding, a huge cake would have gone to waste, and been vest costly. Including the dummy cake layer, and flower topper we decided the cake was still not tall enough. After searching the internet we time and time again came across these beautiful stands in which the cake was placed on. Upon further investigation, these plateaus were tremendously expensive and hard to come by according to local bakeries. We happened to come across Quality rentals, and among all of the power tools and lawn and garden equipment, they had the most beautiful and inexpensive plateau. The guys there couldn’t be nicer if they tried and also allowed us to pick it up Friday and return it on Monday, for no extra cost!

When deciding on the perfect location for my wedding, there were no other options in my mind but the Federal Reserve. Through great word of mouth, and beautiful website, I made an appointment to see this fantastic venue. I fell in love immediately, would not consider anything else, and told my father to write the check. What a beautiful and classy establishment. What is better than having your ceremony in the loft upstairs, being taken to the vault with your spouse as your guests enjoy cocktails, introductions over the balcony all just a staircase away from your reception space? It really is an all inclusive space. There was only one negative I must mention, is that they supply you with a wedding planner, for the day to orchestrate the schedule of events, and she does not let a minute go by unattended. I felt rushed, crowded and overwhelmed by how overbearing she was at times. They book one event a day, and there is no reason to be on a minute by minute schedule. There is no need for someone to tell you, you are spending too much time speaking to guests and you must do your father/daughter dance NOW, it can not wait two minutes, in my opinion each and every guest should be acknowledged and regretfully, I was unable to do that. Also cake was not serviced to the guests who were dancing only four feet away, as the DJ was instructed by the wedding planner to lead them to the dance floor between dinner and the cake cutting so they could clear the tables, the cake and coffee was only left for the people still talking at the tables, so as people came off the dance floor as they could see the cake being served, the waiters did not return. My mother and photographer both searched for any employee to alleviate the situation, my own husband did not receive any cake and by the time it arrived frustrated he had already redirected his attention to socializing with guests and family members. Despite the few glitches, which really aren’t something that phases you in the moments of day, it was a wonderful experience, and looking back it was a fantastic experience.

When choosing my photographer, it was clear upon first meeting, there was only one option, Gregory Schumchenia. Having a background in fashion and modeling, Greg was the most professional and exceptional photographer I have come across. Greg is fresh, creative, modern, young and hip. Our photos were exceptional, avent-garde and uniquely us. Very few photos were posed, as he just knew exactly how to capture each moment. What actually surprised me the most as we reviewed the proofs were just how beautiful even the still life photos of the flowers, place cards, and food were, every angle, every shadow was incredible.

I contacted Judge Rosedale 6 months previous to my wedding date, mailed him the check in full for his service and went over our ceremony in detail. Then came the countdown, it was less than a week to our date and I had not heard from him to confirm as our other vendors had so I figured maybe I should give him a call to review. When he answered he vehemently denied we ever spoke, upon reviewing both his desk calendar and yahoo calendar he quickly became silent and then apologized as he had doubled book the date and completely forgot about my wedding. He said I would need to find someone else, as even though we were booked first, he knew the other couple and could not cancel on them. I then corrected him and told him, He would need to find someone else, as it was a week before the date and I paid him in full. He returned my phone call within the hour with the name and number of another judge friend of his. Although the man rescued us at the last minute, he was not at all what we were looking for. Our ceremony was a joke, he couldn’t even remember our names and it lasted a mere 7 minutes, in which we paid $125.00 for, needless to say, if I had not made that phone call the week before, we would have been stood up at the alter by our officiant!

From the first phone call, the staff at the men’s warehouse was helpful and efficient. I sent my dad, husband to be, and best man, alone, entrusting the staff to ensure they did not leave with pleated pants and shinny vests! They did a terrific job selecting tuxes that were refined and slimming for our upscale event!

I personally did not know anything about flowers at all before I started planning a wedding, and I think that was the hardest part of all! I knew what I didn’t like, but not a clue what the flowers I do like, are called. I consulted with 2 florists who really just wanted to push their own opinions on me, until I walked by the flowers in whole foods. I just kind of slowed down and stared, when the woman approached me, I had no idea they made wedding bouquets! I immediately returned with samples from my dress, the woman was so kind and creative. She looked at me, my build, and knew exactly what kind of bouquet would fit, absolutely the most tailored and unique arrangement I could ask for, and she did the same for my maid of honor. They each corresponded beautifully with each other yet each had a very distinct look! I have and will recommend Whole foods time and time again, creativity, affordability and most importantly quality!

One of my most difficult decisions for my reception was selecting a DJ. I was shocked at just how costly this seemingly simple service was. Hours of searching the internet lead to two groups, the ultra expensive and the really cheap nothing in between which in my mind, must mean the good and the bad right? Wrong. I found that there are professionals and then just the people who do it on the side for extra money and what was funny was, the professionals turn out to be cheaper and more efficient then, the ones who sideline. Upon phone interview, Medeiros was pushy, overly opinionated, and egotistical. For someone who does not do this as a full time job, he was triple the price of his competitors and did not understand we are a young 20 something couple that does not want Sinatra and the rat pack. His method was to give you a website where you chose from his thousands of songs and add them to a playlist. You the client are doing all the work, he just shows up presses a button and talks. In the end the DJ I chose was attentive, just wonderful, and thoughtful coming up with modern suggestions.

The food at my reception was not just gourmet and beautifully prepared but absolutely delicious. We started with a wide variety of five appetizer stations including the taste of RI table full of mini clamcakes, calamari and other fantastic items, the antipasto table, and the grilled pizza table with eggplant and pesto, just excellent. We did not offer a choice rather, a duet for our main entrée of petite fillet minion and chicken marsala accompanied with green bean almandine, mashed red bliss potatoes and a fresh crisp salad. It was an exceptional meal!

I can not say enough good things about Scialo Bros! I tried lots of cake, 11 cake testings to be exact and nothing compared to the quality and price of scialo bros. Many of the competitors cakes were beautiful, but dry, expensive and tasted awful. The creativity and flexibility of the sisters at Scialo Bros was fantastic. The came up with exactly what I wanted, being honest about what would and would not realistically work. All of my guests comment on how delicious both the cake and frosting were! I can’t wait for my first anniversary cake!