At one of the bridal shows I checked out I received a 25% off coupon for anything at Thing Remembered. I hadn’t even been in that store in years, but I figured it was worth a look to see if I could find something really unique as a thank you to my bridesmaids. Then I saw these really cool embroidered fleece throw blankets that you can customize. I had each of my bridesmaid’s names put on the fleece in their favorite color. The girls are still telling me that these are the best gifts they’re received from any wedding they’ve been in. Score!

We had our rehearsal dinner at Adams Mill because it’s the same spot where my husband proposed. =) The prices were fairly reasonable and they did a really good job of getting all of our food out at the same time and still keeping everything hot and delish. It took the coordinator a while to get back to us but it all worked out beautifully that evening.

My husband loved the Christian Dior tux that he tried on a Pietro’s. The sales associate that helped us knew a lot about their product lines and got the measurements right the first time – which was obvious when he picked up the tux and it was an absolute perfect fit. The rest of the groomsmen also had very good experiences here so we would gladly recommend them. 
 


This is the flower shop that my family has been going to for years so I decided to check out their prices on wedding flowers. They were the most reasonable of the quotes I got for my all white Casablanca lily bouquet and then all of the matching ceremony flowers and centerpieces. My Mom and I already knew we loved the quality at Floral Expressions so we were confident they would do a great job. I’m happy to report that my wedding flowers were the most beautiful that I’ve ever seen. I couldn’t have been happier. 
 
 


A lot of my friends have used Entertainment Unlimited for their wedding so I knew they would do a good job and keep everyone dancing all night long. It was important to my DH that we didn’t have a ‘cheesy’ DJ that would cheapen our wedding day. Bob was completely classy and kept the climate of the reception exactly where we wanted it. He also paid close attention to our play list and our do NOT play list.

We choose the Cabin Garden for our ceremony because we were crazy about the view of downtown Hartford. Tara was really helpful throughout the planning process. There were lots of flowers and beautifully manicured gardens all around the park so we saved a bundle on decorations. It’s a really beautiful spot!

When my DH and I decided to have an outdoor wedding ceremony and reception we were overwhelmed with all of the choices for catering companies. Since my cousin has just been married at Maneeley’s Banquet Hall we already knew that we liked the food. The buffet looked really nice once it was all set up at the park. Sandy was very easy to work with, the prices were fair, and the food was super yummy!

This was the best bridal show that I attended. The vendors were higher quality, and though they were all trying to ‘sell’ us they were much more professional that the other shows we attended. They had some good ideas featured there that inspired me to do things I wouldn’t have otherwise done – like using patterned linens instead of the standard colors. It was well worth the time. Just make sure you always give bridal show people a fake e-mail address because they send you tons of spam!

I think of Christi-Anne’s as the anti-David’s Bridal. They are not telling you anything they need to in order to make a sale. Instead, they actually work with you on every aspect of making your purchase. They were helpful from the time I walked into the shop by listening to what I was looking for and then assisting with lots of different options that I could afford. When it came time for alterations they did a fantastic job of getting everything just right. They also had all of the accessories I could have possibly imagined, including purses, flip flops, tiaras, shoes, veils, etc. They also extended the same level of courtesy and professionalism to my bridesmaids, which really impressed me.

We decided to have a co-ed shower & bachelor/bachelorette party here the month before the wedding. The beer is icy cold and the food is really good bar fare. The fries are amazing! We all had a really good time here and enjoyed that we were able to hang out all night without any hassle from the staff. (I think we got pretty rowdy near the end!)