KEM51509's reviews

There were things I loved about my reception at the St. Regis: the hotel is really beautiful; they gave us a great rate on the hotel rooms; their prices are expensive but straightforward; the food was DELICIOUS; Haydee, their coordinator was a lifesaver; they only have one event per evening; you get to use the salon, the ballroom, and the terrace; and the service of the catering staff was unbeatable. But, there were things that I really hated: the staff at the front desk was rude and incompetent. They lost reservations- three of my guests were told that the St. Regis didn't have a room for them-- in those words (after my angry guests finally produced confirmation emails they were given rooms). This wouldn't have been such a deal-breaker for me if I hadn't had a year and a half of problems with the reservations department before the wedding. The staff at the front desk only takes reservations during business hours and at all other times, the calls are forwarded to central reservations. The computer system between these two was unable to communicate (people who called central reservations were given false information or told to call back). Dealing with them was a nightmare and I still cringe when thinking about it, the frustrating experience I had with them before my wedding and the shocking way my guests were treated makes it hard for me to recommend what should be the best wedding venue in DC.

I would hesitate to recommend Wadsworth Limo to anyone. On one hand, they worked with me, the limo was clean, the driver was nice and showed up on time, he was very knowledgeable of the city and traffic patterns but on the other, I found their customer service to be lacking and they were generally unresponsive to my emails and phone calls.

Suann was my favorite wedding vendor. She is super talented and I was thrilled with our invitations. She is quick to respond to emails and phone calls and she sticks to the quote and timeline that she provides you upfront. We went through several rounds of design and each time she worked with the comments I gave her and gave me several options to choose from (and the price associated with them). I don't think you can bear her prices (especially for letterpress) or service. I was proud of my invitations and I would recommend Suann and simplesong design to everyone.

Kim made me, my bridesmaids, and both of our mothers look gorgeous the day of the wedding. She was able to handle different ages, skin types, features, and styles with ease. She worked with each of us to perfect our looks and then our makeup didn't budge all night. She was responsive and professional to deal with before the wedding and calm and confident the day of the wedding. I highly recommend Kim Giammaria and Beauty Mark.

Giselle was good to work with the day of my wedding (nice, on time, calm) and I liked my hair but honestly, I think you can look around and find a better hairstylist and/or a better price. My bridesmaids liked but didn't love their hair and I agreed with them. Giselle's strength is classic wedding updos but they are pinned and sprayed to death. Looking back, what I really wanted was someone to look at me (my features, style, wedding dress) and create a complimentary wedding hairstyle. Giselle and I got there but it took a while and was frustrating for both of us. For the amount of money she charges, I think I could have done better.

Barbara was great to work with and her prices can't be beat in DC. She is willing to work with you and your budget, making changes up until the last minute. I really loved that my flowers were seasonal, fresh, and grown on her farm. The arrangements were beautiful and so were the bouquets. There were only a few things that kept me from giving her 5 stars and those were that the corsages and boutonnieres were wrapped in a hideous, cheap ribbon (so ask about that in advance). I had also wanted my flowers to be really wild and while they were beautiful, they were traditional. I would recommend Barbara and Growing Wild to anyone looking for affordable, fresh, traditional flowers.

I traveled from DC to NYC to buy my wedding dress at this incredible atelier. They have the best designers around (both in store and at trunk shows). The size of the atelier makes it a warm, personal place and the staff is kind and attentive. Marah, Eva, and Debbie were awesome and I would recommend this place to anyone who is prepared to splurge on their wedding dress!

The Rollex Band made my wedding. I wish I could give them more than 5 stars. I booked The Rollex Band on the recommendation of a coworker and boy do I owe her. They were fabulous-- everyone was on the floor dancing! Not only do they sound great and have a fantastic song list but they also are so easy to work with. Kevin, the band manager and bassist, was such a nice guy and very professional. He responded quickly to all of my emails and phone calls and everything went smoothly the day of the wedding. I got a million compliments on them I can't tell you how happy I was with them. Highly recommended.