WOW. That sums it up. JoVon is a true professional. His ability and creativity are uncanny. He is not only a wedding photographer but truly an industry professional. He has enormous talent for taking candid shots. He snaps away like a fashion photographer and limits staged photos as much as possible. The end result is nothing other than spectacular. Trust me when I say , you cannot go wrong with this one. I have over 1200 photos that somehow capture the emotions of that day beyond words. In JoVon's photos, a picture truly is worth a thousand words.

Our videographer was part of the renoun JovonPhotography company. THe stills and and live video was phenomenal. The edited version of the video is spectacular. I actually cannot stop watching it. If you use JoVon as your photographer definitely invest in having his company do the videography as well.

My husband and I did a dual bachelor/bachelorette party. Most of his groomsmen live across the country so we incorporated one big night out with my bridesmaids and their spouses/significant other's. Several of them were actual groomsmen. The girls ate dinner independently from the guys and met up at Bridgeview Yacht Club for a night of cocktails and dancing. We sat in the VIP section of the club overlooking the water and ....what else...but the bridge. It provided a great visual for a fabulous night. It is worth it to invest the money for the VIP section. The inside can get a little crowded but with the VIP section you can utilize both indoor and outdoor spaces.

The Carlyle on the Green was actually my ceremony and reception site. We must have looked at 12 venues and I knew it was the Carlyle when I teared up upon my first visit. It is an absolutely gorgeous cocktail hour and reception room. The cocktail hour much resembles an elegant living room of wealthy family. It is homey and elegant. The reception room is surrounded by glass overlooking the home of the U.S. Open Golf Course. What can be more beautiful? The venue put up huge white curtains blocking guests views of the ballroom while traveling from the indoor cocktail hour to the outdoor patio. I loved this aspect. Nobody saw your reception room until the door were officially opened and the guests were invited in. The ceremony can be held either in the outside garden or in an indoor room separate from the cocktail hour or reception rooms. My wedding was in early August so I opted for an indoor ceremony. The room very much resembled a small chapel which I loved. It holds over 200 people and all of my guests were present at my ceremony. I can't gush enough about the food at the Carlyle. This is definitely not the run of the mill catering hall food. The food was exquisite. This is definitely one of the nicest venues on Long Island.

We held the rehearsal dinner about two weeks prior to the big day. Scheduling forced it to be this way. We decided to hold the rehearsal dinner at the Carlyle on the Green in Bethpage, New York which was the reception site itself. The Carlyle houses a very impressive restaurant that easily and willingly accommodated our 30 person rehearsal dinner. After the rehearsal took place, the crowd strolled into the Carlyle's private restaurant for a spectacular dinner of steak, swordfish, or chicken. I had the steak and I was absolutely blown away. Everyone raved about the food. The fried calamari was amazing and the chocolate cake -to die for. This is definitely an elegant place to wine and dine your bridal party and they will leave feeling nothing less than your sincere thankfulness to their help, support and participation in your wedding day.

I wanted something different for my nine bridesmaids gifts. I decided on getting them Victoria's Secret bath robes and I specifically chose the desired color for each bridesmaid. The robes came in one box in a timely manner. Everyone appeared to be very satisfied with their gift and it is definitely something I would recommend.

I was looking for the "wow factor". Rich, the owner of Fleurafina knew just how to create it. After hiring this company, I arrived for my scheduled appointment to discuss specifics of the big day. I brought a sample of the bridesmaids dresses: Cranberry. In under 30 seconds, Rich had created a masterpiece to the eye. He incorporated fuschia, baby pink, and red flowers and the end result was astonishing. My mother, sitting there next me, was also taken back by his creation. I never would have thought that I would have liked those colors and yet, in Rich's vision and creation , it was a masterpiece. Flowers overflowed the ceremony and reception rooms. Guests could not stop complementing the flower arrangements and to the eye it was so visually appealing. The only downfall was that eventually the flowers died and I could no longer stare in awe at such beautiful creations.

WHat can I say other than this is the one and only Kleinfeld. The place people travel to from all over the world go shop for a bridal gown. My experience with Kleinfeld was wonderful. I was able to meet the designer herself (Pnina Tornei)while shopping for my dress. My bridal attendant was very savy and new what I would look good in. My bridal dress was the 2nd dress I tried on and it was a huge success. This is definitely the place to shop. Don't be fooled by impostor salons!

Jaqueline Nicole was the 4th make-up trial I went on. As the trials grew in number, so did my frustration. I thought I would never find a make up artist who understood what I was looking for: natural, and glamorous but not over done. Out of trial I went to, Jaqueline Nicole (in Nesconset, NY) actually asked me through questions prior to slabbing on general makeup. She asked me how I envisioned my make up, what my dress was like, what colors the bridesmaids were wearing, what the tone was for the evening. The major difference between Jaqueline Nicole and other make up artists (that I tried) was that she customized my make up for me rather than just putting the same make up on every bride. She knew what to accentuate on my face and what not too. She understands coloring and style. Also, you have the option to use airbrush foundation. This was perfect. It was natural looking and didn't rub off on other people or my white gown. It is long lasting and definitely worth trying. Her website is www.prettyme.com

I am a music fanatic so obviously, I was fanatical about what vendor to hire for my wedding. My fiance (at the time) and I were sure we wanted a band for our black-tie affair. The hard part was which one. A sort of hobby of mine is picking just the right music for specific points in the event, whether it be a birthday party or my wedding. I am the person people come to to pick out the "perfect song". Anyway, I decided on incorporating at least 5 uncommon songs for the ceremony/reception. Hank Lane Orchestra was present for both. Some songs came from the country genre , some from the Christian Contemporary genre, and some from the plain old pop genre. I provided Hank Lane with all of the sheet music and when the big day finally came, they performed all of the songs I picked perfectly. I couldn't have wanted or expected more from Hank Lane. I highly recommend this orchestra.