I actually had my shower at Lucarelli's, not my wedding reception but it was so nice I wanted to write a review. We opted for a brunch on a Saturday in August. Even though they were booked solid for weddings that night and had a funeral brunch the same morning, they were able to accommodate us and did so without making us feel rushed. We were in the Garden Room, which is the perfect setup for a brunch. We had about 35 people, but the room could've fit at least fifty. There is a smaller room attached where they placed the food items and beverages. There was coffee and pastries set out as guests arrived and the food followed shortly thereafter. We were able to choose a good selection of breakfast and lunch items and everything was delicious. The attached room was great because it allowed the flow of people to move through in an orderly fashion. The food was delicious and the Garden room was quite convenient. Due to it's location at the front of the Banquet Center, we were able to take gifts right out to the front door were the car was parked, saving time and energy.

The Banquet Manager was also fantastic. My sister/matron of honor lives in VA and was able to get information and plans set up over the phone and they were very flexible with her as far as things that needed to be handled in person. Also, I had three (!!) cousins who were pregnant and due within a week of the shower so we were unsure if they would make it or not. The manager allowed us to leave them off the total count so we would not be charged if they could not attend. On the day, two of the three did attend and they still did not make us pay for the additional guests, despite our offer to do so. The staff assigned to our shower kept everything on schedule without making us feel rushed or inconvenienced. I was very pleased overall with the accommodations.

I ordered the 12,000 rose petals for use on the tables at the reception and to throw after our wedding at our church. I was a bit nervous but heard great things about FiftyFlowers. I am SO glad I used them! I had the petals delivered two days prior to the wedding and they held up beautifully! I ordered online and received a confirmation call from the vendor checking the order and delivery date. The petals came early in the morning on the scheduled delivery date and were packed nicely. The petals looked outstanding - NONE of the bags looked brown/bruised/dead. I chose the orange mixed petals for the church and a red/yellow mix for the reception and the order came as expected. After the delivery, I received a second call to ensure the delivery met expectations. I was overall very satisfied with all aspects of the experience!

Kim was great to work with and was able to get the exact flowers I had asked for. I came equipped with an inspiration photo but had requested a few changes and the flowers were PERFECT! I ordered a sample bouquet just to ease my mind and they were more beautiful than I had imagined. My actual bouquet day of was stunning and I received so many compliments! I was able to make some last minute changes to my order (about three weeks before the wedding) without any problems. I also ordered thank you flowers for my husband's aunts after my bridal shower and those were gorgeous as well.

If you live in the area, check out Michael's. Many people tend to go to Maureen's Wholesale because they are on a budget but Michael's was the same price for flowers as the wholesale shop (and hundreds lower than the two other florists I contacted), but did not change me for the delivery. I am glad I chose them over the other vendors I met with and will continue to use them for flower purchases in the future!

Paul and Alex shot our October wedding and the pictures are outstanding! The photos were available within two weeks online and we received a disc of proofs shortly thereafter. We have not gotten our album yet, but I especially like the way they customize the book as opposed to using a template. Paul was great at sensing when I was tense, nervous, etc. and getting me to relax in front of the camera. I have always been uncomfortable getting my picture done and feared my wedding photos would be atrocious but Paul was professional and capable of getting the shot at the right time. My only wish would be for the photos to be edited, but in the grand scheme of things, it was more important to me to get ALL the photos as opposed to only a portion of them that were edited. Of course, all photos are color corrected for the album and retouching can be completed as needed.

I also had a Bridal shoot for a newspaper photo done by Connie and the results were stunning. She quickly recognized my "good" side and knew the lighting and angled to get the shot. She also did the wedding for friends of ours and got some amazing, artistic shots. I don't think there is a single photographer at Expressions that would not deliver something quality. You won't be sorry if you choose Expressions.

Our experience with Tuxedo Junction was more difficult than it needed to be. I had booked our wedding party through a wedding expo and was given wrong information by the rep I worked with. The groom's tuxedo was free - but the vest, shirt, and tie were extra. Not a big problem, but when I asked point blank what the groom would pay for, the rep at the bridal show said 'nothing.' Same story with the ring bearer's tux. I would still have used them, but I would have liked to know about the cost in advance. Whenever my husband worked with them, everything was fine. But every time they called me or I stopped in for something, I had a problem. They had the wrong tux listed for my husband when I went in to pay, they did not get one of the tuxes we wanted to see before we decided, they only got one shirt for the groom when we asked for two, and they were insisting the ring bearer be in early for his tux - despite the fact he is five and lives in a state with no Tuxedo Junction. Of course, his tux was wrong, but they were able to get a good one in on time. In the end, everything was exactly as it was supposed to be - extra shirt and all - but it was a real task to get everything to that point.

I don't know if this is just poor management at work at the Boulevard Mall location or a problem with the chain itself. The product was good in the end, but it took a lot of handholding to get it right.

We purchased our wedding bands from Reeds and I also bought my husband a watch for his wedding gift from Reeds. I have been shopping with Reeds for years and have never been disappointed. The salespeople are friendly, but not pushy. They will give their honest opinion as opposed to selling you the most expensive option. Even though my husband did not get my engagement ring here, they were nice enough to redip the white gold band before my wedding and clean the diamond so it would sparkle along side my wedding band. OVer the years I have worked with four different salespeople and have received consistent good service each and every time. Given their quality product and friendly service, I don't see a need to shop with any other jeweler.

I cannot say enough good things about Dessert Deli. I have always loved their products, but did not have the budget to use them when I first got engaged. However, two weeks before my wedding, the bakery I was supposed to use closed down and left me cakeless. I spoke to the owner of Dessert Deli and she not only got a gorgeous, delicious cake for me, but she also advised me of their new line of affordable wedding cakes. I had no idea that they offered a less expensive option and in my situation the owner could have taken advantage of my desperation and shown me just their top end cakes. I wish I had worked with them from the beginning, but I so happy to be able to say my cake was made by them in the end. Do yourself a favor and use this baker. You'll get a beautiful, delicious cake and outstanding, dependable service!

Status Limo provided a beautiful, new limo bus for our October wedding. The driver was very pleasant, flexible, and dressed professionally. We brought food and beverages on board and were all able to eat and drink without incident on a moving vehicle. She knew the area well and was able to get us to all our desired photo locations before the sun set, despite the short window of time. I would not hesitate to use Status in the future for other events.

The owners of this bakery had a bitter divorce fight going on around the time of my wedding and closed down two weeks in advance of the wedding. Dick Sondel, part owner and also the owner of P&R Bakery, advised through a letter that my contract would not be honored. He provided the name and address for his wife, Lisa Marie Sondel, and basically advised that we go ahead and sue her while at the same time disclaiming any personal liability for the broken contract. I have never received a refund or even a return call from either party. I mention all of this so that if either opens a business in the future, brides will be leery of using either party as they are the epitome of unprofessional.

We had our 10/1/10 wedding at Samuel's and were very pleased. They were incredibly easy to work with and made planning the reception very easy. Everyone raved about the food (even though my plate was only so-so). They also did a wonderful job setting up the room the way I had explained it to them and it looked even better than I had imagined. We had a ton of cake leftover, which was wrapped in napkins for our guests and left by the door for them to take as they left. They were even flexible about letting us leaving our decorations there for a couple days while we traveled for the weekend. It was also great to have the extended 4.5 hour open bar and a great value overall for what we got in our package.

There were a few minor complaints that I had - but they were VERY minor. One is that my food, as mentioned, was only so-so. Somehow my salad was without dressing and my entree a little cold. No one else I spoke to had that problem - just me. I would've asked for a new plate but my captain was nowhere to be found once the serving started. Also, we were told when we booked that if guests were still hungry they could order another plate of food but the two people who asked were given a bit of a hard time about it and never did get the plate. The biggest complaint was that when our cake was put out with the pastries and coffee I thought there would be an announcement made but there wasn't. If you have your wedding there, I suggest asking the DJ to make an announcement so that the cake and pastries don't go unnoticed as ours did. Tell your captain to let the DJ know when the dessert is put out so that announcement can happen. Otherwise, it is a bit of a waste.

Overall, the reception went better than I could ever have imagined and I would not hesitate to refer a friend to Samuel's for their wedding, shower, fundraiser, or party. If you book with them, you will not be sorry.