RightOn's reviews

When choosing a hotel for our wedding night, I wanted to give Jessica a sense and feel of elegance and romance. There was no better choice than The Tutwiler Hotel downtown. From the moment you pull onto the lot, you are swept away into an almost New York style environment of glitz and glamour. The antique look to the building as well as the individual rooms made our first night together very romantic and memorable. The staff was very willing to accommodate our every need, even going so far as to aid my groomsmen in setting a romantic surprise for us in our room (as well as helping with the “decorating” of our car). The next time we are in need of a romantic night away from home, we will definitely go back to the Tutwiler Hotel.

Another “preferred vendor” referred to us by the Carraway-Davie house, Jan did an excellent job of working with Jason to create the perfect wedding cake for both the bride and the groom. Since Jessica was not yet living in Birmingham, she had to relate through Jason what she wanted in a cake, but with very limited ideas as to what would really be beautiful. Knowing a few select things to base her ideas on, she trusted Jason and Jan to come up with something truly unique and special. Jessica saw her cake for the first time on her wedding day, and was amazed at how great of a job Jan did to make her dreams come true. Not only were the cakes and the table decorations beautifully and artistically done, but they were more delicious than any other cake we have ever had. The next time we need a good birthday cake, or a cake just because, we will definitely call Jan!

Corretti, Inc. was the preferred caterer for The Carraway-Davie house, and did the catering for both our rehearsal dinner and our reception. The food was outstanding, and the table presentations they created really set an intimate and charming mood for the reception. We had so many people asking us who did the food, and we were glad that the wedding venue had such a close business partnership with Corretti. Because the day was such a blur for us, we did not get to really enjoy any of the wonderful foods they had created until later than evening once we got to the hotel. Looking back, we would have loved to have been able to have a sit-down reception catered by Corretti so that we could have really been able to enjoy their food with friends and family.

Mike Shell with Shell Entertainment was an excellent choice for our wedding and reception DJ/music. He coordinated with us exactly how our wedding would go, and what music would be appropriate for each part of the ceremony. Afterwards during the reception, he did an excellent job of keeping everyone entertained while choosing music that every one of our guests could enjoy regardless of age. He had fun and interacting games for Jessica and I to play with each other, creating laugher throughout the entire event. He was also very good about song requests, and making sure that everything was kept going according to schedule. When it came to pricing, Mike was far less expensive than I had expected to pay for a DJ. Thank you Shell Entertainment!

A family member provided our limousine rental to us, and we were very surprised to see it sitting outside as we exited the reception. The driver was very courteous and willing to accommodate our needs, even offering us privacy the entire night. We made several stops that night, and he took us to each one quickly and without complaint. Never once did we feel rushed, and we enjoyed every minute of our glamorous trip. After comparing prices after the wedding, I realized that Birmingham Limousine was the best price in our area for a great night out on the town. In the future, when a evening calls for fun and glamour, I will be sure to contact Birmingham Limousine again.

We met Jeremy & Heather Whidden through the “preferred vendor list” provided to us by The Carraway-Davie House. Once we saw their work, we knew that for the prices they charged, they were the best in town. From day one, we were so happy with everything they did for us. Heather was always willing to accommodate to whatever we wanted or needed, and she was always there to make sure we were happy. On the wedding day, she came with 2 other photographers who took hundreds of pictures. They didn’t miss a minute, and caught some amazing candid moments from that day. They put everything together for us in a beautiful book that we still treasure. To this day, Heather and Jeremy remain close and loyal friends. Their talents are seemingly endless, and they are on their way to being one of the best in the business here in Birmingham.

We were originally required to use a florist from the “preferred vendor” list given to us by The Carraway-Davie House. We wanted calla lilies for Jessica’s bouquet, and one for each of her bridesmaids to carry. Everything was going smoothly except for the price, until about 3 days before the wedding the florist called and told us he could not get calla lilies because they weren’t in season and there were none in Birmingham. Panicking, I called Norton’s to ask if they could get us calla lilies, and they gladly said yes. When we told them of our story, they were shocked to hear we were told that the other florist could not get any. Within 24 hours, they put together an incredible arrangement and came through with flying colors. Everything was beautiful, and Jessica had so many compliments from the guests and wedding party. When they were told it was Norton’s Florist that did the flowers, they honestly thought we were kidding. I would gladly refer everyone to Norton’s if they ever needed honest and prompt service.

When we were searching for a ceremony site, it was a very difficult choice because Jessica was not from Birmingham, and we were not yet members of a church. A friend of mine reminded me of The Carroway-Davie house in Irondale, and that they also performed weddings. We made an appointment, and fell in love with the timeless, classic feel of the southern mansion-style home. Because January was one of their slower months, they gave us a great deal on renting out the inside of the house for the wedding ceremony and the reception, as well as allowing us to use the on-site banquet hall for the rehearsal dinner at no extra charge. The wedding came together beautifully, and we were so happy with everything from the wedding planner, to the decorations. The only reason I did not give them a 5 star rating is that during the ceremony, they did not turn off the house music. We didn’t even realize this was the case until we watched the video later and heard it in the background throughout the entire thing. For a small and intimate wedding venue, The Carraway-Davie House is a wonderful choice!

essica’s engagement ring was purchased at Barton-Clay Jewelers in Mt. Brook. One of the owners, Sperry Snow, is a family friend, and he helped me through every detail as I described the exact ring I wanted to purchase for Jessica. He took his time showing me a great selection, and allowing me to even make some suggestions on what I didn’t like. Once we had the perfect ring in mind, he called a friend in New York City to have it custom made. Sperry was great at following- up with me to let me know when the ring would be ready, and showed great compassion and self-sacrifice when the ring finally came in with a minor scuff. Wanting to be nothing short of the best in town, Sperry had the ring sent back and corrected, making sure I was satisfied 100% with my purchase before taking it home. Were it not for him, I am sure I would have just purchased a traditional ring from a jewelry store chain and had to deal with corporate red tape should I had faced similar issues. Sperry still remains a friend today, and I eagerly tell anyone looking for a beautiful piece of unique, hand-crafted jewelry to go see him at Barton-Clay.

We priced tuxedoes from several local vendors, and found that Mr. Burch had the best prices in town for the quality of their tuxedoes. Jason has dealt with them several times over the past few years for various weddings, and each time the staff was very friendly, eager to help, and the store had a great selection. They were very good to call and notify me when the tuxedoes were ready to be picked up, and if there were any problems ahead of time. When picking up the tuxedo, they are very cooperative in helping to make sure that everything fits the way it should, and even helped those not familiar with wearing a tux how to put everything together correctly. I have already referred several friends to their store after the great care and respect they showed me.