Rosalie's reviews

Our wedding ceremony was an outdoor one and so we needed chairs for everyone to sit in and electrical extension cords for music and the lighted archway we were using outside. Caloosa Tent & Rental was very efficient and their prices were quite reasonable when compared to similar rentals in the Lee County area. At the last minute, we decided we would also like to have large fans for the guests as it was summer in Florida. Caloosa Tent & Rental quickly accommodated our needs without any hassle and as before with very fair pricing.

Although not your typical choice for your wedding night, Crestwood Suites was close and convenient for our needs. Check in time for our reservation was listed as 3:00pm. As the wedding date neared we realized that it might be nice to already have our things at the hotel room prior to our arrival, but that a 3:00pm check in time was unrealistic with the timing of our wedding day schedule. We called Crestwood Suites and they were very helpful and kindly suggested we check in and drop off our things earlier at 12 noon. When we went in to check in, the front office manager took a bit of time finding our reservation, but as it turns out the reason for the short wait was that he was looking to see if he might be able to upgrade our room. He did in fact upgrade our room for free for our honeymoon night! The accommodations themselves were quite nice for the price and the room included a full kitchen area (very nice since we hadn’t had a chance to eat much that evening), a couch and TV area and separate bedroom area.

The White Orchid at Oasis was both our ceremony and reception site. It is a rather new venue and we were one of the first to request its use. It is a 120-year old home right on the Caloosahatchee River. The venue management was quite accommodating with all of our requests, including a request to have live goldfish as a part of the décor. They also not only gave us the venue space the day of the wedding, but we were allowed to do some extensive decorating two days prior to the wedding. Basically any time that we needed access to The White Orchid during the weekend we were granted it. Also, the management arranged for the rentals of tables and chairs for the reception. They also did not require we hire security to work the event, which we had found quite a large expense that was required at a number of other venues we had considered. The White Orchid also has included an upstairs bridal suite where my bridal party and I got ready. This was nice because even if we were running behind, at least we were already at the location and would not have to contend with traffic.

Deremer Studios is a company actually located in Jacksonville, Florida, but was rated by The Knot magazine as the best in Florida and I was familiar with their work from another friend’s wedding. Included in our fees were travel expenses (which were low), the packages offered were very reasonably priced. Even with the added expenses of travel the total cost was about average for the photographers you would find in the Lee County area. Prior to the wedding, I sent photographs/ideas for pictures I wanted. On the wedding day, the photographer arrived promptly and took a great deal of pictures, although there were a few that I had sent him that were not taken.

My initial experience with Men’s Wearhouse was unsatisfactory. I went into the Fort Myers store and the associate whom I spoke with was quite condescending and short with me. I already knew what I wanted and he insisted that I add on additional items which I did not want. I said that I would need to think about it and left. The following day, I called the Estero Men’s Wearhouse (in Coconut Pointe) and spoke with an associate there about my experience. She was helpful and friendly and assured me that what I wanted would be no problem. I went in the following day and scheduled all of the men to be fitted. An added benefit of using Men’s Wearhouse is that if you order four tuxes/suits in addition to your groom’s, then your groom’s tux/suit is free. In short, avoid the Ft Myers store, if possible, and go instead to the Estero store and speak with Kelly.

The Lighthouse Resort was clean and nicely priced for being just a short walk from the beach. The Lighthouse also has two pools - one with a Tiki Bar restaurant which serves everything from breakfast to late night food and there is also another restaurant on property. We did not eat at either location, but we did have a few drinks at the Tiki Bar while we sat by the pool and prices were average for the beach area. The rooms are set up with small kitchenettes and are like small apartments. The only downfall of this location was that there were quite a few families also vacationing here and so our time spent by the pool included a bit of “screaming child” in the background. Overall, for couples who are on a budget, yet want to feel like they’ve “gotten away from it all” the Lighthouse Resort is a great honeymoon choice.

Although the hotel would not reserve a block of rooms, they were very reasonably priced and we were having a small wedding, so it was not a huge problem. We would have preferred the ability to reserve rooms. The location itself is quite beautiful and had a nice pool area. The guests who did stay at this location said that they were very satisfied with their accommodations and reported the staff to be quite helpful and friendly.

Although initially the company was a bit stand-offish, closer to the event the company and the DJ himself, Mike Cole, were very attentive to us and our needs. One of the best things that the company utilizes is an online form for the “Must Play” and “Do Not Play” song lists. We found this very convenient because it could be done in our spare time without the inconvenience of setting up a meeting time when you are already booked full of errands to run and other meetings during wedding planning. Black Tie Entertainment did both our ceremony music and our reception music and we were very satisfied with their services. During the reception, they immediately did anything that we or our parents asked of them and they even double-checked to make sure we had food and drinks and when I was tearing up during the Daddy-Daughter Dance they brought me tissues! Also, they let you request what they would be wearing to the event. We were very impressed with the professionalism of the staff.

Jamie & Jacob Catering was a very professional team of people. During the planning stages they were exceedingly willing to work with us on pricing and menu. For instance, I wanted to have my groom’s favorite meal as one of our options for dinner and although it was not a part of their standard offerings, they agreed that we could include it on our menu. Also, we originally started with quotes for approximately 115 people and in the end only had 55 guests. Unlike many other companies, the caterer did not require us to pay for a minimum number of guests. Another advantage to using Jamie & Jacob was that they allowed us to bring in our own alcohol for the reception. We decided only to have a champagne toast and a champagne fountain, but we could have brought in a whole bar set-up if we chose. During the reception, our bride and groom glasses were never empty and they assured that we had gotten enough to eat. The food itself was absolutely delicious and the service of the staff was superb.

My dealings with the Publix Bakery (on Pine Island Road & Burnt Store Road, Cape Coral) were quite pleasant. Initially, I was hesitant to use a large chain baker for my cake, but talked to other recent brides I knew and they had only good things to say, so I decided to go for it. In our initial meeting, I brought a picture of a cake I had seen in a magazine and wanted, with a few alterations. The head cake designer said, “no problem” and assured me that they could do it. We gave them the delivery address, gave them the cake topper and that was all we needed to do. Upon seeing the actual cake on the day of my wedding I was in awe. It looked exactly like what I had asked for - it was beautiful and I received many compliments on it. Publix Bakery only needs approximately 1-2 weeks notice before your wedding to make your dream cake, so if you want a beautiful cake on short notice, Publix is a great option.