Senmer's reviews

Anita’s is the perfect place for an affordable rehearsal dinner! The entrées are about $11 per person and the drinks are extra, but in comparison to many other places in the Northern Virginia area, it can’t get much better than this! They allowed us to bring in our own decorations and allowed us into the room to set up early, which was so accommodating. If there is something that is not on the rehearsal dinner menu, they will gladly prepare it for you, although everything is great at Anita’s. They are communicative but not too formal, and it just was the idea spot for a wonderful and memorable rehearsal dinner. Make sure to get the Anitarita or the Strawberry Daquiri, those drinks along with the free chips and salsa created a really fun but nice atmosphere!

We did a cruise to Half Moon Cay, Grand Turk, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel. The ship is very clean, although the service was not as we had expected. A lot of the dishes were dirty, half of the food stations weren’t open even during lunch and dinner hours, and the breakfast we got in bed every day was usually either incorrect, early, or late (you give them a half hour block which they come). Half Moon Cay was lovely, as well as Grand Cayman. I recommend that everyone visit Grand Cayman if they are able, it is truly a lovely island. When we docked at Grand Turk, it was disappointing because we were in the industrial area with just a few shops around us that it appeared HAL got a cut of. Cozumel was also disappointing, the sales people there are very aggressive and it didn’t feel like a fun, safe place. The clientele on HAL were all extremely nice. They tended to be a bit older in general, so it was definitely not a party boat like Carnival is, but it also afforded us a nice, relaxing time. I definitely recommend a room with a balcony, it’s wonderful and we used it often! Also, in Cozumel, I also recommend the dolphin excursion. It was so great!

The Fairfax Marriott at Fair Oaks made it so easy to block off rooms at no cost to us. They were extremely organized, sent us a contract, and even offered to organize a bus for us to and from the hotel (only .3 miles away from the reception). They were extremely affordable, too, and the rooms and hotel itself was clean and well decorated. The bar is very cozy and comfortable, and they gladly offered to take our goodie bags and give them to our guests staying in the hotel. When we needed more rooms blocked off closer to the date, they very happily increased the number of rooms still at no cost to us. They maintained contact with us throughout the months leading up to the wedding and even requested a follow up for quality assurance purposes. Overall I would definitely use them again as they really were service oriented and really catered to our needs.

Ron and Kirkabee Deejays are so easy to work with! They are very upbeat, have tons of experience, and are just an overall good time. The music Ron played was fantastic, exactly as we had asked for, and he kept people on the floor all night. He was fun and interactive, as well. My best friend had Kirk (the owner) deejay her wedding, and he was fantastic, too. They both showed up on time, kept the reception moving, and did exactly as the bride had asked. I really couldn’t recommend them enough, as the DJ can make or break a reception. They are pretty middle of the road when it comes to pricing, making them the perfect selection for any reception. My photographer has Kirkabee as one of her list of top vendors as well, so from a customer and a vendor standpoint they get very high marks!

Our wedding ceremony and reception were located at The Waterford at Fair Oaks. While it is a great reception hall, it is a difficult place to get married at. There is only one small room upstairs to get ready, and in our case, there were two weddings that night. Thus, we had to prepare in their office section while the male catering manager walked in and out. The office staff in general were cordial but not overly warm, and not very helpful in general. They seemed almost perturbed by questions and really didn’t seem to care for their jobs from the get go. The wait staff and set up crew were very helpful and sweet, though. The food there is delicious and it’s a great price for the Northern VA/DC area ($65-75 per plate plus tax and service, coming to about $75-85 per person depending on the meal). The space on the inside is beautiful, a large fountain adorns the lobby and there are large chandeliers, nice neutral wallpaper, and warm carpeting that is replaced twice a year. The rooms are beautiful and can accommodate very large parties. Overall I’m glad I did my wedding there, but if you want 5 star treatment, you may need to go elsewhere.

Debbie did a wonderful job creating a beautiful tablescape for my wedding! She specializes in silk flower arrangements, which is perfect because you can get high-end looking arrangements for much cheaper because the flowers/arrangements can be re-used and thus the overhead is not as high. Plus, when you walk into the showroom, you will know EXACTLY what you will get and can be assured that the colors will match. Plus, you’d have no idea unless you touched them that they are silk flowers, not real. They looked so perfect. Debbie also provided charger plates for us as well as white chair covers with satin sashes, which were absolutely gorgeous. Her work is absolutely incredible and everyone called the reception a “Winter Wonderland.” She is extremely organized and so easy to work with, I’d use her again in a heartbeat!

Before I go with the negative, I need to say that Weddings and Such Boutique was easy to work with, they sent the product on a timely basis, and all said and done the jewelry was as it looked in the photographs. I LOVED this necklace and bracelet, it was truly perfect for the event. The necklace and matching bracelet consisted of pearls and crystals on an antique-style metal frame. The problem was that when it came, all the pearls came off in the shipping. Not only did I have to goo glue the pearls back on, I had to reinforce all of the pearls that had made it through the shipping just in case one popped off and someone stepped on it and fell. One of the pearls on my bracelet came off anyway, which was really disappointing as I’d love to wear the set again if I had another opportunity to. If I had to do it again I would still buy them as it was just the perfect set to complement my dress, but make sure you give yourself some extra time due to the quality of the jewelry.

Men’s Wearhouse (formerly After Hours) has a partnership with David’s Bridal, so if you buy your wedding gown or bridesmaid dresses through DB you get a free tux for the groom with any 5 groomsmen/father rentals. Also, if you sign up for their free membership program (not a credit card) then you can get $20 off the price of the tux. I highly recommend that as tux rentals in general are really expensive! Men’s Wearhouse is one of the only nationwide chains that does tux rentals, and the other places are just as expensive. The variety is very good, I loved what our guys wore, they were really unique and very different than a standard tux.

This is a one stop shop for every wedding need. There are some incredible stands from photography, venues, cakes, caterers, planners and beyond. Come hungry, as the caterers and cake vendors have plenty of samples, including chocolate fountains, appetizers, and loads of different types of cakes. There are free raffles with opportunities to win many different prizes and live music from bands that offer their services at receptions. My mom and I used to go when I wasn’t engaged, and so it was even more fun when I was! It is truly a very informative, very fun time. They even have limo and classic car rental vendors parked right outside the doors for you to check out, and old timey photo booths where they let you take a set of pictures for you to keep! This is a must for every bride, mother, friend, and groom!

One of my bridesmaid’s dresses was too long, so we went to Fairfax Tailors to get the dress hemmed. Her experience was wonderful and the dress fit like an absolute dream. It was a difficult dress to hem (it had pick-ups), and he did an impeccable job of keeping the dress even while still being able to shorten it. He also made it the perfect length, exactly as had been described to him. Fairfax Tailors are middle of the road when it comes to alteration prices, not at the top but not cheap, either. They are so easy to work with, though, that they come highly recommended. They are located in Fair Oaks Mall in Fairfax, VA.