Mary O. of Perfect Plans assisted in planning for a spectacular reception. I wanted to have most control over the plans, but I needed someone to step in the day of and really help with making everything go smoothly. Based in Brooklyn, NY, the owner is also a graduate of the University of Maryland at College Park and made numerous trips to Maryland to meet with me about my special day (she also plans events in both Maryland and New York). Perfect Plans is professional, cost efficient, and extremely organized.

D Dot Films of DC provides quality video footage of your wedding moments. Although we ended up choosing a New York based videographer, I was definitely pleased with the quality of work and professionalism from D Dot Films. They specialize in documentary-style coverage, so all of your favorite pre, during, and after wedding moments are captured as a documentary. Total cost will run you about $1750, which isn’t bad at all. Minus: this company doesn’t specialize in weddings, so you have to request information about weddings specifically.

Men’s Warehouse was affordable and provided fast and quality service for my husband. My husband is a former athlete and large guy (6’0”, 275 lbs); we were worried about being able to find his size tuxedo on such a short notice. However, the Men’s Warehouse in Columbia, MD made sure that he received the perfect fit. He was even able to save time and car space by returning the tuxedo to the NYC location.

All twenty of my guests were lodged at the Teaneck Marriot at Glenpointe in Teaneck, NJ. New York City lodging is extremely expensive and not to mention most hotels there are not very spacious. Thus, we decided to have our guests lodge in New Jersey and provide limo bus transportation to the Empire State Building. Overall, the Marriot at Glenpointe had superb service and was willing to negotiate the price when booking large parties for weddings. This hotel offers a gym, spa, and many other amenities that make guests feel comfortable. Our reception was also held here and it was convenient for guests to have a centralized location.

Traveling to NYC for a wedding can be hectic, especially when you have to remember to bring favors. We saved time and money on getting our favors from Michael’s. This craft store has a section specifically for weddings. What’s even better? Depending on the time of year, you can find sales galore! Since we were married on Valentine’s Day, we racked up on Valentine’s Day sale goodies to decorate our reception site and we saved a ton of money doing it this way.

I received information about this company from the Bridal Expo. Before winning the NYC ceremony, we were originally going to have a large ceremony and reception in Maryland. Although many other agenda items were important, I was worried about our first dance. My husband has…how shall I say this…two left feet. They offer reasonable prices and when I dropped into a class, I was very pleased with the instruction. Unfortunately, we didn’t end up taking the classes, but I recommend The Wedding Dance Specialists to anyone in the DMV who wants to shake a tail feather on their reception dance floor.

Everyone cannot afford to spend thousands of dollars on a wedding, so when all else fails, why not get one for free? Our wedding ceremony was awarded to us from Brides.com because we entered the annual Empire State Building Valentine’s Day Wedding essay contest. In October, Brides.com offers 14 lucky couples the opportunity to have a 30 minute ceremony in a transformed Empire State Building room. Last year, my husband and I were one of those lucky couples. The set up was gorgeous and there was a fully staffed team to assist us prior to and during our ceremony. Hairs, makeup, decorations, wedding officiant, and lots of other amenities came with the package. We were only allowed to bring 20 guests, but an intimate ceremony with our immediate family is all we really wanted anyway. Even if you do not win the contest, the Empire State Building offers couples the opportunity to wed atop the building during certain times of the year. What a unique and romantic concept—atop the world exchanging vows!

Yummy, Yummy…this velvety cake will surely please your tummy. Cakes Plus of Laurel, MD is the talk of the DC/Metro Area. This specialty bakery offers custom made cakes and a special wedding collection as well. Although my wedding was in NYC, I ordered both cupcakes and a small cake from Cakes Plus for a prayer/rehearsal dinner in that was held in Maryland. All cakes are baked to perfection (not too heavy on the icing and the cake is super moist) at affordable prices. Cakes Plus is now my bakery of choice in the DMV. Warning: the store is crowded during any time of the year, so it is imperative to follow the guidelines and order your cakes, cupcakes, and cookies way in advance.

I only had about a month to get everything done for my wedding. Also, I only had one bridesmaid (my 11 year old niece complimented my 12 year old brother-in-law who was the best man), but I had to find a great looking dress in a short period of time. In February, David’s had a ton of sales on dresses and that is what drew me to them. However, the sales aspect can be very annoying and the store reminds me of a round the clock bridal factory. The sales associates are extremely persistent and they want you to register with the store even if you are just looking. Needless to say, we gave in and made the purchase because we chose a beautiful bridesmaid dress for only $37.00. You can’t beat that with a bat!

As soon as my prince charming proposed, I immediately purchased tickets for the Bridal Show Expo. This expo has shows in the MD/DC/VA area and showcases hundreds of wedding vendors. It only costs about $10.00 to purchase a ticket, but you walk away with lots of information (and you may even walk away with free goodies too). Vendors include everything from bridal weight loss to ceremony sites. The expo is a bit overwhelming with all the vendors—and they can be a lot of pressure from the vendors to “check out what they are offering.” But, overall it is a great place to get started with planning your wedding.