We decided to go with Rec Park because it was very close to the church and it was within our budget. There were also many things included in the package that made my life much easier. Overall we had a very good experience with this venue, but there were several small issues.

Included in the package was: food, appetizers, 2 hour open bar, linens, set up, clean up, cake, and 5 hours of the room. We added a sixth hour as well. I believe that packages have changed, so be sure to contact them directly.

Between the time we signed the contract and started finalizing details, there was a staffing change and they brought on a new coordinator. We were very pleased with the new lady and she seemed very efficient and organized. I told her what I wanted and she said yes or no. We appreciated her straight forwardness.

Food: The food was excellent. We had Chicken stuffed Chardonnay, roasted potatoes and steamed vegetables. We got many compliments on the food. The cake (Rossmoor pastries) was excellent and exactly as ordered. It looked great.

Bar: We had some complaints (not to us of course, but to others) about the bar tender. He kept leaving to restock because he was running out of things. He was making drinks pretty strong, which our friends appreciated.

My only other complaint with Rec Park was that several things that were supposed to be included in our package were not. We were supposed to have table cameras on each table (included in the package) I put little notes on the tables asking people to take pictures when I was there setting up early in the morning. No cameras were placed on the tables until I expressly asked why they weren’t there when my mom asked where they were. Also, there were supposed to be four votive candles on each table to augment the centerpieces. They were not there. This is something that no one but me really noticed, but is part of the little details that I cared about.

Overall I was very pleased with Rec Park. We had a great time, the room looked great (they have permanently put up silver drapes between chandeliers) and the food was great. If you decide to book with Rec Park, go over all the little details with Cathy to make sure that everything is in how you want it.

We had an amazing honeymoon. My husband did tons of research before we went on the trip, so we had the days pretty planned out. We went on an open door helicopter ride (a must!), kayaking, snorkeling, hiking, and basic exploring. Kauai is the most beautiful place that I have ever been.

Several words of caution:
1. There is no night life. If you want night life, Maui or Oahu are your better options
2. We were there in November. The winter months on Kauai make for very rough water so we were not able to snorkel in all of the best spots because the waves were 4-5 ft. Just be aware of how the weather effects the island.

I highly recommend buying the Ultimate Guide to Kauai. It has great advise on where to go and where not to go.

We had such an amazing time that we are currently trying to figure out how we can get back there!

We bought someone’s timeshare week at the Kauai Coast Resort at the Beachboy and it was amazing. We had a fabulous time. The condo was great. Having a washer and dryer was a must on Kauai- we got very dirty on our hikes and kayaking trips! We had an ocean front room on the third floor and it was beautiful. I would definitely recommend this hotel. We also saved a lot of money by buying the week from someone else. There is a fabulous restaurant attached to the hotel as well.

Guestbook- we made our guestbook using our engagement pictures and a jpg of lines created in photoshop. We ordered this a long time in advance. When it arrived, I wasn’t happy with the cover- it looked like glue had gotten on it. So I emailed shutterfly and they had printed and shipped a new copy within about 2 days.

STD’s- We created our Save the Date’s in photoshop in 4x6 size so that we were able to print them on regular photo paper. We spend 0.12 cents each. It was a great way to do it and it looked very nice.

Wedding Prints
Shutterfly’s quality of prints is excellent. You can order any size, including prints on canvas and photobooks. We were completely happy with the quality and speed.

If you decide to use shutterfly- sign up for www.ebates.com first. You use the link on ebates to go to shutterfly and get a rebate of 8%. There are a bunch of other stores who use ebates as well.

Janet was awesome. She works out of her house and was very nice. I went to see her three times. Once to drop off the dress and have her pin the hem (all I needed done was the hem and bustle) once to check the skirt and then to pick it up. I was really picky about how the skirt looked when bustled, but she never lost patience with me and kept at it until I was satisfied. My dress had pick-ups so it was a bit harder to work with, but she did a great job. Her price was amazing! She did the hem, a 7 point bustle and steamed the dress for $175. Amazing!

First of all- check out thier prices. If you need a DJ and don't have much budget, these guys are the ones for you. We booked him with 5 weeks left before the wedding.

George was very easy to work with. He has a script that you fill in the blanks on what you want and he will work with you on personalization as well. We were very specific on several things and, though he expressed some doubt, did what we wanted him to do.

This company was a great deal and worked out well.

While I don't think anyone who is doing enough research to get to this website would consider this place, I thought I'd post a warning just in case.

I went to a wedding at this venue in late October. When we first arrived, we were pleasantly surpised. The bride and groom do not have much money and we were expecting much worse. The outdoor location is fairly attractive. There is a wall covered in flower bearing vines that attracted butterflies and hummingbirds. However, the silk flowers around the arch were completely sun bleached and were not very attractive.

The worst part about the venue was the minister/ coordinator. He was creepy, rude, and demanding throughout the day. His entire ceremony was spouted off without any feeling. HIS CELL PHONE RANG TWICE DURING THE CEREMONY and he didn't seem to be bothered by it.

If you are on a super tight budget I would suggest a park a long way before considering this venue.

We didn't want to spend a lot of money on invitations so we decided to do our own. I am not the best at being a perfectionist, so I knew that we had to go with a box set. We bought them on clearance at Target and held on to them for a while. We did decide to buy the ribbon and sparkly ring accessory kit.

I have gotten so many compliments on the invitations, it is unbelievable. People really talk crap about the do it yourself box invites, but everyone loved mine. I did take ALOT of time to make everything lined up and formatted properly, but I paid under $100 for 150 invitations.

So here is my advice:

1. Start early so you have plenty of time to change things.

1.A. Be sure to be comfortable in whatever computer program you are using. If you don't know how to fix formatting errors, don't try this on your own.

2. PROOF READ print out samples and ask other people to look at them to make sure that everything is correct. I suggest posting your wording on weddingchannel.com so that Chad (the guru of wording) can critique it.

3. Give yourself time to assemble. The pretty little ribbon peices made the invites look great, but they were a pain in my butt and took forever.

4. Take a sample- addressed to yourself and mail it to yourself to see what shape they arrive in. Also go to the post office and have them weigh the envelope. My Extra decor cost me an extra .13 at the post office because there was something poking out of the envelope.

I used this site to make my "Future Mrs." shirt and a pair of underwear that says "mrs" on the butt. Under $30 shipped. The first shipment didn't actually get to me, but as soon as I emailed to ask about it, they re-did the order and sent it out. They are very cute!

My best friend ordered her wedding cake from this bakery. The cake was very yummy and they provided a free anniversery cake topper for the first anniversery. Thier website has some absolutly gorgeous cakes on it.

Hmm. This makes me want cake.