My fiance's family was in charge of the rehearsal dinner plans, so they made reservations at Carucci's, an Italian restaurant. The setting was very casual, as it is very similar to a sport's bar. The food was fantastic! Everyone enjoyed the food, which was set up buffet style, and a cake was provided at the end of the evening. The drinks were made well and the staff was very good about coming to clear the tables and refill drinks as necessary. However, my only complaint would be the way the tables were set up. They were positioned in a u-shape, which caused some people's backs to face others. I think the table arrangements could have been better, but I know I am already thinking of going back there for dinner one night and possibly using it in the future for a gathering or catered event.

Carucci's is located at 495 Saddle River Road in Saddle Brook, NJ.

Once my fiance and I decided we wanted to be married aboard a yacht, we called many vendors, but it seemed that Nancee Meyer from Yachts for All Seasons was the most knowledgeable and very down to earth. She understood our style and vision for our day and was able to recommend the luxury yacht The Atlantica to us, which we ended up booking for our big day for both the ceremony and reception. Throughout the planning process, Nancee was able to answer any questions I had as well as address my many concerns. She was able to assist us with a tasting, worked efficiently with us every step of the way, and helped us stay as organized as possible. She helped ease my stress as a bride during the last three weeks before the day. Our day ran on auto-pilot because of Nancee and her expertise, causing us to be relaxed and able to enjoy our day together.

I went to Salon Diva for my hair and makeup to be done. The owner and stylist there, Angela, was very accommodating in terms of my hair trials before the wedding date. She was able to do the hairstyle I wanted for my big day and had me come in several times in order to perfect it so she wouldn't be struggling the day of the wedding due to time constraints. The morning of my wedding went smoothly, with my hair going up easily and beautifully. She anchored my headpiece and veil in as well, which I never had to worry about throughout the day (I wore them from 12 noon until about 11pm that night), even with an outdoor ceremony aboard a boat. The makeup complemented my skin tone perfectly and she chose colors that complemented my eyes and made them pop! I could not have asked to look more beautiful on my wedding day.

Salon Diva is located at 480 Stuyvesant Avenue in Lyndhurst, NJ.

If you're looking for a drag show that will both shock and humor you, this is definitely the place to go. I refused to go up for a lap dance because it was a bit too racy for me, but they were humorous to watch. The show was funny and fun to watch, but sometimes it was too loud where I couldn't even understand what the performers were saying. Also, the place is a bit cramped and I had to keep turning around and craning my neck to see the show. The food was good, but the cake at the end seemed a bit dry and too chocolate-y for me. The bachelorette kit they sell was pretty cool and funny; I still have some of the items from mine. I enjoyed my waitress a lot and found that she was just as funny as the performers. At the end of our meal, it seemed like we were being rushed out of the place, though, which I didn't expect. I really wanted to stay a little while longer for more drinks and food, but they needed the table already.

When looking for a wedding band, I wanted something that complemented my engagement ring and my style. When I looked in commercial retail jewelers, I found that they were limited in selection and most pieces looked the same. And, when I found something that I liked, it overpowered the large diamond in my engagement ring, which couldn't happen because it is a family heirloom of my husband's. It was important for me to strike that balance. After speaking with the woman at D'Malke Jewelers, she was able to determine my style and recommended a ring that had more sparkle than gold and complemented my engagement ring, but didn't overpower it. The jeweler was also helpful when I asked if my ring could be reduced from a eternity band to just having the diamonds go as far as the diamonds on my engagement ring. I was happy with the service and ring, which I am now pleased to wear every day!

D'Malke Jewelers is located in the Wayne Diamond & Jewelry Center at 113 Rt.46 West Willow Square in Wayne, NJ.

I needed earrings for my wedding and was having a hard time finding something I liked. I knew I wanted diamonds or pearls, but everything I chose was either out of budget or not my style. I thought I might have to settle for something because the date was rapidly approaching. Then, my mother suggested Bill's Jewelers because she had shopped there since she was younger. When I went, the woman behind the counter pulled out some pieces that were in my price range (and some a little over) to get a feel for my style. Then, she pulled out a pair of diamond earrings that were perfect for my day and style! They completed my wedding-day look. I would recommend this vendor to anyone struggling to find a salesperson they can connect with and that will help them to find a piece that speaks to them.

Bill's Jewelers is located at 1271 Paterson Plank Road in Secaucus, NJ.

I worked with John at Artiste Florist and he is amazing. When I initially sat down with him to discuss floral arrangements, he was very enthusiastic and I could tell he loves his job. I had pictures of floral arrangements and bouquets that I liked and, when he saw them, he was able to tell me which flowers may need to be replaced due to weather constrictions and what he could replace them with, as well as how it could better suit my style, but was never pushy. He was able to determine my style in the short time we met and translated that into my floral arrangements for my wedding day. And it was reasonably priced and fit in our budget! In addition to this, the delivery service was easy to schedule and were prompt in every way. I would go back to them for any future floral needs.

Artiste Florist is located at 7700 Bergenline Avenue in North Bergen, NJ.

We actually worked with the owner, Scott Bragin, and he is wonderful. We saw him and his associates at two other weddings before ours. The first time we saw him, we knew he was going to be our DJ. He's very reasonable in terms of pricing. We had him for the basic four hours he offers, plus an extra hour for the ceremony. On top of that, we had give-aways: everyone got a lei after the ceremony and other items (sailor hats, sunglasses, beads, plastic bowler hats, and neon glow necklaces) given throughout the night on the dance floor. All of that was about $2000. Without the give-aways, I think it only would have been like $1400. There's also other stuff he does that we didn't choose, like lighting and videos and stuff.

He is very easy to work with. He is based in Long Island and will come to your house for a consultation, with no fee or obligation to book him. If you decide to book him, he comes back to your house about 2 weeks before the wedding to go over all the specifics (i.e. first dance, father-daughter dance, etc.). He will accommodate any request you make (i.e. I asked him to play "C is for Cookie" to announce dessert and because my brother loves that song, so he dedicated it to him too!). And the dance floor was never empty the entire night! Everyone keeps asking me about the DJ because our guests loved him. And, just so you know how successful he is, he's never had to advertise. He works as a DJ full-time and gets work all by word of mouth.

You can visit them on the web at the following address: http://www.rotnentertainment.com/rotn/mainPage.jsp
or by calling 1-800-450-4994

Homestyle Desserts was in charge of baking our wedding cake because it was included in our reception hall price/contract. I was a bit unsure of this at first because I had never heard of it and wondered why my reception hall would do business with a bakery far away. However, after attending the tasting and seeing the cake at my wedding, I am so happy I was able to have them bake my cake. The tasting was most helpful and we were able to blend flavors and choose more than one filling (chocolate cake with chocolate mousse and cheesecake filling). The icing was a delicious buttercream that we were able to get done in a chantilly lace pattern in our wedding colors (black and white). I am also used to wedding cakes being dry and forgettable; however, our cake was moist and delicious. Guests are still talking about the appearance and taste of my cake now! If our top layer doesn't last the year in our freezer, we plan to visit the bakery and have them bake us a smaller version of it for our first anniversary.

I had a difficult time finding a dress that I liked that also looked good on all my bridesmaids. I wanted something simple, but elegant, and in black. There were many styles to choose from at the David's Bridal I went to in Paramus and the staff was incredibly helpful. I finally narrowed the dress to two styles, one of which the girls didn't care for and the other would've cost a fortune for the girls to alter. The woman in charge of helping us quickly pulled a dress from the rack I had not considered, but encompassed both styles of the two dresses I did like and fit my girls like a glove! I was happy, the girls were happy, the dress was affordable, and no one had to spend extra money on alterations.