moongate's reviews

We were going to Greece the day after our wedding, but seeing as this was one of many traditions people wanted us to keep, at midnight Brian and I were put into the Limo and we were driven over to the Hilton with the best man and the maid of honor. The room was fantastic, the bed was huge and very comfortable, and I loved that there were a huge whirpool! I could have spent my entire week in that whirpool. The Hilton staff also made our stay very special by bringing us chilled wine and strawberries. The brunch that you can order by room service as a married couple was also really tasty, it was a shame that we couldn’t have stayed longer!

Brian and I have used Hobbit travel for almost as long as I can remember. They have the best deals on flights, and the packages are amazing if you have the time off. We waited until about two months before the wedding until we found the honeymoon location that we wanted, for the price we wanted. The site is really easy to use, and you can choose between flights only, or package deals, or just hotels. I think it is worth to visit the site several times during the week, because you never know what deals might arrive. I think we were fairly lucky with our deal.

I think this was the third time in four years that I was in one of Renee’s limousines, mostly for other people’s weddings, and it was wonderful to have them for my own wedding. The staff is so wonderful to talk with, and very accommodating. On the day of my wedding, the limousine showed up on time, the driver was extremely courteous, and it was so clean. Brian and I are not fancy people, but there are so few times that you get to ride in a limousine in your life that you really need to take the opportunities when you can.

I didn’t have much planning in this part of the ceremony. Brian’s parents were paying for the wedding, and his mother wanted the Hill Ballroom to be a certain way. Brian and I had been to events there before, but nothing as fancy as our own wedding day. His mother had requested that there be seat covers, and these huge sheer streamers hung from the ceilings. It looked like a winter wonderland, really magical. I was grateful that Brian’s mother was able to do this, because I don’t think I would have had the vision she had.

At the request of both our mothers, all the men in the family and the best man, along with the ushers, would be getting new suits. The ushers got matching suits, but the family men all got tuxedos for the big day. I think it was because Brian is the only son, and because Brian’s mother thought that a tuxedo that fit well is essential to a professional man’s closet. Brian said the experience was good, that it took several hours for them all to get fitted after they picked out a style. Brian only has two pairs of hemmed pants, so it was great to see him in some pants that fit. I would have to say that on the wedding day all the men looked amazing, very James Bond like. In our pictures we made a very good-looking family.

I think Brian and I were really lucky to have the financial support of his parents for our wedding, because we were able to get really fun stuff, like really cool wedding invitations. We went to Watermark because this is where his sister got her invitations. While hers were bright and colorful, we choose a template called Urban Flourish. The invitations were very beautiful, printed on black paper with the writing in various shades of white. They also helped us with the wording of the invitations, with was great because writing is not my greatest skill. I liked that they were able to take care of all the printing, too. I think this was a wonderful thing to have done, because the invitations are far more beautiful and well worded when a professional takes care of it.

One of my close friends, but not one of my bridesmaids, is a hairstylist at Westside. She’s really talented with coloring, though in the past few years she’s started to do house calls for weddings and proms. And for my wedding, her gift to me was to have my hair styled. She had worked on a few weddings before, and treated me like a lovely princess. She looked at my dress, and then suggested that I wear my hair up, and then she made these little beaded clips for my hair. It took a little under an hour, and her timing was perfect. I also had eyelash extensions put in the week before in the salon, at the suggestion of her boss, which was also a great idea because I didn’t need to worry about mascara smearing. It doesn’t hurt at all.

Brian’s mother choose this location because of the excellent job and service that they did with Brian’s sister’s wedding. I remember for her wedding there were these huge centerpieces in the middle of each table, which wasn’t what I wanted. I was hoping for arrangements and a bouquet that were more clean and classic. I really like the simplicity of lilies, too. Luckily, Brian’s mother and the florist agreed with me, mainly because of the setting of the reception and the wedding. The florist came up with a very modern and clean looking bouquet, and the centerpieces incorporated floating candles, which was really beautiful.

The Weyerhaeuser Chapel is one of the most beautiful chapels I have ever been in. It is very simple, with high ceiling, and the seating is arranged so that everyone has a good view of the ceremony. Brian and I loved that we were able to have the ceremony here, because this has always been a special place for us. It’s also great that the chapel is non-sectarian. It was a lovely day, the sun was out, and it shone through the big windows and gave the whole room an ethereal feel. It was a beautiful place to exchange vows.

Macalester recommends the caterers that work on campus, which is the Bon Appetit Company. They take care of all the meals at the college, and they are known as being one of the better companies in the Twin Cities. They always have fresh soups and local ingredients. We contacted them right away to discuss a menu. There were many choices, and we went with the buffet just because we knew that it would give people more choice, and so that we could include more things on the menu! It was evident that they were professional, because the service was quick and efficient and clean. My favorite part of the catering service was the cookie table and the dessert table. We ordered a simple white cake, but then also had lots of extra desserts like small tarts and bars and cookies. It was great because people could snack.