slurpee's reviews

Grade: C+

We held our rehearsal dinner at Maggiano's Little Italy for approximately 40 people, so this review is for their banquets catering and not the main restaurant. Kim, the banquets/catering manager, was professional and quick to return calls. We booked the outside cafe because our dinner was held on a summer evening. The ambiance was fun and just as we wanted for a rehearsal dinner. The servers were friendly. We ordered from their banquets/catering menu, which includes 2 salads, 2 appetizers, 2 pastas, 2 entrees, and 2 desserts. LOTS of food for the cost per person (~$30 not including tax, tip or drinks). So for your money's worth, it is a great place to hold a big party because you get a lot of food, especially if you like family-style dinners. We liked the rigatoni d chicken pesto, stuffed mushrooms, the DESSERTS (tiramisu and creme brulee).

Just OK, nothing special: the caesar and maggiano's salads, calamari

My gripes were: 1/ the food was a bit on the salty side (lasagna, salmon, chicken parmesan) 2/the food came out very slowly (cooking for large parties on a busy thursday night)

But it was a fun night, and had the food come out more quickly and been less salty, we would have been even happier campers.

I would only hold a banquet there if the catering manager was very clear to let the chefs know to hold on the salt.

Grade: A

Loved our pocketfolds! A+ here. Prices were decent, and I loved the quality and design of the pocketfolds I selected.

However, the backing paper that I later ordered were definitely overpriced. I could have purchased the same for much less.

Also, the pocketfolds I ordered ended up being backordered and I was not informed via e-mail or phone call. Only when I called to check on the order did they let me know. Thus, I had to order two different colors of pocketfolds to make sure invitations were sent out on time. They did express mail the package to me, but I was disappointed about the backorder. Why have it available on the site when there is not enough to order?

On the plus side, the site is easy to use and customer service was decent. I loved our pocketfold invitations. I did not go through mygatsby for printing. Phyllis of Sweet Paper Studio took care of the design and printing, and we attached this card to the backing paper and pocketfold from mygatsby.

Out of the card sites available, mygatsby was among my favorites. Also all fairly priced and loved that I could proof the invitations online! Very easy to use and lots of selection! To keep prices low, they do not have a physical location that is open to the public. So it is not as convenient if you prefer actual locations rather than ordering purely online.

Grade: B

We purchased a white gold and diamond necklace and earring set from NQ Jewellers. The quality is decent, but the styles are not the sleekest and prettiest. They design a lot of their own jewelry and have a bit of a monopoly in the Little Saigon area, because they have stores everywhere (Ngoc Quang). Their sales representatives are rather pushy but friendly, and they must receive commission to urge you so much. But their prices are fair, and when compared to the general jewelry market, a lot of times a great deal! For basic jewelry sets and GIA diamonds, NQ Jewellers is a pretty safe bet. However, for sleeker and cleaner designs, some of the higher end stores or brands would be a better choice. They also sell some of high end brands at the store, so the quality would be the same as they would be anywhere (ordered directly from the manufacturer). Definitely bargain for the best deal possible! Typically, they will offer a slight percentage discount, but research your prices before you head into their stores. They swarm all around you in hopes of making a sale.

Grade: A-

I purchased the groom's Tag Heuer watch at Tick Tock. He loved it! They have nice high end watches and the store is very clean and elegant, even being in the midst of Little Saigon. Research prices and come prepared.

Grade: B+

Full review to come.

Grade: A

We purchased our bridesmaids' gifts through Tiffany and Company. Most girls love receiving blue boxes, and my bridesmaids were no exception. They were very appreciative of their gifts, and two of them expressed that these were their first blue boxes!

Considering I purchased these gifts so far in advance, I only wish Tiffany's had a better return/exchange policy just in case I needed to exchange them for different styles closer to the wedding.

The representative in San Diego was cordial; however, it did take some time for us to receive assistance.

As with all Tiffany items, the necklaces were all simple and beautiful but definitely overpriced for sterling silver. But what we pay for the brand and that coveted blue box...

Grade: A+

So let me first disclose that Mimi is my sister; however, I can honestly say that she is super talented and has an amazing eye. We are incredibly lucky to have had her for a photographer. We had so much fun at our engagement session - she made us feel very comfortable and guided us when needed (which way to look, what smiles look great, look in a certain way, told us when to fix our hair or clothes...). But for the most part, she let us just have fun together naturally. Mimi is very active when she works - always in and out, up and down to make sure she gets all the shots and different perspectives as well. She takes great action shots!

Mimi truly loves photography, and she is well known among her friends to always have a camera on hand. What stands out most is that she cares immensely about her work and style; thus, every single photograph is an art piece. She has awesome post-editing skills, which I think a lot of photographers lack or don't spend enough time mastering. Mimi will make sure you look your best and that the photograph is perfect (color, framing,...). She has a very spunky personality and makes sure that each of her sessions are unique. Mimi has great attention-to-detail and is very passionate about her work.

A+ and 5 stars all the way!

Grade: A-

Full review to come.

Grade: B-

We ordered our dads' and groomsmens' tuxedos through Mens Wearhouse about 8 months prior to the wedding. They still messed up on our order! Apparently, they have West Coast vs. East coast hubs, and certain styles are only available in their respective regions. However, we selected a Giorgio Armani style that somehow magically got changed in their computer systems to Tommy Hilfiger. There was a reason why we chose the GA over the Tommy though, so when the men all received the tuxes, we noticed they were different from the style we had selected. The manager at the HB store then explained the regional attire styles and apologized and said the only thing he could do is give us a 30% discount. It was 3 days before the wedding, so we accepted his offer. I would have preferred the correct style only because it complemented the groom's tuxedo best, but with all things considered, the discount made the mistake a bit more bearable. I'm not sure we were not notified of the change or told the style was unavailable - they had months and months to let us know so that we could figure out alternatives. But the manager was very fair and explained to us apologetically. Had they not offered a discount to alleviate their mistake, they would have definitely received 0 stars and a grade F.

The tuxedos arrived on time, and fit all depends on the people measuring you. Some of our tuxedos fit fine, and others were either too loose/big and one jacket had arms that were much too shirt. Pee Wee Herman style! But they were quick to reorder and in the end the fit were decent since you can't expect perfect fits at rental places. There aren't too many options as far as rentals for mens attire, and Mens Wearhouse was the most convenient because the men in our bridal party did not live locally. We also received one free tux rental for the 4+ rentals and used a coupon for $25 off each tux.

Grade: A-

We ordered uplights, gobo, pinspot lighting for the head and cake tables, H20 effects for our reception banquet room. The pink and amber lighting was very pretty; however, I did feel the lighting was a bit dark. Had I seen the banquet room prior to guests arriving, I would have asked that they bring up the lights a bit. It probably has less to do with Rainbow Sound than it does with our reception hall chandeliers. I probably would have asked for more lighting for the band as well. Out of the lighting companies, Rainbow Sound is very competitive in pricing. Great deal on the gobo and special lighting effects!

I also ordered a 12X12 screen through Rainbow Sound and Lighting, and comparatively, they gave me the best deal. Jonathan kept in contact, had great communication, and set up on time. He also arrived to pack up promptly. I would definitely use them again!