smeece's reviews

Addyston Baptist Church caters to many weddings. It is a perfect church for a religious wedding. They have a center aisle and vaulted ceilings for the perfect "wedding" feel. They only charge $125 for janitorial services to move everything. They are allowing me to use my own officiant, music of any kind, and anything else. They are just renting me the building, in their minds. They are hard to get ahold of and don't respond back very quickly. Still, they have a basement floor that is used for Sunday school rooms and is perfect for bridal rooms. They are large enough to accomidate about 200 plus people. I am giving the 3 stars becuase of how hard it is to talk to someone there and arrange to see the place. Definitely check it out, if you want a Christian wedding with your own style, offiant, and minimal religious restrictions.

Michael McIntire is a professional photographer. He has a great style and look to his shooting. He offers packages at an amazing deal. We got him for over 8 hours (pre-ceremony, ceremony, and reception,) 3 DVDs of all the photos with copyrights, a coffee table album with 20 pages, our pictures on his website with ordering capabilities, and 100 4X6 proofs for $1400 plus a meal at the reception. We added a miniature version of the coffee table book for one set of parents for an additional $300 plus tax. He is still just starting out, so he doesn't have a really nice studio: his office is in a art building. But, he is very accomidating and attentive. He is even going to devote a special page in the coffee table book for my sister who passed away. I am giving him digital photos of my sister to include. He is definitely worth checking out if you aren't wanting to pay $2500 for a photo company.

Bridal and Formal is one of the largest bridal outlets in the country. They have a ton of dresses to try on. They are very expensive but very helpful. I gave them 3 stars because of the selection and service. They give you a personal consultant to help you try on dresses and find others for you. They will find out what you like and don't like and what you are looking for to find the perfect dress. They do not do their own alterations or cleaning and the dresses are very expensive unless you get one on clearance or off-the-rack. I would recommend going to them to find the one you want and then getting it elsewhere for cheaper.

Bridal-Rama is a huge bridal event. I recommend going to the one in February. They have a ton of vendors at this event for every need. Most of the vendors are very expensive and overpriced. However, you can find a few vendors for a good deal. Also, you can try on different dresses and accessories. Mitchell's salon is there and gives complimentary hair updos, make-up, and spa treatment if you reserve a slot in time. This is a great way to find out what you need, get some ideas, and ask questions so you know what to look for when choosing a vendor. There is also plenty of food to sample and a beautiful runway show that is very entertaining. It is worth checking out at least once while you are planning.

David's Bridal is a huge store and so they are very busy. We had to sign in and wait about 20 minutes for someone to help us. It reminded me of waiting for a table at a restaruant. There was a little trouble returning a bridesmaids dress (unexpected death) and my matron-of-honor found out she needed a size smaller than what she ordered. They wouldn't let her exchange it for a smaller size and she was forced to pay $150 more to have it altered. They have a great selection and are decently priced which is why I gave them 3 stars. Customer service and exchange policy could be better since the dress we picked out wasn't a discontinued dress.

The Meadows is a very beautiful site to have the reception. They have beautiful lighting and a wonderfully decorated buffet table. Unlike a lot of places, the food is served off the dance. They also leave the food out until people have stopped getting stuff off the buffet. That means guests can eat all night if they want to and not disturb people dancing. They also give you wine, 2 draft beers, and pop in the price. You can have an open or cash bar for more alcohol at an additional cost. Personally, I think beer and wine is enough alcohol to keep the drinkers happy and buzzing all night. Cheryl, the reception manager, is very helpful and attentive. They take food allergies seriously and are very accomidating (my fiance is allergic to onions of any sort). If you can afford the price, moderately priced at $35 per person for all you get I would check them out. They also can add a chocolate fountain with food and attendant, champaign fountain or ice sculpture to your reception for an additional charge.

Cakes by George is a European (he is from Greece) cake maker. He makes everything from scratch and even grinds up the almonds and fruits for fresh fillings and flavor. He tortes his cake (3 layers of cake and 2 layers of filling) standard. His prices are "as is" and he doesn't nickel and dime you for little things. He is giving us our fountain for under the cake and columns for no additional charge. We don't even have to pay him until we return everything a few days later. There is no deposit required. He has a ton of different flavors of cake and filling to choose from. Some even have real liquer in the them (they cost a bit more). He gives you a bunch of cake to taste. So much that my fiance and I were full and couldn't finish it all. He doesn't deliver until an hour before the reception to ensure everything is as fresh as possible and he refuses to freeze the top tier. Instead, he gives you a fresh 6 inch round cake for your one year anniversery for free in any flavor. Definitely check out George Sias!

This man has been in the business for over 40 years. He does theater, dance, and everything. He does it out of his home and gives the couple personalized attention at every lesson. You are the only one when you sign up, unless you sign up with a group. He has moves for any kind of dance and teaches you easy to do steps. He evens shows you how to walk in and walk off and a few poses for perfect pictures. He charges $85 per hour and recommends at least 2 or 3 lessons. He takes everything into account from the type of dress to where guests are positioned around the dance floor. Definitely go to him!

Land of Oz is a little Mom and Pop shop in Cheviot. They don't have a lot of items on display and you can see the owner outside smoking a lot. But, they have tons of books to look through and they offer 30 to 40% off the prices in the books. They have a ton of invitation books and know the companies very well. They have been in the business for over 30 years and can recommend any vendor to you that does a great job for a good price. They are very personable and know their customers by name. They even remembered when I lost my sister during the planning process and asked about it when I called them for something several months later. I recommend them for personalized gifts, invitations, stationary, and any miscellaneous items you need. They can even get in dresses for bridesmaids and wedding dresses. Just tell them the size and brand of dress and they can order it in for a fraction of the cost of going to a boutique.

This vendor did an amazing job on my dress. They also spot cleaned and steamed my dress and my veil. They were very cheap, only $60 for inserting a hoop, bustle, and replacing bead work. My dress was very complicated and I had a hard time finding someone who could alter it at a good price. This is the place to go!