tator43's reviews

We worked with a different person every time, and though the staff was great at reminding us when due dates were coming up, they had a tough time having the appropriate size clothing available when the boys went in to pick up their tuxes. It took over an hour and a half for my fiancé to pick up his tux before the rehearsal, so he ended up being late. Also, when the store had issues they called me instead of my fiancé like he asked them to do.

The food and beverages provided for our reception were great. High Cedars requires that you use their staff for food and drinks and like most venues do not allow you to take extra food home, which was a disappointment to DH because he LOVED the prime rib and side dishes.

Farlis was worth her weight in gold. The golf club double booked the venue with ceremonies at the SAME EXACT TIME and didn’t tell anyone until the DAY BEFORE (see more venue information below). Farlis worked with the event manager, got us through rehearsal, and then stayed late to work out the details so I could enjoy the rehearsal dinner. She then returned to the venue at 6am the next day to make sure all the details they had worked out the night before were fulfilled. She negotiated fees and solved all the major problems, getting my input only when needed. I was not only able to enjoy my wedding day, but ended up saving money and had an even more spectacular day than I initially imagined. I highly recommend Farlis as a Day of Coordinator!

The sales woman was very nice and accommodating during our first visit, and made sure to let us know how much we were saving since the store had not updated their prices with gold rates when we purchased the ring. They kept the ring to add some brushing (which they initially said they would do for free) and engraving (which they initially told us would be $0.15 per letter). They then lost all of the orders we had for the services and had to call several times to review what we had ordered. Then they kept trying to add on charges that they didn't mention on our first visit. We likely would not purchase from this store again unless we found exactly what we wanted and left with it that day.

The staff at Benita’s was very helpful throughout the experience. The day I chose my dress, we carefully ordered the right size and style of dress and they told me it would arrive at the end of May (we ordered in January). I called in mid-May to ask about the progress, and the person on the phone assured me that they would call when my dress arrived. About 20 minutes later, I received a call that my dress was in and needed to make an appointment for my fitting. When I arrived the next week for my fitting, the dress I tried on was a good 6 inches too short and very tight in the waist (The dress I had initially tried on fit perfectly and I had lost about 10 lbs. in those six months, so there is no way it should have been tight). The woman assisting me acknowledged that the dress I had on was not correct and asked if I would like to order another dress. I didn’t think that it would be possible for a dress to arrive within 6 weeks, as when I ordered in January they told me I was already cutting it close. Amazingly, the woman then looked around the floor and found the exact same dress in the appropriate size and color. They allowed me to swap the dresses and then said they would provide the bustle for free due to the mix-up. Just to be safe, I asked for my final receipt and what would be owed when I completed the final fitting to make sure they would hold their promise. When I went pick up my dress a month later, the woman at the counter tried to add the bustle charge to my total until I showed her the copy of the receipt I obtained on the prior visit. While the whole experience wasn’t ideal, it all worked out in the end and the dress was amazing.

Our cake looked great and tasted even better! The only problem was the golf course only cut one layer, so guests only got to taste the bottom. We ended up bringing three layers home, which I shoved off with family the next day at brunch. The wheat and gluten free cheesecake was a huge hit for our allergy prone guests. One note, I emailed Wendy about a month before the wedding asking to change one of the cake flavors. She quickly responded that it was no problem and confirmed all the layers. However, the cake that arrived had the original layers we initially discussed. They were all good, but did not reflect the changes. When Wendy heard about the problem, she offered many apologies and a one year anniversary cake for free.

Mark and his wife offer a very reasonable packages and overall did a nice job. We had some trouble with a wireless microphone during the ceremony, but I don’t know if it was equipment or other interference. Our father/daughter dance song was the wrong version, so it wasn’t as peppy as I would have liked. I wish that the crowd would have been read better, as people would really start dancing and then a slow song would come on and everyone would leave and it would take a few songs to get going again. There were also some equipment problems during the reception with songs skipping (he still uses CD’s) and music stopping for a few minutes, but they responded quickly and recovered well.

I was not super impressed with Allan. Many of our engagement pictures came back with poor posing, lack of attention to details (shirt tucked in one corner, caught in a tree, etc), and FI not smiling. I feel that less than half of the 160 or so pictures (80 color and black and white) were quality shots. During the wedding itself, he had a hard time connecting with the bridal party or families and getting everyone coordinated for a shot. I felt that he expected everyone to know what to do without communication from him as to what he wanted, and that I was the one setting up the formal shots. At one point during my individual pictures, he asked me about the balance of our package even though FI had confirmed beforehand that we provide the remaining 25% once we saw our pictures. (I know this isn’t common now, but my sister had to fight for her pictures for over a year when she got married 7 years ago, and I didn’t want to go through what she did, so we made this special arrangement with him.) During the ceremony, he was very noticeable and blocked the view of many of the guests off an on throughout. I have not seen the wedding pictures, so can’t comment on the quality of the pictures at this time. However, the two shots he showed me on his camera looked amazing. Allan does take good pictures, but if I were to do it again, I would work to find someone more compatible with us.

The view from the golf club is amazing, which is one of the reasons we chose this location. We ended up having an unforgettable wedding. However, as mentioned above, the event manager double booked the venue with ceremonies and receptions at the same exact time and did not inform anyone until the day before, claiming he wasn’t aware until then. When I and other members of my party talked to other staff at the golf club, they mentioned that having multiple weddings was not a rare event at High Cedars. One person said they had 2 weddings, a golf tournament, and a class reunion booked all on the same day! John did work with my coordinator and reduced a number of the charges due to the inconvenience, but could have really spoiled the event for many people if neither party would agree to move ceremony or reception locations. When I booked the location in November, John informed me that July 12th was the only Saturday open in July and never once mentioned having another wedding there when I gave him the deposit or met with him on at least two other occasions to discuss the catering and layout of the ceremony and reception. So, while everything did work out in the end, had I not had a coordinator to deal with all of the last minute details, it would have been a hellacious 24 hours for me.

We bought the bridesmaid dresses online through House of Brides and had a wonderful experience. We ordered the dressed at the end of January, and if you have them shipped to only one address, you don't pay taxes or shipping. The dressed arrived early and were exactly what we wanted.