tcjade's reviews

There are only two things to say about Heath Photography. They are talented photographers with amazing results. Unfortunatley they expect a small fortune for their services. If I was independently wealthy I would have booked Heath for my wedding date immediately because their work is by far the BEST. However, I am on a budget, and cannot afford them by any means.

The Carriage House Inn is attached to the Best Western in Watertown, NY. This was not my first choice of reception sites, but has grown on me considerably and I am now extremely happy that I made the choice to have my reception there. My fiance and I had a *FREE* full dinner there to try the food and determine which entree choice we wanted. The food was some of the best I have ever eaten. We were assigned our own wedding planner from the Inn, and she has been with us every step of the way. With our package, we got a free bridal suite the night of the wedding, but chose to upgrade to the jacuzzi suite for only $65!!! This was the most amazing suite, with two floors connected by a spiral staircase. The bottom floor had a kitchenette, leather couch, and jacuzzi.
The reception hall itself is very spacey; it can have up to 250 people, but we are inviting 150. They have a ton of choices in linen colors, but the policy on decorating the room is VERY strict. There is a lighted carriage in the lobby where some couples choose to take wedding photos.
Hors d'oeuvres choices are wonderful, complete with how many people they are expected to feed. The only problem we are having is with the open bar. Prices per head per hour are ridiculously expensive, and "top shelf" liquor is not those brands I would consider top shelf (Absolut vodka instead of Grey Goose?).

As the daughter of an Elks member, I was expected to have either the reception or rehearsal dinner at the Carthage Elks Lodge. Since I had my prom there, I decided I didn't also want my reception there. They have buffet or sit down dinners available, plus a full bar. Prices were decent (about $14 per head) and the selection of food was more than I had hoped for from such a small local establishment. We even had the option of having our own bartendar!!! I have had the food there plenty of times before, and it has always been great. Plenty of room, friendly service, and good food, the only negative is that they are usually REALLY busy, so availability is highly competitive.

The Partridge Berry Inn in Watertown, NY (inbetween Ft. Drum and Watertown) has a large, beautiful, private reception hall capable of servicing around 150 guests. The decor is fashionably rustic, the bar is large, and there is a separate entrance for the hall away from the rest of the restaurant. There is also a back patio and yard that is beautiful, and could be used if your particular wedding day has favorable weather. This was my top choice for reception halls because of everything stated above, but then, we tried the food. To put it bluntly, the food was disgusting, and I would never eat there again, not to mention make my guests choke down their meals. Hopefully, the place has figured this out and fired their cook.

Clarence Henry Coach in Watertown, NY is the way to go for stylish transportation. I called all the local limo places, and most quoted me around $500-550 for a regular stretch limo. Then I called Clarence Henry Coach, and they could give me a totally decked out stretch Ford Excursion that seats 14 passengers for the same $550 (for 3 hours of service)!!! Plus they include two bottles of champagne, and are letting us stop at Thompson Park to take some bridal party pictures on the way to the reception. They come HIGHLY recommended!!!

Wedding Channel .com is always running special/sales for attendants gifts and favors. I found a unique favor idea was to have seeds embedded in rice paper. The paper can be soaked in water and then planted and as my *free* personalization says "Let our love grow!"
They also have the standard favors such as candles, personalized candies, cards, frames and coasters. However, shipping will add a significant amount to your purchase, and not all personalization is free.

My bridesmaids and I had so much fun at David's Bridal. It was like playing dress up for big girls!!! Service was wonderful, staff were knowledgible about prices, availability, colors, etc. Highly recommended!!!

This bridal shop is located in Watertown, NY. The first time I visited I felt like a princess, as I had my own personal attendent bringing me dresses and taking away ones I did not like. I found a dress that I thought might be "the one." When I came back another day to re-try on the dress, the shop was very busy with prom goers, and service had fallen by the wayside. It turned out the the dress I wanted to try on again was only available in a size 12, far different than the size 4 I needed, and the size 6 I tried on the first time. Since I swam in the size 12, it didn't really give me a good idea as to what it would really look like on me, so I went elsewhere...therefore, selection of dresses is iffy (styles are nice, sizes are sporatic) and the service is wonderful if the shop isn't busy.