weccab1's reviews

Our rehearsal dinner was planned at Edgefield due to our wedding location. We had our rehearsal at the site and headed over there. The traffic to our wedding site was so backed up that my husband and I were over 45 min. late to our own rehearsal! That really slowed everything down. Also, there was a concert at Edgefield that night and traffic getting to Edgefield was backed up. This put them serving dinner over an hour and a half late. They were really patient with us. The food was fresh and very good. We were nervous that the concert parking would ruin it for our guests but they had a section marked off right by the restaurant for us. We had a very special evening and my father in law had even set up a surprise slide show for us. We have been to weddings there that were so much fun as well. Great event site.

What a romantic bed & breakfast! The place looks like a dollhouse and really provided us with a great escape. When we arrived there was champagne and fresh truffles. We stayed in the Oriental room which overlooks a park and you can see downtown Victoria, which is only a few blocks walk away. There is a big tub in one corner and a fireplace in the other. Every night we selected our breakfast from the menu and gave a time that we would like it. At that time in the morning there was a knock on the door and a little door in the wall opened and a basket was left on the counter. The basket had champagne, juice, coffee, fresh rolls, and a spectacular breakfast inside. We ate in bed every day and were able to walk around and enjoy Victoria. The man who runs the house has fantastic tips about what to do and where to eat. He also made sure that we had reservations if we needed. Just a note, there is no television or air conditioning if that is a concern for you. It was warm when we were there, but it is Victoria so the evenings were really just fine.

My husband planned and prepared the wedding night. He chose the hotel and got it all set up with them that we would have rose petals and chocolates and champagne in our room. He went a few times including the day of to be sure that it was all in place. When we arrived at the hotel glowing and excited we got to our room and none of it was there. I did not notice because I was not expecting it. He was disappointed though. Either way we had a great night of sleep and a good breakfast the next morning. When we checked out he told the woman at the front desk and she gave us our breakfast for free. Then when we got home we had a gift certificate in the mail for a free night with the romance package at any of their hotels. They did a great job of making it up to us. We used that gift certificate for our one year anniversary and had a great experience.

We met with the founder of A Sound Choice and really liked his style. They were very focused on it being OUR event, not the DJs. We really wanted good music without feeling like it was his show. We got exactly what we wanted when we wanted it. They have a really professional system for being sure that they had all the details and timing covered. I did not have a wedding coordinator prompting him throughout the evening. He just went with it when he saw the timing was right based on the schedule of events that I had given him (to all brides out there, the schedule is a tough one to follow that night, be flexible). I was really happy to have had such a professional do our ceremony music and the music for the party. He was fantastic.

Between our wedding location and the food, people still talk about our event! When we met with the women of Delilah’s we were so impressed. They had worked our space many times and really were able to give us great pointers on how to maximize it. They have a local and sustainable approach to catering and being in Portland we really appreciate that. When we first met and started talking about the food they got really excited and we formed a plan for dishes that we really enjoy and that showcase all the great food that comes out of the Pacific Northwest in July. The staff was all really professional and the presentation of our food was spectacular. It was all art. At the end of the evening they gave us this perfectly prepared basket of food to eat at our hotel. And I was so thankful to have it. I felt like I had missed a whole lot of the good stuff at the wedding.

Craig was an amazing choice for our wedding. We met with him and knew we liked his photojournalist style of shooting. We did not want to feel like puppets all day. On the day of our wedding Craig showed up with his assistant even though he had a brutal case of the flu. He took pictures (at a distance) and stayed for the ceremony and then had to leave. He left us in great hands though. Another photographer Eric Cable (who I would also highly recommend) came and finished our event. All three of the photographers were not invasive in the slightest, in fact, we barely knew they were there. Craig had our photos online within a few days and we spent one evening of our honeymoon going through them at a coffee shop and sharing amazing memories. We had our own disc, proof book and a movie of the pictures that he created within a few weeks and our album design within a few months. I talk to friends who never got their own CD of pictures. Don’t go that route. You will be super disappointed down the road.

Once we got up the gravel road to Bridal Veil Lakes we just felt at peace. We knew this was the perfect place to get married. Two brothers (one of them gave us the tour) bought the land and had been holding family events there for years and then decided to start renting the space out. They built the structures (all outdoor event space) out of wood from the site. The wedding takes place all around the lake. It is all so well thought out. They even have an archway that you can decorate. The view on the northwestern side of the lake is breathtaking at sunset and you and your guests look out over the Columbia River Gorge. We got outstanding pictures there. The cost is minimal and you get the space for the entire day, 9 a.m. to midnight. We loved it because it was just our space. We did not have any “tourists” at our event. They also do not make you use any of their “acceptable” list of vendors. They give you a list of vendors who have used and know the space (important for the flow of the day). They also provide chairs and tables as well as chairs at the wedding site. There is a great space for a caterer to set up with refrigerators sinks, and counter space behind the main building for them work. The day that we got married I went in to the restroom and they had left a gift for us. I am not going to say what it was, but it was beyond thoughtful and the perfect touch for our experience.

My husband gave me gave me his grandmother’s engagement ring. It is a beautiful diamond set in platinum. We took the ring to Carl Greve to be appraised and sized. The appraiser could not do an appraisal due to some fairly good sized chips. He recommended that we have the diamond re-cut so that long term it would not chip further and it would enhance the beauty of the diamond. We did it and they had it back to us under the 6 weeks that they had quoted. He called me frequently to let me know the progress. I got my ring back and it is perfect! People warned me to be sure that I went somewhere good to have this work done and I felt completely confident with Carl Greve.

We decided to order our Save the Dates from Snapfish to keep it simple and inexpensive. Simple it was. At the time they had very little in the way of modern/sophisticated templates that we could use. We did find one that was simple and we set it up. The cards and envelopes got to us very quickly. The quality of the photos was okay. The envelopes were very thin though and you could see straight through them. In this case we paid for what we got. I know that they have improved the templates and I would still suggest looking in them to save some money.

After going to a few shops around town and having to pick out dresses to try that were jammed on racks in plastic bags and then having to cram myself into a small dressing room and having to get dresses on myself (not an easy task!!!), I went to Charlotte’s. We got set up in a large room full of light and flowers. The woman who helped me went through a series of questions with me to determine what kind of event we were having and what I wanted to wear. She then picked out a few dresses and helped me try each of them on. We were there for a few hours and I found it! They told me it would be 4-6 months to get it in and it arrived within a month! I highly recommend the service and selection at Charlotte’s.