This venue is gorgeous and breathtaking. We chose to get married at the Japanese Garden despite the strict guidelines (e.g. no hard liquor) and somewhat hefty rental fee (at least for our budget). The staff was very helpful and always responsive during our planning. Our day-of-coordinator (included in the rental fees) was uber-helpful, organized, and professional even though she was only a student. Our ceremony was held on the bridge -- which was a major selling point of this place for us. The setting was so romantic and beautiful when it was lit by candles and rope light during our reception.

The Grand was the exclusive caterer to the Japanese Garden at Cal State Long Beach. The food was decent for the price we paid. The staff was terrific; they honored the 2006 prices (when we first got a quote) even though we booked them after they'd published their 2007 prices. In fact, they helped us save even more money by customizing our packages to our specific needs.

No complaints here. We went to the Men's Warehouse in Torrance, CA. The ordering process was straightforward, the prices were decent, and the salespeople were nice and helpful.

Kim was very accommodating when it came to the many changes I made merely weeks before my wedding. The bouquets were beautiful and sturdy. Everything was exactly as we'd discussed. I thought the corsages looked rather small but it was probably due to the fact that I misunderstood the sizes of spray roses.

Icing on the Ring came highly recommended by other brides. The salespeople were not pushy at all. We got a fantastic deal on our rings during their 20% off promotion. My husband's ring was custom-made and turned out just as we'd envisioned.

The ordering process from Nordstrom was easy and my Nicole Miller dress arrived in perfect condition within days of placing the order. My dress was well-made with quality materials. The alterations was done quickly at the store, though I thought the hem was a bit high. It's also noteworthy that Nordstrom's return policy was very lenient; I had no trouble returning the first dress I ordered after keeping it for over six months. I highly recommend looking on Nordstrom's website if you're looking for a simply and relatively inexpensive wedding dress.

Susan and her assistant were so helpful and calm at the wedding despite having a reckless bride on hand. Susan even gave me a ride to the venue to help alleviate some of my stress arranging transportation at the last minute. We are really happy with our photos overall.

The cake was so, so delicious (and oh-so-pretty). As a certified dessert lover, it was definitely the highlight of the reception for me. Our cake looked so smooth like fondant on the outside, but was in fact covered with buttercream so it tasted fabulous. The chocolate and white cake layers were both very moist; the filling (chocolate raspberry Bavarian crème) was especially delightful. I highly recommend Rossmoor Pastries.

Trendy Too had a large selection of cheap dresses in many colors. The quality and styles weren't bad at all considering the prices. The store was quite crowded when my bridesmaids and I went on a Saturday morning but it was definitely worth the trouble (again, considering the prices).