Photographer: Tess Moran- Buffalo, NY
A++++++
I had to review our photographer first because she was by far our best and most favorite vendor. Tess has such a unique and natural style which is what drew us to her. We were very picky when choosing our photographer and drove all the way form Syracuse to Buffalo to meet with her.
Tess shot our engagement photos in December and we were amazed with the results. They are so beautiful! We knew she was perfect for us and we could not possibly be happier with our choice. Many of the pictures posted throughout this site are from Tess.
The day of the wedding was pure and utter chaos, but Tess and her husband Mark kept us cool, calm and collected for our photos. We weren't able to get all of the shots we had wanted (thanks to an en route beer stop that the boys swore was necessary), but thankfully I am certain that the pictures she did get will turn out amazing.
Tess shot our engagement photos in December and we were amazed with the results. They are so beautiful! We knew she was perfect for us and we could not possibly be happier with our choice. Many of the pictures posted throughout this site are from Tess.
The day of the wedding was pure and utter chaos, but Tess and her husband Mark kept us cool, calm and collected for our photos. We weren't able to get all of the shots we had wanted (thanks to an en route beer stop that the boys swore was necessary), but thankfully I am certain that the pictures she did get will turn out amazing.
Attire & Beauty
Bridal Gown: Casablanca 1859
A
Purchased at NY Bride- Syracuse, NY
B+
I decided from day one of dress shopping that I wanted to have an awesome train. I fell in love with this Casablanca dress because of the train. It is breathtaking... tons of detail and sparkle. For some reason, I decided that I should continue looking. After months (literally) of searching through every dress shop from Syracuse to Rochester and trying on well over 200 dresses, I finally cemented my decision to purchase the very first dress I fell in love with anyway. What a stressful waste of time! lol. I should have just bought it to begin with. Anyway, the dress itself is excellent quality, silk with hand beaded detail. I ordered it in white/silver, but I have to say the detailing is not true silver... it seems to be a combination of gold/silver... but not tacky gold/silver... maybe more like tarnished silver. It does look beautiful against the white and all of the beading and crystals lightens it up a bit. I am not sure if I will be keeping it or selling it, but either way it was worth every penny. Absolutely gorgeous.
I visited NY Bride no less than a dozen times during my dress huny and had the pleasure of working with several different girls there. Everyone was very friendly and knowledgeable about the different dresses and designers. They have a very large selection and their prices are about average. One thing to note is that they do seem to pressure you to order very early (as most bridal salons seem to do) and you are required to put a 50% deposit down. The balance is due as soon as the dress comes in, which can be problematic if the dress comes in much earlier than expected (as most seem to do). My dress came in 2 months earlier than planned and while on one hand I was very happy that it was in, I ended up leaving it at NYB for over a month until it was time for alterations. I didn’t want to bring the dress home (because I was afraid I would try it on and play in it and mess it up) so thankfully they were able to store it, but at the same time it was a little irritating that they had rushed me to order it only to have it sit at the store for another month. All in all their service was wonderful and I definitely recommend them for their good selection.
Other recommendations: Heart to Heart Bridal in Manchester, NY (just off the thruway between Syracuse and Rochester) and Rebecca’s Bridal in Syracuse, NY (literally across the street from NYB). The staff in both of these stores was absolutely amazing! They were so sweet and accommodating. Neither really has the selection that NYB does, but if they do carry a line you are interested in I would definitely order from them. A even more personal, friendly experience.
I visited NY Bride no less than a dozen times during my dress huny and had the pleasure of working with several different girls there. Everyone was very friendly and knowledgeable about the different dresses and designers. They have a very large selection and their prices are about average. One thing to note is that they do seem to pressure you to order very early (as most bridal salons seem to do) and you are required to put a 50% deposit down. The balance is due as soon as the dress comes in, which can be problematic if the dress comes in much earlier than expected (as most seem to do). My dress came in 2 months earlier than planned and while on one hand I was very happy that it was in, I ended up leaving it at NYB for over a month until it was time for alterations. I didn’t want to bring the dress home (because I was afraid I would try it on and play in it and mess it up) so thankfully they were able to store it, but at the same time it was a little irritating that they had rushed me to order it only to have it sit at the store for another month. All in all their service was wonderful and I definitely recommend them for their good selection.
Other recommendations: Heart to Heart Bridal in Manchester, NY (just off the thruway between Syracuse and Rochester) and Rebecca’s Bridal in Syracuse, NY (literally across the street from NYB). The staff in both of these stores was absolutely amazing! They were so sweet and accommodating. Neither really has the selection that NYB does, but if they do carry a line you are interested in I would definitely order from them. A even more personal, friendly experience.
Alterations: Mary Golden- Liverpool, NY
A
I can’t say enough about Mary! She was great and her pricing blows anyone else out of the water. Adding a bustle to my train would have cost me $200 at New York Bride (do NOT get alterations done there… ridiculously overpriced). Mary took my dress in, added a traditional bustle and bra cups all for $50. She altered 3 of my BM dresses for under $20 each. She was great! I do have to let you know that she is not very talkative and prefers not to answer her phone- ever. When you call to make an appointment, listen closely to her voicemail- she lists her hours. Then you leave a message stating the day and time you would like to meet… that’s it. She will only return your call if there is a problem, otherwise you just show up! She does all of her alterations out of her home and she is very fast! I was a little weirded out at first (I need my confirmation email, tracking number, something!!), but she was always there and ready for me every single time. I definitely recommend her, hands down!
Tuexdos: Rented from Tuexdo Junction- Shoppingtown Mall, Syracuse, NY
A-
These guys have it down to a science. There online tracking made it very easy to keep tabs on the boys. Also awesome… they give a HUGE military discount for the entire wedding party if the groom is military (and his tux rental is completely free! Woot woot!). When the guys picked there tuxes up, there were a few things that needed to be corrected/didn’t fit quite right- but they fixed everything very fast. One recommendation- do the “final fitting” no less than 2 days prior to the wedding to allow time for alterations. 3 or 4 of our guys had to have something fixed and we were very thankful to have an extra day to get it done.
Makeup: Sephora at Carousel Mall- Syracuse, NY
B
I was hell bent on having airbrush makeup and I was only able to find a few makeup artists that offered it, most of them being independent MUAs who charge a pretty penny. Add in travel and a “holiday fee” since my wedding was Memorial Day weekend… then forget it! Thankfully I remembered that I had makeup done for prom when I was younger at the Sephora in Orlando. Conveniently, Carousel Mall opened a Sephora and I was in luck.
I know a lot of brides are torn between airbrush and bare minerals.... as far as the airbrushing itself- I was very happy with the results. I have horribly uneven skin tone, but airbrushing gave me a perfectly flawless base. I am very happy that I stuck to my guns on the airbrushing and found a place to do it. I just don't think I would have been able to get the same results with regular makeup or even bare minerals (and fwiw- I had my makeup done at bare minerals for the welcome dinner and it was terrible. seriously. terrible). So, yes, airbrush, definitely the way to go.
As for Sephora....
Some of the pros- unlimited trials at no charge (although sometimes they say they can only do “focused” trials… eyes, face, etc. This didn’t bother me at all), also the whole shebang only cost me a $50 gift card for my day-of makeup. I turned around and used the $50 gift card to purchase stuff for touchups and goodies for my honeymoon… score!
The only major con was dealing with the mall on my wedding day. Not ideal… and then having to drive to a different location for my hair. It would have been wonderful to have both hair and makeup done at the same place, but in order to get the airbursh I had to split it up… so be it. Also, there is no guarantee that whoever does your trial will do your day of, but that really didn’t bother me either, because everyone I worked with was pretty good and they kept a “face map” which listed the color and type of makeup used for each area.
Overall, a pretty good experience… and for the price (vs nearly $200 for a private MUA)… awesome!
I know a lot of brides are torn between airbrush and bare minerals.... as far as the airbrushing itself- I was very happy with the results. I have horribly uneven skin tone, but airbrushing gave me a perfectly flawless base. I am very happy that I stuck to my guns on the airbrushing and found a place to do it. I just don't think I would have been able to get the same results with regular makeup or even bare minerals (and fwiw- I had my makeup done at bare minerals for the welcome dinner and it was terrible. seriously. terrible). So, yes, airbrush, definitely the way to go.
As for Sephora....
Some of the pros- unlimited trials at no charge (although sometimes they say they can only do “focused” trials… eyes, face, etc. This didn’t bother me at all), also the whole shebang only cost me a $50 gift card for my day-of makeup. I turned around and used the $50 gift card to purchase stuff for touchups and goodies for my honeymoon… score!
The only major con was dealing with the mall on my wedding day. Not ideal… and then having to drive to a different location for my hair. It would have been wonderful to have both hair and makeup done at the same place, but in order to get the airbursh I had to split it up… so be it. Also, there is no guarantee that whoever does your trial will do your day of, but that really didn’t bother me either, because everyone I worked with was pretty good and they kept a “face map” which listed the color and type of makeup used for each area.
Overall, a pretty good experience… and for the price (vs nearly $200 for a private MUA)… awesome!
Hair: Artistry at Hanover (Stacey)- Hanover Square, Syracuse, NY
A
After a not-so-awesome trial at Liz Lanza’s (for both hair and makeup), I stumbled on Stacey at Artistry. She was very sweet and really happy to work with me. I had a total of 3 hair trials just to make sure everything was good for my wedding day. She was so patient and did a wonderful job. On the down side, due to the humidity, my hair lost most of the curl by the end of the night, but I don’t think I can fault her for that. My mom, MOH and one of my BMs also had their hair done at Artistry as well as their makeup (Bare Minerals) and they looked fabulous!
The salon itself is located in Hanover Square dowtown which can be a pain to get to, but the staff is really great and really know what they are doing. They will tell you if something will or will not work for your face and hair type (and you better listen to them!!!). Stacey also suggested that in order for me to get the fullness that I was looking for, I get some clipp in extensions. I followed her advice and the look with the extensions is much much better! I wore them for the wedding day (can't tell, right? they were so cool) and had no issues whatsoever! Very very happy with Stacey and Artistry!
The salon itself is located in Hanover Square dowtown which can be a pain to get to, but the staff is really great and really know what they are doing. They will tell you if something will or will not work for your face and hair type (and you better listen to them!!!). Stacey also suggested that in order for me to get the fullness that I was looking for, I get some clipp in extensions. I followed her advice and the look with the extensions is much much better! I wore them for the wedding day (can't tell, right? they were so cool) and had no issues whatsoever! Very very happy with Stacey and Artistry!
Ceremony
Location: Holy Family Catholic Church- Syracuse, NY
I don’t know that I can really rate or review a church, but I do have to say that our priest was absolutely amazing. We have been attending Holy Family since we moved up to Syracuse in 2009 and knew as soon as we heard Father Greg’s first homily that we wanted him to marry us. During our ceremony, he asked us to stop and look at each other, look into each other’s eye and take this moment in. I was so grateful that he did this because it is one of the very few moments during the day that was not a total blur. I will never forget looking into Kevin’s eyes and just soaking it all in. He then said that his wish for us is that “when you look back on this day, let it be the day you loved each other the least.” So beautiful. Val, the coordinator at the church was all business and a little pushy, but I think she had to be in order to get everything moving on time.
Music: Rob Morey from Holy Family
A
Rob brought our ceremony to life. Working within the constraints of a traditional Catholic mass, he was able to incorporate beautiful acoustic guitar and piano music that fit us perfectly.
Reception
Location: The Inn at Glenora Wine Cellars- Seneca Lake, NY
B
We fell in love with Glenora before we were even engaged and just knew we would love to hold our reception there. When we met with the original wedding coordinator, Sherry Spotts, we fell in love with the place even more (then discussed pricing and fell in love a little less).
The stats:
Price: I will be perfectly honest, the price is nauseating ($3K room rental fee, buffet is $38/piece not including drinks… and you must spend a minimum of $10K for a weekend wedding during peak season), but we could not imagine our reception anywhere else. I picked up a second job and worked my butt off to make it work.
On Site Wedding Coordinator- Kathy Marchenese: About 2 months before our wedding, Sherry resigned, then her replacement resigned. The new wedding coordinator, Kathy Marchenese, was from Esperanza Mansion. She knows the area and local vendors well, which was a plus. She is very friendly and all business at the same time. We did have a few hiccups… most notably that she called me the night before the wedding to tell me that she was unable to read my seating chart because it had smudged. I spent the entire limo ride scribbling down a new seating chart like a mad woman… then when I called her to relay the information, she told me they had found it. On a positive note, it was a good distraction technique, so I didn’t have time to be nervous. Lol. Overall, she was very professional and quite good, but I do think that things would have gone more smoothly had Sherry still been there.
Food and drinks: Our tasting review:
For our apps, we chose-
Bruschetta, Risotto Truffles
Coconut Crusted Shrimp, Bacon Wrapped Scallops (these were PERFECTION)
Steak skewers w/ marsala wine sauce
Meal:
Lemon Caper Chicken, Garlic Crusted Salmon
Bowtie Penne, Rosemary Roasted Potatoes
Grilled Seasonal Vegetables
Everything (even the options we didn't select for the wedding) was fabulous!!! One of the best parts was after our tasting, the chef came to sit with us and discuss the meal... he was very personable and open to suggestions/changes (which I was very surprised about)... a little more of this spice, a little less of that sauce. They were very determined to give us exactly what we wanted.
Wedding review:
Absolutely amazing! Our guests are still raving about the food, drinks and overall atmosphere. The chef at Veraisons is a true professional and does not disappoint. I originally questioned how anyone can make a buffet worth $38, but I do feel that we treated our guests to an amazing meal… which made it worth it.
Wine Tasting: We decided to add on an "optional" wine tasting during the cocktail hour, in addition to the beer/wine bar for our guests. This was set up on the lawn behind Veraisons next to a huge wine barrel with a beautiful view of Seneca Lake. This was a huge hit, especially since most of our guests had never had the opportunity to do a tasting before.
Décor: Everything was placed perfectly and exactly how I had imagined it would look… or better. I was so happy with how everything turned out. The ambiance of the vineyard and winery grounds was just breathtaking. Our photos in the vineyard are gorgeous. I was told numerous times by several different guests that this was the most beautiful venue they have ever been to for a wedding or other event... and I have to agree :)
Negatives: Kathy, understandably, was a bit scattered. My MOH was furious that I had to redo the seating chart in the limo. Like I said above, it ended up being a good thing to keep me focused on something else, but a place as professional as Glenora should not have a hiccup like that on the day of. Second, the fire pits were not working. We planned to hang out near the vineyard at the end of the night with a few of our close friends and bought stuff to make smores. None of the fire pits were working (part of me thinks they just didn’t want to turn them on) which was pretty disappointing. Finally (and this is the kicker), our room for the wedding night had no AC… not awesome. When we called the front desk, the best they had to offer was a box fan. Very little romantic activity in our 100 degree room on our wedding night. Lol.
Overall, Glenora is a perfect place for a reception. They are true wedding professionals and turned our dream into a reality. Highly recommended!!
The stats:
Price: I will be perfectly honest, the price is nauseating ($3K room rental fee, buffet is $38/piece not including drinks… and you must spend a minimum of $10K for a weekend wedding during peak season), but we could not imagine our reception anywhere else. I picked up a second job and worked my butt off to make it work.
On Site Wedding Coordinator- Kathy Marchenese: About 2 months before our wedding, Sherry resigned, then her replacement resigned. The new wedding coordinator, Kathy Marchenese, was from Esperanza Mansion. She knows the area and local vendors well, which was a plus. She is very friendly and all business at the same time. We did have a few hiccups… most notably that she called me the night before the wedding to tell me that she was unable to read my seating chart because it had smudged. I spent the entire limo ride scribbling down a new seating chart like a mad woman… then when I called her to relay the information, she told me they had found it. On a positive note, it was a good distraction technique, so I didn’t have time to be nervous. Lol. Overall, she was very professional and quite good, but I do think that things would have gone more smoothly had Sherry still been there.
Food and drinks: Our tasting review:
For our apps, we chose-
Bruschetta, Risotto Truffles
Coconut Crusted Shrimp, Bacon Wrapped Scallops (these were PERFECTION)
Steak skewers w/ marsala wine sauce
Meal:
Lemon Caper Chicken, Garlic Crusted Salmon
Bowtie Penne, Rosemary Roasted Potatoes
Grilled Seasonal Vegetables
Everything (even the options we didn't select for the wedding) was fabulous!!! One of the best parts was after our tasting, the chef came to sit with us and discuss the meal... he was very personable and open to suggestions/changes (which I was very surprised about)... a little more of this spice, a little less of that sauce. They were very determined to give us exactly what we wanted.
Wedding review:
Absolutely amazing! Our guests are still raving about the food, drinks and overall atmosphere. The chef at Veraisons is a true professional and does not disappoint. I originally questioned how anyone can make a buffet worth $38, but I do feel that we treated our guests to an amazing meal… which made it worth it.
Wine Tasting: We decided to add on an "optional" wine tasting during the cocktail hour, in addition to the beer/wine bar for our guests. This was set up on the lawn behind Veraisons next to a huge wine barrel with a beautiful view of Seneca Lake. This was a huge hit, especially since most of our guests had never had the opportunity to do a tasting before.
Décor: Everything was placed perfectly and exactly how I had imagined it would look… or better. I was so happy with how everything turned out. The ambiance of the vineyard and winery grounds was just breathtaking. Our photos in the vineyard are gorgeous. I was told numerous times by several different guests that this was the most beautiful venue they have ever been to for a wedding or other event... and I have to agree :)
Negatives: Kathy, understandably, was a bit scattered. My MOH was furious that I had to redo the seating chart in the limo. Like I said above, it ended up being a good thing to keep me focused on something else, but a place as professional as Glenora should not have a hiccup like that on the day of. Second, the fire pits were not working. We planned to hang out near the vineyard at the end of the night with a few of our close friends and bought stuff to make smores. None of the fire pits were working (part of me thinks they just didn’t want to turn them on) which was pretty disappointing. Finally (and this is the kicker), our room for the wedding night had no AC… not awesome. When we called the front desk, the best they had to offer was a box fan. Very little romantic activity in our 100 degree room on our wedding night. Lol.
Overall, Glenora is a perfect place for a reception. They are true wedding professionals and turned our dream into a reality. Highly recommended!!
Cake: Lori Legott at Club 86 Bagels and Cakes- Geneva, NY
A++
Another awesome vendor! Lori’s prices were absolutely amazing which made me skeptical about the cake. When we went for a tasting, I was shocked. It was one of the best cakes I had ever tried. Our guests are also still raving about how delicious the cake was. We went with a 3 tier square cake (1 tier chocolate/chocolate, 2 tiers vanilla/strawberry) and it went fast!! I also had Lori make a special surprise groom’s cake out of Rice Krispie treats. Kevin was so thrilled with his cake (both the design- a penguins hockey puck- and the taste)… he says it was his favorite part of the whole reception. So romantic. =)
Our review from the tasting:
We met with Lori, not really knowing what we wanted for a cake and almost feeling skeptical that her business might be a little "too good to be true" because her price was drastically lower than any other quote we had received.
$2.55 a slice with a minial delivery fee- unheard of!!!
We were greeted with a few slices of the most amazing white cake w/ strawberry filling. It was so light and had the perfect "strawberry shortcake" flavor, while still looking very elegant. I was in love. She showed us hundreds of pictures of her beautiful cakes... she is the real deal! Together we designed a cake that I just know will be beautiful and fabulous and everything we are hoping for. I have the utmost confidence in her and just can't wait to eat some more of her yummy cakes.
One negative I can tell you is that she is not the best at promptly returning emails or calls (which drives me bonkers!!!) but she does get back to you... eventually... and from other brides timeliness was never an issue on the day of... just not the greatest with communication.
I can tell you on the day of, the cake was perfect, the groom's cake was perfect... everything was perfect! I ended up neglecting to buy a cake topper so I left her a bunch of corks and fake grapes at Glenora and hoped for the best... she exceeded my expectations and turned my handful of leftover decorations into a beautiful cake display.
Our review from the tasting:
We met with Lori, not really knowing what we wanted for a cake and almost feeling skeptical that her business might be a little "too good to be true" because her price was drastically lower than any other quote we had received.
$2.55 a slice with a minial delivery fee- unheard of!!!
We were greeted with a few slices of the most amazing white cake w/ strawberry filling. It was so light and had the perfect "strawberry shortcake" flavor, while still looking very elegant. I was in love. She showed us hundreds of pictures of her beautiful cakes... she is the real deal! Together we designed a cake that I just know will be beautiful and fabulous and everything we are hoping for. I have the utmost confidence in her and just can't wait to eat some more of her yummy cakes.
One negative I can tell you is that she is not the best at promptly returning emails or calls (which drives me bonkers!!!) but she does get back to you... eventually... and from other brides timeliness was never an issue on the day of... just not the greatest with communication.
I can tell you on the day of, the cake was perfect, the groom's cake was perfect... everything was perfect! I ended up neglecting to buy a cake topper so I left her a bunch of corks and fake grapes at Glenora and hoped for the best... she exceeded my expectations and turned my handful of leftover decorations into a beautiful cake display.
DJ & Uplighting: Paradise Entertainment- Geneva, NY
A+
Music: We were super happy with Ken and Don. They had people on the dance floor all night long and it was so cool to see all of our friends and family having such a great time! We selected a few songs that were important to us, then gave them an idea of the type of music and atmosphere we were looking for… they just took it and ran with it and did a wonderful job!
Lighting: This was such a huge “wow” factor for our guests. The lighting was gorgeous and really set the mood. Best part- all of our pictures have this really beautiful, colorful glow to them. We are so happy we went with the lighting package because it really made a huge difference.
Overall, highly recommended! Their website is very user friendly, they return calls and emails promptly, very professional and full of great ideas. Great job!
Lighting: This was such a huge “wow” factor for our guests. The lighting was gorgeous and really set the mood. Best part- all of our pictures have this really beautiful, colorful glow to them. We are so happy we went with the lighting package because it really made a huge difference.
Overall, highly recommended! Their website is very user friendly, they return calls and emails promptly, very professional and full of great ideas. Great job!
Transportation: S&S Limos- Rochester, NY
B-
We rented 2 shuttle buses for our guests and an Excursion Limo for the wedding party. The drivers were very friendly, buses were clean and everyone had a great time being chauffeured to and from the ceremony. Logistically speaking (on our part) the whole thing was a nightmare to plan, but it worked out perfectly once the wheels started rolling.
My one negative about the company is that every time I called to speak with anyone, they felt the need to remind me about tipping, as if it was mandatory. I found this to be very irritating. I am a good tipper and IF I feel someone is deserving of a tip, I will do so accordingly. If you want to “suggest” tipping to the point where you may as well make it mandatory, include it in the price as a “service charge” and don’t call it a tip. Very very annoying. Aside from that, a great company to book with.
My one negative about the company is that every time I called to speak with anyone, they felt the need to remind me about tipping, as if it was mandatory. I found this to be very irritating. I am a good tipper and IF I feel someone is deserving of a tip, I will do so accordingly. If you want to “suggest” tipping to the point where you may as well make it mandatory, include it in the price as a “service charge” and don’t call it a tip. Very very annoying. Aside from that, a great company to book with.