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We got HUTCHED! Our crazy YANKEE/BON JOVI THEME WEDDING review – with Chateau La Mer, Duet, High Voltage, Lillette’s, Flowers by Burton and more!**Updated with video/album layout review**

GettinHutched Posted:

We got HUTCHED! Our crazy YANKEE/BON JOVI THEME WEDDING review – with Chateau La Mer, Duet, High Voltage, Lillette’s, Flowers by Burton and more!**Updated with video/album layout review**

Brett & I met due to our mutual crazy passions for the Yankees and Bon Jovi. Together we are a bunch of silly kids, and our two favorite things to do together are go to Yankee games and see Bon Jovi concerts. It was only fitting that our wedding reflected this. The Yankee theme became a monster, with ideas just spinning out of myself and my sisters. The Bon Jovi theme just added to the mix. I’m so glad we did this because it truly set the tone for the wedding – it really felt like a big party, and we were happy and giddy the whole time. I think that really translated to our guests so everyone had a blast! It really was the best day ever and the moment it was over I wanted to do it all over again! There’s nothing better than marrying your best friend and celebrating it with everyone!

Save the Dates: Printing: Vistaprint B+
Design: My sister Shannon/MOH A+++++
Epics: TimeXposureS A
Brett and I took our epics with Jonathan at TimeXposures (our original photographer) in Times Square and Bryant Park. My sister came up with lots of different versions of our STD using these shots, but we chose this design in the end. Getting on vistaprint’s mailing list was a great idea- they send tons of amazing offers. They were offering 100 free postcards, so we went with it. All we had to do was pay for the setup fee- talk about a bargain! They came out great, too!

They get a B+ though because….they automatically set me up with some Rewards program- and I was charged $14.95 a month!! I got them to refund it right away, and there wasn’t any hassle involved. If you order from Vistaprint, watch out for this charge! Otherwise I’d highly recommend them because you just can’t beat their sales and the quality is great!

Invitations: Exclusively Weddings A++
Invitations were by far the most frustrating part of planning for me. I never thought I’d be so picky! I really wanted to find an invite that tastefully incorporated some navy accents. Anytime I found something with a border of some type, the price went through the roof. Granted, this was another area we went budget on (and Brett would NOT budge!). I had posted about my frustration on LIW and Hayley (hayleyandsteve) was so sweet- she was looking on a gazillion websites to try to find something I liked within my budget. Thanks Hayley! I was pretty sure I had found the right invites on now-and-forever.com, but then Erica48 found invitations she liked and mentioned Exclusively Weddings (Thanks Erica!). I went to check out the site and I was so excited when I found an invitation with a navy wrap!! I had fallen in love with pocketfolds, and discovered even to do them DIY was out of my budget. It was so hard to get past wanting that type of look for invitations. This invite at eweddings was the next best thing!! It even had a perforated reception/response card so guests just respond with a postcard! No need for inner envelopes too. I also ordered the pre-cut silver ribbon to tie it all together. They even sent tons of glue dots to adhere the bellybands together! I did have trouble ordering online for several weeks as they were upgrading their system. It was pretty frustrating. But I got a 10% off code in an email from them so I was very happy to make this order! They arrived so quickly, looked beautiful, and I am thrilled with our decision to go with eweddings!

ETA: the only disadvantage to these invites is the response card- some people just did NOT get that they had to perforate the bottom from the top and send it. So many people would fold the reception card over the response card, staple it, and send it. Luckily they all made it to me. Supposedly though, if someone folds it over it's technically not a postcard anymore so the postage won't be sufficient. But like I said, I didn't have a problem. So if you get these invites, get the word out on how they work - people are not too bright sometimes!

My sister Shannon created these awesome little booklets that contained all of the directions (to the church, reception, and hotel info) that even matched the invites! The invites were easy to put together- especially with help from my sisters/MOHs, Diane (BunnyBride- thanks girlie!) and my Mom. We numbered the response cards with an UltraViolet pen I got on ebay for basically only the cost of shipping (seller: Tiernees treasures, link to store http://stores.ebay.com/Tiernees-Treasures)!

Wedding Rings: Route 46 Diamond Exchange, Fairfield, NJ - A
Brett & I paid a quick visit and found what we were looking for, very reasonably priced. If you happen to be in the NJ area, go for it. They were very helpful. I wanted something very non-blingy, and went with a simple band so that my solitaire ering would stand out.
Here's my set:

Wedding Gown: Lillette’s A+++++
Consultant – Pat
Seamstress - Francesca
www.lillette’s.com
I always loved the Maggie Sottero gowns I saw online, and Monterey in particular had caught my eye. I loved its simplicity and flattering shape. I was so lucky to find it at Lillette’s because this gown is really hard to find!! It was the first one I tried on and I didn’t want to take it off! I still felt I should keep looking- and I did- which only confused matters for awhile. My consultant, Pat was wonderful and she really understood my style. In the end, it was between Monterey and another Maggie, Samara Lynette, but Monterey won!

Francesca was my seamstress and I just LOVED her. She was so sweet and friendly and incredibly helpful. The best part? My alterations only cost $30!! Since Pat had ordered a petite length for me, and the gown has a corset back, there were no major alterations whatsoever! Just a couple of stays and a bustle! I was thrilled. I’m so happy I went with Lillette’s after all!

One piece of advice though- if you have a corset gown, have your MOHs take notes on how to do it…my sisters were just a bit confused on the big day since they learned how to do it about 3 weeks prior. It was pretty stressful!

closeup of bodice

Custom Veil: Kathy Occansey, Occansey Bridal Designs-A+++++++
I knew there was no way I was gonna spend $250 on a cathedral veil and blusher. I wanted a veil with a little something extra because my dress was so simple. After being inspired by billandme’s embroidered veil that she had posted (thanks Kristy!), I envisioned detailing on the edge of the cathedral train that went along with the detailing on my dress. Thanks to MrsQ-in2007 (Yesenia), I found Kathy! Her site had tons of pictures of different veils which was so helpful. We started emailing back and forth, and she always had awesome suggestions and had no trouble answering all my endless questions! And she kept it within my budget! She ROCKS!!!! She has the patience of a saint, for sure! She would send pictures of designs periodically until we finally settled on one! She sent me pics of the final and I was so happy. When it finally arrived I was BLOWN AWAY! Pictures do not do this veil justice. She did a beyond amazing job. The crystals and rhinestones on the appliqués were placed so perfectly. If you need a veil, go with Kathy!! She is definitely one of my top vendors!
I can’t wait to get my proofs back to finally have a great shot of it!

This cool shot shows the detailing a little bit.

Garters: Custom Garters A+

Going with my Yankee theme, of course I had to get a Yankee garter! But suddenly I had a crazy idea- why not incorporate all of the teams Brett is so crazy about? So I bought three garters- Yankees, Pittsburgh Steelers and the University of Georgia Bulldogs! This way, as Brett was doing his little treasure hunt, he’d have a few more surprises! Garters were of great quality and came very quickly! When I first put on all three I wondered if my circulation would be cut off- but I was fine!

Brett got a HUGE kick out of the three garters…as well as the Yankee sneakers I snuck on before the garter removal. I got ones similar to these but with a little bit of a camouflage design on the toes and heel from Modell’s.

I really wanted them in blue but sporting goods stores are sexist and automatically assume females have to wear PINK!

Slip: Ebay seller : Bridal Petticoat A+
Like my veil, I was not going to overpay for a silly little slip! Since my gown is fairly straight, I wanted to add a little fullness to it to keep it from looking un-gownlike. Yes, I was paranoid of that! Thanks to D’s girl, she referred me to this ebay seller. The seller was great at answering my questions, as I wasn’t sure what fullness to go for. I paid only about $35 for the slip + shipping, and it came so quickly. Great seller!!

My jewelry: Lia Sophia B+
A friend and fellow teacher at my school had a Lia Sophia jewelry party. It was my first chance looking at jewelry for the wedding and I think I really jumped the gun. They had a great offer (I think if you buy three full priced items, you get half off of everything else?) so I got excited. I bought myself a jewelry set – necklace, earrings and bracelet. I was pretty happy with it. I went with a really pretty necklace for my MOHs, as I wanted to give them something they could wear beyond the wedding, but when you buy from catalog you really don’t know what you’re gonna get. I got a pair of earrings for them as well but I really wasn’t sure if it went together. Well the jewelry finally comes and the chick messed up- had them send the wrong MOH earrings. So I had to return those and it took MONTHS to get my refund! I went and ordered a pair of earrings from Bridal Reflections in Massapequa that I thought worked with the necklace…well I paid for them and about two months later, I see a beautiful jewelry set at Sandy’s Shoes and went with that instead. The earrings still hadn’t come in at Bridal Reflections (what the???) so I tried to have them cancel it and get my money back, but they were jerks (surprise, surprise- I HATE this place) and would only give store credit. By the way, on the day of, I forgot to wear the bracelet! Oh well!

MOH, Jr BM & FG dresses: Bridal Elegance
A+++ for price
B for alterations
1870 E. Jericho Tpke - Dix Hills, NY 11743
(631) 462-0323

Even before we came up with the Yankees color scheme of navy and white, I knew I liked the look of two-tone dresses, especially ones with sashes. We checked out separates and all kinds of styles…but the dress I always loved, Bill Levkoff #966, turned out to be the one in the end. We ordered a navy dress, with an ivory sash.

For my older nieces Taylor and Ashley, the Jr BM’s, we had chosen a Jordan Sweet Beginnings dress – the top would be white and bottom navy. I thought we were happy with that…but when we went to Bridal Elegance and ordered the MOH dresses, Phyllis showed us the LadyBug Creations Jr BM version of the Levkoff dress. I was so excited! Now my nieces would look like mini versions of their moms! A couple months later, thanks to LIW of course, I found out Levkoff created a Jr BM line (style 96602), and so we went with that dress instead.

My youngest niece Heather tried on a whole bunch of dresses, and when she tried on Sweet Beginnings style L711, we knew that had to be the one. TOO CUTE!!! We ordered this dress in ivory with a navy sash.

Bridal Elegance gave us amazing prices for all the dresses. Alterations were another story- I was not happy due to the multiple visits both my sisters had to make since certain aspects were not finished or weren’t even started, and customer service left a lot to be desired. I think Phyllis has way too much work on her hands and her store is just insanely busy.

Jr BM dresses

FG dress

MOH dresses

GettinHutched Posted:

Re: We got Hutched! Our crazy Yankee Theme Wedding review – with CLM, Duet, High Voltage, Lillette’s and more!

MOB Dress: Raymor Couture style # 2006 from Commack Bridal Center - A+
Mom had the toughest time finding something she liked. She wanted to be able to cover her arms, yet not look matronly. After shopping at what seemed like a million places, she finally found one she loved at Commack. Sadly, I wasn’t there to shop. But I was so glad to hear she was FINALLY happy! My only concern was how hot she might be in the jacket. She ordered the gown and it came in a week later! Mom later lost well over 25 lbs. GO MOM!

Tuxedos: Men’s Warehouse B+
We knew we had to go with a chain since Brett & I are in Jersey, his two best men live even further out in Jersey, and the rest of the guys involved were on Long Island. Customer Service at the Totowa branch was excellent. We thought everything went well- but there were some problems with my Jr. GM and Brother in Law tuxes…pants too big for BIL, pants too small for Jr GM. Luckily they fixed it right there. I still wasn’t crazy with how the vests fit. Their excuse is, it’s what you get for a rental- nothing ever is truly tailed to you. Hmmm.

He should be in the ads for Men's Wearhouse, no?

Best Men Gifts, FOG Gift, Jr. Groomsman Gift Gunther Gifts A+
We ordered Cufflinks that had the logos of their favorite teams. Ordered online and received very quickly! Brett also got his own Yankees cufflinks - of course!

Here are Brett's

I think this shot is so cool

We ordered cufflinks custom engraved with FIL's initials.

We also ordered an engraved bat to say 'Most Valuable Groomsman' to my beloved nephew Tommy, from Aunt Tara & Uncle Brett, with our wedding date. Wish I had a pic of the actual bat- it came out great and Tommy loved it!!

We're also taking him to a Yankee game- just the three of us. He is so excited!

MOB gift: Lenox statue “A Mother’s Loving Touch” - A+
Ebay seller - paymanomidi
I had seen this statue posted on LIW and knew I just HAD to get it for mom! Found it on ebay and it came quickly and in perfect condition! Mom LOVED it.

Jr BM and FG gifts: Dolly & Me B+
Custom made American Girl/Bitty Baby dresses
A++ for dresses, B for customer service
I originally bought the “Memorable Moments” American Girl outfit (a pretty white dress suited for a flower girl or Communion) on ebay as a present for my Jr BMs as they’re both American Girl doll crazy. But my poor FG- she didn’t have an American Girl, just a Bitty Baby, and they didn’t make a formal dress for those dolls. I did a search and found this website – she actually makes replicas of bridesmaid/flower girl dresses for American Girl AND Bitty Baby dolls! I was so darn excited, I started emailing her pictures of the dresses right away. She was mighty slow at getting back to me in the beginning and I started to wonder if I should just scrap the idea.

Then…finally she contacted me and told me they were ready. I was so excited! They are just the cutest things and I couldn’t wait to give them to my nieces. She really did an amazing job and it was totally worth the wait! The kids LOVED them!

Jr BM and FG jewelry: CJB Designs A++++++++
I had a hard time finding jewelry for the little girls online and in the stores. So I turned to the LIW vendor page and found Cortney. She was so friendly and helpful in my gazillion emails, and she had great suggestions. I went with her typical design for the FG necklace (she even sent me a sample of the crystal so I could choose the right color), and she suggested a design for the Jr BMs that complemented the MOH jewelry. Again, pics do NOT do this jewelry justice. I was thrilled with the final product when it arrived! Absolutely PERFECT!! Go with Cortney if you need jewelry! She is so awesome…and totally understands where us brides are coming from since she was recently one as well!
FG Necklace:

Jr Bm Necklace:

My Shoes, MOH jewelry: Sandy’s Shoes A++++
LOVE this place. Great selection, excellent service. I found the perfect shoes, and for a great price! I started to look around at their BM jewelry, even though I had bought a few pieces at a Lia Sophia party. Well I saw a set that I just fell in love with. They were so helpful and patient. I highly recommend them!!
You can see my shoes up top in the invite picture.
MOH Necklace:

My headpiece and Flower Girl wreath: Barron’s in Tri County - A+
I never thought I’d wear a headpiece in a million years! I’m so anti-tiaras and I just felt it was an unnecessary expense (especially because they can be so $$$). But once I saw Preshy7 wearing a Thomas Knoell headpiece at The Wedding of the Year, I was inspired. I definitely didn’t want a crown, so I looked for headband types. I went to Barron’s tried on a few and found one that was very similar to Preshy7’s!!! But only $35!!! It was tough to understand the guy working there, but at least I walked out with something I was very happy with, and I was truly astonished at the price!
I went back a few months later for my niece’s wreath – I had a tough time choosing between two of them, but finally made my decision. Can’t beat the price!
My headpiece:

FG wreath:

Hair: My hairdresser Mary – B+
I’ve known Mary since I was a kid- I even babysat her kids (her oldest is in college now!). She has been cutting my hair, as well as my mom’s, my sister’s and their kids for a long time now! She styled my sister’s and their bridal party’s hair as well for their weddings…so of course I continued the tradition! And not to mention, she is dirt cheap! She charged for my entire bridal party what some high end hairdressers charge for the bride alone!

This is where my regrets come in. Part of me knew I should go with someone who specialized in wedding hair, but I went with loyalty here. We always knew we had a challenge on our hands, since my hair is so fine and can barely hold a style. I wanted a half up, half down style, but with curls on the bottom since I felt having it straight wouldn’t look dressed up enough. She did a beautiful job on my BP hair, but we ended up being behind schedule and she only started styling me 40 minutes before my makeup appointment! So basically, my time with her was rushed. The curls from the hot curlers barely took and she had to go over it with a curling iron. It wasn’t nearly as full as my hair trial. After makeup I had to run back to Mary’s so she could add the veil and touch it up. My hair did not hold up at all- I don’t even think she fastened the top enough. The curls were gone by cocktail hour. I can’t totally blame her for that – it was so hot and humid, and the boat ride definitely didn’t help. But I can’t help but wonder if I had gone with a wedding hair professional, maybe that person would have helped me find a style that would hold up and that I would absolutely love.

Makeup: Lia from Lumara NY Salon in Massapequa A+
Being a budget bride, I just couldn’t justify spending so much for a phenomenal makeup artist to come to me on the wedding day. I started to look into salons. I had a makeup trial at another salon originally and liked it, but DH complained of the smell of the foundation. I had a feeling there was something ‘more’ out there. So I found out about Lumara, which was in an even better location- literally 5 blocks from my hair dresser’s house, and about 10 blocks from my mom’s! I never thought I’d spend extra for airbrush makeup, but I loved the look and feel of it, so I went for it. She really knew how to give me that not-too-done-up look with a bit of sparkle.

On the day of, she did a fabulous job for both my sister, mom and myself. Definitely check her out!

Flowers: Flowers By Burton A-
One of several aspects of the wedding I just had to go budget on. But I knew through LIW searches and general word of mouth, Burton’s was the way to go! They were the only florist I met with and I booked them on the spot. I came in thinking I wanted gerbera daisies, but John had some awesome ideas. I went home and did some research and was actually excited about flowers! I had to meet with them about 6 weeks before the wedding to finalize the flowers, and I met with Jill. She was awesome….she really knew exactly what worked and I was just too excited when I left.

The flowers came right on time and everything was beautiful. One small complaint though- I had a very specific idea in mind of my bouquet- even provided a picture. My bo-k should have had more callas and in retrospect it was mostly roses (you can see a pic in my flowers album and compare- they look nothing alike ). This really changed the look I was going for. Things were just too crazy on the big day that I really couldn't even focus on it or care - I noticed it but shrugged it off. I even felt the BM bo-ks weren't quite what I envisioned.

Regardless, everything was good quality and to be honest...flowers were never my thing anyway.

My bouquet:

BP flowers

Pic of CP

Photo/Video: Duet Wedding Photography
Day of A+++++++
Proofs: A++++++++++++
Video: A
Having my pictures taken by Duet was my biggest of all wedding dreams. I know, it sounds ridiculous to be so obsessed with photography. When I was about to book church and reception, I always checked with Duet to see if they were available too. Well, when I finally got the church and hall to coordinate (which was very difficult to do!), Duet wasn’t available. I can’t tell you how crushed I was. I went with another photographer, TimeXposures, who I highly recommend. The only downside was that I couldn’t have Jonathan, the main photographer and owner of the company, to shoot my wedding. I adored Jonathan so much when I met with him, that I trusted his opinion and booked TimeXposures anyway. We took epics with Jonathan and they came out great. But months went by and it all still nagged at me. I hadn’t met with the other photographer, and I just knew in my heart I was settling. On a whim, I emailed Duet to see if there were any cancellations- I cannot even tell you how thrilled I was when they told me they had an opening!!! FINALLY! I met with Eric, and there was just no doubt I was jumpin’ on the Duet train! Sam’s team was available for our date, and I knew no matter which Duet photographer I ended up with, I was going to have the style of photos I always dreamed of.

Engagement Pictures review A+++++++++++
I might have been crazy to have a second engagement shoot, but there were a few reasons I went with it. For one, Eric threw it in for free. I also thought it was a great way to get to know my photographer before the big day. I also didn’t get to take pics in Central Park the first time around, and Central Park was really important to me. But mostly, because ever since I started lurking on LIW, I would go nuts over all the Duet engagement pictures that were posted. That’s what drew me to Duet in the first place when I was planning my wedding…I simply loved their style. We met with Sam right at 72nd and Central Park West on a perfect Wednesday in May. We first went to Strawberry Fields, since I’m an insanely obsessed Beatles fan. So we got to take pics at the Imagine mosaic! We were all over the park – Sam knew exactly where to go and what angles to shoot from. He was so fun and just adorable! We had a blast!

Then we got them back and WOW!!! I was just too happy for words. I finally got my Duet epics and Sam did a phenomenal job!! Choosing was nearly impossible! Here they are:
Duet Epics

We took this picture and made it our sign-in board.

Here's a pic of the sign in board at the wedding- right next to it are frames that were part of the placecard table, using the epic shots of us wearing our jerseys.

The Big Day:
Sam and the videographer (I’m so sorry I don’t remember his name!) were right on time. Unfortunately, my bridal party and myself were not due to hair being behind schedule. Poor Sam had to kill time in any way he could while I waited for my sisters to come to dress me- and that didn’t happen until about 40 minutes after they arrived. I felt horrible about this, but he had no problems with it and made it work. He was so patient and really knew exactly how to make things work with what we had. I'm so psyched with the shots he took in my mom's dining room!

And can you believe in under TWO WEEKS we got our proofs back? They are freaking phenomenal!! Let their work speak for itself!

Talk about a HAM!

Outside the house

Chris arrived at Brett’s hotel and did an amazing job!

They also headed to the church and took a few.

Playin' baseball!

Due to the late ceremony start, we were unable to take pictures at Pearsall Park, so we took a few quick shots at the church, and went straight to CLM. Sam and Chris arranged the bridal party in so many fun and creative ways. They made sure they got every picture I requested. They even took us outside after the sun went down to take beautiful pictures on the docks. They were so patient and amazing to work with. Duet ROCKS!!

UPDATE: VIDEO REVIEW - A-
Overall, happy with the result. They captured our day for sure and the highlights reel is awesome. I just don't always agree with the editing during the reception (I'm just a big music snob and I hate when people cut in and out of songs without regard to it! ) and I feel the videographer could have been more creative with camera angles. hey, they captured my day which is fine with me!! If you want to see clips, FM me!

ALBUM DESIGN: B+
I felt they were a bit lacking in this department and it took MANY tries to get it to the final draft. Special thanks to PeteysBride (Jenn) for her suggestions! I do love it now though!
Here's the layout:

GettinHutched Posted:

Re: We got Hutched! Our crazy Yankee Theme Wedding review – with CLM, Duet, High Voltage, Lillette’s and more!

Weather A-
WHEW it was a scorcher! The humidity was not a friend to my hair or to my BP...but IT DIDN'T RAIN! I was worried at first when we walked out of the house to get in the limo- looked a bit hazy and ready for thunderstorms- but it never happened! It was a good thing we only took pics at CLM - the breeze along the water helped!

Limo: Primo Limousine Service B
Here was another part of the wedding that we chose to go very budget on. Fortunately for us, we have a fairly small bridal party, so we could get away with only one limo. Primo was the only limo company I met with. I got lots of quotes over the phone and email, and Primo gave the best price.

Ed confirmed all of the details with me a few days prior. He mentioned we might have an upgrade to the limo- I didn’t ask, I just assumed it would be the same limo, only larger or newer.

Hal, our limo driver, arrived early to Brett’s hotel and took him and his best men to the church – well over an hour early. A wedding mass was in progress, and incase there were any delays (which they seemed to foresee), Hal gave Brett his cell number to keep in touch.

Hal arrives at my house. We couldn’t get over the size of the limo- not to mention the style. I asked for a 12 passenger Lincoln, we get a huge SUV limo for our tiny BP. Okay, fine to upgrade – but to give me an entirely different style limo than the one I requested? What if I absolutely hated that style? I feel stupid I never asked in the first place but I would have never expected this! Luckily they got a bride who considered the limo as the least important aspect of the day. I didn’t let it bother me but…geez! What the heck was that?

Hal’s phone rings and it’s Brett – it’s 3:15, our ceremony is at 3:30, and the mass was not even completed (you’ll hear about the whole fiasco in the Church review). Receiving line hadn’t even begun. Hal decided to let us stay cool in the house and wait a little bit before we left. We finally made it to the church, but had to hang around obviously. He was very patient and helpful.

Hal is about to put down the runner and realizes he has the wrong length- way too short. St. Rose has a 120 ft. aisle, and Ed was well aware of this and even put it in my contract. Hal was very frustrated by this and had to tape down the runner at the end- which only delayed things more.

He gathered us all at the end of the ceremony and suggested we take some more pics at the church rather than go to the park, but I told him we decided to go to CLM. We get in the limo, and it was hot as hell. I have no idea why the A/C was not working properly at this point because it was fine earlier.

Hal was very conscientious, on time and I appreciate that.

Some non-pro pics inside the limo

Pro pics

Church: St. Rose of Lima
pre ceremony A, day of - B-
Officiant - Deacon Flood A+

I’m originally a Maria Regina parishioner – I went to Catholic school there and made all my sacraments there. There was no question I’d be getting married there and I’ll admit I’m really bummed I didn’t after all. Well, Brett and I jumped the gun- we booked Chateau La Mer first and crossed our fingers when we went to meet with my deacon at Maria Regina (who’s son I graduated Catholic School with!). Well, since we were having a Saturday night wedding (we were choosing between two dates), this is where the conflict came in – the date MR had available, their latest ceremony would be at 2:30pm. The reception for that date wouldn’t be til 7:30. YIKES. We just couldn’t do that with all of our out-of-towners. The other date CLM had available, a 6pm reception, MR was booked. Mom was not happy. Brett and I were more than fine with marrying at CLM and were planning to have our ceremony there instead…but it was KILLING my mom. I mean, she was literally walking around with a huge cloud over her. She got desperate, and started calling churches by herself!! The first church she called was St. Rose of Lima. She spoke with a very nice lady, Barbara, who referred us to Deacon Flood, to see if he would accommodate us. He was more than happy to allow us to be married at their church!! It feels weird to be getting married somewhere other than Maria Regina, but as long as my mom’s not moping around, I’m happy!

We met with Deacon Flood a few weeks prior to the ceremony to finalize things. He requested that we each write him about how we met and why we stayed together. I thought that was odd- why not just talk to us? Stay tuned…

I was in touch with Michele from the rectory- she had informed me that the bride having the wedding before me was wondering if I had ordered ceremony flowers. She put us in touch, and we had exchanged a few emails. I thought it was so nice of her to offer to leave hers there for my ceremony and I contemplated on how to thank her. Strangely enough, about a week or two before the wedding Michele tells me that the flowers are going with her after all. Huh? Why didn’t the bride email me to tell me this?

Fast forward to the day of the ceremony. Brett calls our limo driver to let him know that at 3:15, the ceremony was still not completed and the receiving line hadn’t even begun. Our ceremony was at 3:30!!! How does this happen?!?!

We stalled at my mom’s house and then finally arrived at the church at 3:30. A huge party bus is parked outside and tons of people are outside the church with no signs of anyone going to their cars. I could not believe my eyes. You would think since the mass started late they would have cut the receiving line or at least found a way to move people along. This was no fault of Deacon Flood’s – he obviously could not tell the priest (his ‘boss’ if you will) to move things along. There were pew bows still left behind and rose petals and rice – some of my family members and friends actually started sweeping up after them! How crazy is that since we're told specifically not to throw anything outside the church? I was told the ceremony flowers were left there after all- hmmm. Go figure.

Once the ceremony began (20 minutes late! ), nothing could bring me down. I was the happiest bride alive. Nothing felt better than to walk down that aisle and see everyone there for us. And when I finally saw Brett at the end of that very long aisle, nothing else mattered in the world. The insanity of that very morning washed away!

Deacon Flood did an amazing job with our ceremony- he moved things along and gave a wonderful homily that incorporated our writings, explaining how we met and what drew us together. This made it very personal and meaningful. We’re still receiving compliments on it to this day. He even apologized to our guests for the late start and said there was “no excuse.” Amen.

Since my Dad passed away a few years ago, I asked both of my brothers in law to escort me down the aisle. They're more like brothers to me than anything!

FIL & MIL

My Grandma and nephew

My mom and my stepbrother's son

Jr BMs/GM

FG

Sister/MOH

Sister/MOH

Brett and his boys waiting for the bride to arrive.

Here I come!

Notice the time on the clock. Our ceremony was supposed to start at 3:30!!!

Here I am getting emotional seeing Brett for the first time (non pro)

And here's Brett seeing me for the first time (non pro)

Here we go!

We did it!

non-pro pic

Coming out

GettinHutched Posted:

Re: We got Hutched! Our crazy Yankee Theme Wedding review – with CLM, Duet, High Voltage, Lillette’s and more!

And…what you’ve all been waiting for…the Yankee theme!!!! As well as other DIY...

First for the church:

Programs A++++ for my sister Shannon’s design
We bought the program paper at Target ($9.99 for 50). My sister designed them, of course. She wanted to do an insert but at this point in the DIYing I was kind of over it and wanted to do it the simplest way possible. I was in such a rush to get them done before I left for Virginia for two weeks- and I kinda regret that I rushed it. I would have had our middle names on the program- DUH!

Unity Candle B+ for me, I guess I probably coulda been more creative.
This was a rush job, but so easy. I just printed the monogram my sister designed on vellum and double sided taped it to the candle, along with navy ribbon. Thanks to enjft (Eliana) for the tips!

Pennants A
My church did not allow petals or bubbles, so I figured I would have to go with ribbon wands. I was actually excited about that because the pictures always look so pretty- and with our color scheme it would look so cool! One day I was talking to my sister and she said, “Okay, you’re gonna think I’m crazy but just listen to this idea.” She was crazy- but brilliantly crazy!! She suggested making little pennants to wave instead! Um hello, how did I not think of that?! (okay, who thinks my sister should go into the business? LOL) We picked up dowels and white felt at A.C. Moore, and I had to order navy felt from an online retailer since none of the craft stores sold any navy (it was all royal blue). We used silver spray paint for the dowels, and added ribbon and glitter to ‘dress’ it up!

One thing I should have done was include a little tag explaining to guests what they were for. I haven’t seen any pictures of this moment outside of the church, but I honestly don’t remember anyone waving them. Oh well.

At least my niece knew what to do with it!

Now, on to the reception!

Before the Yankees theme comes in, here's our Memorial table. Very simple- frames on sale at AC Moore (and silver so I didn't have to paint them! ), also bought the mattes, and added pics of my grandparents, Brett's brother and my Dad. Votives were also bought at AC Moore with the handy 40% off coupon!

Table Numbers A+++++ for my sister’s design
This was a no-brainer – name the tables after Yankee players, duh! I had the kids sit at the Derek Jeter table as he’s their generation’s superstar, and Brett and I were at the Paul O’Neill table, as he was one of the reasons we met in the first place. I put my immediate family at the Mantle table; since he’s my all time favorite classic Yankee. Brett’s family were at Lou Gehrig’s table, since that’s Brett’s favorite. We named the majority of the tables after classic Yankees (Babe Ruth, Whitey Ford, Yogi Berra, Don Mattingly, Joe DiMaggio, Thurman Munson, Reggie Jackson) and put in a little handful of our more current favorites (Jeter, O’Neill, Giambi- not my choice but Brett’s, and Mariano Rivera). Again, my sister outdid herself with the design! She didn’t make it exactly like the monument, but made it more suitable to what we needed. Absolutely perfect again!!

There were a hit - many guests walked away with our table numbers!

The ever popular Derek Jeter table.

Here's a shot of us in the room before the guests arrive- you can see the Reggie Jackson table.

Just found a pic of the Mickey Mantle table in my unedited proofs!

Our personal table number for the sweetheart table.

Frames for Table Numbers Dollar Tree (I’m not ashamed to say I love this store!) A+
Thanks to qtdimps23 (Diana), I found 5x7 frames at the Dollar Tree. I spray painted them silver (my secondary color), again thanks to her tips and suggestions!

Placecards A+++++ for my sister’s design
Once we started running with the Yankee theme, there was no doubt how we’d make the placecards: Yankee tickets! I was always concerned it would be childish or cheesy, but my sister is just great at designing these things. When she finally came up with a design, I was beyond excited. She used last year’s season tickets as inspiration and it was simply perfect!! I knew my sister was good but she really blew my mind with this one!!
Can’t wait to get you all a pic of the placecard table- we used frames of our Duet engagement pics wearing our Yankee jerseys to decorate it - but this is all I got right now:

I figured this would happen- we don't have a full pic of how the placecard table was set up. This was the best we got.

Menus A++++ for my sister’s design
Cardstock & Ribbon: AC Moore A+
I know sometimes menus seem a bit unnecessary but I LOVED mine! My sister did an amazing job with the design once again, and I was inspired by a menu Eliana (enjft) had posted. I was lucky enough to find metallic navy cardstock on sale at AC Moore. I followed the directions from the post, and got silver ribbon. I loved how it was reminiscent of my invitations with the navy cardstock and silver ribbon!

Favors: Don’t laugh…THE DOLLAR TREE!!! A+
Screen printing: Chromatic Graphics in Westbury (516) 338-1993 A+
This was totally my sister’s idea!! She thought of giving our guests a beer mug, since Brett is such a huge beer drinker and the mug is so sporty, it really fit in with our theme. We were looking at different online stores for mugs to get them screen printed or engraved…and then one day my sister was in the Dollar Tree and came across these huge 20 oz. glass beer mugs!! Jackpot!!! She bought 80 of them for me, and then looked into getting them screen printed with our monogram that she designed (which of course, has a little baseball reference in it with the baseball diamond!). Then we planned on filling them with peanuts and cracker jack!

We sent them to Chromatic Graphics, and Shawn helped us out. He was very friendly and helpful. When we dropped off the mugs, we got to check out the factory and see how it’s done. It was pretty cool! The turnaround time was about 2 weeks.

I bought shiny white tulle from Joann Fabric and my sister Laura helped cut them into pieces. We filled little individual bags of peanuts and crackers jack, wrapped them around the tulle, and tied it with a navy organdy bow, including our cute little favor tag designed by my sister Shannon!

These were a hot item at the wedding! I meant for guests to take one per couple or one per single guest- didn't happen! Some people might have walked away without one because of greedy people!

Cracker Jacks: Nationwide Candy
So cheap! Customer service emailed me to tell me it was out of stock and asked me when I needed them. I responded but never heard back from them. Finally I called them and they said it was coming. Whew. Mom got huge bags of peanuts at Costco.

Cake Black Forest Bakery B
I met with Tommy, hoping to find a classy way to incorporate our Yankee theme into our cake. I was pretty specific about keeping it classy- not silly. Last thing I wanted was for it to look more like a birthday cake with silly baseball figurines and mini baseballs and whatnot! We talked about having pinstripes lace the cake- but it would have been $200 extra for that process since it required fondant incing. So we decided to go with navy ribbon around the bottom tiers, and lacing reminiscent of the Yankee Stadium façade around the tops. I can't take credit for the facade idea - that came from StealthGroom! Thanks Russ!

Here's a pic of what we're talkin' bout

Needless to say I was SHOCKED to see a ribbon of baseballs around the bottom of two tiers!!! We never agreed to that. I guess he didn’t remember my wish to keep it classy and simple. I was not happy with this…but what could I do? The lacing looked pretty cool but I doubt anyone got the façade reference. Oh well. At least the cake tasted great! We had yellow cake with chocolate mousse and canoli filling.

Cake Topper: Jayne Williams Wedding Collections B+
Of course I wanted a Yankee themed topper! There were so many different styles of toppers out there- I never wanted to go too cartoonish or silly – or too expensive. So I went with a more traditionally styled topper with Yankee elements and this is what we got. You can customize hair color, style, add pets, customize to your profession or hobbies…so we just got both of us in Yankee hats and a pennant! And I changed the dress to strapless and gave myself hair color a little bit closer to mine. I ordered at a busy time but they didn’t keep me waiting all that long! I must say though- NOT worth what we spent. For one thing, the cake topper you can buy for $3 at Party City or AC Moore. I can’t imagine that the customization costs that much more…kind of ridiculous. It is also TINY. But we still loved it!

Musical Theme
Incorporating the Yankees was easy….and how else can you get Bon Jovi involved but use their music whenever you can! The first few songs are not by Bon Jovi, but we had reasons for choosing them. Here’s the breakdown:
Parents/Family entrance into reception: “2001: A Space Odyssey” from the Elvis: Aloha from Hawaii soundtrack Brett and his Dad are huge Elvis fans, and this is the music Elvis used to make his entrance when he performed live. His Dad got such a kick out of it and was beaming.
BP Entrance: Another diversion from Bon Jovi – “Ready 4 This” by 2 Unlimited. This is the music that plays every time the Yankees take the field. And our BP was announced as players in the lineup!

Here comes the Bon Jovi musical theme!
Our Entrance: Short drum into from “Lay Your Hands on Me” straight into “Livin’ on a Prayer.” The drum intro was Brett’s idea, and we felt “Prayer” was the most uplifting, get the party going of all their songs. And of course, it’s appropriate to the day!
Non pro pic - but probably the best one of our intro out there!

The arch

First Dance: “Thank You for Loving Me.” Probably the one Bon Jovi song made for weddings! Brett had used the words in a card on our first Valentine’s Day. Funny thing is, when the song first came out (about a year before I met Brett), I dreamed of it someday being my wedding song but I had thought, puhleaze, I’m not gonna meet a guy that will even consider using a Bon Jovi song for a second. Oh my, could I have been more wrong?! It was such a beautiful, emotional moment for us. I would say this was the most emotional I’d seen Brett all day. We sang the whole song to each other.

Cake Cutting: Took me ages to come up with this one! Probably the most random and obscure of songs, but we got a kick out of it. It’s called “Captain Crash and the Beauty Queen from Mars.” It’s about a crazy couple, and yeah, we’re a crazy couple so it fit! It’s a really upbeat, silly song and they list lots of famous couples toward the end of the song, i.e. Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio (how perfect!), Liz Taylor and Richard Harris, Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart…. We also had fun doing the ‘swing’ which is what their fans always do when the song is played live. We sang the whole darn song and I’m sure our photographers were probably aching for us to finally pose and smile!!

here's some people doing the swing with us! The kids were doin' it too- wish they were in the pic!

Bouquet Toss: “Raise Your Hands.” I thought it was a pretty good choice! Unfortunately we had a very small contingent of single women- and all but one refused to come up. So it was just up to my three nieces and one 30-something. The best part? The bouquet got caught in the ceiling! They got it down and I had to do it all over again and make sure I threw it a bit lower!
The bo-k landed right about where you see it! And it didn't come down! Check out my FG!

How funny is this shot?

Garter Removal: I got the giggles when I came up with this one. “Lay Your Hands on Me.” Unfortunately the timing was off with the song and the joke was lost. The important thing though is that Brett got such a kick out of the three garters and the sneakers!

Spotlight Dance: It was very hard to give up this song as a first dance…but we felt the one we went with was more wedding appropriate. This song though, makes me think of when we first met, as the album “Bounce” was released a few months after. It’s called “You Had Me From Hello,” and every time I hear the lyric “The first time I saw you, it felt like coming home,” all I can think of was the first day I saw him at the airport when we finally met in person. No lyric could ring more true! I was so glad we had this moment to dance alone.
Here we are singing to each other as usual

Final Song: The final dance was to “Never Say Goodbye,” an all-time favorite of ours. But of course, the final song HAD to be “New York New York” by Frank Sinatra. It is always played as the crowd is leaving Yankee Stadium at the end of a game, so there was no doubt we had to do that at the end of our game as well!
I was SO SAD when they announced the song!!

And does it surprise you that some people started to do the kickline to NY NY? Brett & I did but those pics weren't so hot- we were clueless!

Bridal Party Announcements (A Very Special Surprise for Brett): Bob Sheppard, Yankees Public Address Announcer – PRICELESS!!!!!!! A+++++++++ to infinity!!!!!
I did a search on LIW for Yankee wedding themes and came across an old post that mentioned Bob Sheppard, the legendary Yankees Public Address announcer, could record your BP announcements. I HAD to find out about this. DH and I always do our Bob Sheppard impressions and he’s just as much a part of the team to us! So I just wrote Mr. Sheppard a letter, telling him what huge fans we are and that the Yankees are the reason we met in the first place AND that we’re season ticket holders. About a month & a half later, I heard from his son. He asked me a bunch of questions about my wedding, and then gave me the info on the whole process. I sent Mr. Sheppard a tape with his script, and he sent it back to me PRONTO! I can not even TELL you how cool this was. To hear that legendary voice saying my bridal party and our names…it was like being at a game!! SO FRIGGIN’ COOL! When it was shipped to my mom’s, I made her play it for me over the phone. She just didn’t get my excitement but was still happy (Yankee fanaticism does NOT run in my family by t he way haha. Just me and my stepbrother & his son!). When I finally was able to visit, I played it about 5 times!

We waited outside the room as the recording was played, and unfortunately, Brett was not able to hear it all that well. He did get to hear the recording later on and was very excited about it. I knew not every guest would know who Bob Sheppard was, but those that did went NUTS over this. People were just blown away that we were able to make this happen. It was SO worth it!!! Just make sure if you get this done, have your DJ make sure the volume is up- I did hear a comment that it could have been louder.
Here's a pic of me trying to explain to Brett what was going on

The other night he was listening to the recording non stop and then he was reciting it! So while the surprise wasn't what I thought it would be, it was still worth it....our guests are still flipping over it to this day.

If you’re interested in doing this, just send him a letter telling him you'd like him to record the announcements at your wedding. I would also mention your wedding date and where you're having it.

Send the letter to:

Bob Sheppard
Public Address Announcer
c/o Yankee Stadium
Bronx, NY 10452
(there's no street name needed)

Make sure you leave your phone # on the letter and his son will give you a call!

Being Saturday ticket plan holders in the bleachers, we had to miss a home game on our wedding day. But having Bob Sheppard's voice with us that day was the next best thing. And, as some of you may already know, A Rod hit his 500th homer on our wedding day!!

Both Brett & I had the game on when we were getting pics done...Brett saw it, I missed it. I did see the replay a couple minutes after it happened and I flipped out!

Feel free to FM if you'd like to hear a recording of it- or see a video of our announcements from the wedding!

GettinHutched Posted:

Re: We got Hutched! Our crazy Yankee Theme Wedding review – with CLM, Duet, High Voltage, Lillette’s and more!

DJ: High Voltage Sounds Overall success of reception: A
Nitpicky stuff : B
Grade Average – B+

Vinny was the second DJ I met with. His prices are just unbeatable. I really felt he was on the same wavelength as us, regarding our musical tastes. I loved his laid back and honest demeanor, and that he wasn’t your typical cheesy DJ. Booked him on the spot!! When I had my final meeting with him, I had to explain the crazy intros and he was more than happy to make it work! He was on crutches at the time, but was still working hard.
Fast forward to the Tuesday before the wedding. I go to CLM to drop off everything for the reception. Nick tells me he had some not-so-good news for me – Vinny was in the hospital with a blood clot. He told me there was a possibility Vinny would not make the reception and I totally understood. He reassured me that if Pete were to fill in for him, it would be just as fabulous. I just found it a bit odd I had to hear it from my banquet manager. Nick told me that Vinny should be coming out of the hospital in a day or two, so I figured I’d let Vinny contact me to confirm. In my mind, his health came first and if he had to send a replacement, it was totally fine by me, just as long as Pete understood the specifics that I worked so hard on.

I saw that he was posting to the vendors board a few days before the wedding, so I assumed he was home and that I’d hear from him. I didn’t. I simply assumed he’d be DJing my wedding at this point.

Fast forward to the big day. I don’t see Vinny. The intros are done, we sit down, and Pete comes up to me to confirm who will be doing the toasts. I ask about Vinny and he says “He told you he wasn’t coming, didn’t he?” And I said “No, he didn’t. I just heard from Nick that he was in the hospital.”

Pete most certainly did a great job- he definitely kept the party going and was excellent with music selection. He followed my lists to the letter. But here’s where I get nit picky. Music is my life so naturally I’m going to be a bit more critical than the typical person. Our Bon Jovi musical theme was just as well thought-out as our Yankee theme, and I had it all laid out with specific instructions. Call me anal, but I took the time.

When we entered to “Livin’ on a Prayer” I wanted the song to start at a specific time when we walked in – avoiding the sad feel of the verses and going straight to the fun and hopeful chorus. I actually listed the time (it was probably a minute or two into it). Pete missed this. Okay, no biggie. Who knows but me. It just felt odd and the song ended so abruptly. Wasn’t a very smooth transition.

Vinny and I had discussed at length how to space out all of the different events- parent dances, spotlight dance, garter, etc….it was all listed there and Pete didn’t follow it. Again, no one noticed but me and it turned out fine in the end.

To me the big mistake was the garter. I listed specifically at what point in the song it should begin. The song starts with a drum intro that lasts about a minute and thirty seconds, which we actually used as underscoring to Bob Sheppard’s announcement of our names. For the garter, I wanted the song started at the chorus – hence, the joke – “Lay Your Hands on Me.” Duh. Well, he started it at the very beginning and by the time Brett removed the garters, the chorus finally began. The joke was lost. Again, SO nitpicky. But annoying to me because I was so specific and laid it all out there for him to follow. And on top of that, Pete’s assistant had the chair facing toward the front of the room rather than the back, so maybe 4 tables got to see what was going on as my back was turned to them. If everything wasn’t happening so fast, I would have fixed it. Then again, it might not have been his fault- I would think my maitre’d would be in charge of that but he went ahead and did it for her.

These disappointments are all very minor and pretty meaningless to my guests. We got amazing compliments from guests on the music selection and how much fun they had- and that’s what matters. But I’m sure you can understand how frustrating it is to put the work in to have things done a certain way and they’re not followed. I can’t totally blame Pete on this….this is what you get when you play a game of Telephone. You tell one person, and then they pass it on to the next and it’s just not the same. Vinny knew that having him personally DJing our wedding was important to me- and yes, emergencies happen and I can’t fault him on that. I just think he could have handled it more professionally- perhaps by calling me or having Pete call me to go over things so that I was reassured.

I would still recommend High Voltage- they know how to put on a good party.

No matter what- you can tell from these pics we were dancing all night! Thanks to Diane (BunnyBride) for these awesome dancing shots!!

Kids doing 'Cotton Eye Joe' - of course we had to play a staple at Yankee Stadium!

Here's the pro pics:

Gee, I wonder if you can guess what song we're singing

Oh my I have a big mouth- but ya gotta open it wide to sing 'WOAAAAHHH'

Yes, my niece thinks she invented break dancing.

Playing air guitar with their sashes

Brett dancing with his best men's wives.

Out of Town Guest Hotel: Best Western Bar Harbour Inn, Massapequa Park A
I was very concerned about the high hotel rates in August for our out of town guests. Brett’s immediate family and a few friends of his live in the South, where these rates are just unheard of. I figured they were spending enough to make the trip up here, they shouldn’t have to break the bank just to sleep for a few nights! Best Western was just steps away from the church and soooo close to CLM. The only downside, they don’t provide a shuttle (oh yeah, and it’s not the fanciest hotel either) and we felt it was important to provide one. We did get a great rate for our guests, so it was worth it. Setting up a hotel block was very unconventional in comparison to the fancier hotels (i.e. the Hilton, the Marriot) – you just give you name, you tell them how many rooms you need. No contract. It was frustrating getting in touch with people now and then, but what can you do – you get what you pay for.

I dropped off the OOT guest bags the Thursday before the wedding, and the woman behind the desk was very friendly and helpful. I left her a list of everyone who should receive one, and left extra directions and shuttle information. I’m sure if she was behind the desk when my guests arrived, they would receive a bag.

Didn’t always happen. Many of my guests had to request them. It sure depended on who was behind the desk! Diane (BunnyBride) actually received the wrong gift bag from another wedding!

I was glad that they upgraded Brett & I to one of the nicer, larger rooms in the main section of the hotel. All of our guests were happy with their stay – and we certainly saved them a ton of money.

OOT Gift Bags okay I’ll give myself a B+
At this point I was so over DIYing it that I really took this one down a notch. My mom ran to AC Moore when she saw there was a 4 for $1 sale on 8x10 gift bags. She got the silver which was my secondary color anyway. Silver is obviously similar to gray- and gray is the Yankees road uniform color . That’s when I came up with the line “To the Visting Team!” for the welcome card. We filled them with 2 bottles of water, 2 bags of Chex Party Mix, 3 granola bars and Life Saver Mints. Also included directions and shuttle info.
My sister designed the cute favor tags, and the poem is courtesy of LIW of course.

Here's a closeup of the tag my sister created:

Shuttle Service: TranStar Executive International Transportation Services A++++++++
P.O. Box 2574
North Babylon, NY 11703
Phone: 800-894-STAR(7827)
www.tranexec.com
When I was going on the endless search for affordable shuttles for hotel guests to and from reception, Jennifer (LuvMyAlfonse) FMed me and told me about her family’s car service company. Hands down, the BEST deal. And excellent service of course! Jenn was just awesome in the process.

Our guests were very happy. The shuttles were always on the time and the drivers were friendly. I’m sad we never got to check them out!

When we finally made it back to the hotel, my FIL told us he left his camcorder on the shuttle! I called the company and the guy that answered the phone offered to drop it off at the hotel the next morning since my ILs were leaving that day. Again, they went above and beyond. Thank you Jennifer!!!

If you need a shuttle company, go with TranStar!!!

Reception: Chateau La Mer A++++ to infinity!!!!!!!!
After reading countless amazing reviews, I began to fall in love with CLM. I loved that it was on the water, I was too excited about the boat ride, and it was not too far from the church. My heart was just set on having our wedding there, just based on the reviews and pictures I saw on LIW!! I also knew it was affordable. We visited and met with Nick, who is just an awesome guy. Brett loved the place, Mom loved the place…no doubt about it, we wanted it. I tried to get an appointment with Fox Hollow and they would never return my calls…so we just went with CLM without going anywhere else! We originally planned on a Saturday day wedding, but they only had the upstairs room available, which had a very early reception start time. That meant no church wedding. That meant Mom goes nuts. LOL. So she pushed me to ask Nick about Saturday night availability and rates. I was SCARED. Never in a million years did I think Brett & I could afford a Saturday night wedding- never considered it for a second!! But for everything you get at CLM, and considering all of our out-of-towners, it was so worth it! Compared to other places and their Saturday night rates, it is a STEAL!!! We booked the day of the food tasting and I was just so darn happy!! From then on, I just had to pray for NO RAIN so we could get that boat ride!!! Brett just loves boats, and I really wanted that moment for us. Only thing that concerned me was that we were booked in the upstairs room – granted, we were having a smaller guest list than your typical large wedding, so we were more suited to that room. But I had hoped it wouldn’t be too tight in there. I felt the ceilings were kind of low. But after going to TWOTY, I was so happy my wedding would be upstairs. Being a guest in the gorgeous atrium room, I realized our wedding wouldn’t have the intimate feel I was going for, and that the upstairs room would be just right for us!

Leading up to the wedding, with menu finalization and my countless emails- Lou and Nick just plain rocked! I love those guys! They are a bunch of ‘yes’ guys- whatever you want, they’ll do it!!

We arrived on the big day, immediately greeted by Nick, our Maitre’d Monika and Bridal Attendant Jess. Nick was more than happy to allow us to get there earlier than planned for pics.

First, we took some pics in the empty room all set up.

They were so fabulous the minute we walked in. Monika was on top of everything, and Jess was always there. Brett never had to ask for a beer- EVER. Oh boy did he love that.

Here's some pics on the docks:

The boat ride was just amazing – we had the most perfect day for it! Our guests were just blown away by the entrance- and so were we! I still can’t get over how cool that moment is, when the boat turns around and you see all your guests waiting for you on the docks! Just another reason CLM is out of this world!

Heading to the boat

Monika had everyone ready for their intros and coordinated it perfectly. Jess was so helpful and sweet- luckly she only had to escort me to the bathroom once- and hell, my dress was easy, I probably didn’t even need her! She was right on time for my little ‘sneaker’ surprise for Brett and snuck me into the suite to change into my sneakers. Always right on the ball!

The service was just phenomenal for everyone. The cocktail hour was unbelievable- not that we really got to enjoy it but our guests, especially those from out of town, could not get over the amount of food. None of them could imagine that dinner was on its way in a few hours! For dinner, they offered us a platter sampler of all of the entrees on our menu. The food was just incredible.

I honestly cannot recommend CLM highly enough. I still can’t get over how perfect they made our day. I want to do it all over again!!!

Not that you need to see more- and most of what is posted is in my album, but here it is.
Album

Thank You Cards Vistaprint B+
Here's our thank you card I designed in PowerPoint. You think I'd have learned with my first experience with Vistaprint...again they have tons of pop up screens asking you to add more to your order. Well I didn't read it carefully and ordered 100 extra! Oops! Luckily they returned half of the charge to my credit card and I still got all 200 cuz it was already shipped. It was shipped very quickly- but the DHL delivery guy delivered it to our back entrance which we never go to- so it was out overnight in the rain! The cards could have been in worse condition- just a little damp but they dried up okay. But I must say- good thing I got 200 instead of 100 - half of them were completely messed up. I really should have spent the extra bucks and went with Shutterfly.

Honeymoon Excellence Riviera Cancun A++++++
Originally I wasn’t thrilled that we were returning to Cancun when we had already stayed there for Spring Break in 2006. What can I say, we had to stick with a budget so Hawaii was out of the question. But this time we chose a gorgeous resort tailored to Honeymooners. Wow. This place was spectacular. Gorgeous grounds, pools that meander around everything, amazing service, awesome restaurants. As we were escorted to our room, we were given an overview of the place and all it had to offer. Our room was huge and included a Jacuzzi inside and a balcony with an ocean view. The safety lock box was digital- no keys to worry about! A stocked mini bar – included! – with soda, water, beer or anything you care to request. Eight restaurants, all different cuisines – Mexican, Steak, Lobster, Asian, French, Italian, Mediterranean. Amazing breakfast buffet. Non stop bar service – and loads of bars all over the place. And our favorite, the swim up bar! Lots of activities during the day – Brett played volleyball every day and I tried the aquaerobics a few times. The entertainment staff were a hoot - don't miss Cocktail Lessons! (you'll see what we mean ). We made lots of friends and had such a blast. We never made it to the spa but heard it was out of this world. They also have a resort in Punta Cana and are opening plenty more- check them out!
Link to Honeymoon Pics

Thank you everyone for reading my mammoth review (although I'm sure most of you skimmed it- I don't blame you! )! And most importantly, thank you for sharing in the planning of our big day. I honestly could NOT have done this without LIW and the wonderful ladies I've met along the way!

Erica48 Posted:

Re: We got Hutched! Our crazy Yankee Theme Wedding review – with CLM, Duet, High Voltage, Lillette’s and more!

Congrats Tara!!! great review!! you looked beautiful!!

GettinHutched Posted:

Re: We got Hutched! Our crazy Yankee Theme Wedding review – with CLM, Duet, High Voltage, Lillette’s and more!

Posted by Erica48

Congrats Tara!!! great review!! you looked beautiful!!

did you notice I gave you a shout-out? You were the one that directed me to eweddings after all!

GinaZ Posted:

Re: We got Hutched! Our crazy Yankee Theme Wedding review – with CLM, Duet, High Voltage, Lillette’s and more!

congrats! Thank you for such a great review!!! You looked great!!!

ksl268 Posted:

Re: We got Hutched! Our crazy Yankee Theme Wedding review – with CLM, Duet, High Voltage, Lillette’s and more!

Congratulations!!!!!!!!!! Great review

ama1771 Posted:

Re: We got Hutched! Our crazy Yankee Theme Wedding review – with CLM, Duet, High Voltage, Lillette’s and more!

beautiful pics! Congrats and thanks for the review!

BunnyBride Posted:

Re: We got Hutched! Our crazy Yankee Theme Wedding review – with CLM, Duet, High Voltage, Lillette’s and more!

Yippee!! Fantastic review Tara!!

mkc56 Posted:

Re: We got Hutched! Our crazy Yankee Theme Wedding review – with CLM, Duet, High Voltage, Lillette’s and more!

Great review, thanks for sharing!!

twinkle164 Posted:

Re: We got Hutched! Our crazy Yankee Theme Wedding review – with CLM, Duet, High Voltage, Lillette’s and more!

Congratulations great wedding! Everything looks wonderful.

kitty1224 Posted:

Re: We got Hutched! Our crazy Yankee Theme Wedding review – with CLM, Duet, High Voltage, Lillette’s and more!

Great Review, Tara. Congrats

laural2979 Posted:

Re: We got Hutched! Our crazy Yankee Theme Wedding review – with CLM, Duet, High Voltage, Lillette’s and more!

Wow Tara! What a wonderful review. I can't wait to see all of your pro pics.

magbride Posted:

Re: We got Hutched! Our crazy Yankee Theme Wedding review – with CLM, Duet, High Voltage, Lillette’s and more!

Great review! You looked beautiful!

LICARRIE Posted:

Re: We got Hutched! Our crazy Yankee Theme Wedding review – with CLM, Duet, High Voltage, Lillette’s and more!

wow thanks what a great review. And you got married when the yankees made history. A-Rod 500 Awesome.

Regal Beagle Posted:

Re: We got Hutched! Our crazy Yankee Theme Wedding review – with CLM, Duet, High Voltage, Lillette’s and more!

What a great review. You did amazing job keeping it classy and adding a sort of boyish theme

My FI wanted a football theme, but here ws no way I could pull that off!

I wish I was at your wedding! You looked like you had such a great time. I am sure your guests thought it was the best wedding they have ever been to. You looked so prettty and happy.

Congrats!

kahlua716 Posted:

Re: We got Hutched! Our crazy Yankee Theme Wedding review – with CLM, Duet, High Voltage, Lillette’s and more!

Your wedding looks like it was AWESOME!!!

Thanks for the thorough and timely review!

I wish I would've stayed with Deacon Flood. . .we originally had him, then requested a specific priest who has since left the parish, and now we have the 'new guy' who is on vacation the entire month of August.

Anyway, you looked beautiful!

Congratulations!

SB7308 Posted:

Re: We got Hutched! Our crazy Yankee Theme Wedding review – with CLM, Duet, High Voltage, Lillette’s and more!

Great review!!!! Can't wait to see the pro pics!! Congrats again!!

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