Vendor Reviews
I’m a teacher, so none of that A++++++++ stuff. A simple grading scale: A, B, C, D, F (with plusses and minuses)
Venue: Venuti’s Banquets, Addison, IL: A+: Never in a million years could we have imagined what an amazing venue Venuti’s was to work with. From the moment we walked in and spoke with Frank, we were in love. From the gorgeous location to the fact that each and every detail was taken care of in house made our wedding day absolutely perfect. They worked with us on so many aspects, from staying within our budget to amazing food. Some of my favorite features:
- Guest’s choice meal option: Instead of choosing a meal for our wedding months in advance, guests had the option of three meals as they sat down at our event. It was only slightly more expensive (like, $3 a person) than having only one option or a pairing, and our guests were blown away at not only the option, but the quality of the food as well. Most guests said it was the best wedding food they’d ever had.
- Service: There was one server for every two tables, plus a separate server for the head table. Not only did they take care of bringing the food, but during dinner, they served drinks from the bar. No one was ever waiting for a course more than about 5 minutes, and no one had to get up to go to the bar. In addition, the soup and salad courses were not only freshly made, but the wonderful servers dressed the salads table side, and served the soup fresh from a heated cart.
- Convenience: Usually, brides are stressed out with making all sorts of tiny details for their wedding. At Venuti’s, all I had to do was bring the supplies for my centerpieces, show them how I wanted them to look, and they took care of everything. Menu cards were also completely taken care of, as well as the set-up of our place cards, guest book, ceremony, and bridal suite. It helped make the day as stress-free as possible.
- Top Shelf Bar: There was no other option, and it was a nice surprise for guests, as most are used to lower-shelf liquor at weddings!
- Odd requests: We had 5 kids meals, 3 kosher meals brought in, a challah (bread) that we made and brought in to be warmed and served, and not one thing was looked at with a scoff or giggle. Everything was accommodated without one issue or problem.
Photographer: Dale Jewell, A+ (pending photos): Dale was appealing from day one, mostly due to his affordable pricing, but once we met him, there was a lot more there. He’s a very traditional wedding photographer who has done well with adjusting to the more “photojournalistic” style that many people like now. He had no idea what he was getting into with my crazy goofy family and friends, but he kept his camera clicking all night, and spent nearly 10 hours with us. He came early for some “getting ready” pictures, then during the ceremony we didn’t even know he was there. When we took our “formal” pictures, he made sure to take some fun and silly ones as well, and took at least 3 shots of each group. I believe he left our reception sometime around 11:00 p.m.
DJ: Matt from AllSounds DJ Productions (Now part of MDM Entertainment) A+: Matt is one of my coworker’s brothers, and at first, I was skeptical about hiring someone so close as a vendor for our wedding. Once we met with him though, we realized that not only was he going to be great for our wedding, but someone I’d recommend to friends as well. He’s a younger guy with similar taste in music as us, so when we asked for a Beatles song as our recessional, he didn’t bat an eye. System of a Down for our reception entrance? No problem! Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd during dinner? He asked which albums. We had different songs for each set of parents at the reception, and it wasn’t an issue in the least.
Florist: Mary from Bride’s Choice Wedding Flowers A+: Again, Mary was a recommendation from a friend I really trust. She said “Seriously, check her out, she does just as good of a job as many of the “trendy” places for half the money.” So I looked into it, and she was right. I brought her a few ideas, and our wedding flowers were exactly as I’d imagined. She used all the colors I’d requested, and my bouquet is just as gorgeous 3 days later as it was when I got it out of its box.
Officiant: Rabbi Mark Covitz, Congregation Beth Tikvah A+: We met with Rabbi Covitz back in July when he first took his position at the synagogue we’d joined in our neighborhood. We were thrilled that not only we got along with him, but in the end, he performed a wonderful ceremony that we and all our guests enjoyed!
Attire: Mori Lee Style 6134, purchased from House of Brides Schaumburg B+: I went to House of Brides to check out one gown I’d seen online and was rather obsessed with. Unfortunately, it didn’t look as good on me as it did in the ad (go figure). BUT, a friend of a friend suggested I meet with one particular consultant (whose name escapes me at the moment) who was particularly kind to “plus sized” brides. She helped me pull dresses she thought would look good, squeezed me into some of them and pinned others to fit. Somehow, my perfect dress was a whopping $320, and my veil was free. Why the lower grade? Well, in a moment of panic, I was convinced my dress didn’t fit anymore, and I went back to House of Brides (where my dress was being stored) to try it on. I waited for 20 minutes only to have them tell me that since I didn’t have an appointment, I couldn’t try on the dress in a fitting room. I managed to get the woman up front to agree to let me use one of the “bridesmaid” dressing rooms, and my friend helped me into (and out of) my dress. It was just unnecessary stress.
Alterations: Svetlana at European Tailor Shop, Barrington, A: A good friend of mine had a very similar dress to mine for her wedding, which needed similar alterations as mine. She raved about Svetlana, and I decided to go with her suggestion for alterations. I can’t even believe what an amazing job she did. All the alterations on the top of my dress were done by hand, the hem was reinforced with thick banding so it wouldn’t tear, and she did a beautiful combination French/English bustle. The only reason I’m not giving an A+ is because the button loops for the bustle tore halfway through the night, and I was left holding my train, but in all, the alterations were amazing.
Men’s Attire: Black Tie Formalwear, Schaumburg, A: These were the easiest guys to work with. We went in, picked what we wanted, the guys called in their measurements, and the groom’s tux was free! The only snafu was that one groomsman was given the wrong shirt, but it was fixed immediately, and they discounted the shoe rental as a concession.
Jewelry: Steve Omilinsky (my dad!) A+: No, I’m not biased at all 
Seriously though, when I found out that my dad (a jeweler, obviously) had made my engagement ring, I was thrilled. When he offered to make our wedding bands, I was even more thrilled! Since they’re not mass-produced, and were custom made, no one else will EVER have the same rings as we do!
Hairstyling: Nicole and Nicole from A Cut Above A+: I met “the Nicoles” through a mutual friend, and when I found out that they both did hair, I immediately scheduled a trial. Nicole V. did my hair for the wedding, and it was exactly as I’d imagined. All the girls’ hair looked amazing, and held up through the whole night. Their prices were reasonable, they traveled to me, and they did a fantastic job. I’d unconditionally recommend them!
Hotel Block: Hilton Garden Inn, Addison C-/D+: The rooms at this hotel were great, well cleaned, and had comfortable beds. But, we had nothing but problems with them from the time the first guest checked in! We were told that our rooms were $89/night. All the guests got charged different amounts from the correct $89 all the way up to $120 per night. They mis-charged my credit card, overcharged my sister, double charged another friend, and they were far from cooperative when it came to correcting it. I wouldn’t recommend this hotel for a block of rooms!
Accessories: This isn’t a straight-up review, as my and my bridesmaids accessories came from all over the place. I used Peach Couture for the bridesmaid’s pashmina wraps and their free shipping coupon and quick service made it a great transaction. The bridesmaids’ jewelry was custom made by a friend of mine with semiprecious beads and pearls, and each girl’s was slightly different. My jewelry was from NewOutlet.com and also was just what I’d imagined. Other accessories were heirlooms. My shoes were dyeables from David’s Bridal, and while a perfect color, they weren’t nearly as comfortable as I’d like. They came off before the reception!
That’s it for now. I’ll post more as I think of them!
