Before the Wedding - Vendor Reviews
While most of the reviews usually come after the wedding so you can see the final product, I think a review of first impressions/initial meetings is a good idea too.
Pizazz Wedding Boutique - Aberdeen, MD. Grade: A
I searched a long time to find my dress. Pizazz didn't have it in stock but they could order it. I didn't know it at the time, but I had contacted Brenda (the owner) on the day that her mother died after a long illness. Brenda was professional and helpful and I had no idea what had happened. I set an appointment for the following weekend and went to try on dresses. Once again Brenda was really helpful even though the store was pretty crowded with people getting dresses. I called the store during the month that my dress was to arrive and after speaking with Brenda, she contacted the designer and called me back within 20 minutes to let me know my dress was shipped and would be at her store in less than a week.
Fiore Winery - Pylesville, MD. Grade: C+
Even though we are no longer using this venue, I thought a review was appropriate. Booking the venue was the first wedding related thing that we did. On our initial meeting we looked at the location and I asked the girl working a ton of questions and she had answers to everything. A few days later we booked the venue. When I called to ask a question I was bounced around to different people who didn't seem quite sure what they did for weddings. Months later we decided to visit the venue again to get an idea of how to set things up. I was told that because the wedding was in the evening we would pay an extra $25 per hour that we initially were told we didn't have to pay. Then I was told that everyone could fit in one room but it had to be first room, not the one we wanted. I called again and was given different answers about the information on our contract. Finally, I spoke with Mike C, the salesperson and seemed to get a final answer from someone who knew what they were talking about. He made me feel comfortable with our decisions and immediately faxed over our contract to me with changes on it, stating the correct price and that we were not required to pay the $25 per hour for an evening wedding.
Honestly, I'm not sure what would have happened if we chose to have the wedding there. Maybe it would work out and maybe it wouldn't. The winery is gorgeous but they are very hands-off when it comes to the planning. Its almost as though they just want the money without really being involved. I wouldn't let this review sway someone from choosing Fiore, but I would suggest that most communication go through Mike since he seemed the most organized and willing to work with customers.
Cards & Pockets (Invitations & Paper) - www.cardsandpockets.com Grade: A++
I found this company by reading reviews on the message boards of theknot.com. Once I decided that pocketfolds were in our budget I knew I wanted to order from there. I ordered a sample and it arrived 3 days later. I was impressed.
When it came time to order the pieces for the invitations, I wasn't worried at all. I placed the order during one of their rare sales and 3 or 4 days later everything arrived in perfect condition. When we made the decision to change the venue I knew I would need to order more precut invitations. I ordered them on the Tuesday before a holiday weekend and they arrived that Friday. For a very small company, they are efficient! I know its silly, but the personal touch of writing "thank you" and signing their names on the packing slips is something that I appreciate. I couldn't be happier with the service, prices and selection.
Unforgettable Moments (Shoes) - www.unforgettablemoments.com Grade: A
Finding shoes that fit me isn't always easy. I am flat footed so I don't have an arch and I have really skinny ankles. I purchased the Jackie shoe from Unforgettable Moments in the Fuschia color. The color matched the one on my screen exactly and the shoe is really comfortable. I've walked around the house in them for 2 hours and they don't bother me. The price was also great, $50. One thing that bugged me is I emailed them and said how pleased I was with the shoe, service, shipping, etc. and I never received anything back. I wasn't looking for a coupon or anything fancy, just a "We're glad you appreciate our work." Oh well.
Reed's Jewelers, White Marsh Mall (Engagement ring & bands) - Grade: B-
I looked at a few rings to figure out what style I liked when Tom and I first started talking about it. I really liked the sales associate Maria. She wasn't pushy and she helped me choose between a few settings that I really liked. Luckily, Maria was there the day that I showed Tom the ring.
My ring is a vintage style and because of the setting for the diamond chips, they are more likely to come out. Our first issue with a diamond happened 2 days after Tom had proposed and we were at his grandfathers funeral. His sister asked to see my ring and when I held out my hand I noticed that the main diamond wasn't there. We found it on the floor. Obviously we were pretty upset when we took the ring back in. Tim, the store manager, apologized and said he would send out the ring to be fixed immediately. We also got a free inspection. Six months later, it was time for my ring to be inspected. I brought it in, they said everything was fine, and the next day I noticed that one of the diamond chips was missing. I took it back in and they sent it out to be fixed. About a year ago, I had my ring rhodium plated again. Two days later another diamond was missing. I took the ring back, they sent it to the factory and it was fixed. Earlier this month (August 2010) I took my ring in to have it rhodium plated again so it would match my wedding band. I picked up my ring and it was fine, but before I made it back to work (a 10 minute drive), I noticed that now two of the small diamond chips had fallen out. At this point I was pretty livid. I work in an office, I don't shower or clean with my ring on. I wear it to sit at my desk and type for the most part. I couldn't believe that with less than a month until the wedding this was happening. We called and Tim told me to bring the ring back in and the issue would be resolved. When I came back in, we agreed that because the factory that does the repair work is located in Tennessee and Tim can't be 100% sure of their quality of work, my ring would no longer go there. Tim has a jeweler with 30 years of experience that is local. I agreed to start sending my ring to this new jeweler for any issues.
At first I wanted to give Reed's a really bad review for all of the issues we've had, but it doesn't seem fair to do so if they are constantly fixing whatever issues arise. Sure, I'd love to have a ring that doesn't require this much maintenance, but I love the style of my ring and I don't want to change it.
Pizazz Wedding Boutique - Aberdeen, MD. Grade: A
I searched a long time to find my dress. Pizazz didn't have it in stock but they could order it. I didn't know it at the time, but I had contacted Brenda (the owner) on the day that her mother died after a long illness. Brenda was professional and helpful and I had no idea what had happened. I set an appointment for the following weekend and went to try on dresses. Once again Brenda was really helpful even though the store was pretty crowded with people getting dresses. I called the store during the month that my dress was to arrive and after speaking with Brenda, she contacted the designer and called me back within 20 minutes to let me know my dress was shipped and would be at her store in less than a week.
Fiore Winery - Pylesville, MD. Grade: C+
Even though we are no longer using this venue, I thought a review was appropriate. Booking the venue was the first wedding related thing that we did. On our initial meeting we looked at the location and I asked the girl working a ton of questions and she had answers to everything. A few days later we booked the venue. When I called to ask a question I was bounced around to different people who didn't seem quite sure what they did for weddings. Months later we decided to visit the venue again to get an idea of how to set things up. I was told that because the wedding was in the evening we would pay an extra $25 per hour that we initially were told we didn't have to pay. Then I was told that everyone could fit in one room but it had to be first room, not the one we wanted. I called again and was given different answers about the information on our contract. Finally, I spoke with Mike C, the salesperson and seemed to get a final answer from someone who knew what they were talking about. He made me feel comfortable with our decisions and immediately faxed over our contract to me with changes on it, stating the correct price and that we were not required to pay the $25 per hour for an evening wedding.
Honestly, I'm not sure what would have happened if we chose to have the wedding there. Maybe it would work out and maybe it wouldn't. The winery is gorgeous but they are very hands-off when it comes to the planning. Its almost as though they just want the money without really being involved. I wouldn't let this review sway someone from choosing Fiore, but I would suggest that most communication go through Mike since he seemed the most organized and willing to work with customers.
Cards & Pockets (Invitations & Paper) - www.cardsandpockets.com Grade: A++
I found this company by reading reviews on the message boards of theknot.com. Once I decided that pocketfolds were in our budget I knew I wanted to order from there. I ordered a sample and it arrived 3 days later. I was impressed.
When it came time to order the pieces for the invitations, I wasn't worried at all. I placed the order during one of their rare sales and 3 or 4 days later everything arrived in perfect condition. When we made the decision to change the venue I knew I would need to order more precut invitations. I ordered them on the Tuesday before a holiday weekend and they arrived that Friday. For a very small company, they are efficient! I know its silly, but the personal touch of writing "thank you" and signing their names on the packing slips is something that I appreciate. I couldn't be happier with the service, prices and selection.
Unforgettable Moments (Shoes) - www.unforgettablemoments.com Grade: A
Finding shoes that fit me isn't always easy. I am flat footed so I don't have an arch and I have really skinny ankles. I purchased the Jackie shoe from Unforgettable Moments in the Fuschia color. The color matched the one on my screen exactly and the shoe is really comfortable. I've walked around the house in them for 2 hours and they don't bother me. The price was also great, $50. One thing that bugged me is I emailed them and said how pleased I was with the shoe, service, shipping, etc. and I never received anything back. I wasn't looking for a coupon or anything fancy, just a "We're glad you appreciate our work." Oh well.
Reed's Jewelers, White Marsh Mall (Engagement ring & bands) - Grade: B-
I looked at a few rings to figure out what style I liked when Tom and I first started talking about it. I really liked the sales associate Maria. She wasn't pushy and she helped me choose between a few settings that I really liked. Luckily, Maria was there the day that I showed Tom the ring.
My ring is a vintage style and because of the setting for the diamond chips, they are more likely to come out. Our first issue with a diamond happened 2 days after Tom had proposed and we were at his grandfathers funeral. His sister asked to see my ring and when I held out my hand I noticed that the main diamond wasn't there. We found it on the floor. Obviously we were pretty upset when we took the ring back in. Tim, the store manager, apologized and said he would send out the ring to be fixed immediately. We also got a free inspection. Six months later, it was time for my ring to be inspected. I brought it in, they said everything was fine, and the next day I noticed that one of the diamond chips was missing. I took it back in and they sent it out to be fixed. About a year ago, I had my ring rhodium plated again. Two days later another diamond was missing. I took the ring back, they sent it to the factory and it was fixed. Earlier this month (August 2010) I took my ring in to have it rhodium plated again so it would match my wedding band. I picked up my ring and it was fine, but before I made it back to work (a 10 minute drive), I noticed that now two of the small diamond chips had fallen out. At this point I was pretty livid. I work in an office, I don't shower or clean with my ring on. I wear it to sit at my desk and type for the most part. I couldn't believe that with less than a month until the wedding this was happening. We called and Tim told me to bring the ring back in and the issue would be resolved. When I came back in, we agreed that because the factory that does the repair work is located in Tennessee and Tim can't be 100% sure of their quality of work, my ring would no longer go there. Tim has a jeweler with 30 years of experience that is local. I agreed to start sending my ring to this new jeweler for any issues.
At first I wanted to give Reed's a really bad review for all of the issues we've had, but it doesn't seem fair to do so if they are constantly fixing whatever issues arise. Sure, I'd love to have a ring that doesn't require this much maintenance, but I love the style of my ring and I don't want to change it.
