Brooklyn & New York Weddings

Fellow Brooklynites and friends of mine are attempting to plan a wedding in New York in less than six months. I wish them the best of luck and you can follow the details here. Their upcoming nuptials have me reminiscing about my own wedding just four short months ago. I'm sure that trying to plan a wedding on a budget in any city is difficult, but New York presents its own challenges--mainly because there are a ton of  great options in every category (from dresses to flowers to photographs). Here's a run-through of my choices and what I thought about them.

Location: Landmark on the Park, New York
Pros: One of the cheapest locations we checked out, especially considering that chairs, tables, a piano, a pipe organ, plus many other small details were included in the price. The venue, a gorgeous neo-gothic church, is yours for the day, and generally it's reserved the day before for deliveries. Most importantly, it's a stunning space, especially at night. And everyone enjoyed having the reception in the sanctuary. As well, the space manager is very laid-back.
Con: Everything went perfectly until we left the party. The security person left to close down (who we later learned had never closed before) got upset that sparklers were lit outside and nearly locked our party outside the church. He rushed around acting like a bouncer from a midtown nightclub, ordering everyone out. Lesson learned: Appoint someone as the contact person when you leave and make sure they know how long you have the venue reserved. We had it until 1am, but out party was kicked out at 12am.
Other venues considered: Loft 11 and 15, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Galapagos Art Space, St. Bartholomew's

Catering: Naturally Delicious, Brooklyn
Pros: The main planner, Loren, walked us through every step of the process. She suggested venues in our price range and gave many ideas on how to save money while not skimping on what's important. We ended up serving an absolutely delicious hot and cold buffet, which was topped off by the best tasting wedding cake I've ever sunk my fork into. No detail was overlooked. We spent the bulk of our money here, and it was worth every penny.
Con:  Good food and service isn't cheap. While I think we got a bargain considering the unparalleled quality, it still accounted for about 50 percent of our budget.
Other caterers considered:   The Movable Feast

Photography: Mira Mamon, New York
Pros: By far, one of the most intuitive photographers we met. Her eye for capturing the moment and her ability to work with natural  light was unparalleled. While many photographers use black and white as a gimmick, Mira understands it and uses it to tell a different kind of story. She has a flair for the dramatic and approached the staged shots with bridesmaids and groomsmen like a small-scale fashion shoot. Her price fell well below many photographers who look like they shoot they same photos at every wedding, and her reprints were reasonable. Plus, the negatives are yours to keep. (Only a very few of her photographs are online.)
Cons: The compliments from friends and family have been overwhelming, but she missed a few key pictures that we should have staged: One with just me and my mom and one with me, my mom and sister. Still, the candids were amazing and the photos she captured were top notch.
Other photographers considered: Belathee (had a hard time choosing between this one and Mira), Cynthia DelConte, Alex Z
Bonus: See some of our wedding photographs here.

Invitations: Designed by Vic Donati, and printed at Woodside Press, Brooklyn
Pros: We were lucky to know such a superb graphic artist who put a full design package together for our invitations. He took an innocent comment "I kind of like dragonflys," and turned it into a beautiful theme. (My mom ran with the theme when she made our thank-you notes, as well.) Andy at the press, located in Brooklyn Naval Yard (accessible on the B61 bus), made the design a reality. He even took the time to show me all of his old-school printing equipment. The quality and consistency of the letterpress was worth his reasonable price.
Cons: None.
Other printers considered: I accidentally scrapped this info, but Woodside was the cheapest and friendliest game in town.

Flowers: Rose Bud, Brooklyn
Pros: For me, finding a florist proved the most daunting task on the list. After visiting several florists in the city where I realized my budget would barely cover a couple of centerpieces, I became desperate. Thankfully, Vicki was honest about my budget--I had slightly underestimated--but willing to deliver great flowers for as close to my number as possible. We ended up choosing calla lilly bouquets (red for me, white for the bridesmaids), calla lilly boutineers for the guys and magnolia corsages for the ladies. Plus, she created tasteful table centerpieces that didn't block conversation. Her friendly demeanor helped me relax and enjoy the floral side of the wedding. She also did a great job with the candles and flowers for the cake and serving trays.
Con:  She didn't have many photos of her work, meaning I had to trust her aesthetic sans visuals.
Other florists considered: Prudence Designs, Seaport Flowers, Flora (not recommended, after a long consultation, no one ever called me back, despite several messages)

Wedding Dress: Mary Adams the Dress, New York
Pros: While I didn't opt for one of the colorful, flamboyant dresses Mary Adams is best known for, her throwback style worked just as well on my off-white gown. I managed to save money by buying an off-the-rack dress that hadn't been finished yet. She graciously agreed to finish it for me at the regular price. Everyone commented on the uniqueness of the dress, and I felt great wearing a dress designed and finished by someone who I genuinely liked.
Con: None.
Other dress shops considered: Veka, Adriennes, Burnbaum & Bullock, the Bridal Garden,  Jana Star Antiques and Bridal,  Kleinfeld, Nicole Miller, RK Bridal (bring loads of patience), Macy's (not worth the visit)

Veil: Bridal Veil Falls, New York
Pros: This is the only veil shop I sampled, and the proprietor hooked me from the start. The sweet lady loves making veils and handmakes yours based on her collection and your preferences. A casual, romantic air fills the shop. The price was right (about $100), and the attention to detail reassuring.
Con: It takes time to hand make a veil.
Other veil shops considered: None.

Bridesmaids Dresses: Darling, New York
Pros: I promised myself I wouldn't be that bride, you know the one who says, "Of course you'll be able to wear your dress again, " only to produce some poufy-sheeny-satiny number with an unflattering bow destined to live at the back of a closet forever. After searching through many, many bridesmaid dress websites, I realize why so many brides renege on their promise: Most bridesmaids dresses look like ugly bridesmaids dresses, and they're all overpriced. Darling stocks a huge array of party dresses, its most popular being the Marilyn Monroe dress available in many colors. We got them in merlot, and the bridesmaids loved it.
Con:  As friendly as the staff is, it's equal parts disorganized and spacey. As long as you don't mind repeatedly reminding them to order more than $1,000 worth of dresses for you, it's fine.
Other dress shops considered: The only other places I visited were Adriennes and Nicole Miller as they steered clear of the bridesmaid look.
 

Makeup: Lebec Cosmetics, New York (contact info to come)
Pros:  The makeup line is great, but what's more important is that the artist listened to me when I told her I don't wear makeup and wanted to looked enhanced but natural.  Anyone who knows me knows that if I wear mascara, it's a special day. So to spend an hour under the brush is quite a switch for me. Of course, anybody who knows me also knows that I generally don't look quite this good. There's a reason stars pay the big bucks for the best makeup artists.
Cons: None.
Other makeup artists considered: None.

Tuxes: Baldwin Tuxedo, New York
Pros:  "Not the cheap run-of-the-mill stuff that you'd get for prom." That's how Dennis describes the selection at Baldwin, which I, thankfully, had no part in.  The helpful staff organized the pickup and drop off and made sure important items such as shoes weren't forgotten. The prices were comparable to the more prom-focused stores.
Cons: Located on the second floor of a corner building, the somewhat hidden entrance had  Dennis running around the block a few times.

Transportation: Film Cars, New York/Brooklyn
Pros: It's totally cool to ride around in an old-school Checker cab. My parents loved it, my grandparents loved it, the guests loved it, and the people on the street loved it. Plus, it looks great in photographs. The owner, Peter Yannello, made every part of the planning easy. He even wrote my parents a thank-you note! The rentals are reasonably priced, and the service is unparalleled. We found his service on MUG (and he's got a lot of other great cars).
Con: None.
Other rentals considered:  None.

Preacher: James R. Covington, New York
Pros: The Unitarian minister's office was located within blocks of our venue and had done weddings at the church before.  He took enough time to get to know us without being prying or invasive. And while he offered a counseling program, he didn't push it. During the ceremony, he connected with us personally and kept it light-hearted enough to keep our guests smiling. We had several people tell us it was the best wedding service they'd heard.
Con: None.
Other preachers considered:  William Britton, Long Island