If you want to get a hold of me, page me on the Upstate NY Board or email me at 315bride@gmail.com.
LINKS
WEDDING PICTURES
All photos by Douglas Lloyd Photography, unless otherwise noted.
Please email me at 315bride@gmail.com if you would like to use one of my photos.
At the Salon
Back to the top
My FG getting her hair done... she just loved it (photos courtesy of my sister)
Felicia doing my junior BM, Maxine’s hair
She got the Lindsay Lohan look she found in a magazine (photos courtesy of my sister)
Two of my BM’s and junior BM with their hair done (photos courtesy of my sister)
Me, sitting with my BM, Laura, and my grandmother, putting on my makeup (photo courtesy of Laura’s boyfriend)
The younger BM’s putting on their makeup
My cousins are ready to go! (photo courtesy of my sister)
My mom getting her hair done
Felicia doing my hair
Everyone keeping me company, including Knottie sarahstl (on the right)
My grandmother, just so happy to be around her family
Admiring the final product
I loved the way my hair came out
Now, back to the house to get dressed
At the House
Back to the top
My cousin doing my grandmother’s makeup
Getting the girls into their dresses
My pearls and dress
My sister came with me for my final fitting to do a trial bustling... so she was a pro at all the hooks and snaps on my dress
Getting into my shoes and my mom putting on my pearls
My BM, Rachel, looking on
Coming down the stairs to my family waiting for me and putting the final touch on my makeup
I just loved my bouquet
With Rachel, and with my sister
With my cousins, the junior BM’s and FG
Goofing around with my siblings
With my dad... this was the first time I had ever seen him in a tux
Me and my mom
Hanging out in the living room trying to fend off the rain (photos courtesy of my dad)
Before the Ceremony
Back to the top
The rain started to come down just as we were arriving at the chapel
Waiting around in the basement with Rachel, my dad’s wife, and my brothers
Some beautiful black and white portraits... the rain is coming down in sheets
Yup, it’s really starting to come down now
With my other BM, Laura
The BM’s were playing the piano to keep busy while we were waiting
Putting on my FG’s baby’s breath halo
The GM and groom hanging out
Dan with his brother, the best man
One of the GM, Aaron
Ring...check!
Dan’s parents waiting to walk into the chapel
My cousin and brother pinning on their bouts
Okay, this is it!
Ceremony
Back to the top
My cousin, Joe, escorting my grandmother
Some of the bridal party walking into the chapel
My sister giving me a hug and makeup check before she walks in
My two little cousins were so cute
Mom, thanks for walking me down the aisle
Fixing my train
Walking down the aisle with mom
Dan waiting for me at the end
The ceremony begins
The bridal party looking on intently
The chapel looked so beautiful inside with the natural lighting, despite the terrible weather outside
The wheat and lavender sheaves on the pews
Dan’s cute little cousin, looking a little bored
(Photo on top right courtesy of my dad)
I got a little choked up during my vows... Dan was making sure I was okay
Sealing the deal with a kiss
Finally, Mr. and Mrs.
After the Ceremony
Back to the top
Stealing a kiss during a few seconds to ourselves after the ceremony
A hug from my sister; my happy FG
Everyone on the steps, during a brief moment of sunlight
With the Reverend
With Dan’s family
My Dad’s family (I will refrain from commenting about what my dad’s wife chose to wear...)
My mom’s family... the groom is mysteriously missing from this photo
All the girls in the bridal party
Me with all the guys
Some portraits while we wait for the rain to stop again
Our photographer, Doug, and his assistant went out into the rain to take some of our pictures
These are some of my favorites from the day
The three amigos
Some portraits inside the chapel
Changing into some flip flops for the reception
Standing in the rain waiting for my FIL to bring the car around
Reception
Back to the top
Having a quick bite and drink before we head off to the reception
Note my polka-dot purse on the table (photo courtesy of my BM, Laura)
Entering the reception
Our first dance
Admiring his bout, a white ranunculus
I don’t know what Dan is saying here...
Jeff, one of the GM, saying the blessing
Sitting at the sweetheart table
Dan’s brother doing the toast
My mom, making a speech
My BM, Laura, and her boyfriend
A closeup of the one of the tables (photo courtesy of our friend, Steph)
My sister was at my side the whole night to make sure I was okay
Our beautiful, yummy cake
Cutting the cake... can you tell this was Dan’s favorite part? (photo on the right courtesy of my sister)
Be nice!
GM Aaron and his brother (two members of the infamous Table 4) dancing to “It’s Raining Men” for the guests to help get the party started
A friend and my BM, Rachel, enjoying the party
The cousins! Katie (in the middle) had to change her dress for the reception because her first one was totally soaked from the rain (photo courtesy of my sister)
Jeff’s daughter, who only wanted to come the wedding so she could see the “princess”
A closeup of my bustle (photo courtesy of my sister)
All the parents dancing (notice my dad doing the white man’s overbite...LOL)
The younger members of the bridal party dancing and having a good time
Maybe a little too good of a time (photos courtesy of my sister)
The groom was having a great time (photo courtesy of our friend, Steph)
GM Aaron and his girlfriend, who is also a friend of mine (photo courtesy of our friend, Steph)
Yes, even the bride was having a good time
My two friends from college joining me on the dance floor
Everyone dancing the night away...
Me, the morning after the wedding, smelling my sister’s bouquet
Notice the lace from my dress on the bouquet wrap (photo courtesy of my sister)
VENDOR REVIEWS
Back to the top
Many of my vendors came recommended, so it was no surprise that they all were really great. In turn, I would recommend any one of them to other brides. Please email me at 315bride@gmail.com if you have any additional questions or inquiries.
Hendricks Chapel – ceremony
Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
(315) 443-2903
This was our first and only choice for the wedding location since Dan and I grew up from different religious backgrounds and hold no affiliations with those congregations anymore. The Chapel is absolutely gorgeous, has a beautiful organ, and the staff there are great. The Rev. Tom Wolfe agreed to officiate and was wonderful at helping to provide a religious wedding service that reflected us as a couple. We met with him on several occasions and really enjoyed the whole process. The only downside to this location is that there is no air conditioning (pending a very large, miraculous donation). This, however, didn’t affect how we felt about the Chapel and we received countless compliments on the ceremony.
Lee Johnston – organist
Syracuse, NY
ljohnst2@twcny.rr.com
Lee agreed to play at our wedding after a dramatic and frustrating search for an organist. He was referred to us by the Chapel’s staff and played all three weddings there the day of our wedding. We met with him briefly at the church where he regularly works but we mainly trusted his expertise to play what he thought would sound best. I did make a concerted effort to listen to the music and it was a beautiful supplement to the ceremony.
The Glen Loch Restaurant – rehearsal dinner
4626 North St, Jamesville, NY
(315) 469-6969
I cannot really comment on how it was working with the Glen Loch since my FIL was the one who arranged the rehearsal dinner. He booked the Butternut Terrace Room for our group of about 30 people. We had a buffet-style meal with carving station, full-service bar, and dessert table. I thought the food and service was good. We were able to go out on the patio overlooking the creek. Please note: parties of less than a certain number of people are charged a surcharge.
The Craftsman Inn – reception and guest accommodations
7300 E Genesee St, Fayetteville, NY
(315) 637-8000, (800) 797-4464
The food, atmosphere, and service at the Craftsman were fantastic. As my FIL said, you know the service is great when you don’t really notice it at all. I absolutely loved working with Alisha, their sales manager, throughout the wedding process. The staff was very courteous, professional, and I always felt like I was in good hands. There were several things that we requested that were a little out of the ordinary and there was never a problem at making those things happen. Additionally, when we asked about eliminating a champagne toast they gave us a discount on our per person package price. When Dan and I arrived for the reception, they asked us for our drink orders and we were served hors d’oeuvres and cocktails in our wedding suite. This was a nice way to spend a relaxing few minutes with some friends before we were whisked away to the reception. The rooms are nice and include a continental breakfast. I did, however, get some negative feedback from our guests who were staying there about the reservation and check-in process, but I believe these issues were all easily resolved in the end.
Douglas Lloyd Photography
509 W Fayette St, Suite 249, Syracuse, NY
(315) 478-1356
doug@douglaslloyd.com
Photography was one of our highest priorities, so we were really pleased that Doug’s work was the style that Dan and I wanted. He and his assistant spent about 10 hours with us on the day of the wedding. He came to the salon, my mom’s house, the chapel, and the reception location. Except for during our posed photos, he wasn’t at all intrusive and we often didn’t even realize that he was there. I liked that he helped to get everyone at ease for the portraits and worked to make sure that he was getting everyone at their best (even if it meant telling my family to go into the other room for a few seconds). I thought he did a great job capturing the day the way it really was. I also really loved that he did a mixture of color, black-and-white, posed, candid, serious, and fun shots. We received our proofs online in about a month and he mailed us a CD and a hard copy of all 400 photos a month or so later.
Backyard Garden Florist
6895 E Genesee St, Fayetteville, NY
(315) 445-0530, (800) 466-0530
Backyard Garden was referred to us by the Craftsman. Working with Nino was really great, both in person, by phone, and by email. I felt he listened to our ideas and worked within our budget. He even made some major adjustments to my order in the last week or so (okay, so it did add several hundred dollars to my order, but still....). The flowers were beautiful and I heard nothing but positive comments about the bouquets from my girls. Everything was delivered to the three different locations on time and in great condition.
Keuka Flower Farm – dried flowers
online (Penn Yann, NY)
Dried Flowers Direct from Keuka Flower Farm
I wanted to use some dried flowers for décor and found Dried Flowers Direct on the Internet just by chance. I liked the idea of doing business with a local vendor that was running an online business so I decided to try them out. Even though they say they do not do custom orders, I called them to find out if they could blend two of their products for the look I wanted. They said it wasn’t a problem, especially since our order was for a wedding. I ordered six wheat and lavender sheaves with a wreath to complement the sheaves. The order arrived early, very well packed, and exceeded my expectations. The flowers were beautiful and the lavender smelled divine. The price was a little steep, but I felt it was worth it since we displayed them over several days and they will last for a long time.
Cudge.net – votives for reception
http://www.cudge.net/
Since we were planning a wedding remotely, we decided to have some of the larger and heavier items shipped directly to our parents’ houses. Even with the cost of shipping, I felt we got a good deal on the frosted votives and candles we ordered. The items were packed well, shipped in lightning speed, and not one of the 144 votives was damaged. Furthermore, the candles were beautiful and would have burned for hours after we had to blow them out at the end of the night. Please note: candle orders generally ship on Monday only as a precaution to avoid melting, but exceptions can be made based on location and weather.
Len Monteleone – cake
N. Syracuse, NY
Len was such a sweetie and didn’t bat an eyelash to have a groom doing the cake vendor search (unlike some of the other local bakeries). He even gave us a 6” cake to bring home for me to taste. He was a retired teacher and did specialty and wedding cakes part time. His cake was yummy, moist, decorated in exactly the way that Dan and I wanted, and he charged us a very reasonable flat fee for our five-tier cake. I would recommend him, however I am sad to say that he passed away a week after our wedding. I really feel blessed to have met him and I think it will make eating our top layer even more meaningful.
Wedding Window – wedding website
http://www.weddingwindow.com/
Almost half of our guests were from out of town and I knew a website was something that would be really useful. Wedding Window, I felt, had the best layout options (with tons of flexibility), an easy interface (i.e. you don’t need to be a computer wiz), and was user friendly for our guests. I have to credit my sister for doing a lot of the grunt work but I was really pleased with the end product. The price for a year was comparable to other website hosts I researched but was able to offer more for me and my guests. We included bridal party info, family photos, accommodations info, info on the local area, directions, registry info, and even some puzzles. I received many compliments on the website, even from the techno-snobs in my family.
MagnetStreet – save-the-date magnets
http://www.magnetstreet.com/store/home/market/517
I really didn’t have my heart set on doing save-the-dates, but my mom thought a magnet would be a great way to get the word out about the wedding date and website. We picked a design that was humorous and I felt that it set just the right tone. Their customer service rep emailed me a proof shortly after I ordered, and the actual magnets arrived before the expected arrival date. The magnets were of excellent quality, twice the size of other companies’ products (3.5” x 4” instead of business card size), came with envelopes, and only require a one-ounce stamp. Everyone I spoke with proudly displayed it on their fridge and one of Dan’s friends said it was the best wedding “invitation” he had ever gotten. Even though they were not the least expensive option, I am very happy that we chose to go with them.
MyGatsby.com – DIY paper supplies
http://www.mygatsby.com/
I loved the invitations on this website, but could not bring myself to pay so much. When I decided to DIY, I was surprised to find some ecru cardstock and envelopes from them on sale. I was able to do invitations with inserts, RD invitations, place cards, table numbers, and menu cards for a fraction of the cost of the invitations alone. They have a wide selection of colors, custom-cut sizes, envelopes, and even pocketfolds for those of you that want to go that route. There was an initial mix up with my order, but their customer service had no problems making a quick fix before shipment. I thought the cardstock and envelopes I ordered were of great quality, printed on my inkjet with minimal problems, and I doubt many people knew that it was a DIY project. Unfortunately, we bought the cover stock for our programs from our local office supply chain and I felt it was of lesser quality than the stuff from MyGatsby. My advice: Look through their clearance items.
Netbride.com – bridal gown and bridesmaids’ dresses
(866) NETBRIDE
http://www.netbride.com/
After doing a lot of research and trying dresses on in NYC stores, I saw that Netbride had the best price on my dress (Marisa 504) and received rave reviews on the Knot boards. They did not disappoint. I had excellent service from them, including many prompt price quotes, and the dress was delivered almost two months earlier than expected. I was so pleased that I later ordered the bridesmaids’ dresses (WTOO 532) from them. They delivered the dresses to all three bridesmaids at each of their addresses early and in great condition. Please note: There is an initial charge for delivery and also charge for each additional address.
Shoebuy.com, Zappos.com – ceremony and reception shoes
http://www.shoebuy.com/,
http://www.zappos.com/
I had a great experience with both of these vendors. I had an idea of what I wanted in both cases, but wanted to search for the best deals. Both sites had competitive prices, easy search capabilities, and true-to-life pictures of their products (Zappos, in particular). The orders came quickly and the shoes were in great condition.
A Fitting Solution – alterations
1107 E Genesee St, Syracuse, NY
(315) 478-1700
Marcia happens to be the mother of one of my friends growing up so I knew of her work well, but she also came recommended from another seamstress in the area. I started my alterations kind of late in the game, only a month before the wedding. Even with the time limitations and the complexity of a lace gown, Marcia altered my dress perfectly. She was never hasty about the changes, creatively approached my requests, did as many fittings as needed, did a trial bustling with my sister, and charged me a reasonable rate. She also agreed to do some last minute alterations for one of my bridesmaids the week of the wedding. One thing to note, one of Marcia’s specialties is restoring and altering antique clothing so if you’re looking to use an older dress, this is the seamstress for you.
One 20 Salon – hair
120 Walton St, Syracuse, NY
(315) 472-1799
We had three stylists doing hair for our group: Karen, Thom, and Felicia. My mom and I have been going to Felicia for haircuts for many years, so there was no question about who would do my hair for the wedding. Karen and Felicia did the updos for the bridal party, while Thom styled my mom and grandmother’s hair. I gave my bridal party free reign to choose their own styles and the stylists listened to each girl’s ideas. Everyone was very pleased with their hair, especially my flower girl. Even the bridesmaids that were skeptical about having someone else do their hair (because of bad past experiences) walked away happy. Please note: If you book them for you and your bridal party, the mother of the bride gets a free style.
Centore’s – tux rentals
6903 E Genesee St, Fayetteville, NY
(315) 445-1858
Centore’s was an absolute pleasure to work with. They had a large selection of in-stock items, but were also able to special order items based on our ideas. “No” was never an answer from them; they were able to piece together what Dan had in mind. None of the guys had any issues with their tuxes, including two who just ordered vests and ties and one child who had submitted incomplete measurement information. Even though this wasn’t the least expensive in the area (in particular because it was a special order), we felt that the quality and service were outstanding.
Marcia Monaco – engagement and wedding rings
4 W 47th St, New York, NY
(212) 719-2155
Marcia was introduced to me by my colleague, her niece. She made the process of buying an engagement ring and wedding bands extremely easy. She’s been working in the Diamond District forever, and therefore was able to refer us to all the right gem dealers, jewelers, and craftspeople. It was nice going to someone who was reputable and we felt like we got a great deal. We both love our rings and Marcia made sure that we were completely taken care of. She even got our rings engraved, gave us some jewelry cleaner, did appraisals for us, and had some of the Dan’s other jewelry polished.
Sandals Royal Bahamian resort - HM accommodations
Cable Beach, Nassau, Bahamas
Review pending.
DeWitt Cleaners - dress cleaning
DeWitt, NY
Review pending.
PLANNING
Jewelry
Back to the top
Engagement ring and wedding bands
E-ring is an Asscher cut diamond with micro-set round diamonds in the band, wedding band is matching white gold with micro-set diamonds
Various jewelers and craftspeople via Marcia Monaco, NYC
Since I didn’t feel it was fair for Dan to get left out of the engagement process, I bought him a watch
My e-ring and FI's e-watch—Breitling, Tourneau, NYC
His wedding ring: simple white gold, comfort fit band
Ceremony
Back to the top
Ceremony—Hendricks Chapel, Syracuse University
Officiant—The Rev. Thomas V. Wolfe
Organist—Lee Johnston
Flowers
Back to the top
Fresh flowers—Backyard Garden Florist, Fayetteville
The bouquets will be a hand tied, garden clutch that will look as if we went into a garden and picked the flowers right before the ceremony.
Bridal bouquet: light blue delphinium, white snapdragons, Queen Anne's lace, purple sweet peas, and lavender zinnias
Bridesmaids’ and flower girl’s bouquet: light blue delphinium, yellow freesia, white snapdragons, and Queen Anne's lace
We will be using the pieces of my dress leftover from alterations for bouquet wraps for my bridesmaids.
Flower girl: baby’s breath halo
Men’s boutonnières: white ranunculus (for groomsmen), white freesia (for the fathers), light blue delphinium (for ushers)
Mother’s corsages: white freesia
Textures I like for bouquets:
Dried flowers—Dried Flowers Direct from Keuka Flower Farm
Green wheat sheaves with lavender for the church pews
Inspiration from Martha Stewart (left), the one now on my mom’s mantle (right)
Wreath, designed to complement the sheaves, on my mom’s front door
Paper Stuff
Back to the top
Save-the-Date Magnets—Magnetstreet.com
DIY Invitations—Ecru cardstock and envelopes from MyGatsby.com, navy font in CygnetRound
Invitation (5" x 7"), Reception card (4.25" x 5.5")
RSVP cards (5.5" x 4.25")
One regular (left), one for the few families with kids
RD Invitation
Table numbers (this one from the infamous Table 4), menu card, place card
FI as he just finished folding and alphabetizing the place cards
DIY Programs
Inspiration from ad52905 (left), our version (right)
On cream colored paper, with the same font and style as our invitations, tied with 5/8” satin navy ribbon
Cover: 110 lb. ivory card stock, inside: 24 lb. opaque ivory paper from Staples
I created the document using two text boxes (7.5 x 4.5), landscape orientation, folded to 5.5" x 8.5", and two-hole punched
FYI: We used 5 spools of ribbon cut to 22” for each of the bows for the 75 programs that we made
Cover (left), Page 1: Poem read during the readings
Page 2 and 3: list of bridal party
Page 4 and 5: ceremony order of service
Page 6: thanks to friends and family, list of deceased relatives; Page 7: directions to the reception
Page 8: map of the Syracuse area
FIL and I tying all the ribbons on the programs
Some suggestions for DIY printing at home
- Wash your hands and wipe down the area where you are working.
- Take some cotton swabs and clean the printer rollers carefully with rubbing alcohol. Make sure to rotate all the rollers and get into the corners.
- Let printer dry for a minute or two.
- Do a test print on regular paper first.
- Make sure to have the correct orientation and printer settings for each file.
- Print batches of no more than 20-25 at a time.
- Be near the printer in case you need to "catch" a potential jam.
- Open and check the rollers every few batches to see if they need cleaning.
- Give yourself plenty of time because it can be a time-consuming process (mostly just waiting for the batches to print).
- Have plenty of extras on hand in case of mistakes.
Hair and Makeup
Back to the top
Hair Ideas
Kate Beckinsale
Reese Witherspoon's 2006 Oscar hair style
From melissaanddan
Makeup Ideas
Bridal Party Attire
Back to the top
Bridesmaids Dresses
WTOO 532 in Midnight
Other dresses we considered: J.Crew Sophia short dress in Navy (left), Dessy 2027 in Midnight (right)
The two junior BM’s and the flower girl will wear a blue dress of their own choosing
Groom's and Groomsmen's Attire
Lauren by Ralph Lauren Black Notch Chalk Stripe tuxedo, with platinum vest and platinum/black stripe long tie
My brothers will be wearing their own tuxes, but with the same vest and tie as the groomsmen
My cousin with be wearing a child’s black tux, with a grey vest and a black tie
My mother is having a dress sewn by a local seamstress
Mother of the Groom’s Attire
Mon Cheri Destinations 15162 in Champagne
Bridal Party Gifts
Back to the top
Bridesmaids' Brunch—The All-Night Eggplant, DeWitt
DIY Luggage Tags
Made from GBC SelfSeal Clear Laminating Pouches (luggage tag size with loops)
These were so easy and so much fun to make. Each tag is personalized with a different image and has his/her name on the back.
Bridesmaids' Gifts
Liberty totes, London, UK
MOH: Rent songbook and robe
BM 1: Stitch n’ Bitch (knitting book)
BM 2: Ring book (inspiration for her up and coming jewelry business)
Groomsmen’s Gifts
Best man: Gift certificate to his favorite restaurant
GM 1: Humidor from Edward Thomas Cigar, Fayetteville, NY
GM 2: Four 6 oz. Filet mignon steaks from Omaha Steaks
Gifts for the younger members of the bridal party
For the junior usher: some cook’s tools and a Dinosaur Bar-b-que cookbook
For the junior bridesmaids and flower girl: notebooks, glosses, pedicure kits, and either a book or jewelry set
Ushers’ Gifts
CD mixes and gift certificates for their local music store
I couldn’t believe it when I came home one night and DH was making personalized covers for them
Reader’s Gift
DIY reversible bag, a GC for her local spa, some nail stuff
Accessories
Back to the top
Necklace and earrings
Single strand 16" pearl necklace from Kuki Pearls, Japan; Pearl studs from Lord & Taylor (I think)
Shoes
For ceremony: Coloriffics Taylor in white satin (left); for reception: Reef Mollie in white (right)
I wanted to have flip flops on hand for the reception, when I might want something a little less formal
Wedding Gown
Back to the top
Wedding gown
Marisa 504
Bustle Ideas
One-point overbustle, maybe with a decorative pin: deblossio2
I would use a pin my grandmother gave me before she passed away
Ideas from other brides who wore Marisa 504
One-point overbustle: mcookie
Simple French bustles: (from left to right) SquashedRice,
schoolbride2, and
lawgirl4
French bustle: hollytobin
Alterations
With Marcia Cohen of A Fitting Solution
First fitting: pinning bodice and hem
Second fitting: removed crinoline, more pinning of the bodice, decided on one-point overbustle
Third and fourth fitting: with one layer of the crinoline added back in, more pinning
Final fitting: bustle trial with my sister
KNOTTIE GTG PHOTOS
Back to the top
3/1/2007, Mustang Restaurant and Tequila Bar, NYC
From left to right: MRM-RMR2007, BethanyBez, Carrieland, 315bride, unknown male-Knottie-wannabe waiter, JLZ-1, 847Christine, SonyaD.
1/24/2007, Hi-Life Bar and Grill, NYC
From left to right: katydid2007, BurlingtonBride, BethanyBez, 315bride, Carrieland, SafariGirl, lucky7crazy8.
11/15/2006, K Lounge, NYC
From left to right: BrooklynBridge (standing), mrsraygunn, Carrieland, blm5383, BethanyBez, 315bride, curlyjoe, BurlingtonBride.
9/7/2006, The Dove, NYC
Pictured from left to right: curlyjoe, 315bride, mrs_foosey, ???, BethanyBez, mrsraygunn, Carrieland. Unforunately, coolbluewater got cut off at the end.
Bling shot
