Our Day Before Thanksgiving 11/26/08 Wedding (Oheka, Lina Jang, Timeless Treasures, Flower Michele, Starlight Express, etc. + tons of DIY stuff)

Thank you to everyone on this site for your helpful posts and pictures! I got a lot of useful information, tips, and ideas and answers to any questions that I had. I apologize for the long review, but I wanted to be very thorough because I found it helpful when past brides did the same.

We’re totally into decorating/entertaining …and a bit tooo detail orientated. With a lot of research, the diy route for a bunch of things and most importantly a lot of time, we were able to create a perfect day for us.

DATE: We would have never guessed that our wedding would be the day before Thanksgiving. Everyone was supportive of our choice and we actually got a lot of great deals, some of which were really unexpected. We did go through a few extra steps to make the day and the day after enjoyable for everyone. Also, my dad hosted Thanksgiving for his family so they didn’t have to worry about anything (they were all oot). We figured people would either have a half day or take the day off so we made our reception later in the afternoon but still early enough so it wasn’t a super late night for anyone who had to cook the next day. We checked the time the sun set that day and created our time frame: Full Mass: 1-2, CH: 4-5:30, Reception: 5:30-9:30, Jazz: 9:30-10:30



WEATHER: The farmer’s almanac predicted reallllly cold weather & snow. I thought it was totally fine for the end of November. No rain, snow or wind. It wasn’t super sunny or cloudy. It was a bit chilly…I think in the 50’s to mid 50’s but we all took pics outside and survived. I am ALWAYS freezing and I didn’t wear anything over my strapless dress (but I was prepared with a $5 shawl).

CHURCH: St. Peter of Alcantara, Port Washington
I wanted to get married in the church I grew up going to, but it was too far from the RH (it’s in Jersey and we were having our wedding on LI). DH’s family belongs to this church and it was fine. The meeting with the priest was easier than expected. He just talked with us and didn’t ask crazy questions. We requested the monsignor who no longer does weddings, but is a close family friend, so we were in good hands as far as the mass. The music director was another issue. He said one thing and then another. He made me a bit angry. I talked to him numerous time and confirmed the selections (with him AND the monsignor) and sent him a ton of details. Right before the wedding he decides to tell me I can no longer walk into the song I chose (Time to say Goodbye by Bocelli) and that he will not play the unity candle song because he doesn’t have the sheet music. Needless to say I was mad. I had my DH fix everything with the monsignor because I REFUSED to deal with this man anymore. Everything was taken care of because I went out on my own and found him the sheet music and had the priest talk to him about my entrance song. I am so happy to never have to deal with him again.

Day Of: Everything went fine although we had thought we only had the Monsignor we also had another priest helping him…not a big deal. I don’t even remember the music because I was just so concerned with not crying! I did notice that the responsorial psalm was not the one we selected or printed in the programs but I didn’t really care about that.


CEREMONY MUSIC: MAS Music – (Marie Stack)
The church offered us other musicians but they were way over-priced for just 1 hour. Originally we wanted the strings with just the trumpet, but were advised for parts of the full mass we would need the organ (I’m not too sure as to how true this is but I didn’t argue with the church). So we hired Marie who accompanied our organist and was able to play both the violin and trumpet. She did whatever was asked of her and was great. Her prices are very reasonable!

FLOWERS/DECOR: Flower Michele, Mineola (John)
He is amazing and very patient; we had to meet with him so many times because of all our crazy details. We used him for our flowers, fabric, and the lighting.
Personals – Bride + Bms: Peonies (with a hint of raununculus and French anemones). Moms: Calla Lillies. FG: Basket with anemones. Groom: Mini Cymbidium Orchid w/copper leaf. Groomsmen: Chocolate Cosmos w/copper leaf. Dads: Callas
*Just a note about the personals - I wanted just French anemones for the bm boks b/c I saw it in Martha Stewart and it looked awesome. John warned me that the French anemones alone were very fragile but said he would do it if I SWORE to tell the girls to be super careful. I think he made an executive decision day of to give the girls peonies as well because the French anemones which were in their boks were very tiny and not like the ones in the magazine. I was fine with the change because the peonies looked beautiful (and were pricier anyway so it wasn’t a bad change).

Re: Our Day Before Thanksgiving 11/26/08 Wedding (Oheka, Lina Jang, Timeless Treasures, Flower Michele, Starlight Express, etc. + tons of DIY stuff)

PHOTOGRAPHER: Lina Jang, NYC (Lina and 2 assistants – Mary + a guy)
We saw Lina’s work from a few girls on this site and fell in love with her style. They all took so many pictures. Any request we had, they listened and did it. I handed her a long list of details (just in case) and I saw her assistant trying to get them all and crossing them off as she did them. We are very happy with our proofs (over 1500). They captured every moment. Lina provided us with all the images in huge proof albums, all the images on disk so we could print them, and an online gallery. More pics can be seen in my album.





VIDEOGRAPHER: Timeless Treasures (Ray and Chris)
We loved the look Ray’s work and he films in a speed that replicates film, which creates a similar effect to super 8 film, but without the cost so we were happy. Also, we liked the composition of his videos…so he was an easy choice. The day of I didn’t even notice them because they were very unobtrusive. We haven’t seen the video yet but we’re sure it’ll be great.

ETA: We received the video and it was great. ray highlighted all the key moments and it wasnt boring to watch at all!!! and we have all the raw footage also.

LIMOS: Luxurious Rides (Sasha) and Diamond Limo
We used Sasha to book the phantom RR for the two of us from the church to Oheka. He owns the car and was a pleasure to deal with. The car looked great and was fun to drive around in. He was on time and we had no issues.

We used Diamond for our bp transportation and to get us to the church. The reason we chose them was mostly because of the exotic car selection they had. We were supposed to have a Porche Cayenne for the girls and myself BUT it had gotten into an accident that weekend and wasn’t fixed in time. They sent us an Infinity instead, which we knew about beforehand. It was fine – whatever, not a huge deal all in all; at least they called and confirmed with us and asked what we wanted instead. The one other thing…our limo driver’s gps ended up not working…LUCKILY I know a million directions to and from Oheka to our church so it was fine…but still something I didn’t want to be bothered with. We booked a Hummer (with the extra axles as per DH’s request) for the guys and for everyone after the church. My issue with the hummer…umm it had a bullet hole!!!!! I mean it was funny…but um not what we saw (or expected for our wedding). They were timely and nice so I wasn’t really mad the day of, but too many things weren’t exactly as discussed. When meeting with them, the price on the site vs. what they “suggested” over the phone vs. in person were different but we came in with the web print out and worked it all out. But they were timely and we all arrived, which was my main concern.

Re: Our Day Before Thanksgiving 11/26/08 Wedding (Oheka, Lina Jang, Timeless Treasures, Flower Michele, Starlight Express, etc. + tons of DIY stuff)

LIGHTING: Flower Michele (John)
Originally we had the dj company doing the lighting in the cocktail hour and reception rooms. We showed a picture of our entire rh room lit up with wall washing/perimeter lighting around the whole room. We met to go over the details a little bit before the wedding…they said we didn’t have enough lights and they could charge us extra for more which would have been fine if this was mentioned during the initial meeting. BUT during that first meeting we were told the “lighting” we were paying for would be plenty for the perimeter and that it wasn’t a problem. Now there was no longer enough and the lighting we had was now being explained as “included” in the original package (but only up at the front where the DJ was) and we couldn’t remove it. Since they wouldn’t remove them or move them around the room, let it go and removed the rest of the lighting in the other room and had John take care of it all (which ended up being cheaper anyway). We did have the DJ company do outside perimeter lighting by the doors of the castle because there were no issues with that.

John did the perimeter lighting inside for the main room and cocktail hour and accents inside of Oheka. We had pinspots for different locations throughout the hall – stairs, bar area, library, piano etc.

COCKTAIL HOUR: We wanted the CH to be lounge-like. Our inspirations: dark chocolate brown and pink.
Centerpieces: DIY. I purchased round bowls (acmoore), got coffee beans and white votives (michaels). I also purchased pink votive holders (cudge.net) for the mantles to add to overall décor of the room.
Fabric: Flower Michele (John)
He listened to all our crazy ideas and helped us put it all together. He also didn’t charge us a ridiculous amount of $ for the fabric like some of the other places we visited. We wanted a dropped ceiling with a basket weave using chocolate brown fabric.


RECEPTION: We wanted the reception room to be more romantic. Our inspirations: variety of metallic colors and a hint of fall.
Centerpieces: Flower Michele (John)
Each table had all 3 containers with a different bunch of flowers in each. John reduced the price of the cps because we brought in our own containers. We wanted flowers in our color scheme and worked with John to select vanda/mokara orchids, cymbidium orchids, and mums. He also added amber votives on the tables, as well as a vanda/mokara orchid at each place setting.
Dias Table: I didn’t want anything to block us/the view etc. I just used my bouquet, two brown glass mosaic candle holders (lnt), acrylic crackles (FM), vintage votives (Michaels), and the bm boks.
Containers: Jamali Gardens, NYC (www.jamaligarden.com)
We didn’t want the standard high or low cp so we purchased our own. They were inexpensive and the store had a good selection. Most importantly, they had the right size containers in the colors we were looking for: bronze and gold. 8” gold vase, 5 ½” bronze bowl, and 3-4” square bronze cube. The only problem – I requested in store pick up, received the confirmation that the order was ready, but when DH got to the store they didn’t have the order. The driver forgot it at the warehouse. I called up and had them pay for shipping to us because DH wasn’t going to drive in again, since it was their error. They took care of it and everything was fine. So my advice…call and confirm the order is in the store and speak to someone to make sure the order is physically there.

Re: Our Day Before Thanksgiving 11/26/08 Wedding (Oheka, Lina Jang, Timeless Treasures, Flower Michele, Starlight Express, etc. + tons of DIY stuff)

FABRIC: Flower Michele (John)
I had seen the reception room draped in fabric in a picture from roses n lollipops and it looked stunning and made the room feel more romantic and cozy so we did the same. Again, John was amazing. The Oheka staff said they had never seen the room look so good


LINENS: The Finishing Touch, Hicksville (Maryann)
Originally, my mom was going to make the tablecloths for all the reception tables (and other tables) because she sews and knows of wholesale fabric places. It would have been about the same price as renting, but more work. We met with a lot of vendors. There was a vendor who gave us a better quote, but we really appreciated Maryann’s professionalism so we went with them and she did reduce the price a bit. She answered our questions/requests very quickly and sent us huge swatches.
Guest and Dias Tables during the reception – antique gold bengaline. Cake table – brown bengaline. Placecard table – Plataeu gold. Card Box Table – antique gold bengaline.


NAPKINS: DIY
We were just going to stick to the ivory napkins provided, but my mom, DH, and I were in the fabric store and saw this amazing fabric that was on sale. It was an added touch and inexpensive so I purchased the fabric. My mom sewed them all. The fabric store is in NJ.

CHARGERS: Linens n Things
I thought the chargers would add a little more to the room but I couldn’t find them anywhere to rent for a reasonable price. I saw magbride’s review and she pointed me to LNT/BBB. I waited til they were on sale and used coupons.


MUSIC: Starlight Express (DJ: Enzo, MC: Vinny ), Mineola
We saw them at a showcase and liked what they offered and they came recommended from our friends. SE was at a nye event and DH liked the dj and mc that night in our room so that’s who we picked. Since DH is soooo into music, we actually listened to and selected the entire playlist (and had a place on the rsvp card and website for guests to send requests). DH probably could have mixed everything and just played it that night, but he works a lot and wanted to just give them the songs and have someone who would mix the beats well. We put together a list of songs we wanted them to play. I remember hearing a few at the reception. It was more like trendy bar/dance music but that’s what we requested. I don’t know if our older guests liked it as much as we did, but overall everyone had a good time (and people definitely danced more as they drank).

Re: Our Day Before Thanksgiving 11/26/08 Wedding (Oheka, Lina Jang, Timeless Treasures, Flower Michele, Starlight Express, etc. + tons of DIY stuff)

RECEPTION HALL: Oheka Castle, Huntington
I’m going to preface this by saying we weren’t going to get married here because we thought it was beyond expensive (just from everything we heard). We actually ended up spending about the same per person as we would have with a diff venue we were going to (we did change the date from a sat in oct to a wed in nov so im sure the other place would have been cheaper overall if we used the same wed date but you get the point). That being said, I would not discredit ANY RH without first meeting with the staff because you never know : ) See the places you want to see for yourself, don’t go by what anyone else did or didn’t get/pay.
If you are going to make an appointment to visit Oheka, please make sure and contact Rick. He is BEYOND AMAZING. Nothing was too crazy, too annoying, too inconvenient. He worked with us from day one and did everything to make our day perfect. We didn’t want a standard wedding and he worked with us to customize a lot of things. He always got me all the answers I needed/was looking for. We definitely were in good hands with Rick. He is one of the main reasons we ended up at Oheka. I just cannot say enough about him. You do have the whole place to yourself and it’s huge. I wanted it to feel cozy so I decorated the rooms a bit more (just with candles and pictures etc) to make it feel more like a home. And also they include the stay overnight for the bride and groom. I also liked that they had rooms for guests to stay in. Also, since we weren’t getting married at Oheka, our cocktail hour was an hour and a half vs just one hour.

Staff: They were always accommodating. Everyone was helpful. My family LOVED the wait staff. Dh’s butler and my attendant were so amazing. Both got us anything and everything we wanted or needed. My earring broke and she made sure to fix it for me! She helped me with so much and was so nice. I loooved her. They brought us wrapped food for “late night snacks” in our room after the wedding. They wrapped up and brought us lots of desserts. I could go on!
My one issue…the DAY BEFORE the wedding John from Flower Michele went to check the hooks for the fabric and one of the managers (I won’t mention who) told him he was not allowed to do ANY draping in the CH room and had to change the design for the reception room. When I talked to John, this got me so PEEVED. We had everything cleared before and I was mad because this person was not our BM and had NO CLUE as to what we were and weren’t doing. Meanwhile, I copied the draping for the reception room from a PREVIOUS wedding and I had cleared the CH with Rick. Needless Rick took care of everything for us on his day off. So like I said... RICK is BY FAR amazing!

Rooms for guests: We love the rooms there…especially the ones with the amazing bathrooms : ) We had awesome robes and great L’occitane products. If there was a bath in the room, they provide fizzy cubes.

Food: Our biggest concern was the food. I wasn’t expecting the food to be amazing...it’s still just a catering hall and I had a preconceived notion that when cooking for so many people you are bound to get some guests who complain regardless because it’s hard to be perfect. The tasting was good, but again cooked on a smaller scale. However, we did go to the bridal events prior to our wedding and tasted the cocktail hour and dessert food and were very happy. We weren’t too thrilled with the menu they suggested. It was fine, but nothing that showcased us or our food obsessions. But you can sit with the chef and customize the menu however you would like…it was fun. We changed mostly everything except the main entrees. One thing that I didn’t think they would allow - homemade pierogies (from my mom and gma) BUT they said it was fine. They even made “fancy” jello shots per our request for the CH. They were a huge hit! So don’t be afraid to ask about changing the menu. We found out that are chef was more than happy to accommodate and loves to change it up.




Dessert Café –Oheka offers a dessert room…which is insanity. In addition to the two cake flavors we picked, they had another 6 cake flavors/fillings and a huge assortment of everything imaginable. Again, you can customize what is offered b/c the pastry chef will make it to order.
Cake – The pastry chef at Oheka, Daniel, is great to work with. He has a book of samples, but we created our own design. We had a tasting and it was great.

Jazz Hour – This is an optional add-on, but we figured it was a good way to entertain our OOT guests and anyone who didn’t want the night to end. Oheka brings in a jazz band, offers cigars, does a cordial bar and has fruits and such available; it’s a nice way to relax at the end of the evening in the library. Also, we were able to hang out and play pool until we called it a night : )

Re: Our Day Before Thanksgiving 11/26/08 Wedding (Oheka, Lina Jang, Timeless Treasures, Flower Michele, Starlight Express, etc. + tons of DIY stuff)

RINGS: We went into the Diamond District in NYC because I was having trouble finding a matching piece to my e-ring. DH saw a super expensive brand name ring that was close to what he wanted, but not exact so we found a reputable jeweler who could custom-make our pieces to our specification.


HAIR & MAKE-UP: Pedala Sisters, NYC (Maureen and Claudia)
I didn’t want to go to many trials. I wanted airbrush make-up and clip in extensions (my hair is really baby fine and I wanted a super full look). I saw what other girls posted and since they had free trials and both were together in the same location, I figured it wouldn’t hurt. I loved my trial so I booked them. They are on the pricier end so I didn’t force the girls to use them. But two used Maureen for makeup and my mom used both.


DRESS: “Marina” by Michelle Roth
I saw the dress in a magazine and wanted to try it on. I came across a sample sale by the designer. When I got there, they weren’t offering it at the sample sale prices because the dress was new and not part of the “samples”, but they did offer it at 50% off. BUT they wouldn’t let me try the dress on because it was new!!!! I argued for a bit and they let me try it on. I loved it and purchased it directly from the designer. I loved my dress but wanted something easy to dance in and decided to get a second dress “just in case”. I found a perfect dress at Bloomingdales and it happened to be on sale so I lucked out. I was super happy to have it that day and changed into it right after our first dance song.




ALTERATIONS: Bridal Elegance (Phyllis), Commack
Since I had my dress a yr and a half before I needed it, I needed a place to store it (and a place for alterations). I read good things about Phyllis so I went there. She didn’t charge me for storage and the alterations were reasonably priced…a bit higher than normal but my dress was very intricate and required a lot of work with the bustle, was way too big and removal of some crinoline (I didn’t want the dress to be so poufy). I think overall some attention to detail was lacking. When I went for my final fitting…a hook was still missing, some of the bustles weren’t sewed properly/finished etc. Those things were fixed when I picked up my dress. BUT the day of the wedding…my MOH and mom noticed that there were pins still left in the dress and one of the layers wasn’t sewn into the dress. I didn’t notice when I picked it up because my dress had so much detail and that’s not something I was thinking needed to be checked. Luckily my mom sews so she fixed it. So my advice…REALLLY check your dress before you take it home, just in case.

ACCESSORIES:
Day of Jewelry: Thomas Knoell, Mineola
I wanted to find something vintage that went with my dress, but wasn’t having much luck. I wanted something that wasn’t gold, but wasn’t silver and wasn’t white. I went to TK b/c they gave a discount at a bridal show. I showed him my dress and he picked out the perfect pieces. He matched the earrings and bracelet to the hair piece. [my necklace was a necklace with a pearl and a diamond \on a silver chain that DH got for my bday the yr before]


Shoes: Barneys, NYC
Again, I couldn’t find anything that I liked that went with my look and my dress. I had wanted something different and these came in bronze. DH got them for me as my wedding present ; )


Bag: Express
I looked all over for a bag but couldn’t find anything. Then I remembered I had this bag from express that wasn’t silver but wasn’t gold and it looked perfect. I actually got it for free one black Friday like a year or two ago.

Veil: Something Borrowed
This was a long process for me. I knew I wanted a drop veil, but they were hard to find…and I wanted it to have details (beading) which was then even more impossible to find. Some boutiques were going to charge me $600 for tulle! So in the end I borrowed my cousin’s veil since the detail matched my dress exactly and no one was able to customize the veil exactly how I wanted (without me spending $600+ on tulle).


Garter: My mom had an ivory one that was simple and cute. I just used that.


BRIDESMAID DRESSES: NetBride.com
I figured everyone would just wear the dress once and didn’t want them spending a ton of $. I looked for dresses that everyone was comfortable in and matched our colors. Since I didn’t need the girls to be in the same exact dress, I picked 2 styles that they could chose. Bill Levkoff Tissue Taffetta 806 and 407. My MOH was in burnt orange and the rest of the girls were in taupe. 2 of the girls picked the strapless dress which came with a sash – it was sable (brown). The girls tried the dresses on at a few bridal shops and then we placed the order online, which was way cheaper than the bridal store. And that allowed them to get alterations done for less where ever they wanted. We placed the order in March and received the dresses in May. They looked great. No problems and they even sent me swatches before the dresses came in.



TUXES: Dante Zeller
DH wanted a chocolate brown tux and so did I. We looked at a bunch of different places and went with the one that he liked and was reasonably priced (and didn’t charge the same price for the RB as the GM). DH wore an ivory vest and tie. The rest of the guys had taupe for both. I didn’t want the dads in brown, so we got a black tux but with the taupe vest/tie.




FAVORS: SugarDaddy’s (www.sugardaddys.com)
This was beyond painstaking for us cuz we couldn’t find anything we liked. We saw these blondies on the Food Network and decided to try them. They were yummy so that was that. The customer service is great. The lady I dealt with was so nice. They even came out with a seasonal harvest blondie so it was perfect.
Supplies: Nashville wraps + Paper Presentation + craft stores
I needed something to put the favors in so I just purchased round bottom organza bags from nashville wraps b/c it was a quick/easy solution. I made the “thank you” tags myself with a tag punch, stamp, and eyelets.

Re: Our Day Before Thanksgiving 11/26/08 Wedding (Oheka, Lina Jang, Timeless Treasures, Flower Michele, Starlight Express, etc. + tons of DIY stuff)

INVITATIONS: Semi-DIY
I wanted boxed invites but didn’t want to spend an insane amount of $ so I used different resources to get the same results. I came up with the idea of what I wanted and JD created the files and sent them off to the printer. The font was Mrs. Eaves Small Caps for the block font and Bickham Script for the script font.
Designer/Artist/Calligrapher: Jessica Dasher, Queens
Like Jenlen : ) I too have all the general ideas and creativity just not the computer program skills to actually execute them. I came up with the visions of what I wanted and she took those ideas and actually made them work together and fully designed them. She happens to be one of my best friends so she graciously did not charge me any of her fees. She has a professional printer so other than the letterpress she did all my printing. And since she is a great artist she does great calligraphy as well so I had her address my outer and inner envelopes. If anyone wants her contact information, please FM me.
Boxes: Paper Source (www.paper-source.com)
I actually went through the trouble of contacting a wholesaler who would ship me thai silk boxes, but after I made a mock invitation with my own fabric I decided I didn’t want to bother with the whole process of designing a box with them and then getting it shipped from overseas etc. but for anyone who wants the silk boxes…the wholesalers in thailand will ship them (you don’t need to be a retailer). I ordered the standard chocolate brown mailer box. Shipping was free and they came quickly.
Inside: Fabric - I was looking for a satin-like fabric in two specific colors/designs. I looked all over the place and found what I wanted at Jo-Anns. It actually was really easy to line the boxes (although beyond tedious). I cut out a piece of cardstock that fit into both the tops and bottoms (this actually was quick)…then lined that with the fabric (this is what took time). Surprisingly, regular tape was the best thing to hold the fabric to the backing. Ribbon - was from JKM Ribbon (morex swiss double face satin) and I just attached the pieces to the insert. Then glued the whole insert into the box it was lined and looked great.
Printer: Mercurio Brothers
I really wanted to use cotton paper and loved the look of letterpress (we were going for an old-world/vintage charm that matched our rh). Letterpress can be pricey…but I looked for a printing press that would accept my already designed files and just do the printing. They were great. There was an issue with the mail carrier loosing the inkjet proof twice! But Joe was great and kept sending out more samples.


Other DIY Projects/Extras
Programs: They were SO time consuming. I liked the look of the booklet style and wanted to provide my guests with all the information since it was a full mass. The problem I had was that I didn’t like the ribbon dangling from the booklet and I didn’t like it tied in a bow. Instead, I made a tiny seam inside the program and bound the inside. I then attached that inside onto a heavier card stock so they appeared seamless. I designed the front of the program and painted all the edges with gold paint. They looked amazing, but did require a lot of work. I loved them!



Menu: I made them to match the invites, same fonts/colors. The paper was from paper presentation. I printed 2 per 1 piece of regular sized paper.


Table Numbers: I got the gold easels at Michaels. They were fairly inexpensive. I designed/printed them. Then I painted the edge in gold.


Out of Town Boxes: Oheka provides a lot of stuff in the room like water, pretzels, terra chips, Milano cookies, peanuts, etc. But I still wanted something to welcome the guests. I filled them with wedding rubber duckies (for the tubs in the rooms) which I purchased from Oriental Trading. I added starbucks mocha drinks, sparkling cider, straws, organic granola bars, lindt truffles, and information about breakfast (which I designed and printed).The gable boxes were from Nashville Wraps. I got chocolate brown ones to match my color scheme. They have a huge selection.

Escort Cards (Placecards): I wanted something a little different. Since we were using plain dark wood branches for our escort table CP (we wanted to symbolize fall)…I figured leaf place cards would be cute. I couldn’t find any paper ones that were neutral so I found the wooden ones at michaels. I bought a ton and used a wood burning tool to give them texture. I was going to burn in everyone’s name and table # but that was too time consuming so I just used clear labels since you couldn’t tell they were on there.



Guest Book: I didn’t want a traditional guest book and something like a photo booth but not (since my cousin just got married and had one). So I thought of a combo of both. I made cards with names on them and stuck them to metallic foam board (acmoore)….then left instructions for guest to find their name(s), snap a pic (polaroid) sign the pic/write a note and replace their name with the pic. I also made 2 picture books: childhood through our dating years and then engagement ones just so people had something to look at. People enjoyed it. We got great pics from everyone.



Tea Station: I love tea so I wanted to offer our guests something more than the standard tea choices so I got a variety of Stash teas…along with a variety of mixers (diff sugars, honeys, natural stuff etc). I thought I bought too many, but the next day there were only about 10 tea bags left over so it was a hit.


Ring Bearer Pillow: My mom made it using fabric from my RD dress and leftover ribbon from my invites. I got an inexpensive brooch from this website www.fashionjewelryforeveryone.com

Memory Candles: I got the pillars from Fortunoff bc they looked like old world charm. And just got glass vases and pillars in our colors from michaels.


Unity Candle: Super easy project. Metallic/pearlized candles from Fortunoff + screenprint/transparency scrapbook paper (acmoore) + ribbon (acmoore) + regular tape = 5 min project. The candle holders were from michaels.


Card Box: I bought a dark brown chest from Michaels.


Bathroom: I just wanted to add a cute little touch so I got sachets/potpourri from acmoore to add to the bathrooms so they smelled nice.

Thank You Card: Kodak
We picked a few pro pics and made our own accordion card from Kodak. I used a coupon code and got a discount. They arrived quickly and look great.

PRE-WEDDING DAY STUFF
Engagement Ring: H&L Gross & Bros Jewelers – Garden City
I absolutely loooooove the ring and it’s perfect for me! My DH had it custom made. It’s radiant w/trapezoids in a pave band.


Engagement Pictures: Angelica Glass
On our shoot we came up with a lot of interesting poses. We used the pics for our save the dates and to create an album for guests to view at the wedding. We didn’t really get many close-ups or straight on shots of my husband and we would have liked to see all the pics that AG took that day because of that, but she doesn’t release unretouched photos. Also, as per our email conversations we thought we were getting/would see more photos, but in the end there were less. But regardless, the pics are great and she is talented.

E-Pic Location: Sands Point Preserve – Sands Point/Port Washington
We absolutely love the scenery. It was perfect for us b/c we wanted variety and could take beach and tree pictures etc. There are a lof of trails/picture spots. You have to pay a small permit fee, but the fee is reduced if you live in the town. And you don’t need to pay for it up front. So if it rains that day, you don’t lose your $. You just bring them the completed form and $ that day and it’s fine.


Save The Dates: Postcards - DIY project with my MOH
I wanted something a little different, that had our pics, info and could go up on a fridge (but not a magnet since some of our family’s have non-magnetic wooden fridge doors). For an added touch, I decided to include stickers that guests could use to place on their calendars. Since my MOH is a designer, she and I discussed the design/colors and she put the final file together for the printer, free of charge.
Printer – Vistaprint
They had the oversized postcard size and always offered things for free/discounted. I paid for an online proof just to be safe. They shipped the product on time and packaged well. I have no complaints. They didn’t charge me extra or anything, but I can see why there are some complaints. The check out process is a little confusing …just take your time and make sure to read everything and check/uncheck all the correct boxes.
Supplies: Envelopes- My moh ordered them from her supplier. I attached them to the back of the postcard with permanent glue dots (craft store). Stickers - I got white 1 ½ inch stickers (Staples). Again inexpensive. But the overall process was a pain. My MOH designed them to the exact size, but it took some trial and error to print them correctly. The template didn’t work because I already had the file and word printed them off center and at a lower quality. I had to download a free program from avery that lets you create these stickers, insert the image and adjust the position based on the first trial to get them right. Once it came out right, the rest was easy. I just had to print them (home printer) one page at a time because I didn’t want a paper jam or for ink to smudge. I put 1-2 stickers in the envelope per person. And then 1 on the outside to seal the mini envelope. Address Labels - clear avery labels from staples. It was easy and the clear label was barely noticeable. I didn’t want to risk messing up the postcards by doing them individually (it was just a save the date).


Bridal Shower: Bob’s Place, Floral Park
It was recently renovated and has a modern but cozy feel. The food is super yummy and the room was big. I enjoyed the place and everyone had a great time. They have two private rooms for different sized parties.

Rehearsal Dinner: Finn MacCools, Port Washington
The private room was elegant, had a fireplace and a private bathroom and was down the road from the church…an easy pick for us.

RD Cake: Cakes by Jay
I wanted a special fun cake for DH that was chocolate (I don’t like chocolate and he does). Our thing when we met was beer pong so it was fitting. Jay met with us and gave us a testing and we came up with the design. 3 cups in 3 different cake flavors…yum.



More Pro Pics

Re: Our Day Before Thanksgiving 11/26/08 Wedding (Oheka, Lina Jang, Timeless Treasures, Flower Michele, Starlight Express, etc. + tons of DIY stuff)

Congrats! I love all your pictures and you were a stunning bride.

you should have included a pic of you and your dress right above you (like your dreaming). That one is my fav!

Re: Our Day Before Thanksgiving 11/26/08 Wedding (Oheka, Lina Jang, Timeless Treasures, Flower Michele, Starlight Express, etc. + tons of DIY stuff)

Wow, beautiful pics. I love the guest book ideas. I'm going to take that idea. I am so glad you are a bride that think outside the box. Again thanks for sharing.

Re: Our Day Before Thanksgiving 11/26/08 Wedding (Oheka, Lina Jang, Timeless Treasures, Flower Michele, Starlight Express, etc. + tons of DIY stuff)

Amazing Review! You did an amazing job

Re: Our Day Before Thanksgiving 11/26/08 Wedding (Oheka, Lina Jang, Timeless Treasures, Flower Michele, Starlight Express, etc. + tons of DIY stuff)

You were a beautiful bride and this was an awesome review! Congratulations!

Re: Our Day Before Thanksgiving 11/26/08 Wedding (Oheka, Lina Jang, Timeless Treasures, Flower Michele, Starlight Express, etc. + tons of DIY stuff)

Congrats... amazing review and great pictures

Re: Our Day Before Thanksgiving 11/26/08 Wedding (Oheka, Lina Jang, Timeless Treasures, Flower Michele, Starlight Express, etc. + tons of DIY stuff)

All I can say is WOW! You are beautiful and your wedding looked amazing! Your dress is one of the best ones I have ever see on LIW!

I loved the flowers and what you did in the cocktail room and the main ball room with the fabric drapings! I have never been to Oheka but the place looks awesome and everything you did really added something unique. Congrats on a beautiful day!

Re: Our Day Before Thanksgiving 11/26/08 Wedding (Oheka, Lina Jang, Timeless Treasures, Flower Michele, Starlight Express, etc. + tons of DIY stuff)

Wow, your wedding was BEAUTIFUL!!!!
You looked so gorgeous -- love the dress!
The drapery and lighting in the ballroom were amazing.
CONGRATS!!!

Re: Our Day Before Thanksgiving 11/26/08 Wedding (Oheka, Lina Jang, Timeless Treasures, Flower Michele, Starlight Express, etc. + tons of DIY stuff)

Your wedding looked beautiful!!! Congrats!

Re: Our Day Before Thanksgiving 11/26/08 Wedding (Oheka, Lina Jang, Timeless Treasures, Flower Michele, Starlight Express, etc. + tons of DIY stuff)

Your wedding so amazing i love all the rich colors just everything about it. You looked gorgeous and your dress is totally amazing..just love it all...Congrats!!

Re: Our Day Before Thanksgiving 11/26/08 Wedding (Oheka, Lina Jang, Timeless Treasures, Flower Michele, Starlight Express, etc. + tons of DIY stuff)

wow your wedding was so beautiful and classic. Everything was very well thought out and detailed. Congrats and wishing you happiness in your future as a married woman!

Re: Our Day Before Thanksgiving 11/26/08 Wedding (Oheka, Lina Jang, Timeless Treasures, Flower Michele, Starlight Express, etc. + tons of DIY stuff)

What a terrific review - thanks so much! I love all of your photos and you were a STUNNING bride! Congratulations!

Re: Our Day Before Thanksgiving 11/26/08 Wedding (Oheka, Lina Jang, Timeless Treasures, Flower Michele, Starlight Express, etc. + tons of DIY stuff)

Great review! Everything looks beautiful!
Would you mind FM'ing me info on your makeup/Hair artist? (Pricing and any other terms/requirements they may have)

TIA!

Re: Our Day Before Thanksgiving 11/26/08 Wedding (Oheka, Lina Jang, Timeless Treasures, Flower Michele, Starlight Express, etc. + tons of DIY stuff)

Everything was GORGEOUS!!!