Ok here! goes, I hope these will help someone
Cypress Grove Ceremony Location- A-
The location was beautiful and they allowed us to rent for a 2 hour block of time which made it more affordable for such a small ceremony. The open air gazebo overlooking the water was breathtaking and the grounds were beautiful. In person, the employees were lovely. Over the phone, they seemed a bit disorganized. I stopped in the day before the ceremony to ensure the details would be correct. I am glad I stopped by. Even having stopped by, they still called the day of to ask me where I was, so they apparently did not write down or remember the ceremony time we had discussed many many times. Overall, beautiful place and very happy we chose it. I do think it would be stunning at sunset!
Reverend Kevin Knox- A
Was a pleasure to work with, and let us customize our ceremony. I definately recommend him. Sent all kinds of email information and easy to communincate with both by phone and email. Always got quick responses.
STVS- A
Have not seen the final product yet, but our sneak peek was awesome and up the night of our wedding! Excited to see the final product! Also very affordable. He and his wife were lovely to work with. I recommend!
Randy Chapman -
Have not gotten or seen any of the pics yet, so I will grade later, but was very nice to work with. Affordable and flexible and made us feel comfortable. He knows where to go and the ins & outs of the resorts so that was very helpful. And our wedding was in the morning so the afternoon pics were hot! He was a trooper. I am nervous that the heat and my make up melting is going to make for some scary photos. But we really enjoyed working with Randy.
Beaute Special - C
Ok, I feel bad leaving this review because the girl that did my hair was very nice. I was very happy with my hair, and initially with my makeup. Before leaving the room, I loved how it all looked. And my dissapointment may not be her fault, since I am not sure anyone can do makeup that will hold up in the Florida heat. I was extremely dissappointed that my makeup did not last. It was a hot day, but we had a morning ceremony, and as soon as it started to warm up my eye makeup melted and I had raccoon eyes. I am terrified that I will not have any pics without black eyes. Between each photo location I tried to wipe off all the eye makeup that slid down and fix with powder, but I had not taken my whole makeup bag with me (mistake!!) and by the last photo stop it was all the makeup sliding down not just the eyes and I was a hot mess. My hair was sprayed heavily into place and the mix of sweat and hairspray was icky. The makeup was pretty much all slid down my face. I had makeup all over my hands and dress. I used tissues between photos but it was a mess. Not a good look.
If I had it to do over again, I would have done an up do, and asked for no eye liner/shadow/makeup on my bottom lids because it melted into a mess. I think I also would have done air brush makeup, not sure if that would have held up better. The fake eyelashes were AWESOME but I think I was allergic to the glue, when I removed them I had redness and itching where they had been. But they really looked awesome and I recommend them, worth the extra 10 dollars.
Its Tasty Too B+
The cake was beautiful, exactly as we had discussed. It was also delicious. We never did a tasting being from out of state so we went with simple chocolate cake with chocolate whipped cream filling and a layer of vanilla cake with vanilla whipped cream filling, both with buttercream frosting. I am not a fan of fondant and the buttercream was delicious! I asked for scroll design with black ribbon lining the bottom of each layer and red sugar roses on top. It was stunning! I recommend and will definately use this vendor again. The only reason they did not get an A is because their communication is very slow. They only answer email one day a week and it was excruciating to wait for a response to a simple question. They do also give you phone numbers to call, and I did once leave a message that was never returned. I had tried to call a couple of other times but it always goes right to voicemail and I didn't leave a message. So communication is very slow, but overall it was worth the wait and the cake was beautiful. Their prices were also excellent. Another issue that came up was when they delivered the cake, they only left a tiny cardboard box with it, and since our ceremony was small we had a lot of cake an no box to put it in. The limo driver was kind enough to lend us some of his large tupperware containers, which we had to wash out and then cut the cake into chunks to fit into. The box left was for the top layer.
Petals by Design A
They did my bouquet and a bout for the groom. This vendor was by far the easiest to communicate with which I loved.She made me feel very secure ordering from out of state. She always responded right away to my emails and I never had to wait long for a response. I sent her a picture of what I wanted and she made it happen. I sent the same pic to several florists and this vendor had a resonable price and was the easist to work with. The night before the wedding they did call to ask if they could bring the flowers to the hotel because she had some sort of delivery person schedule mix up, but I was afraid they would get ruined by not being at the right temperature. And we had previously discussed and confirmed the delivery time well in advance. They did say they would work it out and not to worry and the flowers were there as promised on time. They were beautiful.
I got red roses and white stephanotis.
Jennie Rudberg Violinist A
I kept going back and forth on whether or not to have a violinist and I am so glad we did! She was fantastic! She played Disney love songs, classical music, and had a whole list you could pick from. I really am so glad she was there, she added a perfect ambiance and made the wedding feel more formal/official. She was very nice and easy to work with and we really enjoyed having her there. I would recommend!
Above & Beyond Limo C-
This review was also hard for me because this was the vendor that was the hardest to work with before the wedding. We signed our contract with all relevant details in January. They lost it. They contacted me asking me to sign a contract in April, and had no record of the previous one. I emailed it to them. The new one they sent me had the incorrect wedding date on it. When I tried to call to straighten it out, I discovered that their telephone number on the contract was also incorrect. Every email or phone call I got from them sent me into a panic since they kept getting details, dates, times, and numbers incorrect. I personally filled out 2 contracts for them and my husband filled out another one. Then when I tried to confirm just before the wedding, they still did not seem to have any of the details. Yikes. I had prepared to drive myself in case of a no show. I did not have high hopes and wasn't sure they would show up. They also pre bill you for the 20% gratuity which seemed odd to me, because it is a bit presumptuous and gives no incentive to do a good job.
The day of, they limo showed up exactly on time and the driver was lovely. His name was Daniel and he was super! We rented the Bentley limo and it was stunning and beautiful, although I am a germ a phobe and there were fingerprints all over the shiny ceiling. We really liked the driver and the limo was really pretty and everything was clean aside from the ceiling. This company just needs to work on the record keeping and paperwork if they plan to be successful. The stress of working with them before the event did not weigh out the excellent service on the day of. The driver was really awesome and did a great job. He gets an A, the company did not.
California Grill- A
We made reservations the night of our ceremony for dinner and I am really glad we did! The food was absolutely delicious and going out on the deck to watch Wishes was a moment I will never forget. It was a beautiful night and the weather was amazing and it was magical! They did also give us a glass of champagne to celebrate our wedding. This is definately a place we will return to!
Animal Kingdom Lodge Kidani Village B
We rented points and got a studio, which turned out to be a bit too small during the get ready phase of the wedding. This was our fault, not theirs. Our room was beautiful and it was AWESOME to wake up and watch the zebras and giraffes from the deck. I really enjoyed watching the animals all week, it never got old for me. I think I would only stay here if I had the savanna view room because it was so cool! The decor was awesome and the theming. The shower was awesome. The lobby was beautiful. We did try Saana, and we did not care for it. Our biggest complaints were the room service is Saana food, which we didn't care for. And the bed was super uncomfortable it was hard as a rock. Our mini frige became known as the stink fridge, it had been unplugged when we arrived and appears to have been that way for a long time. We called to ask for a new fridge, but it never came. It smelled so bad you could not open it. We ended up buying kitchen cleaner and cleaning it out so we would have a place to put our drinks and cake for the week. Overall I think this was a lovely hotel and quieter than Jambo house. But things were further away. We did walk over to Jambo to go to Mara the quick service a couple of times. I just wish there were better food options at Kidani, and softer beds. One small thing, on the morning of our wedding the staff came up to ask if it was our wedding day. We said yes and they asked what time we were leaving the room because they "had a surpise for us" which was exciting. But there was never any surprise. lol. Guess the forgot!
Carolyn Allens- A+
They came to the room, steamed the dress, veil, and my grooms suit. They were nice, efficient, and were able to do a last minute appointment change for me which I appreciated. They did a great job.
Ok, if I forgot any, I will update. When I get pics I will show you my flowers and cake!
Cypress Grove Ceremony Location- A-
The location was beautiful and they allowed us to rent for a 2 hour block of time which made it more affordable for such a small ceremony. The open air gazebo overlooking the water was breathtaking and the grounds were beautiful. In person, the employees were lovely. Over the phone, they seemed a bit disorganized. I stopped in the day before the ceremony to ensure the details would be correct. I am glad I stopped by. Even having stopped by, they still called the day of to ask me where I was, so they apparently did not write down or remember the ceremony time we had discussed many many times. Overall, beautiful place and very happy we chose it. I do think it would be stunning at sunset!
Reverend Kevin Knox- A
Was a pleasure to work with, and let us customize our ceremony. I definately recommend him. Sent all kinds of email information and easy to communincate with both by phone and email. Always got quick responses.
STVS- A
Have not seen the final product yet, but our sneak peek was awesome and up the night of our wedding! Excited to see the final product! Also very affordable. He and his wife were lovely to work with. I recommend!
Randy Chapman -
Have not gotten or seen any of the pics yet, so I will grade later, but was very nice to work with. Affordable and flexible and made us feel comfortable. He knows where to go and the ins & outs of the resorts so that was very helpful. And our wedding was in the morning so the afternoon pics were hot! He was a trooper. I am nervous that the heat and my make up melting is going to make for some scary photos. But we really enjoyed working with Randy.
Beaute Special - C
Ok, I feel bad leaving this review because the girl that did my hair was very nice. I was very happy with my hair, and initially with my makeup. Before leaving the room, I loved how it all looked. And my dissapointment may not be her fault, since I am not sure anyone can do makeup that will hold up in the Florida heat. I was extremely dissappointed that my makeup did not last. It was a hot day, but we had a morning ceremony, and as soon as it started to warm up my eye makeup melted and I had raccoon eyes. I am terrified that I will not have any pics without black eyes. Between each photo location I tried to wipe off all the eye makeup that slid down and fix with powder, but I had not taken my whole makeup bag with me (mistake!!) and by the last photo stop it was all the makeup sliding down not just the eyes and I was a hot mess. My hair was sprayed heavily into place and the mix of sweat and hairspray was icky. The makeup was pretty much all slid down my face. I had makeup all over my hands and dress. I used tissues between photos but it was a mess. Not a good look.
If I had it to do over again, I would have done an up do, and asked for no eye liner/shadow/makeup on my bottom lids because it melted into a mess. I think I also would have done air brush makeup, not sure if that would have held up better. The fake eyelashes were AWESOME but I think I was allergic to the glue, when I removed them I had redness and itching where they had been. But they really looked awesome and I recommend them, worth the extra 10 dollars.
Its Tasty Too B+
The cake was beautiful, exactly as we had discussed. It was also delicious. We never did a tasting being from out of state so we went with simple chocolate cake with chocolate whipped cream filling and a layer of vanilla cake with vanilla whipped cream filling, both with buttercream frosting. I am not a fan of fondant and the buttercream was delicious! I asked for scroll design with black ribbon lining the bottom of each layer and red sugar roses on top. It was stunning! I recommend and will definately use this vendor again. The only reason they did not get an A is because their communication is very slow. They only answer email one day a week and it was excruciating to wait for a response to a simple question. They do also give you phone numbers to call, and I did once leave a message that was never returned. I had tried to call a couple of other times but it always goes right to voicemail and I didn't leave a message. So communication is very slow, but overall it was worth the wait and the cake was beautiful. Their prices were also excellent. Another issue that came up was when they delivered the cake, they only left a tiny cardboard box with it, and since our ceremony was small we had a lot of cake an no box to put it in. The limo driver was kind enough to lend us some of his large tupperware containers, which we had to wash out and then cut the cake into chunks to fit into. The box left was for the top layer.
Petals by Design A
They did my bouquet and a bout for the groom. This vendor was by far the easiest to communicate with which I loved.She made me feel very secure ordering from out of state. She always responded right away to my emails and I never had to wait long for a response. I sent her a picture of what I wanted and she made it happen. I sent the same pic to several florists and this vendor had a resonable price and was the easist to work with. The night before the wedding they did call to ask if they could bring the flowers to the hotel because she had some sort of delivery person schedule mix up, but I was afraid they would get ruined by not being at the right temperature. And we had previously discussed and confirmed the delivery time well in advance. They did say they would work it out and not to worry and the flowers were there as promised on time. They were beautiful.
I got red roses and white stephanotis.
Jennie Rudberg Violinist A
I kept going back and forth on whether or not to have a violinist and I am so glad we did! She was fantastic! She played Disney love songs, classical music, and had a whole list you could pick from. I really am so glad she was there, she added a perfect ambiance and made the wedding feel more formal/official. She was very nice and easy to work with and we really enjoyed having her there. I would recommend!
Above & Beyond Limo C-
This review was also hard for me because this was the vendor that was the hardest to work with before the wedding. We signed our contract with all relevant details in January. They lost it. They contacted me asking me to sign a contract in April, and had no record of the previous one. I emailed it to them. The new one they sent me had the incorrect wedding date on it. When I tried to call to straighten it out, I discovered that their telephone number on the contract was also incorrect. Every email or phone call I got from them sent me into a panic since they kept getting details, dates, times, and numbers incorrect. I personally filled out 2 contracts for them and my husband filled out another one. Then when I tried to confirm just before the wedding, they still did not seem to have any of the details. Yikes. I had prepared to drive myself in case of a no show. I did not have high hopes and wasn't sure they would show up. They also pre bill you for the 20% gratuity which seemed odd to me, because it is a bit presumptuous and gives no incentive to do a good job.
The day of, they limo showed up exactly on time and the driver was lovely. His name was Daniel and he was super! We rented the Bentley limo and it was stunning and beautiful, although I am a germ a phobe and there were fingerprints all over the shiny ceiling. We really liked the driver and the limo was really pretty and everything was clean aside from the ceiling. This company just needs to work on the record keeping and paperwork if they plan to be successful. The stress of working with them before the event did not weigh out the excellent service on the day of. The driver was really awesome and did a great job. He gets an A, the company did not.
California Grill- A
We made reservations the night of our ceremony for dinner and I am really glad we did! The food was absolutely delicious and going out on the deck to watch Wishes was a moment I will never forget. It was a beautiful night and the weather was amazing and it was magical! They did also give us a glass of champagne to celebrate our wedding. This is definately a place we will return to!
Animal Kingdom Lodge Kidani Village B
We rented points and got a studio, which turned out to be a bit too small during the get ready phase of the wedding. This was our fault, not theirs. Our room was beautiful and it was AWESOME to wake up and watch the zebras and giraffes from the deck. I really enjoyed watching the animals all week, it never got old for me. I think I would only stay here if I had the savanna view room because it was so cool! The decor was awesome and the theming. The shower was awesome. The lobby was beautiful. We did try Saana, and we did not care for it. Our biggest complaints were the room service is Saana food, which we didn't care for. And the bed was super uncomfortable it was hard as a rock. Our mini frige became known as the stink fridge, it had been unplugged when we arrived and appears to have been that way for a long time. We called to ask for a new fridge, but it never came. It smelled so bad you could not open it. We ended up buying kitchen cleaner and cleaning it out so we would have a place to put our drinks and cake for the week. Overall I think this was a lovely hotel and quieter than Jambo house. But things were further away. We did walk over to Jambo to go to Mara the quick service a couple of times. I just wish there were better food options at Kidani, and softer beds. One small thing, on the morning of our wedding the staff came up to ask if it was our wedding day. We said yes and they asked what time we were leaving the room because they "had a surpise for us" which was exciting. But there was never any surprise. lol. Guess the forgot!
Carolyn Allens- A+
They came to the room, steamed the dress, veil, and my grooms suit. They were nice, efficient, and were able to do a last minute appointment change for me which I appreciated. They did a great job.
Ok, if I forgot any, I will update. When I get pics I will show you my flowers and cake!
