Vendor Review - Be Creative Photography

Alright, total confession time - I wanted to hold off on this one last wedding vendor review until our one-year anniversary, but I just couldn't. This posting has been in "draft" for months, and I swear I update it almost daily - but I couldn't wait any longer!

Not a single day goes by that I don't look through some (if not all) of our wedding photos. Over the past year I've felt like my life is moving faster than I can keep up, and it's both exciting and overwhelming. Maybe that's why I love looking at my wedding photos so much, because they make time stand still. They remind me of just how lucky and blessed I am.

Not to mention, they are breathtakingly gorgeous.

Oh, and the photographers are amazing. More than amazing. I can't put words on how awesome they are as people, as business owners, and as photographers. I never expected to become so inspired by them and their business story.

So who are these amazing, talented and inspirational photographers? They are Brooke and Eric Lagstein, of Be Creative Photography.

I first heard of Be Creative Photography when I googled the name of the another venue and up popped some pictures by Brooke and Eric at that location. It was the first time I realized how amazing wedding pictures could actually be; it was the first time I realized how amazing my wedding could actually be. I can't explain it, it's like, I saw those pictures and things all of a sudden clicked for me.

Before I did any photography research at all, I used the budget tool from The Knot. You know, the one where you put in your budget and then it tells you what you should be spending for everything based on percentages. The tool led me very, very astray. It estimated that I should budget $1,500 on photography - so, I figured that was about what photography costs. I know, some of you are reading that and laughing out loud. I'm laughing too. But at the time, I hadn't done any research yet, and figured the estimate would accurately reflect the cost of photography.

Wrong.

So, when I called Be Creative the first time, I was devastated to find out they were way out of my "budget". Again, Be Creative was the very first photographer I called, so I had nothing to base them on besides the insanely low estimate from The Knot. I was so surprised by the cost that I actually hung up on Eric. Eeek! Sorry, sorry, sorry, Eric!

However, I didn't immediately rule out Be Creative. Instead, Mike and I began looking at other photographers with similar styles to get some comparisons. I made a ton of other calls for price quotes and went on a bunch of consultations. At the end of the day we realized that The Knot was off it's rocker. In comparison to similar styled photographers, Be Creative isn't the most expensive at all, but they aren't inexpensive either. Don't get me wrong - you could easily get a run-of-the-mill, no frills, all posed, emotionless photographer for a quarter of the price, but that's not what I wanted. I wanted amazing, I wanted jaw-dropping, I wanted heirloom - I wanted Brooke and Eric, and after doing all the research, I was totally comfortable with their cost.

And so, feeling like a total idiot after handing up on him the first time, I called Eric back and made an appointment for a consultation. I never told him I was the crazy girl that hung up on him. Cats out of the bag now. Sorry, again, Eric.

On the car ride home from meeting with Brooke and Eric, Mike and I decided we wanted needed them at our wedding. It's the best wedding decision we made. Everything else on the day of the wedding only lasts a few hours, but pictures, well they last your lifetime. They become heirlooms. They are worth every single penny.

Before the wedding, I spent a lot of time on the phone with Eric, figuring out where the pictures would be taken, planning all the formal family shots, coordinating the times of arrival etc. He is meticulous, about timing which was perfect because the last thing any bride wants to do is be rushed and have to omit pictures. We made sure we got in every picture we wanted, and we still allowed enough wiggle room in the timeline for the little things that popped up. Which of course happened when the couple before us at the church were running super late - pushing our wedding back a bit of time.

Not only did Brooke and Eric take stunning pictures, their photo journalism style came to life as they captured all of the fun, human, and emotion filled parts of our day.

After the wedding was over, Brooke and I spent a lot of time chatting and working on the design for the wedding album. One of my favorite things about Brooke and Eric is that they require you to finish your album within something like 60 days after the wedding. That's unbelievably fast turnaround! I had all of my pictures (two sets of digital proofs sent on DVD - one set with watermarks for internet use, like on this blog, and one set without watermarks for printing) plus the album in what seemed like a flash. I literally have friends that still do not have their finished albums, or pictures, almost a year-and-a-half after their wedding!

Some other fun facts about Brooke and Eric from our wedding day:

• Eric saved the day after a corsage mix-up
• Brooke did some saving of the day as well, by suggesting we crash my neighbors garage sale when the timeline got pushed back
• Brooke wore Toms at church to keep the noise down when she walked - which inspired my husband to buy a pair for himself. The Toms did, and always will, look better on Brooke though
• They made sure Mike and I ate something during the formal photos
• They both giggled & had trouble keeping a straight face when Mike's brother played the CSI "YEA" on his cell phone during "serious" pictures.

So, thank you again to Brooke and Eric of Be Creative Photography. The two of you are amazing people, amazing photographers, and an inspiration to me and my business as well. You've given Mike and I two of the most precious gifts we could ever ask for - amazing pictures and an amazing experience. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

So, this is the last of my wedding vendor reviews. I'm sad to be closing this chapter, as it means I no longer have a good excuse to blog about my wedding. Eventually (hopefully) I'll post a little more about my own invitations and all of the DIY elements of the day. But, for now, I hope you've found my vendor reviews helpful. Here are all of the other reviews I've done:

The DJ - Funktion 67
The Florist - Events By Stylish
The Cake & Cupcakes - Baked
The Ceremony - St. William the Abbot
The Transporation - Elegant Limo
The Location - Nikon Jones Beach Theater
The Details - Dresses, Rentals, Tents, Tuxedos

Vendor Review: The DJ

Wow! It's been almost 6 months since my wedding! I cannot believe how quickly it went, and I wish it would slow down - I'm enjoying it too darn much :)

I'll be honest and admit that I've been procrastinating the last two vendor reviews from my wedding. I feel like once I finish them, that'll be it for anything wedding related in my life. Kinda sad about that. But, I saved the best for last and I really do want to get the word out.

In case you missed it, I've already reviewed all the little fashion details, the location, the transportation, the ceremony and church, the cake, and the flowers. Now it's time for the DJ.

And, like almost everything else in my wedding, there is a story about the DJ. Actually, I had originally booked a different entertainment company, but I started hearing a lot about Michael Gentile of Funktion 67 DJs and after seeing Michael at my cousin-in-law's wedding, I decided I had to have him. I think booking Michael may have been the best decision I made for the entire wedding. He MADE the night! I have never heard such a fabulous mix of tunes, and the dance floor was packed all night long (and it was a 6 hour party, so that's no small feat).

Oh, and remember, this theater is no stranger to good music. It's hosted legends from Eric Clapton to Mariah Carey to the Red Hot Chili Peppers - and, for the record Michael Gentile rocked the place like nobody's business! 

Michael was awesome to work with from day one. He loves what he does, and he's so damn talented it's not even funny. I think every pre-wedding meeting we had with him turned into a jam session at his office. If I remember correctly, at the last meeting he even had my husband singing Adele. Yes, I remember correctly (although I maybe wish I didn't).  Of all my vendors, I get at least one email a week from a guest asking who my DJ was!

I remember at one point during the wedding one of my friends - on the middle of the dance floor - looked over at me and screamed "Is this for real? this is the best set-list EVER!" and yes, it really was!


The bridal party walked out to Deadmau5 "Animal Rights", which my husband picked, actually my husband also picked the song we walked out to, which was Martin Solvieg "Hello". They're laughable, but totally worked for us! And I'll always have the picture in my head of Michael and my husband jamming out to Deadmau5 during one of our meetings. How could I deny them the pleasure?

Here is my favorite picture of my MOH and the two best men being introduced. I love how all three are in totally different - but equally entranced - states of PARTY!

Here are some more of my absolute favorite pictures from the dancefloor:

my father-in-law, probably dancing to Lady Gaga

not a party without the ROBOT!

yes, my husband's got moves, and yes, he began to strip

Mr. Jake, breaking it down and not breaking a bone.

Our couples dance

The music made the night, so thank you, thank you, thank you to Michael Gentile and Funktion 67 DJ's - you rocked the night!

Vendor Review - The Flowers

my balcony in the rain

It's a rainy day here in NY, and so I figure that if I can't go out and smell the flowers here, instead I can review the beautiful flowers from my wedding....

My wedding decor was mostly candle light, but I wanted some gorgeous and simple flowers to help make the tables more elegant. Everything needed to be done perfectly, and Dana (pronounced more like "Donna"), from Events by Stylish in Queens NY, was the only person I trusted!

Dana is one of the warmest people I've ever met, and I would recommend her ten thousand times over. She is breathe of fresh air during the stressful time of wedding planning. She is a real person that loves what she does and it shows in her work... she's warm, friendly, creative and oooober talented!  I told her what my budget was, and she was able to work with me to produce stunning florals within that number, which is a big deal when it comes to flowers and weddings.

Dana and I seemed to work perfectly together - I knew exactly the look I wanted, and she knew exactly what flowers to use to turn my vision into reality! I told her I wanted all the centerpieces to be white and to all be different, but flow together perfectly. The dinner tent was envisioned as ethereal, while the cocktail hour a little more modern. Dana nailed it!

Check out some pictures:

simple, round white flowers for cocktail hour

blooming tulips on the dinner tables

white roses on the dinner tables

Orchids on the dinner tables

Hydrangea on the dinners tables

Oh! And how could I possibly forget about my AMAZING bouquet? I fell in love with a bouquet on the Events by Stylish Website, and threw all creativity out the window. I wanted that one, and that one only! My favorite part is the beautiful vintage style beading on the stems. Amazing. I remember holding onto it for dear life walking down the aisle, and I'm pretty sure I slept with it on my nightstand that night.

Thank you, Dana, for being so amazing to work with! You made me smile so many times when I desperately needed it :)

Vendor Review - The Cake & Sweets

Even before we were engaged, Mike and I knew we wanted cupcakes at our wedding. At first we thought about going with one of those big famous chain type cupcake places, and then I decided I wanted something better. Way better. Enter Baked. Baked is the Mecca of comfort style, homemade desserts. I had known about Baked for a while, but didn't think they would be in my budget, so I never called. And then Oprah did a few features on them (yes, I said a few, as in, more than one), and I though "damn, these guys are huge! There's no way they could do my wedding!" So, one day, feeling a little silly, I decided to call, figuring I'd be put on hold until my ears bled. Somebody answered the phone. I was not put on hold. They are nice. They are very nice! This must be where they nicely say they can't accept any new orders.....THEY CAN DO THE WEDDING! YIPPIE!!!

Ok, so maybe I got a little too excited over the desserts, but the best part about working with Baked is that owners Renato and Matt might be like, kinda a big deal, but they are totally the nicest, most down to earth people ever. I dealt with Renato for the wedding, and felt horrible when my email account got hacked (and then got a virus) and so we played a long line of "tag, you're it". When I realized (several months after it was sent) that my deposit check never made it to their shop, I thought maybe Renato would say he couldn't hold my date anymore. Nope, he said not to worry, mail gets lost sometimes; I could pay when I pay, as long as it's before the wedding. How often does anybody say that?

Oh, and we had our last meeting the day before the "end of the world" back in May. I'm pretty sure I offered to take in any abandoned pets of the bakeshop workers, should they happen to disappear. The only things I like more than cupcakes are puppies.

So, for the wedding we ended up doing an entire table of comfort style desserts, including vanilla, chocolate, peanut butter, lemon drop and pistachio cupcakes; along with a variety of other sweets, like chocolate chip cookies, brownies and whoopie pies. Our cake was a small, two tiered cake in the lemon drop flavor, and it was to die for. I ate my whole piece.

Here are a few pictures:

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Renato & Baked for tastiest part of the wedding :) I can't wait to come into the shop soon, and dive into a lemon drop or pistachio cupcake!!!! If anybody else ever finds themselves in Red Hook, Brooklyn, be sure to stop in and grab some coffee and sweets.

Vendor Review - The Ceremony and Church

I want to keep this brief, since I was not originally planning on saying anything about the ceremony at all....As it turns out, I think the ceremony may have been my favorite part of the entire day.

We started about 10 minutes late (I just told you why, in the past post), and as soon as I got to the alter, Father Steve (or rather, Monsignor Steve!) said to me "Take a deep breath, relax, we'll get this thing back on track!!". After that, Father Steve proceeded to give the most down to earth, heartwarming ceremony I have ever, ever heard....

Let me give you a little history about Mike and I and Father Steve. When Mike was a volunteer fire fighter and EMT, Father Steve was the department Chaplain. Everybody loves Father Steve, he is a down to earth guy that is always genuine and kind, but has a wicked good sense of humor. I say "wicked" good because he's from Boston - well, actually, I think he's from Ireland originally, and then Boston. Either way, the man rocks.

When Mike and I got engaged the very first thing I said was that we needed to go talk to Father Steve to see if he would, please please pretty please, marry us. I was so excited when he agreed! Over the past three years Father Steve has since become a Monsignor (congratulations!) and left the Fire Department to take on greater responsibilities. A few weeks before the wedding I told him how afraid I was that I was going to cry the entire time - or worse, giggle the whole time! He reassured me that even if I did cry or laugh, and on the day of the wedding, when I got to the alter in one piece, he said "you did good!" in his endearing Boston/Irish accent.

In fact, on the day of the wedding I did not cry at all, I was too in awe of everything around me to even feel anything other than joy. I took a sigh of relief when Father Steve told me I was sitting up too straight, and I laughed when he joked about the different methods I may need to try in order to wake Mike up from deep sleep. He told all of our guests about how, when Mike was in the fire department, the department installed amplifiers to Mike's pager because he was such a deep sleeper that he would sleep through the normal alarms....Father Steve told us never to text the words "I love you", but to speak them, face-to-face. Overall, the ceremony really felt like a conversation between us and a man/friend we deeply respect, love and look up to. It was touching and beautiful, and I genuinely regret not having a videographer, because I wish I could replay the ceremony over and over again...

Here are a few pictures...

Vendor Review - Limos and Transportation

I'm back with more reviews!! I hope you're not bored yet, caused I'm keeping these coming!


The one thing I left up to Mike to handle was the transportation for us and the bridal party. He ended up booking through Elegant Limo, and here are some of my thoughts around transportation....

I had originally wanted to rent one of those vintage type trolleys for the whole day to serve as our bridal party transportation and the guest shuttle service, but my family thought it was a terrible idea. I was frustrated to see that the traditional car and limo package was three times the price as my beloved trolley would have been and I absolutely couldn't bring myself to spend the money. So, I had Mike do it....and he got lucky because while the stretch Escalade might not have been vacuumed the night before - the drivers more than made up for it!!! In fact, the entire timeline for the day very easily could have been blown when the wedding that was taking place at church before us was running over 40 minutes late....but our awesome limo drivers saved the day!! I'll explain after the first picture below...

Mike booked us the 1938 Caddy, driven by Ray, and the 20 passenger Escalade, driven by Junior (Charlie Jr.). The Escalade was for the bridal party, and the Caddy took my parents and I to the church, and then took Mike and I to the reception.

So let's talk about how Ray and Junior saved the day....

The plan was for the Escalade to pick up the groom and the groomsmen and drive them to the church early and then swing back to my parents home to pick up the bridesmaids. Let me first say that our cars were ALL ON TIME, which helped so much!!! Junior picked up Mike and the groomsmen to go to the church, but when they got there they realized that the wedding before us was running almost an hour late. When Mike got to the church the other wedding party should have been on their way out, instead they were just starting their full Mass ceremony. Uh oh. So Junior, our limo driver, got the phone number of the limo driver for the other wedding party and asked that limo driver to call him as soon as they left. This was perfect. Perfect!! When Junior and Ray showed up at my house - perfectly on time, might I add - Junior told me to take my time with pictures because the other wedding wasn't going to be done for at least a half hour. At first I had the initial feeling of panic, and then he said, very calmly "Don't worry, they are going to call me the minute they leave, it takes us 10 minutes to get the church, you'll be fine." Ray and Junior insisted we use the delay to take more pictures, which turned out to be perfect. While we were waiting for Junior to get the call from the other bridal party, we snapped some fun shots in my neighbors garage sale...

Most brides might have been upset by their neighbor having a garage sale, I thought it was kinda awesome. As long as my cars had a place to park, I was a perfectly happy camper.

We also got to take some fun shots with the Caddy....

Alright, so while we were taking the pictures, Junior got the call that the other bridal party was getting into their cars and heading out. It was GO time! Ray was super helpful in getting me (and the gown) into the car.

Ray helping me get in, and Junior holding the door for me.

In fact, Ray ended up being the one to show my dad how to pull the veil over my head, and Ray was also the one that put out my train before I went down the aisle. Thank you SO much, Ray!! Ray was such a kind, warm and helpful guy, which was just what I needed to calm my time-line nerves.

Ray and Junior planning our arrival so perfectly that I literally pulled up and walked from the car outside the church straight inside and down the aisle. It was amazing!!!! So, so, so perfect. Thank you to Ray and Junior for saving the day and my nerves!!!!

starting the walk straight to the alter!

Turns out we started our ceremony only about 10 minutes late and - thanks to Father Steve (the fasted Monsignor out there) - we ended exactly on time!!!

As for the couple before us....I do feel bad because my guests crashed their receiving line. In fact, one of my guests asked for a picture of the other couple to show me "who made me so late". HA! So now I have, along with my own pictures, a picture of the other bride and groom who's timeline didn't work out so well. I hope their day turned out amazing anyway!