Weddingbee boards

All my vendors are listed in the WeddingBee vendor review tabs, but I thought I might compile everything here, too.

Reception Site: Heinz History Museum - I have nothing but absolutely wonderful things to say about Lorie and Maura. They were so easy to work with, returned every phone call, and made me feel perfectly at ease. They even helped me negotiate fees with vendors. The site is a little pricey, but I feel it is worth every penny. The fifth floor room is enormous, it has a space for cocktail hour, and a balcony with a beautiful view. you're also allowed in the museum exhibits for pictures with your photographer. I try to convince everyone I know who is getting married, even strangers, to have their reception there.

Caterer: Common Plea - Absolutely perfect! Our guests were raving about the food! I worked with Maggie for our reception and I couldn't be happier. She was so incredibly helpful and made me feel so at ease. She responded quickly to any questions we had and helped with multiple last minute changes.  She accommodated for kids' meals and multiple food allergies. She even had one specific meal made for one guest with multiple allergies. She just went above and beyond what we expected and the food was awesome on top of it.  Don't forget to bring 2 friends to the tasting! You'll all be rolling out of there stuffed to the brim.

Florist:  Val Brooks - Since there is no vendor review available for Val, I'll spread the word here.  She is absolutely the best.  I originally booked her because our first meeting with her went so well.  We didn't even meet with another florist because we were satisfied immediately.  She works from home as a florist on the side, so this is her hobby and she truly enjoys it.  It shows in her work.  Her prices are unbelievably low.  She is very, very, very easy to get in contact with and responds quickly.  She is flexible and helps with the creative process.  She makes excellent suggestions, also.  What I loved most was she stayed at the church until I was walking down the aisle....SHE FLUFFED MY DRESS OUT FOR ME!!!  She pinned all the boys boutonnieres, handed the moms and grandma's their flowers, coached my maids on how to hold the bouquets....I just love her! (email:Brooksrab1@aol.com)

Cake: Signature Desserts - (only negative review) - I'll start off by saying our cake and other desserts were delicious and our guests loved them. We received many compliments. We also got a lot for our money. However, customer service and organization was lacking. I never received a copy of our contract (which she keeps stuck to the outside a cabinet with a magnet amongst many other contracts). In the chaos of the last 3 weeks of wedding planning, I forgot to call them to check on my final payment. I got a rude call from Linda on a Saturday evening (5 or 6 pm) letting me know I was late and she wouldn't accept a check since it wouldn't clear before the wedding. Excuse me? Not clear? I took as an insult and an accusation as possibly writing a bad check. Also, we ordered a cake topper, paid for it, but it didn't make it to the reception. I'll be calling her for a refund for that...I'll let you know how that goes.

Update: I just got off the phone with Linda. She is sending my refund. However, as with previous reviews, it wasn't pleasant. She saw this review and told me I was immature and attempted to ruin her reputation. And that I should have asked for a contract if I wanted one. I did not offer an apology and neither did she. You just don't talk to people like that.

DJ: Wenning Entertainment - Leah was the DJ at our reception. She was awesome. She called me a few days ahead and asked me how to pronounce names and a few other things. I felt comfortable with her after that call. She did a great job at the reception. She played some classic and some pop and some in between. She had everyone on the dance floor at some point or another. It was a blast. Especially, the double dutch!I left flexibility as a 4 because the DJ who was originally going to do our reception abruptly left the company for personal reasons...It doesn't factor in as a flexibility issue though. I was completely satisfied with Leah, but I was taken aback for a minute. I Just thought it should be noted.

Photographer: Christopher Gooden - tba

Photobooth: Pittsburgh Photobooth - This was an excellent idea recommended by our event coordinator. I am so glad we did it! Our guest had never seen something like it before at a reception. Everyone loved it. The guests even got a 4x6" print of the 6 photos they took. We'll get a cd in the mail in a week or so. They also had a few cute props to use. They were very easy to get in contact with and very nice.

Limo: A. Tortorice - We were completely satisfied with this limo service. Our driver was very professional and show up early. He knew exactly where he was going and was very flexible with our photo locations. (We kept it easy and stayed in the city) I rated slightly lower on responsiveness because I initially had a hard time getting in touch with them via voicemail and email. However, when the owner called me back he apologized and upgraded our limo size for the cost of a smaller one which more than compensated for it.

Make-up: Pittsburgh Make-up - Julie was wonderful. She did a perfect job on my maids and I. We were all very happy and it truly did last all night. She listened to what everyone wanted and liked. She even made a few game time changes the day of for me. She uses all the best stuff. A lot of her make up is Youngblood, which is mineral, so it's scent free and good for sensitive skin. Julie is also very easy to get in touch with and quick to respond to any questions. The cost is a little high, but it is your wedding day so spend the money, do it right and go with Julie!  Beware: She books up waaaaaay in advance, so call her now!

Hair: Rockwell Hair Design - Brooke is the best. I started going to her about 6 months before my wedding just so I could get to know her. (I'm fussy with my hair.) She is honestly one of the nicest people I know. She is an excellent hair dresser. My hair looked perfect on my wedding day and it stayed in most of the night. Some of the pins started popping out towards 8 pm because I was bouncing all around. Brooke and her sister, Arbor, came to my house and did everyone's hair. Arbor was also awesome. She put extensions on one of my maid's hai and it looked perfect. Even my mother-in-law was satisfied with her up-do!!! (she has short hair) The prices are great, too!

Etsy (if in question about finding something, check Etsy!  I was happy with everything I ordered.)

Invitations (wedding and shower) - Cricket Printing

Garters - rosebudlips

Thumbprint Tree - YourKeepsakeCo

Bridesmaids Jewelry - Janice Marie

Table Number Stands - Clareensquirkycorner

Hope this helps!  Happy Planning!