Welcome to my "Married Bio"
All vendors serve the Metropolitan Boston area and Cape Cod unless otherwise noted.
If contact information is not available here, I will provide it upon request.
Church:
Second Congregational Church
Cohasset, MA
Looking for the right church was very important to both of us. We wanted a quintessentially New England church close to our reception and lodging at The Red Lion Inn in Cohasset. The white steepled Second Congregational delivered on all counts. We were assigned a friendly, attentive wedding coordinator by the church who was in constant communication via email (important, since we were planning from out of state). Even though we weren't members of the congregation (nor were we members of the United Church of Christ-- I'm Catholic, my husband is Lutheran), we and our minister (who joined us from my husband's home church in Nebraska) were welcomed with open arms. Our every need was attended to, including a sound system for the vocalists and early access to the sanctuary for all of our musicians. Everyone associated with Second Congregational was warm and friendly-- we're very glad to have celebrated our wedding there! Grade: A
Ceremony Musicians:
Brian Pierce, Organ and Piano
Jeff Marani and Jennifer Fearnley, Vocalists
Pat Stout, Trumpet
Brian is one of the best organists in the Boston area and is equally comfortable on the piano. He is well versed in liturgical music appropriate for weddings, and has played in many of our area churches (especially the Catholic parishes in our area). He's easy to work with, takes the initiative in coordinating other instrumentalists and vocalists, and is very friendly and professional. Grade: A
Jeff Marani and Jennifer Fearnley are a brother/sister vocalist duo (baritone/soprano) who really know their stuff. Jeff is a high school friend with whom I've sung many times myself. Especially when it came to the more classical, traditional selections, there's no one I would have rather had. Grade: A
Get a trumpeter for your wedding ceremony. Get Pat Stout. Beautiful tone, wonderful person. Grade: A
Cocktail Hour Musicians:
Derek Van Slyck Jazz Combo
Derek and fellow musician Doug McLaughlin provided the perfect ambiance for our cocktail hour. Jazz classics and other standards were a favorite of our guests. Prompt, professional, creative. Grade: A
DJ:
Aaron Topfer (serving all of greater New England)
Aaron offered us a great price for our winter wedding. He makes it very easy to organize introductions, reception announcements, tradition preferences (we opted against a bouquet and garter toss, for example)-- all went off without a hitch! Aaron is very soft spoken in his communication with couples; he's not pushy at all and welcomes your input and creation of play/do not play lists. He stuck to ours even when my mother requested the ubiquitous and somewhat annoying "Hot Hot Hot!" I actually had to tell him that he could give in and play it for her. After the parent dances, I don't think we heard more than three or four slow songs all night. Initially, I was concerned about this (I was a bride, and was in the mood for a shmoopy song or two). However, once I realized that it was Aaron's careful arrangement of my playlist that kept the dance floor packed all night and my guests raving for weeks afterward, I was thrilled for his good judgment. There really was no need to shut the party down with Marc Cohn when we were all rocking out to Journey. His announcing was clear and sparing; not a showman, Aaron lets the music speak for itself. Dressed neatly in a tux with a vest and tie that matched our navy color scheme, I'd take Aaron over some big, brash loudmouth any day. Classy and understated, Aaron knows how to read and cater to a crowd. As a bonus, he's also a top-flight pianist (trained at Oberlin) and can provide live cocktail hour music. Grade: A
Flowers:
The Candy Jar
To me, the Candy Jar/Designs in Bloom in Pembroke is the best kept secret in wedding flowers on the South Shore. Kim, the shop's owner, knows her flowers and is willing to find less expensive seasonal blooms (and make suggestions) in order to make your look happen for less. Be prepared with photos and a clear sense of the kind of look you want (rustic, earthy, formal, etc.). Kim will make up samples on the spot (she didn't charge for ours as she was sure she could sell the blue and ivory arrangements to customers celebrating Hanukkah). Her quote beat the tail off any other we received. Delivery was prompt, though two long stem roses were forgotten in the delivery to the church (my uncle ran to Shaw's to replace them-- no problem). Kim doesn't email much, so the best means of communication is by phone or in person. Don't be afraid to ask for adjustments to be made if the look, vessel, or blooms aren't exactly what you want. Kim takes changes and finicky brides in stride! Grade: A-
Hair and Makeup:
Charlotte Phinney
Charlotte uses MAC Airbrush make up and made me feel like a beauty on my wedding day. My complexion looked flawless, and I looked like a better version of myself-- not a painted doll. Charlotte was receptive to my feedback during our trial, and applied the couple of hairstyle changes I communicated to her via email perfectly on my wedding day. All together, Charlotte started at 8:30 on-site and completed five make up applications and six hairstyles. She was done by 2:00. All of my maids, our moms, and I were very satisfied with our hair and makeup. Feel free to browse the pro pics to get an idea. Friendly, experienced, local to the South Shore, travels to your site, price competitive. Grade: A
Bridesmaid Gowns:
Watters & Watters via Netbride.com
My Watters bridesmaid gowns were a steal through Netbride, who beat all other online retailers' quotes and shipped to separate addresses (and charged to different credit cards) for free. I saved nearly $90 over our best-priced local salon. Dresses were flattering on all of my maids, who ranged widely in stature. No hassles, delivered ahead of schedule. Grade: A
Bridal Gown and Alterations:
Eva's Bridal (Orland Park, Illinois)
My sales associate, Judy, was excellent. She got the dress I wanted (Pronovias Harlem) down to a price I could afford. However, I was repeatedly given the run-around on the phone by various associates who made up various dates by which my dress was "supposed to arrive" in the store (none of which seemed to have anything to do with the actual date by which the manufacturer, Pronovias, had planned to deliver it). At best, I was repeatedly misinformed. At worst, I was lied to. The dress fianally arrived two weeks before my wedding allowing just enough time for alterations. Alterations were great, as was my beautiful, five point, French bustle. That being said, the stress the late delivery of my dress (and especially the run around I received from Eva's on the phone) prevents me from giving Eva's a positive review. Grade: D
Custom Garter:
Sew Unique Garters
Half University of Illinois, Half University of Nebraska-- perfect for my husband. This matching keepsake-and-toss set was a fun addition to my wedding day garb. Quick production and delivery with a million options to choose from. Grade: A
Wedding Cake:
Konditor Meister Bakery
This is a tough one. In my opinion, the chocolate layer of our cake didn't stack up to the strawberry Grand Marinier and carrot cake layers. The chocolate cake seemed a bit dry and bland while the others were moist and delicious (by no means am I a culinary expert--this was just my personal opinion). In particular, the carrot cake and cream cheese filling was delicious. The fresh strawberries in the Grand Marinier layer were scrumpuous! In terms of appearance, our simple, four layer cake was beautiful-- exactly as we'd ordered it! Grade: B
Photography:
Heather Parker (Chicago, Illinois and Boston, Massachusetts)
Heather Parker's Blog
**Heather was recently voted "Best Of" The Knot! See her work in the next issue of The Knot magazine!**
Heather is amazing. Of all the things I spent money on at our wedding, I'm so very glad that I made quality photography a priority! She was pleasant, her work was creative, and our photos truly tell the story of our day. The package Heather offers included everything we wanted (full-day shooting, e-pics, all of our digital images in both color and black and white, full rights to the images, professional retouching, and limited enlargements) and none of the things we didn't (overpriced, mandatory albums, for example). Because she's from Boston and lives in Chicago (just like me), we were able to have our engagement pictures taken in Chicago and she traveled to our wedding without any travel fees (she shoots in both cities, and uses her trips back east as a way to stay in contact with friends and family there).
If I had a criticism (and it's really not much of one), I would say that because she's relatively soft-spoken, wrangling folks for formal pictures (and sternly telling them where to be--as is sometimes necessary) isn't really her strong suit. Heather herself would likely say that she dislikes taking posed "formal" photos-- they don't really require any skill or creativity. This may be why the setting up of the group shots seemed to lack a little authoritative direction. She asks her clients to appoint a family member as "Photo Coordinator" for this purpose so that she won't have to organize folks for the next shot in addition to shooting them, but this person wasn't really utilized (even though she was present, identified herself, and was ready to help). That said, the few formal shots we did mutually agree to take (for our parents-- my husband and I prefer more candid shots as well) came out beautifully-- as natural as a posed picture can possibly look.
Following our wedding, Heather delivered all of our images (and had them posted online) within the contracted timeline-- she even had teaser photos on her blog within days of our wedding. The qualtiy of her work, her creativity, and her professionalism put Heather in a class far above photographers who cost much more. See "Pro Photographs" on this site for a collection of our favorites. To see all the professional photos, visit http://heatherparker.smugmug.com. Click on "Lea & Mark Wedding." Our password is "fortkamp." Grade: A
Guestbook (Photobook):
My Publisher
These came out beautifully (we had two made, as they were running a BOGO special at the time of our order). I wish we had an opportunity to read all of the thoughtful messages our guests wrote to us (see below). Grade: A
Reception Venue:
The Red Lion Inn (Cohasset, Massachusetts)
The Red Lion, during the time between the booking of our wedding and our wedding day, went through three different wedding coordinators. Communication was awful throughout the planning process (both between the various departments at the inn and with me), and phone calls and emails frequently went unreturned. Eventually, the owner got involved when multiple brides complained about the poor service they received and attempted to remedy the situation with some success. The last coordinator (who was with me on my wedding day) seemed the most competent of the three, and the day--to the inn's credit--went off beautifully. There really is nothing like this venue in our area, and, for that reason, I would do it again. The food was excellent, and my guests raved about the reception, but our bill had to be corrected several times (it eventually was made right), the event day staff lost both of my guest books (they were never recovered), and the week before the wedding, my suite was given away for the evening before our wedding to facilitate the booking of another event. Though the owner made it right by providing another room in which my girls could get ready on the morning of, it was a hassle I didn't need in the days leading up to my event. Grades: D (for the planning experience) A- (for the day of). And I'm still irate about my guest books (I'm convinced that I could find them if I weren't 1,000 miles away).
Limousine:
Brewster Coach (Quincy, Massachusetts)
Wonderful, friendly driver with a spotless car. Prompt and professional, and willing to negotiate price in order to get my business. They made multiple runs bnetween The Red Lion and the church, shuttling our wedding party members to and fro. Grade: A
Save the Dates and Photo Sharing Cards:
VistaPrint
Cheap, great sale prices, and quality printing. Grade: A
Invitations:
Paper Elegance
This Colorado company that I found online had better prices on our Carlson Craft invites than any local retailer by over $150! Very easy to deal with, they made multiple revisions to my proofs until I was completely satisfied. The final product? Perfect!! Grade: A
Reception Paper Suite (menus, table numbers, escort cards):
Etsy.com seller buddyandbean
Chelsea's captain's wheel design added the perfect nautical touch to our navy and white reception! Grade: A
Bridesmaids' Jewelry :
Etsy.com seller CindyV Designs
Cindy's petite pearl and crystal drop earrings and pearl, crystal and anchor charm necklaces were the perfect, understanted gift for my maids to wear with their dresses. Imminently wearble after the wedding as well! Beautifully packaged and, at under $40/set, reasonably priced, too! Grade: A
If contact information is not available here, I will provide it upon request.
Church:
Second Congregational Church
Cohasset, MA
Looking for the right church was very important to both of us. We wanted a quintessentially New England church close to our reception and lodging at The Red Lion Inn in Cohasset. The white steepled Second Congregational delivered on all counts. We were assigned a friendly, attentive wedding coordinator by the church who was in constant communication via email (important, since we were planning from out of state). Even though we weren't members of the congregation (nor were we members of the United Church of Christ-- I'm Catholic, my husband is Lutheran), we and our minister (who joined us from my husband's home church in Nebraska) were welcomed with open arms. Our every need was attended to, including a sound system for the vocalists and early access to the sanctuary for all of our musicians. Everyone associated with Second Congregational was warm and friendly-- we're very glad to have celebrated our wedding there! Grade: A
Ceremony Musicians:
Brian Pierce, Organ and Piano
Jeff Marani and Jennifer Fearnley, Vocalists
Pat Stout, Trumpet
Brian is one of the best organists in the Boston area and is equally comfortable on the piano. He is well versed in liturgical music appropriate for weddings, and has played in many of our area churches (especially the Catholic parishes in our area). He's easy to work with, takes the initiative in coordinating other instrumentalists and vocalists, and is very friendly and professional. Grade: A
Jeff Marani and Jennifer Fearnley are a brother/sister vocalist duo (baritone/soprano) who really know their stuff. Jeff is a high school friend with whom I've sung many times myself. Especially when it came to the more classical, traditional selections, there's no one I would have rather had. Grade: A
Get a trumpeter for your wedding ceremony. Get Pat Stout. Beautiful tone, wonderful person. Grade: A
Cocktail Hour Musicians:
Derek Van Slyck Jazz Combo
Derek and fellow musician Doug McLaughlin provided the perfect ambiance for our cocktail hour. Jazz classics and other standards were a favorite of our guests. Prompt, professional, creative. Grade: A
DJ:
Aaron Topfer (serving all of greater New England)
Aaron offered us a great price for our winter wedding. He makes it very easy to organize introductions, reception announcements, tradition preferences (we opted against a bouquet and garter toss, for example)-- all went off without a hitch! Aaron is very soft spoken in his communication with couples; he's not pushy at all and welcomes your input and creation of play/do not play lists. He stuck to ours even when my mother requested the ubiquitous and somewhat annoying "Hot Hot Hot!" I actually had to tell him that he could give in and play it for her. After the parent dances, I don't think we heard more than three or four slow songs all night. Initially, I was concerned about this (I was a bride, and was in the mood for a shmoopy song or two). However, once I realized that it was Aaron's careful arrangement of my playlist that kept the dance floor packed all night and my guests raving for weeks afterward, I was thrilled for his good judgment. There really was no need to shut the party down with Marc Cohn when we were all rocking out to Journey. His announcing was clear and sparing; not a showman, Aaron lets the music speak for itself. Dressed neatly in a tux with a vest and tie that matched our navy color scheme, I'd take Aaron over some big, brash loudmouth any day. Classy and understated, Aaron knows how to read and cater to a crowd. As a bonus, he's also a top-flight pianist (trained at Oberlin) and can provide live cocktail hour music. Grade: A
Flowers:
The Candy Jar
To me, the Candy Jar/Designs in Bloom in Pembroke is the best kept secret in wedding flowers on the South Shore. Kim, the shop's owner, knows her flowers and is willing to find less expensive seasonal blooms (and make suggestions) in order to make your look happen for less. Be prepared with photos and a clear sense of the kind of look you want (rustic, earthy, formal, etc.). Kim will make up samples on the spot (she didn't charge for ours as she was sure she could sell the blue and ivory arrangements to customers celebrating Hanukkah). Her quote beat the tail off any other we received. Delivery was prompt, though two long stem roses were forgotten in the delivery to the church (my uncle ran to Shaw's to replace them-- no problem). Kim doesn't email much, so the best means of communication is by phone or in person. Don't be afraid to ask for adjustments to be made if the look, vessel, or blooms aren't exactly what you want. Kim takes changes and finicky brides in stride! Grade: A-
Hair and Makeup:
Charlotte Phinney
Charlotte uses MAC Airbrush make up and made me feel like a beauty on my wedding day. My complexion looked flawless, and I looked like a better version of myself-- not a painted doll. Charlotte was receptive to my feedback during our trial, and applied the couple of hairstyle changes I communicated to her via email perfectly on my wedding day. All together, Charlotte started at 8:30 on-site and completed five make up applications and six hairstyles. She was done by 2:00. All of my maids, our moms, and I were very satisfied with our hair and makeup. Feel free to browse the pro pics to get an idea. Friendly, experienced, local to the South Shore, travels to your site, price competitive. Grade: A
Bridesmaid Gowns:
Watters & Watters via Netbride.com
My Watters bridesmaid gowns were a steal through Netbride, who beat all other online retailers' quotes and shipped to separate addresses (and charged to different credit cards) for free. I saved nearly $90 over our best-priced local salon. Dresses were flattering on all of my maids, who ranged widely in stature. No hassles, delivered ahead of schedule. Grade: A
Bridal Gown and Alterations:
Eva's Bridal (Orland Park, Illinois)
My sales associate, Judy, was excellent. She got the dress I wanted (Pronovias Harlem) down to a price I could afford. However, I was repeatedly given the run-around on the phone by various associates who made up various dates by which my dress was "supposed to arrive" in the store (none of which seemed to have anything to do with the actual date by which the manufacturer, Pronovias, had planned to deliver it). At best, I was repeatedly misinformed. At worst, I was lied to. The dress fianally arrived two weeks before my wedding allowing just enough time for alterations. Alterations were great, as was my beautiful, five point, French bustle. That being said, the stress the late delivery of my dress (and especially the run around I received from Eva's on the phone) prevents me from giving Eva's a positive review. Grade: D
Custom Garter:
Sew Unique Garters
Half University of Illinois, Half University of Nebraska-- perfect for my husband. This matching keepsake-and-toss set was a fun addition to my wedding day garb. Quick production and delivery with a million options to choose from. Grade: A
Wedding Cake:
Konditor Meister Bakery
This is a tough one. In my opinion, the chocolate layer of our cake didn't stack up to the strawberry Grand Marinier and carrot cake layers. The chocolate cake seemed a bit dry and bland while the others were moist and delicious (by no means am I a culinary expert--this was just my personal opinion). In particular, the carrot cake and cream cheese filling was delicious. The fresh strawberries in the Grand Marinier layer were scrumpuous! In terms of appearance, our simple, four layer cake was beautiful-- exactly as we'd ordered it! Grade: B
Photography:
Heather Parker (Chicago, Illinois and Boston, Massachusetts)
Heather Parker's Blog
**Heather was recently voted "Best Of" The Knot! See her work in the next issue of The Knot magazine!**
Heather is amazing. Of all the things I spent money on at our wedding, I'm so very glad that I made quality photography a priority! She was pleasant, her work was creative, and our photos truly tell the story of our day. The package Heather offers included everything we wanted (full-day shooting, e-pics, all of our digital images in both color and black and white, full rights to the images, professional retouching, and limited enlargements) and none of the things we didn't (overpriced, mandatory albums, for example). Because she's from Boston and lives in Chicago (just like me), we were able to have our engagement pictures taken in Chicago and she traveled to our wedding without any travel fees (she shoots in both cities, and uses her trips back east as a way to stay in contact with friends and family there).
If I had a criticism (and it's really not much of one), I would say that because she's relatively soft-spoken, wrangling folks for formal pictures (and sternly telling them where to be--as is sometimes necessary) isn't really her strong suit. Heather herself would likely say that she dislikes taking posed "formal" photos-- they don't really require any skill or creativity. This may be why the setting up of the group shots seemed to lack a little authoritative direction. She asks her clients to appoint a family member as "Photo Coordinator" for this purpose so that she won't have to organize folks for the next shot in addition to shooting them, but this person wasn't really utilized (even though she was present, identified herself, and was ready to help). That said, the few formal shots we did mutually agree to take (for our parents-- my husband and I prefer more candid shots as well) came out beautifully-- as natural as a posed picture can possibly look.
Following our wedding, Heather delivered all of our images (and had them posted online) within the contracted timeline-- she even had teaser photos on her blog within days of our wedding. The qualtiy of her work, her creativity, and her professionalism put Heather in a class far above photographers who cost much more. See "Pro Photographs" on this site for a collection of our favorites. To see all the professional photos, visit http://heatherparker.smugmug.com. Click on "Lea & Mark Wedding." Our password is "fortkamp." Grade: A
Guestbook (Photobook):
My Publisher
These came out beautifully (we had two made, as they were running a BOGO special at the time of our order). I wish we had an opportunity to read all of the thoughtful messages our guests wrote to us (see below). Grade: A
Reception Venue:
The Red Lion Inn (Cohasset, Massachusetts)
The Red Lion, during the time between the booking of our wedding and our wedding day, went through three different wedding coordinators. Communication was awful throughout the planning process (both between the various departments at the inn and with me), and phone calls and emails frequently went unreturned. Eventually, the owner got involved when multiple brides complained about the poor service they received and attempted to remedy the situation with some success. The last coordinator (who was with me on my wedding day) seemed the most competent of the three, and the day--to the inn's credit--went off beautifully. There really is nothing like this venue in our area, and, for that reason, I would do it again. The food was excellent, and my guests raved about the reception, but our bill had to be corrected several times (it eventually was made right), the event day staff lost both of my guest books (they were never recovered), and the week before the wedding, my suite was given away for the evening before our wedding to facilitate the booking of another event. Though the owner made it right by providing another room in which my girls could get ready on the morning of, it was a hassle I didn't need in the days leading up to my event. Grades: D (for the planning experience) A- (for the day of). And I'm still irate about my guest books (I'm convinced that I could find them if I weren't 1,000 miles away).
Limousine:
Brewster Coach (Quincy, Massachusetts)
Wonderful, friendly driver with a spotless car. Prompt and professional, and willing to negotiate price in order to get my business. They made multiple runs bnetween The Red Lion and the church, shuttling our wedding party members to and fro. Grade: A
Save the Dates and Photo Sharing Cards:
VistaPrint
Cheap, great sale prices, and quality printing. Grade: A
Invitations:
Paper Elegance
This Colorado company that I found online had better prices on our Carlson Craft invites than any local retailer by over $150! Very easy to deal with, they made multiple revisions to my proofs until I was completely satisfied. The final product? Perfect!! Grade: A
Reception Paper Suite (menus, table numbers, escort cards):
Etsy.com seller buddyandbean
Chelsea's captain's wheel design added the perfect nautical touch to our navy and white reception! Grade: A
Bridesmaids' Jewelry :
Etsy.com seller CindyV Designs
Cindy's petite pearl and crystal drop earrings and pearl, crystal and anchor charm necklaces were the perfect, understanted gift for my maids to wear with their dresses. Imminently wearble after the wedding as well! Beautifully packaged and, at under $40/set, reasonably priced, too! Grade: A
