Bridal Gown: Ana Hernandez (Boston, MA) – A+
I must have visited about 15 salons and tried on 60 dresses before deciding on Ana.  She is a designer who creates a gown custom for you (based on the samples in her salon).  I had to commit to about 7 fittings, but no alterations were required.  And I had input on the design every step of the way.  Ana is a sweetheart so the fittings were a lot of fun.  I felt radiant in my gown!

Mani/Pedi Party with the Girls: Solstice Salon (Hyannis, MA) – B+
Solstice let us take over the mani/pedi station on the Friday afternoon before the wedding.  I had La Petite France Café cater lunch (it was delicious), and I brought in the bubbly.  The salon technicians were all friendly and professional.  I thought it was a bit overpriced, but it worked.

Hair: Justine from Salon Justine (Brewster, MA) - A
Justine is a doll.  Since my trial, I now go to her for hair cuts because she is so much more affordable than Boston salons.  She came to the house in the morning to do my hair and my sisters and moms, and we had so much fun.  

Makeup: Judy Phillips (Cape Cod) - A
Judy did a fantastic job on all of our makeup.  She used a combination of my own products and hers, and I felt really good.  Other than touching up lip gloss and powder, the makeup stayed put all night.

Invitations: An Elegant Affair (Belmont, MA) - B
This shop was local to us so it worked well - especially considering that I had to go back to review and correct proofs a total of three times.  But we found affordable invitations that suited our needs, and the staff was helpful and followed up in a timely fashion.

Church: Immaculate Conception Chapel (Brewster, MA) – A
Father John was our celebrant, and he was wonderful to work with.  We met with him several times over the course of the winter, and it was a smooth process.  The chapel is so cute and perfect for our small guest list.

Venue: Wequassett Outer Bar and Grill (Harwich, MA) - A
The Wequassett was wonderful, as expected.  The food was great, the service was great, the view was great.  I’m so glad we chose to use the Outer Bar as our guest count was small (70 guests), and we would have been lost in the ball room.  Kalson was our coordinator and very responsive.

Florist: Meredith Fancy (Orleans, MA) – A-
Meredith was great to work with and created beautiful arrangements.  She worked with my ideas and made suggestions where appropriate.  My only complaint is that the boutonnieres really wilted by the reception.  I wish she had wrapped the stems.  Thankfully we did formals before the ceremony so they were still fresh!

Cupcakes: Dottie Lovely the Cake Lady (Yarmouth, MA) - A
Loved, loved, loved the cupcakes!  Dottie was the most experienced baker we interviewed, and she advised against the “tree stand” as they can be instable.  Instead she used several cake stands at different heights, which created a more elegant look.  And the cupcakes were delicious and much more affordable than a cake.

Photographer:
Amy Dykens (Brewster, MA) – A+

I can’t say enough great things about Amy.  After looking at her website, I was convinced I wanted to work with her.  She is really creative, but she absolutely disappears into the background.  I had no idea she was at our ceremony until I saw the pictures!  I honestly have no idea how we are going to make our selections on what photos to use in an album.

Ceremony Musicians: Rose Wollman (Cambridge, MA) - A
Rose is a violist, and I used her as a duet with a viola and cello.  She was easy to work with during the planning process, and they sounded wonderful at the ceremony.  I wished I could have been there to enjoy their prelude selections.

Band: Back Bay Rhythm Makers (Cambridge, MA) - A
They are a subset of the White Heat Swing Orchestra, under band leader Craig Ball.  I chose them because I didn’t want to pay the price of a typical “wedding band,” and I really just wanted to hear standards and swing.  The band was great and even learned a new song for our first dance (“Everything” by Michael Buble).  Everyone danced and raved about them.