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Everything from the venue, to the napkins, to the honeymoon came together perfectly. I talked about our theme here, and with only a few minor changes, it call came out just like I envisioned!
I found Carrie on Craigslist (of all places!) and she was wonderful. She took care of everything from ordering/providing the flowers, linens, dinnerware, to coordinating the day of. Her husband also moonlights as a DJ– perfect combo. She was easy to get in touch with via e-mail, phone, or text and even when we hit a few bumps (had to change my linens last minute because of a supplier issue) she always kept me in the loop. I would recommend her for providing your linens, etc and for help the day of. Carrie also put in little touches (like the napkin rings) to pull my theme together. She was very affordable and will work out a payment plan. She really was a one-stop-shop when it came to all my rental items. My Caterer: Cowboy Chicken
The food tasted great. We ordered wood fire rotisserie chicken, famous twice baked potaters, mac and cheese, zippy black eyed peas, and green beans. The pricing was very reasonable (less than $10pp) and we also paid for setup, serving, and cleanup. Or so I thought. I was later informed that one of my guests actually had to go upstairs (where the ballroom for the reception was) during the ceremony to ask the employees at Cowboy Chicken to keep it down! Luckily, I was so busy saying my vows that I tuned it all out, but multiple guests later commented on the noise. Ridiculous!! If that wasn’t enough, they also did not scrape any plates, clear tables, or assist in serving cake. All services I paid for. I guess if I had to choose between the food being terrible or the service, I’m glad the food tasted good; however I am beyond disappointed because I paid for both. They didn’t require a deposit, and let us come in for a (free) tasting, which was nice. I’m not saying I would never use them again, but I would definitely recommend getting everything in writing ahead of time.
My Bakery: The Cake Guys
The Cake Guys definitely stole the show. Hands down. Originally I thought I wanted to do individual petit fours shaped like Tiffany&Co boxes. (As seen on my wedding inspiration board here) We had met with other bakers while planning to go this route, but weren’t satisfied with any of them. We went to a Sample Saturday at The Cake Guys in Duncanville and after one bite of their raspberry filling we were ready to put down a deposit. (I don’t even like raspberry!! That’s how amazing it is!!) The vanilla cake is so light and slightly sweet, it goes perfect with the tart raspberry and rich buttercream. (And it tasted amazing with the champagne we served…yum!) We found the perfect ‘Sweet Inspiration’ Package and customized it to fit us. I gave them a swatch from my sash and they matched a ribbon for the cake perfectly. One of the owners, Chad, may look familar… it was so fun to get to watch him on TLC’s Next Great Baker. I can’t tell you how excited I am that they have opened another shop near my work in Dallas so that I can go to cupcake happy hour regularly. If you are looking for cupcakes, wedding cake, grooms cake, or any other speciality cake please go give them a try, I promise you will not be disappointed.My String Quartet: Forte Strings
This was my one non-negotiable for the entire wedding; I had to have a string quartet! I couldn’t be happier with Forte Strings. They were very affordable and professional. They mailed me a contract with payment plan as soon as I contacted them for booking. Very helpful with song selection and made the whole process seamless. They were a pleasure to work with and added exactly what I wanted at my wedding. You can hear samples of their work on their website. I highly recommend getting a videographer to capture the music because that day was such a blur I didn’t get to fully enjoy the music, so I am especially glad I have the video to treasure forever.
My Venue: The Historic YWCA 
I can’t say enough good things about the YWCA. From their beautiful, 1920s downtown building, to their incredibly affordable rental fees, and their amazing programs. There were no extra fees for outside catering and they only allow one event per day (no back to back rushing, or waiting). Partly because of this, and their affordable prices and gorgeous grounds, they book extremely fast and far in advance. The best part of this venue is that 100% of the rental fee goes to programs benefiting:
- Free early childhood education to homeless children in Tarrant County
- Housing for young women transitioning out of Foster Care
My Photographers: Casicline Designs and Moir Photography
I bragged on these girls yesterday, and I can’t say enough about them. They are both family to me, and have done numerous shoots for us. Wouldn’t you know that both my fav photogs live outside the great state of Texas? Cassie is in FL and Bailey is in MT, but both make frequent trips to DFW throughout the year, so if you are looking for a photog for a wedding, family, maternity, newborn, boudoir shoot, or anything please contact them!
