After attending the Fall Bridal Show back in September, I received some calls from Vendors. A few of them called once or twice, but there were two that really annoyed me. It was Sounds Unlimited a Wedding DJ and Superior Services - a company that gives you a free trip if you attend their meetings and watch a video. There will be separate blog post for Superior Services.
Sounds Unlimited is apparently Northwests Best DJ Service and has received lots of awards from Seattle Brides Mag and etc... Well unfortunately I was not able to find out if they were good DJ's or not because the sales guy kept calling and calling until I got annoyed with them.
It all started off when I entered a contest to win a free DJ for my wedding at the Fall Bridal Show. Ben Gaul or Benjamin Gaul called me and left a message saying I was picked in their drawing and I won 2nd place, which is free music for my wedding. After not being able to get a hold of him for a few days he finally told me I won a free CD for my wedding. Are you kidding me, who cares about 1 CD. I then sent him an email with my address so he could send the CD to me. They wouldn't send it in the mail, they were going to make me drive all the way up to Lynnwood to get it. PLUS, I would have to make an appointment to talk about my wedding DJ ideas to get this CD.
After that I didn't call them or email them back. Ben Gaul kept calling at least once a week and sent over 8 emails in 2 months. I finally emailed him back telling him that we were going to find a local DJ and he kept prying to try to find out who.
He emailed me again after I didn't email him back asking if I was still looking for a DJ. I already told him I'm looking for someone local to our wedding.
This was the last email he wrote me:Hello Jodi,
Thank you very much for letting me know you’ve found a DJ. I mean that. Sincerely. I swear, there are brides out there who must think all DJ’s have a psychic network that tells us when a couple has chosen their entertainment, and why do we keep calling?! May I venture so far as to ask the Who and the Why? You said “local DJ”, but I show your address is Seattle. Way local for us. Usually, our competition only gets to book a client if Sounds Unlimited is booked solid that day. I don’t mean to come off as braggadocios, but we don’t keep winning all these awards by accident, and easily half our business is referral from brides and vendors who have seen our work in person. Consequently, the DJ you’ve chosen over Sounds Unlimited must either be truly exceptional, or exceedingly… Affordable? Either way, could you tell me who you chose to be your DJ? Thank you again for considering Sounds Unlimited, and I know you will have a spectacular wedding. Warmest Regards, Benjamin Gaul
My reply:
Ben, You seem like a nice guy, but I couldn't deal with all the calls and emails. It was just too much. I considered you guys at first, but after calling/emailing so many times it drives customers away. It takes many months for people to decide on a DJ, so 2 calls/emails would be enough if your company is that well known for being superior. Good luck on future endeavours, ~Jodi
Brides, my advice to you is don't give this company your email or phone number unless you know for sure you want to book them.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Coconut Halibut Recipe
I found an awesome recipe today from Food Down Under for Baked Coconut Halibut. The only thing I took out of the recipe was the green chiles. I thought they would take over the coconut flavor and ruin the taste.
I baked for 3 people; Wes, my bro and I. I baked it 5 extra minutes since I use halibut steaks.
Here are the ingredients:
1/2 lb - Halibut fillets finely chopped
1/6 cup - Vegetable oil
1/2 cup - Grated fresh coconut
1/2 lrg - Onion finely chopped
1 - Garlic cloves finely chopped
1 - Canned mild green chiles chopped
1/4 tsp - Salt
1/2 tsp - Curry powder
1 tbl - Unsalted cashews chopped
1/2 tbl - Lemon juice
1 - Eggs lightly beaten
Saute coconut in 1 tablespoon oil until lightly browned. Saute onion in remaining oil until tender but not browned. Add garlic, chiles, salt, and curry powder and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add coconut, nuts, and halibut. Cook 2 minutes. Cool slightly. Mix lemon juice with eggs and add to skillet. Divide halibut mixture among 3 oiled squares of aluminum foil. Wrap tightly and place on a baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.
I baked for 3 people; Wes, my bro and I. I baked it 5 extra minutes since I use halibut steaks.
Here are the ingredients:
1/2 lb - Halibut fillets finely chopped
1/6 cup - Vegetable oil
1/2 cup - Grated fresh coconut
1/2 lrg - Onion finely chopped
1 - Garlic cloves finely chopped
1 - Canned mild green chiles chopped
1/4 tsp - Salt
1/2 tsp - Curry powder
1 tbl - Unsalted cashews chopped
1/2 tbl - Lemon juice
1 - Eggs lightly beaten
Saute coconut in 1 tablespoon oil until lightly browned. Saute onion in remaining oil until tender but not browned. Add garlic, chiles, salt, and curry powder and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add coconut, nuts, and halibut. Cook 2 minutes. Cool slightly. Mix lemon juice with eggs and add to skillet. Divide halibut mixture among 3 oiled squares of aluminum foil. Wrap tightly and place on a baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Crystal Mountain Wedding
Wes and I are having our wedding next summer up at Crystal Mountain Lodge. We decided on this place, because this is where our first date or 'hanging out' was :)
I looked at a lot of other places, but they were either too expensive or had no character to them. Crystal Lodge has a real meaning to us and it will be perfect for our special day. Wes and I both love the outdoors and love to ski!
Whether you're having a small wedding or large wedding they can provide space from 75 to 400 people. Crystal has their own caterer, but it's pretty good prices and you can adjust the menu to your budget.
There are three different ski lodges you can stay overnight at. Take a look at the here: http://www.skicrystal.com/Plan-Your-Trip/Lodging
I looked at a lot of other places, but they were either too expensive or had no character to them. Crystal Lodge has a real meaning to us and it will be perfect for our special day. Wes and I both love the outdoors and love to ski!
Whether you're having a small wedding or large wedding they can provide space from 75 to 400 people. Crystal has their own caterer, but it's pretty good prices and you can adjust the menu to your budget.
There are three different ski lodges you can stay overnight at. Take a look at the here: http://www.skicrystal.com/Plan-Your-Trip/Lodging
Monday, October 6, 2008
Seattle Wedding Dresses
Wes and I have been engaged now for about a month and a half and have already tried on tons of dresses.
Here are the dress shops I've been to so far and what I think of them:
I Do Bridal - Wallingford. I had to make an appointment and they didn't tell me til I got there that I would only get 1 hour to try on dresses. I felt rushed the whole time and they made me and my sister share a dressing room (she was trying on bridesmaid dresses). The workers were nice, but I didn't feel comfortable there. They also wouldn't let us take pictures. The prices are very affordable; from $600 - $1,100.
Pearl and Lace - Burien. This is by far the best dress shop I've been to. Right when my friend and I walked through the door, they greeted us with a big smile. You don't have to make an appointment here and you can take pictures. They also won't bug you if you don't need help. The main lady that works there was so helpful and even put on a veil/hair piece so I could see how it looked with the dress. My friend even got to try on dresses for fun. I had such a great experience here, I would recommend it to everyone. The prices are very affordable; from $600 - $1,100.
Amanda's Bridal - Redmond. You do need to make an appointment, but I made it the same day and they had an extra room open. They only have two dressing rooms and they space is very small. It's hard to look at the dresses since they are all shoved onto the rack barely fitting. I did find the dress I really liked from Pearl and Lace here. The lady who works there was very nice and helped me lace and zip up all my dresses. She would not let me take pictures and didn't give me a list of my dresses, only kept it on her file. The prices are very affordable; from $600 - $1,100.
Cicada - Seattle - This store in downtown seattle looks like homemade dresses. They make all there own dresses, but I wouldn't want one that looked homemade. They had a lot of cute accessories, but none of the dresses really stood out to me. They were pretty plain. I can't remember prices, since I didn't try anything on here.
Bellevue Bridal - Bellevue. You do not have to make an appointment, but it's recommended since the shop is so small. They are about the same size as Amanda's Bridal in Redmond, but they space out their dresses so you can shop them easier. There are about 3 to 4 dressing rooms and one big mirror in the back. The ladies that worked there were very nice and would let me take pictures. The prices are very affordable; from $600 - $1,300.
La Belle Reve - Bellevue. I made an appointment the same day I went in, but once I got there she had someone else trying on dresses and was pretty snotty. She made it sound like I was in the way and I had to move out of the way of the other girl. There are only two dressing rooms and one huge mirror in the the shop. I found a cute Casablanca dress there for $900, but it was too plain for me on the bottom. The shape fit my body really well. The prices are pretty affordable; from $800 - $3,000.
The Bridal Garden - Kirkland. I had to make an appointment here and they were pretty nice, but seemed a bit stand-off-ish. The dresses are pretty pricey, anywhere from $2k - $6k. I tried on quite a few dresses and they had to dress me putting the dress over my head. The two dresses I liked were $2,500 and $5,455. I guess I'm not getting those! They wouldn't let us take pictures here.
All That Shimmers - Lakewood/Tacoma. This was my second favorite shop after Pearl and Lace in Burien. The owner was there and she was the only person working, because her co-worker wasn't able to come in until later. There are about 4 dressing rooms and two small mirrors. I tried on a ton of dresses and I didn't have to make an appointment. I was there for about 2 hours and the lady helped me when I needed help. They also have my bridesmaid dresses that I'm going to get. The prices are pretty affordable; from $900 - $1,900. They let you take pictures here!
I'm going to check out these dress shops on Oct 12th. Has anyone been to them?
Proms & Promises - Kenmore
Cynderellies Closet - Edmonds
A Princess Bride - Bothell
Here are the dress shops I've been to so far and what I think of them:
I Do Bridal - Wallingford. I had to make an appointment and they didn't tell me til I got there that I would only get 1 hour to try on dresses. I felt rushed the whole time and they made me and my sister share a dressing room (she was trying on bridesmaid dresses). The workers were nice, but I didn't feel comfortable there. They also wouldn't let us take pictures. The prices are very affordable; from $600 - $1,100.
Pearl and Lace - Burien. This is by far the best dress shop I've been to. Right when my friend and I walked through the door, they greeted us with a big smile. You don't have to make an appointment here and you can take pictures. They also won't bug you if you don't need help. The main lady that works there was so helpful and even put on a veil/hair piece so I could see how it looked with the dress. My friend even got to try on dresses for fun. I had such a great experience here, I would recommend it to everyone. The prices are very affordable; from $600 - $1,100.
Amanda's Bridal - Redmond. You do need to make an appointment, but I made it the same day and they had an extra room open. They only have two dressing rooms and they space is very small. It's hard to look at the dresses since they are all shoved onto the rack barely fitting. I did find the dress I really liked from Pearl and Lace here. The lady who works there was very nice and helped me lace and zip up all my dresses. She would not let me take pictures and didn't give me a list of my dresses, only kept it on her file. The prices are very affordable; from $600 - $1,100.
Cicada - Seattle - This store in downtown seattle looks like homemade dresses. They make all there own dresses, but I wouldn't want one that looked homemade. They had a lot of cute accessories, but none of the dresses really stood out to me. They were pretty plain. I can't remember prices, since I didn't try anything on here.
Bellevue Bridal - Bellevue. You do not have to make an appointment, but it's recommended since the shop is so small. They are about the same size as Amanda's Bridal in Redmond, but they space out their dresses so you can shop them easier. There are about 3 to 4 dressing rooms and one big mirror in the back. The ladies that worked there were very nice and would let me take pictures. The prices are very affordable; from $600 - $1,300.
La Belle Reve - Bellevue. I made an appointment the same day I went in, but once I got there she had someone else trying on dresses and was pretty snotty. She made it sound like I was in the way and I had to move out of the way of the other girl. There are only two dressing rooms and one huge mirror in the the shop. I found a cute Casablanca dress there for $900, but it was too plain for me on the bottom. The shape fit my body really well. The prices are pretty affordable; from $800 - $3,000.
The Bridal Garden - Kirkland. I had to make an appointment here and they were pretty nice, but seemed a bit stand-off-ish. The dresses are pretty pricey, anywhere from $2k - $6k. I tried on quite a few dresses and they had to dress me putting the dress over my head. The two dresses I liked were $2,500 and $5,455. I guess I'm not getting those! They wouldn't let us take pictures here.
All That Shimmers - Lakewood/Tacoma. This was my second favorite shop after Pearl and Lace in Burien. The owner was there and she was the only person working, because her co-worker wasn't able to come in until later. There are about 4 dressing rooms and two small mirrors. I tried on a ton of dresses and I didn't have to make an appointment. I was there for about 2 hours and the lady helped me when I needed help. They also have my bridesmaid dresses that I'm going to get. The prices are pretty affordable; from $900 - $1,900. They let you take pictures here!
I'm going to check out these dress shops on Oct 12th. Has anyone been to them?
Proms & Promises - Kenmore
Cynderellies Closet - Edmonds
A Princess Bride - Bothell
Friday, October 3, 2008
Dogs can get Married!
Did you know dogs can get married at FidoFest this weekend in u-village? For as little as $10 per dog ($20 per couple), they can get hitched! A minister will be onsite to marry any two pooches who would like to be joined together for the rest of their doggone lives. Your dogs will have a complete wedding ceremony, complete with a veil and bow tie, vows, exchange of biscuits and an official Certificate of Muttrimony. All funds raised will go to the Seattle Humane Society.
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