Wedding Vendor Reviews

(Serving the Amicalola Falls area in the North Georgia Mountains)

Here are some wedding vendor reviews of people I have worked with or have met at some function or other. I have given you some of their information along with my personal experience with them.

As I find more vendors, I will add more reviews to this page, so this is just a beginning sample.

(The first of the Wedding Vendor Reviews starts with what you're going to wear.)

Tuxedo Rentals

Tuxedo WearHouse with Boyd and Alice Hildebrandt at 3345 A Hutchinson Road, Cumming GA 30040. This place is literally a warehouse with a HUGE selection of tuxes for all sizes, from babies on up to football players. This way you don’t have to worry about something not fitting at the last minute the way you would if the tuxedos were brought in from someplace further away. They WILL fit you and every style is available. Their customer service is impeccable and they deliver.

See more information about them at their website www.TuxWearHouse.com or call them at 770-630-1668 (Boyd) or 770-889-6889.

This is one of the wedding vendor reviews for a wedding planner who can do it all. 

Wedding Planning

If you want a one-stop shop, Events by Dezine with Jennifer Mineo is your place! I attended a Business After Hours for Dawson County at 6140 Events and Jennifer did the food, decorations, cakes, desserts, etc. You name it and she and her talented staff do it. She does catering, wedding planning and designs, so give her a call at 770-889-3239 or 770-403-4910 (cell) or visit her at eventsbydezine.com. The food, by the way, was fantastic! It was varied, great tasting and conscious of dietary restrictions (gluten-free, which is very important to me.)

(Here are some wedding vendor reviews of various  DJs.)

Disk Jockeys 

Lights, Camera, Action Mobile Disc Jockeys with Jim Aubrey is available for weddings, birthdays or any reason for a party. His email address is lcadjs@windstream.net or call him at 770-868-5690 or 770-601-9745. He has music for all occasions and makes any party special. I’ve heard him in action at many a wedding and he’s a pro.

America-DJ

I met Tony Johnson at a wedding at Peach Brandy Cottage and he did a great job of coordinating music, making announcements, and getting people to participate in the activities. He is a DJ, an Emcee and does video as well. His phone number is 404-797-9824 and his website is http://america-dj.com.

(These wedding vendor reviews below are for different types of music.)

Music

Paul Douglas Sanner – singer, featuring “James Taylor” style acoustic guitar and vocals. He has been performing acoustic based music for more than three decades with major influences including the Beatles, John Denver and the Eagles. He is known for his clear, melodic vocals and creative and inspiring guitar instrumentation (flat picking and finger picking.) His primary goal is to custom make each performance event so that it inspires and entertains his listeners.

I heard Paul Douglas Sanner entertain the group at a wedding extravaganza and was very impressed with his range of talent in the songs that he sings. He had a little something for all age groups and was very versatile. His website is pauldouglasmusic.com or he can be reached at 770-883-0360.

Bella Musica is a string ensemble that plays "Beautiful music for that perfect ambiance." They played at a Bridal Show I attended and lived up to their tag line. They do weddings, receptions parties and all special occasions. Heather  Strachan is the contact person at 706-499-2880, hcstrachan@gmail.com or via their website at www.bellamusicastrings.com.

Jeanne Luke is a lady with a beautiful voice who sings opera and has been on Broadway. Of course, she sings a whole variety of songs too! I heard her sing at a Chamber function and was captivated. JLukeMasterTeacher@gmail.com is her contact info as well as 404-376-2737. Her name is pronounced Jeanie.

(Here are two harpist wedding vendor reviews from which to choose.)

Nancy Addison Harp - Harp music is soothing to me, and I heard Nancy play at a function that I attended. She plays a variety of music, so if this resonates with you, her phone number is 404-633-1856 and her website is www.nancyaddisonharp.com. She plays beautiful harp music for your special occasion.

Harpist for the King is another source for harp music played by Hailey Smith. Hailey is a gifted harpist with a strong desire to play for the glory of God.  She feels that God has given her this special gift and the desire to play for him.  She was just four years old when she asked her parents to let her learn how to play the harp. If this resonates with you, she can be reached at www.harpistfortheking.com or her phone contact is (404) 405-3122.

(Finally I have one of the wedding vendor reviews for flowers.)  

Flowers

The Flower Mart is now in Dawsonville, GA, and is a full service florist. They are at 78 Dawson Village Way, Suite 130, next to the UPS store in the old Kroger center, for those who have been around awhile. Their  number is 706-203-1915 and you can get more information from their website at www.flowermartflowers.com. You can have a consultation with them to discuss budget, color schemes, venue placing and more. It's best to  get with them early because they can only accept a certain number of weddings on any given day. They can't accept large weddings the week of Valentine's Day or Mother's Day due to high demand for flowers at that time.

(It's hard to find invitations that are not just online, but the wedding vendor reviews listed here show one.)

Invitations

Tiger Lily Invitations is located at www.tigerlilyinvitations.etsy.com and is run by Jessica Armstrong, owner, designer and stationery consultant. Her number is 706-949-0088 and her email is tigerlilyinvitations@gmail.com. She's based in Cornelia, GA and for inspiration for life's wonderful events, you can visit her blog at www.bridesbirthdaysandbabies.blogspot.com.

(And now some wedding vendor reviews for the good stuff - candy and cake!)

Candy Favors

Paul Thomas Chocolates is located in the Hall Block Building on historic Dahlonega Square. Paul Hoffman, founder of Hoffman Chocolates of Palm Beach, Florida in 1975, is also founder of Paul Thomas Chocolates in Dahlonega. Paul, his wife Lori, and partners Jeff and Barbara Weltzien, now have this beautiful new business location that carries on the true tradition of fine quality chocolates with old fashioned time tested recipes.

Visit their website at www.paulthomaschocolates.com. They can do wedding favors with the couple’s names on chocolate bars, or if you are a Georgia fan, a bulldog. I can never resist their offerings at wedding shows, even though I try.

Cakes

Donna Cauller - wedding cakes. Facebook.com/cakes-by-Donna-Cauller. Phone numbers 706-265-3062 home and 706-265-0970 cell. Her email address is dcauller@hotmail.com. This is one of the wedding vendor reviews that doesn't have a website. Her work is so popular she doesn't need one! She has gluten-free offerings too.

C and N Cakes featuring custom designed wedding and special occasion cakes is run by Cindy Erbele who can be reached at 706-969-0445 or via email at bowling256@windstream.net. Also Norma Barger at 706-865-3460 or normabarger@windstream.net makes the most awesome edible Autumn leaves in fondant that look very much like the real thing! If you're having a Fall wedding, you want to take a look at these.

Two Daughter's Bakery

Michelle Barco is the owner and she is just getting started with doing cakes for weddings, so she will give you a really good price.  She does chocolate covered strawberries and an awesome cake pop rose as well! Her phone number is 770-737-2225 and her website is https://www.facebook.com/twodaughtersbakery.

(Eventually you're going to need some real food, so these are wedding vendor reviews of some caterers and their offerings.)

If you're in the Dillard, GA area, the Valley Cafe does catering and has some delicious food. They have "Good Food for Good Folks" as their motto and I actually could eat some of it since it wasn't all sweet stuff. That was a pleasant change.

Now here's a place that was a delight for me: Avocados Restaurant based in Gainesville. They had food that was gluten-free, and since I'm intolerant of gluten, that was a joy to find. They are on the Square in Gainesville and offer banquets for any event. Their contact info is 770-367-3117 or 770-532-0001 and albert@avocadoseats.com. I plan to try out their restaurant one of these days soon.

Since we're on the subject, another place is GGEvents of Gainesville, which is a full service event company. Their address is actually in Lula, GA and contact info is 678-649-8079, www.ggeventsofgainesville.com, greengablesevents@gmail.com and Facebook: GG Events of Gainesville.

(Here are some of the wedding vendor reviews for videos)

Videos

Daniel Alan Films - Pat and Justin, owners and videographers. Phone numbers are (678) 735-8469 for Justin and (770) 241-2074 for Pat and email is D.A.Films@att.net. Their website is www.Danielalanfilms.com. Just so you don't get confused, the name of the company takes their two middle names and puts them together. They go by Pat and Justin, and they do a great job.

(as well as wedding vendor reviews for photographers.)

Photographers

Brad Hardman Photography - Brad took pictures of a class I was in and did an amazing job with those. I later found out he was a wedding photographer as well, located in Dawsonville, GA. His website is BradHardmanPhotography and his email address is wbhard3029@gmail.com. He guarantees you will get your pictures back within two weeks, which is phenomenal when it comes to photographers! He can also be reached at 404-281-2150. He does some unique and interesting photos for portraits as well as weddings.

David Avant - David volunteered to take photos at the December 2014 meeting of the Chamber of Commerce's Business After Hours at United Community Bank. The pictures turned out well and can be viewed on his website which is located at www.photogdavid.net or on his facebook page at facebook.com/photogdavid. He does weddings, events and portraits and can also be reached at 770-596-8985.

Jamie Hoenshel Photography - Jamie is located in the Canton, GA area and her phone number is (770) 224-8080. Check out her work on her website located at http://JamieHoenshel.wix.com/weddingphotographer. She can do weddings on the west side of the north GA mountains on up to Amicalola Falls. 

Hanna Arts Photography does high school senior photos as well as family ones and weddings. His web site is hannaartsphotography.com and his contact information is 706-725-9512 and HannaArts@yahoo.com. He graciously gave me a copy of a picture from one of the weddings I officiated when the battery on my camera was dead. Taking the time to know and understand a client's personality and what they want from him is most important to him.

Joe Southerland Photography is based in Talking Rock, GA. The website address is www.JoeSoutherlandPhotography.com and his phone number is 706-669-4832 and his email is joesoutherland@yahoo.com.He will work with you whatever your budget is and will travel wherever.

(Here's a wedding vendor review for a different kind of photographer)

Robot Booth - This photographer has a space set up that includes lots of fun props like huge glasses, feather boas, Groucho Marx noses, etc. that guests can put on and have their pictures taken. Then the pictures are posted online where everyone can share them however they like. Loads of fun! 770-876-9248

Receptions or venues

(These wedding vendor reviews are for either and sometimes or.)

Peach Brandy Cottage in downtown Dawsonville, GA is a venue for weddings, anniversaries, banquets, parties, class reunions and company picnics. They cater on the premises and they have a lovely hardwood floor in their facility for great dancing. They can be reached at www.PeachBrandyCottage.com or by calling 770-490-3833.

I experienced their services at a fundraiser they did for the Dawsonville Humane Society and was very pleasantly surprised at what they had to offer, from the food to the facility.

The Pavilion at Cherry Log is a perfect spot for a small intimate wedding, with a covered pergola by a rippling creek. A glass surrounded interior in the separate building with floor to ceiling glass lets the outdoors in and can comfortably seat 65 guests. The kitchen there is equipped with full size refrigerator and gas range with oven. Tables and chairs are included in the rental to seat up to 50 guests.

This place is a hidden gem and I was surprised at how accommodating it was. The bridal couple whom I married decorated it up with a country theme themselves and it was so cute with "barn doors" to go through. It is a little difficult to find, though and the link for info is  http://www.mountainlaurelcabinrentals.com/vacation-rental-home.asp?PageDataID=61245. Copy and paste it into your browser.

Starbridge Event Center is for those who prefer the outdoors and simplicity. Nestled in the North Georgia Mountains, it is surrounded by pristine fields and woods, has a beautiful freshwater lake, lakeside gazebo, 100 year old cabin and a rustic atmosphere. It's located on the outskirts of Murrayville, near Gainesville, GA and the contact person is Donna Sullivan at 706-344-2398. The website is www.starbridgecenter.com and I have done a wedding here.

6140 Events, a venue located on GA 400 just south of the Dawson County line, is in a strip mall between World Beverage and City Electric and Plumbing. It offers space for business meetings and seminars, to weddings, receptions and parties, and can service from 10-300 guests. The largest space features two levels, 20' high exposed beam ceilings, 20' X 11' stage, warming kitchen, polished concrete floors and a floor-to-ceiling dividing curtain. For further information call 706-867-6455 or go to 6140Events.com.

I recently attended a ribbon-cutting event here and was pleasantly surprised to discover what great acoustics they have there. It was easy to talk to people without having to shout and the DJ could be heard clearly and distinctly over the conversations. It was decorated beautifully and the food was fantastic. See Wedding Planner above for more info.

Waters Mill, just over the line in Lumpkin county, is an historic venue that has in-house catering, photography and floral arrangements for your convenience. They are located at 751 Wesley Chapel Road, Dahlonega, GA and their contact info is 678-725-9245. Their website is watersmill.com and the venue can accommodate indoor or outdoor weddings.

I went to a local Business After Hours event there and was very impressed with the food. There's no Costco purchasing of appetizers at this place! There were items like quail and grits,fried okra, stuffed mushrooms, tender beef that didn't even need a knife and yummy desserts of all kinds. Their food is unique, exquisitely prepared, and very tasty.

(These wedding vendor reviews that follow don't fit into easy categories, so they are all lumped together here.)

Miscellaneous

Here's something that will add a really special touch to your wedding: Georgia Dove with Tom Reed. He has two white doves that he has trained to return home to him (they are cousins of the homing pigeon and have the same instinct.) He said they frequently beat him home and are sitting there waiting for him.

You can release them at your wedding from your hands or from a basket. White doves are symbolic of peace, love, hope and new beginnings, which is a perfect choice for weddings. You can reach Tom at www.georgiadove.com, phone him at 678-453-6831, or email him at release@georgiadove.com. What a unique way to end your ceremony!

Makeup

Michele Stewart-Baugh is a Mary Kay consultant who can do your makeup for you on your special day. She can be reached one of three ways: 706-540-6665, mmstewart9712@marykay.com or www.marykay.com/mstewart9712.

(Here are a few more wedding vendor reviews for transportation.)

Limousines

Sojourn Tours and Limousine with Jim Hunt offers tour buses for groups traveling to various places or limousine service to facilities such as wineries for wine tasting. With his service, no one has to worry about driving back to their homes.

He is local and can be reached via email at james.hunt@sojourntours.net or via his website at www.sojourntours.net. His phone number is 678-794-3297 (cell) or 706-344-1366 (office.)

Check out his services!

If your wedding venue is closer to the Atlanta area,  Limos Atlanta could be a good choice for you. They have both stretch limousines and buses to bring the whole wedding party there if you prefer. Talk about traveling in the lap of luxury!

(The last of the wedding vendor reviews is for insurance.)

Insurance: Wedding

This is not a fun one to think about, but it could save you a whole lot of money if anything should go wrong with your wedding. Wedding insurance is very economical to purchase and covers things like the wedding cake not being delivered, the reception hall going out of business at the last minute, the flowers not being on the florist's schedule, or a hurricane canceling everything.

Hopefully, nothing will go wrong on your special day, but if it does, it's great peace of mind to know you have everything covered. Denny Putlak is your man to give that to you with an insurance policy.

His address is 42 Grant Road, Dawsonville, GA 30534 and his phone number is 706-216-1750 or 706-216-1752. You can email him at denny@getdig.com and his website is www.getdig.com.

Hopefully these wedding vendor reviews will give you more options to choose from for the other parts of the wedding beyond the ceremony.

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