Wedding Blog

Like just about every other bride out there, I have a big ol’ list of thank you notes to write. After being married three weeks, I’ve barely made a dent in that list.

However, earlier this week, I did sit down to write notes to several people who didn’t actually give us a gift…vendors. I have vendor reviews coming soon, but I can preface those by saying that I truly believe that I worked with some of the most talented people in Atlanta for our wedding. I didn’t hire a wedding planner, partially because I had this ridiculous need to be in control of every aspect of the planning, and partially because I had complete faith in every single person that I hired.

Mr. Magnolia thinks I’m a little crazy for writing thank you notes to our vendors after they’ve been paid in full (and in some cases tipped), but I think of it as a personal gesture of appreciation….as opposed to the very impersonal check. And as a friend of mine said yesterday, it kind of closes the loop on the relationship in a nice way, you know?

So our first thank you notes are out the door:

1. To the catering manager at the club where we held our reception. I dropped everything at the club on the Thursday before, and I never gave another thought as to whether or not everything would be in place. I just knew that it would, because that’s how fantastic she is.

2. To our florist. I’m convinced she lost money on us. This amazing lady called me on Friday afternoon (when I was mid-pedicure) to tell me that she was nervous that the hydrangeas in my bouquet would wilt before I got down the aisle, so she had decided to make me two bridal bouquets - one for pictures and one for the actual ceremony. I LOVE HER.

3. Our hair stylists, Mr. Magnolia’s cousin’s wife and my mom’s hairdresser. Both gave up their afternoons to make my maids and me look gorgeous and put up with The Bride Who Wouldn’t Sit Down. They’re saints, both of them.

4. My cousin, the super-fab makeup artist. He’s talented, he’s fast, and he’s fun. If I may be so bold, my ladies and I were smokin’ hot that night.

5. The bakery. Our cake was included in our reception food package, so I have no idea what it cost. I met with them, tasted some flavors, told them the exact design that I wanted, and then I let it go. Not only did they execute the design flawlessly, but the cake was HUGE. And it tasted incredible, too.

6. The sales manager at the hotel where we blocked rooms. Wow. This girl was a lifesaver, in every sense of the word. I think I emailed her every single day between Nov. 15th and Dec. 15th to ask for an updated list of guests. She could not have been more gracious and accommodating, plus she arranged to have Mr. Magnolia and me upgraded to a suite for our wedding night. I kind of have a girlcrush on her.

So I guess this post turned into a mini-list of vendor reviews, but really I just wanted to express how thankful I am to have worked with such wonderful people. I hope that they all know how much I enjoyed being on the receiving end of their services, and I am looking forward to continuing relationships with all of them.

Were there certain vendors that you felt deserved extra recognition? How did you thank them or otherwise show your appreciation?