Everything you need for a Midwest wedding

rustyheron7 said:Hey there.
Can someone give me the lowdown on The Dave Brubeck Quartet?
From what I’ve been watching in these clips, they look absolutely incredible to me.
What's the vibe like during their sets—do they take many breaks, and how is the overall atmosphere?
Thanks.😉

They are honestly phenomenal, and their only breaks were just for the first and second dinner service; even during the second break, the singer couldn't even sit down because he kept running over to us to jump around and sing along!

The essentials are locked in: venue, band, and photographer. Now I just have to pull off the rest in a few months XD
Or maybe I won't XD

Does anyone know of a decent venue in St. Louis that can accommodate maybe 100 people tops? It’s honestly driving me crazy that around here, you either have massive banquet halls meant for 300+ guests or tiny little eateries—basically just pizza joints—that barely seat 30. So, does anyone have a recommendation for a nice space, a cool pub, a restaurant, or a hall that fits an ideal group of 80 to 100? Please? I am getting a bit desperate here 🙂

Angela Walker79 said:Does anyone know of a decent venue in St. Louis that can accommodate maybe 100 people tops? It’s honestly driving me crazy that around here, you either have massive banquet halls meant for 300+ guests or tiny little eateries—basically just pizza joints—that barely seat 30. So, does anyone have a recommendation for a nice space, a cool pub, a restaurant, or a hall that fits an ideal group of 80 to 100? Please? I am getting a bit desperate here 🙂

local restaurant 🤷 I think it's way smaller than those big banquet halls, but I can't be certain

Angela Walker79 said:Does anyone know of a decent venue in St. Louis that can accommodate maybe 100 people tops? It’s honestly driving me crazy that around here, you either have massive banquet halls meant for 300+ guests or tiny little eateries—basically just pizza joints—that barely seat 30. So, does anyone have a recommendation for a nice space, a cool pub, a restaurant, or a hall that fits an ideal group of 80 to 100? Please? I am getting a bit desperate here 🙂

The Crystal Ballroom actually has three different rooms, and one of them is perfect for about 80 people; it's quite lovely. They also have another room currently under construction, though that one will be much larger.
Here is the link:
http://www.dvorane-kristal.com/rezervacije
🙂

swiftraven59 said:I might have missed this already, but I don't want to scroll through every single thread—could you guys share your experiences with La Sposa in Indianapolis?

I dropped in the other day. Got greeted by this young, sweet girl without even an appointment. She let me browse on my own terms, then once she caught my vibe, she brought over a huge pile of dresses. Really pleasant. She didn't nag me to pick something specific and wouldn't try to sell me a dress that clearly wasn't my style just to close a deal. Super sweet, and she actually listens to you instead of pushing junk on you like those other boutiques 😁

Look, I didn't pull the trigger on a final dress there, but they seriously have some beautiful pieces. 🙂

I went for the first time this week. Hit up every bridal shop in Indy over two days and honestly? My experience was stellar. All the ladies at every shop were great and really trying. In my opinion, the best service is at Stephanie's. Their gowns are miles ahead of everyone else, but you need to get there early because they won't let you touch any dresses that some other bride has already put a deposit on. Basically, if you grab something from the new collection, you're the first one wearing it, and they guarantee nobody else gets to try it on. I know this firsthand because while I was still debating, the lady called me the next day to ask if she could show that exact dress to another woman booked for the same slot. I didn't end up buying that specific one, but I highly recommend them. The staff even stayed late because I showed up right at closing time to try things on. They’re top-tier. Most gorgeous, most elaborate, most pristine dresses ever—just phenomenal. If I hadn't shown up so late, I would've bought one right then and there. But since they wouldn't let me try the ones already reserved, my options were pretty limited.

Hi everyone, I was wondering if anyone might know where I could pick up some small lapel pins in the Indianapolis area or somewhere nearby? I'm looking to get about 250 of them, and if anyone happens to know what the typical pricing looks like lately... Thanks...

Ethan Wilson94 said:I dropped in the other day. Got greeted by this young, sweet girl without even an appointment. She let me browse on my own terms, then once she caught my vibe, she brought over a huge pile of dresses. Really pleasant. She didn't nag me to pick something specific and wouldn't try to sell me a dress that clearly wasn't my style just to close a deal. Super sweet, and she actually listens to you instead of pushing junk on you like those other boutiques 😁

Look, I didn't pull the trigger on a final dress there, but they seriously have some beautiful pieces. 🙂

I went for the first time this week. Hit up every bridal shop in Indy over two days and honestly? My experience was stellar. All the ladies at every shop were great and really trying. In my opinion, the best service is at Stephanie's. Their gowns are miles ahead of everyone else, but you need to get there early because they won't let you touch any dresses that some other bride has already put a deposit on. Basically, if you grab something from the new collection, you're the first one wearing it, and they guarantee nobody else gets to try it on. I know this firsthand because while I was still debating, the lady called me the next day to ask if she could show that exact dress to another woman booked for the same slot. I didn't end up buying that specific one, but I highly recommend them. The staff even stayed late because I showed up right at closing time to try things on. They’re top-tier. Most gorgeous, most elaborate, most pristine dresses ever—just phenomenal. If I hadn't shown up so late, I would've bought one right then and there. But since they wouldn't let me try the ones already reserved, my options were pretty limited.

Oh, thanks 🙂...but real talk, how early or late is too late to start looking? My wedding is in 14 months, and I'm wondering if it's too soon to start hitting the shops. Also, did the lady at La Sposi or the other boutiques mention what happens if you pick a gown from this year's collection? I assume they'll rent it to others too, so what happens if I come to pick mine up and some girl returned it in bad shape? It feels like a long time to expect them to hold onto a dress just for me...

cosmicnomad22 said:Hi everyone, I was wondering if anyone might know where I could pick up some small lapel pins in the Indianapolis area or somewhere nearby? I'm looking to get about 250 of them, and if anyone happens to know what the typical pricing looks like lately... Thanks...

You can find some in Indianapolis at Vegas, I think they had sets of 50 for about $23. (I'm assuming you mean the One T pins 🤷)...

Thanks. I was actually planning on just getting some standard small ones, but if I can't track those down, I might just grab yours... I had a few left over from before and tried making a couple of repairs using basic safety pins, and honestly, they seemed to do the trick well enough!

cosmicnomad22 said:Thanks. I was actually planning on just getting some standard small ones, but if I can't track those down, I might just grab yours... I had a few left over from before and tried making a couple of repairs using basic safety pins, and honestly, they seemed to do the trick well enough!

I think I spotted those kinds of safety pins at one of those The Ten stores (you know, the ones where everything is just a couple of bucks 🤣)

Hey everyone. Big news—I’m getting married! Apparently, telling my entire extended family wasn't enough, so now I have to share it here too, even though I don't really know anyone in this group yet. 😁
Quick question: what’s the vibe like in the Crystal Ballroom? Also, does anyone happen to know if they have any openings for June 2013? 🙂 Thanks.

swiftraven59 said:Oh, thanks 🙂...but real talk, how early or late is too late to start looking? My wedding is in 14 months, and I'm wondering if it's too soon to start hitting the shops. Also, did the lady at La Sposi or the other boutiques mention what happens if you pick a gown from this year's collection? I assume they'll rent it to others too, so what happens if I come to pick mine up and some girl returned it in bad shape? It feels like a long time to expect them to hold onto a dress just for me...

Look, I think you're jumping the gun if you go this early, but hey, some brides just can't help themselves. Personally? I’d say aim for about a year to nine months out. I’ve got my wedding coming up in nine months, and every bridal boutique I've visited told me that while I wasn't exactly cutting it close, I definitely could have started the process sooner. It really depends on which shop you're hitting up. Like I said before, at Stephanie’s, you definitely want to get in there earlier.

I wasn't even asking about the dress getting worn out. My guests aren't exactly going to be tearing it apart anytime soon, though I guess that's always a gamble. A woman told me a horror story about her experience at Nicholas's boutique—she was just a week away from the wedding and her dress still hadn't arrived in Indianapolis from St. Louis. It’s a total lottery. Honestly, it also depends on the fabric you pick; some materials show wear much worse than others. And obviously, you want something newer. You can't beat an old, used gown like you can a fresh one. 🙂

Matthew Brown76 said:Hey everyone. Big news—I’m getting married! Apparently, telling my entire extended family wasn't enough, so now I have to share it here too, even though I don't really know anyone in this group yet. 😁
Quick question: what’s the vibe like in the Crystal Ballroom? Also, does anyone happen to know if they have any openings for June 2013? 🙂 Thanks.

Congrats. 😁 Look, there might be one or two openings left for June. Back when we used to do this every year, we’d only see one single slot available for September. May and June are prime wedding months—it's always a scramble. 🙂 Hurry the lard. 🙂 The venue is killer. 🙂 Hands down one of the best acoustics I've ever heard in a hall.

Ethan Wilson94 said:Look, I think you're jumping the gun if you go this early, but hey, some brides just can't help themselves. Personally? I’d say aim for about a year to nine months out. I’ve got my wedding coming up in nine months, and every bridal boutique I've visited told me that while I wasn't exactly cutting it close, I definitely could have started the process sooner. It really depends on which shop you're hitting up. Like I said before, at Stephanie’s, you definitely want to get in there earlier.

I wasn't even asking about the dress getting worn out. My guests aren't exactly going to be tearing it apart anytime soon, though I guess that's always a gamble. A woman told me a horror story about her experience at Nicholas's boutique—she was just a week away from the wedding and her dress still hadn't arrived in Indianapolis from St. Louis. It’s a total lottery. Honestly, it also depends on the fabric you pick; some materials show wear much worse than others. And obviously, you want something newer. You can't beat an old, used gown like you can a fresh one. 🙂

Congrats. 😁 Look, there might be one or two openings left for June. Back when we used to do this every year, we’d only see one single slot available for September. May and June are prime wedding months—it's always a scramble. 🙂 Hurry the lard. 🙂 The venue is killer. 🙂 Hands down one of the best acoustics I've ever heard in a hall.

Thanks! 😁 Honestly, none of my massive extended family have gotten married there, so I'm flying blind. Most of them used venues in Greencreek or the Hotel Indianapolis, but neither really hit the mark for me. Greencreek just had a weird vibe, and the Hotel Indianapolis had issues with the hall—low ceilings, awkward layout, all that jazz 🙂
Since I'm a musician, the Acoustics are a huge deal for me. I need them to be top-tier 🙂)
That sounds great, which means I should probably put down a deposit ASAP.
One more thing: would it be incredibly rude to just swing by someone else's wedding for five minutes just to see the setup? Would the bride and groom find that annoying?

Matthew Brown76 said:Thanks! 😁 Honestly, none of my massive extended family have gotten married there, so I'm flying blind. Most of them used venues in Greencreek or the Hotel Indianapolis, but neither really hit the mark for me. Greencreek just had a weird vibe, and the Hotel Indianapolis had issues with the hall—low ceilings, awkward layout, all that jazz 🙂
Since I'm a musician, the Acoustics are a huge deal for me. I need them to be top-tier 🙂)
That sounds great, which means I should probably put down a deposit ASAP.
One more thing: would it be incredibly rude to just swing by someone else's wedding for five minutes just to see the setup? Would the bride and groom find that annoying?

Well, Crystal Dynamics has some pretty low ceilings too, but apparently, that’s actually great for live music. At least, that's what our local bands told me.

Showing up uninvited isn't exactly standard procedure. Personally, I'd be annoyed if people did that at my wedding. 😁 Just hunt down some videos or photos online. 🙂 Or just ask the guy you're booking through; he seems like a decent dude. 🙂

It’s true that massive ceilings can be a nightmare for the Adele quality of a room—sound just escapes upward—but you can't go too low either, or the whole place feels muffled and dead. Honestly, looking at the photos, it looks stunning, so I assume it holds up in person. Once I'm sure, I'll give my uncle a call to finalize everything so I don't end up crashing someone else's wedding by mistake. 🤣

Matthew Brown76 said:Hey everyone. Big news—I’m getting married! Apparently, telling my entire extended family wasn't enough, so now I have to share it here too, even though I don't really know anyone in this group yet. 😁
Quick question: what’s the vibe like in the Crystal Ballroom? Also, does anyone happen to know if they have any openings for June 2013? 🙂 Thanks.

It's fantastic. I was there just about a week ago and was blown away. The manager showed us everything in person. I almost peeked into the kitchen bowls myself. A ton of my friends have held weddings there and they all rave about it—even our band gave them high marks... 🙂
I checked out Green Valley too, and honestly, it didn't impress me at all. This place is much better.
We actually booked for September 2013 just last week. He mentioned they had one spot left in May and that June would start filling up soon. So, you better hurry... 🙂

And yes, huge congratulations, obviously 🙂

Yeah, I swung by the venue in Youngstown this past Saturday to check out the hall, and honestly, it’s the exact same deal as theirs.
I was planning on getting there before the wedding party just to get some quick sketches done. Turns out the guests were already arriving, but
thankfully, the newlyweds hadn't shown up yet. In the end, they actually insisted I come inside—told me to make myself at home, look around, grab a drink...
It was a bit awkward, though. I just took a quick peek from the doorway and slipped out immediately. 🙂
So yeah, apparently it's not a crime if you wander in unexpectedly X

swiftsailor63, thanks for the heads-up! 🙂 How many people are you expecting at your wedding? I heard the minimum guest count is around 160, which is pretty much exactly where my list is sitting right now. I'm low-key terrified the ballroom is going to look half-empty. Also, what kind of band are you thinking about? In my family, we usually hire Victor to play the weddings, but I’m curious about other options. Any 🙂 recommendations
?

We’re looking at a maximum of 220 guests, though the list isn't finalized yet. Honestly, I doubt everyone will actually show up...
Quattro Band is set to play. We met with the singer just last week and were completely blown away. So many people have recommended them and raved about their talent.
After talking with him, we didn't have any doubts left. Their rates aren't even that high, and they bring along a full group of musicians who work with them regularly...
It's all included in the quote. I have a feeling they’re going to be great.
Our shortlist included Sax, Still Band, 100% Band, and them. Hope that helps you out. 🙂