Everything you need for a Midwest wedding

rapidfox42 said:Does anyone have any thoughts or experiences with the Qattro band out of Indianapolis? Would love to hear what you guys think.
Thanks 🙂

Hey rapidfox42, I actually booked the Quattro band myself! Honestly, those guys are awesome—I’ve seen them play at several weddings before, and they totally killed it. In my book, they’re top-tier, and their lead singer is just incredible. Plus, they are so incredibly easy to work with; you can basically negotiate everything with them, like even what color shirt they should wear to match your theme. If you have any specific requests, they’ll even learn a few songs for you if they don't already have them in their setlist... kind of that vibe. They also include a whole group of folk musicians in the price, and they'll come right to your place. If there's anything else you're curious about, just hit me up. Everyone seems to rave about them, so I really don't think you'll regret picking them.😁

Henry Ortiz18 said:I just took a look at those photos of that much-hyped John from Jackson, and honestly? I wasn't exactly blown away... I mean, wouldn't anyone be able to pull that off with a slightly better camera? But hey, that’s just my two cents—I certainly don't want to start any drama or offend anyone here...
Does anyone actually have experience working with Smart and Rachel over on Facebook?

Either way, it's better quality than both Smart and Rachel, and cheaper too...

gentledriver92 said:Maybelline... I was actually thinking about ham... not focus (not sure what their deal is with that either) 🙂 I checked out their online gallery and honestly, I wasn't impressed. It’s just the same old classic stuff. I gave them a call, though—they were super nice and the pricing is actually pretty reasonable. What they offer in a package costs twice as much everywhere else. So, I was just checking if anyone here has worked with them before? I want to know what the actual album and video look like. It’s a totally different story when you see someone's finished work instead of just a few random photos and clips online. Well, whatever, looks like I'll just have to head down there myself. 🙂 Anyway, thanks a ton for the effort. And hey, if you have a photographer you'd recommend, let me know... I've heard some rumors 🙂 (I'm from Indianapolis, so somewhere nearby works too)

They're just used to doing the same old thing, I've seen plenty of their work. It's all classic. A few good shots here and there, but their video style hasn't changed in four years. Cheers

rapidfox42 said:gentledriver92 thanks! finally getting some first-hand info!

Now, hopefully I can return the favor a little bit.
If you need photos taken in Indianapolis—I’d definitely suggest Leon Productions.
Over in Columbus, you could try Studio 69 or Krizmanić—though I've heard a few complaints about Krizmanić before.

Just my two cents. Indianapolis Leon Productions is around $4667 pretty solid
Des Moines photo Zoom $1500 decent
Columbus studio69 $4667 the best
krizmanići $2333 but they'll pull the old "oh wait, there's one more thing" routine... kind of mediocre, sometimes they try, sometimes they don't...
photo studio John from Ivan around $1667 pretty good stuff overall
Bot $2333 bad video
Rachel 7500 classic bad video
Viki $2000 everything's pretty rough
Cibalia $1667 all the usual clichés
Teddy $1667 everything sucks
Smart $2000 ends up being way too many clichés
Lidija awful
no-name cliché photos, terrible video
Štimac not sure, haven't heard anything good...
I've double-checked most of this and I'm sticking to it, but hey, it's just what me and my colleagues have seen happen...

Daniel King4 said:They're just used to doing the same old thing, I've seen plenty of their work. It's all classic. A few good shots here and there, but their video style hasn't changed in four years. Cheers

They aren't "used to it" at all, so you've got that part wrong.
It's just that they have a studio in the 20G area, so everyone around that part of town knows them—just like they know names like Bruce Springsteen or Bruce Springsteen.

Anyone here from Des Moines? Looking for a good flower shop recommendation. Also, does anyone know anything about photo studio M! Thanks!

lonepilot13 said:Anyone here from Des Moines? Looking for a good flower shop recommendation. Also, does anyone know anything about photo studio M! Thanks!

hey... I can suggest two florists in Des Moines, Palm and Stella. They both do really nice work... honestly, if you don't care about staying strictly in Des Moines, you should check out the local farmers market. There are plenty of ladies there running their own small businesses who handle weddings all the time. They'll show you catalogs, you pick what you like, and it's way cheaper than any actual florist! 😉

Sun, thanks a ton! It doesn't necessarily have to be from Des Moines, but I've heard everything is cheaper over there, so that's why I was asking. I checked out Iris, but I don't know, felt pretty pricey to me.

Seriously... what do you guys think of these shots? http://fotozine.org/?omen=samir Personally, I think they're garbage. 😉

gentledriver92 said:Seriously... what do you guys think of these shots? http://fotozine.org/?omen=samir Personally, I think they're garbage. 😉

I love these photos. There's something about that editing style—the way the colors pop and the raw emotion comes through. My vote is 👍

Daniel King4 said:Just my two cents. Indianapolis Leon Productions is around $4667 pretty solid
Des Moines photo Zoom $1500 decent
Columbus studio69 $4667 the best
krizmanići $2333 but they'll pull the old "oh wait, there's one more thing" routine... kind of mediocre, sometimes they try, sometimes they don't...
photo studio John from Ivan around $1667 pretty good stuff overall
Bot $2333 bad video
Rachel 7500 classic bad video
Viki $2000 everything's pretty rough
Cibalia $1667 all the usual clichés
Teddy $1667 everything sucks
Smart $2000 ends up being way too many clichés
Lidija awful
no-name cliché photos, terrible video
Štimac not sure, haven't heard anything good...
I've double-checked most of this and I'm sticking to it, but hey, it's just what me and my colleagues have seen happen...

And I think one of the ladies on here—I can’t recall her handle off the top of my head—actually has a Stude 69, and hers isn't even priced at $14k. She’s got it for $8k, which makes it a thousand cheaper... wait, let me do the math there... which means the actual price is $9k.

I’ve noticed you’ve pretty much torn apart every single one of those Columbus photos—except for his, of course. And we all know exactly whose they are. But yeah, fine. He’s just John from Ivan. 😁

lonepilot13 said:Sun, thanks a ton! It doesn't necessarily have to be from Des Moines, but I've heard everything is cheaper over there, so that's why I was asking. I checked out Iris, but I don't know, felt pretty pricey to me.

Could you give me an idea of what they're asking for at Iris?
And hey, let me know if you find out roughly what the prices are for Palm and Stella...
I need to get my flowers reserved too... so I really need to know where to go...
Also, if anyone has any suggestions, please let me know... 😉

Daniel King4 said:Just my two cents. Indianapolis Leon Productions is around $4667 pretty solid
Des Moines photo Zoom $1500 decent
Columbus studio69 $4667 the best
krizmanići $2333 but they'll pull the old "oh wait, there's one more thing" routine... kind of mediocre, sometimes they try, sometimes they don't...
photo studio John from Ivan around $1667 pretty good stuff overall
Bot $2333 bad video
Rachel 7500 classic bad video
Viki $2000 everything's pretty rough
Cibalia $1667 all the usual clichés
Teddy $1667 everything sucks
Smart $2000 ends up being way too many clichés
Lidija awful
no-name cliché photos, terrible video
Štimac not sure, haven't heard anything good...
I've double-checked most of this and I'm sticking to it, but hey, it's just what me and my colleagues have seen happen...

I'd probably have to agree with most of that—but hey, tastes differ and everyone’s got different options, so we can't really generalize. I know plenty of people who think Teddy, Krizmanić, and Bot are top-tier. As for John... he's just okay.

Just so there's no misunderstanding—I'm not playing favorites here—but honestly? None of them are really my type.

rowdypanther16 said:Hey rapidfox42, I actually booked the Quattro band myself! Honestly, those guys are awesome—I’ve seen them play at several weddings before, and they totally killed it. In my book, they’re top-tier, and their lead singer is just incredible. Plus, they are so incredibly easy to work with; you can basically negotiate everything with them, like even what color shirt they should wear to match your theme. If you have any specific requests, they’ll even learn a few songs for you if they don't already have them in their setlist... kind of that vibe. They also include a whole group of folk musicians in the price, and they'll come right to your place. If there's anything else you're curious about, just hit me up. Everyone seems to rave about them, so I really don't think you'll regret picking them.😁

We booked them back this summer, but honestly—the closer it gets—the more I start to panic since I haven't actually heard them live yet. Your comments really helped calm my nerves 😁

Just a couple more things... do you know how they handle breaks? Like, how late do they play until, and when is your big day? 😁

Iris—around 4,500$1667... that setup for the head table$500....
I'll let you know about the rest later

Daniel King4 said:Either way, it's better quality than both Smart and Rachel, and cheaper too...

I don't know, everyone has their own take, but my personal view? I don't think John is all that much to write home about—at least based on what I've seen. Look, I'm not claiming to be some kind of expert, because I'm certainly not, but his photos just feel uninspired to me... totally ordinary. I really hope I'm not offending anyone here, but that's just how I see it...

gentledriver92 said:Seriously... what do you guys think of these shots? http://fotozine.org/?omen=samir Personally, I think they're garbage. 😉

really beautiful shots

rapidfox42 said:I'd probably have to agree with most of that—but hey, tastes differ and everyone’s got different options, so we can't really generalize. I know plenty of people who think Teddy, Krizmanić, and Bot are top-tier. As for John... he's just okay.

Just so there's no misunderstanding—I'm not playing favorites here—but honestly? None of them are really my type.

You're right, everyone wants something different, but you really have to weigh the price against what you're actually getting
not even mentioning how much stuff you get from each guy or whether they're just ripping you off...
You need to see way more of their portfolios before you can judge who's actually good, which is exactly what me and my crew have been doing over the last two years...
I'll stand by the fact that Studio 69 costs $4667 though we give our friends a deal, whereas if you drop 9k on someone like Smith, you basically get nothing but a headache and a lot of regret, and then out of pure disappointment, people start claiming he's great even though they haven't seen any of his actual work...

Henry Ortiz18 said:I don't know, everyone has their own take, but my personal view? I don't think John is all that much to write home about—at least based on what I've seen. Look, I'm not claiming to be some kind of expert, because I'm certainly not, but his photos just feel uninspired to me... totally ordinary. I really hope I'm not offending anyone here, but that's just how I see it...

Mind sending over a photo that actually catches your eye, or maybe just show me where we can see it
so I can get a sense of your taste. Cheers

rapidfox42 said:We booked them back this summer, but honestly—the closer it gets—the more I start to panic since I haven't actually heard them live yet. Your comments really helped calm my nerves 😁

Just a couple more things... do you know how they handle breaks? Like, how late do they play until, and when is your big day? 😁

Usually, those breaks only happen during mealtime or while the newlyweds are busy posing for photos. In all the weddings I’ve been to, the guys basically just slip outside for a quick smoke or to grab a bite to eat really fast. Honestly, I love that vibe. For my own wedding, they told us we could stay until 5:00 PM since our venue in suburban Chicago allows us to hang out in the hall until then, but the manager also mentioned that if the crowd is still vibing and the energy is high, they’d let us stay even later. My big day is set for May 15th, so if you aren't busy later on, you should totally swing by and listen in! 👍🙂