Posts by Kenneth Bailey48

Terry Morris10 said:Chocolate 555, I find the girls over at Exclusive to be pretty pricey, even if their work is solid. You can find their profile on Facebook under Wedding Decoration (Wedding Decoration Vu).
I’ve decided to handle my own wedding decoration. I’ve already sourced most of what I need, and it’s going to cost me about $300, maybe even less.
As for makeup, I’m useless there—I haven't even figured out who I'm booking yet.

I don't get why they're expensive. You basically tell them what you want and what your budget is, then they let you know if it's doable—or they help you find a workaround. Anyway, I booked them and I think it'll be great. I want something pretty out there, and I don't think anyone else would actually know how to pull it off... Unlike Jaka, who thinks she's getting a deal when she's asking for a single lily wrapped in baby's breath $27 😲

So, I went to see Victoria from Indianapolis today for a makeup trial, and honestly, I’m thrilled... though we pretty much had the exact same vision for the look, so it was an easy win 🙂
That's my two cents. Just check out her work on Facebook under Victoria's Secret and decide for yourself
Anyway, highly recommend 👍

Who cares? As long as she's happy, I'm good.🙂

Sandra Hernandez9 said:For those interested—there’s a shop in downtown St. Louis called Vrata of the Heartland that carries some truly sharp suits, starting around $120 and going up from there. They’re expecting a new collection to drop soon, so we'll be heading out for a shopping spree once that arrives. 🙂

Great. Care to be more specific? I've never been 🙂

Olivia Gomez2 said:We don't really rely on local production ourselves either, and honestly, just like Jeffrey Walker3 mentioned, parents usually handle all of that—it’s really not an issue for us, and personally, I don't even give much thought to the food situation.
I think it's generally fine if you're sourcing the food yourselves; it doesn't mean you have to spend all day driving around town hitting up the butcher, the shopping mall, or wherever else you might shop. We just order exactly what we need—the specific cuts and quantities—for a set date, then pick everything up and haul it straight to the hall. It's actually even better if someone has the chance to grab certain items at Costco or maybe cross the border for deals—that can make things even more budget-friendly.
That way, we know exactly what we bought and how much we have... there's zero chance of running out, which helps avoid those comments—which seem to be happening a lot lately—about people being left hungry in some of the halls.
I realize everyone is different—what feels like plenty to one person might feel small to another—but at the end of the day, there simply has to be enough food.
For us, for example, the chairs come out to about $37, and for 200 people, that's $7000 plus the cost for the $6667 hall services—you know, the waitstaff, the cooks, and the chair covers
. A typical menu price at a hotel or restaurant in Columbus is around $80, but once you start adding in the chair covers, the roasted pig, the lamb, the desserts, and the hard liquor—which usually isn't included—it ends up costing us closer to $9333 or even more. And hey, with that extra $4,000, we also managed to cover the photographer, the wedding band, and the flowers.
I guess every venue has to make sure their math adds up too...

In Columbus, with everything listed plus all the drinks and four hotel rooms, it comes out to $65 per person. So, 195x250=48,750. If we look at this example instead: 110x200=22,000 + 20,000 = 42,000. See? This isn't even using the cheapest venue, and the difference is tiny. If I had 200 guests, it would cost me 39,000, which is even less. Plus, I don't have to stress about the food because everything is handled exactly as agreed, and the quality is proven. At the end of the day, the chef matters just as much as the ingredients.
To each their own. For me, this way is just smarter and cheaper.

I’m with you on the food and drinks if you aren't making everything from scratch. Toss in the venue rental and equipment fees, and you might as well just book their full catering package. Why deal with the headache when you can save yourself all that time and stress?👍

Kyle Parker4 said:eh... so, I guess I'm finally jumping into the fray too.... spent some time lurking and reading through everything you all have been saying... because my guy and I finally pulled the trigger on a wedding date, July 30th, 2011..... we're just messing around about the actual day, obviously, but we've already run into two massive headaches..... finding decent musicians and a photographer... ladies, please, I am begging for some advice...

So you're looking for a wedding band in the Midwest and a photographer... but what exactly are you looking for? Most of these people are booked up over a year in advance anyway. We're currently hunting for September 17, 2011, and even then, we've had zero luck. One band canceled on us right at the last minute, and we couldn't get the photographer we actually wanted. Now we're searching further afield, maybe even someone from a small town like 🙂.

Kimberly Davis10 said:Midwest ladies, I really need some advice here 🙂

I am looking to pick up a truly stunning, lush bouquet to give as a gift over in Indianapolis, but honestly, I am completely at a loss as to which local florist actually delivers on their promises.

Thanks
🙂

There's one good spot I know called "freesia"...

Just figured I'd chime in here too... It’s not that people don't eat dessert at weddings, it's just that the dessert itself is usually the problem. At my sister's wedding, we ordered sweets from Anne's place in a small town in the Midwest. We actually ordered way more than we needed because we wanted to hand them out to guests as they left, but there was nothing left to give—everyone polished them off. They were seriously incredible and I’d order them myself in a heartbeat, but since I’m getting married in Memphis, I can't exactly get those specific ones...😢

I’m not positive, but I don't think glue dots will cut it... you want that thick, foam double-sided tape instead. You can find it at any Home Depot or Lowe's. I've been to weddings where they used it and everything stayed put perfectly, though I guess it really comes down to how good the tape is. 👍 It’s honestly a lifesaver because attaching lapels is such a breeze. One more thing—don't go sticking it on the lapels months in advance, like two months before the big day. Just like any other adhesive, it’s going to lose its grip over time, so that might be why things are failing.

So, what’s the price? If you don't want to talk about it here, just shoot me a DM. 🙂

quietbear8 said:Does anyone happen to know if there's anywhere in Indianapolis where I could pick up some satin ribbons at a more reasonable price? At Vigus, the ones I need (2 cm wide) go for $1.25/m, and over at Bagat they're $1.00/m. It seems excessive to me—especially considering how much I already spent on those ribbons for my petty cash fund. Now I’ve run short on funds for the invitations because the width I originally planned for just isn't working out. 🤷🤷

There’s plenty of cheap stuff on this site. Not sure what you're looking for specifically, but they sell by the roll rather than the meter... check it out:

If I remember right, they do cash on delivery...

graniteheron99 said:You really need to do some deeper due diligence, because a few of my friends went with the exact same setup you described, and the end result was definitely $2667 underwhelming, so keep that in mind. Their photos were incredibly basic—over-processed, washed out, and totally lacking any sense of style. The video was just mediocre. There's way too much hype, but in the end, the quality is barely a passing grade.

For $2667, passing isn't enough. Top-tier photographers aren't cheap, so why settle? That's just how I see it. I've seen plenty of bad reviews for Krizmanić Studio lately, so I don't even bother with them—even though I'm tight with their family and could probably pull some strings. But look, I have high standards for my photos. If someone else is fine with "just okay," then whatever, let them have it.