First and foremost, you should have a direct conversation with the person who is actually baking your cake. I am planning on having a multi-tiered cake, and I was told that they won't allow fillings like Ice Wind or Ferrero Rocher because those types of cakes are simply too unstable for this setup. Besides, I wouldn't personally choose an Ice Wind cake anyway, as the fruit juices tend to leak out of them.
If my memory serves me correctly, I was told that for three tiers with fondant, it would be around $400 (including a filling of about 800-900) at Grandma's place in Savannah.
Actually, the post above states the exact opposite of what I wrote, though I don't see anything irrational about my stance. A person doesn't need a formal music degree to decide what kind of music they want at their wedding. In folk and country music, the accordion is a staple and certainly isn't easily replaced by cheap keyboard players, so I believe that is a perfectly reasonable request. Furthermore, while I personally prefer not to have the same song played repeatedly, I understand if someone else wants to hear a specific track five times; after all, the band is being paid to fulfill those requests. It is quite beneath you to speak about DJs in such a manner. It seems hypocritical to protect the dignity of your own profession while simultaneously looking down on others.
analogtiger343 said:Look, it’s pretty simple: you can find lists of bands online, including trios or duos. Just call them up, ask what they offer, and see if it aligns with what you want. If you find a match, book them, pay them, and call it a day. However, if you’re actually looking to mentally break a band or just go on some kind of wild power trip, you’re better off just hiring a DJ. A DJ will play exactly what you want, whereas no band can work strictly according to the instructions of someone who isn't musically educated—and honestly, it shows in your post, given how much you're mixing up terms and being a bit incoherent. That's not an insult, mind you; being musically uneducated happens. It's like how I'm not a doctor, so when I'm sick, I go to a professional to help me get better instead of trying to prescribe my own medication. It's the exact same thing with a band. Don't forget, people need jobs, so most will take the gig, so first check if they actually have your requested songs in their repertoire, and if they do, iron out the details and just let them do their thing... and hey, try not to be rude. If you think everything they play is garbage, feel free to record your own song and prove you're better. You're paying for a service, not buying the right to treat them like crap.
I honestly don't understand the point of all this. For heaven's sake, we are talking about wedding guests, not a symphony concert. Why would anyone need musical expertise in this situation?! I fail to see how requesting specific music constitutes any kind of abuse. My own requirements are completely different (no country music, no repetitive tracks, no requests), and I certainly don't consider that to be offending anyone. Additionally, I see very little difference between a DJ and a band regarding song selection. This is a private party where the newlyweds pay for someone to play the music they want, not to attend a concert.
mellowjackal85 said:My cousin picked up her bands there—spent about $3k.
We ended up going to a shop in St. Louis instead. We went with white gold—mine has five cubic zirconia set in it—and we managed to snag a discount $817. Honestly, we couldn't be happier; the rings are gorgeous. The guy had a decent selection, too. Standard gold weight 44 miles.
Basically, everyone I know who bought their jewelry in the South didn't pay more than $3k.
Jewelry pricing is mostly calculated by the gram (unless you are looking at full sets), so a specific price tag doesn't tell you much on its own. The minor issue is that jewelers often refuse to disclose the price per gram for unknown reasons. Instead, they weigh the ring, calculate the total, and multiply it by the gold rate on a calculator... which makes it easy to reverse-engineer the math. About two years ago, I was traveling through the Midwest and parts of Ohio to browse shops, and everything was relatively close together. Word is that prices are even more competitive in certain southern states compared to what you find elsewhere.
Alexander Thompson93 said:I actually caught a live set where Babylon was playing, and honestly? I’d give them a solid 7/10. They went a little overboard right before the morning shift—one guy was acting way too much like a high roller, ordering his own custom stuff and everything—and that just wasn't my vibe. Victor, I haven't actually heard them play in person yet, but word on the street is they are legit. Their booking fee is around $12,000, and they just added a new guy who plays the violin. They can handle pretty much any genre you throw at them, except maybe zydeco. 😬 Personally, I'm 100% down to go; I have a feeling they're totally my kind of crowd! 😉
..iPhone talking..
I am of the opinion that the experience depends entirely on the prior arrangement. Initially, I was unimpressed by a band at one wedding because they played far too much country music after midnight, yet they were excellent at another event. It occurred to me later that at the first wedding, the groom was in the military, and his group of friends seemed particularly enthusiastic about that specific genre. In the end, due to various circumstances, we decided not to hire Babylon. Instead, we chose a different band we had already been in discussions with (the wedding is a year away). Naturally, we will finalize all the specifics later, but I wanted to see what was feasible; so far, everything I have envisioned is possible. To be clear, there will be no heavy country music or typical sing-along anthems, nor will there be the standard practice of requesting songs (or paying extra for them). One may suggest a song to the vocalist, provided it fits within a designated set, but there will be no repetitions.
Larry Smith3 said:I don't quite understand it either, particularly when they tell us how much work goes into setting up the hall... as if that's our responsibility to pay for.🤷
In the end, we decided to go with Nirs; the venue just felt more right to us, and we received more recommendations for them. Regarding Ino, everyone tells us "the food is amazing," which I certainly believe, but that seems to be the extent of the feedback we get.🙂
Has anyone here recently looked into getting a wedding dress from Miles in San Diego? I am absolutely enamored with the Maggie Sottero designs, but a friend mentioned that they don't offer alterations if the dress is too long, and she hasn't heard many glowing reviews about that specific boutique. I also saw someone on the forum mention that they canceled a dress just a few days before the wedding. I actually went there with a friend a while back, and my overall impression was wonderful until the moment the lady, prompted by a question about whether they rent out baskets, started lecturing us about her own personal integrity (that kind of thing generally irritates me and makes me want to walk out immediately). However, since I've also heard so many compliments, I'm feeling a bit conflicted now.😕
Wedding dresses aren't actually shortened; rather, they are usually cut at a certain point and then the "shortening" is handled through alterations. In one boutique, I once commented that I couldn't possibly wear a specific gown because there was nowhere to "tuck" the excess fabric, and the saleswoman insisted that their job is to find a way to make every dress exactly what the client desires. Anyway, I'm not from the area, but from what I have seen, most bridal salons have similar pricing. My advice would be to visit that salon, see how you feel, and if it doesn't sit right with you, simply go somewhere else. I believe Maggie Sottero styles can be found in many different shops.
Nothing personal, but I find it quite baffling how someone can book a band without actually listening to them first. We are talking about an all-night event involving significant amounts of money here. As for the percussionists, they are fine; they usually play for two or three hours, so even if they aren't world-class, they still pull their weight.
It seems unlikely that someone who specializes in wedding photography would take on bridal showers, given they almost always fall on weekends when schedules are already packed up to the brim.
I haven't heard anything about categorizing flavors into formal or informal groups yet, but I wouldn't dare recommend using Ice Wind since it’s quite a wet consistency (if you can call it that, haha), especially when working with sugar and meringue bases. It also tends to be rather foamy, so I am uncertain how the total mass would hold up on those types of substrates.
We had considered working with Zoom or perhaps a contact out of Chicago (we were actually helping a friend look into them, though we hadn't confirmed the specific name yet), but in the end, we decided to go with Bota Studio Everything he described sounds quite reasonable to me. He doesn't necessarily charge extra for certain items or try to "sell" them as freebies; he simply states that those services are included in his standard rate without additional cost His range of services is truly impressive. To be honest, I initially assumed he would be much more expensive, but it turns out that everything we negotiated would have cost us significantly more elsewhere—even at Zoom, where the base price starts around $4,000 I am not sure how other professionals operate, but his pricing isn't strictly limited to rigid packages (though he does offer them). We were able to sit down with him, list exactly what we needed, and he provided us with a custom quote based on our specific requirements
That has actually been the case for quite a long time now. There must be someone held accountable if anyone were to get food poisoning from cookies.😁 In most cases, it is strictly monitored—the shop manager or owner takes full responsibility for ensuring everything is safe. In smaller, local bakeries, you might still find people letting you bring in homemade cakes, but I honestly cannot remember the last time I heard of anyone bringing in completely home-made goods; the only exception would be at an outdoor festival or tent event.
A friend of mine went to a salon for her prom hair, and honestly, I wasn't a fan. It ended up looking like wet curls, and they practically used three entire bottles of hairspray just on her The style itself gets quite a bit of praise (I think I have the name right, it’s that spot near the big cathedral, right across from Charlie's), but my friend arrived with a photo of a braid and the stylist just stared at it, completely stumped. In the end, my friend actually had to explain how to do it herself.
Camellia 🙂 I am not sure if you have seen her selection yet, but she offers wedding invitations at very reasonable prices. I inquired about two different options: one was $5.50 and the other was $4.50. Both prices include the envelope and printing, and most styles allow you to select your preferred color. She also provides rentals for items such as chafing dishes, mirrors, canopies, bar stools, and candelabras.