Posts by Mark Nguyen11

neonridge38 said:Anyone from the Indianapolis area seen Jane's bridal shop in the suburbs? Does she have a good selection, and what’s the typical rental price range? If anyone has any insight, I’d really appreciate it!

Terrible... that's all I can say...

Regarding those Midwest traditions... Honestly, there's nothing more tedious about weddings than that. It all boils down to following a rigid script where you already know exactly what happens when, and it just gets on my nerves. It kills the whole vibe...

My partner comes from a family with roots in the South, while I’m from the Midwest (though we live abroad now). If I were strictly following tradition, we'd be having a wedding under a tent in some muddy backyard, eating nothing but cornbread and listening to country music blaring all night—not to mention some of their customs that are even more nonsensical than ours. So, I told him I'm scrapping all the old traditions, both mine and his. If I have to make up new ones just to suit us, I will. I've already faced criticism that we're going to turn our wedding into a circus (especially from his side), but the real circus would happen if I actually did everything their way. I truly believe everyone will end up loving it precisely because it's different, though it's hard to assume that, especially with the older generation. Regardless, I think you should do it exactly how you feel is right, rather than how everyone else expects you to...

Jeffrey Walker3 said:We can't actually go with their menu because they only do catering for at least 250 people, and we're looking at maybe 200 🤣

Quite a mess... 😕

Speechless...

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...

I watched my sister's wedding and saw how much work her aunt put in and how much stress she endured during the prep. I told myself right then that I never want my family to go through that. It felt like they were just waiting for it all to be over instead of actually enjoying themselves...
In theory, it sounds simple. In practice, it rarely is. You always forget something, or things don't arrive on time, and you're constantly running around. The workload is endless. Then, you inevitably have a stressed family member because things aren't going perfectly, and suddenly there's a fight. So... do whatever works for you.

Also, I don't understand how a venue or restaurant can function without offering several different menu options to choose from. Most of those typical Midwestern dinners happen when I bring my own ingredients, because it's more cost-effective to make things like cutlets or specific sauces ourselves.

I don't know about the situation in Columbus, but surely you can find something more affordable there. If not, maybe take a trip to Facebook... Wait, are you sure none of this is included in the price you mentioned?

Our cost per chair will be $75 at the Navy hotel in Memphis. It's the most expensive place around, but also the nicest (a colleague of mine paid $53 per chair last year at a different venue, and everything was perfect). Our price includes the linens, tablecloths, and runners in whatever color you want (for round tables), cakes, desserts, a dinner where you have plenty of choices, all the spirits available at the restaurant or cafe, coffee for the whole night, and even decorations if you want them (though I won't be getting those from them).
If they offer all of that, I don't understand how other places don't.

rustybadger9 said:Nah, it wasn't "too long" =) we've been doing a ton of research... but we still haven't nailed down an exact total budget... what I'm most curious about is how much food and drinks cost at a venue when you have two dinners and EVERYTHING (food and drink) is provided for 200 people... does anyone know a ballpark figure? Because in my opinion, that's where the bulk of the money goes (besides the band and photographer).

If you go with that classic Midwest dinner style (soup, boiled meat, stuffed cabbage, roast...), it’ll probably end up being more like just some lamb and roast, which is what I've seen at weddings before. It's really up to you. My advice would be to go to the venue and ask the chef exactly how much is needed for a certain number of guests; then you can get a ballpark price. My cousin actually hosted a wedding in that style last year, and everything—including the band and photographer—came out to about 90 $0.00 per person for 400 people, so do the math... (keeping in mind they provided their own chicken and pork)

But if you don't have access to things you produce yourselves, like pork or lamb, or a way to handle the butchering... I don't think it's worth doing a wedding that way. By the time you buy everything, prep it, pay for the processing, and deal with all those other headaches—not to mention the sheer amount of extra work and stress—it ends up costing almost as much as just booking a hall or a restaurant and letting them handle it so you don't have to worry. That option (bringing your own food) really only exists for people who already have most of the supplies at home... That's my advice to all newlyweds.
Put everything on paper and calculate it. Then you'll see...
In my realistic estimation, if you're buying everything, you won't get under 150-$57 per person (including drinks and the dinner I mentioned above). At many venues, that's roughly the price per seat, maybe a little more, but you avoid all the hassle.

As for drinks, you can arrange it with a local brewery to deliver a certain amount, and often you can return whatever isn't consumed without a penalty. Same with wine—maybe from a winery or even better, private producers (there are plenty of them around Napa or Lincoln, so look into it...)

rustybadger9 said:anyone else interested in chipping in with more info? roughly how much does it cost you guys total per guest at a venue where EVERYTHING (food and booze) is included?

That’s a tough one to answer. It really depends on what you're aiming for... Prices fluctuate quite a bit depending on quality and style.
You'll find wedding bands ranging from $500 up to $5,000 or even more. Same goes for photographers and videographers. For catering, your best bet is talking directly to the venue's chefs; they usually have the best handle on what's actually needed per person. Other costs vary too, depending on whether you buy everything or try DIYing things like invitations, favors, or decor...

Honestly, just sit down with your partner first. Figure out your vision and what kind of budget you can realistically manage. Once you have that, you can start making a detailed plan...

My total cost (everything included) will be around $125,000 $0.00. But we're getting almost everything through the venue...

Hannah Bailey6 said:We’re originally from Memphis, but since there isn't a banquet hall over there that can handle 250 guests, we're going to have to head over to VA. I'm not really feeling that place up toward Peter... I don't know why, and I also heard the food isn't exactly great either.

If you end up in VA, maybe check out Baron Trenk's hall (near the outskirts), or Lucy's place over in the suburbs—just so you can compare. All these spots stay booked year-round, which usually means they're solid. They are good, honestly. Personally, I prefer the vibe at the Admiral, but those other places are up to 50% cheaper, so...$20

btw... June 11th is my date at the Admiral too...

Hey, does anyone know who rents out tents around here? Just looking for a small one for my place. If you have a contact or a number, please shoot me a DM.
Thanks in advance

Yeah, you should definitely look into it. I went back last year around October, and even then, the whole 2010 season was already packed... You really ought to book at least a year or eighteen months before you plan to head out. But hey, go check it out yourself; maybe you'll get lucky. We ended up paying $550. I doubt the other one would be much cheaper.

Hannah Bailey6 said:Has anyone actually checked out the new Admiral Exclusive lounge over in Mirkovac yet? Also, how’s the food at the Admiral in general? It looks pretty budget-friendly from what I can tell...

I haven't been to the new lounge yet, but we booked a large ballroom right at the Admiral Hotel.
If you're looking at the Admiral, I'd move fast. We actually put our deposit down last year for an event this year. Their food is incredible—tons of options to mix and match, and everything is prepared perfectly. Not to mention the service and organization; they really are the best in the business. Even though they cost a little more than other spots in Vk and the surrounding area, it's definitely worth it...

Does anyone know a truly talented makeup artist in the Phoenix area? Or maybe someone willing to travel to my place if they're up for it?

I’m genuinely stumped. Honestly, I haven't seen a single bride who actually looked great—at least not at any weddings I've attended lately. It's always one of three things: either the makeup is way too heavy, they look washed out, or there's just far too much glitter...