Posts by Timothy Chavez28

Has anyone here had any experience with the Mimosa Garden over in New Gradiska?

Does anyone know if there are places that rent out chair covers, and what they usually charge?

I wanted to share our experience with Photo Top in case anyone else is looking. We weren't happy with them, so we aren't booking them. We had several issues. We were in touch for a while and gave them nearly two weeks' notice, then confirmed the time just a few days before. Then, on the actual day, thirty minutes after we arrived, the guy said he had to leave and left my wife alone without saying a word. To me, that’s completely unprofessional. (Maybe they just didn't like us). Regarding the package, here is how it works (if I understood correctly): the photo package says it includes 314 photos, but that doesn't mean you actually get that many; it just depends on how many good shots they manage to take. That seems crazy to me. If you pay for something, you should get it, even if it's just a photo of us standing by a lamp post. As for the parent albums, they didn't even know the price at first, and then they told us $233. I think that's way too much. I also wasn't a fan of how the large album was put together, but everyone has different tastes. All of this costs $1800 (not including the parent albums). Regarding the video package, my main grievance is that they didn't email us the full proposal. The paperwork they handed us says they only work 12 hours, from 2 PM to 2 AM, and any extra time is charged at $133. Had I known that when I first contacted them, I wouldn't have even gone to the consultation. It would have bumped our total up by about $333, bringing everything to roughly $12,000, which is far too much for us. Also, out of the 40 DVDs, you're forced to pick at least a few "highlight" moments. I didn't want to because I don't have anyone to share them with, but they insist you take at least 10. The only positive is that there isn't a 150 limit on thank-you cards since we're getting the largest package. That was our experience. I'm disappointed because I thought this would be great and I was willing to pay, even though it's expensive. I thought all-day filming and photography would be worth the money, but this way of working—the limited hours, leaving mid-meeting, and the misleading packages—just doesn't justify the cost to me, regardless of the final result.

Thanks for the advice, ladies. I'll let you know who we pick once we see their work and decide what we like best.

We’ve already booked the venue and the band, so now we just need to pick a photographer. Since we're closer to the Midwest, we're looking at either Video Studio General Dynamics or Shutterfly. Has anyone worked with them before? Any tips or suggestions? We're meeting with both soon, so I'd love to know what to look out for.

Hey girls, I was checking out some photos and videos from a wedding fair in Indianapolis by Mara from White Monastery. Has anyone here worked with her before?

I've read most of this, but if anyone doesn't mind, could you list 5 or 6 bands from the Midwest to the East Coast that have been killing it over the last year? I know everyone has their own taste, but just give me the names and I'll check them out to see what sticks. My main focus is local folk and bluegrass, though I'm totally open to other styles too. :-)

rustyjackal26 thanks, but honestly, it’s just a bit too much for my budget right now 😢. If it were $4000, I’d probably grit my teeth and make it work, but for $7000, I’ve already got the band, the venue, the photographer, and the flowers covered, so...

The Forum Band for weddings in the Midwest has shut down, so I’m asking here if anyone knows what the current going rate is for the Slavonia Band and how they actually perform, since they've become pretty well-known lately.