Posts by nimbleviper15

Anyone from the Indianapolis area or nearby? I’m looking for a band similar to the Sax Band or Samorski Fakin, if anyone here knows that kind of sound.
I want a group that plays plenty of international tracks along with some local hits—ideally some older classics too. My guests are pretty diverse, so I need that variety; honestly, I just prefer this style over a traditional folk ensemble anyway. If you have any recommendations beyond the two I mentioned, please let me know. I’ve already checked out Babylon, Passage, Quattro Band, The Speen, and Status. A few of them are great, but their rates are a bit steep for me. I’m looking to stay under $1,700 total, including travel, though $1,500 would be the sweet spot.
Best,

redwolf262 said:Hey ladies from the Midwest area,
has anyone here picked up any decor or boutonniere supplies in the local area near Indianapolis?
If you have, where did you find the good stuff? 🙂

Hey, I have a wedding next summer, but when my sister got married, we grabbed everything at Party City in NYC—they actually have locations in Columbus too. They have an online site and they carry pretty much everything you'd need: ribbons, artificial flowers, bunting, table runners, balloons... all that stuff. As for the area around Slavonski Brod, we didn't really find much specific decor there. You could probably find something if you spent the time driving around, but I don't think it's worth the hassle. Prices aren't what they used to be, and honestly, at Party City, you just get it all in one stop.
When is your big day? I'm curious about your take on bands—what kind are you looking for? I've found two that fit the vibe, but I'm still searching for a band for the wedding party. We'll have quite a few international guests, so it's important to me that they play both foreign hits and our local classics, preferably some evergreen tracks. Do you happen to know a good band from the Slavonski Brod area? Just nothing like Tamuraşe.
Best,

Alex Ross32 said:It all comes down to how intense the tanning bed is—you really shouldn't just dive into the high-end stuff right away. It’s way better to start with a low-intensity session once or twice a week, then slowly ramp up the minutes or move to a stronger machine later on. I’d say starting about two months out is the sweet spot—maybe once a week, or eventually twice a week if you want a healthy glow—rather than hitting some turbo-charged bed for two weeks straight and ending up with a total disaster of a tan.

Hey ladies, I see you're looking to get a tan. I don't know how much time you have before the wedding, but here is some advice from a former regular. 😉 You could probably go twice a week, or even three times, depending on your schedule and the look you're after. Personally, I found the best results came from combining it with actual sunlight. If you want to speed things up, you might try drinking fresh carrot juice starting now—maybe twice a day. You can mix it with oranges, apples, or lemon; you definitely need some lemon for the Vitamin C, since that helps the body process all those vitamins and minerals. I think you'll get better, more even results by using lower settings for longer and slowly increasing the strength. If you jump straight to the highest intensity, you might just burn, end up with an ugly tone, extra moles, or prematurely aged skin. It’s probably wise to use lotions both before and after. Also, don't shower for at least an hour after a session. Good luck.😉
You'll look great, just try not to overdo it. 😉

Angela Bennett7 said:I’ve managed to track down almost everything on my list. But the most critical item? The wedding dress. I am completely stuck.
Not a single gown has made me stop and say, "This is the one." I’m seriously considering just buying one outright. It will probably end up being cheaper than renting anyway, though I suppose I won't have that designer label attached to it.

Hey yvonne,
I knew from the start I’d be sewing my own gown. I never even considered renting something I’d already seen on someone else; I’d rather have my own. Besides, those rental dresses are way overpriced. Most of them aren't even real silk—they haven't seen any, for that matter—and honestly, most boutiques just toss them in a regular washing machine instead of using a professional dry cleaner. It seems like a waste of money to me, but I guess everyone has their own logic and preferences.
As for finding "the one," I spent a lot of time browsing bridal houses online for inspiration, even though I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted. Since I work in design, defining my style isn't too hard.
My goal is to have a dress I can actually keep, or maybe have it tailored down later so I have another formal dress for other occasions. Either way, I'm making it myself so I can wear it again, maybe 😉 when my husband and I decide to renew our vows in ten or twenty years.
Don't feel pressured by the boutique staff. Go ahead and try things on, even if they try to push a specific look on you. You just need to define your style first to make sure it fits the vibe of the wedding.
For instance, we're having our wedding at a private vineyard, and I can't imagine wearing something tacky, like a massive ballgown or something overly sugary. I prefer simpler designs where the focus is on high-quality, striking fabric and patterns rather than just the cut, if you know what I mean. 😉

James Lopez8 said:Does anyone happen to know where I might be able to pick up some of those little Midwest-style bottle caps for soda bottles? I'm looking for something similar to this:
http://img844.imageshack.us/img844/7...1046431359.jpg

Everywhere I've checked, the price per unit is about $3.25 which feels like it might be a bit excessive, don't you think?

Look, if it's too expensive, maybe just make them yourself. I've made some for my sister's wedding party and a friend of my mom's. It depends on how many you need, $3.25 but it's actually quite a bit of work since they're crocheted. They take time.
If you don't care about them being crocheted, though, just buy some black felt and cut out the shapes. That’s relatively quick. Of course, it depends on your patience—some people just don't have the temperament for it, so it might take forever. :-)
Personally, I didn't offer to do it for anyone else because I'm a bit too much of a perfectionist and notice every little flaw (just a professional hazard 🙂).
You'll need to cut out two hat shapes, but one needs to be taller so you can glue it onto the cork stopper. You'll also need a strip for the circumference of the cap and a small circle for the top.
It'll end up being very inexpensive. A piece of felt roughly 20x30cm costs about $3.25, and you can even find cheaper options by the yard. Just make sure you don't get anything too thin.
You should find some decent felt at a Michael's. Hope that helps,
Best,

Liddy, I saw that on The Knot, but it didn't click right away. I went straight to testing it out with some paper I had lying around the house. It’s a bit thicker than what the tutorial calls for, but it actually turned out pretty cool. I used that heavy gift wrap you find at Barnes & Noble, and I stuck with six layers too. I grabbed a piece that was a little too long, though, so spreading it out to the center is a bit of a struggle. I'll probably fix that next time. ;-)
I'm glad you shared your work with us. I think I might try this decor for my own wedding down the road.

Best, and to all the ladies, I wish you nothing but the best in 2013—especially those of you getting ready for one of the biggest and most beautiful days of your lives!

cosmicviper7, those decorations are great. Any chance you could drop a link to the tutorial? They look awesome—simple, yet really decorative. ;-)

Thanks a lot for the replies.
Now I have a question about desserts. Does anyone know a bakery that does ice cream cakes? Also, how much dessert should I get for 120 people?
Some people say 10 ounces per person, while others suggest closer to 15, which is quite a gap. And I definitely don't want those store-bought ones—I call them the "margarine cakes."
I have the chance to bring our own homemade treats, so I need to estimate the amount. My biggest pet peeve is having leftovers after the wedding that get eaten for weeks, passed around, or just thrown away. I really hate food waste; some people struggle to eat every day, yet we lose our heads over this one single day 🙂, so I want to be careful with the math. I want to make sure there isn't too much left over, though I will still be giving out small boxes of sweets as favors.
Any experiences to share?

Anyone have any experience with fireworks at a wedding?

darkowl74 said:Good afternoon, Midwest residents,
I have a question. I am traveling from Appalachia, where there isn't any particular issue with holding a wedding on a weekday. However, my partner is from the Midwest, and I hear it is much more common here to schedule everything for a Friday or Saturday. Is that truly the case? Since most of our wedding guests are coming from outside the US, we should probably try to coordinate the ceremony with a holiday. What are your thoughts on scheduling it for Easter Tuesday?

Regarding weddings, I guess it's mostly down to what you agree on, but weekends are usually preferred. It's just easier for most guests to manage with vacations and time off. As for Easter Tuesday—if I recall correctly—I think weddings aren't held in the Catholic Church during the period leading up to or around Easter. You should probably check that with the priest. 😉 If it's important to you to be near a holiday, maybe aim for around the 1st or 5th. That would fall on a Wednesday next year; if the wedding is in 2014, it would be a Friday. Either way, most people could probably combine it with some vacation time. 😉

Kimberly Alvarez8 said:Morning 🙂 hey girls—how much did you end up paying for those cookie boxes? I mean the ones sitting on the table meant for taking treats home... Anyone happen to know who manufactures those plastic ones?

Hey Kimberly Alvarez8, where are you located?
If you're near the Indianapolis area, you can find those containers at BrodPlast. I think they cost about $0.67 per piece, though it depends on the size. I believe that's roughly what you'd pay for the smaller ones.

Hey everyone,
I have a question about shopping in St. Louis. Since I went to school in New York City, I know exactly where to go for wedding supplies—things like invitations, thank-you notes, or even those little cardboard dessert boxes—but I’m feeling pretty lost here in St. Louis. I'm not sure what kind of shops carry this stuff or even what they're called around here. Any advice on where to shop, besides Good Partner?
Thanks in advance. ;-)

Still waiting to hear back from Vagabundo over in Katy.

Maybe there are other players involved?

Hey, I was actually at a wedding recently where Vagabundo played. I have nothing but praise, really—they were solid, and the singer has a great voice. My only gripe (which seems to be a thing with most bands 🙂) is that the music was just too loud. Everything was way too loud; she’s shouting, everyone else is shouting... it's just a lot. 😕
It bothers me quite a bit, personally. She's got talent, though; she'd probably sound even better if she didn't have to yell so much. 😁

I was hoping I wouldn't get redirected to a phone call 😁 but I guess it doesn't matter if I don't have my phone handy; makes the whole point of an email contact feel a bit moot, doesn't it?
Thanks for the help, ladies :*

A question for all the seasoned brides and those currently planning their big day!
Is it actually normal to be waiting over two weeks just to hear back from bands and photographers???
I don't get it. I sent emails to about ten different vendors and have only received four replies. wtf??? Well, I guess one person tried to comfort me by saying she waited an entire month :-)

Thomas Brooks2 said:If you want a truly great time, AC/DC is the real deal.🙂

The issue is Vigor doesn't have a website or anything. I can't find them anywhere to listen.🤷

Maybe I'll just ask everyone active here for some quick info on Chicago? They were my favorites from the start, long before people on this forum started trying to convince me that The Beatles, Victor, or Jim Morrison were better (though I might pass on the latter three, mostly due to the cost).
I've reached out to a few different people, but so far, I've only heard back from Jim Morrison, The Beatles (who still needs to send over their repertoire), and Babylon. I'm still waiting on Chicago, but no word yet.
Does anyone above happen to know what their pricing looks like roughly? And what does their package include—does it come with lighting or is that extra?

LP

Does anyone know what AC/DC is actually like? I noticed they don't even have their own website anymore—you can only find them listed as a group on Facebook, which isn't very helpful. I have no idea what their setlist looks like or what they charge.
I reached out to The Beatles too, but their quote came through in some weird code, so I asked them to just write it out clearly. 😁

Anyway, has anyone here worked with The Doors before? I’m still waiting to hear back from Chicago. So far, only The Beatles and Babylon have replied (Babylon quoted $1,500).
I think The Beatles are running a promotion through mid-October where you can get 20% off the standard rate if you book a certain amount. Once I get a clear answer from them, I'll pass it along in case anyone wants to book them, though the fluctuating exchange rates make me hesitate.

Best,

Matthew Brown76, congrats!
Really happy you're doing an outdoor wedding. Always been a dream of mine—nice tent, cozy vibe, plenty of greenery, food exactly how I like it, a band on a stage lit by torches. Honestly, if I had a bigger yard and my guy didn't live up on a hill, I wouldn't even be hesitating ;-) Enjoy yourselves!!! 😍

Kimberly Alvarez8 said:Hey... anyone here actually dealt with an outdoor church wedding before?
Is that even allowed—like, legally speaking? I heard a rumor that priests can pull it off if there are enough religious symbols present, like a cross or something...
We’re thinking about doing our big day outdoors, but so far we've only seen civil ceremonies held outside, so I have no clue what the actual practice is like. 😉

Hey Silva, regarding the Church rules, you've probably heard correctly🙄—meaning the Church generally believes baptisms and weddings should happen strictly inside a church building 🙂, usually within the bride's home parish, though exceptions exist depending entirely on the agreement between the couple and the priest. It really comes down to how willing they are to allow a different location or a different parish (which would require permission from your own priest as well).
Ultimately, it's just a matter of negotiating with the priest and seeing how open he is to alternative settings. I suppose it depends on your relationship with him and what kind of person he is.🤷
The biggest headache is probably the registration part—basically, deciding which parish officially records the marriage.
For instance, I plan to talk to my local priest and explain that my fiancé and I have decided this is what we want—an outdoor ceremony surrounded by nature. If the option is available, I’d like his blessing. My Uncle's a priest, so they know each other; he’s already married my brother and sister, so there isn't much of an issue there since it's sort of a family tradition.
My Uncle's uncle—my grandfather's brother—baptized and married all his nieces and nephews, and now his nephew (my uncle) is carrying on that tradition.
All I’d ask of him is that I register the marriage at my own parish. That means I'll pay all the fees and handle the paperwork through him rather than the priest where the ceremony actually takes place. We're looking at a lovely vineyard and resort out in the Midwest that offers vineyard weddings as part of their packages. That's exactly what we want. The setting and the scenery are perfect. If he won't agree to it, then I simply won't have a church wedding, and honestly, he and my family can just deal with that. I don't think these kinds of hurdles should even exist; Church attendance is declining everywhere, and they brought that on themselves, so they should face the consequences.
That's just my take, though. To each their own.☕

I hope you manage to pull off that kind of ceremony. Personally, I think it's something truly special. When it comes to God, He created nature, living things, and life itself, not institutions.😉