17 posts shown.
Help me out here!
Can anyone recommend a killer hairstylist in Indianapolis who actually knows how to do intricate braids?
I found this specific look I want for a wedding, but my usual stylist is totally clueless when it comes to braiding 😢
Thanks
quietcobra52 said:Hey! Just got back from the mall in Arizona and finally scored all my decor for $100 (honestly, the red and white streamers—20 meters of them!, 10 rolls for making those wedding bows, 3 packs of heavy-duty ribbon, 200 balloons, some tiny floral bits for when they pick me up at my tent, 30 meters of twine for the rosemary, and 20 cookie boxes for about a pound each plus some satin ribbons for the tables)... I am seriously obsessed. Plus, at this one balloon shop, they gave me a business card for their site—ladies, you have no idea how stunning their bridal gowns are (I saw them in person at the mall), and they’re only like $60 to $90! If any of you can make it out to the mall, seriously go hunt for dresses there because they're cheap and gorgeous... Oh, and my guy found an amazing black suit for 37 miles (pants and jacket) plus a shirt and tie for just 12 miles. Also, since everything has to be strictly taxed now, a lot of shops are just closing down or having massive clearance sales 😍
I went last year and honestly didn't find anything. Sure, they have boutonnieres, bows, and ribbon... but as far as wedding dresses go, zero points. That's just my take. It’s all kind of tacky and over-the-top. I don't know how it is now, maybe they have more variety 😉 As for the suits, they are definitely cheaper than what we have here in the States 🙂 Hope I didn't offend anyone, just my opinion🤷
Keith Johnson9 said:Yeah, I’d love to know that too. Thanks!
As for my photographer, I’m putting down a deposit with Click today and calling it a day. Honestly, as time goes by, I’ve realized it isn’t even that big of a deal. If the two of us are relaxed and actually meant for each other, the photographer just has to capture that. The photos will be special because of the genuine happiness in our eyes. I know, sounds cheesy, but I’ve reached a point where I don't want to "waste" money on a single day when what matters most is how we spend the rest of our lives together.
Ladies, I am a total sucker for romance. 😁 ☕
I'm with you on that. We said we weren't going to waste money on overpriced photographers either; honestly, it seems pretty stupid since we don't exactly have that kind of cash lying around. I figure a photographer for $1333 can do basically the same thing as someone charging 15-$$6667. If you're photogenic, cute, and happy, you'll look that way in any 🙂 shots. We were super impressed with Click >. I've heard from couples who used them that they don't overdo it—they don't heavily edit everything, so it looks natural and nice. The feedback has been positive 🙂
The only things my guy and I aren't skimping on are the band and the food. Once people are full and the music is good, the party's guaranteed to be wild, and then the photographer will definitely have plenty to shoot 😁
Grace Kern55 said:So, my wedding is finally over, and I figured it was about time I sat down to recap everything for you all 🙂
The Crystal Ballroom (white venue)—honestly, nothing but praise here. The food was incredible, they had our drinks flowing all night long, the servers were on top of everything, and the banquet manager was basically our guardian angel. He handled the timing for dinner, the cake cutting, and kept us looped in on everything else—we didn't have to lift a finger or worry about a single detail, which is huge when you're supposed to be enjoying being newlyweds
Photography—Mary Berry and Jessica Alba—I know people have been talking about them quite a bit lately, but let me tell you, I recommend them 100%. They are so easy to work with and they really know how to make the whole photoshoot feel relaxed and fun rather than stiff, and the actual shots? Absolutely flawless 🙂
Mozaik Florist—the flowers were exactly what we discussed, no surprises there, and they stuck to every single agreement we made. My bouquet was so stunning I actually didn't want to throw it 😁 , and the centerpieces looked gorgeous on the tables. You can check out their work on their Facebook page; they even posted some of our photos one day! We went with this lovely purple and white theme paired with silver candlesticks
Desserts—Cookie Caffe—both the cookies and the cakes were delicious. The wedding cake itself was just beautiful. Plus, they handled the entire delivery to the hall and even packed up the little favor boxes for the guests, so we didn't have to stress about any of that logistics nightmare...
Band—Apocalypse Band from Chicago—you can go look them up under the bands thread 😉
The Dress—Bella Bridal Salon—everything went exactly according to plan. The dress was breathtaking, and the ladies at the shop were absolute lifesavers; they managed to squeeze all my alterations (taking it in and shortening the hem) into a single day because I live way out in Indianapolis and I really didn't want to make two separate trips... you can find them on Facebook too 🙂
If anyone has questions, seriously, just shoot me a DM!!!
Good luck with all your planning!!
I was wondering, how much did you guys end up paying for the cake and the sweets?
Thanks
graniteridge6 said:Since you brought it up, I’ve been wondering—how does the whole "first wear" thing actually work? I haven't even started my bridal search yet, so I'm completely in the dark here.
Can you request that for literally any gown? And more importantly, what kind of a price hike are we talking about on average? For instance, if I happen to track down the perfect dress just a few months before the wedding, I can't quite wrap my head around why a shop would find it profitable to set it aside for a "first wear" rather than just selling it to the next person—I'm really not clued in on the mechanics of the business side of this.
If anyone has some insight, please let me know. 🙂
So, some old lady once mentioned to me that an acquaintance of hers from out in the sticks rented a gown way ahead of time, but she paid a ridiculous amount—something close to $3333. Honestly, though, your best bet is just to walk into a shop and ask. I don't think you can rent everything that way. When I was at Nicholas, I asked about a specific dress and the woman there told me it was already booked for this year and next. Apparently, that style is huge right now, but they basically just return the dresses to their original condition after someone's done with them...
Hey there, fellow wedding crashers 😉
Last Night, some buddy and I were at a wedding, and I ended up hearing this tragic story about a bride renting her dress. It happened at the Isabelle boutique over in Indianapolis. This girl rented her gown like 5 or 6 months ahead of time, only to show up for her final fitting and find out they were handing her some beat-up, yellowed rag. They wouldn't even give her the Caper back, so she basically had to scramble and pick a different dress at the absolute last second. 🙂
Some of these boutiques are seriously something else.
Tyler Fox14 said:I really need to finalize my budget, but does anyone have any insight? Please help; I am completely in the dark regarding how everything typically unfolds.
I guess I'm not really sure what the standard move is. In the few weddings I've been to, they didn't really serve cake to everyone. Usually, the couple just keeps it for themselves or hands out slices to the guests and the best man. My boss even brought leftovers from her wedding cake and sweets into the office tomorrow... In our case, we'll probably just give cookies to the family and guests when they head home, and then the couple will just take the actual cake back with them.
quietcobra52 said:Guys, do I seriously have to chug all that champagne during toasts, or can I just clink glasses and slide the flute back onto the tray?
I rarely drink and alcohol absolutely wrecks me—so I'm thinking... you toast the maid of honor to settle the nerves, then there's the guests, then a sip when you enter the hall, then the family, plus that champagne I actually hate... I'm terrified I'll end up face-down, and what kind of wedding would that be? One tiny drink makes my legs go shaky, so if I have to keep toasting 🤣
Don't sweat it, in all the weddings I've been to, people just take one tiny sip to join the toast. My cousin even drank water because she was pregnant 🙂 Nobody's gonna call you out for it 😉
Daniel Smith8 said:I’d say taking a class is absolutely worth it. 😬
My husband has rhythm and actually enjoys dancing, but it didn't matter much before we took lessons because we couldn't dance together without stumbling around or just flailing aimlessly. We did a short course a few years ago, right before our wedding, and it changed everything. Once we mastered the basic steps, it became much more fun—mostly because we stopped stepping on each other's toes. 😬
Brava, I totally agree. My guy wants to dance when we go out, but most of the time we're just kind of shuffling around. He won't even dance at weddings because he claims he doesn't know how. But the first dance is special, you know? It's something that stays on the video forever, so for his sake, I'd love for him to learn something. He doesn't need to spin me around or anything... just something nice and simple where we aren't tripping over ourselves. 😂
graniteridge6 said:Why not try tackling a bit of that refinement at home first? You know, using those YouTube tutorials that break down the specific steps—just a cozy little DIY project. Maybe wait until the evening when you're finally unwinding; put on some music, set the mood, and just... dance through the motions? It’s practically therapeutic. 😉
I honestly feel like paying for those absolute basics is a complete waste of money—but then again, that’s just my two cents.
Ugh, tell me about it. I’ve tried, but I just can't get him to budge... I thought maybe if he went to a class, he'd realize he's not the only one who's clueless and he'd finally loosen up. But honestly, it's easier to just say you don't know how to dance. > is definitely out of the question—not only is it way too expensive, but I don't even need some fancy choreography. I think we'll get more of a confidence boost from our D&D sessions than from any dance lesson, anyway. We'll probably just catch him at home and make up our own little moves.😍 🙂
I'm with you girls on this. It’s not even about the choreography or trying to make everything look perfect, it’s just that he needs to chill out and actually pick up some basic dance technique... We've been to so many weddings lately and he just sits there because he's too awkward to move without feeling weird. 😢 Honestly, I was thinking about signing him up for a class just so he can loosen up a bit and maybe gain an ounce of confidence. 😉
Not that I’m a huge fan of those stiff newlyweds who dance strictly by the book like they're in a school recital, totally lacking any kind of vibe or spontaneity...
Is anyone actually doing dance lessons before the wedding?? I basically forced my guy to go because there’s no way I’m letting us embarrass ourselves out there. I used to dance back in my D&D days, but yeah, that was a lifetime ago... I checked out Leon Dance School, but man, they're pricey $27 just for an hour or so. A friend of mine ended up paying $600 for a package that included two outings—the first dance and then one at midnight... honestly though, feels like a lot to me. I mean, maybe they could just whip up some choreography for us... I don't know, I'm probably overthinking it 🙂🙂🙂🙂🤷🤷
Elizabeth Adams19 said:What’s their pricing look like and what's included in the package? Any way to check out their portfolio online?!
Just look up Click Photography on Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/foto.click.5?ref=ts&fref=tsThe guy is pretty chill, I guess.🙂
Keith Johnson9 said:Haha, awesome. 🙂
So far, I’ve dealt with Photo Inch from Indianapolis and Photo Click from Savannah. Honestly, I think Photo Inch is worth every cent. The guy genuinely loves his craft, and I get the feeling you’d walk away with way more than what you actually paid for.
Of course, looking back, I did wonder if $4 $0.00 was a bit much. Part of me thought maybe I’d rather spend that on a shopping spree in Italy or just keep it tucked away in my savings for a rainy day. But hey, if everyone else had a great experience with Click or Zoom, why shouldn't I? 🙂 🙂 Crazy.
Personally, I think photographer Click from Savannah is solid. You aren't gonna find anyone cheaper for that quality... They shot a couple of weddings for my coworkers and everyone was stoked, which is why we ended up booking them.
Betty Thompson4 said:$233 Is there a deposit, or what? And how much are their dresses these days? I got mine from them four years ago and was beyond happy with it; their gowns really are one of a kind...
Maybe you just caught them during a bad shift. I went twice in a single year and it was always clean and well-stocked... 🤷
Yeah,$233 it's just a deposit that gets deducted from the dress price later on. My dress ended up being $1667 after the discount, so $333 🙂 which basically means 4000 minus the $233 deposit 🙂
I don't know, I guess I just liked Nicholas the most. Plus, I love that you can still change your mind about the dress over the last week or so, you don't have to commit to the first one you see immediately.
😍
rustyjackal26 said:Just a heads-up: the restrooms are a complete mess. They’re consistently lacking toilet paper and hand towels, too. You might want to have a word with them about keeping things clean and actually staying stocked up...😉
I mean, I don't know, I guess I heard about that from a few people. 😢 They honestly seem great, and you can definitely work things out with them. I actually told my husband today that when we go to settle the details for my thing, we should probably bring up those issues with the restroom... I mean, is it really that bad?🙂
Hey everyone!
Our big day is about 6 months away. I've taken plenty of time to plan this out, so we’re moving slow and steady with the organizing because I really want everything to turn out exactly how we pictured it.
We knew who we wanted for the band right off the bat—Sto Posto Band—and personally, they're awesome. We’ve caught them playing a few weddings before and they’re great 😍. They know their stuff, play whatever you ask, and basically only stop for dinner breaks 😉. The singer has a killer voice, and the female vocalist is pretty solid too 😍. As for the venue, we were hunting through just about every quote out there... Bendek was one option, but when we went to check it out, the waiter was super rude and basically brushed us off when we mentioned our date, kind of like, "What do you want a year in advance?" 🙂 Like, hellooo, most couples book 2-3 months out... It just ticked me off. But they closed down shortly after anyway, so I guess it worked out for the best 😂. In the end, we went with Kopik Restaurant and were blown away by the service and how they run things; you can tell they actually care. Ivanka is lovely and easy to work with on all the details. We'll have around 100 guests, which fits their hall perfectly. Since we're doing a Friday, we got a discount, so dinner will cost us $63 per person, including dessert! The only thing left is the wedding cake; we were thinking about getting it from Babin Greda, but we're still looking. Also, they provide the lighting for $500, and the guy who does it has a Facebook profile, so we can coordinate everything—colors, decor, the whole bit—all within that price. Now for the best part 😉: the dress 😉. I scoured the web for different boutiques and even hit up a bridal expo... Definitely went with Nikolin! The lady there is so sweet and not pushy at all; she actually listens and has patience. I originally just went in to ask about a specific dress I saw on their website; they didn't have it in stock then, but they called me as soon as it arrived. I tried it on and that was it. Love at first sight. I got $233 and $333 off the price, plus I get a bolero or a shawl for the church, hair accessories, a basket for the boutonnieres, and a little dress for the flower girl, plus a ring pillow. So, a huge chunk of stuff is already 😉 sorted. For the photographer, we hired someone from Savannah, Photo Click, $1333 and they seem decent. They also have a Facebook page, and for that price, we get an album, three DVDs with 4 hours of footage, and a thank-you note ranging from 5 to $2.25. We opted for the $2.25 version since we aren't having a massive wedding, so there's no point in overspending. Still need invitations and boutonnieres. We were thinking of Gal Studio—I think they're based in Belišće—they're on Facebook. They're pretty affordable and have a nice selection. Regarding boutonnieres, we're leaning toward badges, which are cheap at Magic Team; they even give a 30% discount for bulk orders.
My godmother is doing my hair (she's a stylist), but I am BEGGING you girls to let me know if you know any good makeup artists. Also, does anyone know where I can go in Indianapolis for that spray tan thing? I'm not allowed to go to tanning salons 😢. And how do you guys feel about spray tans?
Thanks!