Everything you need for a Midwest wedding

fadedfalcon8 said:I was literally like 15 feet from that hall on Saturday night, just for a bit though. We were hanging at Baron. Ugh, if I’d seen this post sooner we could've totally linked up. So, how was that salad?

It wasn't terrible, though personally, I can't stand it when they line the tables up in long rows...it meant I could only really hold a conversation with two or three people sitting directly across from me...

On the bright side, the food was absolutely fantastic, I have to give them that...but the music wore me out. I usually love country music and good old Midwest tunes...but they played three straight 45-minute sets of nothing but novelty songs...

I danced during the first set, but after that, I was bored out of my mind...for crying out loud, give us some variety! Or at least break those blocks up into shorter intervals...

Look, I usually can't stand wedding bands—I’m always making fun of how bad they sound—but I gotta admit, I was at a wedding two weeks ago and IBM actually killed it. Honestly, as long as they play the stuff you actually like, who cares about anything else? It's the only thing that matters!! I used to have a huge list of numbers for different bands, but I just moved and tossed everything out.😢

Does anyone happen to know the best way to track down a phone number for someone over at IBM?

I really have to give a huge shout-out to Dana Stewart3 for all her help lately; I honestly don't know how I would have managed without her guidance. On a more exciting note, the Joker band is going to be playing for me soon, and I'm really crossing my fingers that it turns out to be an incredible experience! 👋

Maria Davis2 said:Hey ladies, I could really use some intel on the Baron Trenk Hall over in Warsaw. Has anyone actually been there for a wedding or anything? I’m dying to know if it’s actually any good.
Also, do you think $6.75 is asking way too much for a venue rental—like, is that price tag totally insane just for a crowd of 500 people?

To be perfectly honest, I wasn't particularly impressed with that venue myself. You can find halls with the exact same square footage and identical amenities all over the Midwest—places like a local country club in a nearby suburb, a hotel ballroom in a neighboring town, or even those big banquet centers out near the outskirts of the metro area—so why specifically target that one?

Yeah, I know there are plenty of venues around here, but they all seem to be booked up already. I have a rough timeframe in mind for the band, so I really need to nail down some specific dates. I honestly didn't think getting everything to line up would be such a massive headache.

So, I’m currently on the hunt for a photographer, and honestly, I am having such a massive dilemma. After scrolling through pretty much every photographer based in NYC, I’ve realized they are all ridiculously overpriced for my liking. It actually got me thinking—maybe there are just as many talented photographers out in the Midwest who probably wouldn't charge an arm and a leg? (We actually did the exact same thing with our band; hiring them and paying for the trip to NYC ended up being way cheaper than booking someone local!)

Since my partner is originally from Warsaw, I find myself traveling between NYC and Warsaw 🙂 quite often, so I was wondering if anyone could point me toward some photographers worth looking into? I simply don't have the luxury of time to go hunting through every single portfolio out there.

Just to be clear, I’m not looking for the absolute cheapest option available. I want someone with actual talent and quality work, I just can't justify spending more than $10 $0.00 because that's just not in my budget right now.

Thanks so, so much! 🙂

Since this thread is finally live, I’m jumping in because I’m dealing with the exact same headache: I can't stand anything I see from the local photographers here in NYC.
So, here's the deal:
1) Does anyone actually know an alternative photographer? Someone who isn't stuck in their ways and could capture something spontaneous or even just weird?
2) How do I hire someone for maybe two hours? I don't need them for an entire night or to film some cheesy DVD. Most of the big studios are already booked up anyway, and honestly, why would I drop a fortune on them just to end up with shots I'll hate?

I've got my own photographer if anyone needs one—just shoot me a DM to ask about her work and rates.

Thanx Kirshn, I’ll hang onto the number. But seriously, I’m definitely hitting you up once things actually start moving!!👍

Hey everyone from the Midwest, I could really use some advice here... Does anyone know if there's a place where I can rent out glassware for a wedding party? Like, maybe some wine glasses or coffee cups? I'm looking to accommodate roughly 400 guests...

My little cousin is actually planning to rent out a bunch of tableware this coming Saturday for a big gathering at home—he's expecting somewhere in the neighborhood of 150 people or even more at some local community center or a rural VFW hall. Honestly, if you happen to know anyone affiliated with a major non-profit organization or a large civic association, please do reach out and ask them! I've also heard that hunting lodges often have plenty of supplies on hand, or perhaps you could check with someone working in the restaurant industry to see if they might have a lead on a reliable source.

vividpilot41 said:Hey everyone from the Midwest, I could really use some advice here... Does anyone know if there's a place where I can rent out glassware for a wedding party? Like, maybe some wine glasses or coffee cups? I'm looking to accommodate roughly 400 guests...

Regarding those coffee cups, if I were in your shoes, I’d honestly suggest heading over to the Target aisle and grabbing those sturdy brown plastic ones. You can pick up a pack of 50 for roughly around $4.00 - $5.00. It really isn't a huge expense at all, and they are surprisingly decent quality—in fact, a close friend of mine just used them back on October 6th! Now, I realize that isn't the most eco-friendly way to go about things, but they are just so incredibly practical since you can toss them when you're done, and who knows, maybe they're even recyclable anyway.

Morgan Stewart50 said:Regarding those coffee cups, if I were in your shoes, I’d honestly suggest heading over to the Target aisle and grabbing those sturdy brown plastic ones. You can pick up a pack of 50 for roughly around $4.00 - $5.00. It really isn't a huge expense at all, and they are surprisingly decent quality—in fact, a close friend of mine just used them back on October 6th! Now, I realize that isn't the most eco-friendly way to go about things, but they are just so incredibly practical since you can toss them when you're done, and who knows, maybe they're even recyclable anyway.

Thanks, but my real dilemma is that I really don't want to deal with plastic cups; I'm looking for the real deal, ceramic or glass, and I need enough for 400 people. I'm not entirely sure how things work here in the States, but do you think we could maybe rent them from a local catering company instead? What do you guys think...

We rented our coffee mugs and champagne flutes directly from the restaurant handling our catering, so I imagine you won't run into any issues there.

Chloe Miller2 said:We rented our coffee mugs and champagne flutes directly from the restaurant handling our catering, so I imagine you won't run into any issues there.

Oh, that's such a relief to hear, honestly, that's exactly what I was hoping for... would you mind sharing where you ended up renting the cases and the dishes?

I’ve dropped some shots from our trip along with the location details down in my signature, so if anyone is looking for a photographer or just wants to check out the scenery, definitely shoot me a private message! Honestly, we had such an incredible time, it was absolutely perfect.🙂

My partner and I finally booked a photographer out in Des Moines for our shoot. Honestly, I don't think their rates are bad at all, especially since the photos turn out so unique. If anyone wants more details, just let me know. 👍