#221 ·
Midwest ladies, can I get some help? Where are you guys getting invitations or thank-you cards made? And what kind of prices are we looking at?
Everything you need for a Midwest wedding
Started by Brian Reed74 · · 👁 27 views · 6K replies
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#222 ·
I’ve honestly only ever heard glowing reviews about the local print shop over in Des Moines. My friends from out of state always order their stuff there—they do such a great job with custom invitations. Check out invitations.org
Aurora OS from this forum also handles invitation printing, so feel free to shoot her a PM.
Aurora OS from this forum also handles invitation printing, so feel free to shoot her a PM.
#223 ·
Thanks for all the hard work, ladies, but I’ve already put a deposit down on someone from Washington, D.C. I honestly didn't have the luxury of sitting on my hands and waiting any longer—it felt like every other guy had already been booked up for July 19, 2008! But hey, hopefully this info helps the rest of you out. 👍
#224 ·
Thanks a lot! I'm going to go take a look. I suppose I could try making it myself, though I'm not entirely sure about my creative side.😕
#225 ·
feralbison92 said:Midwest ladies, can I get some help? Where are you guys getting invitations or thank-you cards made? And what kind of prices are we looking at?
We're actually planning on getting all our invitations and thank-you notes printed at IBM Print over in Jackson... the owner is great because he can custom-make whatever you're dreaming up, though he does have some pre-made designs ready to go too. I don't know the exact costs, but everything seemed pretty reasonable when we looked...
#226 ·
I actually used Sun Pictures over in Memphis for my shots, and they were fantastic. I’m really happy with how everything turned out... the editing on the video was seamless. Just great work. 👍
Plus, their rates are pretty reasonable too! 🙂
Plus, their rates are pretty reasonable too! 🙂
#227 ·
Hey, I'm trying to get a sense of what photographers are actually charging in Indianapolis these days. We’ve already secured the venue and the band, so now we're hunting for a photographer. We've heard some buzz about Annie Leibovitz and some guy who shoots by the inch—has anyone here actually worked with them? Any leads or advice would be appreciated.
#228 ·
They’re decent, I suppose, but nothing more, in my opinion. The photos are nice enough and technically fine, but I’ve definitely seen better work out there. To me, they just lack that extra spark of creativity.
I actually attended a wedding where Annie Leibovitz was shooting, and honestly, the conditions were a nightmare because the crowd was just massive. But instead of focusing on the newlyweds heading to the dance floor with the best group of people at the party, the photographer—doing the same thing for the millionth time—just kept filming the same guests dancing. He didn't even turn his attention to the couple until ten minutes later, by which point they had already passed him by. And I even heard a rumor that he doesn't give you all the shots on the disc because he considers them part of his own artistic portfolio. Look, I really don't like speaking negatively about anyone, but we wanted something specific, so we paid maybe $333 more for a different option, and in the end, we were left feeling incredibly disappointed.
I would definitely suggest doing some digging. Go meet them, look over their portfolio, and see if their style actually resonates with what you're looking for.
I actually attended a wedding where Annie Leibovitz was shooting, and honestly, the conditions were a nightmare because the crowd was just massive. But instead of focusing on the newlyweds heading to the dance floor with the best group of people at the party, the photographer—doing the same thing for the millionth time—just kept filming the same guests dancing. He didn't even turn his attention to the couple until ten minutes later, by which point they had already passed him by. And I even heard a rumor that he doesn't give you all the shots on the disc because he considers them part of his own artistic portfolio. Look, I really don't like speaking negatively about anyone, but we wanted something specific, so we paid maybe $333 more for a different option, and in the end, we were left feeling incredibly disappointed.
I would definitely suggest doing some digging. Go meet them, look over their portfolio, and see if their style actually resonates with what you're looking for.
#229 ·
Our Big Day is coming up on September 13, 2008, over at the Mayo Clinic in Sioux Falls.
We've got "The Musicians" lined up to play.
I know firsthand that these guys are absolutely fantastic... they actually just finished a three-weekend stretch playing weddings for some friends of mine, and they were incredible. Seriously, everyone was out on the floor dancing.
Has anyone here had experience with them, or maybe spent some time at the Mayo Clinic venue before?
We've got "The Musicians" lined up to play.
I know firsthand that these guys are absolutely fantastic... they actually just finished a three-weekend stretch playing weddings for some friends of mine, and they were incredible. Seriously, everyone was out on the floor dancing.
Has anyone here had experience with them, or maybe spent some time at the Mayo Clinic venue before?
#230 ·
Douglas James9 said:Hey everyone! I'm looking for a little musical backup—maybe a small folk band—to join us on a bus trip from Chicago to Los Angeles. We're thinking about 3 or 4 people total. Does anyone know someone, or maybe know a friend of a friend who knows some musicians from the Midwest? 😁 Just wondering what kind of rates we should expect be looking at?
Thanks so much, ladies!
I would highly recommend the TS Naša Grana group out of Phoenix; they played at my cousin's place about two years ago for roughly $850. If I recall correctly, there are five of them, and they've been performing at the Golden Wire events for quite a while now, playing both traditional folk and upbeat party music.
#231 ·
I honestly just want a photographer who can capture the absolute essentials; I'm not even sure if I’d bother looking for a videographer at all. How does the billing actually work—is it based on an hourly rate, the total number of shots delivered, or some other metric? I just don't want to end up paying the same premium as everyone else when I barely get any coverage, especially if they could have been shooting another wedding elsewhere during that time...
#232 ·
Robin Myers said:I honestly just want a photographer who can capture the absolute essentials; I'm not even sure if I’d bother looking for a videographer at all. How does the billing actually work—is it based on an hourly rate, the total number of shots delivered, or some other metric? I just don't want to end up paying the same premium as everyone else when I barely get any coverage, especially if they could have been shooting another wedding elsewhere during that time...
The thing is, finding a true professional who actually knows their stuff without completely breaking the bank is incredibly tough. Because if they can make, say, $2000 on a typical Saturday, why would they settle for $3,000 with you? I know for a fact my photographer worked that way with us, though, because we had our big day on a Friday, so he didn't have another wedding lined up where he could pull off the full package.
#233 ·
I’m trying to plan a wedding that doesn't instantly turn my hair gray from pure stress... if I try to go all out and afford everything the majority of you seem to manage—which frankly, is way out of my budget—I’ll be waiting a whole year just to actually tie the knot, and that’s the last thing I want...
On that note, what should my move be? Should I start hunting for a freelance journalist or maybe a photographer, or...
On that note, what should my move be? Should I start hunting for a freelance journalist or maybe a photographer, or...
#234 ·
I feel like this might be a bit out of left field, but I really wanted to mention that when it comes to the big stuff—like your photographer, the band, and the catering—it’s much better to go $333 a little overboard than to cut corners. If those core elements fall flat, it genuinely impacts the entire wedding and the guests' mood far more than having fancy invitations, designer earrings, or choosing ten flowers instead of five.
#235 ·
I think you're making some valid points. I have to admit, I'm pretty out of the loop and don't have much experience with this subject matter...
#236 ·
Oh, please don't stress yourself out—that's exactly why we're all here to help. Honestly, we were all feeling pretty lost when we first started out, too. If there's anything at all you need, just ask 😘
#237 ·
Robin Myers said:I’m trying to plan a wedding that doesn't instantly turn my hair gray from pure stress... if I try to go all out and afford everything the majority of you seem to manage—which frankly, is way out of my budget—I’ll be waiting a whole year just to actually tie the knot, and that’s the last thing I want...
On that note, what should my move be? Should I start hunting for a freelance journalist or maybe a photographer, or...
I totally get where you're coming from! Look, I believe price can reflect quality, and I'll always respect someone who does good work, but you really need to vet people and pick a photographer based on actual recommendations. Some of the girls on this forum have absolutely stunning shots 😍 .
The top-tier, ultra-pro photographers want a massive paycheck (like, $10,000 easy). Their photos are gorgeous—honestly, I could stare at them on this forum all day even if they aren't mine 😁—but here’s my take: My boyfriend and I have been together for 10 years. We’ve grown up together and been through hell and back. Why on earth should one single day be treated like the center of the universe, especially if it means taking out a massive loan just to pay for it?! That would be peak American stupidity to me.
I *could* drop more cash, but I won't 😛 . I value creativity more than anything, and it literally makes my skin crawl when I walk through downtown and see those tacky, cookie-cutter, mindless, boring, overpriced photos in shop windows. I want something different. I know I'll find it, because there are plenty of people out there who do photography semi-professionally and shoot weddings on the side.
Thanks to all the ladies who sent me their stories and contacts via DM. I'll definitely be using them!
#238 ·
Hey everyone... I totally agree about Sun Pictures, they're great, and if anyone wants to see some of my own work, just shoot me an email and I'll send it over... actually, they did some shots for me too. The guy working there is awesome at catching those spontaneous, candid moments just like you were looking for, plus he uses a really high-end camera, so you can always do some extra editing on the photos later if you want!
#239 ·
We’ve officially locked in our wedding party at the Admiral—they are hands down the best in the business. The dress is already booked over at Nikolin (I actually snagged 200 invitations as part of the deal, plus there's a 10% discount if you book by November, and they let you change your mind about the gown later on). We've got a Sax player lined up for the music, and we went with Boto from Ivankov for photography—though I'm actually curious if anyone knows what his rates look like? We only booked him just to make sure we didn't lose the date, so we haven't sat down to talk numbers yet, but I've heard he can be pretty pricey... I haven't settled on flowers yet, but I have a feeling that Jaka from Ivankov would be a fantastic choice.......
#240 ·
Robin Myers said:I’m trying to plan a wedding that doesn't instantly turn my hair gray from pure stress... if I try to go all out and afford everything the majority of you seem to manage—which frankly, is way out of my budget—I’ll be waiting a whole year just to actually tie the knot, and that’s the last thing I want...
On that note, what should my move be? Should I start hunting for a freelance journalist or maybe a photographer, or...
Look, I’m not sure how much this helps since "expensive" is a pretty subjective term. I live in Beli Manastir, and we used Photo Mara—we were extremely happy with them! (I think I mentioned this before; check my signature for some pro and amateur shots.)
Basically, his rates depend on the guest count. We had 170 guests and paid $1500—for that, we got three DVD sets totaling 4.5 hours of footage, 350 photos of our choice (which you can also use for thank-you cards), and they put together albums for us for free—something we definitely couldn't have designed ourselves.
It's a married couple running the show, so you can negotiate everything with them, and they truly respect what the couple wants.
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