Everything you need for a Midwest wedding

Has anyone here actually used Chic in Indianapolis for hair and makeup? I feel way more comfortable booking everything with them in one go. It's just safer than risking a makeup artist not showing up on my wedding day—which, apparently, happens more often than you'd think...

Taylor Kelly2 said:I heard that Helen is heading back home—apparently, a colleague of mine who’s four months pregnant already booked her... based on what she told me, the price isn't actually that steep, nor is it excessive considering she has to drive about 45 minutes to get to us anyway... 😉
I don't have her number handy, but you should be able to find her on Facebook.. 😉

Please, just ask your colleague for the number. If she doesn't have it, send me the link to her profile. I think her last name is Marjanovic, but searching that brings up at least ten different people. I'd rather not play guessing games. 🙂 ...

Michelle Taylor said:Please, just ask your colleague for the number. If she doesn't have it, send me the link to her profile. I think her last name is Marjanovic, but searching that brings up at least ten different people. I'd rather not play guessing games. 🙂 ...

I'm in the same boat. Send over her number or her profile. 😉

Here is one girl http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/...00002835130193
—and there’s actually someone over in Indianapolis who is also heading your way http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/...00002029118814
. I haven't quite found anyone for myself yet... though, if I'm being honest, the idea of calling someone who lives roughly 25 miles.. 🤷 miles away is a bit daunting
. I was browsing some forums and read that some of these women don't even bother showing up... please, do your due diligence and check them out first!
I tend to stay pretty neutral and don't offer recommendations to anyone, mostly because I haven't had the chance to see her work in person...

Thanks, little butterfly. Jane already sent me her number, so I’ll look into it. Honestly, calling someone from so far away feels a bit daunting. 🤷The idea of them just being a no-show is what really unnerves me. 😲

Now, a quick question for the group: while browsing through some wedding halls in Indianapolis, I stumbled upon the zoo hotel and completely fell in love with their ballroom. It’s stunning, plus it has this view of the Mississippi 😍 (I have a massive soft spot for water and wildlife) and the zoo. ''The space exudes modern luxury, subtle details, and an incomparable elegance''—that description totally sold me. 😍 So, I'm looking for intel. If anyone has any firsthand experience with this place, I’d really appreciate the insight.

Tyler Campbell59 said:Thanks, little butterfly. Jane already sent me her number, so I’ll look into it. Honestly, calling someone from so far away feels a bit daunting. 🤷The idea of them just being a no-show is what really unnerves me. 😲

Now, a quick question for the group: while browsing through some wedding halls in Indianapolis, I stumbled upon the zoo hotel and completely fell in love with their ballroom. It’s stunning, plus it has this view of the Mississippi 😍 (I have a massive soft spot for water and wildlife) and the zoo. ''The space exudes modern luxury, subtle details, and an incomparable elegance''—that description totally sold me. 😍 So, I'm looking for intel. If anyone has any firsthand experience with this place, I’d really appreciate the insight.

Just a heads up, a local news site in Indianapolis reported a few days ago that the zoo hotel is shutting down. Apparently, they're going to finish the weddings they already have on the books, and then it's lights out.

Just wanted to jump in here too... we’ve already got our venue booked, the band, the photographer, and the dress sorted. I'm actually doing quite a bit of the DIY work myself right now—currently hand-painting some bottles for the centerpieces. We picked up a lot of things during our trip to Canada and we're planning to head back there for more 🙂. We're trying to save wherever possible since we're paying for everything ourselves. Honestly, I can already feel the nerves starting to kick in... the big day is approaching way faster than I expected

Tyler Campbell59 said:Thanks, little butterfly. Jane already sent me her number, so I’ll look into it. Honestly, calling someone from so far away feels a bit daunting. 🤷The idea of them just being a no-show is what really unnerves me. 😲

Now, a quick question for the group: while browsing through some wedding halls in Indianapolis, I stumbled upon the zoo hotel and completely fell in love with their ballroom. It’s stunning, plus it has this view of the Mississippi 😍 (I have a massive soft spot for water and wildlife) and the zoo. ''The space exudes modern luxury, subtle details, and an incomparable elegance''—that description totally sold me. 😍 So, I'm looking for intel. If anyone has any firsthand experience with this place, I’d really appreciate the insight.

The zoo hotel is closed, so I'm not sure what will happen with weddings that were already booked, but the hall itself is gorgeous...
Have you thought about checking out the Hotel Indianapolis? I think they were at the fair recently, and if I remember correctly, it was around $93
per person for an all-inclusive package... at least, that's my impression.
It really depends on your guest count... I've toured quite a few venues, so if you want more info, just ask!😉

So, here I am, just crashing the party again like I landed from Mars 🙂... I happened to stumble upon some work by this photographer, Marina Franov, out of Indianapolis... and honestly, I actually dig his style 😁... so I was wondering if anyone here has worked with him? Like, good or bad experiences??? What about his rates?? Anything at all would be helpful

Joshua Brown2 and GričkaV thanks, ladies. 😉 Honestly, I’m bummed because I really loved that look 😢—exactly my style. I think the hotel Indianapolis is a bit out of my price range, though I am wondering if they allow outside catering. If they do, the math might actually work for me. One thing that's tripping me up, though, is this "Winter Harbor" mentioned at the hotel Indianapolis. Is that just the name of the ballroom, or is it some specific venue where you can host the reception? 🤷

northernhound39 you’re certainly creative 😍, aren't you? What was the main goal for your trip to Canada—just scouting decor, or was there more to it?

Paul Fisher34 said:So, here I am, just crashing the party again like I landed from Mars 🙂... I happened to stumble upon some work by this photographer, Marina Franov, out of Indianapolis... and honestly, I actually dig his style 😁... so I was wondering if anyone here has worked with him? Like, good or bad experiences??? What about his rates?? Anything at all would be helpful

We ended up choosing him; everything from the quality of the shots to the price hit the sweet spot for us. For both photo and video, it was $2000. You can find him on Facebook or through his website.
http://www.svatovi.biz/#/ONAMA/
Plus, he’s actually hosting an exhibition at a local cafe tonight. We should probably head over; the guy is a total character, and his work definitely reflects that energy. 😁It works for us.🙂

Taylor Kelly2 said:Here is one girl http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/...00002835130193
—and there’s actually someone over in Indianapolis who is also heading your way http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/...00002029118814
. I haven't quite found anyone for myself yet... though, if I'm being honest, the idea of calling someone who lives roughly 25 miles.. 🤷 miles away is a bit daunting
. I was browsing some forums and read that some of these women don't even bother showing up... please, do your due diligence and check them out first!
I tend to stay pretty neutral and don't offer recommendations to anyone, mostly because I haven't had the chance to see her work in person...

I reached out to both of them, so now I'm just waiting. You're worried about 25 miles, but what am I supposed to say50 miles? 😕 I mean, I have no clue where Victoria is from, though I heard Jane is based in Indy. If nothing works out, I'll just invest in some decent foundation and blush—those are my essentials anyway, and I already know which mascara I'm using. If they don't show, I'll just ask a friend to fix me up; she's good at it, so she can touch me up after the wedding or whenever needed during the night🙂... We'll see how it goes... 🙂

Tyler Campbell59 said:Joshua Brown2 and GričkaV thanks, ladies. 😉 Honestly, I’m bummed because I really loved that look 😢—exactly my style. I think the hotel Indianapolis is a bit out of my price range, though I am wondering if they allow outside catering. If they do, the math might actually work for me. One thing that's tripping me up, though, is this "Winter Harbor" mentioned at the hotel Indianapolis. Is that just the name of the ballroom, or is it some specific venue where you can host the reception? 🤷

northernhound39 you’re certainly creative 😍, aren't you? What was the main goal for your trip to Canada—just scouting decor, or was there more to it?

Please tell me what you picked up in Canada and where. I’m lost. I’m there almost every day because I’m getting married there. Maybe it's because I'm there so often that everything feels empty. 😁 I'm planning on DIY-ing a massive amount of this myself. I'll even be crocheting little butterfly hats for the bottles I want to label. Where did you get those bottles? (I'm assuming they're Schweppes)

Michelle Taylor, I think I read somewhere that you can pick them up at a pretty good price over at Bijelić🙂

Tyler Campbell59 said:Joshua Brown2 and GričkaV thanks, ladies. 😉 Honestly, I’m bummed because I really loved that look 😢—exactly my style. I think the hotel Indianapolis is a bit out of my price range, though I am wondering if they allow outside catering. If they do, the math might actually work for me. One thing that's tripping me up, though, is this "Winter Harbor" mentioned at the hotel Indianapolis. Is that just the name of the ballroom, or is it some specific venue where you can host the reception? 🤷

northernhound39 you’re certainly creative 😍, aren't you? What was the main goal for your trip to Canada—just scouting decor, or was there more to it?

Mostly decor, though we did look at rings while we were there, but decided against it... We also checked out some suits, and I think we might end up getting them there since the quality compared quite well to what they offer in Indianapolis...

Michelle Taylor said:Please tell me what you picked up in Canada and where. I’m lost. I’m there almost every day because I’m getting married there. Maybe it's because I'm there so often that everything feels empty. 😁 I'm planning on DIY-ing a massive amount of this myself. I'll even be crocheting little butterfly hats for the bottles I want to label. Where did you get those bottles? (I'm assuming they're Schweppes)

I managed to crochet some little hats for the bottles too... 😉 They're actually great. My brother-in-law works for a Local Co-op, so he picked up some empty bottles from the restaurants he delivers to—they’re those Orangina ones... We checked out rings while we were in the District of Columbia and found some really good deals; you can even order them online just like we do here. Everything else we're picking up along the Corridor in Arizona, including the decorations, the suit, and all the serving platters...

northernhound39 said:Mostly decor, though we did look at rings while we were there, but decided against it... We also checked out some suits, and I think we might end up getting them there since the quality compared quite well to what they offer in Indianapolis...

What made you change your mind about the rings? I’ve heard the prices are much lower than they are here, and the selection seems quite decent.
As for the suits, you really can't go wrong. For less than $333, you can pick up a fantastic full outfit including shoes, a shirt, a belt, and a tie.

Bryan Rodriguez77 said:What made you change your mind about the rings? I’ve heard the prices are much lower than they are here, and the selection seems quite decent.
As for the suits, you really can't go wrong. For less than $333, you can pick up a fantastic full outfit including shoes, a shirt, a belt, and a tie.

Yeah, that’s what I thought... Not sure if you guys visited the new mall in Small Town, USA, but there's a jeweler there that does custom work. They used to have a standalone shop too, but it's easier to just find them in the mall than me trying to list every single store in the center. I was happy with the one I found; price wasn't significantly lower, but the quality was fine. Anyway, once mine are ready, I'll show you. 🙂 And the suit thing is true. My boyfriend bought one last summer for my brother's wedding. Shirt, tie, suit, shoes—all for $267. Might as well include underwear at that rate. 😁 ..

Does anyone know which specific warehouse in Arizona carries those items? Also, looking for a place with a decent selection of napkins—not too thin, not overpriced. I know, I'm being picky.
One more thing... If you need a wedding dress, check out the boutiques in Small Town, USA. You can even find Maggie Sottero for $1000. I got mine for $800 because the owner knows my future mother-in-law. 🙂 ...

In Hall 14 or maybe 15—I can't quite remember which one—you'll find the best prices and the widest selection. That's actually where we picked up our suits! We ended up passing on the rings, though. We were worried about the hassle of having to drive back if we ordered them online since we won't be living nearby, and we really need $50 for the move... so we decided against it, though we might still grab something if the selection looks good!

We’ve heard suggestions from every direction regarding rings, just like we have for wedding dresses and suits. Personally, though, the distance makes choosing a dress a bit of a headache due to all the necessary alterations and fittings—so I’d probably pass, even if they are stunning and incredibly affordable.
As for the menswear and decor items (like table runners, lapels, bowties, napkins, etc.), you really can't go wrong. They are significantly more budget-friendly here in the States than what we find locally.