Everything you need for a Midwest wedding

Hey everyone, does anyone happen to have a clue how much rings usually go for at a jeweler like Tiffany & Co.? I’m trying to figure out if it’s even possible to find a nice white gold ring somewhere in Chicago for around $2,000-$833? I actually swung by Tiffany & Co. yesterday—my partner bought me this absolutely stunning white gold engagement ring there, so we figured we might just get our wedding bands from them too—but honestly, the prices are just astronomical!👎 The cheapest ones they had were sitting right around $1000, and they weren't even anything special. But the ones I actually liked? They were closer to $2667???😠 I mean, seriously...
If you guys have any suggestions, please let me know: where should I look and what kind of budget am I looking at?🙂

Arthur Ramirez4, I don't know their exact price list off the top of my head, but they have some absolutely stunning rings with that classic, vintage charm. If you head over toward the Turbo Lima shop—you know, that little spot near Super—there’s that tiny jewelry boutique tucked away in the walkway. I honestly don't think they're outrageously expensive, either. Maybe you could try describing the specific style of ring you're dreaming about to them? That way, they might be able to custom-make something special for you right around the $833 mark. I guess that's probably the best way to ensure you end up with something you truly love without breaking the bank.

Arthur Ramirez4 said:Does anyone know how much rings go for at S.I.G.A.L.? I think that's the name. Can you find white gold rings in Chicago for maybe 2000-$833? I was at Tiffany & Co. yesterday (my guy bought me this gorgeous white gold engagement ring there, so we figured we'd get the wedding bands there too) and the prices are absolutely insane!👎 The cheapest ones were around $1000 and they weren't even decent. The one I actually liked was closer to $2667???😠 Seriously though....
Any suggestions on where to go and what the damage will be?🙂

Which specific ring caught your eye at Tiffany & Co.? Is it in the catalog on their website? We have their rings too and yeah, they're pricey... but we actually picked ours up in Austria and they ended up being half the price... though that probably doesn't help you since you aren't anywhere near Austria.
Anyway, I've got some Midwest roots myself😍—got a grandma in a small town in the Midwest and an aunt in another small town in the Midwest...🤣

sly47 said:Which specific ring caught your eye at that jewelry shop in Graz? Do they actually have a catalog on their website? We actually own some of their pieces too, and man, they aren't cheap... though we actually picked ours up while we were visiting Austria, so they ended up being about half the price for us... but I guess that doesn't really matter since you aren't exactly living right next to the border.
Anyway, I've got some Midwestern roots myself 😍 with a grandma in a small town in the Midwest and an aunt over in a small town in the Midwest...🤣

Oh, stop it! That's awesome! It’s great to see a fellow Midwesterner in the mix! 👍

Now, even though Austria isn't exactly my backyard, I have an aunt in a major city like Chicago so I find myself heading that way pretty often, which makes getting over to Austria feel like nothing! Honestly, if I had known this past summer that buying rings in Austria was such a steal, I would have pulled the trigger immediately. My family and I spent three days vacationing near Graz, so we actually made a point to stop by the shops there! 😬 But anyway, I'll definitely try to hunt down something we both love and then I'll post it here!

By the way, how does it work when you cross the border? Did you guys have to declare everything to customs or what?😲

I’m looking for recommendations on absolutely EVERYTHING—restaurants, live music venues, churches, florists, bridal boutiques... literally just give me the full rundown! Thanks!

You can find a ton of useful info on this site about pretty much anything you're looking for...

Best,

If you click on the Richmond area county site... you can find a ton of info there. Hopefully, it helps you out. :-)

Jeffrey Long said:I need recommendations for EVERYTHING—restaurants, bands, churches, florists, bridal shops... literally ANYTHING! Thanks!

If you're looking for a wedding dress, I’d suggest checking out places in Boston. It's much more budget-friendly there.
As for a venue, it really depends on your guest count, but we held our reception at a local restaurant and absolutely loved it.
Just a heads-up: they tend to book up pretty far in advance.
For flowers, I highly recommend Palm over on Stamper Street.
For the little details like favors, invites, and thank-you notes, head over to Glamour at the local market.
If you're hunting for a band, I could try to track down the number for the group that played at our wedding.
There are plenty of photo studios in Richmond; honestly, your best bet is to just visit a few and see their work. I'm sure the pricing is pretty much the same everywhere.

Thanks, Ultraviolet! Listen, if you happen to have a contact number for the guys in Bravo, specifically Maher or Krijan—could you pass it along? I’ve been trying to track them down, but I just can't seem to get through. Thanks much!

We actually wanted Krijan, so we had a reservation set aside quite a while ago. He was actually the one who suggested we look into Maher. I'll try to track down their business card and number, but if I can't, I'll just give you the contact info from Glamour so you can call them and ask for Krijan's number directly.

May 15th at the Zdjelarević hotel and restaurant. Though, I’m also looking at options in NYC, provided there's something in a similar price range...

I’d highly recommend booking your music as soon as possible.
We reached out to Krijan back in October for a July date the following year, and he was already fully booked—so you definitely want to stay ahead of the game.
You still have some breathing room until September, and since September isn't quite as peak wedding season as July or August, you might have a little more luck if you move quickly.

I’ve actually been to two weddings at Zdjelarević recently, and they were absolutely lovely—just a word of advice: don't go overboard with the guest list!
Get your music booked as soon as possible. I listened to Maher...👎 honestly, they were terrible... they sound so cheap and low-quality... at least if you ask me—plus they were playing all those cheesy folk songs... I really think they would just ruin the elegance of that interior. Personally, I think Bravo is quite good (even if they use the same old tricks at every wedding) and i Berda can be fantastic too! Plus, in Indianapolis, there are some truly brilliant bands that will travel down to Richmond for you; they’re actually cheaper than the local Richmond options and way higher quality! I was at a few weddings lately and an Indianapolis band played—I can look up the name for you—and they were just wonderful!

For bridal salons: everyone raves about Lisa and Nicole! Just try to avoid that one salon over on Gupčeva because they’ll end up charging you for all those little extras you usually get for free (like baskets, matching bags, etc.)... My friend had a nightmare where the caterer actually had to cut a wire that popped out of her dress right in the middle of the dance floor!!!

If your better half is planning on getting their makeup done—which I highly recommend—definitely head to Livije! Jasna is good, but at Livije, they can turn anyone into a total princess! 443-674. Make sure to call ahead because they stay incredibly busy! They barely managed to squeeze me in even though I’m a regular, and that was with two months' notice!🙏

Since September is your wedding month, make sure to visit the priest early so you don't get stuck with a late afternoon or evening ceremony slot!
Photographers are a whole other saga... everyone seems to want to charge a fortune! Get everything settled in writing and ask plenty of questions; that’s the only way to avoid any nasty surprises. I’d suggest Daniel and Top (they're new over on Zrinska, but those guys are absolute pros)!

As for flowers, you really can't go wrong there—it's always a beautiful touch...

Make sure you put together a solid itinerary so everything flows smoothly without any delays, confusion, or "what do we do now?" moments. And please, don't stress yourself out over the color of the napkins, the cake decorations, or other silly little details—you're the only ones who will even notice them!
Just enjoy yourselves, because you only get to do this once!!!

Thanks to everyone for the replies. I didn't actually start this thread myself—it was my dear wife who kicked things off. She finally got the hang of how everything works here on the forum and decided to set up her own account, haha.. 😍

Were you guys actually talking about rock music or was it more along the lines of folk and bluegrass? haha 😍 Mine is also set for September 15th.

Yeah, though I'm thinking we'll probably have a DJ. I managed to snag some numbers for DJs from a station in Indianapolis or maybe Richmond—I'll reach out to them next week. We'll have a trio of folk musicians playing at the house, and then a DJ over at the restaurant.

Ronald Hill3, what's this about you having a wedding out in Richmond?

Kenneth Vaughn10 said:Yeah, though I'm thinking we'll probably have a DJ. I managed to snag some numbers for DJs from a station in Indianapolis or maybe Richmond—I'll reach out to them next week. We'll have a trio of folk musicians playing at the house, and then a DJ over at the restaurant.

Were Maher and Krijan already booked up?
Or did you just not want them?

I honestly have no clue if they were busy—I didn't even bother calling them. I heard that Krijan doesn't usually play that cheesy wedding music, but apparently, if someone specifically requests it and pays extra, they’ll play nothing else as long as the money keeps coming in. I don't know, maybe it's just how things work, but I don't think it's right. I mean, I'm the one paying them, so I should be able to tell them what to play!

Kenneth Vaughn10 said:I honestly have no clue if they were busy—I didn't even bother calling them. I heard that Krijan doesn't usually play that cheesy wedding music, but apparently, if someone specifically requests it and pays extra, they’ll play nothing else as long as the money keeps coming in. I don't know, maybe it's just how things work, but I don't think it's right. I mean, I'm the one paying them, so I should be able to tell them what to play!

That's just not true.
I’ve personally been to a couple of weddings where they played absolutely everything. And those were weddings with plenty of Canadians in attendance, so you can imagine exactly what kind of requests were being made.