Everything you need for a Midwest wedding

Thanks a lot for the replies.
Now I have a question about desserts. Does anyone know a bakery that does ice cream cakes? Also, how much dessert should I get for 120 people?
Some people say 10 ounces per person, while others suggest closer to 15, which is quite a gap. And I definitely don't want those store-bought ones—I call them the "margarine cakes."
I have the chance to bring our own homemade treats, so I need to estimate the amount. My biggest pet peeve is having leftovers after the wedding that get eaten for weeks, passed around, or just thrown away. I really hate food waste; some people struggle to eat every day, yet we lose our heads over this one single day 🙂, so I want to be careful with the math. I want to make sure there isn't too much left over, though I will still be giving out small boxes of sweets as favors.
Any experiences to share?

Just wanted to jump in here and say a huge thanks to the ladies on this forum who shared that gorgeous paper ball idea with us. I ended up decorating my entire venue with them 🙂 I made about 100 different balls in all sorts of sizes. I picked up the paper at Sheet Music Publishing. Honestly, the only "downside"—which actually turned out to be a total win—was that the paper comes in these massive 25m rolls for only $8.25, so I went through 6 brown ones and 5 white ones (that’s $92 in total!) and just kept stuffing them in a box. The day before the wedding, I showed my relatives how to assemble them so they'd know exactly what they were supposed to look like, and then they took over the whole process 🙂 I used some fishing line to tie them together and hung them from the ceiling using curtain clips. Then, once we got to the tent at home, we just tied them up with more line... we actually had extras left over, so my mom even started hanging them from the trees 🙂 On the second day wedding, the venue gave everything back to us, so we took them over to a local daycare, and the teachers there were absolutely thrilled—they were so sweet about it. In the end, it looked like this:
https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.n...62051138_n.jpg
https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.n...91056210_n.jpg
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.n...42663480_n.jpg
https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.n...82031007_n.jpg

Anyway, here is where I found those rolls

cosmicviper7, this looks great!
So tell me, which good partner did you take those roles with? Was it in Indianapolis? It should be right where Sheet Music Publishing used to be, right?

Kevin Nguyen48 said:cosmicviper7, this looks great!
So tell me, which good partner did you take those roles with? Was it in Indianapolis? It should be right where Sheet Music Publishing used to be, right?

Thanks 😁
Since I’m living in Washington, D.C., I just grabbed everything here and then drove it out to my mom in the Midwest. But honestly, if they have a branch in Indianapolis, you could probably find them there too—I dropped a link to those paper roles right here.

They’ve got a warehouse over in Indianapolis, though I'm not sure if they actually sell stuff on-site. Probably best to just swing by and check it out. I don't need any roles, just some supplies for the lapels and invitations. Thanks 😉

cosmicviper7, those decorations are great. Any chance you could drop a link to the tutorial? They look awesome—simple, yet really decorative. ;-)

So, this is basically what I'm doing...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhOECo-Ky-w
The trick is you really need that super thin paper—I actually found some 22g stuff at a Staples that works perfectly. I was cutting it down to his specific width times 50cm. For the larger sheets (you know, those 70x50 ones), I was layering them up—six brown and six white, alternating them one by one—but when I had the smaller 70x30 pieces, I just did five brown and five white. Anyway, you basically need one side to be longer just to get enough of those "accordion" folds. And obviously, if you want the spheres to look denser, you just use more paper. But honestly, I was trying to be smart about the budget—didn't want to overspend, but also didn't want the spheres to look pathetic—so after making a few of them, I finally figured out the sweet spot for size and density.

January 12th and 13th: Wedding Expo in Portsmouth🙂🙂

Henry Harris5 said:January 12th and 13th: Wedding Expo in Portsmouth🙂🙂

Hopefully we'll see some decent discounts popping up soon. 🙂

Jason Rivera2 said:Hopefully we'll see some decent discounts popping up soon. 🙂

I’m right there with you! I can't wait for the fashion shows! 😁😁

Wedding Expo Schedule

Saturday, Jan 12th, 2013
9:00 AM Doors Open
12:00 PM Fashion Show
3:00 PM Floral Design Workshop featuring Martina Rafaeli, Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Magazine
6:00 PM VIP Runway Event
9:00 PM Event Closes

Sunday, Jan 13th, 2013
9:00 AM Doors Open
12:00 PM Fashion Show & Dessert Tasting
3:00 PM Latest Trends in Bridal Hair & Makeup; hosted by Tihana Tomljanović
4:30 PM Dance Lessons with the Hollywood Dance Studio
6:00 PM Fashion Show
9:00 PM Event Closes

Don't forget to join our "Thumbs Up!" charity drive! We’re hosting a humanitarian raffle right here at the Wedding Expo, giving you a chance to win some incredible prizes while supporting our bravest little fighters. Their courage is what drives us!

Liddy, I saw that on The Knot, but it didn't click right away. I went straight to testing it out with some paper I had lying around the house. It’s a bit thicker than what the tutorial calls for, but it actually turned out pretty cool. I used that heavy gift wrap you find at Barnes & Noble, and I stuck with six layers too. I grabbed a piece that was a little too long, though, so spreading it out to the center is a bit of a struggle. I'll probably fix that next time. ;-)
I'm glad you shared your work with us. I think I might try this decor for my own wedding down the road.

Best, and to all the ladies, I wish you nothing but the best in 2013—especially those of you getting ready for one of the biggest and most beautiful days of your lives!

What kind of experiences have you all had with the Passage band?

I've read most of this, but if anyone doesn't mind, could you list 5 or 6 bands from the Midwest to the East Coast that have been killing it over the last year? I know everyone has their own taste, but just give me the names and I'll check them out to see what sticks. My main focus is local folk and bluegrass, though I'm totally open to other styles too. :-)

Timothy Chavez28 said:I've read most of this, but if anyone doesn't mind, could you list 5 or 6 bands from the Midwest to the East Coast that have been killing it over the last year? I know everyone has their own taste, but just give me the names and I'll check them out to see what sticks. My main focus is local folk and bluegrass, though I'm totally open to other styles too. :-)

The Gentlemen😍 😍 They played our wedding and honestly, those guys are just... beyond amazing. If you check out their website, they actually have a way to get a free DVD of their setlists from various weddings sent to you. Both us and all our guests were absolutely thrilled—they even play some foreign stuff, nothing crazy, but enough to keep things interesting.😍

Hi everyone! I was wondering if anyone here has any info, personal experience, or even just a quick comment regarding The Dave Brubeck Quartet from Indianapolis and their wedding gigs. From what I’ve gathered, they have a vocalist—Oprah Winfrey—performing with them. Since I haven't had the chance to catch them live yet, I would truly appreciate any feedback you can share!

Hi everyone 🙂 I was just wondering if anyone might happen to know what the booking fee is for The Dave Brubeck Quartet out of Columbus?

cosmicviper7 said:The Gentlemen😍 😍 They played our wedding and honestly, those guys are just... beyond amazing. If you check out their website, they actually have a way to get a free DVD of their setlists from various weddings sent to you. Both us and all our guests were absolutely thrilled—they even play some foreign stuff, nothing crazy, but enough to keep things interesting.😍

I agree, they really are wonderful! I honestly didn't realize a band like that could create such an amazing atmosphere! 😍

Hey there... I'm currently going back and forth with my boyfriend about venues, and we were wondering about the rental costs at Admiral Vinkovci. Since it's right downtown, we aren't looking for the total package—just the price for the hall itself and all our own stuff. Thanks! 🙂

northernseal15 said:Hey there... I'm currently going back and forth with my boyfriend about venues, and we were wondering about the rental costs at Admiral Vinkovci. Since it's right downtown, we aren't looking for the total package—just the price for the hall itself and all our own stuff. Thanks! 🙂

Well, we are actually heading over to Admiral Vinkovci next week to see Lucy and Renić Retkovac, so I guess I might be able to find out and then post the details here for you. 🙂