Everything you need for a Midwest wedding

Kevin Smith7 said:Thanks! I was wondering if there's anywhere in the Midwest or maybe around St. Louis where I could actually go and see them in person?

If anyone happens to know, I'd really appreciate the help.

While we're on the subject of bottles, does anyone know where I might find some stylish little flasks for the brandy I'm planning to put out at wedding receptions? Nobody seems to carry anything like Orange, and I'm completely stumped on what kind of vessels would work best for serving brandy.🤷

mellowridge7 said:While we're on the subject of bottles, does anyone know where I might find some stylish little flasks for the brandy I'm planning to put out at wedding receptions? Nobody seems to carry anything like Orange, and I'm completely stumped on what kind of vessels would work best for serving brandy.🤷

Like I said before, over at Russell (that farm supply store), they have all sorts of sizes and shapes—and they aren't even pricey. Honestly, if you have a buddy working as a bartender, he could probably just stash those Orange ones from his bar for you. A month ago, two friends of mine hit up two different bars and managed to snag 120 bottles... plenty for the reception and my place too.

You can find some really cute little bottles for your homemade spirits at the farmers market in Indianapolis, right by the corner shops. They’re super affordable, too!

Henry Harris5 said:You can find some really cute little bottles for your homemade spirits at the farmers market in Indianapolis, right by the corner shops. They’re super affordable, too!

Ugh, true... might actually be worth hitting up a few flea markets in any major city. It’s usually a goldmine this time of year, especially with wedding season in full swing, right?

Has anyone here actually used Claire’s bridal boutique over in Indianapolis?

I heard through the grapevine about Nicole that their recent stock has been pretty subpar—apparently, some of the dresses are already showing wear and tear, almost like they've been worn before. :-/...I honestly can't tell how much truth there is to that rumor.

Susan Carter11 said:Has anyone here actually used Claire’s bridal boutique over in Indianapolis?

I heard through the grapevine about Nicole that their recent stock has been pretty subpar—apparently, some of the dresses are already showing wear and tear, almost like they've been worn before. :-/...I honestly can't tell how much truth there is to that rumor.

Personally, I was super happy with Nicole in Columbus, but I've heard nothing but bad things about the Indianapolis spot...

Has anyone here ever handled dessert catering for a wedding? I’m trying to figure out if five pastries per guest is overkill—especially since everyone will be at the venue, and my plan is to pack some up to hand out the day after lunch. Honestly, baking isn't exactly my forte

Susan Carter11 said:Has anyone here actually used Claire’s bridal boutique over in Indianapolis?

I heard through the grapevine about Nicole that their recent stock has been pretty subpar—apparently, some of the dresses are already showing wear and tear, almost like they've been worn before. :-/...I honestly can't tell how much truth there is to that rumor.

I stopped by Nicole's back in February, and honestly, the selection was just mediocre—it really all depends on your specific taste, though. For instance, I wasn't looking for those massive, oversized ball gowns; they simply didn't have what I had in mind...
If you're specifically hunting for a classic ball gown with a corset, you might actually find something you like at Nicole's.

quietcobra52 said:Personally, I was super happy with Nicole in Columbus, but I've heard nothing but bad things about the Indianapolis spot...

From what I can tell about how these bridal boutiques operate, they all pretty much carry the exact same dresses. They just shuffle them from one shop to another depending on who walks through the door, I guess. Like, when I wanted to try on a specific style from a catalog, I had to wait forever because they had to have it shipped in from a different location. It wasn't even there. So... yeah. I don't really see what the big difference would be between the dresses themselves.🤷>

Exactly. Nicole is always the same; they just move the same wedding dresses from one boutique to another depending on what's convenient. That’s how they built this myth that she’s somehow better in Des Moines than in Indianapolis, but it's all the same stuff. If you want to try on twenty different gowns in Indianapolis, they’ll bring them all to you. Yet, so many girls from Indianapolis drive all the way to Des Moines for a dress, which makes zero sense to me. But hey, whatever...

mellowridge7 said:Has anyone here ever handled dessert catering for a wedding? I’m trying to figure out if five pastries per guest is overkill—especially since everyone will be at the venue, and my plan is to pack some up to hand out the day after lunch. Honestly, baking isn't exactly my forte

I think I mentioned this somewhere else already, but my caterer suggested three pieces per person at the reception—and that was even with a massive spread of cakes on top (maybe around 15 different kinds?). It was plenty.

Does anyone happen to know of a reliable catering service in the Columbus area?

Thanks so much!

mellowridge7 said:Has anyone here ever handled dessert catering for a wedding? I’m trying to figure out if five pastries per guest is overkill—especially since everyone will be at the venue, and my plan is to pack some up to hand out the day after lunch. Honestly, baking isn't exactly my forte

We’re doing five pieces per person—so for 350 people, that’s 1,750 pieces. But we’re actually going to order 2,000 just because of how the catering works at the hall (it's pretty standard there) and to have leftovers for the day after. My brother got married last year and 2,000 was plenty for the reception, the guests, and the leftovers—we even had enough to give away!

quietcobra52 said:We’re doing five pieces per person—so for 350 people, that’s 1,750 pieces. But we’re actually going to order 2,000 just because of how the catering works at the hall (it's pretty standard there) and to have leftovers for the day after. My brother got married last year and 2,000 was plenty for the reception, the guests, and the leftovers—we even had enough to give away!

I am following that exact same logic—I need enough for both the guests and the catering staff. To give you an idea of my scale, I have 12 regular cakes plus a massive three-tier wedding cake planned for just 230 people. Honestly, my only real anxiety is running short; it is far better to have an abundance than to face the embarrassment of running out.🙂

Kevin Smith7 said:Does anyone happen to know of a reliable catering service in the Columbus area?

Thanks so much!

I’ve attended weddings where they used catering from a restaurant out in the Mississippi Delta—it was actually quite lovely. I had originally intended to hire them myself, but then a family friend offered their services, so I ended up passing on the Delta option.

Kevin Nguyen48 said:You can find the tricolor at General Motors on Main Street, and it's $0.23 per yard.
As for the paper, dustytinker58, you can also grab some at the bookstore over on Washington Avenue near the boutique... it’s the exact same stuff I picked up (that pearly, glossy kind), but it’s $4.00 there, while Hobby Art has it for $15.90. I found out way too late, though...

Good partner!
Check out http://www.goodpartner.com/
Their website lists full pricing and contact info for their representative in St. Louis. You just need to give her a call ahead of time to let her know you're coming. They have just about everything.🙂

They don't have any paper... at least, I don't think so. But they've got ribbons—every kind imaginable.

placidgull10 said:Good partner!
Check out http://www.goodpartner.com/
Their website lists full pricing and contact info for their representative in St. Louis. You just need to give her a call ahead of time to let her know you're coming. They have just about everything.🙂

They don't have any paper... at least, I don't think so. But they've got ribbons—every kind imaginable.

I actually swung by their location in Chicago last weekend, and they have plenty of paper, envelopes, and even pre-made invitations where you just need to handle the printing. Honestly, I can tell you right now that their prices are super reasonable.
Seriously, they have basically everything under the sun...

When I went looking for some satin ribbons, I ended up finding three massive walls completely covered in them—all sorts of different widths and materials, it was honestly overwhelming! And they had those little floral pieces for boutonnieres, big fancy bows, balloons, gel beads... oh my gosh, it was absolute heaven!

mellowridge7 said:Is this procedure just for civil ceremonies? Does it not apply if there's a church wedding involved?

I had to go through all those exact same steps too... it applies to church weddings as well! You just head back about eight days after the big day to pick up your marriage certificate, and you're all set..
If you're planning a church ceremony, you just need to get everything sorted about a month ahead of time—that’s what I did....
And hey, I've been happily married for 12 days now! 🙂🙂

Shoutout to Nicholas’s salon in Indianapolis and Jane! Seriously—thanks to her, I actually found my wedding dress 😍

jadeotter10 said:I had to go through all those exact same steps too... it applies to church weddings as well! You just head back about eight days after the big day to pick up your marriage certificate, and you're all set..
If you're planning a church ceremony, you just need to get everything sorted about a month ahead of time—that’s what I did....
And hey, I've been happily married for 12 days now! 🙂🙂

Congratulations, I wish you both nothing but happiness! 👋