Everything you need for a Midwest wedding

mellowsurfer41 said:I was wondering, how much did you guys end up paying for the cake and the sweets?
Thanks

Yeah, I’d love to know that too. Thanks!

As for my photographer, I’m putting down a deposit with Click today and calling it a day. Honestly, as time goes by, I’ve realized it isn’t even that big of a deal. If the two of us are relaxed and actually meant for each other, the photographer just has to capture that. The photos will be special because of the genuine happiness in our eyes. I know, sounds cheesy, but I’ve reached a point where I don't want to "waste" money on a single day when what matters most is how we spend the rest of our lives together.

Ladies, I am a total sucker for romance. 😁 ☕

Keith Johnson9 said:Yeah, I’d love to know that too. Thanks!

As for my photographer, I’m putting down a deposit with Click today and calling it a day. Honestly, as time goes by, I’ve realized it isn’t even that big of a deal. If the two of us are relaxed and actually meant for each other, the photographer just has to capture that. The photos will be special because of the genuine happiness in our eyes. I know, sounds cheesy, but I’ve reached a point where I don't want to "waste" money on a single day when what matters most is how we spend the rest of our lives together.

Ladies, I am a total sucker for romance. 😁 ☕

I'm with you on that. We said we weren't going to waste money on overpriced photographers either; honestly, it seems pretty stupid since we don't exactly have that kind of cash lying around. I figure a photographer for $1333 can do basically the same thing as someone charging 15-$$6667. If you're photogenic, cute, and happy, you'll look that way in any 🙂 shots. We were super impressed with Click >. I've heard from couples who used them that they don't overdo it—they don't heavily edit everything, so it looks natural and nice. The feedback has been positive 🙂
The only things my guy and I aren't skimping on are the band and the food. Once people are full and the music is good, the party's guaranteed to be wild, and then the photographer will definitely have plenty to shoot 😁

Grace Kern55 said:So, my wedding is finally over, and I figured it was about time I sat down to recap everything for you all 🙂

The Crystal Ballroom (white venue)—honestly, nothing but praise here. The food was incredible, they had our drinks flowing all night long, the servers were on top of everything, and the banquet manager was basically our guardian angel. He handled the timing for dinner, the cake cutting, and kept us looped in on everything else—we didn't have to lift a finger or worry about a single detail, which is huge when you're supposed to be enjoying being newlyweds

Photography—Mary Berry and Jessica Alba—I know people have been talking about them quite a bit lately, but let me tell you, I recommend them 100%. They are so easy to work with and they really know how to make the whole photoshoot feel relaxed and fun rather than stiff, and the actual shots? Absolutely flawless 🙂

Mozaik Florist—the flowers were exactly what we discussed, no surprises there, and they stuck to every single agreement we made. My bouquet was so stunning I actually didn't want to throw it 😁 , and the centerpieces looked gorgeous on the tables. You can check out their work on their Facebook page; they even posted some of our photos one day! We went with this lovely purple and white theme paired with silver candlesticks

Desserts—Cookie Caffe—both the cookies and the cakes were delicious. The wedding cake itself was just beautiful. Plus, they handled the entire delivery to the hall and even packed up the little favor boxes for the guests, so we didn't have to stress about any of that logistics nightmare...

Band—Apocalypse Band from Chicago—you can go look them up under the bands thread 😉

The Dress—Bella Bridal Salon—everything went exactly according to plan. The dress was breathtaking, and the ladies at the shop were absolute lifesavers; they managed to squeeze all my alterations (taking it in and shortening the hem) into a single day because I live way out in Indianapolis and I really didn't want to make two separate trips... you can find them on Facebook too 🙂

If anyone has questions, seriously, just shoot me a DM!!!
Good luck with all your planning!!

So, I was wondering—how exactly do wedding dress prices work over there? It seems like such a rabbit hole once you start looking into it.

By the way—congratulations. 🙂

Hey everyone, I was just wondering if anyone knows where I can go in Indianapolis to get some custom text printed onto pre-made invitations, and does anyone happen to know what the going rates are lately?
🙂

Where did you get your makeup and hair done? It looks incredible—huge congrats from me too! 🙂

Tyler Fox14 said:Exactly. In my house, it’s really just my mother-in-law who clings to these old-school traditions. It doesn't mean much to me personally, especially since many modern weddings skip these customs entirely, but I’m happy to let her have her way. She insists that we receive a cake from the wedding party and then give one back—of course, in a different style—but I don't mind either way, as I wouldn't know what to do with extra cakes anyway; I'll just share whatever is left over. I’m mostly asking because of my own maid of honor; neither she nor I have any clue what she is supposed to expect, and that's where the confusion lies. 😕

Personally, it doesn't bother me at all—if they want to follow certain customs, more power to them. Since we served as their godparents previously, and now they're doing the same for us (well, for my partner), we’ll just return the gesture the same way they did for us.
And yeah, that's the whole thing with the cake—they bring one, and then take another one back. It’s all the same to me, really; it seems to be an agreement between the two of them, a tradition or whatever, and I certainly won't step in or interfere. 🙂

I've already set aside most other traditional customs, and honestly, the thing I'm looking forward to most is NOT having to do that awkward dance with the bride. Bye-bye to that tradition! eheheheheh

It’s really just a little bit of his way and a little bit of mine—a nice blend of our habits and quirks. Everyone stays happy and content, I guess—hehehe.

I respect everyone's choices, but I'm perfectly happy doing my own thing.😍

graniteridge6 said:So, I was wondering—how exactly do wedding dress prices work over there? It seems like such a rabbit hole once you start looking into it.

By the way—congratulations. 🙂

Thanks for the well wishes 😍

Prices usually run anywhere from $450 to $550 depending on whether you're looking at older stock, specifically for brands like Pronovias or Demetrios... though if you're eyeing names like Manuel Motta or Elie Saab, you're looking at much higher tiers, but I honestly don't have a clue what their price tags look like lately...

silentraven18 said:Personally, it doesn't bother me at all—if they want to follow certain customs, more power to them. Since we served as their godparents previously, and now they're doing the same for us (well, for my partner), we’ll just return the gesture the same way they did for us.
And yeah, that's the whole thing with the cake—they bring one, and then take another one back. It’s all the same to me, really; it seems to be an agreement between the two of them, a tradition or whatever, and I certainly won't step in or interfere. 🙂

I've already set aside most other traditional customs, and honestly, the thing I'm looking forward to most is NOT having to do that awkward dance with the bride. Bye-bye to that tradition! eheheheheh

Exactly, I'm planning to skip all of that too—no garter toss, no bouquet toss, no idea what else might be on the list, but I’m opting out of everything! hahaha

Hey! Just got back from the mall in Arizona and finally scored all my decor for $100 (honestly, the red and white streamers—20 meters of them!, 10 rolls for making those wedding bows, 3 packs of heavy-duty ribbon, 200 balloons, some tiny floral bits for when they pick me up at my tent, 30 meters of twine for the rosemary, and 20 cookie boxes for about a pound each plus some satin ribbons for the tables)... I am seriously obsessed. Plus, at this one balloon shop, they gave me a business card for their site—ladies, you have no idea how stunning their bridal gowns are (I saw them in person at the mall), and they’re only like $60 to $90! If any of you can make it out to the mall, seriously go hunt for dresses there because they're cheap and gorgeous... Oh, and my guy found an amazing black suit for 37 miles (pants and jacket) plus a shirt and tie for just 12 miles. Also, since everything has to be strictly taxed now, a lot of shops are just closing down or having massive clearance sales 😍

quietcobra52 said:Hey! Just got back from the mall in Arizona and finally scored all my decor for $100 (honestly, the red and white streamers—20 meters of them!, 10 rolls for making those wedding bows, 3 packs of heavy-duty ribbon, 200 balloons, some tiny floral bits for when they pick me up at my tent, 30 meters of twine for the rosemary, and 20 cookie boxes for about a pound each plus some satin ribbons for the tables)... I am seriously obsessed. Plus, at this one balloon shop, they gave me a business card for their site—ladies, you have no idea how stunning their bridal gowns are (I saw them in person at the mall), and they’re only like $60 to $90! If any of you can make it out to the mall, seriously go hunt for dresses there because they're cheap and gorgeous... Oh, and my guy found an amazing black suit for 37 miles (pants and jacket) plus a shirt and tie for just 12 miles. Also, since everything has to be strictly taxed now, a lot of shops are just closing down or having massive clearance sales 😍

I went last year and honestly didn't find anything. Sure, they have boutonnieres, bows, and ribbon... but as far as wedding dresses go, zero points. That's just my take. It’s all kind of tacky and over-the-top. I don't know how it is now, maybe they have more variety 😉 As for the suits, they are definitely cheaper than what we have here in the States 🙂 Hope I didn't offend anyone, just my opinion🤷

mellowsurfer41 said:I went last year and honestly didn't find anything. Sure, they have boutonnieres, bows, and ribbon... but as far as wedding dresses go, zero points. That's just my take. It’s all kind of tacky and over-the-top. I don't know how it is now, maybe they have more variety 😉 As for the suits, they are definitely cheaper than what we have here in the States 🙂 Hope I didn't offend anyone, just my opinion🤷

Same here—when I went last year, the dresses were a total nightmare, which is why I didn't even bother picking one there. But looking at photos today... it's a whole different story. Yeah, some are still tacky, but there are actually some stunning ones out there now.

I’m based out of Boston—so if there is anything I can help you all with, whether it's picking something up or bringing it along since I'm up north quite often—just let me know 🙂

quietcobra52 said:Hey! Just got back from the mall in Arizona and finally scored all my decor for $100 (honestly, the red and white streamers—20 meters of them!, 10 rolls for making those wedding bows, 3 packs of heavy-duty ribbon, 200 balloons, some tiny floral bits for when they pick me up at my tent, 30 meters of twine for the rosemary, and 20 cookie boxes for about a pound each plus some satin ribbons for the tables)... I am seriously obsessed. Plus, at this one balloon shop, they gave me a business card for their site—ladies, you have no idea how stunning their bridal gowns are (I saw them in person at the mall), and they’re only like $60 to $90! If any of you can make it out to the mall, seriously go hunt for dresses there because they're cheap and gorgeous... Oh, and my guy found an amazing black suit for 37 miles (pants and jacket) plus a shirt and tie for just 12 miles. Also, since everything has to be strictly taxed now, a lot of shops are just closing down or having massive clearance sales 😍

If you're up for it, maybe send over a few photos from your shopping trip? I'm really curious to see what kind of sashes they have 🙂

Brian Reed74 said:Hi everyone!
I’m finally joining the conversation🙂
I’ve been reading through some great ideas here, but the issue is that most of the good stuff seems to be concentrated in New York City.
I’m trying to figure out what's available locally in Indianapolis—specifically where I can find things like balloons, bows, candles, decorative paper, glassware, or maybe a local potter or candle maker who does custom work. I'm also looking for invitations, thank-you notes, live bands, cake decorations, and basically anything else a wedding needs that hasn't crossed my mind yet.
Also, how far in advance should I be looking to rent a wedding dress? What are the typical costs, and what have your experiences been? Is it better to go custom or just rent?
Basically, any recommendations or advice would be much appreciated.😉

Coca-Cola in Indianapolis offers catering and even has a restaurant on-site. They just did some renovations recently. The photos of the venue look amazing.🙂
www.facebook.com/Sala.Classic.Osijek

It looks a little dark to me, though, but I guess you might be able to choose the lighting colors.🙂

silentraven18 said:If you're up for it, maybe send over a few photos from your shopping trip? I'm really curious to see what kind of sashes they have 🙂

I actually grabbed my pins right here—just take a look through the photos:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/SAMIR...=photos_stream

So, I'm out here cranking out these bows for car decorating—do I really need to slap one on both side mirrors, or is just doing one enough? Just trying to figure out the vibe while I'm making them 😁

Back when I was working as a wedding attendant, we were told to only put one on the car at first, and then maybe a second if there were any left! You really never know how many cars are going to show up. 🙂

quietcobra52 As Michael Perez5 points out:
So, I’m currently knee-deep in a DIY project—making these bows for a car—and I’ve hit a bit of a logistical crossroads. It’s one of those small, nagging dilemmas that keeps you staring at the workbench for twenty minutes. Is it absolutely necessary to adorn both side mirrors with a bow, or can I just get away with putting one on the driver's side mirror and call it a day? I’m trying to strike that perfect balance between "festive celebration" and "not looking like a total caricature," if you catch my drift. Any thoughts from the experts out there? 😁

It really doesn't matter—honestly, no matter how much you think you have saved up—they’re just going to find a way to take it all. It's an absolute mathematical certainty at this point. 😁

Looks like everyone from the Midwest has fallen asleep at the wheel here 😁

Anyone else planning on jumping ship on October 26th? Let's just hope everything goes smoothly—fingers crossed, right? 😍