Everything you need for a Midwest wedding

Keith Johnson11 said:Thanks for the info 🙂. Does she happen to have a Facebook page, a blog, or something similar where I could check out her portfolio?

Honestly, I'm not sure! I've just seen her work in person quite a few times...

..iPhone talking..

gentlehound9 said:How far in advance should I be booking makeup artists, florists, cake designers, and all that good stuff?
We’ve already checked off the big essentials—like the band and the venue—but honestly, I haven't the slightest clue how early I need to start locking down everything else.

We booked our cake and flowers about 10 months out, which was definitely enough time. As for the hair and makeup, I actually just tried to book someone 8 months ahead and found out they were already fully booked for our date... so now I'm back to searching...

Alexander Thompson93 said:Honestly, I'm not sure! I've just seen her work in person quite a few times...

..iPhone talking..

If you manage to find her profile, let me know and I'll reach out to her😉. Can she actually compete with Victoria's Secret and Chic Studio? To me, they're simply the best...

Keith Johnson11 said:If you manage to find her profile, let me know and I'll reach out to her😉. Can she actually compete with Victoria's Secret and Chic Studio? To me, they're simply the best...

Honestly, for me, Chic Studio is hands down the absolute best! 😉

She’s going for more of a fresh, subtle makeup look. It's super light! Anyway, if I happen to stumble upon her profile or hear anything about it, I'll definitely let you know. 😉

So, I was just sitting here thinking about my iPhone. It’s funny how much we rely on these little gadgets, right? Like, seriously! I was scrolling through some stuff earlier—just one of those endless loops where you lose track of an hour—and I realized my phone is basically my entire life held together by glass and silicon. It’s wild! One minute you're checking the weather, and the next, you've somehow ended up watching a video of a golden retriever wearing sunglasses. Don't judge me! We've all been there. Anyway, my iPhone is such a lifesaver when I'm out and about, but man, does it drain the battery if I'm not careful. Just a random thought!

gentlehound9 said:How far in advance should I be booking makeup artists, florists, cake designers, and all that good stuff?
We’ve already checked off the big essentials—like the band and the venue—but honestly, I haven't the slightest clue how early I need to start locking down everything else.

I booked my Makeup and hair as early as humanly possible. To be specific—Chic Studio only just started taking reservations for this year back in December, and I jumped on it immediately, even though I would have pulled the trigger sooner if they'd been open. 😁
Our cake is actually included in the venue package, so we just need to find a wedding cake—we haven't done that yet, and neither have the flowers (we still have six months until the big day). We’re planning to tackle those within the next month.
The reason we’ve been so nonchalant about some things while being incredibly aggressive with others—like my insistence on Chic Studio and nobody else—is pretty simple: there are certain vendors we absolutely refuse to compromise on, whereas for other things—like flowers or the cake—our policy is basically "if our first choice is booked, we'll just find someone else."

If you know there is a specific person or vendor you absolutely *must* have—it is never, ever too early to book them; that was our golden rule, and that’s how we handled those specific bookings. Everything else? We're just playing it by ear. 😁

Alexander Thompson93 said:Honestly, for me, Chic Studio is hands down the absolute best! 😉

She’s going for more of a fresh, subtle makeup look. It's super light! Anyway, if I happen to stumble upon her profile or hear anything about it, I'll definitely let you know. 😉

So, I was just sitting here thinking about my iPhone. It’s funny how much we rely on these little gadgets, right? Like, seriously! I was scrolling through some stuff earlier—just one of those endless loops where you lose track of an hour—and I realized my phone is basically my entire life held together by glass and silicon. It’s wild! One minute you're checking the weather, and the next, you've somehow ended up watching a video of a golden retriever wearing sunglasses. Don't judge me! We've all been there. Anyway, my iPhone is such a lifesaver when I'm out and about, but man, does it drain the battery if I'm not careful. Just a random thought!

I feel the same way about them being the best, but I just couldn't manage to book an appointment 🙂 !! When I first spoke with them, the date was wide open. I told them I needed to check with my friends first, since they won't come unless there are at least five of us. By the time I coordinated everything, a few days had passed before I could even get back in touch... now that I finally reached them, they're saying the date is fully booked... it's honestly frustrating...😢

Keith Johnson11 said:I feel the same way about them being the best, but I just couldn't manage to book an appointment 🙂 !! When I first spoke with them, the date was wide open. I told them I needed to check with my friends first, since they won't come unless there are at least five of us. By the time I coordinated everything, a few days had passed before I could even get back in touch... now that I finally reached them, they're saying the date is fully booked... it's honestly frustrating...😢

Wait, are you sure about that? As far as I know, Drag doesn't really do house calls. You usually just head straight over to her salon!
We’re such a tight-knit group! And get this—one of my besties is actually getting married soon, and she just went ahead and put down the deposit for five people at their place!

So, I was just sitting there, staring at my iPhone, and it honestly felt like the device was actually talking back to me! Isn't that wild? It’s one of those moments where you just have to laugh because you start wondering if the tech is getting a little too smart for its own good. I mean, I was just scrolling through some stuff, minding my own business, and suddenly it feels like there's a whole conversation happening right in the palm of my hand. It’s kind of spooky, but also super fun! Has anyone else ever had that weirdly sentient feeling with their phone? It totally caught me off guard!

Alexander Thompson93 said:Wait, are you sure about that? As far as I know, Drag doesn't really do house calls. You usually just head straight over to her salon!
We’re such a tight-knit group! And get this—one of my besties is actually getting married soon, and she just went ahead and put down the deposit for five people at their place!

So, I was just sitting there, staring at my iPhone, and it honestly felt like the device was actually talking back to me! Isn't that wild? It’s one of those moments where you just have to laugh because you start wondering if the tech is getting a little too smart for its own good. I mean, I was just scrolling through some stuff, minding my own business, and suddenly it feels like there's a whole conversation happening right in the palm of my hand. It’s kind of spooky, but also super fun! Has anyone else ever had that weirdly sentient feeling with their phone? It totally caught me off guard!

Are we even thinking of the same 🙂? https://www.facebook.com/chicstudio.indianapolis?fref=ts
The first time we spoke, she mentioned that if their schedule wasn't fully booked, they would travel to you—even if you were 30 miles outside of Indianapolis. She told me the same thing over the phone. But since the date is completely packed now, she can't come to my place, and she can't host me at the salon either...

Keith Johnson11 said:Are we even thinking of the same 🙂? https://www.facebook.com/chicstudio.indianapolis?fref=ts
The first time we spoke, she mentioned that if their schedule wasn't fully booked, they would travel to you—even if you were 30 miles outside of Indianapolis. She told me the same thing over the phone. But since the date is completely packed now, she can't come to my place, and she can't host me at the salon either...

Oh man, we are definitely talking about the same Chic Studio. But seriously, this is the first time I've ever heard she'd actually travel to my area...🤷
Anyway, what date were you looking at?

Amy Kern3 said:This thread has been such a lifesaver for us, so we wanted to pay it forward with some reviews:
Venue - Petra and Anna at a Suburban town (the price of the chairs included their flowers and treats from a Small town)
Band - Local band photographer
Photographer - Beck Photo Studio
Hair - Local hair salon
Makeup - Valentina Rosa
Honestly, we were beyond happy with everyone on this list.

I'm looking into the Petra and Anna venue over in Cherry Valley. Is the pricing on their website actually legit—does it really include everything they claim?—and what’s the actual word on the space and the staff? 😉

Keith Johnson11 said:We booked our cake and flowers about 10 months out, which was definitely enough time. As for the hair and makeup, I actually just tried to book someone 8 months ahead and found out they were already fully booked for our date... so now I'm back to searching...

Well, you probably need to start thinking about those details pretty soon too.

graniteridge6 said:I booked my Makeup and hair as early as humanly possible. To be specific—Chic Studio only just started taking reservations for this year back in December, and I jumped on it immediately, even though I would have pulled the trigger sooner if they'd been open. 😁
Our cake is actually included in the venue package, so we just need to find a wedding cake—we haven't done that yet, and neither have the flowers (we still have six months until the big day). We’re planning to tackle those within the next month.
The reason we’ve been so nonchalant about some things while being incredibly aggressive with others—like my insistence on Chic Studio and nobody else—is pretty simple: there are certain vendors we absolutely refuse to compromise on, whereas for other things—like flowers or the cake—our policy is basically "if our first choice is booked, we'll just find someone else."

If you know there is a specific person or vendor you absolutely *must* have—it is never, ever too early to book them; that was our golden rule, and that’s how we handled those specific bookings. Everything else? We're just playing it by ear. 😁

The cake might be included in our venue package too, but I've heard the food there is pretty mediocre, so we're likely going to arrange something else entirely.
We also put down deposits only for the things we were dead set on; everything else is being planned more slowly.
Does anyone know if there are photos online of the work done at Chic Studio? I tried Googling it, but I couldn't find anything. 😢

Oh, and one more thing—how far in advance do you usually finalize the venue layout (tables, decor, etc.)?

gentlehound9 said:Well, you probably need to start thinking about those details pretty soon too.

The cake might be included in our venue package too, but I've heard the food there is pretty mediocre, so we're likely going to arrange something else entirely.
We also put down deposits only for the things we were dead set on; everything else is being planned more slowly.
Does anyone know if there are photos online of the work done at Chic Studio? I tried Googling it, but I couldn't find anything. 😢

Oh, and one more thing—how far in advance do you usually finalize the venue layout (tables, decor, etc.)?

Facebook, check out your own posts from a little bit ago!
Ugh, I feel like I'm repeating myself with every single post here! ☕

..iPhone talking..

gentlehound9 said:Well, you probably need to start thinking about those details pretty soon too.

The cake might be included in our venue package too, but I've heard the food there is pretty mediocre, so we're likely going to arrange something else entirely.
We also put down deposits only for the things we were dead set on; everything else is being planned more slowly.
Does anyone know if there are photos online of the work done at Chic Studio? I tried Googling it, but I couldn't find anything. 😢

Oh, and one more thing—how far in advance do you usually finalize the venue layout (tables, decor, etc.)?

Which venue are you using for the guests?

Alexander Thompson93 said:Oh man, we are definitely talking about the same Chic Studio. But seriously, this is the first time I've ever heard she'd actually travel to my area...🤷
Anyway, what date were you looking at?

October 11th 😉 ...the girls are seriously in demand and completely booked up! I'm actually pretty upset because I couldn't get a reservation!! I had no idea they were already taking orders for this year back in December😢 :'( !! From everything I've heard, most brides usually book their makeup and hair just a few months out, so that's where I messed up. Plus, my wedding date wasn't even 100% confirmed until after New Year's... now I really don't know what I'm going to do...

Keith Johnson11 said:October 11th 😉 ...the girls are seriously in demand and completely booked up! I'm actually pretty upset because I couldn't get a reservation!! I had no idea they were already taking orders for this year back in December😢 :'( !! From everything I've heard, most brides usually book their makeup and hair just a few months out, so that's where I messed up. Plus, my wedding date wasn't even 100% confirmed until after New Year's... now I really don't know what I'm going to do...

A friend of mine has an October 10th wedding and she had zero issues booking them just a month beforehand 🙂
So yeah, they're popular, and the best ones always are..
Maybe try Ana Cosic? Isn't she working somewhere like Ulta?

..Android talking..

Keith Johnson11 said:October 11th 😉 ...the girls are seriously in demand and completely booked up! I'm actually pretty upset because I couldn't get a reservation!! I had no idea they were already taking orders for this year back in December😢 :'( !! From everything I've heard, most brides usually book their makeup and hair just a few months out, so that's where I messed up. Plus, my wedding date wasn't even 100% confirmed until after New Year's... now I really don't know what I'm going to do...

I'm also on October 11th, but man 🙂 I guess there are just more and more of us picking that same date

Alexander Thompson93 said:A friend of mine has an October 10th wedding and she had zero issues booking them just a month beforehand 🙂
So yeah, they're popular, and the best ones always are..
Maybe try Ana Cosic? Isn't she working somewhere like Ulta?

..Android talking..

Maybe she managed it because it’s a Friday🤷. Anne Frank (never heard of her)? Are you perhaps thinking of Federer?🙂 Is she coming back home, or does she just work at the salon?

Kevin Kern3 said:I'm also on October 11th, but man 🙂 I guess there are just more and more of us picking that same date

daaa... if only time would cooperate 🙄 ! We were actually forced into that date because we couldn't find anything available for August or September; everything was already booked by the time we started looking, which was 11 months before the wedding

I wasn't even looking for the 8 or the 9, I guess they just feel a bit too hot for me during that time... anyway, did you guys end up ordering the invitations yet, and if so, where from?

Keith Johnson11 said:Maybe she managed it because it’s a Friday🤷. Anne Frank (never heard of her)? Are you perhaps thinking of Federer?🙂 Is she coming back home, or does she just work at the salon?

Cortez and Anne Frank are basically the same thing 😉
I'm pretty sure she just works at the salon, but hey, give her a call—you've got nothing to lose! 😉

..iPhone talking..