Everything you need for a Midwest wedding

driftingjackal9 said:Does anyone actually know a legit salon around Columbus or Des Moines that does killer eyelash extensions? I need someone who won't mess up my face. 😍

I know Glamorous works over in Columbus!

Hey everyone.

I need some help from you guys. I’ve already locked in the venue and the photographer, but the band I wanted is booked up that Saturday. Now I’m looking for suggestions for other bands. Babylon is out since they're busy.
Thanks a million! 😁

northernseal15 said:I actually put down the deposit for the subscription box myself. They mentioned they’d take one main break around 3:00 PM, lasting about 15 minutes or so. Other than that, breaks happen whenever the protocol calls for them. Everything is already coordinated, though I'm curious how they managed the timing with those young musicians.
Just sit down, have a chat, and be clear about what you want or don't want—no sense in badmouthing the band!

Looks like some of you went with a subscription box. Any thoughts on why you picked them? And if you don't mind sharing, what was the price point? Thanks.

I just got off the phone with the singer, and I’m really liking his vibe. He seems super flexible and easy to work with. We chatted quite a bit, and I walked away feeling like he truly knows his stuff—especially when it comes to keeping a crowd hyped and making sure people stay on the dance floor, even when they switch up the musical style. His voice is fantastic, too. If there are specific songs we absolutely have to have, they're willing to learn them; their repertoire is huge. They don't do breaks during the set, except for the official intermission, which usually hits around 3:00 AM for about 15 minutes. They don't play straight through until 4:00 AM without notice, otherwise, they charge extra for those late hours and all sorts of things like that... Deposit $333, total price $3167.

Plus, they have a female vocalist!

awesome, thanks!!! I'm looking at October 24th.🙂 I'll probably track someone down eventually—once I deal with the inevitable onslaught from bridesmaids and hair stylists, most of the other stuff is pretty much set... the only thing left is finding a suit for the groom. Does anyone have a ballpark idea on prices? He's got about a week before the wedding to pull it off since he can't make it in any sooner, so this is gonna be interesting.🙂

Jessica Brown61 said:awesome, thanks!!! I'm looking at October 24th.🙂 I'll probably track someone down eventually—once I deal with the inevitable onslaught from bridesmaids and hair stylists, most of the other stuff is pretty much set... the only thing left is finding a suit for the groom. Does anyone have a ballpark idea on prices? He's got about a week before the wedding to pull it off since he can't make it in any sooner, so this is gonna be interesting.🙂

The numbers at the local pharmacy hit 40%! Just wild! 🙂

My iPhone is actually talking to me! Can you believe that? It’s like my phone has developed its own little personality overnight. I was just sitting there on my couch in the suburbs, minding my own business, when suddenly this voice starts chirping away. Honestly, it’s kind of hilarious. It feels like having a tiny, digital roommate who won't stop chatting! It's a bit wild, right?

Amanda Brooks18 said:Has anyone here actually heard of the band Dropbox? I ended up booking them for a wedding—I went off a recommendation and some online buzz—but a few friends just got back from a wedding they attended where they were playing, and they said it was a total disaster. Apparently, there was a break every fifteen minutes??

They’re playing at my event too, and from what I've seen, I'm satisfied. As for those constant breaks—that's just plain stupidity...😂 They stick to the agreed-upon schedule, and they'll even throw in some helpful suggestions if you're unsure about anything... you won't regret it...😉

Honestly, ladies, what can I even say? We almost had to postpone the whole wedding because we're in an area hit by major flooding... the house is underwater, everything is ruined from the drought issues earlier, and don't even get me started on the appliances and furniture... 😢 but we decided to push through and hold it no matter what happens. 🙂 We still have two months until the big day, but half of our plans (the couple's welcome party, the backyard celebration before the ceremony) are now totally off the table... 😢

rustyjackal26 said:They’re playing at my event too, and from what I've seen, I'm satisfied. As for those constant breaks—that's just plain stupidity...😂 They stick to the agreed-upon schedule, and they'll even throw in some helpful suggestions if you're unsure about anything... you won't regret it...😉

Honestly, ladies, what can I even say? We almost had to postpone the whole wedding because we're in an area hit by major flooding... the house is underwater, everything is ruined from the drought issues earlier, and don't even get me started on the appliances and furniture... 😢 but we decided to push through and hold it no matter what happens. 🙂 We still have two months until the big day, but half of our plans (the couple's welcome party, the backyard celebration before the ceremony) are now totally off the table... 😢

Dear rustyjackal26, I can't tell you how sorry I am to read everything you've been through, but I'm so glad you aren't giving up on the day. It’s going to be such a beautiful wedding, filled with so much heart 🙂

Where is the wedding being held? Which venue? In principle, I wanted to suggest that maybe you could host the gathering right in front of the hall instead. I know there's a special feeling to leaving your own home behind—there's something nice about celebrating in your own space—but maybe this isn't such a bad workaround. A lot of venues actually do a lunch before the ceremony now. Instead, you could set up platters just like you originally intended and celebrate in the venue's courtyard or perhaps a front indoor area. You could rent a few high-top bar tables and those large umbrellas (you know, the white ones)—maybe just one or two depending on how many people show up for the afternoon gathering—and set up one or two large tables where all the food will be laid out. Let the venue keep the drinks inside and maybe ask them to provide two or three servers to pass around the snacks and check on the guests.
I'm here if you need any more help. 😍

silentraven18 said:Dear rustyjackal26, I can't tell you how sorry I am to read everything you've been through, but I'm so glad you aren't giving up on the day. It’s going to be such a beautiful wedding, filled with so much heart 🙂

Where is the wedding being held? Which venue? In principle, I wanted to suggest that maybe you could host the gathering right in front of the hall instead. I know there's a special feeling to leaving your own home behind—there's something nice about celebrating in your own space—but maybe this isn't such a bad workaround. A lot of venues actually do a lunch before the ceremony now. Instead, you could set up platters just like you originally intended and celebrate in the venue's courtyard or perhaps a front indoor area. You could rent a few high-top bar tables and those large umbrellas (you know, the white ones)—maybe just one or two depending on how many people show up for the afternoon gathering—and set up one or two large tables where all the food will be laid out. Let the venue keep the drinks inside and maybe ask them to provide two or three servers to pass around the snacks and check on the guests.
I'm here if you need any more help. 😍

Thank you so much for the post and for your kind wishes. We are hoping for the same thing—that everything turns out beautifully and leaves us with even better memories than we anticipated. 🎉
The venue is the Tena Hall in Little Rock; fortunately, it hasn't flooded (at least not entirely... 😁). However, the church in Gun is underwater, and apparently, there was a break-in too, so it looks like a total loss. We are trying to get a hold of the priest to figure out the specifics. 🤷 Because of that, we are considering moving the ceremony to the church in Little Rock instead. As far as the wedding party goes, we are very low-key people; that’s how we planned it from the start—nothing flashy or extravagant, just decent and tasteful. Given the current circumstances, we were thinking of telling the relatives to meet at the church, have the service, and then head straight to the hall. There will be a table with hors d'oeuvres and fruit available before dinner so people can help themselves.
My only real fear is that half the family won't make it because they are scattered all across the Midwest, and frankly, I don't even want to get into our current financial situation. 😢 But, we are hoping for the best, just so we can have a little something to celebrate after these heavy, chaotic days. 🙂
As for offers of assistance, I posted on the local marketplace asking if anyone has any leftover wedding supplies they'd be willing to part with—nothing else comes to mind... Thanks in advance, everyone! 🙂

Nancy, I am so sorry for everything you've been through, but I'm honestly just glad you didn't give up. Hopefully, this brings a little joy back into your life after all that chaos. The most important thing is that everyone is safe and sound!
That idea of everyone meeting up outside the church is actually pretty sweet (I’d have done the same thing, personally). Having the groom see you for the first time right there at the altar? There's just something so special about that moment!
I'll be crossing my fingers that everything goes perfectly!
:-* :-*

I’m curious, has anyone been to a wedding at the Vuković shopping mall over in that > lately? We’ve been looking at venues, and honestly, the quotes we got from places in St. Louis make the Vuković option look like a steal—we're talking a €2,100 difference! 🤷
My experience was about four or five years ago, and everything went pretty smoothly back then. But you know how things change, right? I’d love to hear if anyone has any recent intel or stories they could share with me. 🙄

Douglas Walker2 said:I’m curious, has anyone been to a wedding at the Vuković shopping mall over in that > lately? We’ve been looking at venues, and honestly, the quotes we got from places in St. Louis make the Vuković option look like a steal—we're talking a €2,100 difference! 🤷
My experience was about four or five years ago, and everything went pretty smoothly back then. But you know how things change, right? I’d love to hear if anyone has any recent intel or stories they could share with me. 🙄

If it means anything to you, my friend, we were there back in October and had an absolutely stellar experience. The service is top-tier, the food is divine, and the facilities are kept spotless and well-maintained. A close friend of mine was actually just telling me about her recent visit, claiming the food and service there even outshone some of the spots in Indianapolis.

Anyone here been to a wedding at Peter's venue out in the suburbs lately? We’re leaning towards booking them—would love to hear some actual experiences before we commit.

The band Sound from that little neighborhood—honestly, those guys are incredible. They sing and play way better than they probably realize. We caught them live at our wedding for the first time, and they blew us and all our guests away. They can handle just about any genre, and they kept the energy up until the sun came up.🙂Some guests were actually asking if they could take the accordion player home with them. 🙂

I was there about a month ago—the venue was great, staff were polite, food was solid, and the decor was nice enough 🙂

Mark Watson9 said:Anyone here been to a wedding at Peter's venue out in the suburbs lately? We’re leaning towards booking them—would love to hear some actual experiences before we commit.

Hey everyone!

So, I’ve been on the hunt for a band lately, and after digging through endless forum threads and YouTube videos, I’ve pretty much narrowed it down to three options: Victor, Babylon, and 100 Percent. Based on what I've seen, they just seem like they'd be a blast to have at a party.
I did try scrolling through the last 100 pages of this forum to see what people were saying, and while I found a bunch of old posts, I was wondering if anyone could share their actual thoughts on these specific groups? Maybe something a bit more recent...
The music itself is the biggest thing for me, so I’d really love to hear your honest impressions and vibes... I haven't actually heard any of them live yet. I tried looking up Babylon online, but I couldn't find any recordings featuring a female singer—just some clips of wedding crowds from back in 2010, which I think might be outdated since they have someone new now. As for Victor, I know the vocalist is supposed to be amazing... but I’m curious about the finer details... like pricing, how they run their sets... what genres they usually play, etc.

Thanks so much! 🙂

I actually caught a live set where Babylon was playing, and honestly? I’d give them a solid 7/10. They went a little overboard right before the morning shift—one guy was acting way too much like a high roller, ordering his own custom stuff and everything—and that just wasn't my vibe.
Victor, I haven't actually heard them play in person yet, but word on the street is they are legit. Their booking fee is around $12,000, and they just added a new guy who plays the violin. They can handle pretty much any genre you throw at them, except maybe zydeco. 😬
Personally, I'm 100% down to go; I have a feeling they're totally my kind of crowd! 😉

..iPhone talking..

Alexander Thompson93 said:I actually caught a live set where Babylon was playing, and honestly? I’d give them a solid 7/10. They went a little overboard right before the morning shift—one guy was acting way too much like a high roller, ordering his own custom stuff and everything—and that just wasn't my vibe.
Victor, I haven't actually heard them play in person yet, but word on the street is they are legit. Their booking fee is around $12,000, and they just added a new guy who plays the violin. They can handle pretty much any genre you throw at them, except maybe zydeco. 😬
Personally, I'm 100% down to go; I have a feeling they're totally my kind of crowd! 😉

..iPhone talking..

I am of the opinion that the experience depends entirely on the prior arrangement. Initially, I was unimpressed by a band at one wedding because they played far too much country music after midnight, yet they were excellent at another event.
It occurred to me later that at the first wedding, the groom was in the military, and his group of friends seemed particularly enthusiastic about that specific genre.
In the end, due to various circumstances, we decided not to hire Babylon. Instead, we chose a different band we had already been in discussions with (the wedding is a year away). Naturally, we will finalize all the specifics later, but I wanted to see what was feasible; so far, everything I have envisioned is possible.
To be clear, there will be no heavy country music or typical sing-along anthems, nor will there be the standard practice of requesting songs (or paying extra for them). One may suggest a song to the vocalist, provided it fits within a designated set, but there will be no repetitions.

Alexander Thompson93 said:I actually caught a live set where Babylon was playing, and honestly? I’d give them a solid 7/10. They went a little overboard right before the morning shift—one guy was acting way too much like a high roller, ordering his own custom stuff and everything—and that just wasn't my vibe.
Victor, I haven't actually heard them play in person yet, but word on the street is they are legit. Their booking fee is around $12,000, and they just added a new guy who plays the violin. They can handle pretty much any genre you throw at them, except maybe zydeco. 😬
Personally, I'm 100% down to go; I have a feeling they're totally my kind of crowd! 😉

..iPhone talking..

And what's the price for 100 Proof? Like, what is it about them that you like so much?

Chris Morgan said:I am of the opinion that the experience depends entirely on the prior arrangement. Initially, I was unimpressed by a band at one wedding because they played far too much country music after midnight, yet they were excellent at another event.
It occurred to me later that at the first wedding, the groom was in the military, and his group of friends seemed particularly enthusiastic about that specific genre.
In the end, due to various circumstances, we decided not to hire Babylon. Instead, we chose a different band we had already been in discussions with (the wedding is a year away). Naturally, we will finalize all the specifics later, but I wanted to see what was feasible; so far, everything I have envisioned is possible.
To be clear, there will be no heavy country music or typical sing-along anthems, nor will there be the standard practice of requesting songs (or paying extra for them). One may suggest a song to the vocalist, provided it fits within a designated set, but there will be no repetitions.

So, who's playing for you?