Everything you need for a Midwest wedding

Maria Ramirez4 said:Here's the breakdown... you pay an upfront deposit $1667, but the total cost drops per head at the end. For 180-190 guests, it's $30; for 190-200, it's $29. And that's just for the first course, folks. If you want their version of stew for the second course, it's $10 per person. If you decide to bring your own lamb or pork, they charge a serving fee of $5.00 per person. Chair covers run $3.25 per person. They don't provide candelabras or flower stands; you have to bring whatever you picked up at the florist.
We asked if we could swap out the second course, and they told us that if we wanted something like cabbage rolls, we’d have to roll them ourselves and bring them in, then they’d cook them for 😲😲😲
Everything—drinks, soda, water, beer, spirits—is handled by them. You can bring your own hard liquor if you really want to, but it won't lower the bill.
Also, heads up: the venue has to be cleared out by 5:00 AM.
So, you do the math. 🤷🤷😕

I’m hosting my in-laws in a suburb outside of Chicago, and I have to say—this part isn't quite right. For 2009, the prices are actually closer to $24-$26. Honestly, I highly doubt they told you that about bringing your own food; most venues won't touch anything unless it comes with a health certificate, so there's no way they'd let you bring stuff from home. Plus, there really isn't a strict cutoff like that.

I agree, $24 per head for a crowd of over 250 at Green Valley... just for this year. Honestly, looking at everything else now... everyone raves about Green Valley, but let’s be real, they aren't exactly the budget option. Plus, I really hope that rumor about us having to roll our own cabbage rolls is just talk, because we were fully planning on having them provided... who on earth has the time to hand-roll 600 individual rolls? 😲

We sorted out the decorations in the meantime... so that's one less headache.

I don't know, I just hope everything turns out okay... all the guests seem to have nothing but good things to say about Green Valley, and the owner seems like a decent enough guy..
except for the fact that his prices seem to creep up every single year 😁

Has anyone here actually hosted wedding guests at the Central Hotel in Orlando, or maybe just heard some gossip about them?

A friend of mine hosted her wedding at Central last year. The food was just okay—I’m not sure about their specific menu or pricing, but I assume you can get all those details if you give them a call. They used the back section of the venue for the reception, where the band and dance floor were set up right next to the bar. Honestly, the layout felt a bit disjointed; because of the pillars and the way the room is structured, the guests seated at the far end of the hall couldn't really see any of the action, like the music or the bouquet toss. One thing we specifically disliked and chatted about afterward, though, was how rude the servers were.👎It seems to be a recurring issue at Central, unfortunately. I don't expect anyone to go out of their way to suck up to me, but a simple smile and actually placing things on the table—rather than literally dropping plates from a height—would be much more appropriate.
When she first mentioned having her wedding there, quite a few people in our circle reacted with, "Wait, why there?" So, I'm not sure. Perhaps someone else will chime in with a positive experience to help balance things out.🤷

Sandra Morgan7 said:Yeah, I'm from St. Louis myself. I swung by Fancy and they definitely have some lovely items...

But what I'm actually hunting for is a hair clip or maybe a comb... something with a bit of a romantic vibe. I couldn't quite find that specific style there. 😢

Have you thought about wearing a flower in your hair instead? That would be so romantic.🙂 I'm actually feeling a little regretful now that I didn't go with that look myself...

Robert Nelson8 said:A friend of mine hosted her wedding at Central last year. The food was just okay—I’m not sure about their specific menu or pricing, but I assume you can get all those details if you give them a call. They used the back section of the venue for the reception, where the band and dance floor were set up right next to the bar. Honestly, the layout felt a bit disjointed; because of the pillars and the way the room is structured, the guests seated at the far end of the hall couldn't really see any of the action, like the music or the bouquet toss. One thing we specifically disliked and chatted about afterward, though, was how rude the servers were.👎It seems to be a recurring issue at Central, unfortunately. I don't expect anyone to go out of their way to suck up to me, but a simple smile and actually placing things on the table—rather than literally dropping plates from a height—would be much more appropriate.
When she first mentioned having her wedding there, quite a few people in our circle reacted with, "Wait, why there?" So, I'm not sure. Perhaps someone else will chime in with a positive experience to help balance things out.🤷

Thanks so much! I was honestly thinking the layout sounded a bit weird, and I haven't really heard of people hosting weddings there very often either.

Do you actually have to sign some kind of formal contract when you're renting out a venue? I heard some horror story about a place getting double-booked for the exact same date. Absolute nightmare!

Does anyone happen to know where I can rent some round tables and chairs around the outskirts of the area—maybe near somewhere like Indianapolis, or even heading toward St. Louis or maybe just closer to the suburbs?

Maria Ramirez4 said:Hey, that's the venue over on El Paso. It changed hands a few months back. It's nothing fancy, but it’s clean, organized, and the food and service are actually solid. I think I heard somewhere the price is $50 per person for both dinners. If you dig up more details, let me know.😍

An acquaintance of mine is hosting a wedding around July in that area, so we should hear all about it firsthand. To be honest, I don't find any of the banquet halls in Indianapolis particularly spectacular, and this one doesn't seem to differ much in terms of cost. If the food is decent and there are no hidden catches, I think it would be perfectly fine. 🙂

Robert Nelson8 said:Have you thought about wearing a flower in your hair instead? That would be so romantic.🙂 I'm actually feeling a little regretful now that I didn't go with that look myself...

I mean, yeah, I have... and honestly, it's still on the table. I haven't ruled it out. But first, I need to actually find some breathing room to hit up those shops the girls mentioned. Once I've done my rounds, then I'll make a call.🙂

Paul Taylor4 said:Has anyone here actually hosted wedding guests at the Central Hotel in Orlando, or maybe just heard some gossip about them?

I was there for a wedding once and honestly, I didn't have any complaints... plus, it seems pretty budget-friendly. Though, I guess it really depends on your guest list. If you're looking at a massive blowout, maybe not, but for a smaller, more intimate crowd? It’s basically perfect.

Help me out here... 🙂 Has anyone here had any actual experience dealing with Pleroo Jewelry over in Indianapolis?

Sarah Taylor4 said:Does anyone happen to know where I can rent some round tables and chairs around the outskirts of the area—maybe near somewhere like Indianapolis, or even heading toward St. Louis or maybe just closer to the suburbs?

I suppose you probably won't find much in the vicinity of Peoria, and I'm afraid I don't have any particular idea regarding the Chicago area.

Emily Allen7 said:I’m hosting my in-laws in a suburb outside of Chicago, and I have to say—this part isn't quite right. For 2009, the prices are actually closer to $24-$26. Honestly, I highly doubt they told you that about bringing your own food; most venues won't touch anything unless it comes with a health certificate, so there's no way they'd let you bring stuff from home. Plus, there really isn't a strict cutoff like that.

Look, honey, I have zero reason to lie to you, okay?😉
I’m just repeating what the owner told us. We sat down with him on March 6th, and those were the rates from the start of March onwards. We even got them in writing in one of their brochures. Same goes for the cabbage rolls and the limit—that's exactly what he said.
I’m not making things up. I’m just laying out the facts in hopes of actually being helpful.

Ryan Morris15 said:I suppose you probably won't find much in the vicinity of Peoria, and I'm afraid I don't have any particular idea regarding the Chicago area.

Yeah, that’s my take on it too.

Sandra Morgan7 said:I agree, $24 per head for a crowd of over 250 at Green Valley... just for this year. Honestly, looking at everything else now... everyone raves about Green Valley, but let’s be real, they aren't exactly the budget option. Plus, I really hope that rumor about us having to roll our own cabbage rolls is just talk, because we were fully planning on having them provided... who on earth has the time to hand-roll 600 individual rolls? 😲

We sorted out the decorations in the meantime... so that's one less headache.

I don't know, I just hope everything turns out okay... all the guests seem to have nothing but good things to say about Green Valley, and the owner seems like a decent enough guy..
except for the fact that his prices seem to creep up every single year 😁

Maybe you guys locked in those prices last year, but obviously, inflation hit everything. 🤷🤷👎
As for the cabbage rolls, he said they don't do them because they don't want the hassle of dealing with cabbage. If we really want them, he said we can roll them ourselves 😲😲 and just bring them in for them to cook, which is totally 👎👎
ridiculous. We weren't feeling the beef stew at all and were hoping to pick something else for the second course, but that was the answer we got. 😂😂

Maybelline are you from the local high school? Where on earth do you even find wedding guests these days?

Maria Ramirez4 said:Look, honey, I have zero reason to lie to you, okay?😉
I’m just repeating what the owner told us. We sat down with him on March 6th, and those were the rates from the start of March onwards. We even got them in writing in one of their brochures. Same goes for the cabbage rolls and the limit—that's exactly what he said.
I’m not making things up. I’m just laying out the facts in hopes of actually being helpful.

I am so sorry, I didn't mean to sound aggressive! I actually nearly fell out of my chair when I saw that price, so I went back and double-checked, and it turns out we're still paying what we originally agreed upon. Sorry about that!

Yeah, tell me about it. Prices around here are just getting ridiculous lately... it feels like everything gets more expensive every single year. So now I’ve got two stellar options: grab a cheap burger or spend all day making homemade chili from scratch. Just great!
And we totally missed the boat on asking about the limits, didn't we? Typical.

Well, whatever. It's a little late for me to do anything about it now 🙂 but I guess things will probably work out in the end, one way or another.😉

Ryan Morris15 said:Maybelline are you from the local high school? Where on earth do you even find wedding guests these days?

I’m from a tiny little town out in the Ozarks, but I actually live in the city now—so everything regarding the planning has to be handled from here. I'll shoot you all the details via DM.