Everything you need for a Midwest wedding

copperhawk said:Hey, fellow Slavonkas! I need some serious help here—can anyone give me the lowdown on photographers and videographers in Pittsburgh? Who’s actually legit and worth the money, and who should I definitely steer clear of?

Check out this site. Personally, I think their work is great—the shots look beautiful and they put together a solid DVD. They did my cousin's shoot a while back... www.tref.hr

electricraven18 said:Hey there... anyone got some more intel or maybe some firsthand thoughts on Mimi?

I don't have a ton of details to give you, but honestly, I just really like her. Hehe. The studio itself is beautiful, though I will say it’s definitely the priciest spot in Savannah...☕

Hey, does anyone have recommendations for pastries in Indianapolis or the surrounding area? Has anyone tried Dundo’s bakery—is their stuff actually any good?
Actually, how many grams of dessert should I budget per person? If anyone knows the standard serving size.

Also, any suggestions for local florists? What are the prices like at Alstromeria Fantasy, or maybe somewhere else?

Does anyone happen to know what the rates are like at the LA hotel in Memphis?

If prices hadn't been climbing—specifically within that 126-$46
range...

Chloe Hughes5 said:I won't be able to give you a real answer for another month😁. See, our wedding is exactly one month from today
and I'll have some actual feedback once it's over. We're hosting 350 guests with round tables, and they're handling all the catering and drinks ourselves
.
So, what specifically are you looking to find out?

Ugh, I don't even know what to ask, just everything... plus ours is coming up in October...
We’re looking at 500 people (well, we *planned* on that, but we've been aggressively cutting the guest list for days now...)
Do they do round tables at Mimi's? Is that something you guys requested, or is it just an option—or god forbid, a strict rule? Because if it's a rule, there's zero chance we'll have room for a dance floor...
We're bringing our own catering, but the drinks will probably be provided by them, except for the wine—we've got our own stash, so if we run out, we'll dip into theirs...
How many servers did they tell you guys we'd need?

electricraven18 said:Ugh, I don't even know what to ask, just everything... plus ours is coming up in October...
We’re looking at 500 people (well, we *planned* on that, but we've been aggressively cutting the guest list for days now...)
Do they do round tables at Mimi's? Is that something you guys requested, or is it just an option—or god forbid, a strict rule? Because if it's a rule, there's zero chance we'll have room for a dance floor...
We're bringing our own catering, but the drinks will probably be provided by them, except for the wine—we've got our own stash, so if we run out, we'll dip into theirs...
How many servers did they tell you guys we'd need?

Round tables are really only an option if you're hosting under 400 guests (we're sitting at 350). As for the servers, I'm not sure because we're outsourcing everything from them except the cake. My brother actually had his wedding there with 500 people using standard rectangular tables, and it turned out lovely, no overcrowding issues at all. My main worry is that my venue might end up looking too empty...

As for the rest, like decorations, I honestly don't know what's included in their packages and what isn't. I am getting chair covers from them $3.25 per unit, but for the floral arrangements, I went with the florist at Starbucks in Savannah. To be honest, I can't give you any definitive answers yet since I'm still waiting on final confirmations from everyone...

If you have any other questions, just ask, and I'll try to help where I can.
I felt completely overwhelmed when I first started planning this whole thing, but this forum has been an absolute lifesaver through every single step (major props to all the brides here🙏), so I'd definitely suggest reading through the old threads...🙂
Good luck with all the planning!😉

Maria Ramirez4 said:So, I’m looking for some help here:

Does anyone know where I can pick up some cork bottle stoppers? Also, does anyone have leads on car ribbons?
I checked out Amazon, but they don't carry any purple ones—just the standard white, red, pink, and yellow. None of that works for me. On a side note, if anyone is shopping, there's a huge selection of various reverbs, pads, baskets, tambourines, hair accessories, suspenders, and more available. It’s way cheaper than buying stuff here in Pittsburgh.

Go to Canada, specifically Harkany. There is this one dive shop (excuse my language) where you can dig up just about anything, and you'd never guess they carry it. Basically, when you arrive in Harkany from the direction of Siklos, turn left at the first street after the beer place (there's an ABC grocery store on the corner that I think is closed). The shop should be the second one on the right. They have all sorts of stuff outside—cauldrons, pots, plastics, toys... then you head up a few steps into the building. A lady in blue runs the place; she speaks American, German, Canadian... whatever you need. 20 pieces cost about $2.00. The slightly wider ones are around $3.25, and they come in large packs. You can also get tablecloth rolls (10m) for about 30 bucks (depending on what you want... thick like a napkin, thin like cobweb, or silk). There are piles of satin ribbons for rosemary and things like that too. Depending on the thickness, I got mine for $0.33 per meter. 🙂 Seriously, they have everything, and you would never expect to find it there. It's worth a visit.

Maria Ramirez4 said:Hey, does anyone have recommendations for pastries in Indianapolis or the surrounding area? Has anyone tried Dundo’s bakery—is their stuff actually any good?
Actually, how many grams of dessert should I budget per person? If anyone knows the standard serving size.

Also, any suggestions for local florists? What are the prices like at Alstromeria Fantasy, or maybe somewhere else?

I’d love to know the same thing..
What I do know is that I asked at Fantasy about a centerpiece with floating candles and was shocked by the price of $27. And a wedding table garland for 10 people with just a few flowers—nothing too over-the-top—was $233. Honestly, thanks, but that is RIDICULOUSLY expensive!🤷
As for pastries, I heard Caitlin's treats on Broadway are great. I'm not sure about the exact price, but I think it's around $23/lb, and cakes are about $43... depending on what you want. They were nice because everything came beautifully packaged on trays and in cellophane. Best part was that at the weddings I've been to where they used them, everything was eaten. There were very few leftovers, and the cakes were completely gone.
So, I don't know.. I think you just have to go and try them. You can buy pastries by the pound and grab a little bit of everything to test them out. 🙂

Just wanted to let you all know I finally booked the wedding photographers. After looking everything over, I decided to go with Vision Studios. I went in for a consultation, checked out their portfolio and videos, and they’re solid. Plus, they offer that specialized ballroom lighting setup, so I just added that to the package right away. Thanks to everyone who helped me weigh my options! Honestly, after seeing their work, I can vouch for them—if you need someone, check out their site and ask about the lighting package.

I forgot to mention that you actually get a choice between two aspect ratios: the old 4:3 style for vintage TVs or the modern 16:9 format for newer screens.
I went with the widescreen option. If you end up chatting with your videographer, just ask specifically about the widescreen setting—it’s superior and offers better resolution. That's what the pro at Hollywood Studios told me; he said it looks more cinematic and is designed for those modern flat-screens. So, there's a little tip for you, just like I learned it the hard way. Good luck picking your studio.

Keith Jones11 said:Just wanted to let you all know I finally booked the wedding photographers. After looking everything over, I decided to go with Vision Studios. I went in for a consultation, checked out their portfolio and videos, and they’re solid. Plus, they offer that specialized ballroom lighting setup, so I just added that to the package right away. Thanks to everyone who helped me weigh my options! Honestly, after seeing their work, I can vouch for them—if you need someone, check out their site and ask about the lighting package.

Honestly, their portfolio doesn't even do much for me.

Does anyone know a good, affordable flower shop in Indianapolis? Or maybe somewhere just outside the city... Thanks.

Are you telling me nobody was at Rene's wedding? Come on, ladies, please...

Brian Murphy7 said:Are you telling me nobody was at Rene's wedding? Come on, ladies, please...

Look, I don't think the interior is anything to write home about 🤷—but hey, fair enough. I saw a video from the wedding held in that hall, though, and that was like five years ago... who knows what it looks like now.

Hey, has anyone actually seen where you can buy an aisle runner locally? Here's a photo... I’m dying to get one, but I haven't found anything anywhere unless I order it from overseas... and honestly, I really don't want to deal with all that hassle.

Justin Martinez3 said:Honestly, their portfolio doesn't even do much for me.

I just found some new shots they posted on their site, take a look http://fotozine.org/?omen=studio-vision
And here are a couple of new videos that aren't on the main site yet, in case you're interested http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/v...=1162188500678

Brian Murphy7 said:Are you telling me nobody was at Rene's wedding? Come on, ladies, please...

Exactly!!! You won’t regret it if you choose them for your wedding party. People there are genuinely wonderful. I find myself part of a wedding party there about three times a year on average, and honestly, everything is fantastic. The organization is top-tier; the coordinator is so seasoned and efficient that you really have nothing to worry about. I actually feel a bit envious that I don't have my own family orchard nearby to host things—if my partner lived closer to her, I know I'd be hosting events there constantly. Plus, my sister is actually having her wedding party there next year... so, yeah... Don't stress!! If you have any other questions, just ask!!!

By the way!! Does anyone happen to have photos of how unknown was decorated over in unknown??

I haven't had a chance to read through everything yet, so please bear with me if I end up repeating something already mentioned... but I am desperately looking for some solid recommendations for a photographer based out of Indianapolis. Thanks so much!

Joshua Brown2 said:Leon Productions is solid, but man, they aren't cheap either http://www.fotozine.org/?omen=LeonProdukcija
Infinity studio looks pretty interesting based on their website. Pretty cool stuff.
Anić from a small town in Oregon does great work too.

🙂