Everything you need for a Midwest wedding

swiftcrane31 said:Victoria is from Redlands... isn't she?

And she isn't the one I'm thinking of, I guess.

Just in case anyone is curious, here in St. Louis, renting a wedding dress usually runs you about $2,000, while buying one can go up to $1333... You get everything included just like it is here, from the basket to all the little extras..

neonridge38 said:Just in case anyone is curious, here in St. Louis, renting a wedding dress usually runs you about $2,000, while buying one can go up to $1333... You get everything included just like it is here, from the basket to all the little extras..

Oh man... This info came a little too late for me. I’m heading out to try mine next Friday, and the big day is only 13 days away. 🙂 Anyway, thanks. I'm sure this will be helpful for someone else.

By the way, I noticed this forum is pretty quiet lately. Maybe everyone is just swamped with Easter prep and everything else, or maybe there's just nothing left to say..
Well, I'll kick things off. Like I mentioned, my wedding is right around the corner, and honestly, the panic is starting to set in... from the logistics to how the actual day will go. Sometimes I just look around my room and think: What idiot convinced me to leave my comfort zone in the first place?! Where am I supposed to go with all this girl stuff? What does life actually look like outside of a "safe zone"? We haven't found that perfect little apartment for the two of us yet, so I'm also stressing about where we'll live during those first few months together. 😕
Gosh, my head is spinning with a million different things and I haven't been sleeping. I'm already having nightmares about the wedding, the guests... everything. I hope you guys are holding it together much better than I am. Phew... 🤦

Hey everyone... my big day is getting closer... just over a month out now... we already sent out the invites, mostly because I just couldn't stop thinking about them. Between the actual sending and all the complaining we've dealt with, I'm a bit frazzled. We went with a pretty playful vibe for the wording and didn't mention our parents at all. The text makes it clear that *we* are the ones inviting you, not them (honestly, they haven't lifted a finger, and we're footing the entire bill and doing all the planning ourselves)... but now the relatives are starting to chirp because apparently, since our parents are the ones "giving us away," they have to be listed. It really stung... I'm wondering if you guys included your parents on your invites, or if we totally messed this up?

mellowjackal1 said:Hey everyone... my big day is getting closer... just over a month out now... we already sent out the invites, mostly because I just couldn't stop thinking about them. Between the actual sending and all the complaining we've dealt with, I'm a bit frazzled. We went with a pretty playful vibe for the wording and didn't mention our parents at all. The text makes it clear that *we* are the ones inviting you, not them (honestly, they haven't lifted a finger, and we're footing the entire bill and doing all the planning ourselves)... but now the relatives are starting to chirp because apparently, since our parents are the ones "giving us away," they have to be listed. It really stung... I'm wondering if you guys included your parents on your invites, or if we totally messed this up?

I truly don't think you made a mistake, especially considering that you are organizing this entire wedding yourselves without any parental assistance. I personally see nothing wrong with that. At the end of the day, this is your moment, and you should be able to celebrate it exactly how you wish. You really shouldn't let the comments of others weigh on you; there will always be someone with something to complain about, no matter what you do.👍

mellowjackal1 said:Hey everyone... my big day is getting closer... just over a month out now... we already sent out the invites, mostly because I just couldn't stop thinking about them. Between the actual sending and all the complaining we've dealt with, I'm a bit frazzled. We went with a pretty playful vibe for the wording and didn't mention our parents at all. The text makes it clear that *we* are the ones inviting you, not them (honestly, they haven't lifted a finger, and we're footing the entire bill and doing all the planning ourselves)... but now the relatives are starting to chirp because apparently, since our parents are the ones "giving us away," they have to be listed. It really stung... I'm wondering if you guys included your parents on your invites, or if we totally messed this up?

You absolutely did not make a mistake. We aren't planning on mentioning our parents on ours either. Honestly, it didn't even cross my mind; those old-fashioned invitations where the parents act as the hosts feel totally outdated to me. And thank God our parents haven't even asked to be included.

And besides, don't let this get to you... people are naturally prone to being difficult, and they will find the tiniest thing to nitpick if you give them the chance. You invited them because you want them to share that moment with you, which should be an honor in itself. The fact that they're choosing to complain is incredibly unfair on their part.

I'm actually quite jealous! My wedding isn't for another six months, and people are already finding things to criticize—from the color palette I picked to the photographer, and even the band... but personally, I'm just letting it all go in one ear and out the other. 🙂

The most important thing is that you and your partner love each other and that you have an absolute blast celebrating with your family, friends, and everyone you hold dear. People will forget about the invitation wording eventually anyway... and since they're already out there, there's no sense in stressing yourself out over it now.

Thanks, ladies! You guys have been a lifesaver... honestly, I’m starting to wonder why they even feel entitled to stick their noses in my business!!!
I’m counting down the days, and I’m already right on the edge of a total meltdown because I feel like there just isn't enough time left.
We’ve checked everything off the list, but everyone keeps saying we need to meet up after Easter to finalize all the details.
Flowers-Final Agreement
Photographer—background tracks, painting for the DVD
Music-In intro song
Cookies-Final amount...
It’s a total disaster!
I feel like I could bite someone's head off or just burst into tears at any given second!

mellowjackal1 said:Thanks, ladies! You guys have been a lifesaver... honestly, I’m starting to wonder why they even feel entitled to stick their noses in my business!!!
I’m counting down the days, and I’m already right on the edge of a total meltdown because I feel like there just isn't enough time left.
We’ve checked everything off the list, but everyone keeps saying we need to meet up after Easter to finalize all the details.
Flowers-Final Agreement
Photographer—background tracks, painting for the DVD
Music-In intro song
Cookies-Final amount...
It’s a total disaster!
I feel like I could bite someone's head off or just burst into tears at any given second!

Why are you stressing out? This is just standard procedure. We already touched base with the photographer and the band, and we’re planning to call them on Monday before the wedding on May 8th. So, we'll settle the shoot timing on May 3rd. The musicians are solid and they already know our first song... don't blow a fuse for no reason. Some things, even if you want them settled right this second, just have to wait.
My advice is to just make a schedule. For instance, set April 12th to talk to the photographer, then April 13th to meet with the band... and just follow that pattern. If you stick to a plan, that panic about running out of time will eventually disappear.

mellowjackal1 said:Hey everyone... my big day is getting closer... just over a month out now... we already sent out the invites, mostly because I just couldn't stop thinking about them. Between the actual sending and all the complaining we've dealt with, I'm a bit frazzled. We went with a pretty playful vibe for the wording and didn't mention our parents at all. The text makes it clear that *we* are the ones inviting you, not them (honestly, they haven't lifted a finger, and we're footing the entire bill and doing all the planning ourselves)... but now the relatives are starting to chirp because apparently, since our parents are the ones "giving us away," they have to be listed. It really stung... I'm wondering if you guys included your parents on your invites, or if we totally messed this up?

We actually put our parents' names on ours! But not in a way where they were "hosting" the wedding. Nobody forced us to do it, and nobody expected it, but since they were covering a huge chunk of the costs, we thought it would be a nice gesture. They loved it, and so did we.

Honestly, I don't think it's even a big deal—I haven't seen parents listed on an invitation in forever, even in cases where the parents paid for absolutely everything.

Personally, I don't think you did anything wrong. It's just a matter of taste and what you want. And since you mentioned they haven't helped one bit with the wedding, I have no idea why they’d expect to be included anyway.

mellowjackal1 said:Hey everyone... my big day is getting closer... just over a month out now... we already sent out the invites, mostly because I just couldn't stop thinking about them. Between the actual sending and all the complaining we've dealt with, I'm a bit frazzled. We went with a pretty playful vibe for the wording and didn't mention our parents at all. The text makes it clear that *we* are the ones inviting you, not them (honestly, they haven't lifted a finger, and we're footing the entire bill and doing all the planning ourselves)... but now the relatives are starting to chirp because apparently, since our parents are the ones "giving us away," they have to be listed. It really stung... I'm wondering if you guys included your parents on your invites, or if we totally messed this up?

Oh, please don't let this get to you... people will always find something to nitpick, won't they? Why should it matter what you chose to write? At the end of the day, they just need to let you know whether they are attending or not, right?
We didn't list our parents on ours either, even though they're covering most of the costs while we just handle the smaller details.

Honestly, why even worry about it? I’m not listing my parents either, since neither my mom nor my dad are showing up to the wedding anyway. And even if they were, I still wouldn't bother putting their names down. They had their own big days back in the day, so they could have listed whoever they wanted then. This is your moment, period. Besides, I am absolutely spiraling right now... part of me just wants to pull the plug on everything and cancel it all. As we get closer—we’ve only got 37 days left, oh my godddddd—I just get this overwhelming feeling that nothing is going to go right, like everything is just going to fall apart... ugh, I feel physically sick just thinking about it... 😢 😢 😢

You guys are seriously the best!! It means so much having this place to vent to... my big day is May 29th and I am counting down the seconds! I’ve already started having wedding fever dreams... anyone else getting those?
Lately, I keep dreaming that nobody shows up, or the bride and groom aren't even in the hall where they're supposed to be... just total chaos vibes.
Huge thanks to Christian Taylor8!!!🙂

mellowjackal1 said:You guys are seriously the best!! It means so much having this place to vent to... my big day is May 29th and I am counting down the seconds! I’ve already started having wedding fever dreams... anyone else getting those?
Lately, I keep dreaming that nobody shows up, or the bride and groom aren't even in the hall where they're supposed to be... just total chaos vibes.
Huge thanks to Christian Taylor8!!!🙂

Well, I actually had my first wedding dream just last night... it was intense. My friends didn't show, and my mom was stuck cooking dinner for the guests while I was absolutely losing my mind... but honestly, I still have six months until the wedding, so there's plenty of time for these kinds of nightmares. I'm trying not to let it get to me too much; whatever happens, will happen. 🙂

Even though I probably should be feeling a little more anxious, we've already booked the restaurant, the live band, our song for the first dance, and it's just us two for now. 🙂

mellowjackal1 said:You guys are seriously the best!! It means so much having this place to vent to... my big day is May 29th and I am counting down the seconds! I’ve already started having wedding fever dreams... anyone else getting those?
Lately, I keep dreaming that nobody shows up, or the bride and groom aren't even in the hall where they're supposed to be... just total chaos vibes.
Huge thanks to Christian Taylor8!!!🙂

No problem at all, we're all just here to help each other out. I haven't figured out how to get the hot water working yet, but using the checklist makes staying organized a lot easier, so you should give it a shot too.
Good luck, hope everything goes smoothly.
Man, I am such a nervous wreck right now—our wedding is in exactly one month and my husband has been low-key spiraling for days. Usually, he's the level-headed, logical one who has everything planned out, so seeing him like this is stressing me out.

Christian Taylor8 said:No problem at all, we're all just here to help each other out. I haven't figured out how to get the hot water working yet, but using the checklist makes staying organized a lot easier, so you should give it a shot too.
Good luck, hope everything goes smoothly.
Man, I am such a nervous wreck right now—our wedding is in exactly one month and my husband has been low-key spiraling for days. Usually, he's the level-headed, logical one who has everything planned out, so seeing him like this is stressing me out.

That’s basically always been our dynamic. Nothing used to get under my skin, but he’d just worry and drive me crazy. Now the roles have flipped—I'm the stressed one and he's totally fine, which is somehow even more annoying... haha...
So, what's your big day?

There isn’t a single scenario where men don't find a way to get under our skin 🙂
Our date is May 8th. When's yours?
And of course, we're all just sitting here praying there aren't any nasty spring storms hitting on my wedding day, right?🙂

Christian Taylor8 said:There isn’t a single scenario where men don't find a way to get under our skin 🙂
Our date is May 8th. When's yours?
And of course, we're all just sitting here praying there aren't any nasty spring storms hitting on my wedding day, right?🙂

I'm up on May 29th.
Fingers crossed for nothing but beautiful weather... you can just think of me while you're off on your honeymoon... 🙂

Where are you having the wedding party?

St. Louis.
I’ve got some tips for my fellow St. Louis locals regarding certain prices, but I'll get around to writing that out tonight or tomorrow morning. Honestly, we managed to save a ton on quite a few things just by pure luck and running into some good people along the way.

Excuse me if I’m being a bit of a busybody here—I know, I know, 🙂—but I’ve finally picked out my wedding dress. It is, without question, the most stunning gown in existence, and honestly, probably the most expensive one in the shop, too. 😢 I’ve already made peace with the price tag—after all, you only do this once in a lifetime, right?—but now a little wave of panic has hit me. I realized I completely forgot to ask the consultants at the boutique: what happens if something actually happens to the dress? Like, if there’s a tiny tear or some unexpected damage... am I the one stuck footing the bill for repairs? 😢

I actually know this one acquaintance who decided to rent her wedding dress from a shop in Nikoline. By the end of the night, she had completely shredded the hem—it was this delicate lace thing—and the whole gown was absolutely caked in mud. But you know what? She just paid the rental fee like everything was totally fine and walked away. 😁 No extra charges, nothing.