Everything you need for a Midwest wedding

I've heard about that guy from the Midwest—honestly, I’m pretty skeptical. He's working for $0.50 while everyone else is pulling in at least 3k. I wouldn't take that kind of risk myself, especially with those heavy smoke effects... if the machine isn't top-tier, you just end up with a cloud of smoke where nobody can see you dancing, and then the photos and videos look like absolute trash.

I honestly have no clue what his current price tag is, though I heard somewhere it’s hovering between $3 and $5 $0.00. It’s a total bummer that he doesn't come with heavy smoke, but I guess that's just how it goes.

Does anyone have any insight into the pricing at Admiral in SF? Also, what’s the availability looking like for 2011...

Hannah Bailey6 said:Does anyone have any insight into the pricing at Admiral in SF? Also, what’s the availability looking like for 2011...

As for the pricing, I can't say for certain, but here’s what I do know: you simply can't bring everything you need—all your own food and drinks—without running into issues. You either have to supplement their offerings with your own supplies, or just commit to buying everything they provide. I recall the price being somewhere around... $47 In the capital, but just for this year.
Last year, around September, I started looking for an opening for this year—specifically aiming for late August, September, or October. The only slot they had available was October 23rd. So, if you ask me, those prime dates from May through September are probably already booked solid by now. Honestly? Your best bet is to just show up in person. Once you're there, they lay everything out for you on paper, and then you can figure out how to work the system to your advantage.
Was the ransom really $400?$167.

To be totally honest, I think the price is pretty reasonable $500. That $3,000 mark feels a little steep, though, maybe around $1667. I mean, looking at my own monthly paycheck, it’s a lot. I’m no expert on this kind of stuff, but it just doesn't feel like it's worth that much to me. I am absolutely loving the light show, though—it's way more impressive than those basic setups you see at every single wedding. I'll give that guy a call. Plus, it says here that $500 is the absolute ceiling for the price.

Betty Foster8 said:So, what price did you guys settle on? The ad says $500, but that seems kind of low to me 🤷

Hey Betty Foster8, did you end up giving him a call yet?😕

rowdypanther16 said:Hey Betty Foster8, did you end up giving him a call yet?😕

Nah, I just showed the guy some pics, and once he saw they were just spotlights on a stand, he totally lost it 🤷 like, he thinks it’s lame, kind of like some middle school dance vibe... but I actually think it looks fine, especially when those green lights mix with the white... 🤷
And honestly, some high-end light show is way too expensive for us 😢
but I found them on Facebook, so I'll probably just shoot them a message anyway 😉

Betty Foster8 said:Nah, I just showed the guy some pics, and once he saw they were just spotlights on a stand, he totally lost it 🤷 like, he thinks it’s lame, kind of like some middle school dance vibe... but I actually think it looks fine, especially when those green lights mix with the white... 🤷
And honestly, some high-end light show is way too expensive for us 😢
but I found them on Facebook, so I'll probably just shoot them a message anyway 😉

Once you hear anything, let me know 😉

Hey everyone, where are you all buying—or planning to buy—those little bride and groom cake toppers?
I saw some at a local Target, but they felt kind of tacky to me. Everything seems so cliché, like
the bride is catching a guy who’s just sitting there with a fishing pole and a ball and chain or something. I definitely wouldn't want that at my wedding.
Do you guys have any creative ideas?

I'm looking for young couples like this, or something close to it, but I can't find anything 😢

There are tons of them on here, but nothing actually fits what I had in mind... 😢
http://www.weddingaccessories.net/-s...Categories.bok

Hannah Bailey6 said:Does anyone have any insight into the pricing at Admiral in SF? Also, what’s the availability looking like for 2011...

Can't really speak for 2011.

Last year, my fiancé and I went by to check out prices for this year (we’ve got a wedding set for April 9th) and apparently, everything just depends on the guest count. If I remember right, if you're pulling in more than 200 people, the price drops to $83 per head, but if you're under 200, it's definitely steeper—not sure about the exact number though.

Back in 2009, the per-chair rate was $73 for groups over 200 (I know because some buddies of ours had their wedding there and that's what they shelled out, though they had to pay extra for the cakes, desserts, and flowers separately)

For us, the whole thing was just way too pricey, so we passed on it... honestly, who knows what the rates will be at that new Admiral hall they're still building...

Anyway, we ended up booking the Lucius venue in Unknown instead, and it's actually pretty great... if you want to see how it looks, check out the photos here: www.zuki.com

The per-chair cost is $63 (covers basically everything except the flowers), but you can mix and match stuff. Like, if you don't want their desserts (they get them from Bosi) then it's $3.25 less per chair, or if you skip the appetizers, it's even lower, like $3.25 less, etc...

My wedding is at the Admiral on September 25th, 2010.
Since we’re going all-in with their package, it's costing me $75 per person—decor isn't included, but honestly, the space looks amazing since they just finished repainting and refreshing everything a couple days ago.
If you bring your own stuff, the price drops to $50 per head. Seems like a better deal to me, but...
If your guest list is under 200, you can just stick to their full package, but if you're hitting over 200, you can mix and match things—like bringing in your own dessert or whatever.

I actually work right nearby, so if anyone wants me to swing by and check something out because you can't make it, just let me know!

Betty Foster8 said:

I'm looking for young couples like this, or something close to it, but I can't find anything 😢

There are tons of them on here, but nothing actually fits what I had in mind... 😢
http://www.weddingaccessories.net/-s...Categories.bok

I ended up ordering mine through Adobe.. Prices are listed right next to every design! Just heads up, you gotta pay shipping on top of that—they ship straight from Adobe—and that's $17 because they don't stock them locally, so they order them in. Feels a bit shady to me, but hey, works!
Adobe wasn't really my favorite experience, but I gotta admit, the decorations are killer! 😉

http://www.pozivnice.org/index.php?o...d=62&Itemid=73

blueheron15 said:I ended up ordering mine through Adobe.. Prices are listed right next to every design! Just heads up, you gotta pay shipping on top of that—they ship straight from Adobe—and that's $17 because they don't stock them locally, so they order them in. Feels a bit shady to me, but hey, works!
Adobe wasn't really my favorite experience, but I gotta admit, the decorations are killer! 😉

http://www.pozivnice.org/index.php?o...d=62&Itemid=73

these last ones without the price tags are actually pretty decent, I guess.😍

Betty Foster8 said:these last ones without the price tags are actually pretty decent, I guess.😍

We went ahead and ordered those white ones with the black stands 🙂
Down the road, they'll just look cool as decor somewhere in the house 🙂

blueowl88 said:Hey ladies!
As promised a while back, I wanted to share my experience here—hopefully it helps some of you out.
I got married last Saturday. 🙂 It was exhausting, but beautiful in the end, and we both loved it.
We ordered desserts from Ivanov’s at Catherine’s bakery. To be honest, I didn't try a single one, but my sister-in-law swore they were great. My only gripe was the packaging. I was expecting large platters, but they came in small boxes, so we actually ran out of dessert. That was on us, though; we misjudged the amount needed. The cake itself was stunning. Each tier had a different flavor. The top tier was a lemon breeze, and it was easily my favorite. Highly recommend. 👍
Dinner was held at the Sphere bistro, right across from Anheuser-Busch. We were pretty skeptical about the restaurant because of the price point, but everything was handled professionally and went smoothly. For $50 per person, we got two courses. The first course included a beef ragu soup that everyone raved about (it was delicious, too), plus pork and chicken prepared however we wanted (3 pieces of meat per person), 2 sides of our choice, and a mixed salad. The second course was either a hearty stew or stuffed cabbage rolls. We went with the cabbage rolls, and I think we made the right call because everyone said they were tasty. We did upgrade the first course with extra pork and lamb, which was a smart move since we wanted leftovers for lunch the next day. I should mention that the portions aren't small; people ate well because everything tasted so good.
The waitresses were top-tier. Honestly, nothing but praise for them. They were cheerful, warm, smiling, and always available. They were so accommodating with every request. They even rearranged the table decorations the next day for lunch so everything still looked festive. They were truly wonderful! 👍
The flowers were done by Alstromeria, and they did a fantastic job. Our table was indescribable. Everyone kept coming over just to look at the arrangements. Even the other tables were beautifully decorated.
All in all, we were really skeptical about this venue, but I can say we would do it all again there. It wasn't expensive, and the service and atmosphere were excellent.
P.S. I'm a bit picky when it comes to the WCA, but all our guests mentioned that both WCA facilities were very clean, tidy, and smelled fresh.
Anyway, I hope this helps anyone searching for wedding vendors.
Best!

Hey, huge congratulations! I'm so glad everything went smoothly for you... Could you please let me know about the band? (If I remember right, Victor was playing?) How were they? Did they take a lot of breaks, and what time did they wrap up? 😁 thanks so much!

Thanks so much, ladies!!!
I'm currently living in New York City, but we’re planning a wedding for next year around April, May, or June, so I'm just doing some preliminary digging... We're originally from Memphis, and honestly, that hall over at the Fairgrounds isn't really my style. The Hilton can accommodate up to 180 guests, so I'm looking into other options... I'm not sure what the availability is typically like there... and on average, how much do people usually put down for deposits?

rapidfox42 said:My wedding is at the Admiral on September 25th, 2010.
Since we’re going all-in with their package, it's costing me $75 per person—decor isn't included, but honestly, the space looks amazing since they just finished repainting and refreshing everything a couple days ago.
If you bring your own stuff, the price drops to $50 per head. Seems like a better deal to me, but...
If your guest list is under 200, you can just stick to their full package, but if you're hitting over 200, you can mix and match things—like bringing in your own dessert or whatever.

I actually work right nearby, so if anyone wants me to swing by and check something out because you can't make it, just let me know!

Austin Hayes2 said:I actually used Elijah for my wedding a few months ago, and he was fantastic. The shots are stunning... truly beautiful. He shot my best friend's wedding too, and it was snowing that day, but her photos turned out even better. So, there you go. My DVD is totally fine. Look, I didn't make things difficult—that's just not who I am—but everything really depends on the vibe at the wedding. You can't produce something "wow" if the party is boring. In my case, it wasn't hard for him at all because he stayed until 5 AM filming. The crowd was so energetic that he managed to catch almost everything.

It seems everyone has their own mix of positive and negative experiences with him. I personally know a few people who actually voiced complaints last summer regarding both the photo quality and the DVD. Then again, I also have my own firsthand experience... Perhaps his work has improved over time? Still, when you're paying a premium price, you really don't want the end result to be a disaster. I simply wasn't willing to take that risk. I am genuinely happy to hear that everything turned out so well for you, but for others, it hasn't been such a smooth ride. In my opinion, the quality of the photos shouldn't be dependent on the atmosphere of the party; regardless of how much fun everyone is having, the photos themselves absolutely must be excellent.🙂

Hannah Bailey6 said:Thanks so much, ladies!!!
I'm currently living in New York City, but we’re planning a wedding for next year around April, May, or June, so I'm just doing some preliminary digging... We're originally from Memphis, and honestly, that hall over at the Fairgrounds isn't really my style. The Hilton can accommodate up to 180 guests, so I'm looking into other options... I'm not sure what the availability is typically like there... and on average, how much do people usually put down for deposits?

Not sure if you're asking about the Marriott or what?

As for deposits, here’s my breakdown

Music: $267
Marriott: $1000, but you can usually negotiate them down a bit
Pyrotechnics: $333
Wedding Dress: $233
Photo: As far as I know, around $333, but I didn't pay since my cousin is doing the shots

Here’s what I’ve put down so far:
The venue is $5,000 $0.00
The band is $2,500 $267
The cake is $500 $0.00
I haven't hired a photographer yet, and my mom is actually sewing my dress herself.