Everything you need for a Midwest wedding

The Nikolina venue is massive; it holds 700 people, though I’ve heard it can accommodate up to 1,000. It feels sterile—all white and far too large for my taste. It always looks empty. If they dance during dinner service, the food arrives cold at the tables furthest from the kitchen. Simply put, the scale kills the atmosphere. Neither the head table nor the decor stands out. Out of all the venues, this is my least favorite.

At Karamarko, the pillars aren't ugly—they actually look quite nice—but they are incredibly impractical for dancing. At one wedding, some drunk lunatic pulled me while we were dancing in a circle, sending me crashing into a pillar. He just laughed, claiming he didn't even see it. Unbelievable. Naturally, I sprained my foot and couldn't walk properly for days, which was unfortunate since my own wedding was the following weekend.🙄 I wasn't stressed about it, though. Not at all.
I have no idea of the exact capacity, but I've noticed weddings there are usually smaller because those damn pillars eat up so much floor space. I attended two weddings there; both had about 350 guests, and the room felt perfectly full.

Mima is decent, though they've updated the look recently. They have burgundy accents now, including a burgundy and gold striped backdrop behind the head table. It photographs beautifully, but it isn't everyone's style. Personally, I think that hall is perfect for 450 to 550 people. You can squeeze in 600, but it becomes overcrowded.

Perić maxes out at 450 people. At that capacity, the chairs are so tight you have to shove them just to reach the aisle to stand up. It wasn't a dealbreaker for me, but it's worth noting. The hall itself is lovely.

I won't comment on pricing. They hike it up by a few hundred dollars every single year.

Hannah Bailey6 said:Hey, I'm actually based in Washington, D.C., but I'm getting married in Memphis.
I've been checking out venues, and while the Lion is alright, it feels pretty cramped, and honestly, I wasn't expecting the price tag to be that high. Could you let me know which menu you went with at the Hilton? It seems like a surprisingly good deal. Also, if you happen to have any photos of the hall, I'd love to see them. How far in advance did you put down the deposit? Thanks.😉

Take a look at that deli in Memphis, right by the exit toward Petrovac. I’ve heard nothing but great things about them—the food is fantastic, and apparently, their sandwich selection is top-tier too. I'm actually planning to swing by this summer during my vacation to check it out for myself. It sounds like you're dealing with the exact same issue I am... that long haul from NYC to Memphis. 🙂

Hannah Bailey6 said:Hey, I'm actually based in Washington, D.C., but I'm getting married in Memphis.
I've been checking out venues, and while the Lion is alright, it feels pretty cramped, and honestly, I wasn't expecting the price tag to be that high. Could you let me know which menu you went with at the Hilton? It seems like a surprisingly good deal. Also, if you happen to have any photos of the hall, I'd love to see them. How far in advance did you put down the deposit? Thanks.😉

I haven't even picked out the menu yet, but I've got this massive list of dishes staring me in the face. It's huge. Honestly, I have no clue what I'm going to go with. 🙂 We can probably sort this out toward the end. We actually booked that hall back in August last year... you can find photos of the place online if you want to check it out. I’ve been there myself, and honestly, it’s gorgeous. How many guests are you expecting? When's the big day? Man, there are plenty of us in NYC-V. 🙂

Has anyone here actually used the Blaž Hotel over in Des Moines?
We’re looking at a wedding crowd of about 200 to 220 people, so we don’t really need those massive, cavernous banquet halls you see in some of the bigger cities.

We actually swung by the other day to check it out while they were hosting another wedding—there were maybe 250 people there—and honestly, I liked the vibe. Even with all those pillars scattered around the room, it didn't feel too bad.

I’d love to get some real reviews. How’s the food situation? Do they keep the buffets pretty well-stocked? Also, is the alcohol legit, or is it all cheap stuff? And most importantly, how are the bathrooms during the peak of the party? Like, do they actually stay clean and keep the paper towels stocked, or is it a disaster zone?
What’s the staff like? Are they proactive and actually walking the floor checking on tables, or do you have to hunt them down just to get a refill? If there’s anything else I should be worrying about—stuff I haven't even thought of yet—please let me know.

Thanks!

Daniel Turner7 said:Has anyone here actually used the Blaž Hotel over in Des Moines?
We’re looking at a wedding crowd of about 200 to 220 people, so we don’t really need those massive, cavernous banquet halls you see in some of the bigger cities.

We actually swung by the other day to check it out while they were hosting another wedding—there were maybe 250 people there—and honestly, I liked the vibe. Even with all those pillars scattered around the room, it didn't feel too bad.

I’d love to get some real reviews. How’s the food situation? Do they keep the buffets pretty well-stocked? Also, is the alcohol legit, or is it all cheap stuff? And most importantly, how are the bathrooms during the peak of the party? Like, do they actually stay clean and keep the paper towels stocked, or is it a disaster zone?
What’s the staff like? Are they proactive and actually walking the floor checking on tables, or do you have to hunt them down just to get a refill? If there’s anything else I should be worrying about—stuff I haven't even thought of yet—please let me know.

Thanks!

I was there last Saturday for a wedding. It was the usual: everything except the service in the hall was terrible. Here is what was supposed to be on the tables:
beef ragu soup
cabbage rolls
the main course: rolled pork roast, veal cutlets in mushroom sauce, Chicago-style cutlets, chicken cutlet rolled with ham and cheese, risotto with peas, mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables sautéed in butter.

But here is what actually happened and how it tasted:
The beef ragu soup was thin, bland, and the dough wasn't even fully cooked. I went for seconds, and even then, I only managed to find four tiny pieces of meat in total.
The cabbage rolls were mushy. The meat inside was pink and the rice was hard. To add to that, there were 12 of us at the table and we only received 8 cabbage rolls!

As for the main course, nothing looked like it should, and the taste wasn't right either. The meat with mushroom sauce was a disaster; the sauce was harsh and didn't taste like mushrooms, nor could you find any actual mushrooms in it. The rolled pork looked highly suspicious, so I didn't even bother tasting it. The Chicago-style and the rolled chicken cutlets were actually good.
The "risotto" wasn't even risotto, just plain rice shaped into a ball. The mashed potatoes were anything but; they were just boiled diced potatoes. As for the mixed vegetables, it was just carrots and cauliflower.

Bottom line—we all left hungry. Not only was the food mediocre, but there simply wasn't enough given the number of people at the table.

I won't comment on the drinks because I don't know if the hotel provided them or not.

The restroom smelled as soon as we entered the hall, so I highly doubt they were cleaning them, even though I didn't notice a huge mess with paper towels during the evening.

In general, we don't go there just for weddings; they host various events several times a year, so I'm there often. I can tell you the only positive thing is the staff—they are very fast, polite, and make sure things stay on the tables. They have a knack for keeping drinks flowing, but when it comes to food, there is never enough!

One more thing—be extremely careful when making arrangements with them. You have to ask about every single little detail. For example, they told this bride on Friday that she needed to bring her own glassware from the florist for the fruit arrangement that had been agreed upon long ago. This means they basically offer fruit in a crate if you don't bring everything yourself to make it look decent.

Basically... I have nothing positive to say about Blažo, except that they do have waiters. 👍

Angela Davis74 said:I was there last Saturday for a wedding. It was the usual: everything except the service in the hall was terrible. Here is what was supposed to be on the tables:
beef ragu soup
cabbage rolls
the main course: rolled pork roast, veal cutlets in mushroom sauce, Chicago-style cutlets, chicken cutlet rolled with ham and cheese, risotto with peas, mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables sautéed in butter.

But here is what actually happened and how it tasted:
The beef ragu soup was thin, bland, and the dough wasn't even fully cooked. I went for seconds, and even then, I only managed to find four tiny pieces of meat in total.
The cabbage rolls were mushy. The meat inside was pink and the rice was hard. To add to that, there were 12 of us at the table and we only received 8 cabbage rolls!

As for the main course, nothing looked like it should, and the taste wasn't right either. The meat with mushroom sauce was a disaster; the sauce was harsh and didn't taste like mushrooms, nor could you find any actual mushrooms in it. The rolled pork looked highly suspicious, so I didn't even bother tasting it. The Chicago-style and the rolled chicken cutlets were actually good.
The "risotto" wasn't even risotto, just plain rice shaped into a ball. The mashed potatoes were anything but; they were just boiled diced potatoes. As for the mixed vegetables, it was just carrots and cauliflower.

Bottom line—we all left hungry. Not only was the food mediocre, but there simply wasn't enough given the number of people at the table.

I won't comment on the drinks because I don't know if the hotel provided them or not.

The restroom smelled as soon as we entered the hall, so I highly doubt they were cleaning them, even though I didn't notice a huge mess with paper towels during the evening.

In general, we don't go there just for weddings; they host various events several times a year, so I'm there often. I can tell you the only positive thing is the staff—they are very fast, polite, and make sure things stay on the tables. They have a knack for keeping drinks flowing, but when it comes to food, there is never enough!

One more thing—be extremely careful when making arrangements with them. You have to ask about every single little detail. For example, they told this bride on Friday that she needed to bring her own glassware from the florist for the fruit arrangement that had been agreed upon long ago. This means they basically offer fruit in a crate if you don't bring everything yourself to make it look decent.

Basically... I have nothing positive to say about Blažo, except that they do have waiters. 👍

That's exactly what I was afraid of. The hotel manager gave us such a great pitch that we actually thought about booking it. Especially since it's a hotel, we assumed it would be a well-oiled machine with seasoned chefs and professional servers who wouldn't dare mess up the food.
Regarding the food, she told us we'd get about 25 ounces of meat per person on the main course (pork and lamb). That sounds okay to me if it's a mix of both, meaning about half a pound each. I forgot to ask if that was split. But based on your story, it sounds like that's 25 ounces total, and I bet that's raw weight, so once it's cooked, it'll be even less... I don't know, we'll have to think about it a bit longer...

frozenowl49 said:Take a look at that deli in Memphis, right by the exit toward Petrovac. I’ve heard nothing but great things about them—the food is fantastic, and apparently, their sandwich selection is top-tier too. I'm actually planning to swing by this summer during my vacation to check it out for myself. It sounds like you're dealing with the exact same issue I am... that long haul from NYC to Memphis. 🙂

They’ve got cookies from Delicio's over at V&S and Nadi—so I guess you guys already know how good they are.

Nancy Fisher69 said:I haven't even picked out the menu yet, but I've got this massive list of dishes staring me in the face. It's huge. Honestly, I have no clue what I'm going to go with. 🙂 We can probably sort this out toward the end. We actually booked that hall back in August last year... you can find photos of the place online if you want to check it out. I’ve been there myself, and honestly, it’s gorgeous. How many guests are you expecting? When's the big day? Man, there are plenty of us in NYC-V. 🙂

We're looking at roughly 250 CCAs right now. We’re still in the very early stages of this, so I’m just doing some initial digging to see what the landscape looks like... It seems like there are quite a few of us Zg-Vs out there... 🙂
I tried emailing them to get a look at the menu and pricing, but I haven't heard a single word back... looks like I'll just have to give them a call. As for that detour toward Petrovac, I’m a bit skeptical; I've heard the food there isn't all that great, whereas everyone seems absolutely thrilled with the service over at Admiral. I was originally hesitating because of the drive out to Indianapolis, but honestly, I think that's going to be my move anyway...

We’re looking at roughly 250 guests, and since we’re still in the very early stages of planning, I’m just doing my due diligence... it seems like there are quite a few of us in the Zg-V area.🙂
"I actually emailed them asking for their menu and pricing, but I haven't heard a peep back—I'll probably have to give them a call. That hall near Petrovac? I'm a bit skeptical; I've heard the food isn't great, and apparently, everyone was thrilled with the service over at Admiral. At first, I was hesitant because of the drive out to Indianapolis, but honestly, that might end up being my top choice either way."

I've heard nothing but horror stories about that hall in VU. Getting them to agree to anything is an uphill battle, and the service? Absolute disaster. And I'm not just talking about one wedding; it's a pattern. People actually advised me to cross them off my list immediately, which is exactly what I ended up doing.
I visited Admiral myself. They're decent, but there's a catch: you can't exactly bring in everything you want like we had planned. You either have to play by their rules or commit to using all their catering and drinks, which made the total cost jump significantly. In the end, we decided to go with Lucia over at Zalužj. I received glowing recommendations for Lucia, and the woman running the show is fantastic. She answers every single question, and even though we showed up at the most inconvenient time possible, she was incredibly welcoming and easy to deal with.
That said, I really think your best bet is to tour all these venues in person, grab their menus and price lists, and then make your final call.

Daniel Turner7 said:That's exactly what I was afraid of. The hotel manager gave us such a great pitch that we actually thought about booking it. Especially since it's a hotel, we assumed it would be a well-oiled machine with seasoned chefs and professional servers who wouldn't dare mess up the food.
Regarding the food, she told us we'd get about 25 ounces of meat per person on the main course (pork and lamb). That sounds okay to me if it's a mix of both, meaning about half a pound each. I forgot to ask if that was split. But based on your story, it sounds like that's 25 ounces total, and I bet that's raw weight, so once it's cooked, it'll be even less... I don't know, we'll have to think about it a bit longer...

I would also suggest you reconsider. You certainly don't want to spend your evening wondering if everyone actually got enough to eat...
unless you plan on being incredibly pedantic with the contract..

Nicholas Harris10 said:Hey everyone!
I'm planning to host my wedding in Des Moines next year. Does anyone have any experience with the catering from Karamarko, Nikolin, or Mima? I think Preić might be my top choice, but their venue is a bit small, and I'm expecting a huge crowd.

Looking for impressions, pricing, etc...

Well, look... I actually have a wedding at Mima this year. In my honest opinion, the venue is fantastic; it can accommodate up to 550 people without feeling overly crowded or cramped. We went ahead and put down a deposit last June, and our price was set at $2,400. However, just two or three months later, a couple from my hometown went to book the same hall for this year, and they were quoted $2,200. So, if you want my advice, you really can't be certain about the pricing until you speak directly with the owner—it seems like the rates fluctuate constantly. I do know that the deposit is $200, though.🤷

Hello everyone, and a special hello to all the ladies out there. I’m looking for some advice because I have a wedding coming up this October in Indianapolis. I haven't managed to find anything yet. I've already booked the venue, but everything else—musicians, florist, decorations—is still wide open. Between my studies, I just haven't had any free time to get organized, and from what I've gathered browsing local forums, things can get incredibly expensive around here. Thanks in advance for any help you can give.

I suppose I should address this, though I’m not entirely sure where to begin. It feels like we're circling the same drain without actually making any progress. I might be wrong, of course—I could easily be misinterpreting the entire situation—but there seems to be a fundamental disconnect here that everyone is just choosing to ignore. It’s a bit frustrating, if I’m being honest. We spend all this time debating the minutiae while missing the actual point. Maybe I'm just being overly pedantic, but I can't help but feel like we're spinning our wheels. It’s almost as if the more we discuss it, the further we drift from any semblance of a coherent solution. I guess that’s just how these things go sometimes, isn't it? kaže:
We’re looking at a four-piece band $1,500 USD, too. $3.25I mean, we put down a deposit last July for a nine-month term, but since we're looking at this year now, I’m honestly not sure if the pricing stayed the same. It might have shifted.

Good grief, why so early? I’m actually starting to worry I won't be able to lock them down. I don't have the wedding party planned until the summer of 2027, and since I’m currently out of the country, I can't even put down a deposit before mid-June. I guess I just hope I can manage to book them in time.

Jesse Morgan73 said:

I suppose I should address this, though I’m not entirely sure where to begin. It feels like we're circling the same drain without actually making any progress. I might be wrong, of course—I could easily be misinterpreting the entire situation—but there seems to be a fundamental disconnect here that everyone is just choosing to ignore. It’s a bit frustrating, if I’m being honest. We spend all this time debating the minutiae while missing the actual point. Maybe I'm just being overly pedantic, but I can't help but feel like we're spinning our wheels. It’s almost as if the more we discuss it, the further we drift from any semblance of a coherent solution. I guess that’s just how these things go sometimes, isn't it? kaže:
We’re looking at a four-piece band $1,500 USD, too. $3.25I mean, we put down a deposit last July for a nine-month term, but since we're looking at this year now, I’m honestly not sure if the pricing stayed the same. It might have shifted.

Good grief, why so early? I’m actually starting to worry I won't be able to lock them down. I don't have the wedding party planned until the summer of 2027, and since I’m currently out of the country, I can't even put down a deposit before mid-June. I guess I just hope I can manage to book them in time.

Word on the street is they're already booked up for almost every weekend next year.

Joshua Brown2 said:Word on the street is they're already booked up for almost every weekend next year.

Man... I really, really hope that rumor isn't true. I guess hope dies last, right? But man...😢

I have a bit of a dilemma regarding dessert, and I’m having a hard time choosing. I can't quite decide between picking up treats from a small town in the Midwest or something from a small town in the South near Pittsburgh (specifically near a small mountain town). Some people swear by one, while others insist the other is much better 🤷 Since I'm not very familiar with either area, I'm feeling a little lost. Would you mind sharing your own experiences, thoughts, or perhaps some recommendations to help me settle this?
Many thanks 🙂

I’ve never actually tried any baked goods from B. Greda, though I’ve heard nothing but glowing reviews about them.
As for Sprinkles, I’m a total regular—they provided the treats for my wedding, and honestly, I can't find a single thing to complain about.
The cake was absolutely massive and delicious, and the cookies? They were gone in a flash... basically, I could go on forever about how good they are, but the real proof would be a photo of all those empty plates and the cake stand.

Christian Taylor8 said:I’ve never actually tried any baked goods from B. Greda, though I’ve heard nothing but glowing reviews about them.
As for Sprinkles, I’m a total regular—they provided the treats for my wedding, and honestly, I can't find a single thing to complain about.
The cake was absolutely massive and delicious, and the cookies? They were gone in a flash... basically, I could go on forever about how good they are, but the real proof would be a photo of all those empty plates and the cake stand.

Haha, now I’m even more torn! 😍
My own mother wants slatkicin’s, but my future mother-in-law is leaning toward B. Greda. To make matters more complicated, they’re both leaving the final call up to me.
aaaaaaaaaaaaaa 😕 😕 😕 😕

Christian Taylor8 said:I’ve never actually tried any baked goods from B. Greda, though I’ve heard nothing but glowing reviews about them.
As for Sprinkles, I’m a total regular—they provided the treats for my wedding, and honestly, I can't find a single thing to complain about.
The cake was absolutely massive and delicious, and the cookies? They were gone in a flash... basically, I could go on forever about how good they are, but the real proof would be a photo of all those empty plates and the cake stand.

Is Sweetie running a registered business, and how many pounds of treats are we talking about here?
Shoot me a DM 😉
My mom ordered from this lady out in a town near the coast this past fall—somewhere like Savannah or maybe Charleston, I’m not from that part of the country so I can't be certain 😍—for my sister's wedding, and the desserts were incredible. I wanted to order some too, but she doesn't have a formal business license, and I specifically need everything to come with proper paperwork 🙄

Maybelline is fine if you're just looking for something quick, but honestly, I feel like most drugstore brands are starting to lose their edge lately. Christian Taylor8 says:
Is Slatkica registered as a small business, and how many pounds of cake are we talking about?
We can take this to DMs if you want. 😉
My mom picked up some bridesmaids for my sister from a woman out in San Diego this past fall—I think it was somewhere near the coast, I'm not exactly sure since I've never spent much time out that way.😍The cookies were incredible, too. I really wanted to grab some from her, but she doesn't have a registered small business, and I need the receipt for my records. 🙄

The small business is all registered and good to go, but I’m still second-guessing the pricing since they factored it into the sale... though I have this nagging feeling someone mentioned it earlier. $23I might have messed up the math on the price per pound. Anyway, I'll shoot you a DM with the actual number so you can double-check it yourself.