Everything you need for a Midwest wedding

Betty Foster8 said:sort of...
I found most of the stores, plus a few extra, but my mother-in-law didn't really find anything she wanted 🤷
but hey, my husband picked up a shirt, so that's the main thing 😁
thanks a ton for the help 😘

Glad I could be of some use 🙂So where did he end up finding that shirt?

Memphis 🙂

peppa007 said:Well, look who finally decided to show up—me! I’ve been lurking here forever, just reading everyone's posts, and now I’m FINALLY jumping into the deep end and joining 🙂
I don't know about you guys, but this forum is... honestly everything I need 🙂 it's like my one-stop shop for everything! I've learned so much already, so massive THANKS TO EVERYONE!!!

So, I'm looking into that "exclusive" wedding decor studio over in Memphis. I've seen nothing but glowing reviews about them on here, so I actually went ahead and called to set up a meeting. I'll let you all know how it goes 🙂
But if anyone has any inside scoop, please, hit me up.

I think there’s a wedding planning studio in Indianapolis too, which isn't exactly a trek from where you are, so maybe check them out as well!

Hi everyone,

My godmother got married this past Saturday, and I just had to hop on here to rave about the catering she used for her home wedding... it was from Grapevine. To put it simply, it was PERFECTION. I lost count of how many different types of meat they served—all sorts of sauces, some wrapped in bacon, others stuffed with cheese... then there were calamari, shrimp, charcuterie platters, salads, sides, and appetizers, all beautifully presented. We couldn't stop talking about the food all night; seriously, nothing but praise. The servers were incredibly attentive, but the food itself... it was beyond amazing.
She paid $10 $0.00 (for 100 guests), but it was worth every single penny.
Aside from the food, I also have to give a shout-out to HF Studio for the photo and video work—those guys were absolute pros.
For the tent—it was a GALA style tent (5x8= $400) plus the flooring $233. It was such a gorgeous, crisp white tent with windows.
The bouquet—Dad... it was just stunning, a beautiful white arrangement.
The Band—The Beatles—the guests had a mix of Midwestern and Southern vibes, and the dance floor stayed packed the entire time. They played everything: fun hits, classic melodies, traditional folk dances, and country songs. Honestly, I’m usually not a fan of country music at weddings, but I have zero complaints here because they were genuinely great. They kept the crowd moving so gracefully too; there wasn't any obnoxious shouting or silly interruptions.
The Menu—Hillary Clinton—the food was delicious and felt so homemade. She stuck to a classic menu, and I have to say, it really hit the spot for me. I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a meal like that, since most people always go for heavy meats and thick sauces. A little variety was a breath of fresh air.

Anyway, I originally just wanted to compliment the catering, but I guess I got a little carried away. 😁

Olivia Gomez2 said:We actually rented the venue and the service staff, but we handled most of the other details ourselves... so based on our math for about 200 guests, it worked out to roughly $20 per head$0.00. That covers absolutely everything—soup, salads, platters with three kinds of meat and sides, lamb, pork, a late-night snack spread, all the desserts plus the wedding cake, and all the booze, including wine and spirits. Basically, everything you eat and drink... it was just like those classic menus you'd find at a nice hotel or an event hall.

As for the photographer, it really just comes down to what you're looking for and how much you want to set aside for it. Usually, they have different packages based on how many photos you get or how many cameras are shooting, so you can negotiate everything... just take a look at their work first, most of them have websites or profiles on Facebook. Our photographer ended up being $8,000, which included thank-you cards and a big album where they'll arrange all the shots.

For decorations—things like balloons, bows, and even boutonnieres—I bought everything myself at a local craft store back in Arizona... there’s a huge selection and the prices are actually reasonable, unlike some of the shops around here. Flowers cost us $2000 (this includes centerpieces, car decor, my bouquet, the head table, the dessert table, and boutonnieres/corsages for the wedding party). Of course, you could spend way less, but flowers are super important to me and I wanted a lot of them, so that’s why it ended up that way. It all depends on what kind of blooms you want and how many... you can even tell a florist your specific budget, and they'll try to make it work within that.

Band prices range from $8,000 up to $4000, but a decent average would be around $3333. You shouldn't skimp on this part. Reach out to bands, go hear them play live, or have them send you recordings of past gigs. And whatever you do, don't go reading those "Wedding Bands in the Midwest" threads... or honestly, don't believe anything you read on those forums.

For invitations, there's a great selection over at Adobe in Des Moines, and the prices are pretty fair too. They have their own site so you can browse their styles. For our thank-you notes, we used a photo from our photographer with the names, date, and a "thank you!" printed on it.
They came out to $2.25 each.

Anyway, sorry for such a long post, but I hope it helps... if you need someone's number or any other info, feel free to shoot me a PM.

Nah, it wasn't "too long" =) we've been doing a ton of research... but we still haven't nailed down an exact total budget... what I'm most curious about is how much food and drinks cost at a venue when you have two dinners and EVERYTHING (food and drink) is provided for 200 people... does anyone know a ballpark figure? Because in my opinion, that's where the bulk of the money goes (besides the band and photographer).

Your entire menu is going to run anywhere from $180 to $93 per head. So, if you’re looking at a guest list of 200 people, you're talking about a total cost ranging from $36,000 up to $15333. On top of that, most of these banquet halls are going to force you to buy your own alcohol, and you should probably budget an extra $667
just for that.

rustybadger9 said:Nah, it wasn't "too long" =) we've been doing a ton of research... but we still haven't nailed down an exact total budget... what I'm most curious about is how much food and drinks cost at a venue when you have two dinners and EVERYTHING (food and drink) is provided for 200 people... does anyone know a ballpark figure? Because in my opinion, that's where the bulk of the money goes (besides the band and photographer).

It’ll start from $8333 and go way up from there; honestly, it just depends on your specific tastes and how much your guests tend to drink. I actually know a bride who blew through $667 just on the bar tab alone.

rustybadger9 said:Nah, it wasn't "too long" =) we've been doing a ton of research... but we still haven't nailed down an exact total budget... what I'm most curious about is how much food and drinks cost at a venue when you have two dinners and EVERYTHING (food and drink) is provided for 200 people... does anyone know a ballpark figure? Because in my opinion, that's where the bulk of the money goes (besides the band and photographer).

I think you missed my point, that's actually what I meant. We chose a venue where we handle EVERYTHING ourselves.
The desserts usually run around $1667 once you add the cake, all the alcohol is roughly $1667, and we calculated that all the food—including the lamb and pork—comes out to about $3667... so it looks like it'll be a bit more than 20 $0.00 per person, though obviously, it all depends on where you source your meat and where you decide to buy your booze.
We’re going to iron out the specific menu details with the hotel staff, but we're planning on a pretty standard spread: soup, platters with lamb and pork, and maybe some shepherd's stew. They handle the actual cooking, while we just buy all the ingredients and drop them off for them to use.
That’s the rough math for about 200 guests. So, it should come out to a maximum of 110-$40 per seat—and that covers EVERYTHING!

Hey,
anyone here dealt with weddings at the Patricia venue in Liberty? Our big day is next July and we've booked a Ford cover band and a photographer named Ozzy from Kansas City. If you've worked with them, let me know what you thought... good or bad.
Still haven't booked the church, so I'm looking for suggestions. We were thinking about the one in Omaha, but word is the priest there can be a bit... creative with his sermons, so I'm hesitant to commit just yet...
One last thing—is it worth buying boutonnieres, or should I just make little flower arrangements for everyone instead of using rosemary? Might be cheaper to DIY. Thanks!!!

rustybadger9 said:Nah, it wasn't "too long" =) we've been doing a ton of research... but we still haven't nailed down an exact total budget... what I'm most curious about is how much food and drinks cost at a venue when you have two dinners and EVERYTHING (food and drink) is provided for 200 people... does anyone know a ballpark figure? Because in my opinion, that's where the bulk of the money goes (besides the band and photographer).

If you go with that classic Midwest dinner style (soup, boiled meat, stuffed cabbage, roast...), it’ll probably end up being more like just some lamb and roast, which is what I've seen at weddings before. It's really up to you. My advice would be to go to the venue and ask the chef exactly how much is needed for a certain number of guests; then you can get a ballpark price. My cousin actually hosted a wedding in that style last year, and everything—including the band and photographer—came out to about 90 $0.00 per person for 400 people, so do the math... (keeping in mind they provided their own chicken and pork)

But if you don't have access to things you produce yourselves, like pork or lamb, or a way to handle the butchering... I don't think it's worth doing a wedding that way. By the time you buy everything, prep it, pay for the processing, and deal with all those other headaches—not to mention the sheer amount of extra work and stress—it ends up costing almost as much as just booking a hall or a restaurant and letting them handle it so you don't have to worry. That option (bringing your own food) really only exists for people who already have most of the supplies at home... That's my advice to all newlyweds.
Put everything on paper and calculate it. Then you'll see...
In my realistic estimation, if you're buying everything, you won't get under 150-$57 per person (including drinks and the dinner I mentioned above). At many venues, that's roughly the price per seat, maybe a little more, but you avoid all the hassle.

As for drinks, you can arrange it with a local brewery to deliver a certain amount, and often you can return whatever isn't consumed without a penalty. Same with wine—maybe from a winery or even better, private producers (there are plenty of them around Napa or Lincoln, so look into it...)

I’m with you on the food and drinks if you aren't making everything from scratch. Toss in the venue rental and equipment fees, and you might as well just book their full catering package. Why deal with the headache when you can save yourself all that time and stress?👍

We actually decided to bring our own catering since we don't produce anything ourselves and honestly, their menus just weren't really our vibe 🤷 It’s a total Midwest tradition for us, but since my family is from the Washington, D.C. area, I wanted to mix things up so everyone would be happy with the food...
The guys are already making big plans about what they want to eat and where, but I'm not sweating it! They're being super helpful, and everyone's just happy 🙂

We don't really rely on local production ourselves either, and honestly, just like Jeffrey Walker3 mentioned, parents usually handle all of that—it’s really not an issue for us, and personally, I don't even give much thought to the food situation.
I think it's generally fine if you're sourcing the food yourselves; it doesn't mean you have to spend all day driving around town hitting up the butcher, the shopping mall, or wherever else you might shop. We just order exactly what we need—the specific cuts and quantities—for a set date, then pick everything up and haul it straight to the hall. It's actually even better if someone has the chance to grab certain items at Costco or maybe cross the border for deals—that can make things even more budget-friendly.
That way, we know exactly what we bought and how much we have... there's zero chance of running out, which helps avoid those comments—which seem to be happening a lot lately—about people being left hungry in some of the halls.
I realize everyone is different—what feels like plenty to one person might feel small to another—but at the end of the day, there simply has to be enough food.
For us, for example, the chairs come out to about $37, and for 200 people, that's $7000 plus the cost for the $6667 hall services—you know, the waitstaff, the cooks, and the chair covers
. A typical menu price at a hotel or restaurant in Columbus is around $80, but once you start adding in the chair covers, the roasted pig, the lamb, the desserts, and the hard liquor—which usually isn't included—it ends up costing us closer to $9333 or even more. And hey, with that extra $4,000, we also managed to cover the photographer, the wedding band, and the flowers.
I guess every venue has to make sure their math adds up too...

Olivia Gomez2 said:We don't really rely on local production ourselves either, and honestly, just like Jeffrey Walker3 mentioned, parents usually handle all of that—it’s really not an issue for us, and personally, I don't even give much thought to the food situation.
I think it's generally fine if you're sourcing the food yourselves; it doesn't mean you have to spend all day driving around town hitting up the butcher, the shopping mall, or wherever else you might shop. We just order exactly what we need—the specific cuts and quantities—for a set date, then pick everything up and haul it straight to the hall. It's actually even better if someone has the chance to grab certain items at Costco or maybe cross the border for deals—that can make things even more budget-friendly.
That way, we know exactly what we bought and how much we have... there's zero chance of running out, which helps avoid those comments—which seem to be happening a lot lately—about people being left hungry in some of the halls.
I realize everyone is different—what feels like plenty to one person might feel small to another—but at the end of the day, there simply has to be enough food.
For us, for example, the chairs come out to about $37, and for 200 people, that's $7000 plus the cost for the $6667 hall services—you know, the waitstaff, the cooks, and the chair covers
. A typical menu price at a hotel or restaurant in Columbus is around $80, but once you start adding in the chair covers, the roasted pig, the lamb, the desserts, and the hard liquor—which usually isn't included—it ends up costing us closer to $9333 or even more. And hey, with that extra $4,000, we also managed to cover the photographer, the wedding band, and the flowers.
I guess every venue has to make sure their math adds up too...

I watched my sister's wedding and saw how much work her aunt put in and how much stress she endured during the prep. I told myself right then that I never want my family to go through that. It felt like they were just waiting for it all to be over instead of actually enjoying themselves...
In theory, it sounds simple. In practice, it rarely is. You always forget something, or things don't arrive on time, and you're constantly running around. The workload is endless. Then, you inevitably have a stressed family member because things aren't going perfectly, and suddenly there's a fight. So... do whatever works for you.

Also, I don't understand how a venue or restaurant can function without offering several different menu options to choose from. Most of those typical Midwestern dinners happen when I bring my own ingredients, because it's more cost-effective to make things like cutlets or specific sauces ourselves.

I don't know about the situation in Columbus, but surely you can find something more affordable there. If not, maybe take a trip to Facebook... Wait, are you sure none of this is included in the price you mentioned?

Our cost per chair will be $75 at the Navy hotel in Memphis. It's the most expensive place around, but also the nicest (a colleague of mine paid $53 per chair last year at a different venue, and everything was perfect). Our price includes the linens, tablecloths, and runners in whatever color you want (for round tables), cakes, desserts, a dinner where you have plenty of choices, all the spirits available at the restaurant or cafe, coffee for the whole night, and even decorations if you want them (though I won't be getting those from them).
If they offer all of that, I don't understand how other places don't.

We can't actually go with their menu because they only do catering for at least 250 people, and we're looking at maybe 200 🤣

Jeffrey Walker3 said:We can't actually go with their menu because they only do catering for at least 250 people, and we're looking at maybe 200 🤣

Quite a mess... 😕

Speechless...

The offers they were getting were wild—I was seeing quotes for 160, 180, 200, and even $73, with at least 250 guests on the list. Sure, maybe we could've squeezed a better deal out of them, but honestly, we wanted to swap out different menu items and customize everything. Plus, my future mother-in-law immediately chimed in saying she already knows exactly where to source half the ingredients (pork, lamb, chicken... I don't even know what we need, but she’s got all the connections 😁)!

Taylor Kelly2 said:I’m planning on getting married about a year from now—and everyone keeps telling me I need to start hunting for bands immediately just to secure a decent date... 🙄
I was thinking of picking a date exactly one year from today to host the wedding reception. Could anyone point me toward some good live bands for a wedding? 😉
Thanks

I'm planning on getting married next year—Vagabond is playing our gig, the band from NG. They're looking for... $2000

Olivia Gomez2 said:We don't really rely on local production ourselves either, and honestly, just like Jeffrey Walker3 mentioned, parents usually handle all of that—it’s really not an issue for us, and personally, I don't even give much thought to the food situation.
I think it's generally fine if you're sourcing the food yourselves; it doesn't mean you have to spend all day driving around town hitting up the butcher, the shopping mall, or wherever else you might shop. We just order exactly what we need—the specific cuts and quantities—for a set date, then pick everything up and haul it straight to the hall. It's actually even better if someone has the chance to grab certain items at Costco or maybe cross the border for deals—that can make things even more budget-friendly.
That way, we know exactly what we bought and how much we have... there's zero chance of running out, which helps avoid those comments—which seem to be happening a lot lately—about people being left hungry in some of the halls.
I realize everyone is different—what feels like plenty to one person might feel small to another—but at the end of the day, there simply has to be enough food.
For us, for example, the chairs come out to about $37, and for 200 people, that's $7000 plus the cost for the $6667 hall services—you know, the waitstaff, the cooks, and the chair covers
. A typical menu price at a hotel or restaurant in Columbus is around $80, but once you start adding in the chair covers, the roasted pig, the lamb, the desserts, and the hard liquor—which usually isn't included—it ends up costing us closer to $9333 or even more. And hey, with that extra $4,000, we also managed to cover the photographer, the wedding band, and the flowers.
I guess every venue has to make sure their math adds up too...

In Columbus, with everything listed plus all the drinks and four hotel rooms, it comes out to $65 per person. So, 195x250=48,750. If we look at this example instead: 110x200=22,000 + 20,000 = 42,000. See? This isn't even using the cheapest venue, and the difference is tiny. If I had 200 guests, it would cost me 39,000, which is even less. Plus, I don't have to stress about the food because everything is handled exactly as agreed, and the quality is proven. At the end of the day, the chef matters just as much as the ingredients.
To each their own. For me, this way is just smarter and cheaper.

For those interested—there’s a shop in downtown St. Louis called Vrata of the Heartland that carries some truly sharp suits, starting around $120 and going up from there. They’re expecting a new collection to drop soon, so we'll be heading out for a shopping spree once that arrives. 🙂