Everything you need for a Midwest wedding

Nathan Cox25 said:finally! you actually have something to brag about here 🎉
it looks great. honestly, I don't think you could find this kind of potential in a place like Asheville—the vibe, the scenery, 100 rooms available... and the price isn't bad either.

It's true that most of the budget is going straight to the catering, but my partner and I just fell head over heels for this venue. My biggest relief is definitely having the lodging right there so my guests aren't wandering around town hunting for a hotel late at night. Most places in Asheville just can't handle my crowd of 200-plus people. Anyway, yippeeeeeee! They finally uploaded new photos so I can actually show off the place. 🙂

Angela Ross3 said:It's true that most of the budget is going straight to the catering, but my partner and I just fell head over heels for this venue. My biggest relief is definitely having the lodging right there so my guests aren't wandering around town hunting for a hotel late at night. Most places in Asheville just can't handle my crowd of 200-plus people. Anyway, yippeeeeeee! They finally uploaded new photos so I can actually show off the place. 🙂

isso, it looks gorgeous😍

Bryan Diaz3 said:isso, it looks gorgeous😍

Thanks! Honestly, I’m just riding that wedding high again 😁

neonridge38 said:Anyone from the Indianapolis area seen Jane's bridal shop in the suburbs? Does she have a good selection, and what’s the typical rental price range? If anyone has any insight, I’d really appreciate it!

Terrible... that's all I can say...

Mark Nguyen11 said:Terrible... that's all I can say...

I don't think things are quite that bleak. Sure, they might have fewer options than Nikolin, but I actually had my own dress custom-made there. Why? Because every single time I went into Nikolin looking for something simple, they kept shoving these massive, heavy gowns at me—stuff I couldn't even walk in properly! And to top it off, they kept insisting that the style I actually wanted just wouldn't suit me. So, I decided to try Ines instead. I sat them down, explained exactly what I was looking for, showed them some inspiration photos, and tried on one dress that came close to my vision. Once we realized it actually looked great on me, we were all set for custom tailoring, and I was thrilled with the result.
At the end of the day, you really just have to go check for yourself; everyone has such different experiences and opinions...

Angela Ross3 said:Hey everyone, just wanted to show off a little bit—here’s a look at our restaurant 😍 though we’re planning on doing round tables, which will end up taking up about half the floor space.

Looks amazing!!! 😉

Angela Ross3, wow! This looks absolutely stunning 👍

Does anyone happen to know someone who rents out party tents around the Indianapolis area? 🙂

Henry Ortiz18 said:I don't think things are quite that bleak. Sure, they might have fewer options than Nikolin, but I actually had my own dress custom-made there. Why? Because every single time I went into Nikolin looking for something simple, they kept shoving these massive, heavy gowns at me—stuff I couldn't even walk in properly! And to top it off, they kept insisting that the style I actually wanted just wouldn't suit me. So, I decided to try Ines instead. I sat them down, explained exactly what I was looking for, showed them some inspiration photos, and tried on one dress that came close to my vision. Once we realized it actually looked great on me, we were all set for custom tailoring, and I was thrilled with the result.
At the end of the day, you really just have to go check for yourself; everyone has such different experiences and opinions...

Of course everyone has different experiences and sees things differently...

My experience at Nikolin was actually quite good. The woman really went out of her way for me, despite how much I was overthinking things—it actually ended up making me feel a bit awkward. They were fine, even if I wasn't a huge fan of their wedding dress selection, and I noticed some of them were in pretty rough shape.
As for the Ines salon, I was completely disappointed. From the moment the woman walked out looking all disheveled in a heavy parka and an old tracksuit just to show me dresses, I was done. She kept insisting on showing me styles I explicitly said I didn't want, and the whole atmosphere there... It was just terrible for me. But hey, we're all different...
In the end, I bought a gown at Stefani Atelier. I'm satisfied with both the dress and the service. (Well, except for their constant pressure tactics... stuff like: "Oh, it looks so beautiful on you, you have to take it right now," or "We can't hold it without a deposit," etc., for every single dress...)

So, if I remember correctly, there are only about three bridal salons in Indianapolis—though I’m based in NYC now, I used to live in Indy where the wedding was held, so my memory is a little fuzzy. Ines is probably the most low-key option if you ask me, which worked for me since I was looking for something incredibly simple. The lady at Nikolin is absolutely lovely and truly goes above and beyond, but honestly, some of their dresses were in pretty rough shape. Plus, even though I just wanted something basic, she kept trying to push these massive crinolines on me, so I eventually gave up on Nikolin altogether. Stefani seems decent enough, but I never actually tried anything on there, and apparently, you have to make an appointment. Since I had just arrived from NYC that day, I didn't have the patience to play phone tag to set something up, so I just stuck with having my dress custom-made at Ines. To be perfectly honest, I’m not exactly the "typical bride," and I wasn't exactly riding a wave of euphoria over the whole gown situation; in fact, the mere thought of wearing a wedding dress felt a bit suffocating 🙂 Ultimately, I got exactly what I wanted, so it all comes down to personal taste... but really, it shouldn't be too much trouble to check out those three shops; it's not like there are a hundred of them to choose from 🙂

Henry Ortiz18 said:So, if I remember correctly, there are only about three bridal salons in Indianapolis—though I’m based in NYC now, I used to live in Indy where the wedding was held, so my memory is a little fuzzy. Ines is probably the most low-key option if you ask me, which worked for me since I was looking for something incredibly simple. The lady at Nikolin is absolutely lovely and truly goes above and beyond, but honestly, some of their dresses were in pretty rough shape. Plus, even though I just wanted something basic, she kept trying to push these massive crinolines on me, so I eventually gave up on Nikolin altogether. Stefani seems decent enough, but I never actually tried anything on there, and apparently, you have to make an appointment. Since I had just arrived from NYC that day, I didn't have the patience to play phone tag to set something up, so I just stuck with having my dress custom-made at Ines. To be perfectly honest, I’m not exactly the "typical bride," and I wasn't exactly riding a wave of euphoria over the whole gown situation; in fact, the mere thought of wearing a wedding dress felt a bit suffocating 🙂 Ultimately, I got exactly what I wanted, so it all comes down to personal taste... but really, it shouldn't be too much trouble to check out those three shops; it's not like there are a hundred of them to choose from 🙂

haha 😂 😂 😂

exactly.😁

I dropped by Stefani Atelier the other day. I wasn't really looking for much, just wondering if they're actually reliable... Haha. I tried on one wedding dress right away and it was lovely. But I've decided I want to try everything on here before heading out to Canada, so... 🙂)

Hey, I wanted to jump in and share my experience with you all too! It’s been two months, but I finally found a moment to sit down and write this up.
Date: September 18th, 90 guests
Bendek-bila Restaurant: I was actually a bit skeptical at first because the menu was just $43/2 dinners plus drinks, and I was worried we might run short on food. In the end, though, everyone was raving about how they hadn't eaten that well in ages... both the quality and the portions were incredible...
Music: Cool bend Osijek—It was just two guys playing, and I had my doubts since my partner was handling the music side of things, but they really surprised us... the space isn't big enough for a larger band anyway. Price was $1333, and they only took breaks during dinner service; during the gifts and around 4:00 PM, they just grabbed a quick coffee for 10 minutes. They really kept the energy up, which is exactly what I wanted...
Photographer: Krizmanić Family Video—I was confident in them from the very start. Unlike the restaurant and the band, I never once worried about their work. Some people mentioned they weren't their thing, but we were absolutely thrilled with them. To anyone who has seen the photos, they are simply perfect, and the video was just as good! Plus, the wedding was on September 18th, and the photographer already called me on the 24th to say everything was finished... Thank you, Darko and Andrija.
Wedding Dress: Stefani Atelier—To be honest, they were the ones I was least satisfied with in the end... but overall, everything turned out fine enough.
Flowers: Jelena Florist, Bizovac—I was blown away when I saw everything they did. Honestly, the price was incredibly low considering the beautiful work they produced...
That's all from me. I hope this helps someone out...

Hi everyone. Does anyone know how the hair styling process works? Is it priced per person, or does the stylist come to the house? Also, is the trial run free, and how far in advance should I book? Any recommendations for Indianapolis?

Ryan Rivera4 said:Hi everyone. Does anyone know how the hair styling process works? Is it priced per person, or does the stylist come to the house? Also, is the trial run free, and how far in advance should I book? Any recommendations for Indianapolis?

It varies—some stylists will travel to you. If they work out of a shop, though, you’ll probably have to go to them.
Mine comes to the house, and she handles my makeup too.

Where did you get that makeup? Does anyone know of a good stylist from Indianapolis who's willing to travel? And what about hair?!

I'm based in Chicago, but honestly, this is a global issue.
I'm sure there are some girls in your area who'll want to head back home. Take a look at the photos from that wedding last weekend—there were a few women from the Midwest there, so maybe just shoot them a DM.

Here’s the breakdown:
Nicholas's bridal shop - hands down the kindest, most patient, and friendliest auntie you'll find, plus they have the best selection
Suit and tie - Galileo
Castle Florals - the girl working there and I hit it off immediately, long before the wedding, so I didn't even bother looking elsewhere. She nailed everything.
Jeremiah Hall - like I mentioned on previous pages, the food and servers were top-tier; clean and tidy too (I've almost fainted in some venues).
Desserts and our cake - Grandma's sweets from Sage Bakery; honestly the best pastries I've ever had. From the first bite, I knew it was them or nothing. They killed it, especially the cake—looked amazing and tasted even better.
Jukebox Band - kept us dancing until dawn, with breaks only for dinner and a late-night snack.
Light show - Magnuslux; a friend of my brother put together a magical experience.
Photo and video - Beck studio and Bruno Jobst; unique, spontaneous, and totally edgy.
Favors, baskets, little bottles + love notes, menus, tablecloths, thank-you cards, welcome signs... I DIY'ed all of that myself. 😍
Invitations - printed by Graphic Arts (Ms. 👍 was wonderful), everything else was my own handiwork. 😍
Hair - Dario Sabo; he executed my vision perfectly.
Makeup - a friend from downtown who graduated from the Vrban-Joković Institute; the makeup was flawless, everyone is still raving about it, and I couldn't have been happier.

Since I spent a lot of time singing at weddings, I've seen it all—how venues breathe, the quality of the food, the service, and I've met plenty of people along the way... so all that experience really helped me out. 😍
If anyone needs help, I'm here. 😉

Hey, would you mind just letting me know what the price was for those light shows you had... 😁

bluemoose7 said:Hey, would you mind just letting me know what the price was for those light shows you had... 😁

We paid that much$1000.
But I've got numbers for both the budget options and the premium ones. If you want them, I can shoot you a DM tomorrow.😁