Everything you need for a Midwest wedding

casualbear14 said:Hey there! I've been lurking here for a little while now, just soaking everything in, so I figured it was finally time to jump in and join the conversation... My wedding is set for May 12th—I've already got the venue, the photographer, and the music all locked in—so right now I'm just sort of... exhaling? Taking a breather? But honestly, I'm stuck on what to tackle next. Is it way too early to start hunting for a wedding dress? Or maybe I should be thinking about the cake menu? I guess I'm just feeling a bit adrift!

If you ask me, you should probably lock in those desserts ASAP! You don't really need to pick out the specific cake or all those tiny details right this second—you can save that for closer to the big day—but I guess it's smart to get on a baker's schedule before they fill up!

I can’t quite recall if I’ve posted this here already... but I’m looking for some live music. Specifically, I need guys who play the fiddle or maybe even some folk instruments?
The idea is they’d play about three sets—just enough so people could really get into the spirit and dance a few rounds of line dancing. 😍

So, this Saturday I’m heading out to do some wedding dress shopping—and I’ll definitely be swinging by Katy’s Bakery while I'm at it! I honestly had no clue that you have to start planning everything a year or more in advance... I mean, I’d heard my coworkers mention it, but I guess I just wasn't really processing it... or maybe I was just being optimistic? Hehe. We actually just put down a deposit for the band recently, but I haven't even heard them play yet! I just went based on recommendations, which is a little nerve-wracking, I suppose—especially since most of the good ones are already booked up!

Taylor Kelly2 said:I can’t quite recall if I’ve posted this here already... but I’m looking for some live music. Specifically, I need guys who play the fiddle or maybe even some folk instruments?
The idea is they’d play about three sets—just enough so people could really get into the spirit and dance a few rounds of line dancing. 😍

Butterfly00, I’ll probably be looking for the same thing, though I don't have specific soloists in mind—just a band that'll handle the playing.🙂)) oopsie daisy

I really only need this for maybe two or three appearances 🙂
and I know people used to do this at weddings all the time... but honestly... nowadays you have to be much more selective about who you hire and what they actually bring to the table...

😍 My big day is finally in the books... and honestly? I am over the moon with how everything turned out. First off, let's talk about the band... Bolero, that group from St. Louis, was absolutely killer. Everyone was obsessed with their set—I had people constantly asking if they could play at their own weddings! They can literally play anything you throw at them. And the light show they brought from Missouri? Totally blew me away, way better than what I was expecting. The service at the Hilton was top-notch too; the food and everything else were just perfect. Between the makeup, the flowers... everything was just on point. I wasn't even expecting it to be this seamless, really. My Penelope gown from Vera Wang was 👍

Look, I’m just gonna put this out there because I’m honestly losing my mind here... if anyone happens to be planning a wedding reception at that new banquet hall in Indianapolis (Baron Trenk), or if you’ve heard anything—anything at all—about the place, or even better, if you’ve actually been to a wedding there lately, please hit me up and let me know what the vibe is like. I am seriously about to snap from the sheer anxiety of it all... I won't even get a chance to see the actual space until twelve months from now.

I managed to track down some info about the venue online 🤷

take a look at this 😉
to be fair, I haven't actually stepped foot inside the hall myself 😉

thanks, 😍
I feel like I’ve already seen everything out there and spent way too much time scrolling through the internet. But honestly, I’m curious if anyone here has actually been in that hall or maybe heard some local gossip about the place? If you have any info, please let me know...🤷....

Just figured I'd toss in a few details here in case anyone actually finds this useful. The wedding was held out near Indianapolis, and here’s the breakdown:
The dress - 1luckybride - ordered online
Venue - local community center
Music - Sound Band, paid cash; these guys were top-tier. They played for ten minutes, then didn't stop until 4 AM—honestly the best part. (They even got offers for three more hours during the reception, so you know they killed it)
Flowers - Palm Florist in Columbus - everything went according to plan, except they agreed on $2.75 for the chair covers but charged us 15, and a 7-dollar bouquet ended up costing $133. Those are my two big gripes
Photographer - Krizmanic Family Video from Indianapolis - absolute perfection, couldn't recommend them enough
Hair & Makeup - Beloderm and Magis in Columbus; Gabrijela did my hair instead of Zdravko, and I was beyond happy with the result
Drinks - We bought most of the booze ourselves ahead of time, then just grabbed the rest and some backups from the caterer
That's the main stuff. If you need any specific details, feel free to shoot me a DM

I figured I’d throw in some "advice" too... 🙂 My big day is also May 12th, 2012.

My fiancé and I are from Warsaw, so we’re doing the church ceremony there, but the reception will be at the Derry Hall over in Tennessee..

We booked May Peric for photos and the band Babylon for music..

My dress is from the Noir salon in Washington, D.C., though I’ll probably have it tailored at Sposa in Columbus after midnight..

Victoria from Columbus is doing my makeup, and I'm getting my hair done in Warsaw by either Ivanna or Igor..

The one thing actually stressing me out is the flowers! So, please, I’m begging for suggestions.. 🤷 It’s super important to me that everything looks beautiful and fresh.. We decided against going with Exclusive, and honestly, the local florists just don't follow directions—they usually just make whatever bouquet they can out of whatever happens to be in stock.. 😂

Thanks to all the brides-to-be and those who've already been through this.. 🙂

Hey, silverskipper19, my wedding party is actually sharing the same hall in July. I’ve already coordinated all the floral and decor details with the venue coordinator; she’s handling the standard decor included in my package, though I’ll be paying extra for the bouquets and boutonnieres. She's also taking care of the cake arrangement. The only thing we’re DIY-ing is decorating the getaway car. She sources the flowers herself—honestly, I’m not being overly picky about the blooms, but I really liked the roses and daisies she was working with. Did you happen to ask her about the flower selection?

So, I was driving into Warsaw today and spotted this massive billboard right by the traffic light near the Walmart—you know, on the right side if you're coming in from Columbus. It said wedding dresses starting at $233, but I couldn't make out the name of the shop or even where they’re located. I was moving too fast to actually read it. Does anyone living in the area or commuting through know which place they're advertising? I'll be passing that way again on Thursday, but honestly, the curiosity is killing me already.🙂

jadeskipper85, honestly I hadn't even thought of that... Even though we've already put down a deposit, we’re meeting with her in November to go over all the specifics.. 🙂 But from what I gather, Ana Stefanic is actually opening a shop that specializes specifically in wedding decor, so it might actually be worth reaching out to her!! Thanks! 😍

It should be great since she's handling the venue decor too, so everything can tie together perfectly—and I’m pretty picky about flowers. I’d honestly die if I ended up with a wilted bouquet.. 🙂

jadeskipper85 said:So, I was driving into Warsaw today and spotted this massive billboard right by the traffic light near the Walmart—you know, on the right side if you're coming in from Columbus. It said wedding dresses starting at $233, but I couldn't make out the name of the shop or even where they’re located. I was moving too fast to actually read it. Does anyone living in the area or commuting through know which place they're advertising? I'll be passing that way again on Thursday, but honestly, the curiosity is killing me already.🙂

Found it: Jasmin Bridal Salon at the Fairgrounds, rental prices are around 700-$1000.🙂

I was wondering if anyone might have the phone number for Jane, that makeup artist over in Indianapolis.

I’m not really sure where to post this one. I originally picked purple or lilac as my wedding theme, but then I went ahead and put a deposit down on this gorgeous champagne-colored dress. Now I’m freaking out—how am I supposed to make these two things work together? I was really set on matching shoes and a purple bouquet, but I have no clue if that’s going to look okay against a darker champagne gown. Help!

silverskipper19 said:I figured I’d throw in some "advice" too... 🙂 My big day is also May 12th, 2012.

My fiancé and I are from Warsaw, so we’re doing the church ceremony there, but the reception will be at the Derry Hall over in Tennessee..

We booked May Peric for photos and the band Babylon for music..

My dress is from the Noir salon in Washington, D.C., though I’ll probably have it tailored at Sposa in Columbus after midnight..

Victoria from Columbus is doing my makeup, and I'm getting my hair done in Warsaw by either Ivanna or Igor..

The one thing actually stressing me out is the flowers! So, please, I’m begging for suggestions.. 🤷 It’s super important to me that everything looks beautiful and fresh.. We decided against going with Exclusive, and honestly, the local florists just don't follow directions—they usually just make whatever bouquet they can out of whatever happens to be in stock.. 😂

Thanks to all the brides-to-be and those who've already been through this.. 🙂

We’ve got the same band, only I’m playing three weeks earlier in a small town near Slavonski Brod. For flowers, I'd suggest checking out Jurica, but that's right in Slavonski Brod, which is probably too far for you.

Nicole Hill35 said:The musicians played some old-school country tunes, nothing like that loud pop stuff you hear on the radio. You can pretty much negotiate whatever you want with them; if there's something I definitely don't want to hear, they just respect the boundary. No big deal.
They’ll be dragging this out from noon until the bitter end, and it’s going to cost us $2,000. I can't even remember if there are five or six of them coming—all I know is the drummer isn't showing up until midnight.

The band is fine if you're looking for something upbeat and aren't really into folk music. I don't know their exact rates, but I heard they charge more than a solo musician. I actually met one of the members once, and I couldn't stand his attitude—he treats the whole gig like he's just punching a clock.

Photographer—we ended up going with Art Studio Oliver; you can find him on Facebook under Oliver Olanovic. We passed on Tonio Photography right away, and we tried reaching out to Mirror too, but he was booked up. I get why he couldn't make it work, but it took him over two weeks to reply to an email after promising a quick response. For the more modern crowd, expect to shell out about $8,000 for the full photography and video package.

I'm hunting for a decent hairstylist right now. Since I haven't lived in this part of the country for a while, I'm pretty much flying blind on where to go.

If you aren't really into country music, I highly recommend the band Babylon from Zupanja. They play solo without any backing band. They’re on the pricier side, but honestly, they are worth every penny. For photographers who won't break the bank—and who are actually willing to negotiate for some killer shots—check out Tref from New Kapela. He’s great for hair and makeup stuff too. I also suggest Still Valentina; they handle the makeup as well. Oh, and for flowers, go with Jurica—it's a solid choice.

velvetgardener3 said:I’m honestly not sure where to even post this—my wedding color theme is purple or lilac, but I just went ahead and bought a darker champagne-colored gown. Now I’m second-guessing everything... how am I supposed to make these two vibes work together? I originally wanted matching shoes and a lilac bouquet, but now I'm worried if those will actually look okay against a dress that dark.

I’m actually leaning toward a purple wedding theme myself, too.😍
But when it comes to the dress, let's be real—it's the dress. Let it stay that classic champagne shade.🤷
Personally, I’ve always been a devotee of white or champagne gowns; any other color just feels a bit off to me—🤷though, of course, that’s just my own biased take.
Go all out with the purple in the details instead—think shoes, jewelry, hair accessories, the bouquet, and so on.
If you try to make the dress itself lilac or purple, the whole look might end up being a bit much.🤷

Nicole Hill35 said:I checked out the venue over the weekend. This new hall is spot on. They had 20 tables set up for about 160 people, which is the sweet spot. Any more than that and you’re just packing people in like sardines; this way, there was actually room to get up from your seat or hit the dance floor.
The head table sits right in the middle, though the layout is a bit of a mess. It’s tucked back too far, so guests end up with their backs to the couple—but honestly, that kind of thing happens all the time anyway. 🙂

The chairs are high-backed and white—no need to waste money on covers. But you definitely need a chandelier, or maybe two.🤷They're perfect. Honestly, they look way better than my old ones, but they’re just too small for me.

The calendar is basically slammed through the end of October. Every single slot is pretty much spoken for.
If you have anything else on your mind, just ask. 🙂

By the way, have you checked out Sali Patricija near the entrance to Slobodnica or the hall in Bukovlje? They aren't bad at all; they look really nice. You can find them on Facebook.

silverskipper19 said:jadeskipper85, honestly I hadn't even thought of that... Even though we've already put down a deposit, we’re meeting with her in November to go over all the specifics.. 🙂 But from what I gather, Ana Stefanic is actually opening a shop that specializes specifically in wedding decor, so it might actually be worth reaching out to her!! Thanks! 😍

It should be great since she's handling the venue decor too, so everything can tie together perfectly—and I’m pretty picky about flowers. I’d honestly die if I ended up with a wilted bouquet.. 🙂

Found it: Jasmin Bridal Salon at the Fairgrounds, rental prices are around 700-$1000.🙂

Yeah, she mentioned she's opening a shop too, but I've already locked in her services for the decor. I'm just waiting to see how everything shakes out at the church before I give her the final headcount for everything. You can check out her work and photos on Facebook.
Have you been there, or have any of the girls here checked them out? What's the quality of their dresses like? I might just swing by to take a look.🙂

velvetgardener3 said:By the way, have you checked out Sali Patricija near the entrance to Slobodnica or the hall in Bukovlje? They aren't bad at all; they look really nice. You can find them on Facebook.

I’ve been to Bukovlje. It’s a lovely spot, but some things just didn't sit right with me. We only toured Bukovlje, Crystal, and Maticevica, so we made our choice pretty quickly and didn't bother looking at anything else.