Everything you need for a Midwest wedding

Tyler Cox27 said:I’ve been lurking on this forum for quite some time now, just waiting for the moment I could finally step up and say that I actually have a date set... and well, that day has finally arrived... the venue and the band are officially booked... we'll be tackling the rest bit by bit, though we still have about a year and a half to pull everything together... but I find myself in need of someone with actual experience... I need a realistic breakdown of what the total cost looks like for a wedding with roughly 500 guests... and when I say everything, I mean absolutely everything... from the small details like undergarments and socks to the catering, the hall rental, copyright fees, insurance, and every single peripheral expense imaginable...

So, where is this happening? Are you booking a specific banquet hall, or is it more of a rental situation?
Regarding copyright—if you're talking about music licensing like ASCAP or BMI—that's $267. As for the underwear and socks, well, that depends entirely on whether you're going with cotton, lace, or synthetic blends. 😁

Tyler Cox27 said:I’ve been lurking on this forum for quite some time now, just waiting for the moment I could finally step up and say that I actually have a date set... and well, that day has finally arrived... the venue and the band are officially booked... we'll be tackling the rest bit by bit, though we still have about a year and a half to pull everything together... but I find myself in need of someone with actual experience... I need a realistic breakdown of what the total cost looks like for a wedding with roughly 500 guests... and when I say everything, I mean absolutely everything... from the small details like undergarments and socks to the catering, the hall rental, copyright fees, insurance, and every single peripheral expense imaginable...

For my friend, the whole thing for 470 people came out to $27333. 🙂

Help me out here! Does anyone know where I can pick up some helium balloons, and what kind of damage am I looking at for the price? Or better yet, does anyone know if I can just grab a refill tank instead?🤷

There’s this little shop over in Dakota that actually carries helium balloons... 😉
I can't quite recall the street name—something along those lines where all the bridal boutiques are located... 🤣

loneorca16 said:Help me out here! Does anyone know where I can pick up some helium balloons, and what kind of damage am I looking at for the price? Or better yet, does anyone know if I can just grab a refill tank instead?🤷

You can find them in basically any town—whereabouts are you looking?

Does anyone know where I can find this in Indianapolis?! Actually, I don't mind driving out toward Indianapolis or wherever else it might be available. Thanks for getting back to me so quickly! 🙂

Have you checked out Vigus lately? I know they carry balloons, but I have no clue if they’re actually filling them with helium now... 🤷

loneorca16 said:Does anyone know where I can find this in Indianapolis?! Actually, I don't mind driving out toward Indianapolis or wherever else it might be available. Thanks for getting back to me so quickly! 🙂

Facebook—at the intersection of Glagolitic Way and George Dalmatian

edit—I see that Carl Clark beat me to the punch; basically, they're packed

I haven't 😢 seen a photo of a room decorated with those balloons before, and honestly, I’m obsessed. 😂 Until now, it hadn't even crossed my mind to get helium balloons. I usually just buy packs of 300 cheap ones for next to nothing and plan on tossing them on the floor, mostly because kids end up popping them all over the place anyway... But I really love this idea where the helium ones stay up against the ceiling and you just have the ribbons hanging down.

Any tips on where to go for hair and makeup in a small town, USA? Haven't lived around here in forever, so I'm totally out of the loop

Matthew Baker7 said:So, where is this happening? Are you booking a specific banquet hall, or is it more of a rental situation?
Regarding copyright—if you're talking about music licensing like ASCAP or BMI—that's $267. As for the underwear and socks, well, that depends entirely on whether you're going with cotton, lace, or synthetic blends. 😁

The guests are all gathered in a small town, USA... though we did end up renting the hall. They told us it would be more cost-effective if we provided our own catering and drinks... and as for the underwear, I suppose it will be lace... 😁 🤣 😍

Thanks to everyone who shared tips about the balloons 😍 If anyone happens to be heading down to the local Walmart, you can grab some balloons there for just a couple of bucks $1.75 Just make sure to grab some extra helium $0.33 It helps them stay inflated much longer during prep 😉

Tyler Cox27 said:A suggestion... there is a florist out in Ivankov. They are incredibly talented; the shop is called Valentina. The owner truly possesses a remarkable instinct for her craft... prices typically range from $2,000 up to $1000... and that covers the venue decor, the bridal table, the bouquet and boutonnieres, car decorations, and the church arrangements... I am not entirely certain if they provide delivery services, as I don't know enough about their logistics, but... if you need her contact information, just let me know 🙂

I am so here for this!!
I was actually at a wedding recently where they did all the floral work, and man, it was stunning... the bride was absolutely over the moon with how everything looked and what she paid. We're talking the bouquet, the centerpieces for the reception area (these gorgeous heart shapes made of greenery and white blooms), the church setup, the sweetheart table, the bouquet, and about 30 table arrangements $667. I can't remember if they did the boutonnieres, though.

The tables had these cool mirror bases with little aquarium-style vases where tiny orchids were floating, surrounded by baby's breath wreaths. And for the sweetheart table, there were five massive rose and orchid displays...

The best part? All the rental stuff—the vases, the candelabras, those mirror bases—was already baked into the price. You just pick whatever style you're feeling.

WARNING!!!!!!!
Does anyone actually know which flowers are in season during May? Everyone keeps claiming there’s an endless variety available this time of year, but I can't name a single specific bloom. I need some actual information here. Please provide suggestions for a bouquet and some ideas for decorating a hall. Ideally, I want something simple.🙂

Tyler Cox27 said:The guests are all gathered in a small town, USA... though we did end up renting the hall. They told us it would be more cost-effective if we provided our own catering and drinks... and as for the underwear, I suppose it will be lace... 😁 🤣 😍

Well, there you have it—my little forecast regarding $28333 assuming you stick to a classic Midwestern menu. It all really boils down to your overhead—how much you’re shelling out for the photographer, the band, the rings, the tuxes, and, of course, those "connections" that make everything run smoothly. You've got the roast, the lamb, the braised meats... and I'd assume the desserts are coming from Ivankov as well. For the drinks, honestly, it might be a smart move to pick up your sodas and spirits over in Orasje—especially the stuff you want to take home (and hey, maybe grab some beer in Canada while you're at it, haha). You can always find some moonshine anywhere, and if you need numbers for someone who does bottled wine, I can certainly pass a few along to you. Anyway, my real hope is that at least 90% of the guests actually show up. I say that because, speaking from direct experience, weddings over the last year or two have been absolute nightmares for organizers. When you're looking at a guest list of 500 people, you can easily write off about 50 of them... it’s rare, truly rare, to see every single seat filled up perfectly.

Korušica I think May is actually a great time to shop because you can find deals on just about anything. It really all comes down to your own personal taste, doesn't it? From what I've heard, things like Margarets or Ivancicas are pretty affordable right now. At least, that’s what people have been telling me since my wedding is coming up in April...

Valentinovk, can you send me the numbers for the wine too?
Roughly how much am I looking at for bottled wine prices, thanks...

Does anyone know where I can grab those little Orangina bottles? Also, what's the damage on price... How many did you guys end up buying for your guest count? thanks🙂

Tyler Cox27 said:A suggestion... there is a florist out in Ivankov. They are incredibly talented; the shop is called Valentina. The owner truly possesses a remarkable instinct for her craft... prices typically range from $2,000 up to $1000... and that covers the venue decor, the bridal table, the bouquet and boutonnieres, car decorations, and the church arrangements... I am not entirely certain if they provide delivery services, as I don't know enough about their logistics, but... if you need her contact information, just let me know 🙂

People kept recommending her to me too, though I fell in love with that Mosaic shop from Indianapolis at the expo. They're super creative... I'm thinking maybe an arrangement for every table, but what's the average going for these days? Pretty sure I heard something about $6.75 or so?

Matthew Baker7 said:Well, there you have it—my little forecast regarding $28333 assuming you stick to a classic Midwestern menu. It all really boils down to your overhead—how much you’re shelling out for the photographer, the band, the rings, the tuxes, and, of course, those "connections" that make everything run smoothly. You've got the roast, the lamb, the braised meats... and I'd assume the desserts are coming from Ivankov as well. For the drinks, honestly, it might be a smart move to pick up your sodas and spirits over in Orasje—especially the stuff you want to take home (and hey, maybe grab some beer in Canada while you're at it, haha). You can always find some moonshine anywhere, and if you need numbers for someone who does bottled wine, I can certainly pass a few along to you. Anyway, my real hope is that at least 90% of the guests actually show up. I say that because, speaking from direct experience, weddings over the last year or two have been absolute nightmares for organizers. When you're looking at a guest list of 500 people, you can easily write off about 50 of them... it’s rare, truly rare, to see every single seat filled up perfectly.

To be honest, the guest count doesn't worry me one bit... after all, it's mostly family and friends, so most of the work is already done... the majority of people will definitely be there... both my partner and I have extremely large families, which is why the guest list is so massive in the first place...
Regarding the soda and spirits, I was actually thinking about going through
... Thank you for the information... you are being so helpful! 🙂