We had decided on this hotel for our wedding night stay/hotel block because we actually were able to book blocks of rooms for our guests and ourselves for a great deal. We booked the hotel rooms through orbitz, and I was impressed by the great deal that we were able to get. The rooms cost our guests about $150 each a night, which was great when you think about how central you are and what a nice hotel it is. Even though we live in town, I thought it was better to have a hotel room for the night before and after our wedding because it was close to the reception hall, and it was also a great meeting point for friends and family. I loved the hotel room, too, there’s just something about the beds that are so soft and comfortable! It was a good hotel for our guests too, because there was a pool and a gym there, and the staff at the Hilton was amazing at dealing with all our bizarre demands.

This was where my sister-in-law had her invitations made, so it was the first and only place that I visited for my wedding invitations. They have a really cute selection, but more importantly they make it really easy to choose something that suited our style and tastes. I am a very crafty person, but for some reason I had no interest in making invitations. I also wanted invitations that were really simple and practical, just because they would be going out to so many people. I thought that the Bella Ink samples they had on display were really cute and cool, but in the end I went with something more practical and simple, like the Julie Holcomb Printer letterpress. (I have the receipt right in front of me, with all the notes, otherwise I don’t think I would have remembered any of these brands).

We had made reservations for our rehearsal dinner at 120 West Market restaurant, the restaurant situated in the Hilton Hotel where so many of our out-of-town guests were staying. There may be better restaurant in the area, but we didn’t want people to worry about driving and locating a different restaurant. We made reservations for 20 people, and the restaurant actually had two waiters on staff just for us! It made the service quick and also the experience really enjoyable, because no one ever waited for their food or drinks. The menu is pretty good, standard food that you would find at a hotel, and the price was between $15-20 a plate, not including drinks. The ambiance is also rather nice. I loved the idea that we were all able to spend so much time together right before the wedding day, and that we could all just walk up to our rooms at the end of dinner.

I think this was the most perfect place to hold our wedding reception! Originally we wanted a small wedding, but we both come from big families, and we have so many friends and connections in Indianapolis that our guest list quickly topped 250 guests, not including children, and we wanted to find a place that would accommodate our vision of an elegant evening with great food with the space to hold 250 guests. The Terrance was my father’s idea, and it worked out perfectly because they were available for the date we wanted. We planned the whole wedding with the help of a great event planner from Oasis Events, and they were great about helping us choose a menu and a bar option. One thing that my family really appreciated was how forthcoming they were with all the costs, like for the dance floor and for linens and extra staff. We were given a quote of how much the wedding would cost, and it was accurate and actually a better deal than we found elsewhere. We had a great view of the city, and people had a wonderful time dining and dancing, which was all we wanted from our wedding.

This was where my husband chose to get his tux, and I think they did a great job fitting him and helping him pick out a suit style for the big day. He rented his tuxedo instead of buying a suit because he wanted to look really nice, and we both agreed that there’s not too many chances for a guy to wear a tux. According to Eric, my husband, he booked and appointment and then the first thing they did was show him all the different styles of tuxedos he could have. He said that the staff was nice and not too pushy, and showed him what ‘most grooms’ choose, which is what he ended up choosing, too. This was his first tux rental experience, and he said that he was impressed by how big of a selection there was. The difference between my dress shopping and Eric’s tux shopping was that Eric was done in three hours, and it took me three months to pick out my dress.

I’m writing this under the ‘make-up’ heading, because I think that getting a tan before my wedding made me look healthy and gave me a natural glow. I decided to get a full body tan in the months leading up to my wedding because my dress was strapless and because I do have some scars on my back that are very noticeable when I am not tanned. I got 6 sessions, mainly because I bought 5 and they gave me one free. The salon and the beds are very clean, and the attendant was very helpful the first few times I went in and showed me how to use the tanning bed. I have never been to another tanning salon before, so I have nothing to compare it to, but I have to say that this was really an enjoyable experience, and I looked great in my pictures. I wasn’t orange, I was just a few shades darker than I normally am.

I have been making bead jewelry for several years now, so I know this store very well and go here dozens of times during the year, at least once a month. The staff is always nice, they have great prices for beads and stones and jewelry making supplies. For my wedding party, I knew that I would be making a necklace for my bridesmaids and my mother and mother-in-law. I thought that it would be a great way of linking everyone together for the celebration, and that it would be something that we could all keep as a special reminder. “Beads Amore!” has a great selection of beads, especially Japanese beads, which are the really small and delicate beads (what I used to make the necklaces). It was time consuming, but everyone put lots of time and energy into making my wedding day special. I think making a necklace also helps with making the bridesmaids look more uniform, especially when they don’t wear the same style of dress.

I have been going to Lush for over two years now to have my hair cut, and I love the salon! The staff is great, really friendly, but also the salon is really nice, and I always feel like I’m stepping into a really special place when I walk in. I set up appointments for wedding day hair styles for my bridesmaids and myself. My mother also wanted to have her hair done at the last minute, and they were able to accommodate her, too. I think they do a great job at making sure the customer is always happy, and the staff really works like a team. And the last time I was there they told me they were hiring if someone is interested at being a receptionist at a really great hair salon!

I’m giving the store 5 stars because the staff was really nice, and I know my bridesmaids had an excellent time shopping here. We chose Rae Lynn’s because we liked the fact that it was owned locally, but also because they have a really great selection in formal dresses, like prom and bridesmaids’ dresses. I told my bridesmaids that they could get any style of dress, they just needed to have dresses that were teal. This was a perfect store because my more conservative friends choose traditional bridesmaids’ dresses, like Jenny Yoo, and my more crazy friend chose a wild prom dress. The place feels girly and sparkly, and it’s a really fun place to visit. They also have a range in the dress prices, which was easy for everyone to find something in their budget.

I am a big fan of the food and desserts at this café! There is also the Petite Chou Café and another Café Patachou on Park that I have visited, all of them are good, but we choose this place because my mom made the reservation and didn’t know about the other cafes. The bridal shower was for female friends only, and to make the event special my mom requested that our table have a whole chocolate cake, which was just delicious! I loved it when the waitress brought the huge chocolate cake to our table! We made our reservations for brunch time, and they have a great selection of sandwiches and salads. I think of this place as one of the more healthy restaurants to eat at in town, just because everything looks so fresh and organic. It’s also a very cute café, and I don’t think people ever leave disappointed.