Everything you need for a California wedding

Casey Foster40 said:What kind of food do they actually serve at Pirate's Cove?

I attended the Pirate Festival this year. The food was underwhelming; I wasn't satisfied.

Casey Foster40 said:What kind of food do they actually serve at Pirate's Cove?

I attended their winter gala, and honestly, the spread was pretty wild. For appetizers, they had the usual stuff—octopus salad, fish pâté, and things like that. Then came the risottos and pasta dishes. I’m usually a tough critic because I have very specific tastes when it comes to risotto, but this was actually great. The slow-roasted meat was excellent too. 🙏 They even served some more unique items, like sea bass in white sauce and creamy pasta. There wasn't any shortage of food, either; the servers were constantly refilling plates whenever they saw something running low. We liked the experience so much that we actually decided to book them for our own wedding catering. 😍

I actually had my wedding on July 17, 2010, in San Francisco; everything passed by so quickly, almost like a dream... now, after some time has gone by, I am finally able to truly reflect on the ceremony itself 🙂 alongside the photos and all the feedback from our guests, who kept telling us how wonderful the organization was and how beautifully everything unfolded!! 🙂
After receiving so much helpful advice on this forum while we were preparing, I really wanted to share my own experiences with all the brides-to-be out there 🙂

The Beach Boys: they were true professionals; they played a wide variety of music since we had guests visiting from Germany, and the atmosphere was just incredible—they really deserve a lot of praise 👍
Flowers & Decor: we used Jack’s florist in San Francisco; Aunt Mary was absolutely wonderful! I chose a "fuchsia and peony" theme, and she executed everything so beautifully and uniquely!
Catering Pimpinella: we opted for a rather expensive menu, but everyone was genuinely delighted; the food was excellent, and several guests still talk about how great the meal was 🙂
Church: It felt like an Ivan Meštrović masterpiece; the setting was breathtaking! We held our Holy Mass outdoors at 6:00 PM, which was lovely... though I must admit, it was incredibly, incredibly hot...!!!
Car: we rented a white convertible Cadillac from a private classic car enthusiast out in San Diego... the photos turned out absolutely stunning 👍
Focus Video: they traveled in from Washington, D.C., because we couldn't find a photo and video team in San Francisco that we liked for our specific date; the guys really went above and beyond; the pictures are just perfect!!!!!
Makeup: Antonia Guc: she isn't just a professional, but she is also such a beautiful person!!! She calmed my nerves with her kind words and did such amazing work with my makeup! 😘
Hair: Art Hair over in Mejas! 👍 Joseph gave all of us such wonderful hairstyles; he is such a pleasant guy, and we truly enjoyed the preparation process with him!

If I could offer one piece of advice, I would suggest that everyone coordinates all the small details with a family member in advance and writes everything down on a checklist...!! I tended to put things off, always telling myself that "there will be plenty of time"...
Looking back, I suppose I felt a bit regretful that we had certain "little things" that didn't bother anyone else, but that we ultimately had to pay for ourselves...
It can be quite tricky when a family member or close relative stays until very late or oversees the final bill... for instance, we "ran out" of whiskey incredibly fast, even though we hadn't noticed guests drinking it... or perhaps there was too much cake and wedding dessert left over—I forgot to distribute it to the guests, and I wasn't allowed to take food back to the hotel ;-)) ...so, a fair amount of it unfortunately went to waste...:-(((
I found out later that some of the cakes weren't even taken home :-(( I felt so bad for the guests who had gone through the trouble of making homemade treats, only for someone else to end up carrying them home...

But I suspect the heat might have played a part too—it was actually the hottest day of the year (about 100°F)... we were absolutely sweltering... 😲

If I have been able to help in any way, it would make me happy. Wishing you all the very best!! 🙂

We recently hosted a banquet at the Ritz-Carlton in San Diego, and honestly, the food was the absolute star of the show (aside from my own stunning appearance, obviously 😍). Everything served in the ballroom was phenomenal, ranging from the hors d'oeuvres—think jumbo shrimp, calamari, and those classic high-end charcuterie spreads—to every single main course. It was delicious. A huge number of our guests actually told us they’ve never had better catering at a formal event. Even our family Sunday roasts at home don't quite measure up, haha. So, if high-quality cuisine is your top priority, just like it was for us, I give the Ritz-Carlton a MASSIVE thumbs up!

I’m a bit swamped right now and haven't managed to sort through the photos yet, but I'll post a full report very soon 🙂

Cheers and good luck to everyone!!

I forgot to mention one thing... this might be useful for anyone planning ahead. About three months ago, I attended a banquet out in San Antonio, near San Diego. Honestly? The food was an absolute disaster. So many guests were complaining. The beef stew was bone-dry, they ran out of salad halfway through, the meat was mediocre at best, and the risotto was made with some bizarre grain that had zero flavor. The only things worth eating were the prosciutto and cheese. If you’re heading there, please, double-check everything before you eat. They charge a premium for these events, and it’s just plain wrong to serve something that subpar on your big day.

Brian Martin98 said:We recently hosted a banquet at the Ritz-Carlton in San Diego, and honestly, the food was the absolute star of the show (aside from my own stunning appearance, obviously 😍). Everything served in the ballroom was phenomenal, ranging from the hors d'oeuvres—think jumbo shrimp, calamari, and those classic high-end charcuterie spreads—to every single main course. It was delicious. A huge number of our guests actually told us they’ve never had better catering at a formal event. Even our family Sunday roasts at home don't quite measure up, haha. So, if high-quality cuisine is your top priority, just like it was for us, I give the Ritz-Carlton a MASSIVE thumbs up!

I’m a bit swamped right now and haven't managed to sort through the photos yet, but I'll post a full report very soon 🙂

Cheers and good luck to everyone!!

😁 Man, why am I so excited... I actually have my own wedding coming up at the Bellevue! I'm waiting for your report like it's the hottest news on earth.

Does anyone happen to have Taylor Swift’s phone number? I’m in desperate need of a miracle here, please! Help a soul out, thanks everyone!

Bryan Gomez90 said:😁 Man, why am I so excited... I actually have my own wedding coming up at the Bellevue! I'm waiting for your report like it's the hottest news on earth.

I'm stoked too, honestly—mine is being planned out over there right now😍

I’m actually going to ask you guys for a favor too—does anyone happen to have Taylor Swift’s number? And if you know any other really talented makeup artists, please let me know!!!! thanks so much! 🙂

Zachary Price2 said:I mean, why not just hold the whole thing on the terrace at Gusar?

Honestly, you’ve gotta steer clear of Gusaro's—it's a total mess. They're completely unprofessional, super disorganized, and they constantly flake on their own agreements. Plus, the food quality is basically bottom-tier... I really don't get how they charge those prices! Personally, I wouldn't step foot in there even if it was a ten-dollar buffet!

nimbletinker4 said:frozentiger2 I I have to say, Lisjak was such a pro at taking photos, and our venue was the Bolero.
I went with the third package from Lisjak, and honestly, the shots turned out incredible. 🙂 We did all our posing that morning before the reception because we didn't want to be "running away" from our guests later on... I really can't say enough good things about him; he’s just so incredibly charming, constantly smiling while he works, and you can tell he truly loves what he does.🙏
As for the Bolero crew, they stuck to everything we agreed upon, so I have zero complaints. The only thing was that before the party started, I heard a lot of negative rumors—people saying they serve cold food or turn down the music too much. We made sure to sit them down right away and let them know those things were absolutely not an option, and we gave the band a heads-up too, so everything went off without a hitch.😉

Hey, User123, look, it’s not like we’re trying to dodge our guests or anything... but you know how the girls have been dreaming about this whole day. I really don't want my fiancé catching a glimpse of me before he actually comes to pick me up. If that happens, the whole surprise element is just gone, isn't it? Maybe it makes more sense to push the photo shoot to Monday. Honestly, I'm worried we'll just be too exhausted or stressed out trying to cram everything in.🤷
As for the sales side of things, you’ve actually given me something to chew on here... I haven't really run into any negative feedback until now. Now I feel like I should probably step in and give them a heads-up myself. Thanks for the warning.👍

Raymond Brooks7 said:Have you checked his website yet? My photos are actually up there too... if those aren't enough, I can send you some more. 😉
The plan was to get the shots done that day, before the guests arrived (I’m really not a fan of "slipping away" from my own party), but the weather turned sour and ruined everything. We had to push the shoot to Monday...
As for the packages, I don't know what his current lineup looks like, but we ended up doing a mix of packages 2 and 3. He suggested package 2, but I ended up adding a few extras to the order...

I took a look at his site and spent some time looking through his work. Honestly? He seems like a totally decent guy. We haven't officially pulled the trigger on a photographer yet, but that Monday session is starting to look like a pretty solid plan.🙂

Charles Wood92 said:Honestly, you’ve gotta steer clear of Gusaro's—it's a total mess. They're completely unprofessional, super disorganized, and they constantly flake on their own agreements. Plus, the food quality is basically bottom-tier... I really don't get how they charge those prices! Personally, I wouldn't step foot in there even if it was a ten-dollar buffet!

My first post on this forum... and I'm met with negativity right out of the gate. 🙄 I respect everyone's opinion, but I've never heard anything like that before. 😕 Besides, the owner isn't the same guy it used to be; now the owner runs the show personally because he doesn't trust anyone else with the details... I'm not sure where you're getting your info. All I've ever heard about Pirate's Cove is praise. You can say whatever you want about the price, but when it comes to the food and the service, everyone agrees it's a disaster, and I've experienced it myself. 🙏 I don't know how much you'd personally pay for dinner... to me, the price seems more than fair for what you actually get, especially since plenty of other places that are much worse charge way more. But I'm not going to try to convince you... ☕

Here goes my full report on our summer wedding in Charleston! 😍

Church: St. Patrick's Cathedral in Charleston. Getting things started with Father Piplica wasn't exactly a breeze—he was initially hesitant to marry us since we aren't locals—but in the end, everything turned out wonderful. It was a short, sweet ceremony that felt very pleasant; a solid five stars. We had organs playing as we entered the cathedral and again at the end of the service. The absolute highlight was walking out through the side doors of the cathedral and looking down at the guests from those steps while everyone sang and tossed confetti. Wow, I truly felt like a princess!

Bellevue Hall – As I mentioned before, the food was fantastic; every single guest commented on it. Helen, the manager, was lovely and very easy to talk to. The hall itself is beautiful, and once the flowers and decorations were set, it looked absolutely stunning. My one gripe was with the waitstaff; they brought out all the cakes and brittle at the exact same time, as if they thought I had twenty hands to slice everything! I really should have walked them through the timeline beforehand with Helen; if I had, I think the whole experience would have been a perfect five stars just like the rest.

Desserts: The brittle was made by Mediterranean Bakery over at the marina, and the quality was top-notch! They also made my wedding cake, though I wasn't particularly thrilled because they didn't quite capture the specific look I wanted. In my opinion, it’s better to just hire them for the brittle where they truly shine. I had a massive spread of other cakes from Delta plus various other treats, so it wasn't a huge deal—honestly, maybe I didn't even need that specific cake to begin with.

Dress: I used the La Perla salon in Ottawa and San Francisco. The woman in Ottawa was wonderful, and that's where I booked the Pronovias la Higuera gown, which cost me 375 dollars to rent. I picked up the dress in San Francisco; it was beautifully packaged, pristine, and included all the agreed-upon accessories. I was extremely happy with both the dress and the service.

Flower Shop: Nellie over on the hill handled the arrangements for the head table, my bouquet, the boutonnieres, etc. I also ordered the centerpieces from her, which Helen and the crew at Bellevue assembled since that service is included in their pricing. For the vases, I bought them at the TTTS shop run by Matt and Jaranen.

Music and Entertainment: DJ Mario (DM me if you want his number) is excellent; he created a great vibe with a mix of American hits and international tracks. He isn't really the "talkative MC" type, so you might want someone else if you want a host, but everyone was dancing and later remarked that the music was spot on! Before the reception started, we had an accordion and guitar duo—two very charming, high-energy young people who played for ages because the crowd simply wouldn't stop dancing! We also had a folk dance performance, which caught the guests totally off guard since they had no idea it was coming.

Photography – A wedding studio in... well, I'm still waiting on the photos, so I'll update you all later...

Hair – Maja's hair salon right across from the Bellevue Hotel. She is a very pleasant woman and the staff there is great; my hair turned out exactly how I imagined it!

So, if there is anything else you want to know, just ask! Organizing a wedding is definitely not easy work, but in the end, we had one BEAUTIFUL day that we will all cherish forever. 👍

Best, and good luck!

Thanks, Nemo, for the detailed report!
Jokes aside, we have a photographer on hand as well... the crew is doing an incredible job, so I’m confident you’ll be thrilled with how the photos turn out!

Hey there! I’m brand new to this forum, so please bear with me—I know I probably have a million questions coming your way! 🙂
Could one of you ladies recommend a really talented stripper for a bachelorette party over in San Diego? And if you could, please shoot me their number via PM—I'd appreciate it so much!
Also, I was wondering if anyone might have the contact info for that guy down at the marina who does those incredible wedding cakes?

That’s all for now, I guess!
Thanks a bunch!

Could someone please provide me with some information regarding Naperville...

Amy Morris70 said:Could someone please provide me with some information regarding Naperville...

There is plenty of information available right on the front page, so why not just take a moment to scroll through it?

Hi everyone... I'm new here, so I could use a little guidance. I'm looking to book a photoshoot for my son... what's the best way to go about finding the right photographer? 🙂Does anyone know what the typical rates are, and do they usually offer video services as well?

Harold Price said:Hi everyone... I'm new here, so I could use a little guidance. I'm looking to book a photoshoot for my son... what's the best way to go about finding the right photographer? 🙂Does anyone know what the typical rates are, and do they usually offer video services as well?

Siniša Srdanović has a public Facebook profile, so just go take a look.
He strictly handles photography, but he works with a crew of videographers, so you can coordinate through him if you want video coverage... let me know if you need his cell number.