Everything you need for a California wedding

You can find some absolutely stunning dresses over at the boutique near the bridal shop owned by Ana Lipa—which is actually where I finally tracked down my dream wedding gown! While I'm at it, I wanted to see if anyone else here has used them for other wedding needs, like decor or styling? Honestly, the owner completely blew me away; she has everything you could possibly need, and her gowns are just so unique compared to the usual stuff you see everywhere. Plus, she is incredibly helpful and has so much patience—it makes such a difference.

So, I just got back from the bridal expo, and honestly, I spent most of my time wandering around checking out all the little extras because I’ve actually already checked the venue, the photographer, and the DJ off my list... I was mostly interested in
jewelry, specifically, so I picked up a few discount vouchers to go hit up some local boutiques downtown. As for the flowers, I haven't really figured out what a decent wedding bouquet should cost around $167... what do you guys think? To me, it feels a bit like
they're overcharging just because they slap the word "wedding" on everything—if it were just a regular bouquet, it would probably be way more affordable, right? But overall, it was a decent experience. Just a heads-up if anyone else is just starting their planning process: watch out for those vendors who make big promises but don't really deliver on the details

Hey, quick question—how far in advance should I actually be looking at flowers if I'm planning on doing a salad garnish and a wedding bouquet? And what kind of price range am I looking at here?
thanks

I reached out to my bridesmaid back in February, and she told me there was really no need for us to start planning anything just yet—she thinks we "have plenty of time"—since the wedding isn't until June. So, we decided to just hold off on talking through the "details" until March; the only things she actually knows right now are the date, the venue, and the color scheme I’m leaning toward. Oh, and we are definitely doing a light show. That's pretty much it 😁

I need some advice! I’m planning a big party for late October and I’m still stuck deciding on a photographer and a band. I’m looking at either Photo California or maybe just hiring Marko, and for music, I’m thinking about a local cover band. Does anyone have experience with these guys? I’d love to know what they’re actually like and what kind of budget I should set aside. Any good or bad stories would be a huge help... THANKS!

gentlepilot9 said:So, I just got back from the bridal expo, and honestly, I spent most of my time wandering around checking out all the little extras because I’ve actually already checked the venue, the photographer, and the DJ off my list... I was mostly interested in
jewelry, specifically, so I picked up a few discount vouchers to go hit up some local boutiques downtown. As for the flowers, I haven't really figured out what a decent wedding bouquet should cost around $167... what do you guys think? To me, it feels a bit like
they're overcharging just because they slap the word "wedding" on everything—if it were just a regular bouquet, it would probably be way more affordable, right? But overall, it was a decent experience. Just a heads-up if anyone else is just starting their planning process: watch out for those vendors who make big promises but don't really deliver on the details

It really all depends on the kind of bouquet you're dreaming of, but I'd say you can probably find something basic for about $150, and then it goes from there. Personally, the flower prices at the expo totally caught me off guard—every single vendor gave me the same old line about how it "depends on the season" or "this specific bloom is hard to get," which wasn't exactly impressive

I stopped by the wedding expo earlier—nothing too spectacular, really. Most of the planners seemed way overpriced for what they offer. If I walked away with one major takeaway, it’s that hiring a dedicated professional—like a full-scale wedding planner—is definitely the smartest move to make. I'm actually leaning toward booking the team over at Little Anna's out in California, but I would love to hear from anyone here who has actually worked with them. Could you please let me know if they're as good as they seem? I need some clarity on this, and I need it fast!

David King72 said:It really all depends on the kind of bouquet you're dreaming of, but I'd say you can probably find something basic for about $150, and then it goes from there. Personally, the flower prices at the expo totally caught me off guard—every single vendor gave me the same old line about how it "depends on the season" or "this specific bloom is hard to get," which wasn't exactly impressive

You've got a point there, but that was exactly why it felt so frustrating, since every single person there seemed to have their own unique theory about which flowers were in season and whatnot...
So, I think I'll just head over to one of those florists whose work I've actually seen in person, specifically someone who does both bouquets and full event decor...

Christian Wilson81 said:I need some advice! I’m planning a big party for late October and I’m still stuck deciding on a photographer and a band. I’m looking at either Photo California or maybe just hiring Marko, and for music, I’m thinking about a local cover band. Does anyone have experience with these guys? I’d love to know what they’re actually like and what kind of budget I should set aside. Any good or bad stories would be a huge help... THANKS!

Honestly, get moving on that photographer and band search! I only started my planning two weeks ago and thought I was ahead of the curve—but out of twenty different bands I called, only three were even available...
I'm actually aiming for September 17th, but you should probably give them a call right away just to check availability..🤷

Has anyone here had any experience with the makeup artist Mary Bennett ???

I know I need to get moving, but honestly, I’m starting to panic a little... Reading through your comments helps, though. It makes me feel less alone in this.

Christian Wilson81 said:I need some advice! I’m planning a big party for late October and I’m still stuck deciding on a photographer and a band. I’m looking at either Photo California or maybe just hiring Marko, and for music, I’m thinking about a local cover band. Does anyone have experience with these guys? I’d love to know what they’re actually like and what kind of budget I should set aside. Any good or bad stories would be a huge help... THANKS!

Mark is great... honestly one of the best photographers in California😉

So, I sent out an email to the band, and everyone was super responsive—they even confirmed they’re free on our date! The only thing is, nobody actually mentioned their rates. Please, let me know if you guys happen to know what that band charges, or maybe what Barbara or someone else might cost just so I have a baseline for comparison. Is it totally weird to reach out just to ask about the price? 🤷

Christian Wilson81 said:So, I sent out an email to the band, and everyone was super responsive—they even confirmed they’re free on our date! The only thing is, nobody actually mentioned their rates. Please, let me know if you guys happen to know what that band charges, or maybe what Barbara or someone else might cost just so I have a baseline for comparison. Is it totally weird to reach out just to ask about the price? 🤷

Of course it isn't weird! Honestly—I'd say that's probably the most important detail to nail down early on...
When I was checking around, I always asked: "Are you available on this date—and what are your rates?"
I'm not sure about their specific pricing, but most wedding bands go for roughly $2,000
Give them a ring and follow up again 😉

boldbadger19 said:Of course it isn't weird! Honestly—I'd say that's probably the most important detail to nail down early on...
When I was checking around, I always asked: "Are you available on this date—and what are your rates?"
I'm not sure about their specific pricing, but most wedding bands go for roughly $2,000
Give them a ring and follow up again 😉

Don't even sweat it, you'll find someone perfect... I mean, we actually managed to pull our entire wedding together in just a single week!
In seven days flat, we somehow tracked down a venue, a band, and a photographer... though for us, it ended up being a jazz trio playing instead of a full band.
And honestly, she's right—it's pretty hard to find a decent band for less than $1,500 these days... but good luck, you've got this, no worries!!!🙂🙂

Christian Wilson81, this one is actually meant for you, I quoted the wrong person🙂))))
Sorry girls, I'm still pretty new here and clearly haven't quite figured out how to navigate everything yet... 😢

Does anyone have recommendations for a bakery in Los Angeles that can handle a large, multi-tiered wedding cake? I'm looking for something that won't rely on plastic tiers or supports for about a hundred guests.
I checked in with Magnolia Bakery, but they told me their tiered cakes top out at maybe 40 people. I’m really looking for one massive, cohesive centerpiece rather than one large cake surrounded by ten tiny ones...

Bryan Gomez90 said:Does anyone have recommendations for a bakery in Los Angeles that can handle a large, multi-tiered wedding cake? I'm looking for something that won't rely on plastic tiers or supports for about a hundred guests.
I checked in with Magnolia Bakery, but they told me their tiered cakes top out at maybe 40 people. I’m really looking for one massive, cohesive centerpiece rather than one large cake surrounded by ten tiny ones...

I'm actually planning on doing the exact same thing—one big, beautiful cake! I asked around about how many tiers you can realistically stack without using supports, and one lady told me four was the limit. Now, hold on a second—four tiers for only 40 people seems totally overkill, even if the slices are huge, right? So, I checked in with Zenith, and they seemed to suggest that a setup like that could easily feed closer to 180 people.

That’s what I was told, too. A maximum of four flavors, and when I asked about the guest count, the woman said it was for roughly 40 people. I even asked if I could expand the selection, but she just insisted these were their standard cake tasting sets... which is a shame, because their cakes are actually quite good.
I haven't stopped by Zenith yet. Where exactly are they located? And how are their cakes?

Bryan Gomez90 said:That’s what I was told, too. A maximum of four flavors, and when I asked about the guest count, the woman said it was for roughly 40 people. I even asked if I could expand the selection, but she just insisted these were their standard cake tasting sets... which is a shame, because their cakes are actually quite good.
I haven't stopped by Zenith yet. Where exactly are they located? And how are their cakes?

I have absolutely no clue what the cakes at Zenith are like, though—to be honest, most store-bought cakes usually taste pretty mediocre to me. One of the rare exceptions is the Stracciatella cake from the Mississippi Delta, so I’m really hoping my wedding cake can be that specific flavor! My plan is to reach out to the pastry chef directly (the lady over at the Delta gave me his number) or maybe even just drop by his shop. They mentioned at the expo that if you have special requests, you can just head down there and work things out with the baker personally.
So, when is your big day?