Everything you need for a California wedding

Thomas Cruz9 said:Exactly. I’m actually starting to think about hunting down a florist who can pull this off for a much more reasonable price... maybe someone based in the outskirts rather than right in the heart of San Francisco.

So, where's the pier?

gentlewolf69 said:Peter Collins90, I knew it was Miles behind that post on the local forums the second I saw it. What can I even say... I actually lucked out by having my awkward encounter with her right at the start, rather than waiting until fifteen days before my wedding like you did. It’s just classic, isn't it? She goes around bragging about being the absolute best and most professional in the business, yet this supposedly high-end boutique owner doesn't even know the difference between chiffon and... whatever she calls it! She’s been running that shop for years and still hasn't bothered to learn basic fabric names... It's honestly embarrassing. Anyway, I really hope you manage to find a dress you actually love, one that makes you forget all about whatever Miles was trying to sell you.

I won't even bother commenting on the bolded part; I've heard that line from her several times and I am honestly stunned by the audacity... Essentially, either you're too short for her or too tall... Apparently, she is the only perfect one, while the rest of us are just deformed!
I handled everything myself, so I'm not worried, thank Bog Našlva 🙂 this Saturday morning at La Perla; they have wonderful dresses... I spent quite a bit of time trying things on, the girl there was lovely, and in the end, she suggested one for me to try (which wasn't my first choice) and I ended up taking it... Prices are around 3,000 $167 (including a discount of about 1,000 $0.00). With those crazies, it would have cost me 3,500 anyway, but I wouldn't give them that extra 3,000 $0.00 even if my life depended on it... Mila can order a lamb with my deposit money (and she can pay for it herself), because there is absolutely no way she's getting the rest...
I am so incredibly frustrated that I simply cannot let this go... 😠
Anyway, ladies, if you don't have a "dream wedding dress" (as I certainly don't), you can comfortably wait until the last fifteen days to start looking, and you'll find something beautiful in any salon 🙂

Thomas Cruz9 said:I'm just starting my search for a wedding dress, and the last thing I need is a disaster like this... I feel so bad for you. Seriously, there is no way in hell I'm stepping foot in Mila's shop. At this point, it's probably better to just head straight to La Perla and see Danielle. Everyone raves about her work; presumably, the woman and her staff actually know what they're doing.

I went wedding dress shopping with my mom and my godmother, visiting both Helen and Annmarie when they were hunting for their gowns... Honestly, Helen can be such a handful (not that she means any harm), but once she stands in the doorway, there's just no getting past her. She kept insisting I try on dresses that weren't even my style. I'd tell her, "I don't want a ballgown," and she'd just counter with, "Oh, come on, just try this one! This princess style is gorgeous, look how flattering it is on you..." 🙄 Honestly, it’s enough to make you want to die... trying on dresses like that is just not exactly the vibe. And let's not forget—she actually thinks she's being "proper," while everyone else is out there ordering their dresses from eBay... 🙂
Annmarie is a whole different level of intense... she’s practically screaming right in my ear that the whole thing is a total disaster... 🤦 If you're planning on heading over there, do yourself a favor and pack some earplugs... 🙄 🙂
And then, just when you think things can't get any worse, you finally make it to the Mila bridal boutique, only to be greeted by some "lady"... The most honest one... The moment she steps foot in San Diego, she immediately starts trashing Vesna Sposa, La Perla, and glamour Sposa, not to mention all those other boutiques she listed... Nick didn't even ask, but she just keeps counting them up like it's her job (which says everything you need to know about her)...
Badmouthing others is nothing more than a dishonorable way to inflate your own ego, Ms. Mila... She keeps telling everyone else to just order their dresses from eBay, but get this—whenever a bride walks in, she pulls that same old line. She’ll say, "Just go down to La Perla, pick out whatever wedding dress you want, bring back a photo, and I'll match whatever they're offering you for $4,000 with a $2,000 price tag." Then she just clicks over to eBay and—voila! It's all a setup. I unfortunately realized the whole scheme far too late... A receipt for the deposit, an actual invoice for the money I'm handing over... basic decency, humanity, honesty... What even is that anymore? Is it something you can eat? ☕

gentlewolf69 said:Peter Collins90, I knew it was Miles behind that post on the local forums the second I saw it. What can I even say... I actually lucked out by having my awkward encounter with her right at the start, rather than waiting until fifteen days before my wedding like you did. It’s just classic, isn't it? She goes around bragging about being the absolute best and most professional in the business, yet this supposedly high-end boutique owner doesn't even know the difference between chiffon and... whatever she calls it! She’s been running that shop for years and still hasn't bothered to learn basic fabric names... It's honestly embarrassing. Anyway, I really hope you manage to find a dress you actually love, one that makes you forget all about whatever Miles was trying to sell you.

Maybe she just meant chiffon 🤣...

William Chavez10 said:So, where's the pier?

in San Diego

Peter Collins90 said:I went wedding dress shopping with my mom and my godmother, visiting both Helen and Annmarie when they were hunting for their gowns... Honestly, Helen can be such a handful (not that she means any harm), but once she stands in the doorway, there's just no getting past her. She kept insisting I try on dresses that weren't even my style. I'd tell her, "I don't want a ballgown," and she'd just counter with, "Oh, come on, just try this one! This princess style is gorgeous, look how flattering it is on you..." 🙄 Honestly, it’s enough to make you want to die... trying on dresses like that is just not exactly the vibe. And let's not forget—she actually thinks she's being "proper," while everyone else is out there ordering their dresses from eBay... 🙂
Annmarie is a whole different level of intense... she’s practically screaming right in my ear that the whole thing is a total disaster... 🤦 If you're planning on heading over there, do yourself a favor and pack some earplugs... 🙄 🙂
And then, just when you think things can't get any worse, you finally make it to the Mila bridal boutique, only to be greeted by some "lady"... The most honest one... The moment she steps foot in San Diego, she immediately starts trashing Vesna Sposa, La Perla, and glamour Sposa, not to mention all those other boutiques she listed... Nick didn't even ask, but she just keeps counting them up like it's her job (which says everything you need to know about her)...
Badmouthing others is nothing more than a dishonorable way to inflate your own ego, Ms. Mila... She keeps telling everyone else to just order their dresses from eBay, but get this—whenever a bride walks in, she pulls that same old line. She’ll say, "Just go down to La Perla, pick out whatever wedding dress you want, bring back a photo, and I'll match whatever they're offering you for $4,000 with a $2,000 price tag." Then she just clicks over to eBay and—voila! It's all a setup. I unfortunately realized the whole scheme far too late... A receipt for the deposit, an actual invoice for the money I'm handing over... basic decency, humanity, honesty... What even is that anymore? Is it something you can eat? ☕

That is exactly it! My maid of honor and I showed up wanting to try on something simple, something fitted, maybe lacey or, as Mio would put it, chiffon-style 🤣 and then Helen's assistant, Draga, decides that those styles are all "Roman goddess vibes" and pulls out the first satin A-line gown covered in sparkling rhinestones. Then she pulls out a second satin A-line gown, also covered in rhinestones. I tried them both just to be polite, of course. I kept telling her that wasn't my style, that I didn't like satin and just wanted something simple that flowed... But she just keeps repeating, "Yes, yes, you love that Roman look! Here, try this 'Roman' one with the ruffles, just slip into this petticoat first!" I was having a total meltdown, meanwhile my maid of honor is just sitting there calmly putting on her own satin "Roman" gowns that Draga keeps handing her. I finally threw on the ruffled one, told her I hated it, stripped it off, and started getting dressed because I really couldn't deal with anything else. And there goes Draga, digging through piles of discarded wedding dresses looking for that one "perfect" Roman gown... I was subtly signaling to my maid of honor that we needed to make a run for it, but she has much stronger nerves than I do and found the whole thing hilarious. Eventually, Draga emerges with the "perfect" one: a massive ballgown with a single tulle strap—which looked exactly like those garlands strippers wrap around their necks: http://www.binbin.net/photos/miss-mi...miss-minky.jpg—and there was this giant tulle water lily flower right where the bodice met the skirt. 🤦 I don't regret not playing along and pretending it was perfect just to get a photo. I just bluntly told her I didn't like it, I wasn't trying anything else, and there was no point in bringing anything else out because nothing was working for me. After that, she gave up on me and focused on my maid of honor, who didn't know how to say no, testing everything until I finally insisted we had to go.

Hey ladies, I could use some advice regarding where to gather the wedding party. We’re deciding between holding the ceremony at St. Jude or over in Pojišan, but we're still weighing the parking situation. Given those two locations, does anyone have any good recommendations for spots nearby where guests could congregate before the service starts?

I don't know, maybe I'm just overthinking it, but I feel like Anela is really something else. Just my two cents, though. kaže:
So, I finally went ahead and booked a bouquet... honestly, the woman behind this is absolutely insane. I’ve been to plenty of places where they do floral arrangements, and I have zero complaints about her work. She's killing it.
And what about those cookies? I didn't hear anything about them.🤷

Anela, thanks a million! :-)
Hey, you happen to have Cvitek's email address or anything?

Thanks a million! :-)

Thomas Cruz9 said:Hey ladies, I could use some advice regarding where to gather the wedding party. We’re deciding between holding the ceremony at St. Jude or over in Pojišan, but we're still weighing the parking situation. Given those two locations, does anyone have any good recommendations for spots nearby where guests could congregate before the service starts?

How many guests are you expecting? And are you thinking of a simple meetup, or more of a cocktail/appetizer welcome? For the weddings I've attended near Pojišan (four in total), the gathering usually involved drinks and finger foods—either at the Park Hotel (outdoors in the summer, indoors once in the winter) or at Vidjakovi. Sure, the parking situation is a bit of a mess, but where else would you go? Mind you, those were weddings without flags, music, or a procession to the church, so they might have been easier to manage. If you plan on having live music or singing, I wouldn't recommend the Park; it's fine for a quiet cocktail before walking. Vidjakovi is more casual and budget-friendly—people usually hang out there for about an hour, sing a few songs, and then the procession heads toward the shrine. As for St. Jude, I haven't a clue.

Anyway, my fiancée has finally sorted out her dress situation—a relative from London is sending over a Monique Lhuillier piece. It’s a stunning, sleek, and understated gown.
Now we have a new dilemma: we need a high-end seamstress who can tailor the dress perfectly without ruining it. Since it's a masterclass in design with such clean lines, we can't afford any mistakes. Does anyone have a recommendation for a skilled tailor in San Diego who has experience with wedding gowns or more complex garments? The dress consists of two layers fitted tightly together—silk and silk lace. I only know of two local tailors, but they mostly just handle basic repairs.
What do you think—would it be worth approaching a bridal salon for this? We feel a bit awkward since we didn't purchase the dress from them. We would obviously pay, but there's still that sense of hesitation...

Also, does anyone have experience with "skimming" a catering bill? For instance, paying for a cake and a certain amount of pastries, getting an official receipt for that, while having some extra treats "disappear" into the party? I've dreamed of this kind of feast, and I've read about it on forums before. 🙂 We've already found some fantastic cookies for guests to take home, but we haven't settled on a cake yet; we'd love for part of the dessert spread to feel homemade. Do you think a venue like the Hilton in San Diego could pull that off?

electricangler said:How many guests are you expecting? And are you thinking of a simple meetup, or more of a cocktail/appetizer welcome? For the weddings I've attended near Pojišan (four in total), the gathering usually involved drinks and finger foods—either at the Park Hotel (outdoors in the summer, indoors once in the winter) or at Vidjakovi. Sure, the parking situation is a bit of a mess, but where else would you go? Mind you, those were weddings without flags, music, or a procession to the church, so they might have been easier to manage. If you plan on having live music or singing, I wouldn't recommend the Park; it's fine for a quiet cocktail before walking. Vidjakovi is more casual and budget-friendly—people usually hang out there for about an hour, sing a few songs, and then the procession heads toward the shrine. As for St. Jude, I haven't a clue.

Oof, well, we are planning on both playing music and singing... and it won't just be a quick meetup; we'll have plenty of food and drinks for roughly 150 people.

electricangler said:Anyway, my fiancée has finally sorted out her dress situation—a relative from London is sending over a Monique Lhuillier piece. It’s a stunning, sleek, and understated gown.
Now we have a new dilemma: we need a high-end seamstress who can tailor the dress perfectly without ruining it. Since it's a masterclass in design with such clean lines, we can't afford any mistakes. Does anyone have a recommendation for a skilled tailor in San Diego who has experience with wedding gowns or more complex garments? The dress consists of two layers fitted tightly together—silk and silk lace. I only know of two local tailors, but they mostly just handle basic repairs.
What do you think—would it be worth approaching a bridal salon for this? We feel a bit awkward since we didn't purchase the dress from them. We would obviously pay, but there's still that sense of hesitation...

Also, does anyone have experience with "skimming" a catering bill? For instance, paying for a cake and a certain amount of pastries, getting an official receipt for that, while having some extra treats "disappear" into the party? I've dreamed of this kind of feast, and I've read about it on forums before. 🙂 We've already found some fantastic cookies for guests to take home, but we haven't settled on a cake yet; we'd love for part of the dessert spread to feel homemade. Do you think a venue like the Hilton in San Diego could pull that off?

Does anyone have recommendations for where to find those kinds of cookies? Thanks so much!
Everything is negotiable with the owner if they're open to it; you might be able to sneak a few extra pastries in... essentially, it's up to the manager, so just ask. 😉

Thomas Cruz9 said:Oof, well, we are planning on both playing music and singing... and it won't just be a quick meetup; we'll have plenty of food and drinks for roughly 150 people.

Would it work to set up in the park near the viewpoint? Not really inside. You'd have to negotiate that with them. My group got stuck over there; we only slightly disrupted traffic heading toward the hospital while we were walking.
Or, why not try renting out a venue downtown for a few hours—maybe check out a place like Tropicalia, a club in Miami, or somewhere similar. I doubt they’d charge an arm and a leg...

Thomas Cruz9 said:Does anyone have recommendations for where to find those kinds of cookies? Thanks so much!
Everything is negotiable with the owner if they're open to it; you might be able to sneak a few extra pastries in... essentially, it's up to the manager, so just ask. 😉

The cookies vary: shortbread, cream-filled, Linzers, peach-shaped ones, Londoners, and so on. I stumbled upon them by chance when I was walking to my workout at the local gym. I always walk, so I pick some up on the way to make up for the lost calories... 🙂 The bakery is called Prekpalyaj, or something like that, right above the clinic near the gym. Most of them are $17 good; there are several varieties for about $1 each. A couple of types aren't my thing, but the rest are perfect. They actually have a massive selection and aren't bland like most bakeries. They have fillings, walnuts, hazelnuts, everything. Honestly, I grab a few three times a week...
We'll see about bringing homemade cookies to the hall—none of the ones we tried actually tasted good...
Actually, they are from Procaffea, but the bride and groom aren't exactly known for robbing banks...

Christian Phillips3 said:

I don't know, maybe I'm just overthinking it, but I feel like Anela is really something else. Just my two cents, though. kaže:
So, I finally went ahead and booked a bouquet... honestly, the woman behind this is absolutely insane. I’ve been to plenty of places where they do floral arrangements, and I have zero complaints about her work. She's killing it.
And what about those cookies? I didn't hear anything about them.🤷

Anela, thanks a million! :-)
Hey, you happen to have Cvitek's email address or anything?

Thanks a million! :-)

I only have his phone number; I don't think he uses email.

(212) 555-0198

gentlewolf69 said:That is exactly it! My maid of honor and I showed up wanting to try on something simple, something fitted, maybe lacey or, as Mio would put it, chiffon-style 🤣 and then Helen's assistant, Draga, decides that those styles are all "Roman goddess vibes" and pulls out the first satin A-line gown covered in sparkling rhinestones. Then she pulls out a second satin A-line gown, also covered in rhinestones. I tried them both just to be polite, of course. I kept telling her that wasn't my style, that I didn't like satin and just wanted something simple that flowed... But she just keeps repeating, "Yes, yes, you love that Roman look! Here, try this 'Roman' one with the ruffles, just slip into this petticoat first!" I was having a total meltdown, meanwhile my maid of honor is just sitting there calmly putting on her own satin "Roman" gowns that Draga keeps handing her. I finally threw on the ruffled one, told her I hated it, stripped it off, and started getting dressed because I really couldn't deal with anything else. And there goes Draga, digging through piles of discarded wedding dresses looking for that one "perfect" Roman gown... I was subtly signaling to my maid of honor that we needed to make a run for it, but she has much stronger nerves than I do and found the whole thing hilarious. Eventually, Draga emerges with the "perfect" one: a massive ballgown with a single tulle strap—which looked exactly like those garlands strippers wrap around their necks: http://www.binbin.net/photos/miss-mi...miss-minky.jpg—and there was this giant tulle water lily flower right where the bodice met the skirt. 🤦 I don't regret not playing along and pretending it was perfect just to get a photo. I just bluntly told her I didn't like it, I wasn't trying anything else, and there was no point in bringing anything else out because nothing was working for me. After that, she gave up on me and focused on my maid of honor, who didn't know how to say no, testing everything until I finally insisted we had to go.

😂😂😂 Jane and Dorothy are too much! 😂😂😂

Are there any girls here who bought their wedding dress relatively early? I might have a bit of a situation on my hands. My dress is going to be sitting in a closet for a long time because I found an incredible deal on it way ahead of schedule (we actually talked about this earlier)... The problem is, the skirt is this massive princess style with tons of tulle, and it already looks kind of grayish to me 😢 I know tulle can lose its brightness if it just sits there. I tried it on recently and my mom says it doesn't look gray at all, just white, but still... I've been doing a ton of reading online about how to care for tulle and bridal gowns. Some women suggest soaking the dress in a tub of lukewarm water with a little bit of mild liquid soap to lift the grayness, then carefully hanging it up to drip dry so the tulle doesn't lose its volume. Has anyone actually tried this method? And if you haven't—or if your dress turned gray too—which dry cleaners did you take it to and what did it cost? I'm really hoping someone has heard of something like this 🤷

ughhh ladies, I’m back again needing your help and your best recs ;-)
I still haven't nailed down my HAIR, MAKEUP, or my FLORIST.
I really need a hairstylist and a makeup artist who can come out to me (near San Francisco)
And honestly, if the florist could be right nearby too (around the Bay Area), that would be killer.

So, what's the verdict on these:

marija bosancic (mic style) VS ivana anic-Ljubic
lucija spajic VS tina kalinic
cvitak VS ???

Thanks a million for any info, stories, suggestions, or even warnings... ;-)

For anyone looking, the Mila Šinfon bridal boutique just posted an update on Facebook: ATTENTION BRIDES, THE SAINT PATRICK 2013 COLLECTION IS AVAILABLE STARTING TOMORROW!! To make things even better, they’re throwing in an Easter surprise; the very first person to walk into the salon and book their dress will snag a $500-$333 discount (and yeah, that applies to any gown in the shop). You might want to go ahead and schedule a fitting appointment soon, because we're all pretty excited to see you... Your friends at Mila Šinfon

Christian Phillips3 said:ughhh ladies, I’m back again needing your help and your best recs ;-)
I still haven't nailed down my HAIR, MAKEUP, or my FLORIST.
I really need a hairstylist and a makeup artist who can come out to me (near San Francisco)
And honestly, if the florist could be right nearby too (around the Bay Area), that would be killer.

So, what's the verdict on these:

marija bosancic (mic style) VS ivana anic-Ljubic
lucija spajic VS tina kalinic
cvitak VS ???

Thanks a million for any info, stories, suggestions, or even warnings... ;-)

Regarding florists, there are a few local spots in the area with sales and promotions... when I was scouting for quotes, they were about $167 cheaper than Cvitak, but Cvitak is incomparably better... the woman I spoke with was wonderful because she gets so genuinely excited telling you what she'll do and how it will look. The owner even told me that when you compare Cvitak's work to other flower shops, it's night and day.

As for hair stylists, I don't know if anyone does house calls, so I can't really help you there.

I could really use some help here—does anyone have any solid recommendations or contact info for a decent DJ?