Everything you need for a California wedding

Michelle Ross4 said:Hey everyone!

So, we’re starting to map out our wedding for sometime next spring—probably looking at those classic June or September dates—and we’re expecting about 250 guests. We're based right outside of Miami, and honestly, most of our eyes are on venues in a nearby Suburban town. It seems like finding a spot in Miami that can actually handle a crowd that size is nearly impossible, if I know my facts straight, plus the Suburban town area should be a bit easier on the wallet...

Has anyone dealt with any local venues or handled bookings recently at places like Walmart, Dolis, or Phoenix? I’m looking for the real scoop: what was the experience like, how were the prices, and what was the overall vibe?

Also, regarding the music... we aren't picky, we listen to just about everything, so we'd probably go with a live band. Does anyone have any firsthand experience working with Wine and Ivo?

thanks Reddit!

The salo bolero in San Francisco can actually hold 250 guests... and if I remember right, the price was around $45 per person...

Hey everyone!!

The wedding is happening next April. We’re looking at a maximum of about 90 guests, so can anyone throw some good venue recommendations my way?
Also, does anyone here have experience working with the photographers over at studij Bonačić? I’ve been scrolling through their portfolio and the shots look killer, but we’re really leaning towards something more spontaneous and candid.

placideagle10 said:I’ve been looking into both foto studio V in San Francisco (where Vilim Bujević works) and foto studio Toni over in San Francisco as well... Has anyone here actually hired either of these studios for wedding photography or videography? I'm curious—were you happy with how everything turned out? Or maybe you've just heard some word-of-mouth about them? Any bit of advice would be so appreciated... Thanks!

I haven't used studio V myself, but I have heard nothing but good things—a friend of mine had them do her wedding shoot and she was just incredibly happy with everything they did!
As for foto studio Toni, I've heard wonderful things too; the girl who used them for her wedding was absolutely thrilled. I actually tagged along with a friend when she went to meet him to talk about her own wedding, and he is such a friendly, approachable guy... you can pretty much organize whatever you want, and he's totally fine with you choosing different spots for posing—he even suggested NP Krka, which isn't exactly right around the corner, though...

When it comes to the actual photos, though, I think you should probably go check out their portfolios yourself... everyone has such different tastes, and a certain style might not click for everyone 😉

northerntinker13 said:Hey everyone! Quick question—does anyone know the actual capacity of the Adriatic Grašo restaurant in San Francisco if there's a DJ playing? I've heard a bunch of different numbers, so I wanted to see if anyone here actually knows for sure. People told me they could fit about 90 people if a DJ is set up, but honestly, that feels like a bit of a stretch to me 😁
Thanks a ton!

Personally, I think the Pirate place is better, but hey, to each their own; I actually feel like the Pirate serves enough food that you can take leftovers home with you.

placideagle10 said:I’ve been looking into both foto studio V in San Francisco (where Vilim Bujević works) and foto studio Toni over in San Francisco as well... Has anyone here actually hired either of these studios for wedding photography or videography? I'm curious—were you happy with how everything turned out? Or maybe you've just heard some word-of-mouth about them? Any bit of advice would be so appreciated... Thanks!

Honestly, foto studio V is the way to go.
As for foto studio Toni, they were a total letdown for me—I mean, the guy might have a great personality, but when it comes to actual photography, it’s a complete disaster. I know of several people who ended up returning their albums because basic shots, like the ones of the godparents or parents, were missing entirely. I looked through one DVD they produced and it was honestly amateur hour; you wouldn't expect that from a supposed professional.

But hey, at the end of the day, everyone has their own taste.

David King72 said:Honestly, foto studio V is the way to go.
As for foto studio Toni, they were a total letdown for me—I mean, the guy might have a great personality, but when it comes to actual photography, it’s a complete disaster. I know of several people who ended up returning their albums because basic shots, like the ones of the godparents or parents, were missing entirely. I looked through one DVD they produced and it was honestly amateur hour; you wouldn't expect that from a supposed professional.

But hey, at the end of the day, everyone has their own taste.

I honestly just can't stand that guy's photos... like, at all. But hey, I guess it's all just a matter of taste, isn't it? 🤷

Kate Martinez33 said:Hey everyone!!

The wedding is happening next April. We’re looking at a maximum of about 90 guests, so can anyone throw some good venue recommendations my way?
Also, does anyone here have experience working with the photographers over at studij Bonačić? I’ve been scrolling through their portfolio and the shots look killer, but we’re really leaning towards something more spontaneous and candid.

I'm not sure if there are any dedicated wedding halls in San Francisco that cater to a group as small as 90... but you might want to check out some upscale restaurants instead. Maybe try reaching out to places like America, Kadena, bot šara, Velum, or Grašo...

Thanks to everyone who shared those photo studio recommendations... Now, does anyone happen to know a good wedding videographer? I'm looking for someone who won't break the bank, but will still deliver a decent final edit...

gentlewolf69 said:Does anyone happen to know where I could rent a white tarp or maybe a canopy somewhere around the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose area?

here's a link, they do rentals for gazebos and tents so just take a look... not sure if it's exactly what you're hunting for though...

Thanks. I'll take a look...

Hey there...

Does anyone here actually have first-hand experience with Smile Studio and Ranko Pupic? I’ve been scrolling through their work online, and honestly, their shots look pretty killer—both the video and the photography seem top-tier...
I noticed Vedran Vidak works with them, and he’s an incredible photographer... I’ve even reached out to a few people who tagged them on Facebook, and everyone seems genuinely thrilled with the results... but then again, we all know how this works... the people who end up hating their photos aren't exactly rushing to leave glowing reviews on a public page, right? hehe

So yeah... if anyone has dealt with them before, please share your thoughts 🙂
Hvalaaa😉

I was asking the girls in that thread about destination weddings over the border because the wedding venues here in San Francisco are literally double the price... but nobody's saying anything, so I figured I'd just ask you guys instead. If anyone knows a decent venue, please let me know. So far, I found one spot near Philadelphia that carries Demetrios dresses, which is my absolute favorite brand right now.

Michelle Ross4 said:Hey there...

Does anyone here actually have first-hand experience with Smile Studio and Ranko Pupic? I’ve been scrolling through their work online, and honestly, their shots look pretty killer—both the video and the photography seem top-tier...
I noticed Vedran Vidak works with them, and he’s an incredible photographer... I’ve even reached out to a few people who tagged them on Facebook, and everyone seems genuinely thrilled with the results... but then again, we all know how this works... the people who end up hating their photos aren't exactly rushing to leave glowing reviews on a public page, right? hehe

So yeah... if anyone has dealt with them before, please share your thoughts 🙂
Hvalaaa😉

I can give you my two cents on that... I actually sat down for a consultation with the guy... what he showed me was decent enough, but his whole vibe is just strange; he spent half the time talking down about every other professional in town. In the end, I went with a different studio entirely—it was cheaper, and they did an absolutely insane job. If you want, I can tell you which one I picked.

Amy Johnson said:I was asking the girls in that thread about destination weddings over the border because the wedding venues here in San Francisco are literally double the price... but nobody's saying anything, so I figured I'd just ask you guys instead. If anyone knows a decent venue, please let me know. So far, I found one spot near Philadelphia that carries Demetrios dresses, which is my absolute favorite brand right now.

You might want to reach out to La Perla in Pittsburgh or Philadelphia; they should carry Demetrios as well. I actually visited their shop in Philadelphia once, though I didn't specifically check for Demetrios because, honestly, I ended up falling for the Pronovias collection more... anyway, here is the list of distributors for Canada from the official Demetrios site: http://www.demetriosbride.com/index.php?page=locator

I was hoping to get some advice regarding the band kocka—does anyone here have any intel on them, or perhaps someone who caught one of their live sets recently?
My other options are Matko and Brane. I'm really torn on which direction to go with this choice.
It’s becoming a bit of an urgent situation for me...

placideagle10 said:I was hoping to get some advice regarding the band kocka—does anyone here have any intel on them, or perhaps someone who caught one of their live sets recently?
My other options are Matko and Brane. I'm really torn on which direction to go with this choice.
It’s becoming a bit of an urgent situation for me...

I booked kocka for October 5th. I've heard nothing but good things about them, and I actually caught one of their gigs once and they were awesome. The guy we coordinated with for the band details was totally chill and easy to work with. Honestly, it's so hard to snag a date with them. We didn't even reach out until early December, and they were already busy scheduling someone for September 28th. They must be in high demand...🤷

Aaron Brown7 said:I can give you my two cents on that... I actually sat down for a consultation with the guy... what he showed me was decent enough, but his whole vibe is just strange; he spent half the time talking down about every other professional in town. In the end, I went with a different studio entirely—it was cheaper, and they did an absolutely insane job. If you want, I can tell you which one I picked.

Thanks for the reply... when we grabbed coffee, the guy seemed fine to me, not really trash-talking others so much as just constantly bragging about himself, though I guess everyone in this industry has that ego. My problem is the math; his "base package" was supposed to be $1,500, but once we started talking, it jumped straight to $2,400. He tries to justify it by offering a second shooter, some fancy stabilizer rig, a wedding book, and small albums for the bridal party and parents...
Their work is seriously impressive, but that price tag is a massive pill to swallow...
So... please, for the love of god, tell me the name of that 😉
photographer you used.
Thank you !!!!

feralsurfer3 said:I booked kocka for October 5th. I've heard nothing but good things about them, and I actually caught one of their gigs once and they were awesome. The guy we coordinated with for the band details was totally chill and easy to work with. Honestly, it's so hard to snag a date with them. We didn't even reach out until early December, and they were already busy scheduling someone for September 28th. They must be in high demand...🤷

Dice is definitely on my shortlist as well... every single time I hear they’re playing a wedding or see them performing at some other bash, everyone is raving about them... and now here you are, confirming what I already suspected.

I think I've finally made up my mind, too. 😉

Michelle Ross4 said:Dice is definitely on my shortlist as well... every single time I hear they’re playing a wedding or see them performing at some other bash, everyone is raving about them... and now here you are, confirming what I already suspected.

I think I've finally made up my mind, too. 😉

The other day I saw on their Facebook page that they actually collaborated with Thompson (or maybe just their lead singer)... I can't wait to see what kind of vibe they'll bring to mine 🙂))) As for the photography, I went with Mladen. With him, we get a photographer plus video, a photo book, albums for the parents, a canvas print, and about 10 DVDs for roughly $1,100—maybe a little more. We're also getting a radio and invitations with photos included. I am just so overwhelmed with excitement, I can hardly wait to pass everything around 😍

Bambola, are you absolutely certain Mladen is only charging 1,000 bucks? Because when I asked him for a ballpark figure, he told me that was just for the base package... but since you’ve got the book plus the extra stuff for the parents, it seems way too low to me.