Everything you need for a California wedding

I could use some advice here - Jessie band VS Barbary.....thanks!!!!

Larry Wood4 said:I could use some advice here - Jessie band VS Barbary.....thanks!!!!

Jessie!

They're a much more polished, well-rounded band. Musically and vocally, they're top-tier.

Barbary are fine if you just want a show, but otherwise, they're pretty bad.

Joshua Miller18 said:Back when I was looking for a photographer, I remember hearing some pretty notorious stories about California Photo being incredibly rude. To be honest, I can't recall the exact details, just that they apparently gave some young people a really hard time, though I'm not entirely sure what happened.

I hadn't heard much about Bonačić Studio lately, so I took a quick look at their work. It’s quite heavy on color manipulation—not nearly as simple or natural as some people have claimed. I suppose that's just the current trend, which is why it doesn't stand out as much, but fundamentally, it feels rather aggressive. My impression is that all the shots are either overly orange or way too washed out. The framing feels a bit unfinished, too. The whole thing comes across as somewhat amateurish...
My favorite group is Tempo Band from San Francisco; I've heard nothing but great things about them, and I was really drawn to the fact that they incorporate extra instruments! I believe they're touring other cities soon too.😉

Well, everyone has their own taste, I suppose. Personally, I was actually impressed by Bonačić Studio's recent blog posts. They feel full of emotion and capture those spontaneous moments. I went through five or six of their full albums they sent over, and I think I'll definitely book them.

California Photo is off the table for the usual reasons...

Noah Wright4 said:Jessie!

They're a much more polished, well-rounded band. Musically and vocally, they're top-tier.

Barbary are fine if you just want a show, but otherwise, they're pretty bad.

I don't think I could quite agree with that...

Does anyone happen to know someone who makes custom confetti??

Larry Wood4 said:I could use some advice here - Jessie band VS Barbary.....thanks!!!!

It’s Barbary, hands down. Honestly, your best bet is just to head down to a pier when they're both playing; that way you can see the vibe and hear the sound for yourself.

Larry Wood4 said:I could use some advice here - Jessie band VS Barbary.....thanks!!!!

I'd go with Jessie.

Personally, I’ve had some pretty bad experiences with the taxi band..

Hey, I need some urgent advice on which band to book... Ivica Bago is asking for 2000 dollars, Viva wants 2500, dice 1500 euro is at 1500, and Volar band is charging 1600. I have to make a call in a day or two, so if anyone here has actually seen any of these guys perform at a party, please give me a recommendation or some honest feedback. I REALLY need this ASAP. Thanks 🙂

What’s the deal with the dance floor situation over at the pirate club? It doesn't look particularly massive to me, which is a bit of a problem since I'll probably have about 90% of my crew—that's like 120 people—crowding the dance floor most nights...

I don't think it looks massive either, though I doubt we'll ever see everyone crowded onto the stage at once. Honestly, I'd prefer a smaller stage over one that’s way too big. I'm actually curious if anyone here has been right in the middle of the party dancing on it—I've only ever seen it sitting empty 😳
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It's good to hear everyone agreeing that there's no need to go overboard with extra decorations at the Pirate 🙂
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Michael Reed4 said:Hey, I need some urgent advice on which band to book... Ivica Bago is asking for 2000 dollars, Viva wants 2500, dice 1500 euro is at 1500, and Volar band is charging 1600. I have to make a call in a day or two, so if anyone here has actually seen any of these guys perform at a party, please give me a recommendation or some honest feedback. I REALLY need this ASAP. Thanks 🙂

Viva is number one, hands down. They’re worth every single cent. Volar is great too—Darko really knows how to put on a show and set the mood—but I don't think they're quite a complete band yet. If you've got the cash, just go see Viva. You won't regret it. 😁

Regarding the layout at Barbary, the stage is a bit smaller than what you’ll find in other clubs, but honestly, just assume a third of the crowd will be camped out right there. We haven't really had people complaining about overcrowding yet. Most of the time, that area stays pretty packed, and frankly, I’d much rather see a full room than one that looks half-empty. 🙂

Karen Roberts16 said:Well, everyone has their own taste, I suppose. Personally, I was actually impressed by Bonačić Studio's recent blog posts. They feel full of emotion and capture those spontaneous moments. I went through five or six of their full albums they sent over, and I think I'll definitely book them.

California Photo is off the table for the usual reasons...

Everything you said makes sense, except I wasn't really talking about emotions or candid shots. My issue is more about how unnatural the photos look—the colors feel off and the framing isn't great. That’s more of a technical critique; it’s pretty obvious when the color grading doesn't look natural. We all know what real colors look like.
I've seen plenty of photographers capture emotion and great moments, but it really comes down to how they capture them and whether it looks genuine. Personally, I just didn't care for the Bonačić studio work.
But hey, if you love it, then that's all that matters! 😁

Michael Reed4 said:Hey, I need some urgent advice on which band to book... Ivica Bago is asking for 2000 dollars, Viva wants 2500, dice 1500 euro is at 1500, and Volar band is charging 1600. I have to make a call in a day or two, so if anyone here has actually seen any of these guys perform at a party, please give me a recommendation or some honest feedback. I REALLY need this ASAP. Thanks 🙂

IVICA BAGO👍

Michael Reed4 said:Hey, I need some urgent advice on which band to book... Ivica Bago is asking for 2000 dollars, Viva wants 2500, dice 1500 euro is at 1500, and Volar band is charging 1600. I have to make a call in a day or two, so if anyone here has actually seen any of these guys perform at a party, please give me a recommendation or some honest feedback. I REALLY need this ASAP. Thanks 🙂

Volar band 👍

I'm torn between checking out Ivica Bago and the Volar band. If anyone actually went to their gig, let me know where they play
so I can get a feel for their style and how the female vocals hold up...
Also, does anyone have any info on Zumba??? Their short clips look great, and the photos seem pretty natural and solid. Anyone here actually been to one???

JOPA 25 I was actually torn between taking Zumba classes or going with Bonacci—but in the end, I decided on Bonacci

If you go with Zumba, I actually grabbed coffee with one of the instructors... she's honestly great, just such a fun, quirky person. You can check out her photos on Facebook or even look through her own page—honestly, just give her a call or meet up with her to browse through all her photo albums... that’s probably the best way to figure out if it's right for you

Plus, the pricing is pretty reasonable 😉

Michael Reed4 said:I'm torn between checking out Ivica Bago and the Volar band. If anyone actually went to their gig, let me know where they play
so I can get a feel for their style and how the female vocals hold up...
Also, does anyone have any info on Zumba??? Their short clips look great, and the photos seem pretty natural and solid. Anyone here actually been to one???

I can't speak to Ivica Bago, but when it comes to Metallica 👍.....

Hey, does anyone have any recent intel on getting married in a church over in Maui? I’m looking for the lowdown on things like church renovations, fees, and all that good stuff...

Hi everyone. 😁

I've been digging through this thread for about 2-3 weeks now, and honestly, my head is spinning from all the info. I can't wait to finally book the venue (which is happening today 🙂) and wrap things up with the photographer and videographer, which is actually why I'm posting here. 🤣

I'm looking for wedding videography recommendations. I think I have a photographer lined up—just waiting to confirm they're free—but now I really need a solid videographer. It’s not about my specific style preferences; I can figure that part out once I have someone to talk to. If you have any contacts, please let me know.

I've already spoken with Gugić and am waiting to hear back from Zinčić, but if anyone knows any talented freelancers, I would truly appreciate the leads. 😍

Second thing—I've been browsing eBay for photo albums, and I was wondering if any of you have ordered from there or if there's another site you'd recommend? I found a site called Shutterfly, but they don't seem to list America as an option for certain shipping rates, making the shipping on a single album over $20. 🙂

The wedding is in San Francisco, so I'm looking for vendors in the San Francisco area or nearby. Thanks! 😉