Everything you need for a California wedding

Thomas Jones12... I actually attended one of those parties where there was a live band playing, though they were more like a folk ensemble... they had all that gear, you know? They’d play some "standard" music, then pivot back to using things like banjos, upright basses, and stuff like that to play those specific songs... I can't recall the exact title, but I think it was called "The Carriage"... anyway... I'm not sure how much help that really is.

lonefalcon152 said:Thomas Jones12... I actually attended one of those parties where there was a live band playing, though they were more like a folk ensemble... they had all that gear, you know? They’d play some "standard" music, then pivot back to using things like banjos, upright basses, and stuff like that to play those specific songs... I can't recall the exact title, but I think it was called "The Carriage"... anyway... I'm not sure how much help that really is.

Well, sunday5 just sent me their number via DM! 🙂

Hey everyone, I could really use a hand here. I’ve got pretty much everything lined up for my private party, but I’m hitting a wall with the band situation. Even though I technically have one booked, I’m just not feeling it—the vibe isn't right, you know? So, if any of you guys have the time or interest to help me vet some options, I’d really appreciate it. I’m based out of San Francisco, so if you know any killer bands in the area that can actually deliver, please let me know. We’re looking at a crowd of about 320 people, so they need to be able to handle a decent-sized room. Thanks in advance!

briskdriver18 said:Hey everyone, I could really use a hand here. I’ve got pretty much everything lined up for my private party, but I’m hitting a wall with the band situation. Even though I technically have one booked, I’m just not feeling it—the vibe isn't right, you know? So, if any of you guys have the time or interest to help me vet some options, I’d really appreciate it. I’m based out of San Francisco, so if you know any killer bands in the area that can actually deliver, please let me know. We’re looking at a crowd of about 320 people, so they need to be able to handle a decent-sized room. Thanks in advance!

What are we talking about here... what kind of vibe are you going for...

The usual suspects... some classic wedding bands... top-tier local acts... maybe something more soulful...

Jack,

I'm currently in New York City and I'm not very familiar with the venues in San Francisco. I was hoping someone could give me a little help finding a hall for a party. I'm looking for a space that can accommodate roughly 320 to 400 people.

I really appreciate any information or recommendations you might have.

Paul Mendoza17 said:Jack,

I'm currently in New York City and I'm not very familiar with the venues in San Francisco. I was hoping someone could give me a little help finding a hall for a party. I'm looking for a space that can accommodate roughly 320 to 400 people.

I really appreciate any information or recommendations you might have.

Honestly, a crowd that size will only fit in Naperville—specifically that new hall over by Winston... or maybe the old one near Doris.
Maybe even at a Detroit location🤷 but most other spots cap out at 200 or 250 people max...
The Phoenix center in Naperville might work.

What about that Castello place out in the suburbs?

Paul Mendoza17 said:Jack,

I'm currently in New York City and I'm not very familiar with the venues in San Francisco. I was hoping someone could give me a little help finding a hall for a party. I'm looking for a space that can accommodate roughly 320 to 400 people.

I really appreciate any information or recommendations you might have.

Depends on when you need it... if you're looking for that capacity, the Westin might have something that fits your needs... ☕

briskdriver18 said:Hey everyone, I could really use a hand here. I’ve got pretty much everything lined up for my private party, but I’m hitting a wall with the band situation. Even though I technically have one booked, I’m just not feeling it—the vibe isn't right, you know? So, if any of you guys have the time or interest to help me vet some options, I’d really appreciate it. I’m based out of San Francisco, so if you know any killer bands in the area that can actually deliver, please let me know. We’re looking at a crowd of about 320 people, so they need to be able to handle a decent-sized room. Thanks in advance!

In addition to the ones already mentioned, I’d definitely suggest Milan—they’re quite popular! Also, I think it might be a great idea to go with a female vocalist; a girl singing always sounds absolutely perfect!!

So, here’s the plan we’ve settled on...
Since the President in Solon hasn't officially opened yet, we're expecting things to kick off within the next few days,
and honestly, who knows if my partner and I will even be able to coordinate our schedules enough to make it out there...
But we figured the venue can't be too bad, considering it's a 5-star hotel and we basically booked it on a whim... 🤷
As for the church... we'll head across the little bridge to the Lady of the Island. We have to wait until October for them to release next year's calendar... 🙄
but it shouldn't be an issue... 🙂
We're still debating the band... but most likely we'll go with 100's if they're free. That'll probably be around August when we arrive.
And for photography... a friend recommended an art studio in New York City because they work together often and swear they're the best in the country 🤷
otherwise, we'll keep looking...

To be honest, I just have way too much downtime right now, so I'm getting bored and decided to bug you guys a little... 🙂

Look, we can all browse pictures on a website all day... but tell me this: do you guys actually do custom invitations? Like, can we design our own from scratch, or are we strictly limited to what's in your catalog?

Are the shapes going to be an issue? I noticed you already have some heart designs finished?

Paul Mendoza17 said:Jack,

I'm currently in New York City and I'm not very familiar with the venues in San Francisco. I was hoping someone could give me a little help finding a hall for a party. I'm looking for a space that can accommodate roughly 320 to 400 people.

I really appreciate any information or recommendations you might have.

Could the Bolero at Victrola actually fit a crowd that size?

Does anyone have a recommendation for someone who could handle singing a few hymns at a church service? I’m looking to hire an opera singer specifically

Quote:>

kontra says: So here’s the plan... we've finally made some decisions... Since the President in Savannah isn't officially open yet, they should be opening any day now (fingers crossed), and honestly, who knows if MM and I will even manage to coordinate well enough to actually make it out there to see it... we figured the venue can't be bad, considering it's a 5-star hotel and we basically booked it on a whim... 🤷> The church... we'll cross that little bridge over to the island chapel. We have to wait until October for them to release next year's calendar... 🙄 But it shouldn't be an issue... 🙂> We're still debating the band... but it'll likely be 100's if they're available. That'll probably be in August when we arrive. As for the photographer... a friend recommended an art studio in New York City because they work together and he swears they're the best in the country 🤷 otherwise I'll keep looking... Look, I have way too much free time on my hands right now, so I'm bored and decided to stir the pot a little with you all... 🙂>

>
I stayed at the President in town once (as far as I know, it's the same ownership) and it was great... the drinks were a bit pricey since everything comes in individual bottles... but then again, that was a 4-star hotel, so your 5-star spot will likely be even better....

I didn't listen to the music, so I won't comment on that...

The photographer is excellent... 😍
though you should check out our local talent too... like www.ivicamatic.com>
www.ivicalisjak.com>

Quote:>

fadedbadger35 says: Can someone recommend someone to sing a few hymns in the church? I'd love an opera singer

>
A choir?

honestly, wouldn't it be better if they just had one lead singer instead of all this noise

Jack, they have the same owners... my aunt said she’ll get back to me once the rush of prepping and opening settles down so we can iron out the pizza details... I’m going to try to hammer this out before things get too crazy. She also mentioned that we could totally just bring our own booze since if they serve it, they’re going to charge us hotel prices. That seems pretty standard to me, but it's awesome that they're being flexible so we can save some cash 😉
If the art route doesn't work out, I'll probably just go with something completely local... maybe Studio In or Solis 🤔

Anonymous said:Jack, they have the same owners... my aunt said she’ll get back to me once the rush of prepping and opening settles down so we can iron out the pizza details... I’m going to try to hammer this out before things get too crazy. She also mentioned that we could totally just bring our own booze since if they serve it, they’re going to charge us hotel prices. That seems pretty standard to me, but it's awesome that they're being flexible so we can save some cash 😉
If the art route doesn't work out, I'll probably just go with something completely local... maybe Studio In or Solis 🤔

Great 👍 both Studio In and Solis, honestly, James Taylor 😍 you can't go wrong with either... plenty of people on the forums have already put them to the test through and through... but if you want the real specifics, hop into the chat so you don't end up making a mistake. 😘

fadedbadger35 said:Does anyone have a recommendation for someone who could handle singing a few hymns at a church service? I’m looking to hire an opera singer specifically

I'll send you the phone number via private message for a girl who used to sing for me; she was accompanied by someone who played the organ, though there's absolutely no obligation!👍

Paul Mendoza17 said:Jack,

I'm currently in New York City and I'm not very familiar with the venues in San Francisco. I was hoping someone could give me a little help finding a hall for a party. I'm looking for a space that can accommodate roughly 320 to 400 people.

I really appreciate any information or recommendations you might have.

Actually, I think the venue in Dugopolje might be my best bet.

- Does anyone here have experience hosting events at the Dugopolje location?

- How was the food quality in your experience?

p.s. I heard they have two halls side-by-side, each holding about 300 people, which can be combined to create a larger or smaller space. My concern is whether having two separate weddings happening at the same time would cause any interference between the two groups.

Thanks, Advance!!!

Paul Mendoza17, looks like your guest count has been climbing pretty steadily over the last few months, jumping from 250 up to somewhere around
320-400? 😲

Anyway, I wanted to throw a little heads-up your way regarding a specific phenomenon: when you're looking at massive receptions, the dropout rate tends to be significantly higher than it is for smaller gatherings under 200 people. It honestly makes perfect sense—once you hit those larger numbers, your circle has expanded way beyond just immediate family and close friends, who usually show up religiously. We were actually told that a 10-20% flake rate is totally standard. In our case, we started with an initial list of 300, but within a month of the first announcement, we were down to 250, and by the actual wedding day, we ended up with about 200. Most of that was because distant relatives only sent one person instead of the whole crew, and while most of our buddies and coworkers came solo without kids or plus-ones, the math just shifts. Definitely keep that in mind when you're scouting out a venue