Everything you need for a California wedding

Aaron Bishop5 said:Morning, everyone! I could use a little bit of guidance here...
I’m looking for some input on our band's vibe. Should we go with a high-energy "Flash" style or stick to more of a classic "Major League" feel? Our goal is solid music, a great atmosphere, and keeping those breaks short—definitely no cheesy lounge acts... but we really want plenty of fun, upbeat California hits, maybe some classic rock staples, and a few soulful old-school favorites...

Honestly, I doubt anyone can actually help you decide right now. Both bands come highly recommended. You really ought to hear both of them before making a call. I’ve been to weddings where First League played, and I’d pick them, but I’ve heard nothing but glowing reviews for Flash too, even though I haven't caught one of their sets personally. Has anyone else heard either of them lately? Usually, you listen to a band before you sign the check....

Donna Morris30 said:Anyone got a recommendation for The Beach Boys? I actually booked them for $1,500 once—they were only $500 at the time—and they'll play whatever you want...

🤷 I haven't heard of them. Someone else around here probably has more experience with them.

I’ll definitely give them a listen sometime soon... I was just wondering if anyone here had some personal recommendations to share... thanks so much...

For me, it's all about the music... 😉😉😉

Adam Bishop20 said:👋Hey Eric Barrett26! Honestly, I’m right there in the trenches with you—prepping for this wedding is a total nightmare and I have like a million things on my plate. We’re getting hitched in January, which sounds great until you realize you need about 20,000 documents and a mountain of sanity just to get through it... yeah, that's the vibe right now. 🙄 It’s so weird that I can’t message you... anyway, I sent out all those emails regarding the glycerin and the lighting setup... blah blah blah... and guess what? I haven't heard back from a single soul. NOTHING. How does that even happen?! This is the exact deal Tom sent me from the studio and we already shook on it. It’s one solid package. Like, if you want extra shots of the parents or guest photos or whatever, fine, that's an extra fee, but we aren't doing any of that fluff. What we have is enough. I'm still a bit iffy on travel expenses, though—you'll probably have to cough up something since traveling to a place like San Francisco isn't exactly cheap either...

The price for wedding photography and videography is $1,300, which includes:

-A leather album featuring 200 photos in various sizes like 8x12, 6x8, and 5x7.

-Every single photo taken that day and night will be on a DVD—we're talking roughly 1,500 to 2,000 shots.

-A 3-hour DVD featuring a highlight reel, childhood photos, parent introductions, the bride's prep, the groom's prep, a dance mix, and a final wrap-up video of the whole event.

-All the raw footage recorded that day (basically the unedited stuff).

Thank-you cards are extra at $2.75/each.
You guys can basically build your own custom package depending on what you want—like if you want specific albums for parents and bridesmaids, an extra photographer or videographer, or a shorter version of the video.

Hey ladies, California girls, West Coast brides, former brides...😍 I seriously need some intel on lighting. Can anyone recommend a pro and give me a heads-up on what the damage usually is? Any info helps, thanks!

Ugh, girl, I just need to drop a few pounds first—lord help me—and then comes the endless hunt for the perfect dress... wheeeeeee!

Catch ya later... peace!

Honey, most companies and businesses nowadays have an email address just because the IT guys set it up while they were installing software... but they rarely even use it. Seriously, just pick up the phone and call them!!
Thanks for the info on the Studio In...
Did you ask the venue if they have any lighting or special effects available?? Mine does... and they really should. Or maybe tell them that you'll pay extra if they can source exactly what you want... honestly, if there's any little detail you can check off your list, just do it... we're brides, after all, and we should be focusing on enjoying ourselves rather than stressing over a million tiny things. Just enjoy it, dear, and good luck with the search!!!!!! 🙂

How long did you guys usually have to wait for photographers to get your photos and videos back to you—and who did you end up hiring? It always felt like such a drag for me personally

Hey everyone, good evening,

So, I’m getting married next year in San Francisco—and since I’m currently living in Germany, I have to coordinate everything from over here. I could really use some advice: does anyone know the band 021? Specifically, can they handle a custom setlist? It’s super important to us that they play our favorite party anthems...
Thanks so much for any help!
Love,
Jane

Peter Morgan2 said:Hey everyone, good evening,

So, I’m getting married next year in San Francisco—and since I’m currently living in Germany, I have to coordinate everything from over here. I could really use some advice: does anyone know the band 021? Specifically, can they handle a custom setlist? It’s super important to us that they play our favorite party anthems...
Thanks so much for any help!
Love,
Jane

Hey dear, you should check out the existing threads in the California user group; you'll probably find most of what you're looking for there.

👋

Zachary White9 said:How long did you guys usually have to wait for photographers to get your photos and videos back to you—and who did you end up hiring? It always felt like such a drag for me personally

Hey! They told me I’d be looking at a 3-4 week wait, which seems totally fine, right? Or... I mean, I know some people end up waiting like 6 months—like if you go with some high-end boutique studio—but hey, the results are usually killer 😉

Peter Morgan2 said:Hey everyone, good evening,

So, I’m getting married next year in San Francisco—and since I’m currently living in Germany, I have to coordinate everything from over here. I could really use some advice: does anyone know the band 021? Specifically, can they handle a custom setlist? It’s super important to us that they play our favorite party anthems...
Thanks so much for any help!
Love,
Jane

Good evening, Peter Morgan2—I actually put down a deposit on them a few days back... They play both international hits and local favorites, and honestly, I think they're pretty solid! I wouldn't have gone through with it if I didn't think they were worth it... 👍
As far as the setlist goes, you can pretty much work out any arrangement with them... they're incredibly flexible like that.

Zachary White9 said:How long did you guys usually have to wait for photographers to get your photos and videos back to you—and who did you end up hiring? It always felt like such a drag for me personally

I went with a local studio, and it took about 7 weeks to get all the shots and the video back... yeah, it was a bit of a haul, but man, was it worth it!😍

Hey everyone, good evening

I’ve been lurking in this thread for a while now, and honestly, it’s helped me out a ton even though I haven't said a word until now. But something finally pushed me to just sign up and actually vent. Shoutout to Group 021!

So, here’s the deal—we hired Group 021 after seeing them play at a party, and we were totally stoked. BUT, when our big event actually rolled around? Total disaster. It wasn't even the same lineup as the group we saw originally!! It was literally just a drummer and a bass player! I mean, sure, they played what we asked for, but the whole vibe was just a complete train wreck for me. It definitely won't happen again!
They’re out there sharing DVDs of one band and then showing up to the gig with a completely different crew!
Seriously girls, please be careful so you don't end up getting burned like we did.

Later,

Good morning, everyone,

Has anyone here dealt with the 212 area code group before? It’s nearly impossible to find anything useful about them online—so I figured I'd just ask you guys instead!
Thanks!

Here’s a little heads-up from my side: ladies, please be extremely careful when you're booking a vendor for an American cake service. Don't get me wrong, the cakes and pastries themselves are delicious, but that woman absolutely wrecked me... I picked out a specific dessert display a whole year in advance, only for her to show up on my wedding day with something completely different! My husband and I were totally losing our minds when we saw what was being served in the hall. I even went as far as bringing her a photo of myself in my wedding dress just so she could see the colors—it was white with pink accents—and I explicitly told her, "I want white cakes with pink decorative details." Then, she calls me just three days before the reception claiming she had a "vision," saying she knew something else would look better with the dress. I figured, okay, fine, thinking she meant the table decor, but then she serves us these huge, greasy purple things and a completely different display! And wouldn't you know it, she charged me more for the cake than originally agreed $167! 😠 On top of all that, she actually billed me extra for packaging the treats for an hour or two; she charged me $200!!! That's something that should honestly be included in the price of sweets that are already $30/kg!!!
So, just a word of caution regarding Bridget. She acts incredibly sweet to your face, but then she screws you over and plays dumb, acting shocked by the situation while charging you for everything. To make matters worse, her son just stands right there next to her defending her every move!

redviper17 said:Here’s a little heads-up from my side: ladies, please be extremely careful when you're booking a vendor for an American cake service. Don't get me wrong, the cakes and pastries themselves are delicious, but that woman absolutely wrecked me... I picked out a specific dessert display a whole year in advance, only for her to show up on my wedding day with something completely different! My husband and I were totally losing our minds when we saw what was being served in the hall. I even went as far as bringing her a photo of myself in my wedding dress just so she could see the colors—it was white with pink accents—and I explicitly told her, "I want white cakes with pink decorative details." Then, she calls me just three days before the reception claiming she had a "vision," saying she knew something else would look better with the dress. I figured, okay, fine, thinking she meant the table decor, but then she serves us these huge, greasy purple things and a completely different display! And wouldn't you know it, she charged me more for the cake than originally agreed $167! 😠 On top of all that, she actually billed me extra for packaging the treats for an hour or two; she charged me $200!!! That's something that should honestly be included in the price of sweets that are already $30/kg!!!
So, just a word of caution regarding Bridget. She acts incredibly sweet to your face, but then she screws you over and plays dumb, acting shocked by the situation while charging you for everything. To make matters worse, her son just stands right there next to her defending her every move!

Don't take this the wrong way, but you're crazy if you actually paid that amount...!
And her son is just standing right there? Come on... where was your husband?? He should've just stuffed all those pastries down his throat!
Why'd you even pay if you weren't happy with it...

Larry Ross43 said:Don't take this the wrong way, but you're crazy if you actually paid that amount...!
And her son is just standing right there? Come on... where was your husband?? He should've just stuffed all those pastries down his throat!
Why'd you even pay if you weren't happy with it...

We had already paid half upfront, like a deposit... My husband was right there with me, and we made it very clear that we weren't satisfied. But she just kept playing the victim, saying how sorry she was and how hard things were for her. She even claimed my cakes arrived late, so she had to pay another woman to pack everything up on Saturday morning, and then suggested she could just refund us later $33 😳.... Maybe we shouldn't have handed over the cash, but I've officially cut ties with her and told her straight to her face that I wouldn't recommend her to anyone! I'm only sharing this so you ladies know to always get a firm price upfront, rather than having someone give you an estimate like $2000 and then hitting you with a much higher bill at the end!
Since our party went so smoothly and was otherwise well-organized, this was really our only complaint. Plus, the cookies and the cake were delicious, so I decided to let it go... 🤷

redviper17 said:We had already paid half upfront, like a deposit... My husband was right there with me, and we made it very clear that we weren't satisfied. But she just kept playing the victim, saying how sorry she was and how hard things were for her. She even claimed my cakes arrived late, so she had to pay another woman to pack everything up on Saturday morning, and then suggested she could just refund us later $33 😳.... Maybe we shouldn't have handed over the cash, but I've officially cut ties with her and told her straight to her face that I wouldn't recommend her to anyone! I'm only sharing this so you ladies know to always get a firm price upfront, rather than having someone give you an estimate like $2000 and then hitting you with a much higher bill at the end!
Since our party went so smoothly and was otherwise well-organized, this was really our only complaint. Plus, the cookies and the cake were delicious, so I decided to let it go... 🤷

It’s not your problem if she already paid someone else... you gotta take risks in business, I guess... It's good you posted this warning, but personally, I wouldn't have paid her a dime!

redviper17 said:Here’s a little heads-up from my side: ladies, please be extremely careful when you're booking a vendor for an American cake service. Don't get me wrong, the cakes and pastries themselves are delicious, but that woman absolutely wrecked me... I picked out a specific dessert display a whole year in advance, only for her to show up on my wedding day with something completely different! My husband and I were totally losing our minds when we saw what was being served in the hall. I even went as far as bringing her a photo of myself in my wedding dress just so she could see the colors—it was white with pink accents—and I explicitly told her, "I want white cakes with pink decorative details." Then, she calls me just three days before the reception claiming she had a "vision," saying she knew something else would look better with the dress. I figured, okay, fine, thinking she meant the table decor, but then she serves us these huge, greasy purple things and a completely different display! And wouldn't you know it, she charged me more for the cake than originally agreed $167! 😠 On top of all that, she actually billed me extra for packaging the treats for an hour or two; she charged me $200!!! That's something that should honestly be included in the price of sweets that are already $30/kg!!!
So, just a word of caution regarding Bridget. She acts incredibly sweet to your face, but then she screws you over and plays dumb, acting shocked by the situation while charging you for everything. To make matters worse, her son just stands right there next to her defending her every move!

I got married about a year and a half ago. My wife was happy with the American cakes, though she did mention they were pricey. Honestly, I think you pay the most when you aren't satisfied
I see the criticism is starting to pile up on the forum. Let them talk... hopefully, nobody turns that scrutiny on us

Larry Ross43 said:It’s not your problem if she already paid someone else... you gotta take risks in business, I guess... It's good you posted this warning, but personally, I wouldn't have paid her a dime!

Honestly, I’ve learned the most valuable lessons on this forum when people shared these kinds of warnings—usually because they had a bad experience at an event. Those posts are pure gold because they come from real-world experience. Thanks to this community, I knew exactly how to handle myself when dealing with the cameraman, the photographer, and even the venue manager!🤷
Ms. Brenda from The American Cookie was always constantly criticizing Ivan from Bolero, yet he handled everything we agreed upon perfectly and professionally. From the strong cocktails to the extra menu items and even the vegetarian options, he delivered everything exactly as promised—totally professional and spot on!👍

Jack Murphy7 said:I got married about a year and a half ago. My wife was happy with the American cakes, though she did mention they were pricey. Honestly, I think you pay the most when you aren't satisfied
I see the criticism is starting to pile up on the forum. Let them talk... hopefully, nobody turns that scrutiny on us

As for me, I've always been thrilled with the flavor of the cakes and pastries—my guests have been too! My only real gripe is with how they handle their business operations.🤷

Olivia Adams71 said:Well, people in San Diego don't really lean into online advertising much either, but here's what I've got for you

Regarding photographers, I'd suggest Studio G—they do great work—or maybe Click, and Suzi—she actually has an online gallery.
Just drop a note letting us know your guest count and what kind of vibe you're going for; a few pages back, some of us already posted recommendations for restaurants 😉
If you don't want to sit around waiting until Monday for a reply, just fire off your questions now 😉

Good evening, everyone.
My wedding is set for May in Zadar.
From what I can see, photographers in Zadar don't really have much of an online presence, except for SuzyNewLife and Nadio.
I could really use some help choosing because I am dead set on having a beautiful album.
I noticed Studio G was recommended, so I'm curious why that is, what their pricing looks like, and what their process is.
I haven't started interviewing photographers yet, but I'm hoping to have everything sorted by the New Year.
I saw someone mention that Suzy offers certain packages, so if anyone knows the details, please fill me in.
I took a look at her website and it seems decent enough.
Right now, my focus is strictly on photography; the music is hopefully handled and the venue is booked, so I'm tackling the photo situation next.
Please help!

Olivia Adams71 said:Well, people in San Diego don't really lean into online advertising much either, but here's what I've got for you

Regarding photographers, I'd suggest Studio G—they do great work—or maybe Click, and Suzi—she actually has an online gallery.
Just drop a note letting us know your guest count and what kind of vibe you're going for; a few pages back, some of us already posted recommendations for restaurants 😉
If you don't want to sit around waiting until Monday for a reply, just fire off your questions now 😉

Good evening, everyone.
So, I’ve finally set the date. My wedding is happening this May, and we're hosting the whole thing out in Zadar.
It seems to me that when you look at the local photography scene here in Zadar, there really isn't much to speak of in terms of dedicated professional pages, unless you count suzynewlife and Nadio. It’s quite a sparse landscape, frankly.
I am genuinely requesting some assistance with this selection process, because I have a deep-seated desire to ensure my album turns out absolutely beautiful.
I see that Studio G keeps getting recommended around here, so I’m curious—what’s the actual deal? Why is everyone pointing people toward them specifically? I'd love to get some insight into their pricing structure and what their general workflow looks like.
I haven't actually started reaching out to photographers yet, though I am fully intending to have that entire situation sorted out before the New Year rolls around.
I see some of you mentioning that Suzy has some sort of packages available, so if anyone actually knows what the deal is, please enlighten me. I’m a bit lost here.
I took a look at her website, and honestly, it seems perfectly fine to me.
Right now, my focus is entirely on scouting photographers. As for the music situation? I’m hoping that's already in the rearview mirror. The venue is locked in—we've got the hall sorted—so my sole priority at this moment is nailing down the photography.
I am in desperate need of some assistance here. Please, if anyone has a moment, I would truly appreciate your help.