Posts by Thomas Sanchez532

Bryan Gomez90 said:Hi everyone, I have two quick questions for the group. First, would anyone be willing to share some photos of the Bellevue Ballroom in San Francisco? I have a wedding coming up there, but my memory of the venue is pretty hazy—all I can really recall is the marble flooring. I have this vague impression that the walls might be pink, but I’m not entirely sure 😂, and I need to finalize my color palette, floral arrangements, and overall theme. It’s hard to plan when you aren't certain what you're working with.
Second, does anyone have recommendations for lighting and event design companies in the San Francisco area? Most of the advice on this forum seems to point toward vendors in New York or Los Angeles, so I haven't found much local information yet. Any leads would be greatly appreciated.

Check this thread, there should be some photos of the hall in there already😉
here are a few photos just to get you started

fadedpuma21 said:To my fellow members—I’ve been lurking on this forum for quite some time now, and honestly, it has been an absolute lifesaver. Right now, I am deep in the weeds trying to sort out photography and videography services. It seems Fox and Siniša Srdanović are already booked up for my date; and while everyone keeps telling me I need to find a solid crew for my California wedding, I’m completely lost, which has left me feeling pretty overwhelmed. I looked into Ivica matica, but frankly, his rates are astronomical—plus, he strikes me as being a bit full of himself. I’m still waiting to hear back from the guys over at Studio In and Nikola Smernić (Studio Papaja) before I make any moves.
I’ve been scouring various forums, but I haven't had much luck finding real feedback. Has anyone here actually worked with Foto Zumba (http://www.fotograf-vjencanja.com/)? Their online portfolio looks decent enough, but I’d much rather hear a firsthand account of what they’re actually like to work with.

Thanks in advance!!

I’ve heard of them! A friend of mine had her godmother’s party shot by her—her husband was playing music with the band Kocka—and she offered to snap some shots too (they actually had a professional photographer on hand). Since she wasn't the "lead photographer" and was just shooting candidly from the sidelines, I can't give a super objective review, but from what I saw, the quality was totally solid.

fadedpuma21 said:Hey ladies!
So, I’m finally diving headfirst into the world of wedding planning—wish me luck. We’re looking at a guest list of roughly 110 to 130 people, likely somewhere in the San Francisco area. The goal is to find a venue within the city itself, maybe in one of the suburbs, or even out toward the outskirts. Since we have guests traveling in from New York City, I’d really love a restaurant that can also accommodate about 40 people overnight. I’ll be starting my venue tours soon, but I could really use some guidance before I head out. Honestly, I haven't the slightest clue how pricing works—is $32 per person considered a steal, or is $40 pushing it? What should I actually expect to pay, and what counts as "reasonable"? Quality is my priority, but I have zero interest in throwing money down the drain. If anyone happens to know what a standard prix fixe menu costs at Friends, Diocletian, or San Antonio, please let me know! :-)
Also, what’s the deal with live music lately? Is $1,000 for a solo vocalist—someone in the vein of M. Boem—overpriced? And what would a group like Uber or The Beatles typically charge? On top of that, I need a ballpark figure for wedding videography, including photos and a physical album. We really need to nail down a rough budget first so we can figure out our next moves...
I’m not sure if we’re already behind the curve, but we’re aiming for late April or May 2010.
Thanks a million!

$32 is way too low. You should probably budget anywhere from $35 to $40 per person.
The Beatles cost about $1,000 (at least that was their rate this summer). Photographer and videographer prices vary wildly depending on what you're after... for a decent mid-range package, a photographer like Marko might ask for $1,300.

John Ruiz80 said:Guys, help—I got totally sidetracked by some outside stuff 🙂 but I'm finally back in the game... though my options feel way more limited now... I stopped by the Meadow convention center recently and the place is gorgeous. Has anyone been there lately? How’s the food? And what’s the layout like for a reception—is the florist coming from one of those big hotels?? Also, does anyone know if they have openings on 9/11 or 9/18 for up to 120 people...

Also, I need a solid DJ who can actually handle mixing a bunch of different styles without crashing and burning!!

Or maybe just a decent, budget-friendly band 🙂 nothing crazy, I'm keeping it modest 😉

Sinclair, Lisijak... send me their info and rates... also looking for photo recs... Thanks everyone... Can't wait to get this whole thing sorted...

I actually had my reception at Honey, and I think I already posted a little bit about it in this thread😉.
Basically, I was really happy with everything. The food was awesome and the staff were super chill👍. As for the flowers, you can pretty much work out whatever custom setup you want with them.
Here’s the kind of layout they put together for me:
The head table

floral arrangements on the guest tables

James Kelly82 said:Does anyone happen to know where the Visa bakery is actually located? I’ve been trying to track it down, but I just can't seem to find it...

It's right near St. Jude, you know, those little churches... we actually went a bit crazy trying to track it down ourselves🙄

Terry Anderson2 said:Thanks. I actually had no idea the New York City Ballet even did catering—please don't judge me, I haven't lived in Savannah for ten years now. Does anyone happen to have a ballpark figure for what they might charge? I'm just looking for an average price point for a "standard" menu serving roughly 120 people.
🤷

I'm thinking maybe around $70-$27
per person...

Terry Anderson2 said:Hey there,

I’m looking for some solid recommendations—give me all the intel and personal experiences you can muster—regarding bakeries, pastry shops, or even home catering services for a party I'm hosting over in Savannah. Thanks!
🤷

cvicare: there's a great spot for snacks and sweets over in Savannah, for dessert try Delta, and if you need catering, check out Baletna

John Baker5 said:Hey everyone...

Does anyone have recommendations on where I can pick up some brittle in San Francisco? I'm also looking for a spot to get some smaller cakes—nothing huge like a wedding cake, just some nice pastries or treats.

Whole Foods usually has some pretty solid stuff.

Brian Martin98 said:I NEED HELP WITH THE SAVANNAH CATHEDRAL!

I called the cathedral in Savannah today to try and book a wedding date. We actually reached out before the New Year, but they told us it was too early to schedule anything. Now, the priest is lecturing me, asking why on earth we’d want to get married in Savannah when we live in San Francisco. He’s basically implying we have no connection to Savannah and that it’s pointless for us to hold our ceremony there—he thinks we should just get married at the parish where we attend Mass in San Francisco. This is ridiculous because our entire reception is already planned for Savannah, from the coffee shops to the banquet hall. Does anyone have any advice on how to handle this? We still have to meet with him to see if this is even possible, but honestly, after that conversation, I’m losing all desire to marry there. :-(

HELLPPPPPPPPP!!!!

They're totally overreacting. My cousin got married in the cathedral even though neither he nor his wife are from Savannah (and plenty of others have too), and nobody gave them a hard time about it. Just stay firm and ask which specific "bylaws" give them the right to turn away someone who isn't a local parishioner.😉
p.s. did you check your PM?

Brian Martin98 said:I went ahead and booked Studio In, though I did spend some time looking over Mark’s portfolio, Papaya, and the work from the guy at Photo Plus and Matica. Honestly, those last two were a bit out of my budget, even if their shots were absolutely stunning, which is just... well, it is what it is. I’m just crossing my fingers that everything goes smoothly with Studio In!

I think it’ll work out fine. From what I’ve seen, Studio In is 👍 pretty solid. As for those apartments, let me check with my folks back home and I'll shoot you a PM. I don't think we have any available ourselves, but I'm sure my family knows someone who does.

Michael Davis21 said:Look, I’m really not the type of person to sit around nitpicking or trashing people's work... that's just not my vibe... but seriously, you might want to be careful if you're looking at Mark's photography. I actually booked John—who everyone seems to swear is the absolute best—but man, was I disappointed... especially considering how much I shelled out for the session... The photos? Nothing special... honestly, some of them were a total disaster... just weird angles everywhere... oh my god. Word on the street is they've been getting a ton of complaints lately, so maybe think twice before booking... I'm sitting here kicking myself now, but hey, what can you do, right? It's too late for that. I called Mark and was perfectly polite about it... then John ended up calling me himself to apologize... which was fine, I guess. Anyway, I showed the shots to a friend of mine who’s an amazing photographer and actually knows John personally... and even she couldn't believe they were his work! It felt like he just rushed through the whole job just to get it over with. Don't get me wrong, there are a few decent shots in there, but there are also some absolute train wrecks that no professional should ever let leave their studio. And the church photos? Ugh, don't even get me started... they had zero detail, nothing... they looked like amateur snapshots. When I pointed that out to him, his response was basically, "Well, you should have told me that mattered to you..." Excuse me?! Helloooo? If the church ceremony—the actual wedding rite itself—isn't important to capture, then I really don't know what is...🤷
To make a long story short... Mark just isn't the same guy he used to be—honestly, I don't know what happened there. Lately, I feel like everywhere I turn, I'm hearing more and more negative stuff about him... it's getting hard to ignore.
I hate being that person—really, I do—but I just have to say something because this is supposed to be your big, dream day... You’re paying a premium to ensure every single shot is absolutely perfect, and let's be real, $1,300 is a massive amount of money for anyone to drop... it's not like it's pocket change or anything, so when things don't go right... well...☕

Michael Davis21, thanks so much for the heads-up... I've had my own share of wedding drama, but I'll definitely warn my maid of honor (they went with Brian). We had Jacob Teklic shoot ours, and if I were ever to get married again, I'd definitely book Jal🙏. He did an incredible job. The photos are stunning, he caught every little detail, and he was so low-key and non-intrusive. 🙏🙏... we were so happy we just managed to snag him at the last minute since our wedding was one of his last ones specializing in weddings😢.

ironmarlin32 said:Hey ladies, I’m looking for some photographer recommendations in San Diego. I’ve been searching online, but honestly, most of them don't even have decent websites, so any help would be huge. I’ve heard great things about photo Mark from Old Castle and Profoto in San Diego. If anyone here has used either of them for a party, could you let me know how they were and what their rates look like? I’m also hunting for a good band based in San Diego—specifically curious if anyone has hired Calypso and what they charge. Choosing both a photographer and a band is proving to be such a headache... 😢

Thanks so much!!!

If you end up going with Photo Mark, definitely try to request Patrick or John (I also heard some guy named Brian is pretty solid), but those are my picks 👎. For San Diego, you should check out Susie 👍 since she actually has a website you can browse. Honestly, just scroll through some of the threads from the last few months
.

Raymond Brooks7 said:So, after doing a bit of limited jumping (I am currently in my ninth month of pregnancy, after all 😬), I just have to share how much I loved the band mentioned above 😍. Honestly, it’s just more proof of what I’ve said before... these guys are a solid 5 out of 5 👍. The vibe was just something else. I had to stay off the dance floor because the crowd was going wild, dancing and having a blast, so I had to "protect" myself a little 😢
. Anyway, highly recommended. They are totally spontaneous and really read the room; the dance floor was packed the entire night ☕, which was plenty for me and the rest of the guests! (Everyone was raving about them)

One more thing: Sina's Photographer (who used to work at PhotoDex) is working independently now. Unfortunately, I don't have any personal shots since he was too busy to grab me—but if anyone needs his contact info, let me know, I have his cell number 👍
. He is incredibly pleasant, calming, and clearly knows his craft 👍. He was always hovering nearby yet remained completely unobtrusive, just snapping shot after shot... and shot after shot...👍

And their price is honestly such a steal 👍. Only $1,000 for the three of them
.

coppernomad28 said:We’re all just spinning our wheels here; there's honestly no point. This isn't even the first or last time we'll see a thread where everyone is at odds with the moderator, but nothing ever actually changes...

I'm kind of wondering where Aaron Garcia36 went?

As for Steven Ruiz, I couldn't care less—it's like being indifferent to a plate of pork trotters on a sweltering summer day...☕

I honestly don't get why she doesn't just step down from moderating if 90% of the people posting in this thread think she's 👎.

I honestly have no clue where the moderator has vanished to, but she’s doing a pretty terrible job at her actual role here. If she were handling "Moda" or "Photography," she might actually hold her own, but this? Not so much. For my part, I'm giving a huge 👎 to Steven Ruiz for putting this PDF together.

Adam Alvarez5 said:Aha... well, I've had some people tell me all three are equally great... honestly, I'm starting to lose track myself.🤷

I haven't actually been to Dolish, so I can't really weigh in, but personally, I wouldn't even consider it because of the location. I was really hoping for a dorm closer to the coast (after that crazy party, about ten of us ended up taking a midnight dip in the ocean during those early morning hours😁)

Adam Alvarez5 said:I’ve been sitting here wondering if Holy Cross is actually the best fit for what we have in mind... at least for me, anyway. I can't quite wrap my head around the capacity requirements there. Do you think 120 or 130 guests would feel a bit sparse? I'd hate for the hall to feel cavernous or like there's just too much empty space surrounding us. Also, regarding the overnight stay—is there any sort of complimentary upgrade or bonus room situation for the newlyweds, or is that strictly extra?

Out of those three options, this one has the best layout.
I have a feeling they used to throw in free spa access or something similar for the newlyweds back in the day.

Over at the Honey place, you actually get a free suite for the night.

Aaron Patel15 said:I don't know if I'm just completely out of the loop here or if things have shifted recently. Everywhere I look, people are talking about how they source all their supplies from Ira, but then I actually show up there and find out they won't sell to me as an individual? Apparently, you need a business license or a corporate account just to buy anything.

You can still grab some wholesale items, but you're gonna have to drop a bit more cash to make it happen.$100

Raymond Brooks7 said:I have to disagree with you there... I was at a wedding there recently and everything was top-notch, from the catering to the staff...

If I were picking, my order would be: Saint Croix, then Castello, then Bellevue... but honestly, it all depends on where your church is located. If the cathedral is over in the downtown area, Bellevue is probably your best bet...

For what it's worth, I've been to all three and I haven't found a single thing to complain about regarding the food, the service, or the atmosphere.😍

I've actually had similar experiences with Castell. I was there last year and everything was just 👍

Adam Alvarez5 said:Hey everyone, could I get some help here?? Does anyone know much about the Holy Cross restaurant on Manhattan? I'm trying to figure out their capacity, what the menu prices look like, and if anyone happened to be at the banquet there recently so they could tell me about the decor... I've been scouring the internet, but I just can't find any photos of the hall itself. Any insight would be greatly appreciated...

You should be able to find some photos in this thread, probably somewhere around page 10.