Posts by David King72

Lawrence Edwards40 said:Hey there!
So, here's the deal: I’m getting married next spring in Miami. We're keeping it pretty low-key, just a small gathering of about 30 people. We really want to make it feel special, you know? Somewhere gorgeous, tucked away in nature—maybe a nice restaurant or a terrace with an incredible view... but honestly, my brain is totally blank right now. Does anyone have any suggestions? Any specific restaurants or cool spots that might fit the vibe?

the hotel on the pier

George Davis4 said:Hey, anyone here dealt with Gaspar Studio and Color before? Any idea if they're actually any good?

As far as we're concerned, Gaspar gets nothing but praise... he's such a pleasant, laid-back, and genuinely decent guy to be around, and honestly, did we really need to ask if the photos would be incredible? Because they absolutely were.

granitefox19 said:Look, nobody is paying me to say this, but I am 100% on board with that sentiment! 👍 They really are incredible.

Does anyone have a recommendation for live music to accompany the ceremony? I’m looking for something more elevated than just a solo accordion player, but I also don't have a million dollars to drop on a full orchestra.😉

Shout out to Chunky, you're doing great work

granitefox19 said:Could someone please give me a bit more detail on where exactly Ružica dva commerce is located?

If you’re heading toward downtown from the direction of San Francisco via Vicksburg Avenue, you'll pass the local shopping mall; just hit the light after the mall, take a left at the very next intersection, and you'll see it—it's that blue building on the left with Ružica right there on the ground floor.

Richard Mendoza2 said:Hi everyone. I’ve already asked about photographers in another thread, but there’s no harm in asking here too.

Does anyone have recommendations for a photographer in the San Francisco area? We’re planning a small, intimate wedding. We aren't looking for video services—just photography—and we don't need all those extra bells and whistles agencies usually push, like parent albums or a million extra digital files.

We are even open to an amateur or someone who does this as a serious hobby. My only real requirements are that they have decent, reliable gear and actual talent—someone with a true eye for composition rather than someone just clicking a shutter and hoping for the best. Budget-wise, we aren't exactly rolling in it, so we're looking for something reasonable, ideally under $500 ($667 max). Honestly, we’d prefer to just take the photos ourselves since both my fiancé and I have a knack for photography, but that’s obviously not an option...

p.s. I hope no professionals take offense by this post; I realize high-quality work commands a premium, but that’s just the reality of our situation.

Vedrana Domazet... you can find her on Facebook.

amberhawk60 said:Where can I find the best deals on plastic cookie containers for guests, balloons, cake stands, and stuff like that?

Walmart is usually your best bet; they often run those 15 or 20% off sales on Mondays, so if you're heading out anyway, why not double-check?

amberhawk60 said:Is Rose actually cheaper than that Repromaterial place, Anne?

To be honest, I haven't a clue; during the holidays, Rose tends to run these sales on conveyor belts and various other gear, so who knows?

analogdrifter51 said:Where can I find the best deals on sweets and those crunchy wedding croquant cakes?!

Cakes and praline treats - Viadel
decorations - Rose from Commerce Mesa

Joseph Taylor7 said:I was actually the one who booked her... if I were you, I’d suggest meeting up with John specifically—not his mom—to lay everything out on the table from start to finish. Once you've said your piece, he'll probably ask what kind of budget you're working with, so just figure out what you're comfortable paying for the gym sessions beforehand. Then he can tell you straight up whether that works or if it's a non-starter. In my case, she didn't really bother giving me a breakdown of individual prices; I just listed everything I wanted and gave her a total number I was willing to pay. She agreed to it, and that was that. I guess we'll just have to wait and see how it all turns out.🎉

Just make sure you stay cautious when dealing with her, too.

amberhawk60 said:Anyone got cake recommendations?
I was thinking about grabbing some pastries at Viadel, but based on what I've read in the comments, their cakes aren't really hitting the mark... so I'm wondering who you guys have actually had great cakes from without breaking the bank.

Are we talking about a tiered wedding cake or more of a croquant style? Because if you go with tiers, you can actually make that work for a lot of different things...

Michael Mendoza14 said:Anyone know what Jasper's pricing looks like for a package?

I actually worked with him during a photo session back when he was collaborating with Marina, and I ended up going with the mid-tier package which ran me about $1,750...

Michael Mendoza14 said:So, out of nowhere, they just dropped this bombshell that catering is totally banned at the estate, which basically turns the whole thing into a formal Sunday service vibe. It wasn't exactly what I had in mind, but hey, it is what it is. The venue itself is gorgeous, though, so we aren't backing down.

Anyway, quick question for the group... has anyone here worked with the photographer Vedran Vidak? I was poking around Facebook yesterday checking his rates... apparently, his full package is around $1,750. We’ve got our date in November open on his calendar... I'm torn on whether I should pull the trigger and book him right now or keep hunting. He comes highly recommended, which makes it tricky.

Vedran does phenomenal work and his shots are stunning, but honestly, he stays booked solid, so if you’re thinking about him, you really need to move fast because he's in high demand—we actually tried calling him a year in advance and he was already taken, so we ended up hiring Ante Gašpar instead and we haven't regretted it for a second since he absolutely blew us away (though, of course, Vedran was the one who recommended him).

lonefox6 said:Has anyone here actually dealt with the Allure ex fabula spread? Their standard menu is sitting at $38, but I haven't been able to get any real info from this thread dating back to July 20, 2015.
If anyone happens to have some actual intel on them, I’d really appreciate it.🙂

Like I mentioned before, we hosted a baptism ceremony there about three months ago.
Honestly, we can't say anything but good things about both the staff and the kitchen; the servers were polite, attentive, and always right there whenever we needed something. The chef and the manager deserve serious credit—you can tell these people actually know the hospitality business inside and out. They even packed up the leftovers for us to take home! We had homemade prosciutto, two types of cheese, French specialties, black risotto, and roasted lamb. You can pretty much negotiate whatever you want with them since they're quite reasonable, and they even offer catering services. If there's anything else you need to know, just ask.

copperowl13 said:The more I read through this forum, the more my anxiety spikes... 🙂 If I lean toward one option, people claim it’s a disaster... it’s honestly all becoming quite overwhelming—I’m feeling the stress. Ideally, wouldn't we just pick the absolute best across the board and have everything go smoothly? That’s why there’s such intense pressure here. Now I’m debating whether I should even share my thoughts, because if I criticize an option someone else has already chosen, they might actually have a panic attack, right? 🕺🤔
But anyway...
For instance, I was looking into Papaya. I read some excellent reviews and even chatted with them, then happened to see them working at a wedding reception once. To be honest, they didn't click with me at all. There was zero chemistry between them and the guests—it felt like they were just there to clock in and out. Plus, the photos I saw weren't exactly anything to write home about, so I decided against them. Yet, everyone seems to rave about them... I suppose it depends on what we're looking for; maybe their style just isn't my cup of tea. Just because they didn't suit me doesn't mean they won't work for someone else—a friend of mine is a professional photographer and he insisted they are top-tier... hmmmmm
The best videographers seem to be those from the local indie scene, but they were way out of our budget. :-(
Ranko Pupic can be a bit pushy; if you can manage to navigate past that, his work is solid enough.
There are also some wonderful people among the boutique studios (like Gaspar)... where the quality really shines.

As far as bands go, most are fine. Personally, DJs aren't really my thing, but names like Viva, Taxi, Best, XXS, Kocka, PVA Liga, or Jadran are safe bets—you won't go wrong there.

Regarding venues, Kocka is my pick, though I still find myself wondering if everything will turn out okay...
I’ve noticed that even if you visit the same venue week after week, the food isn't always consistent...

The Radisson asked for significantly more than what’s listed here—by the time we factored in the basic menu and drinks, it would have cost us a hundred dollars per person... so we passed. A friend of mine was there and mentioned the food was decent, but the portions were small. My fiancé, who usually doesn't complain, told me the food was actually quite poor...
I visited Park personally; the food was a bit sparse, but the quality was good...
For example, I wanted Aria because the room was lovely, but my fiancé—who rarely nitpicks—said the food wasn't great there. (And the Radisson was one of the only two places he had issues with regarding the catering.)
Then there's Sky... it looked amazing to me too, but just when I was considering it, we attended a reception there and the food was bland. Completely tasteless, nothing to write home about. So, that was off the table.
Gusar, on the other hand, comes with nothing but praise; they are perfect. Truly. However, they can only accommodate about 80 people, and that’s it. If you're planning a smaller reception, go there or try Amigos... you won't regret it.
We decided against going to the suburbs or the outskirts. From those areas, we might only consider Lesnina or Dolis... the food there was actually good.
If I had been any smarter, I might have gone there, but... well...
And Bolero... unfortunately, it fell short of expectations.
Velum has great atmosphere outside, but the food was disappointing.

As for wedding dresses... that’s a whole different story. I honestly don't know what is going on with the bridal boutiques in town...
The ones at Cher are just... ugh. Either they won't let you touch anything, or they are incredibly rude and overbearing. And I'm not just speaking from experience; at least five or six other girls have told me the same thing. They won't let you wear the dress you actually want; they insist on what *they* decide. It’s an uncomfortable experience.
La Perla—on their Facebook photos, it looks like they have a massive collection of gowns. But when you actually show up... there's hardly anything to choose from.
Lipoto, my goodness... they are okay, fairly standard. The sales staff is polite. I didn't love the dresses, but the experience was pleasant, so I have no complaints.
Mila was so exhausting that I didn't even walk in. A friend of mine had a terrible experience with them because they refused to do a simple hem adjustment, and she ended up having to change her dress the day before the wedding to someone else.
Jelena seemed fine to me... pleasant and approachable. But then I see comments online saying she's unprofessional. Who knows!
Regarding makeup, I booked Ana Grgic, and then I was immediately bombarded with comments about how she's arrogant and doesn't listen to how you want to look. She's apparently quite temperamental (that's from three different girls), even though one person was satisfied... though personally, I wasn't a huge fan of how she did my makeup either.

And there we have it... 😵🙄 what is there even left to say after all this? It seems everyone is doing a stellar job—and nobody is doing anything right at the same time... 😵 because I’ve reached that stage where just when you think you’ve finally smoothed everything over, some new doubt or sudden fear crawls back in. I can only hope it all pans out in the end. Honestly, guests rarely tell you to your face that things aren't working; they wait until you're gone to whisper about it. (A friend was bragging about how her gala was absolutely flawless—perfect, she said, with nothing but praise from everyone... despite the fact that the catering was mediocre, the menu was lackluster, and the band was frankly abysmal, leaving no one actually dancing...) It really just comes down to the observer's perspective, doesn't it? I suppose the main goal now is just to get through it without losing our minds... 🎉

I couldn't quite tell from your post if you actually settled on a venue yet, but have you looked at something like the Hilton in San Diego or maybe a coastal spot near Malibu (not sure if those are too far for you)? Or maybe Allure ex fabula in the city, or I don't know, maybe Velum

Michael Mendoza14 said:Anyone else got recommendations for photographers out in San Francisco? How far ahead should I be booking if I want one of those big-name ones?

Also, has anyone actually used Helen or Amada for makeup before?
https://www.instagram.com/helena_makeup/

I feel like I've already dropped some photographer names, but whatever—you could look into names like Charles, Marino, Gaspar, or Vedran Vidak, along with the others we already talked about.
I haven't heard of Helen before... as for Amadea, she does great work, though sometimes I get the feeling she applies the exact same look to every single girl she touches.

amberhawk60 said:Any lighting recommendations? Looking for something decent that won't break the bank... 😉

I mean, I'm not entirely sure who you ended up booking for the music, but wouldn't some bands include their own gear in their fee, or at least offer a much better deal than renting individual lights from these specialized companies?

Ashley Hall5 said:Ladies, I’m planning to make my big announcement next year, almost exactly one year from today.
Which venues would you recommend for a crowd of about 250 or 260 people? I don't have an exact headcount yet, but we're in that ballpark.
What do you think about Studio Smile? It looks pretty great to me. 🙂
Any band recommendations? I currently have Viva in mind. I really want someone who can actually entertain—I don't want anyone sitting around; I want music that literally forces you off your seat and onto the dance floor. 🎉

Venues—are you looking within the city limits or more toward the outskirts, like somewhere near San Diego or Orange County?
Studio Smile does great work; I've seen their portfolio, but as for what it's actually like to work with them on the day, who knows? If you're thinking about booking them, you better move fast because they stay fully booked.
For music, maybe try Barbari, Best, Vino and Ive, or Boem Miro.

Michael Mendoza14 said:Does anyone have a clue what a decent centerpiece bouquet usually runs for? I'd love to know what kind of numbers to expect :-) Also, do florists typically include rentals for things like mirrors, glass pieces, vases, or candle holders in their packages?

A lot of them definitely offer those rental items... but what exactly is your vibe?? As for bouquet prices, $33it really just boils down to what kind of flowers you're picking out.

copperhound84 said:Miss Flower Shop is amazing—the owner is a total pro. I showed her a few photos and she was already brainstorming a million ideas. The price is pretty flexible too; you just tell her your budget and she makes sure you get the absolute most out of it. 😁 I actually worked out a deal to meet up at a bridal expo, so I’m getting all her decor—vases, trinkets, mirrors, you name it—for free!

If you want my two cents, I’d suggest being a little cautious when dealing with her... she can be incredibly exhausting to work with, and honestly, she’s messed up a bouquet or two on me before. On top of that, she’ll try to pitch her makeup artist friend to you under the guise of "saving you money," and there have definitely been times where she didn't stick to what was originally agreed upon.

coastalharbor6 said:Who should I hire as my wedding photographer? I’m really not looking for those cookie-cutter shots; I want something unique and truly special..🙂

By "standard," I mean those cliché poses where I'm staring at the bouquet, he's staring at the bouquet, and we're both just admiring the flowers together. 😂

The local studio I liked is already booked for my date.

I think Ranko Pupic is talented, but his vibe just doesn't quite mesh with mine, so I'd rather skip him if I can.. 🙂

Vedran Vidak, Ante Gaspar, Marino Photography, and Čerina Photography.
You’ve got them all on Facebook, don't you?