Kate Martinez33 said:Who else would you recommend besides Tina Katanić and Ana Grgić? I feel like they've been all over the news lately, so I'm wondering if anyone else has some solid recommendations to throw my way?
Kathleen Sebelius from San Jose is great. Solid work, prices are fair— $83 she does house calls too, though she mostly works out of her own little studio now.
Everything ends up being way pricier than other spots, but hey, if you've got the cash, go for it! The vibe was incredible though. We were just a few feet from the stage with the ocean waves crashing right there, and we ended up just crashing out on some pillows at the end of the night. The lighting really set the mood... that courtyard with the fountain in the middle looks amazing under all those different lights. Only downside was the heat was absolutely brutal since it was August, and there wasn't any AC anywhere 😁
1) I’m having my makeup done by Katherine Graham from San Diego, so since I'll be traveling between Santa Barbara and San Diego, I'm also on the hunt for a hair salon—specifically a stylist who can handle formal updos without charging an absolute fortune... It seems like so many stylists out there are amazing at coloring and blowouts, but they really seem to shy away from those fancy occasion styles...
2) A reliable florist
3) For any ladies out there who took the DIY route with their wedding favors, invitations, and thank-you notes—where did you source all your supplies? Was it a total nightmare to pull off, and honestly... is it actually worth the savings?
Thanks so much for the help 🙂
Katherine did my makeup twice, she's awesome and super sweet. I ordered my boutonnieres through a local boutique and grabbed rhinestones on eBay. By my math, I saved a ton, wasn't too much work, but my boutonnieres were pretty basic...
Check out the Villa California usage policy. You can grab all the details through an agency in the Midwest (they handle the rentals too) or just hit up their website (www.sanfrancisco.gov)... look for official notice number 2 from 2011, it lays everything out—what they offer and the exact pricing. From what I know, you're looking at around 20 $0.00 plus food and drinks... I was at a wedding there last summer, and honestly, it was pure magic.
I gotta give a shoutout to Megagraf Studio in San Francisco. We had a contract that promised everything would be ready in 45 days, but they actually missed that deadline by a bit. They gave us one DVD first to check out and see if we wanted any tweaks... we did have some changes, but they handled them without any drama. Then all 10 DVDs arrived about 15 days after that. We’re super happy with how the photos and the DVDs turned out. The album looks amazing 😍
placideagle10 said:Does anyone have recommendations on where to pick up a wedding cake? I was wondering if anyone here has actually tried the wedding cakes from Pittsburgh? Or maybe something from a top brand instead? I’m really curious about what they taste like and how they look visually—I want everything to be perfect. Thanks!
We went with MK for ours. Taste was perfect, and honestly, it looked even better in person than in the photos. Price was $533
Our wedding is over, so here are a few thoughts...
Velum — no complaints here. Everything was wonderful. The location and vibe were huge pluses, really intimate, perfect for smaller receptions. Food was good, though I can't say I felt stuffed or remember every single dish (you know how it is for brides), but some guests mentioned the beef stew was pretty spicy. Service was great too, the waiters were everywhere... Overall impression is excellent, even if they cut the music at 5 AM and said "that's it!" They warned us, but we didn't think anyone would still be dancing at 5 in the morning. We had a ton of young people who would've been jumping in front of the band until 8 AM if they'd let them.
Jessy band— honestly, no words. A week after the party, I'm still getting calls from people asking about the music. Everyone was blown away. We agreed on an urban vibe, domestic and foreign rock, maybe some local classics too (though there wasn't much of that). They totally read the room and gave the crowd exactly what they wanted. Proof of their quality? At 5 AM, there were 30 people standing right in front of them yelling "don't want to go home, play more!" Okay, that's partly on the guests, but credit to the band too. Total recommendation from us!
The Cake EM-k — looked and tasted amazing! It literally melted in my mouth. It was kept at 40 degrees, which was good, but I wish someone had told us there was cardboard between the layers... made cutting it a bit of a struggle 😁 price 1600 KN $533.
Photo/Video Megagraf — punctual, stuck to the agreement, no delays, and they weren't pushy. During the shoot on Monday, they really worked hard to get it right; we spent 3 hours together. The thank-you photo is beautiful, hoping the rest turn out the same. We'll see...
Accordion and guitar — Buddy, what can I say? Absolute blast!
The Dress - La perla — the women there were so sweet. The dress was gorgeous and worth every penny. I feel bad about returning it, but they said they'd fix it without any issues.
Makeup - Katarina Jakelić — this girl seriously blew me away. I booked her without a recommendation, just went with my gut, and I wasn't wrong. Besides being incredibly lovely, she did my makeup, my maid of honor, and my mom perfectly. Price $83 (included false lashes).
My husband's side used catering from Pimpinela, so I didn't see it personally, but I tried something the next day. I know everyone was happy with the service and the price.
For the flowers, a dear friend of mine did everything—the bouquet, boutonnieres for the groomsmen and groom, 12 table arrangements, 6 small ones for the head table, and one for the house and car $533. She only charged me for the flowers and materials; her "labor" was my wedding gift. <3
So you're saying even with 150 people it didn't feel cramped? Honestly, I was stressing because we're looking at about 120 guests here and I kept picturing everyone squished together, tables everywhere... maybe too many tables. Putting the dessert station and the DJ/photographers in the foyer is actually a solid move. Definitely gonna consider that! 😁 Thanks, I'm feeling way better now. I'm done overthinking this!
You can definitely move faster if you don't have anything specific in mind. A friend of mine pulled the whole thing together in just five months—wedding was on a Friday, everything went flawlessly, but honestly, you've gotta book the popular bands, photographers, and venues way ahead of time.
I edited my post above, you missed it... please, tell me more about Velum. How was the seating? Was it cramped? And what about the light show??🙂
Carol Martin3 said:Thanks so much! I’m also dying to hear if anyone has any firsthand impressions of the Radisson—I'd love to know what the vibe is like there!! I was actually at a reception at Velum yesterday and it was absolutely PERFECT!! The atmosphere was spot on, the music was incredible!! Honestly, I can barely contain my excitement to start planning my own big celebration 🙂
😍 My big day at Velum is only 20 days away!
As for the planning part, we handled all the heavy lifting—venue, band, photographer—a full year in advance. We had everything locked in by early October last year, but the band's first opening after summer wasn't until October 26th, so we actually moved our date just to get them.
edit: Carol Martin3 give me some more deets on Velum... how's the food? Is the dance floor big enough (that's my only worry)? What about the new lighting and lasers (if the couple used them)? How big was the crowd? Thanks 😉
I was in... Pirate... A few years back at a wedding feast, the newlyweds didn't bother with any of those chair covers—you had to pay extra for them or whatever... they didn't have fancy extra lighting either, and honestly, everything was perfect. In my opinion, you don't need to add all that extra stuff. The restaurant was beautiful, and the food was top-tier back then...
California Photo Honestly, it’s just a joke. It's stupid how you have zero clue which photographer you're actually getting, and then they just dump everything on you—kind of like what happened to my friends. Everything turns into a total disaster... that DVD was an absolute wreck. They even misspelled her name right at the start, and the audio was completely out of sync. The guy starts singing, and then the music kicks in a few seconds later... ridiculous. 😬
A month ago, I was at this party where they were playing... taxi band...They were awesome...
Depends on what your schedule looks like that day. My makeup artist booked me for 12:00 and 1:00... she’s doing my mom and me, an hour each, and guests arrive around 3:30.
Maria Bailey4, last year I was torn between Aria and Velum, and they were charging 40€... Now my friend is scouting venues for next year, and they told her Aria would do 38€. Not sure if the rates actually dropped or if she just misheard someone (the girl told me it was 38€ for a Friday wedding, 40€ for a Saturday, and you gotta hit a 130-person minimum—basically, you pay for 130 seats regardless of who shows up). We ended up going with Velum in the end. We just didn't have a guest list big enough for that 130-person requirement, plus I'd heard decent things about the service and the food. I can give you the real scoop after October 26th... 😍 I checked out Phoenix, and yeah, it’s dirt cheap, but the food is honestly terrible. Nirs isn't half bad though... decent hall, okay food.
A friend of mine hit up the Atrium for a party about two or three weeks ago, and her take was basically "what a total waste of money." She said the food was straight-up terrible... though that's just her and her husband's opinion. Maybe someone else actually had a blast.
