Posts by wanderingbadger17

darksailor2 said:Hmm... if the hotel were actually in the heart of the city, maybe I'd think differently. I might pay that much for a Ritz-Carlton, maybe, since they have a summer terrace, a pool, and an ocean view—but I wouldn't pay extra just for the view. For me, the food has to be good, the space needs to be decent, and I need a solid band to keep the crowd moving. I went to a party earlier this year that I had high hopes for; it was right by the coast, you could practically jump into the ocean if you wanted... it was a total letdown. A complete disaster. 🤷

A private garage isn't exactly a selling point for me! 😁 I'd rather head to Target than a crowded garage where I feel like I'm suffocating! 🤷

Almost every hotel offers a honeymoon suite anyway. My guy once asked if we wanted to spend our first night after the wedding in some overpriced hotel. But what's the point? I'll be crashing at 6 AM and waking up by 10 AM at the latest because Sunday lunch with the family is non-negotiable. In those four hours, I'm not planning on sipping Champagne or eating caviar or anything else... I'm planning on passing out in bed.

There are pros and cons, but honestly, I think the price at the Atrium is a bit steep. 🤷 I don't know, I hope your wedding turns out beautiful and perfect, and that you and your guests have a great time. Either way, I wish you the best. 😉

The problem is, this is already a reduced guest count! I'll invite more, but I'm counting on not having all 230 people show up. That's why I'm saying 200! 😁
Honestly, the Pirate's is a fantastic venue, and the food is incredible... I once had sea bass in Champagne there! 🙂Man, that sounds incredible!
The service is top-notch, the patio is awesome—we could have hung out outside forever! And that chocolate fountain... 🙏
I am just a little worried about it getting too crowded, though. 🤷 I really think we need to see what the ballroom actually looks like with 200 seats. Every venue I've seen that holds 200 people feels way bigger than this!

Oh, one more thing! Is it $42 regardless of what you pick? 🤔
And if there’s food left over, do they pack it up for you to take home?

It's the same price regardless of what you pick from that menu. And I'm telling you... $42.
As for leftovers, they pack everything up neatly in plastic containers for you to take home.

As for a large group, you should probably double-check that...

darksailor2 said:I was at a wedding in Savannah recently. They set up 12 tables in the main hall and 5 in that tucked-away corner area. Honestly, it was just right. If they had added even one more table, I think I would have felt totally claustrophobic. There were about 8 or 9 of us squeezed at each table, though I guess 10 could have worked, but I still wouldn't have been happy with it. 🤷

Everyone keeps telling me I should always subtract about 10% from whatever number they claim can fit. I guess they're right, because whenever people give me their maximum capacity, the place ends up way too crowded.

Around here, this is just your standard menu:
Prosciutto, cheese, France... and I think there was some tuna pâté somewhere too.
They usually give you a choice between black risotto or veal risotto—though, most of the time, they’ll let you swap one of those out for shrimp risotto instead.
Beef stew with gnocchi and a side salad.
Roasted lamb and roasted potatoes.

Yeah, I think they offer juice too. But honestly, you can always cut stuff from the menu. Some places ditch the beef stew entirely, some swap it out for something else, and some people just won't touch lamb. I guess it depends on what you're looking for.
Instead of that heavy beef stew, most places are serving up veal medallions in sauce. You could probably just go with some fish instead. And if you aren't feeling the lamb, maybe you could grab some octopus?
If you’re actually going to change up the menu, you might as well go with the steakhouse spots. I guess they just have a way better selection of dishes anyway. 😉

If you've got questions about DJing, just go ask in the DJ thread.

I suppose you're right regarding the crowd control—subtracting a few people so it doesn't get too tight is probably smart...

I once had 105 guests and there was plenty of room. I don't know how many more we could have squeezed in, but you also have to account for the fact that people will inevitably cancel. It's just a reality that not everyone on the list actually shows up.

Ten people can sit at a table quite comfortably. In my experience, I've seen 11 or 12 squeeze in because they were a tight-knit group, but that's pushing it. Planning for 10 seems reasonable enough.

Regarding the menu, I just posted the menu from that place in Savannah; it's recent info.
I'm fairly certain you won't find a menu like this in the city for $42. Not even close.
A menu like this would probably cost at least twice as much elsewhere.

Bradley Jones9 said:Well, look, I suppose it all comes down to personal taste. The Atrium is right in downtown, it's a five-star hotel, they have private parking, and they offer honeymoon suites...
It seems somewhat misguided to compare a hotel to a banquet hall; the differences are fairly obvious, I think.

We’re talking about the numbers, the service quality, the food selection, the vibe... all that stuff.

I mean, what’s the point of having 16 stars if the ratio of products to services isn't where it should be? It feels a bit hollow, I guess.
The atmosphere downtown? What downtown? It’s not like we’re hanging out in the historic district; this is just a stretch over by the industrial waterfront. You've got nothing but concrete, high-rises, and smog surrounding you. But hey, I guess everyone has different tastes.

And what on earth are you talking about regarding an apartment for newlyweds? Who in their right mind would even be looking for that... I guess.

I suppose you’ll have somewhere to go to unwind once the grape harvest is finally over? 🙂 So, are you actually heading to the wedding... or what?

Here’s the pirate menu. I've bolded the items we actually ended up eating:

MENU

1. PART ONE

The Dalmatian pay scale: everything goes exactly as written, no changes allowed.
Prosciutto and cheese. That’s about it.
French Salad.
Octopus Salad.
Marinated Shrimp.
Tuna pâté.
Carpaccio from the local butcher shop.

2. COURSE (choice of 2 dishes)

Black Risotto (Squid Ink)
- Black Manisa with a sip.
- Shrimp Risotto.
Veal risotto. I suppose.
Chicken, mushroom, and vegetable risotto. Just one of those standard meals.
Green tagliatelle with fruit sauce.

3. COURSE (Pick any two dishes)

Lamb Skewers.
A squad from Ražnje.
- Octopus under the pier.
Slow-roasted veal under a bell. It’s hard to find it done right these days.
- Rolled Beef (Stuffed with Mozzarella and Ham)
For the third course, we’re serving roasted potatoes and a mixed green salad. I guess that's about it.

4. COURSE (Pick two dishes)

- Beef Stew with Homemade Gnocchi
Beef stew served with sea scallops.
- There was a bit of sediment at the bottom of my Champagne, which I suppose isn't ideal. It was served alongside some purée mixed with mascarpone.
Veal medallions in mushroom sauce.

We serve our dishes alongside homemade bread—things like cornbread, squid ink loaves, or maybe something seasoned with herbs.
Herbs, bread with olives...)

Courses 2, 3, and 4—you get to pick two dishes from that selection.
The schedule for the last two sequences chosen by the newlyweds.

Wine: Maraština and Plavac other drink.
Other drinks: sodas like Col and Fanta, or maybe some draft beer—Stella, Ozujsko, or Staropramen.
Strong drinks for aperitifs.
Champagne is flowing.
From April through October, we’re looking at a minimum turnout of about 140 people on Saturdays. I guess that's the baseline.

Please excuse the all-caps; I just copied and pasted this to save myself the trouble of typing everything out by hand.

darksailor2 said:Look, I get it, the Pirate is great, but there's no way he can handle a crowd of 200 people! 🤷

I guess it could work, honestly. That’s how they frame it, too. Sure, the layout is a bit of an L-shape, which isn't ideal, but with enough planning and their specific advice, I suppose you could make it fit without any major issues. You would just need to cram about ten people around each table. So, if you have twenty tables, it should theoretically hold everyone—and that’s exactly what they’ll tell you, too. See?

darksailor2 said:$20 A salad bowl from Hobie? 🙄 That's way too much!
And that doesn't even include a drink! I guess that's just overkill for me. 😁

Of course it's expensive...

The Pirate is hands down the best spot in town for food and value. It was 42 bucks for four courses. Almost everything we had was seafood-based—only two meat dishes out of the eight options served. You pay 42 dollars regardless of what you pick... and naturally, drinks are included...

We had some Napa Valley wine and a decent Cabernet...
For beer, you can choose Miller, Budweiser, or Coors.
Sodas like Coke, Sprite, or Fanta...
Coffee, tea, and all that stuff is available any time of day or night.
Everything is unlimited...
The food spread was massive; they packed everything up neatly in containers for us to take home...

They didn't even ask for payment on the desserts. We only paid for the cheesecake; everything else was homemade...

The manager and owner were flawless—super friendly and accommodating. They even gave us extra crackers to take home just so we could make our own charcuterie boards...

Honestly, hats off to them. I won't even mention how lenient they were about half the hard liquor we knocked back at the bar after appetizers... And whatever they didn't charge us for, I'd probably just go buy a bottle myself and bring it in, since they don't tack on the restaurant markup...

I guess I feel bad about the drinks because I know they're being consumed...

But you can always bring your own hard liquor if you want.

Parking isn't great—not quite as easy as finding a spot near a local dive bar—but you get a view of the ocean. The patio is incredible...

I'll be giving them my full recommendation.

A quick recap of our little getaway:

The church service at St. Jude’s: everything went smoothly, and there wasn't much of a crowd or any distractions during the mass.
Dinner at The Pirate: honestly, the food and the atmosphere were top-tier. I’d highly recommend it—the service was great, the prices were fair, and they really treated us well.
Photographer, Ivan Miller: this guy is in a league of his own. He's worth every penny. He's approachable, down-to-earth, and just easy to work with. Definitely look him up.
Band, Rhythm Tide: since they're a trio, they sounded incredible, and the female vocalist was fantastic. They really set the mood, and they have a great way of picking and playing new tracks. Highly recommended.

Charles Gomez4 said:At the IRS in a small town in the Midwest?

Zero points... nothing at all... nothing at the local Metro in Smalltown...

Has anyone actually worked with Tin... does anyone know where you can even find this stuff...?

Cheers...

Does anyone happen to know where I can pick up some waterproof LED lights for vases? Mine only lasted a few hours before dying on me...

I think I need to find some cheap local florist—doesn't even need to have a storefront. @frozentiger2, I actually booked Lucy Spajic myself; she seems like a great woman. I can send you some photos she sent me if you want to take a look. Cheers.

gentlepilot9 said:Don't even sweat it, you'll find someone perfect... I mean, we actually managed to pull our entire wedding together in just a single week!
In seven days flat, we somehow tracked down a venue, a band, and a photographer... though for us, it ended up being a jazz trio playing instead of a full band.
And honestly, she's right—it's pretty hard to find a decent band for less than $1,500 these days... but good luck, you've got this, no worries!!!🙂🙂

Since we're also looking at a duo or a trio... who's playing your event, and does anyone have any recommendations?? Thanks!!🙏

Does anyone happen to know how much a Flas band goes for lately?

I'm looking for some solid recommendations for a band, maybe something in the ballpark of $850...

Could someone maybe put together a rough price list for bands, duos, trios... or even just a DJ?

Thanks!

Charles Wood92 said:Honestly, you’ve gotta steer clear of Gusaro's—it's a total mess. They're completely unprofessional, super disorganized, and they constantly flake on their own agreements. Plus, the food quality is basically bottom-tier... I really don't get how they charge those prices! Personally, I wouldn't step foot in there even if it was a ten-dollar buffet!

My first post on this forum... and I'm met with negativity right out of the gate. 🙄 I respect everyone's opinion, but I've never heard anything like that before. 😕 Besides, the owner isn't the same guy it used to be; now the owner runs the show personally because he doesn't trust anyone else with the details... I'm not sure where you're getting your info. All I've ever heard about Pirate's Cove is praise. You can say whatever you want about the price, but when it comes to the food and the service, everyone agrees it's a disaster, and I've experienced it myself. 🙏 I don't know how much you'd personally pay for dinner... to me, the price seems more than fair for what you actually get, especially since plenty of other places that are much worse charge way more. But I'm not going to try to convince you... ☕

Casey Foster40 said:What kind of food do they actually serve at Pirate's Cove?

I attended their winter gala, and honestly, the spread was pretty wild. For appetizers, they had the usual stuff—octopus salad, fish pâté, and things like that. Then came the risottos and pasta dishes. I’m usually a tough critic because I have very specific tastes when it comes to risotto, but this was actually great. The slow-roasted meat was excellent too. 🙏 They even served some more unique items, like sea bass in white sauce and creamy pasta. There wasn't any shortage of food, either; the servers were constantly refilling plates whenever they saw something running low. We liked the experience so much that we actually decided to book them for our own wedding catering. 😍

Zachary Price2 said:That's just not true; I actually had my baby shower there during my seventh month, and the cost was $42—and that wasn't even a typical setup, yet we got nothing but compliments from the guests, so much so that even I actually enjoyed that whole crazy experience😉 excluding drinks, making it $47 total. The deposit definitely wasn't $10$0.00 and there wasn't some arbitrary minimum amount required; we could have handed them a thousand bucks if we felt like it. Maybe you're thinking of the situation where they charge an extra $10,000 if you want the party on the patio, but in that specific case, you're basically renting out the entire restaurant. 😁😁

We were looking for August 13th, 2011, and the manager told us that since it's the peak of the season, the deposit is $10$0.00. So, what you're saying doesn't match what we heard about the deposit minimum. That's just what they told us...🤷

Harold Scott4 said:So, I actually went to both restaurants myself, and wouldn't you know it? They told me that if I wanted any actual information, I would have to call the managers directly. Well, thanks for nothing on the pricing, I suppose.
At the end of the day, isn't it all essentially the same price? It really just comes down to whatever you personally prefer, because an entree at a place like Tony's will run you about fifty bucks once you add a drink to the tab.
When I think about the layout at Vivien, I can't help but feel a certain sense of frustration regarding the venue's design. If we happen to run into some rainy weather, isn't the indoor space just far too cramped? The floor plan feels incredibly tight, and honestly, those massive support pillars are positioned so poorly that they completely obstruct the view; you can barely even see the person sitting across from you. While the miniature portions are fine, it’s such a shame because the outdoor atmosphere is absolutely brilliant. Why can't they balance that wonderful exterior vibe with a more functional interior?
I have mixed feelings about the atmosphere over at San Antonio. While I actually quite enjoy the interior of the establishment, those square tables are just fundamentally wrong, aren't they? And don't even get me started on the outdoor area—it feels incredibly neglected. Everything looks overgrown and frankly a bit grimy; at least, that was my personal impression. To make matters worse, they refuse to allow any kind of dining on the patio. Wouldn't it be much more sensible to allow for outdoor seating that could simply be moved inside if the weather turns sour? It’s exactly how they handle things over at Neva, yet here at San Antonio, the whole setup just feels poorly planned and utterly pointless.
Does anyone know of any venues in the immediate area that can actually compete with Neva? I'm looking for something with an interior space that is significantly larger and, frankly, much more aesthetically pleasing than what they offer.

We were looking for something similar... honestly, I'm afraid you might not find it. I really wanted that outdoor atmosphere—something like a pool area or a well-kept park—paired with a nice indoor hall, but I haven't had luck finding that combo. Grasso is decent, but I doubt you can fit more than 100 people inside, though you could probably mix indoor and outdoor seating. Another option is Sky, over in downtown Las Vegas. It's beautiful, at least in my opinion. You can fit up to 200 people inside, and if you go outdoors, there's a pool and a view overlooking the whole city.😍 They are a bit pricier, but you really have to call and negotiate; it all depends on what you want. I think the standard menu at Sky (dessert included) is about $50 with drinks, excluding wine. At Grasso, the standard menu is around $40 without drinks, but they ask for a $10 deposit $0.00 (which seems a bit steep...😲). Anyway... let me know if you need anything else.☕ 😍

Harold Scott4 said:Hi everyone, I’m looking into hosting a wedding reception at the Neva venue, specifically considering their location in the suburbs or perhaps over in San Antonio. Does anyone here happen to know what the pricing looks like, or better yet, has anyone actually held an event there?
I could also use some advice—is the Neva space, or even just the outdoor area, large enough to comfortably accommodate about 100 guests for dancing and everything else?

We actually considered Vivien too because the outdoor vibe is incredible. I think it’s big enough for 100 people, but what happens if it rains? The indoor space can't even fit 90 people... at least that's my take. You should probably go check it out yourself to be sure, but those were the reasons we passed on Vivien.😉
The price at Vivien is $35 per person for a standard menu,
$50 if you include drinks,
you can have music until 3 AM,
kids under 6 get half off, but everyone else pays full price,
and the couple gets a free suite.
As for San Antonio, in my opinion, you can squeeze maybe 100 people inside, no more, even if they tell you otherwise. Their standard menu is also $50, and you could host the cocktail hour by the pool. I was at a wedding there once; it was nice how the buffet was nicely separated from the tables, but honestly, the food wasn't anything special, and neither were the portions. It really just depends on what matters to you.😍 I hope that helps...😍

Zachary Price2 said:He shot my best friend's wedding, and even though she paid him $2,000 for the photos and video, she was totally underwhelmed. I mean, look, his shots are genuinely stunning—he clearly has a real artistic eye, and I'll give him credit where it's due.
But honestly, he dropped the ball on so many things... for instance, after flipping through about ten pages of the album, she actually had to ask, "Wait, where am I?" I don't even want to get into the details. Her maid of honor shows up in only one single photo across two entire albums, and then you have the groom and the best man stuck in the exact same pose in twenty different formats, which is just awful. As for the video, it was an absolute disaster; it’s incredibly short, yet the whole thing barely clocks in at 20 minutes.
And after spending three hours trekking all over the city for portraits, he managed to squeeze out maybe five or six decent shots.
All in all, we were expecting way more for that kind of money...

I’d personally recommend photographer Adrienne...

When did that happen? We only booked the photography service itself. We plan to handle all those details upfront; we aren't leaving anything to chance. We're going to sit down with him and make sure he knows exactly what our vision and expectations are.

My personal take... Frank....

Could someone shoot me the contact info for that a cappella group via DM? I’d really appreciate it 🙏 !!!