Posts by nimbleviper15

Nicole Hill35 said:Zdjelarevic 😍 sounds great!
But just so you know, you aren't paying a separate hall fee here; you're just paying me. With Matičević, you're hit with extra charges for chair covers and round tables, and even at the new place, you don't really need them because the chairs are already white. Crystal charges for covers too.
The actual hall rental happens over in Bukovlje, and that's closer to $10,000. The food might be slightly cheaper there, but when all is said and done, you end up in the same spot.

Yeah, true. 😕 Then they rolled out the rental options. I know when my brother got married, they paid $1,000 for a rental at Crystal. As for my sister, she was with Matičević—I think there was talk about rentals then too, but I'm not entirely sure if they actually went through. Anyway, I'll check back in over the next few days once I've reached out to the photographers regarding pricing. I'm keeping an eye on everything happening here on the forum; hopefully, there will be some updates soon. 😉

@dustypanther12: thanks for sharing your experience and the advice. Looking at their videos, they seem like a pretty laid-back, wild, slightly eccentric band, which is exactly the vibe we’re hunting for ;-) I'll probably reach out to them by the end of the week, just to get some info 😉

@Nicole Hill35: thanks for the tip regarding Oliver and the photographer tours. I think I'll follow that lead; it's probably better to handle everything face-to-face to get the full picture. I can gauge how interested people actually are just from their presentation ;-)

As for the venue, my partner and I settled on that immediately. We both want an outdoor wedding. My uncle is a priest, so there aren't any issues there, which made things easy. We're going with Zdjelarevic 🙂
I've already been checking around and comparing prices. For a group of about 100-110 people, renting a traditional hall just doesn't make sense for us—the cost-to-value ratio is off
My boyfriend isn't a fan of those massive banquet halls 😁 he feels like those spaces lack atmosphere and soul, and honestly, I have to agree. An outdoor setup feels much more professional and offers better value for the money. In our area, you pay a lot for very little, though maybe that'll change eventually as new trends and people come in. I suppose Richmond has seen some progress over the last decade compared to ten years ago 🙂

Zdjelarevic includes the wedding reception in the price; the restaurant rental is free. They do a welcome for the couple and the wedding party in the winery cellar with some Zdjelarevic sparkling wine and a toast from the hosts. There's also a suite for the newlyweds with breakfast, plus discounts on rooms for guests if anyone needs them (which I assume some will), also including breakfast. They offer a few different menus that can be adjusted, and they serve their own wine
I'm hoping the total comes out cheaper than what my brother and sister paid at Crystal or Matičević, where they were charged $28 or $30 per person, not even counting the extra $1,000 hall rental fee. I'll run the final numbers once everything is set and post back here for anyone else struggling with the small vs. large wedding dilemma 😉

In my opinion, there's no comparison between an intimate wedding with just close family and friends at Zdjelarevic versus a medium-to-large event at Crystal (which I think has the best service and halls), Matičević, and so on. But ultimately, it all comes down to personal taste. That specific atmosphere of the restaurant, the winery, the hotel, and the vineyard just floored me. I knew instantly it was what I wanted. Plus, since I can have the outdoor wedding I've always wanted, it'll be worth it just to spend a weekend out in nature there

Best,

I suppose I have until maybe spring to scout out the venue, then I'll start looking at bookings. The wedding is set for August 2014, and I'm honestly just worried about how fast the time will slip away. 😉

I've been looking at all three of them online, and now I'm also considering Photo Top as a backup if these guys are booked up, though they don't look quite as impressive. I want to see more of their work and how they present themselves. Price will probably be the deciding factor, I guess, but for me, the individual experience and working relationship with the photographer matters more.
As I ask around, everyone seems to be talking up Tony, but his style feels a bit too much like a standard studio shoot—very classic, but lacking that artistic "touch" that makes photos really stand out. Then again, I don't want everything over-retouched either.
I feel a bit silly asking around like this instead of just requesting quotes from everyone or visiting the sites myself, which would be the logical thing to do. I feel this weird sense of obligation to all of them, even though I’ll likely only accept one offer. My boyfriend is making things complicated; I need to organize everything and research what we both want, but since he's currently out of the country and we aren't sure when he'll be back, it would be smarter to settle most of the searching by spring. That way, once he's home, we can just visit locations and finalize things. That's my biggest stress right now—trying to decide what to do and how to clearly explain exactly what I want to each photographer. If only these were my only worries in life, right?

Could you tell me a bit about how Oliver works? Does he shoot solo that day or does he have an assistant? What's his vibe like? I haven't actually met him yet, though looking at his profile, it seems we run in similar circles. How's the atmosphere he creates? Sorry to bother you with all these questions. 🙂

Regarding Mirror, I noticed those same details you mentioned. It does seem like they were a bit more engaged in their older work, but maybe that's just down to the specific agreement they had. I don't know.

I suspect the band will end up being a much larger investment and a far bigger headache to sort out. 😉

Marlena, thanks for getting back to me. How much cheaper are we talking? I guess I'm wondering if you know how Mirror operates or what kind of packages they offer. Have you actually worked with them before? And what about their lead times—is it a rush to get on their schedule, or is a six-month to one-year heads-up usually plenty?
hey

rustyheron7 said:Reserved for The Beach Boys
EVERYTHING 5!!! 🙂

Hey Joe.
I was wondering, if anyone's willing to share, what the booking fee for Babylon is these days?

Greetings from Richmond. 😉

Hi everyone, I’m looking for some recent feedback regarding wedding bands.

I’m leaning heavily toward a Sax band because I’m planning a pretty small, young crowd—around 110 people max.
The guest list (near Richmond) will be a mix: mostly Americans, including family from back home and folks from the diaspora, plus some Germans, Turks, and maybe a few Russians or Poles... basically a multicultural group. I need something universal. They should play plenty of international hits, though I think the older classics usually land better than today's pop stuff. That said, we can't skip the old-school folk songs; you have to get people dancing.
I’ve considered hiring a DJ, too. We have a good friend who is a well-known MC in Germany, but honestly, for our culture and the way we party, I feel like live music is just the better move. People around here don't always embrace new trends or changes easily, so a DJ might actually be a bit of a struggle—though I'll keep that option as a backup.

So, if anyone has experience with bands like SAX—I see people on the forum mentioning Quattro and Babylon as similar options—please share your thoughts or any opinions you have. Any info on pricing would also be incredibly helpful.
I don't attend weddings very often, so I'm not entirely sure what the current market looks like. Usually, you just see local Midwest-style bands with names you haven't heard of. The sound is fine, but I haven't heard anything live that really made me say, "That's the one." Any help would be much appreciated.

LP
Chris

Nicole Hill35 said:I think there are about 400 photos in the album, but you get both the raw and edited shots on the DVD.
When we sat down with Oliver, he walked us through everything—what kind of footage we wanted, camera specs, editing styles, the whole bit. He showed us portfolios from his cinematographers, and we just picked the style that clicked with us. He’s based in New York City and does a lot of music videos. We paid him $3,000, but honestly, it was worth every penny. The video turned out flawless. We got a short highlight clip, a 4.5-minute "best moments" reel, and about two hours of edited footage, plus we could grab all the raw footage from the entire day. In the end, the photo and video guys teamed up, but for me, it was worth
Mijic takes great photos, and Kreso does solid work too, but you need to book them immediately if you want one of them. It’s the same deal with Oliver. He manages a few different crews, so he coordinates who goes where.
I believe Mirror has been in the game a long time and used to have a stellar reputation. I was torn between him and Oliver, but Mirror couldn't find the time to meet up, so he suggested handling everything over email. It took him two weeks just to reply to an email. 🙄
I haven't heard that Daniel is the most expensive, though I didn't dig too deep into his pricing. I saw some of his work, and frankly, it felt over-processed—some of the photos were so heavily edited they didn't even look like us.

Regarding Daniel, you're right. That's why I didn't consider him. His photos all look the same, and I didn't really vibe with him when we met.

So, 400 photos sounds like a large package. I assume you had a big wedding; we’re planning for maybe 110 guests max. 😉
I assume Meyers also has a few collaborators for filming?😕

I suppose I'll need to think it over. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to send an inquiry to all three of them with our specific needs, just to see how the pricing compares. Most likely, whoever is available will win out. I want portraits of me and my fiancé, shots with all the guests, and something casual at home—plus some coverage of the reception. Same goes for the video.
The issue is that my boyfriend is in Germany, so I need to ask everything ASAP so that once he returns next year, we can take things easy while touring venues, booking the photographer, and the band. I haven't even started looking for a band yet. Who did you guys hire?

Nicole Hill35 said:I used Oliver back in the fall, so feel free to pick my brain about anything. 😉
From what I've heard, Mijic charges a bit more than Oliver, but it really just comes down to what you're looking for—whether you want a second shoot date or a specific photographer's style and so on.
As for the idea that Ogi, Tony, or tref are viable alternatives to Oliver and Mijic? Not even close, especially tref 🤣. And honestly, Mirror's photo quality has been slipping lately.

For me, the photography, editing, and the big album set ended up being $5,600, plus whatever extra you pay for the specific photographer you choose—that’s how it worked for me. I got the photos back in about two weeks, and the album itself is actually solid.
And I don't see why people can't talk prices here; I've seen plenty of other threads where people discuss costs.

Hey Nicole Hill35, thanks for getting back to me.

Ideally, I'd like the photo and video sessions to happen together, all part of one package. I don't need an endless amount of photos or a marathon video; I just want something simple. Does he offer set packages, or is everything negotiated based on what you want? Because $1867 it doesn't sound like that much money (depending on how many photos you actually got), and if the videographer isn't too expensive 😕

I really like Mijic, but I have a feeling he might be the most expensive—kind of like Daniel. I don't want to waste money if I can get the same quality cheaper and with less stress. Every dollar counts right now 🙂 especially since I read that John doesn't always shoot; sometimes it's someone else like Kreso. If I'm booking him, shouldn't he be the one doing the shooting? He's in high demand, but Oliver seems just as good. Even Mirror seemed decent, though it's my first time hearing about them, and I'm not sure how long they've been in business.

Hi there to all the newly engaged ladies, brides-to-be, and everyone else getting hitched soon! Especially those in the Midwest area.
I’m new to this forum and, like most people here, I’m currently planning my wedding. I have a quick question regarding photographers—specifically Mijic and Oliver. If anyone has worked with either of them, I’d be incredibly grateful if you could shoot me a private message with your thoughts on their work and their pricing. I'm not sure if it's an open secret or not, but any insight would help. ;-)
I see plenty of mentions of Ogi, Toni, and Tref as solid alternatives, too. If anyone has some recent, up-to-date info, please let me know. I also noticed Mirror studio seems decent... hmm... :/
It feels a bit pointless reading through old posts from more than two years ago. Trends change, experiences evolve, and prices definitely go up. Even though my big day isn't for another 18 months or so, I’d really like to get everything finalized as soon as possible.

Anyway, hopefully someone will chime in.

Cheers. ;-)