Posts by Maria Bailey4

I know Don Radojka personally... honestly, he's such a great guy and an amazing priest 🙏

Did you ever make it out to St. Peter's or what?

Betty Davis93 said:Maria Bailey4 I gave them a call—they have an opening from Sunday, January 12th through the 14th
And then there's another window in February, from the 9th to the 11th.
You just need to show up that Sunday at 7:45 PM to get signed up... and that's really it. No advanced notice needed and you don't even need to bring any paperwork.
I didn't ask about the cost, I totally blanked on that part🙂 so maybe just bring some cash just in case.
I'm planning on doing the same thing during the second month myself...

Yeah, I know the first window is this Sunday, but my guy's got work stuff on Monday, so we're pushing it to the second month. So... see y'all in February? 😉

Does anyone know when the engagement course dates are at St. Peter's in San Francisco? I need them for February.

I know what I want, the real question is if I can actually pull it off 🤣 don't even get me started, I just can't get moving, and the worst part is being stuck in limbo—one day I’m all in, the next I'm totally over it

Betty Davis93 said:Little butterfly my wedding is June 21st
and honestly, I’m starting to feel that low-key panic setting in—I’ve already got the venue, the church, the band, and the photographer locked in
Now I was thinking about getting the tuxes sorted, but I have absolutely no clue what to do for the favors, and I'm still just tossing ideas around for the invitations in my head... basically, I still need flowers, the cake, dessert, makeup, hair, shoes... I really hope I can get everything done in time

we're at the exact same stage, except I'm getting hitched on May 3rd. 🙂you find an officiant yet?

gentlewolf69 said:Girls, I really can't help you much with finding a photographer because that’s such a personal thing... everyone has their own specific taste.
Regarding the dress itself, bridal salons always seem to run these big sales around Christmas that last until January 31st, where they’ll drop prices by 30%, or they might tell you that you'll get $333 off if you put down a deposit on the day of your first fitting. I don't know if it's just a marketing tactic to rush people along—maybe they do that all year round—but my wedding was in August, and I hadn't even planned on looking for a dress before the five or six-month mark. However, once I saw those sales, I decided to go check out what was available just for the sake of information. I was actually shocked to find out at one shop that 6 out of the 10 dresses I liked were already reserved for my date, so it ended up happening that I had my dress booked within the very first month. The earlier you start hunting, the better your selection will be...
As for the shops, here is what I experienced: I looked around Appalachia, Boise, and San Francisco. Appalachia is definitely cheaper than San Francisco, but if you manage to snag one of those holiday sales, the price ends up being about the same.
If you’re looking for something modern, lacey, or just a simple flowy style, stay far away from Jelena in Boise, because she only carries old-fashioned satin and tulle ballgowns. Mila in Boise has designer brands, but honestly, she’s just so incredibly provincial. If you’re on the taller side, you probably won't find anything that works because her seamstress doesn't actually tailor the dresses to fit; she just cuts them based on the height of whatever bride reserved it. Also, if you're short like me, you'll probably feel pretty insulted because—and I am quoting her here—“she isn't going to cut her dresses for someone so small.” She only stocks lace and tulle because, again, her words, “nobody asks for a simple chiffon dress!!!” And please, steer clear of Annmarie in Boise; the woman keeps five dresses in a room inside her own house.
In San Francisco, Lipoto has some decent options, but their lace looks pretty cheap compared to New York City or Vogue Bride. Plus, my maid of honor tried on a dress that had never been worn before and noticed a hole in it right away. So, there's that level of quality for you. As for New York City, I have nothing but praise; it was the most professional and helpful salon I've ever stepped foot in, and the dresses are stunning. Now, Vogue Bride—the dresses are lovely, and that's where I booked mine since it was perfect for me. The agreement was that they would alter it to fit me perfectly since it was an older gown they weren't using anymore. But then, four days before the wedding, I went in for a fitting and was absolutely floored. There was no tailoring done at all; the seamstress was just trying to tighten and hem it. The more she worked on it, the worse it looked. I had to go back for three different fittings that single day. After the third attempt, the owner offered me two other dresses from their stock to choose from because it was obvious I had to give up on my original choice. I picked one that was beautiful, though not quite what I originally envisioned, they took my measurements, and told me to come back in two days. I showed up on Thursday, just two days before the wedding, with a million things to do, and they still hadn't finished the alterations properly. I ended up going back to the salon three times that day alone. I lost an entire day because of them. The owner told me it was the first time they'd ever had someone come in for so many fittings. When my maid of honor got married three weeks later, the exact same thing happened to her. Granted, she didn't have to change her dress, but she also had to deal with three or four fittings. On the actual wedding day, the seam of her dress split open (the photographer caught it during the photo session), so we had to sew it shut right before heading to the church. Despite all that drama, I still think it's one of the best shops alongside New York City.
Anyway, I hope this helps someone out. Arm yourselves with patience, visit every shop in the area, and don't go as a pack—just bring one person, maybe two at most. Once you find "the one," you'll just know (I told my maid of honor immediately that it was "the one," but unfortunately, fate didn't have the same plan for me 😁 ). If you want a good laugh, go see Jelena in Boise. Tell her you want a simple, flowing dress, and she’ll probably assume you mean "Roman style," and you'll see exactly what she offers you. 😁

How tall are you, if you don't mind me asking? 😛

Timothy Fisher50 said:Have you checked out La Perle yet? I’m pretty sure they carry that line too. As for Vesna's, I honestly have no idea what their pricing is like, but I do know they're the only shop in town that asks for half the total cost upfront just as a deposit, which feels a bit steep to me!😲

never been to any of them, think I'm heading through on my first trip now.

Betty Davis93 said:I’m slowly starting my hunt for the perfect wedding dress.
What are all the good bridal boutiques in San Francisco and the surrounding areas?
I know about Milo in Aspen, Coca-Cola downtown, and Madonna—though I'm not actually sure where she is located, maybe near the Hilton??
Are there any other shops in San Francisco, and which ones did you guys have the best experience with?

when's the big day?

Hey ladies, anyone checked out the 2014 Pronovias wedding collection lately? I saw they have some at Glamour Bride... just wondering what kind of prices we're looking at?

Walter Collins6 said:Right now, our current selection includes options to view, rent, or potentially purchase gowns from the American fashion house Meggie Sottero, alongside Spanish designs from the San Patick brand. That’s what their site claims, though I personally tracked down a San Patick piece at La Perle & Spose; Mila doesn't seem to carry that specific brand. :/
How far in advance should one realistically book a wedding gown? Is five or six months sufficient?

I saw one on a bride recently that was stunning, but sadly they don't have them in stock here🙂
I'm heading in during the first month for a March wedding, so wish me luck and let the Hand of God take over😉

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Walter Collins6 said:I have a quick question for everyone... I’ve been looking around, and it seems some bridal boutiques are offering discounts through the end of the year on wedding gowns from the 2013 collection. I’m wondering if this is just a psychological tactic to rush us all into making a reservation, or if there's actual substance to it. 🙄 It feels a bit illogical to slash prices now only to hike them right back up on January 1st... though, I suppose we are talking about last year's collection. Does anyone here have any insight into how these sales actually work?😉

All I know is, like, if you're hitting up San Diego, it’s a steal. For sale. Clearing out some 2013 wedding dresses—including those massive hits like san Patrick Ramaj and Rivoli—just to make room for the new 2014 collection.

ruggedpuma8 said:We’ve finally locked in the venue and the band—one step closer! Now, we’re stuck on the photographer decision. Does anyone have any solid recommendations for a great photo studio in Los Angeles? Thanks!

Bonačić Studios

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cosmiclynx18 said:Does anyone happen to know how many chairs they have available in the Coastal Town?
(We haven't locked in a date yet, so I'd feel a bit awkward emailing them directly to ask.)
Thanks! 🙂

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Maria Bailey4 said:It's $40, and I called and they said they had a two-month wait... honestly, don't even bother with emails, just call them. It's not that hard, everyone is super friendly and you'll get an answer instantly... I once emailed a hall in Stone in Dicm and, seriously, do you know how long it took to hear back? By then we’d already scouted all the other venues and booked one anyway.

My bad, just realized you guys aren't even sure about the date yet... 😵

cosmiclynx18 said:Does anyone happen to know how many chairs they have available in the Coastal Town?
(We haven't locked in a date yet, so I'd feel a bit awkward emailing them directly to ask.)
Thanks! 🙂

It's $40, and I called and they said they had a two-month wait... honestly, don't even bother with emails, just call them. It's not that hard, everyone is super friendly and you'll get an answer instantly... I once emailed a hall in Stone in Dicm and, seriously, do you know how long it took to hear back? By then we’d already scouted all the other venues and booked one anyway.

http://www.vjencanje-ponuda.com/pdf/...mladenke-1.pdf

http://www.vjencanje-ponuda.com/pdf/...a-mladence.pdf

might help someone out 😉

cosmiclynx18 said:Has anyone here actually worked with the catering at the Medena Hotel?

I’m currently looking into them primarily because of their guest accommodations... I have a group of about 20 to 30 people I need to house for a single night, so having the lodging in close proximity to the ballroom is a huge plus for me. That said, if anyone has a better suggestion regarding venue selection, I’m all ears. Thanks in advance! 😉

I think N/A might have some rooms right under the hall... you could check with the Radisson too... honestly don't know much about the Honey...

Walter Collins6 said:Like how? Give some advice to future brides.😉[/B]

That sounds great. 😁 Just let me know if everything went smoothly, though I'm not exactly holding my breath 🙂

By the way, do you have any intel on the extra lighting for the hall? Back in July, they told us they were planning to install more lighting, but they were being incredibly vague about it. Now I'm stuck wondering if I should actually put in a formal request for lighting, or if they'll just get around to installing it without me having to jump through hoops.
And did you ever get the music situation sorted out?
honestly, I didn't even ask about the lighting because I don't really care... my guess is our reception should wrap up by midnight... and as for the music, I haven't looked at anything yet because I don't want those basic wedding bands—I'm thinking something different, like an acoustic group with guitars, upright bass, maybe a mandolin... we aren't really going for that traditional dance vibe 😉

and regarding the food and staff, my future mother-in-law was at a party there during her ninth month of pregnancy, and she absolutely loved it—said everything was perfect... so I'm sure it'll be great for us too 🙂

gentlewolf69 said:Like how? Give some advice to future brides.😉[/B]

If I could go back, I’d swap out the florist (even though everything was lovely and the bouquet was beautiful, it just wasn't quite what I had envisioned in my head), the hair stylist, and the makeup artist (though I will honestly never regret the fact that Ivana Češljar was available for my date). Maybe even the photographer too, though I’m still waiting to see all the shots before I decide... 😁 Nothing was done poorly, really, it just didn't match the vision I had spent months building...
I wouldn't change the venue for anything in the world (Topić) because it was absolutely perfect; the space itself is stunning and so open, without those annoying pillars that block your view of half the guests, plus the dance floor was huge and the lighting was gorgeous... the food was fantastic and the service was seamless. But honestly, the band was the absolute highlight of everything and I don't even know how to thank them enough. It actually crossed my mind afterward that I should have tipped them at least another $100 because they truly earned it. They were such sweet people that they even posted a song dedicated to us on Meta after the wedding to wish us well...
My biggest piece of advice is to get everything organized well in advance—book your hair and makeup as early as possible because you never know what might pop up. For example, my getting-ready time was set for 3:00 PM; I scheduled my hair for 10:00 AM, makeup for noon, and my maid of honor's hair for 11:30 AM and her makeup for 1:00 PM. We told the photographer to be at my place by 2:00 PM to start capturing everything. Everything would have gone smoothly if the makeup artist, Antonela Đuzel, hadn't completely messed things up... See, I went to her for a trial on July 27th and asked exactly how I wanted my makeup to look. I told her I wanted purple and teal tones on my eyes. She told me straight up that she wasn't expecting that kind of look since most brides stick to neutrals, and she hadn't brought those specific shades because she had brides booked all day and assumed I'd want something standard. Well, she did the trial with what she had, and I actually loved how it looked, so I booked her for August 31st and even sent her photos on Meta to show her exactly what I wanted for the big day. Then, on August 31st, she calls me at 11:30 AM asking if I can come a little later because another bride—who wasn't even booked—had brought her maid of honor along and she wanted to do her too. I told her I'd be there at 12:30 PM. I showed up at 12:30 PM and ended up waiting until 1:15 PM just to get in the chair. When it was finally my turn, she asks me again what I want and tries to push some burgundy shade on me, insisting it was basically purple. Long story short, I ended up having to call my maid of honor to bring her own eyeshadow palette so she could do my makeup herself! Because of that unprofessionalism, I had to call the photographer and ask him to show up at 2:30 PM instead. I barely have any photos with my maid of honor because she didn't get in the makeup chair until 2:20 PM and didn't get home until 3:30 PM, and my husband was already picking me up at 4:00. So, my advice is to aim to be finished an hour earlier than planned, rather than being an hour late because something went sideways... and definitely bring your own eyeshadow if you have any specific or "unusual" requests like I did...
Make sure to tell the photographer which people are your priority so you leave enough time to get photos with them...
For things like pinning boutonnieres, rely on your inner circle, and let the younger crowd handle decorating the car...
If you have small errands to run (like waxing or getting your nails done), try to get them out of the way the night before, because you simply won't have the time on the actual day...
that's why my sister is doing my makeup... I mean, who knows, she'll know what works for me since she's done it tons of times, and I won't be stressing about whether everything goes perfectly, plus I can do endless practice runs for free (maybe buy some makeup if she's missing something, but she has everything—she probably has better stuff than half the pros out there anyway)☕ 😍

Forget about finding a cure, I’m looking at something else... what color did you guys pick to be the main vibe (the reveries, the decor...)?

Walter Collins6 said:I really love their style, honestly—it’s great. But I can't help feeling like a female voice would have been a much better fit here.

I just got off the phone with Marina, and she seems wonderful. However, her pricing is nearly identical to what I saw at Instagram, and I spent most of yesterday comparing different quotes. Right now, I'm torn between Marina and Adria... Adria is more budget-friendly, yet their aesthetic is virtually indistinguishable from Marina's. My plan is to visit both studios in person before making a final call; there really isn't any other way to be sure 😁 though, truth be told, the music selection is what's actually keeping me up at night.

Like how? Give some advice to future brides.😉[/B]

Quick question for the ladies who did their own sewing and ordered supplies through eBay—did you actually end up saving money compared to buying everything locally?

Thomas Cruz9 said:As for thank-you notes—does anyone have any creative ideas that don't involve just printing out a photo?

We were thinking about doing something like a wooden plaque—you know, like a framed print for a wall—but nothing specific to us, just something universal...
And we thought maybe grab some stuff from that local non-profit, Down Split. It’s a win-win for everyone. If you’re in Boise on Saturday morning, they’ll have a booth set up if you want to check it out. They’ve got everything from magnets to little gift boxes, and from what I saw, they even do custom magnets 🙂