Posts by William Chavez10

Walter Collins6 said:Greetings. My partner and I have officially booked the venue, but now we’ve hit our first major roadblock... we are completely stuck when it comes to picking a band. I’ve been leaning toward Krivi Smjer after catching their set back in San Diego, so I’m curious if anyone here has seen them live or has any solid recommendations. On top of that, we are struggling with photographers. We’ve sent out several inquiries, and in most cases, the standard package only includes one photographer and one videographer. Apparently, adding an extra specialist costs $1000 :/ :/ I honestly don't see how that would even work logistically. Would the photographer be with me while the videographer stays with him? xD
I should mention that I have zero interest in those cookie-cutter, cliché wedding photos; I want something truly unique and artistic. So, if anyone knows a talented pro, please drop their info 🙂 🙂

I actually went to a wedding where they were playing, and they were awesome. You really can't go wrong with them. They've got such a great vibe. They're originally from Boise, I think.
As for the photography and video setup, it really depends... I ended up going with Kodak from Boise, and the pricing was solid and their work was great. In my case, it was also just one photographer and one videographer. Basically, they'll show up at your place first to take photos, then they'll be with him the whole time, and the best part is definitely when they come to get you. I feel like all those shots of people hanging out in the yard aren't even that necessary. To be honest, paying for a second photographer felt like a bit much for me.

Hey guys, I could use a little help here—does anyone know where I can find the cheapest cellophane sheets for wrapping cookies?

gentlewolf69 said:Oh, they actually have EM-K available! Now we're talking... :P I think there might be some Bob's around Imotski, but I really should probably look into it, since I honestly haven't checked lately.

Maybe try checking Facebook to see if there are any local bakers in Imotski who make stuff at home and might let you bring it into the venue without needing some official certification.
I think there's this place called "Sweet Corner" in Imotski that makes amazing cakes, though I'm not entirely sure if they handle wedding orders or anything.

gentlewolf69 said:Well, now you've gone and made things way too complicated for me! Between Creme de la creme, Levis, and even the Cheesecake Factory... I actually tried a stracciatella cake from Zenith once and it was absolutely perfect, which is a far cry from what I got at Delta—that stuff was honestly a disaster. So, my real dilemma was really just choosing between Zenith and Bob's. But now you've thrown three more bakeries into the mix for me to obsess over. And don't even get me started on Vidal! Honestly, I don't know what to do with myself...

I know Levis is great, and Cheesecake Factory gets pretty good reviews too.
At the food expo, I saw so many different cakes and stuff that they all kind of started looking the same to me. It feels like everyone is doing things in such a "factory" style now, you know? It’s just not like it used to be.
And the prices aren't actually that different, even if you think they are. For example, I was checking the price for a specific cake I wanted from Cheesecake Factory, which was $800, while the one from EM-K was $433—that's actually a pretty noticeable gap when you're looking at what you want versus what it costs.
Zenith is definitely number one when it comes to brittle, but I'm not entirely sure how their cakes stack up.
I guess it's a good thing I'm not a total foodie and don't even care for cake that much, so hopefully my indecision isn't a big deal. :-))

P.S. Isn't there nothing like a local bakery in Imotski?

gentlewolf69 said:For those of you planning on tying the knot this summer, have you actually managed to pull the trigger on a wedding cake yet? And more importantly, where did you end up ordering from? I’m honestly feeling completely lost on where to even start looking...

I mean, I guess it really just comes down to your budget... from what I’ve been seeing while looking around, there seem to be huge price gaps depending on which part of the country you're in.

David King72 said:jewelrystores

So, on Monday, I finally pulled the trigger and bought some pieces from Vagrus—a mix of yellow gold with custom engravings—and honestly, I’m absolutely thrilled with how they turned out, especially considering the price was only $1133$
. After picking them up, I decided to do a little reconnaissance and stopped by a few local jewelers just to see what they’d charge for something similar to my set, and wouldn't you know it? Every single one of them quoted me at least $1,500 more than what I paid$833(and yes, I made sure to give them the exact dimensions and weight)
. But if we're talking about the actual experience, I have to mention that the service at the jewelry storewas just atrocious. The woman there—I assume she's the owner—was incredibly rude and unprofessional; she wouldn't even show me all the models available and kept rolling her eyes at me like I was an inconvenience or something
.

We ended up getting ours out at the Meadow (we also grabbed a fairground discount) and paid for $867bands that were 5mm wide and weighed about 10 to 9.5 grams... we couldn't be happier. I basically walked into Zack's, showed them exactly what I wanted, and that was that :-) I guess it really comes down to whether they manufacture the pieces themselves or if they're just importers, because there's a massive difference in the $50price per gram.

Douglas Reyes3 said:Does anyone happen to know a good seamstress in the San Diego area?

I know this one woman over in San Diego, near Bobis. She works right out of her house and honestly, she works miracles—plus, her prices aren't crazy at all. She actually made a dress for my sister when she was a bridesmaid, and I have to say, it turned out absolutely stunning. I've been going to her for years now. Seriously, the woman can take a literal rag and turn it into a high-end gown.

Thomas Cruz9 said:Could I please circle back to the topic of live music for a moment? I was really hoping to catch the Viva set because their sound is honestly incredible—even if they do charge a bit more than the others—but unfortunately, I waited too long to reach out, and they’re already booked up for my date.
Does anyone have any solid recommendations? I'm considering reaching out to the Bravo band, but what do you think? Any other suggestions for someone in my position?
Thanks!😕

It really just comes down to what kind of music you're actually into. If you're looking at the twist OFF band versus the Volar band, it’s a toss-up depending on your vibe. Personally, I was hunting for groups that actually connect with the crowd—you know, performers who engage with the guests instead of just standing there awkwardly singing at them. I'm pretty sure both of these bands can pull that off, though.

Thomas Cruz9 said:Exactly. I’m actually starting to think about hunting down a florist who can pull this off for a much more reasonable price... maybe someone based in the outskirts rather than right in the heart of San Francisco.

So, where's the pier?

Christian Phillips3 said:Hey guys, anyone here actually been to the "Cvitak" gym over in San Diego or maybe checked out those "Moji Kolacici" bakeries in San Diego?
Thanks a ton in advance... :-)

"My Little Cookies"—well, if you're actually talking about a bakery, because I haven't heard of any flower shop by that name:-) but their treats are seriously amazing. Last year I was at this big party and they had cookies from there, and honestly, you can really tell the difference from the usual stuff; they taste like genuine, homemade goods. You could probably even swing by just to do a little tasting. A friend of mine is actually going to order some from them for an upcoming party, and I think they go for about $20/lb
.

Kyle Chase20 said:Hey everyone, I really need some help... Does anyone know of a restaurant, a hotel, or somewhere similar with an oceanfront terrace? I'm looking to host a wedding dinner for about 20 people. I guess I would prefer somewhere in Miami or maybe along the Southern California coast! Thanks... Any advice would be so appreciated
🙂

I think there are a few decent restaurants over in Malibu, and honestly, with a group that size, you should have no problem finding something since it's not an overwhelming amount of people.

Chloe Barnes5 said:Since nobody got back to me in the photographer thread, I figured I'd just ask here instead. Has anyone actually worked with Toni Photo Studio in San Diego before?

I think I remember someone mentioning they were decent, though maybe their rates are a little on the steep side, but I'm not totally sure.
I ended up going with Marina Photography out in Boise, and honestly, they did an amazing job and the pricing was actually pretty reasonable.

Regarding sweets—I’m not sure if anyone else has checked out eM-ka lately, but they’ve completely overhauled their whole setup and started doing these incredible wedding cakes. I swung by the other day and I was actually pretty blown away. Their prices are surprisingly affordable and the variety is honestly great, so just in case anyone needs a lead:

gentlewolf69 said:I almost forgot to mention one more thing—my maid of honor actually reminded me about it today. Back when she was trying on a dress at Lipoto's, she noticed this tiny little hole in the fabric, honestly looking just like a cigarette burn... The consultant there insisted it was part of a brand-new collection that had just arrived, claiming it came that way from the manufacturer, and that it wasn't even an issue since nobody else had noticed it yet...
When we went dress shopping, both Lipoto's and La Perla mentioned that if you put down a deposit during your very first fitting, they offer a 20% discount, so it might be worth hitting up a few different boutiques on the same day to see what sticks...

To be honest, I haven't really spent much time browsing all those different boutiques because, after looking at a handful of photos, everything started to look exactly the same to me. I ended up visiting just two shops and called it a day. I mostly reached out to them over Facebook first to get an idea of the pricing, and I have to say, I wasn't really feeling Vesna Sposa—to be fair, their prices felt a bit steep to me, and they were kind of pushy about everything having to be handled strictly in-store and blah blah blah...

electricangler said:So, what are your experiences with Lipoto's bridal salon?
I have this total bridezilla who wants a princess-style gown from Ppapela, but a coworker told her a horror story about buying a wedding dress that was heavily altered and delivered at the very last minute, just the morning
of the wedding. Apparently, the undergarment she was given had stains on it, so now she’s second-guessing whether she should even step foot in the shop. I’ve heard they are professional and decent enough, and I haven't personally heard of anything like that happening, but since she's hearing it firsthand, well...

Honestly, everything I've ever heard about that shop has been positive, and I actually really like that they limit rentals to just three uses. I picked out my own wedding dress there, and I know a bunch of other girls who did too without any issues at all.
I guess it might just be one of those things where you either have luck or you don't... kind of like everything else in life, I suppose. :-)

Amy Johnson said:Well, Target has a 30% off sitewide sale right now, so you might snag a better deal there... though personally, I think Trader Joe's usually beats them on price. Just hit up both and see what happens... :-)

Awesome, thanks so much. I'm definitely heading out there this Monday! :-)

David King72 said:I actually picked mine up at Target during one of their sales... they didn't have those round dessert plates I was looking for, but I managed to grab the boxes.

I guess I'm wondering about the price point and how many usually come in a pack?

Hey everyone, I was wondering if anyone could point me in the right direction for finding affordable cookie boxes and dessert plates? Maybe somewhere like Target or Costco? Everything I've been seeing online lately seems way too pricey for my budget.

gentleotter88 said:I think I'll head back and take another look.

Honestly, my take is that you shouldn't try to cut corners too much on wedding bands right now. You're going to wear these every single day for the rest of your life, so spending an extra few hundred bucks to avoid having to resize or repair them constantly is worth it. $167.

A jeweler I talked to over in Nevada mentioned they could definitely make something cheaper, but the metal would be way too thin to hold up. To get them looking decent and feeling substantial, you really need to hit at least the $667 mark. Personally, I wouldn't risk going too cheap just to save a little upfront.

Anyway, thanks so much for the advice!

Eeeeee, that’s exactly what I thought at first too—that Amor was the best deal because they have such a great story behind them. :-) Vagus is cheaper, but you really have to factor in Mjed—I actually scored a discount from them at a trade show and they have some seriously gorgeous models. Honestly, though, the weight of the gold is what matters most, and that's how I realized Amor wasn't actually my best bet. At Mjed, their sale runs until May 1st, and I managed to find some bands that are almost 9 grams and 5 mm wide for only $867... they are just so smooth and beautifully rounded.
I heard a rumor that gold prices might jump again around May 1st or June 1st, so a lot of these places are offering short-term discounts so we don't get stuck with one price at the show and then a totally different one later. :-) If anyone is getting married this year, my advice is to just go ahead and buy now!

feralsurfer3 said:Now you guys have me curious about all these makeup artists. I actually asked my students—the ones who just finished high school recently—how much they paid for their prom makeup. Honestly, the numbers they gave me were even higher than what you all are mentioning here... they said they paid $167 😲. I mean, why all the hype? If they’re charging that much for prom, wedding prices are probably going to skyrocket too! I don't really trust these professionals, anyway. I just don't think anyone can do my makeup quite as well as I can... so I'm planning to spend this winter practicing like crazy to get it perfect. I'd much rather spend those $167 on some high-quality setting spray, foundation, and highlighter instead.

Man, those prices are absolutely brutal. I'm actually planning on going to a girl who's been in the industry for ages; she works at a high-end department store and has done makeup for plenty of well-known people, though she mostly promotes her work through various websites. Her services usually involve products from brands like Chanel, Dior, and stuff like that. Without lashes, it's going to be $67 and with lashes, it'll be $83, which honestly seems pretty fair to me.