Walter Collins6, if you're looking to save some cash without sacrificing the quality of the band, I might have just the recommendation for you... There's this group called Synergy, they actually back Josip Ivančić, and you can find their recordings over on YouTube. To be honest, I hadn't even heard of them until about six months ago. Back in June, I went to my husband's cousin's wedding—well, he was my boyfriend back then—and they were playing; I actually ended up praising them on a forum, never imagining they’d end up playing our big day. We had already booked a different band, but things went south fast... they hiked up their prices and completely ignored our setlist requirements. First, they promised us 90% of the songs we wanted, but then, just a month before the wedding, the guy sends over a song list that was nothing like what we asked for... so there we were, a month out, scrambling for a new band. Synergy was the first group that popped into my head, so I reached out immediately. At first, they told me they were booked for August 31st, but it turns out someone must have canceled on them, so we snagged the date. They’re a group of six, including a male and female vocalist, and everyone plays their own instruments—keyboards, guitars, drums, violin... all that good stuff. As for the price, it was $800 without the female singer, or $900 if you wanted her included. They were so respectful of everything we asked them *not* to play—none of that cheesy wedding fluff, no Elvis Presley, no mat Bulić... and within that single month, they mastered every single request we threw at them. We even changed our first dance song just five days before the wedding, and they played it so flawlessly that my maid of honor remarked later that she could have just played a CD and gotten the same result 😁 . They kept the party going until 7 in the morning. If I ever decided to tie the knot again, I’d do almost everything differently, except for the music... I’d hire them all over again in a heartbeat.
Timothy Fisher50 said:Does anyone happen to have a recommendation for a good barber here in San Francisco? I was wondering if Miran is any good, and what his rates usually look like?
By the way, did you guys end up making your own pieces from scratch, or did you just pick up something ready-made? Also, where on earth did you find all your materials?
Check out Jazz Hair Studio—you can find them on Facebook if you want to take a look. As for the Revere, I actually made mine from scratch, though I had to order my supplies from Washington, D.C. and eBay because I couldn't track down that specific shade I wanted here in San Francisco. If you need supplies locally, though, you might try Rose in Memphis or maybe head over to Iowa in Durham... they should have what you need there.
I happened to be listening to Major League Baseball out in San Diego when John McAfee was hosting one of those election rallies—just stumbled upon it by pure chance, wouldn't want anyone thinking I was actually there to support him 😁... honestly, they really are Major League Baseball! Jessie's band played for a relative of mine, and while their actual playing skills weren't half bad, the repertoire was an absolute train wreck. It was just endless songs along the lines of "you left me, you're never coming back, I'm tearing my veins out because you're gone." I had been looking at getting a Pink Panther for my birthday, and they were asking 2,100 euros, which felt way too steep for me. Looking back, I'm pretty relieved I saved those 1,200 euros... of course, everyone picks a band based on what they can afford, but that doesn't mean a cheaper band is necessarily a worse one; some are just overhyped and jack up their prices simply because they know they can get away with it. Once someone builds a massive reputation, you stop worrying about the price tag and just pay it because you don't want to miss out. I noticed something else, too. When you hire a big-name band, you don't really have much say in the setlist or ask them to play specific songs they don't usually touch. They act like they're untouchable and everything they play is perfect. But with the lesser-known bands, you can actually have a real conversation with them, tell them exactly what you want, and they’re usually willing to learn whatever you ask... mostly because they actually care about making sure you and your guests are happy so that people keep recommending them and they can build their own names...
Man, those numbers are wild... I personally dropped about a thousand bucks on my band, and honestly, they were incredible; they kept the party going until 7 in the morning and people were still talking about them for weeks after...
Timothy Fisher50 said:Does anyone happen to have a number for the Democratic Party? Also, I was wondering if there's any kind of video or recording out there somewhere that shows them actually playing—I'd love to catch a glimpse of their performance style if anything exists.
I'll send over a contact for the Democratic Party shortly. I don't happen to have any recordings I could pass along to you, but trust me, the guy is absolutely incredible when he picks up an instrument... I'll shoot you the specifics in a DM.
I actually know quite a few accordion players myself—one from Boise, one out in Santa Monica, and another from Chicago... All three of them have played at my family celebrations before, and my husband even surprised my best friend with the guy from Chicago as a wedding gift when she tied the knot. If you're interested, I can send you his number via private message...
If I can offer a little recommendation, you really should look into makeup artist Ivan Češljar (you can track her down on Meta). I actually wanted to book her for my own wedding, but to my absolute heartbreak, she was already booked up for my date—and that was after I’d reached out a full year in advance... So, I ended up talking my maid of honor into letting Ivan Češljar handle our looks for her engagement party instead. My bridesmaid was also having a hard time deciding who to hire; she was looking at names like Ana Grgić, Tina Kalinić, or even Amadea... honestly, the rates those artists charge are just astronomical. Once she realized those prices were completely out of reach, she took my advice and went with Ivan Češljar, and she hasn't regretted it for a second... we both looked absolutely stunning, and I'm already looking for any excuse to call her again. She does looks for $50, which comes to 200 including the lash extensions.
Honestly, you should just ask them to sit down with you and flip through a full wedding album. You need to see how they actually handle an entire reception from start to finish, rather than just scrolling through Meta and seeing two or three shots of a single couple. It’s hard to get a real sense of their talent when you might just be looking at the only decent photos out of a hundred...
Timothy Fisher50 said:Man, that sounds pretty great 🙂 because I was just sitting here scrolling through the photos on their website and feeling totally blown away. I can't quite put my finger on it, though—do those shots feel more like raw, natural captures, or do they look like they've had some heavy artistic editing done to them? 🙂
It’s really a bit of both, I suppose. I can't say for sure what the vibe will be for the ones from the outdoor photo sessions they did out in nature, but when my godmother and I did our shoot at her apartment, there were definitely some posed shots that felt very "artistic," yet there were also those spontaneous moments where Vedran Vidak and Ranko Pupić just caught a fleeting second they felt made for a great photo. And as the day went on, they just captured everything that needed capturing—every single smile, every tear, even the crazy dance moves... they really did get it all.
gentlewolf69 said:A close friend of mine actually used studio smiliti for her wedding—specifically Ranko Pupić was involved, and Vedran Vidak was behind the lens. Honestly, I think they’re absolutely fantastic... I managed to sneak a peek at some of the raw shots on their camera, and I was just blown away. Even the reception space itself was great, and they didn't miss a beat, capturing all those little spontaneous moments you don't even realize are happening. We won't see the final prints for another three months, but I have a feeling they're going to be wonderful...
I’m actually so thrilled with them that I ended up typing the word 'super' four times in a single post...
Timothy Fisher50 said:You know, you make a really good point there. We went ahead and put our deposit down without asking for any paperwork, and now that I think about it, I'm starting to feel a little uneasy about it all :/
Does anyone happen to know anything about studio smiliti? Or maybe what people think of studio Mark? I’ve been searching for days trying to find the perfect photographer... 🙂 I really don't want my photos to look totally generic; I want them to feel special, but at the same time, I don't want them to look so stylized that I don't even recognize myself. 🙂 Everything I see on the studio smiliti website looks absolutely lovely, but I've noticed they don't get mentioned much here on the forums.
A close friend of mine actually used studio smiliti for her wedding—specifically Ranko Pupić was involved, and Vedran Vidak was behind the lens. Honestly, I think they’re absolutely fantastic... I managed to sneak a peek at some of the raw shots on their camera, and I was just blown away. Even the reception space itself was great, and they didn't miss a beat, capturing all those little spontaneous moments you don't even realize are happening. We won't see the final prints for another three months, but I have a feeling they're going to be wonderful...
So, I was checking out another thread, and this girl mentioned she picked up her strips at MBM, saying they’re actually way cheaper than what you'd find at Rose or Iowa... so if I were you, I'd probably head there first just to see...
You can pick up ribbons and tulle over at Rose in Meadow, or maybe head out to Iowa near Boise, or just browse eBay... then grab some pots and flowers at Home Depot, Lowe's, Musicland, or those local garden centers like MBM or Kalia...
I actually bought the bows. But I handled all the invitations, thank-you notes, and boutonnieres for the guests myself... I was really eyeing this specific invitation design over at Apple: http://www.angelus-art.net/301/poziv...ilver-bow-diva The thing is, their price tag of $4.25 felt a bit steep for me... so I ended up making a version that looked almost identical, just with a different colored bow, for $2.00.
If you're looking to pick up some car parts, you could head over to Rose in Meadow or maybe check out the shops in Boise, Iowa... Rose tends to be a bit easier on the wallet, though it really just depends on what specific colors you're hunting for. As for invitations, I wouldn't know much about those; I've always been more of a DIY enthusiast, so when I found something online that I loved but was way too pricey, I just decided to make them myself... How much were you planning on setting aside for invitations? There are plenty of websites dedicated to that kind of thing, with prices starting as low as $2.25/piece .
Does anyone happen to know where I can pick up or rent a little suit for a five-year-old boy around San Francisco? I need something sharp for my little ring bearer... :P
I feel like I’m constantly struggling with this whole cake situation, and honestly, it’s the last thing we actually need to order. I tried a cake from Godiva once, and while it was absolutely perfect, their pricing is just completely out of line... For instance, if I wanted a five-tier cake, I’d be looking at $433, $333 just for the stand deposit plus $167 in delivery fees all the way to Asheville! Seriously? $167! It’s not like they’re driving it into Washington, D.C.! Companies like Bobs, Mississippi, and Viacom have much more reasonable delivery rates, usually around 150-$83, with cakes ranging from 800 to $367, and the stand deposit stays between 250-$167. I realize you get that deposit back once you return the stand, but you never really know what might happen, and it’s not like I want to be stuck without $333 just because of some rental equipment... so I’ve pretty much crossed Godiva off my list. I also gave the stracciatella cake from Mississippi a shot, but it was terrible—so artificial and tasteless that I dropped them immediately. I ended up passing on Bobs too, mostly because they told me they couldn't customize a cake to my liking; they insisted I pick something straight from a catalog that looks like it hasn't been updated in ten years. So now I’m left deciding between Viacom or just finding a local baker here in Asheville who works privately... Has anyone here actually tried the cakes from Viacom?
Amy Johnson said:We ended up grabbing Tony’s photos, and man, they are absolutely insane... way cheaper than what anyone else was charging. Does anyone know where I can snag some cheap car decals? I checked at AutoZone, and they have a 20-pack for $17, and the decals are about 2 inches wide—standard size, right? But then I saw on eBay that you can get a 50-pack for $28, which is basically the same price as getting them at Walmart. Does anyone know if there's an even better deal out there, or is this pretty much it?
If you head over to Rose in Small Town, USA, you can grab 50 of the 2-inch ones for $27. Could you drop the link for that eBay listing you found?
Amy Johnson said:I was asking the girls in that thread about destination weddings over the border because the wedding venues here in San Francisco are literally double the price... but nobody's saying anything, so I figured I'd just ask you guys instead. If anyone knows a decent venue, please let me know. So far, I found one spot near Philadelphia that carries Demetrios dresses, which is my absolute favorite brand right now.
You might want to reach out to La Perla in Pittsburgh or Philadelphia; they should carry Demetrios as well. I actually visited their shop in Philadelphia once, though I didn't specifically check for Demetrios because, honestly, I ended up falling for the Pronovias collection more... anyway, here is the list of distributors for Canada from the official Demetrios site: http://www.demetriosbride.com/index.php?page=locator