Posts by Carol Martin3

Hey there! So, I’ve got less than a month left until the big parade—pretty much everything is squared away at this point—but I’m stuck on one final detail: does anyone know where I can pick up a high-quality flag? I need one specifically for the standard-bearer.

Hey everyone, has anyone here ever actually picked up one of those Rakijici vouchers as a thank-you gift? I’m totally lost on where to find them—I remember seeing them floating around at trade shows and expos, but I don't have a single flyer or brochure left in my house to look up the details... does anyone know the deal? Thanks!

Listen, I’ve pretty much finalized everything else, but now I’m stuck on the chair bows. I’m going with a nautical theme, but I am dead set on a royal blue—not some turquoise nonsense... > emailed me some photos from Prestige Design, but those bows are clearly turquoise, and I won't settle for anything less than that deep royal blue! Does anyone have a solid recommendation??

Hey everyone, I’ve finally checked off the music, the venue, the photographer, and the dress—I still have the decor, cake and dessert station, favors, and rings left to figure out... but honestly, I know I can pull it off in time!! I heard there's a wedding expo happening on the 17th and 18th over at the Chicago, so I’m planning to head down there to scout some options and hopefully snag a few discounts. There should be some live bands performing too... so if anyone else is looking for ideas, let me know! 🙂

silentfalcon61 said:Hi everyone,

I was wondering if anyone could recommend a band based out of the San Francisco area. I'm looking for a group that leans more heavily into the rock genre.

I reached out to Jessy Band, but they're already booked up. Does anyone know of a group with a similar vibe?

Hey, you should check out Ho roock—they are fantastic. Unfortunately, I can't book them myself right now, but they have a great selection of both American and international rock hits... plus they even have a saxophone if that's what you're looking for!!

Hey everyone!! I’ve finally joined the ranks of the brides-to-be!! My name is Slavonka and I’m getting married in San Francisco....for me, the absolute dealbreaker was finding a venue close to the ocean....and since I’ve been reading on here that the food at the Pirate is unbeatable, it didn't take me long to make my choice. To be honest, our guest list is sitting at about 200 people right now—but that includes all the kids, grrr—so I expect that number to drop down to around 160, which feels just right! I did seriously consider Erin (formerly Kokolo), but once I went to the Pirate for an interview.....the owner was absolutely wonderful and so kind, and the venue itself is perfect....so I think I'll just trim the guest list rather than looking for another hall :P plus, I'll have 🙂 there too... okay, now....what's next?? I still have a full year to go; D-Day is June 5th of next year (a Friday). I know I have plenty of time, but what should my priority list look like when booking everything....we haven't 100% locked in a band yet, though we've been asking around, and we have friends/acquaintances covering photography, so the most critical stuff is already sorted 🙂 I know the wedding expo happens in February, so I'm thinking of hitting that up to snag some discounts and then handling the rest in those final four months. Has anyone else gone this year?? What kind of things can you actually get discounts on?? And when do I need to head to the church for the prep course?? Also, how far in advance should I book a makeup artist? Please, I need recommendations and price ranges (nothing crazy, just good value)...haha, that's basically it for now 🙂 thanks in advance!!!

Alright, I finally tracked down a working link for that band that played at Velum:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAhcwLe0ed0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2nTKlefM4k
Honestly, they’re easily one of the best bands I’ve ever caught performing in San Francisco 🙂.

Paul King5 said:So you're saying even with 150 people it didn't feel cramped? Honestly, I was stressing because we're looking at about 120 guests here and I kept picturing everyone squished together, tables everywhere... maybe too many tables. Putting the dessert station and the DJ/photographers in the foyer is actually a solid move. Definitely gonna consider that! 😁
Thanks, I'm feeling way better now. I'm done overthinking this!

Oh, wait—I need to correct myself. I just found out today that our total count is actually 138 when you include the band and the photographers, but there will be 128 actual guests in the hall... so, yeah... just wanted to give you the updated numbers.

Carol Martin3, here’s my take on how everything went down:
Look, the cocktail hour wasn't exactly traditional—it was more of an informal gathering in the foyer before entering the main hall. Since the weather was pretty miserable, everyone just huddled in that pre-function area. The catering crew brought everything in, so the food wasn't set up by the venue itself, but they had enough servers at the drink stations to keep things moving smoothly. There were supposedly about 150 guests, plus the band, photographer, videographer, and lighting crew (and honestly, the light show was fantastic—perfectly balanced, not too flashy but definitely not dim...). They actually had their own setup out in the foyer where the desserts were served. As for the dance floor, it was just the right size; even when people were dancing, it felt full, and even when some took a breather, it still didn't feel empty—I much prefer an intimate, packed space over a massive ballroom that looks hollow when people aren't dancing. I skipped the charcuterie, so I can't vouch for that, but the risotto (both the black and white varieties) was incredible. They actually had to pull the pot roast from the menu because they ran short on time, but the lamb was absolutely delicious... and the band? Phenomenal. You might not have heard of them, but everyone was raving; even the servers were saying they hadn't heard a better group play in ages. And the videographer—man, I can't wait to see if anything actually hits YouTube... Anyway, the whole thing lasted until 5 in the morning! What else do you want to know??

It’s honestly such a drag that you have to plan things out this far in advance... I mean, seriously? I’m definitely aiming for May or June—I already missed the boat on next year's window, so at least I have some breathing room before the next one rolls around. 🙂

Thanks so much! I’m also dying to hear if anyone has any firsthand impressions of the Radisson—I'd love to know what the vibe is like there!! I was actually at a reception at Velum yesterday and it was absolutely PERFECT!! The atmosphere was spot on, the music was incredible!! Honestly, I can barely contain my excitement to start planning my own big celebration 🙂

Hey everyone, I’ve been lurking here for a little while now, and I wanted to jump in with a question. How far in advance do you all typically get your affairs in order when organizing a big party—I mean, how early are we talking for booking a venue and getting everything else lined up?