Posts by redviper17

I have a quick question for you all!
So, my relatives are planning on making some homemade dry cookies, and I was thinking about packing up a variety of these
homemade treats into little boxes. My idea is to leave them at the venue, but instead of putting them out on the tables, I’d just
hand them out to guests along with their thank-you notes as they head out the door. Does that sound okay? For the actual event, I'll have plenty of cakes, pastries,
creamy desserts, fresh fruit, and fruit salad—and I actually have a licensed catering business to handle all of those items.

mistyraven272 said:Hey 🙂
Been lurking here for a minute now, but finally decided to jump in... Gotta say, you guys have been a lifesaver with all the advice. Seriously, thanks a ton. Anyway, I'm getting married this December. Right now, we've only got the venue locked in—the Bolero—but finding music is turning into a total nightmare... if anyone's heard anything about The Kiki Band or Major League, let me know. Any info helps 😁

I actually have my wedding at the Bolero in September! 😍

Jeremy Wilson5 said:Maybe we should try giving him a bit of advice? 🙂

I mean, they definitely could use it! 😉
So, when are you getting married, Jeremy Wilson5?
As for me, I’ll just bring my accordion—and let me tell you, it’ll only cost about $220 🤷

Jeremy Wilson5 said:I honestly feel the same way, which is why I keep saying we should be sharing more useful, detailed info. Let's skip the stuff about following tradition—everyone knows that already. It's like me knowing how to put on a sundress, but still wanting the clerk at Target to walk me through exactly how to wear a wedding gown, if you know what I mean, Taylor Kelly3?

Honestly, he acts like he just landed from Mars! 😁It’s pretty obvious he hasn't scrolled through the previous pages; we’ve already learned all those lessons the hard way through real-life experience! ☕

Taylor Kelly3 said:Unfortunately, I've seen it happen, but honestly, you just have to minimize the risks! If we ignore "acts of God" (like a death, illness, or some freak accident...), there shouldn't be any issues. By using word-of-mouth—you know, checking recommendations and hearing about other people's experiences—you usually get a pretty good idea of what kind of reputation the local talent has before a big event! And look, if you decide to throw a massive bash only two months out, you’ve gotta realize you probably won't find anything you actually like—in other words, nothing that's actually good! By planning ahead, asking around, and doing your homework, you build a shortlist of people who are actually decent and honest, then you hammer out every single detail—even those "what if" scenarios!

It sucks that most people only care about the bottom line (I get it, this recession is brutal), but look at it this way: when a couple cancels their wedding, say, a month before the date, all they're left with is the deposit—when they should have been spending ten times that much! It's a bummer... we're all taking risks here!

Well, thanks for the well-meaning advice; but honestly, what can I say? We're dealing with some pretty complex high-level math here, and you're trying to teach us how to add two plus two! 🤷

Taylor Kelly3 said:Ha, ha! Go for it!

You’re the one hiring people to be "workers" at your party! In that scenario, you're the boss and the rest of us are just contractors! If we don't want to play by your rules, you just fire us and find someone else!! Right?
The real headache starts if the videographer or the band doesn't stick to the deal... in that case... DON'T PAY THEM!!!!! If there's a contract (which is never a silly idea), it clearly states what everyone is responsible for! That's why it's best to book everything through pros who handle this stuff. Like I said before, we work with people every single weekend, so we're definitely qualified to tell you who can actually meet your needs! But seriously—don't just listen to one or two people. Get them in front of you, look them in the eye, and talk about what you actually want! For example, everyone might rave about some band and push you to hire them, but then they turn out to be so rigid that they end up being a total letdown!

As for all the overthinking and debating about song lists or whatever—there's no magic formula! You have your own vision, and there's zero shame in asking for what you want! Just don't ask, "Hey, do you know that one song 'White Wedding'?" because if they don't, they aren't pros, and nobody is going to recommend them to you!

Some bands have their own set repertoire and won't bother learning special requests just for your bash, but hey, it's your call whether you hire them or not! Most of the time, they'll accommodate you—just don't show up with a list of 50 obscure songs that nobody has ever heard of. It's pointless, considering a band usually plays maybe 100 songs per night from memory! Basically, keep it reasonable—if the band doesn't know a couple of songs, they'll pick them up, just don't drop the list on them five days before the big day! Give them at least a month!

If you need anything else, just shout!!!

It doesn't really work like that; you might have experience, but you're looking at it from a totally different angle!
What good am I as an employer if someone decides to screw me over just a month before the wedding? I can't suddenly swap out a banquet hall for 200 people in San Francisco instead of some suburb at the last minute, nor can I just magically replace the DJ or the photographer! And if someone refuses to follow my vision, I might not even have the option to hire someone else because everyone is already booked up. At that point, I'm stuck taking whoever is left, and that's definitely not what I wanted! I was at a friend's wedding that she organized in just one month, and honestly, it was a disaster—everyone said so. Sure, all she wanted to do was get married, but trying to pull off a 150-person wedding with only four weeks to go? 🙄 Everything was a total mess, and I would never dream of doing things that way! Besides, I only plan on getting married once, so I'm only throwing this big party once in my life; it's not like a birthday party you celebrate every single year....

Jacob Harris88 said:Thanks for the heads-up...🙂

No worries at all! Happy to help whenever I can. 😉

David King72 said:My bad, sorry about that typo,
just a bit of misinformation on my end. 🙂

😁 Honestly, no big deal at all. I'm pretty sure it was probably around $40 at Rolling Stone,
but if you go back just a year and a half, it was closer to twenty bucks... It feels like they hike up the prices by a few dollars every single year, doesn't it?
😢

Alex Carter3 said:I heard the price was $38 too,
though I'm not entirely sure where that info came from.🤷

That was actually for Rolling Stone; I didn't say anything about The Beach Boys because I honestly have no clue 🤷
about their pricing. But regarding Rolling Stone, I know the deal because I put down a deposit and signed my contract back in June 2008
for $41. Then, a friend of mine went by the Rolling Stone office this past February just to check, and they told her it was $45...

David King72 said:It was around thirty-eight bucks last time I checked, but honestly, who even knows what the price tag looks like these days?

Wait, back when was it only $38???😛
Last year, around June, I put down a deposit for September and ended up paying $41,
but now you're telling me it's jumped to $45!

Sorry for double posting, my computer is acting up and keeps freezing on me!

Hey everyone, does anyone here have much experience working with local print shops?
I was wondering how much it would actually run if I
just brought in my own materials to be printed?
Just looking for some info for the San Francisco area! 🙂

Hey everyone, does anyone here have experience working with local print shops?
I was wondering what kind of pricing I could expect if I were to
just bring in my own materials for them to print on?

Harold Booth4 said:Hey ladies, I finally decided to jump into this forum because I could use some advice on planning a party, and apparently, this is the spot to get the real scoop. Does anyone here know what Disney is actually like? Thinking about booking them for my bash, so I’m curious if you’ve dealt with them before. Or maybe the Pink Panther? Thanks for the help 🙂

I actually caught Barbie playing at a Pirate party about this time last year out in San Francisco, and they were pretty decent... the energy was good! I wouldn't say I was totally blown away, but they were perfectly fine for a good time. ☕

placidharbor21 said:Well, mine's Mario.

Oh, awesome! I can't wait to swap stories and see what everyone thinks! 😉

Zachary White9 said:What do you guys think:

100's or Cappuccino? (bands)

I heard some good things about Cappuccino. I actually ran into them back in October at Central Park—it was a pretty small gig, maybe only about 50 people there—and they mentioned the band put on a really beautiful set.
The only thing is, they were drinking quite a bit of alcohol, and when we watched the footage later, we saw them actually grabbing a bottle of wine off someone else's table to take a swig! 🤣 Honestly, it drove me a little crazy! 😲

placidharbor21 said:Man, I totally get where you're coming from; making that call is tough, and let's be real, the band usually ends up winning that battle because that's just how these things go. 😉
As for me, my DJ is still going to play our local stuff, but mostly we're talking 80s vibes and current hits (the more urban, modern ones, obviously), plus a few old-school classics from the 80s (think things like New Wave, Fossil, Elvis Presley, or those classic Star Magazine style hits) to keep the older folks happy and warm things up. It’s that kind of music that bridges the generational gap, so I know I won't miss the mark—even though I’m positive my relatives would much rather be jumping around to bubblegum pop, but hey, not at my party, whether they like it or not. As for the foreign music, I’ll save all that for the very end once the older crowd has finally passed out. 😁

Don't stress too much; whatever you decide, it’s going to turn out fine!!

I've already booked my DJ! My guy is Duplancic, what about yours?

silentpuma28 said:I've heard Pimpinela and Arkada are great—really solid choices... also, there's this ballet school over in Castle Rock, and I was at their recital this summer where they did the catering, and honestly? Huge thumbs up from me!👍

Thanks for the tips, noc, slavaz, and Megan Miller3!🙂
I'll give them a call and let you know how it goes! 👍

Hey everyone, does anyone happen to know a good catering company in San Francisco that won't absolutely break the bank?
I'm getting married this September...

Sandra Lopez2 said:When I tried to book for early September 2009, nothing we wanted was available, so we ended up settling for October 17th.🤷

I actually put down a deposit back in June 2008 for a wedding in September 2009!
I had my heart set on a Bolero, specifically because it’s one of those massive venues that can host up to 200 people without breaking a sweat.
Honestly, our whole family thought we were being ridiculous when we told them how far out we were planning! 🤷
But look at us now—it's all happening in less than a year! 😍 The reality is just how it works; if you want anything decent, you basically have to aim for December, January, February, or March.
Since it's so cold during those months, they aren't exactly the most "popular" times to get a prime spot, you know?