St. Jerome Chapel actually falls under the Holy Cross Parish over in Varoš. 👍
So, you’re actually going through with it? Big moves. Seriously though, if you're asking about when to lock in the wedding cake, you better not be pulling a last-minute stunt. If you want something fancy—I'm talking custom designs, specific flavors that aren't just "grocery store vanilla," or those crazy tiered setups—you need to be talking to bakers months in advance. Like, seriously, six to twelve months out is the sweet spot if you want the good stuff. I remember my cousin tried to wing it with some local bakery in San Francisco just three weeks before her big day, and let's just say the "cake" looked more like a sad sponge sitting on a paper plate. Not exactly the Pinterest dream, right? If you've already got your venue set and your date locked in, start scouting bakers now. The best ones get booked up faster than a table at a trendy brunch spot in Manhattan. Don't wait until you're staring down the barrel of the wedding month thinking, "Eh, we'll just grab something from a supermarket." Your guests will judge you. Trust me. 😁 So, I’ve been thinking about Zenith lately...
After talking it over with my family and my fiancé, we’ve officially decided against doing the ceremony at that little chapel on Manhattan. We're going with St. Francis Church instead...
I already sat down for a meeting with the priest. He wasn't exactly thrilled since we aren't part of the local parish, but I laid out the whole situation for him, kept it chill, and everything went totally fine. He gave us the green light for the wedding. 👍 But, apparently, I can't get on the registry until mid-December once their books arrive.
Yeah, honestly, that’s the part that keeps me up at night...
I’m gonna head down there in person in the next few days to grill them and see what the deal actually is. At least then I'll know where I stand—whether I need to start looking elsewhere or just...
Wait, are they actually turning you down? 😲 When are you even supposed to go sign up?
I mean, I’m just gonna swing by to see if they're even open to the idea. I gotta figure out the catering situation too, and I'll probably drag my mom along since the guy works on a cruise ship... So, I'm definitely not mentioning the location yet 🤣
But what am I supposed to do if the venue is perfect but the people are just... meh? Now I gotta figure out how to make that all work together 🤔
His photos are killer, and honestly, the price looks like a total steal compared to everyone else out there.
I’m thinking about dropping him an email right now to see if he’s actually available, just so I know whether I need to keep hunting. Man, I really hope he's free. 09/29/2018
If anyone has any fresh intel on that church over in Manhattan, it would be a huge help.🙂 Also, when can I actually go sign up and get everything sorted?
Scott Jones—I’m gonna reach out to Misha in the next few days. If he's actually free during my slot next year, I'm totally booking him. I'm a huge fan of his style.
Look, you can cram that many people into a banquet hall, but restaurants? Not always. So, do yourself a favor: scout out some spots that can actually handle a crowd of 100, pick the one that doesn't look like a total dump, and call it a day.
And please, for the love of god, make sure there's variety. You can't just serve one single dish all night long. 😬 Honestly, though, that’s not even your headache—that's on the restaurant to figure out.
Just grab a playlist or talk to the DJ about what kind of music they *shouldn't* play, and boom, problem solved. As for photos, favors, or fancy invites? If you don't want to deal with that crap, don't. It's your party.
Bottom line: get a move on. A hundred people is no joke—it's basically a mid-sized wedding, and bands and venues book up faster than you can blink. The silver lining of planning 12 months out is that you won't be fighting for dates during peak wedding season, so some halls and restaurants might even give you a decent winter discount.
Man, I’m really crossing my fingers that we snag Manhattan Island because it would be hands down the most convenient spot for us. It helps that you're telling me there won't be any weddings over the summer, so hopefully, it won't be a total zoo.
Honestly, St. Francis is also a killer choice—actually, probably even better than St. Stephen—but this place just works way better for me since the restaurant is right there and half our guests aren't from around here; they aren't exactly dying to drive all over the city. Even though it's basically the same parish anyway...
If nothing else, we'll just wing it on Friday. There's no other way. 😬
I am seriously jealous of anyone who can actually book this stuff a year in advance. Me? I'll be scrambling at the absolute last minute.
Honestly, I’m looking at St. Stephen Parish too just because it’s the most convenient option for everything, even though it isn't my home parish... Man, the whole vaccine drama just terrifies me.🙄
Quick question—how far in advance do you actually need to sign up with them?
Because of the nature of my fiancé's job, we can't exactly book everything a year out; we can probably only aim for about six months ahead. I'm just worried about whether we'll manage to snag a date that doesn't fall right in the middle of summer.
Elizabeth Barnes36 said:Here is some fresh info, hope this helps:
Lowe's Studio---I ran into them at a wedding expo and we clicked instantly. We chatted for a good hour; the people are wonderful and down-to-earth. Their photos look natural because the photographer really captures the moment without any forced posing, and the Photoshop is subtle. Plus, their prices are reasonable. David's Bridal (Blue)---I went to a dress sale with zero expectations. I didn't even know if I wanted to rent or buy, let alone what style would suit me. This was my first time trying on wedding dresses, and after about ten different models, nothing felt right. After an hour of changing in and out, the girl pulls out a dress she's selling for $333 and it was THE one!!! We were laughing the whole time; she was incredibly helpful, the shop was spotless, and they don't charge for fittings... such a lovely experience for us. Lipoto Salon---Clean, tidy, and excellent service, though they do charge for fittings. Suit + shirt + tie---Westfield Mall, Jordan, $333, feels like it was custom-tailored. Heels---got them on eBay... but for dance shoes... those are way more comfortable and soft. Just a heads up, they are strictly for the ballroom floor, not for walking on pavement, since they have leather soles. You can choose anything from 160 to $67. Venue---Rose Bowl restaurant (Dome), newly renovated, staff is great. Wedding cake---Zenith, man, people do amazing things! If you need croquant in any shape, I highly recommend them. They made a crazy captain's hat out of croquant about 120*150cm, and don't even get me started on the precision, neatness, and attention to detail... Aura Band---if you aren't into pop divas like Taylor Swift or Rozga... then they are the perfect choice. Rock, 80s, local hits, international stuff, 90s classics... you can negotiate anything with them. They are a young crew, there are plenty of them, and they have their own technician who moves around the venue making sure everything is perfect.
We did great with Zasada and haven't had any bad experiences, but I'll share our impressions once the party is over.
If you don't mind me asking, what did that brittle stuff run you?
My neighbor actually used Studio Papaya, and honestly? I’m not feeling them at all.
The shots they took out around town are fine—I mean, it was summer, the lighting was killer, and the sun was doing most of the heavy lifting. But those studio shots? Absolute nightmare fuel. When I saw myself, I actually jumped! Look, I’m not exactly my own biggest fan when it comes to photos—especially when I'm dealing with some bad acne—but this was just brutal. Everything looked way too dark and just... off. Like, totally unnatural. My hair and dress looked much darker than they actually are, every single tiny imperfection on my face was magnified, and the shadows just made everything look ten times worse. We all ended up looking older, grubbier, and just plain messy... Ugh, no way. There is zero chance I'm paying for these!