Everything you need for a California wedding

Help!!! I desperately need some recommendations. I haven’t been able to book a band for my wedding in San Diego yet. I’m having such a hard time tracking down contact info, and honestly, I have no idea which groups are actually any good. I would be so incredibly grateful if someone could point me in the right direction!🙏 🙏🙏

I’m honestly at my wit's end here. I feel like I’m hitting a wall. I managed to track down contact info for a few reliable bands, but of course, they’re all fully booked for September. Since my fiancé works at sea, he’ll be gone for two months around then, so we don't have any flexibility to push it to another month. If anyone has any leads or advice, I would seriously appreciate the help—I’m starting to panic. I should be getting a number from a band out in Los Angeles later today, so we'll see what their rates look like.
tatatatira

Have you ever given "Rockatansky" a listen? I remember seeing them play once, and man, it was an absolute blast... honestly unforgettable. As for the rest of those bands, I can't really say, because once you've heard their sound, everyone else just feels kind of flat by comparison, I guess. Good luck with everything!!!

We had Zadar Express play our big day about a year ago, and they charged us 900 bucks. Honestly, the music was killer, but the best part was that there wasn't any cheesy pop or annoying whining to deal with.
If you want to check out their info or see what the band is all about, just head over to www.zadarska-vjencanja.com

Elizabeth Kim said:Have you given "Rockatansky" a listen? Honestly, seeing them live was an absolute revelation—something you don't just forget. As for anyone else, I can't say—once you've experienced their sound, everyone else just feels like background noise. Good luck!

👍 they're a solid 5

I attended a reception where The Tempo Band performed, and they were truly outstanding. Their setlist included both local hits and international classics, all played with perfect pitch. You should definitely try to book them!
In fact, the groom mentioned he even coordinated a few specific songs with them directly.
Best of luck!

Sam Kim12 said:👍 they are at 5

I agree!🎉

Man, I feel your pain. We went through the exact same struggle trying to book a band... we were dead set on this one group that wanted to act like they were the next big thing, but when it came to anyone else? Total radio silence. No referrals, no nothing. We ended up hearing about this killer band out of San Francisco from a few buddies, and honestly, everyone was raving about them. So, we snatched them up immediately. Their setlist is absolutely insane! I'll give you guys the full lowdown after May 5th—you won't believe how good they actually were!!

I haven't been on here in a bit, but I finally tracked down a band that is absolutely incredible—even if they aren't exactly cheap. At the end of the day, the music is what matters most. The leader even told me straight up... "We don't play cheesy wedding covers or old-school country ballads." And honestly? My reaction was just... where have you guys been all my life?! The band is called Marinero, and they’re the backing group for Teddy Spalata. I'm thrilled. Now I can move on to my other "big" problems, like: getting confetti ready (I'm buying little bottles in Chicago to fill with our homemade bourbon), sewing my dream wedding dress, and so on, and so forth.
anyway, thanks everyone!
Oh, and by the way, I gave Rockatansky a call... they act like they're absolute A-list celebrities. Everyone started complaining about them because their breaks are way too long, and this guy kept trying to haggle on the price with me constantly. Even over the phone, he sounded incredibly stuck-up.

I know this killer band based out of San Diego. They played at a wedding where I was the maid of honor, and they actually did four more gigs right after that. They play just about everything, and of course, they’ll take whatever requests you throw at them. Their name is Mayway.

To my fellow Californians, I’ll keep this brief, though I hope it proves useful... 🙂
So, my trip is over, but I’d give anything to live that day all over again... 😁
Look, I know you all are hunting for intel, so I figured I’d just give you my take on my "suppliers"...
First - restaurant DOLIS... first - restaurant DOLIS It was phenomenal. The servers were discrete, though they were everywhere you turned. The food was excellent—or so I was told, since I barely ate anything... The atmosphere was top-tier. Out of all the venues we’ve scouted, this is definitely number one in the San Francisco area, especially considering we had a group of 158 guests.
Viva Group That band deserves every single cent they get. They play incredibly well, they’ve got that authentic rock sound down, and they even put on their own light show with smoke machines and everything... 😁 They tailor their setlist to please the crowd, but they actually have a massive repertoire to pull from... One die-hard Dirty fan even remarked that they play almost better than the band itself... 😁 😁 😁 They really are worth every recommendation...
Antonia Guć is such a poser... She does an incredible job; we barely recognized ourselves... top-tier products and she has hands of gold. 🙂
What else? Hmm... maybe a florist. Užanca It was fine either way. The seating arrangement at the youth table was actually phenomenal, and people ended up grabbing those arrangements to take home... 😁... the cake was from... Zenith... Based on those photos you guys posted—whatever you want to call them—she was a total knockout... Branka Which singer at the church has that angelic voice? Let me know if you're interested—she and her brother (she sings, he plays the organ) absolutely blew everyone away with their performance... especially me...

I can't comment on the Photo just yet, but I'll let you know as soon as I get my hands on the images and the DVD...
If you have any questions at all—just ask. I know exactly how overwhelming and confusing the whole planning process can be... 😲 Don't get worked up. Just take it easy... 🙂 Hey there!

Let's keep everything regarding bands and restaurants in California all in one spot... This "Weddings in California" thread is growing so fast that any question you post eventually just disappears into the void.

I was wondering if anyone has been to a reception at the Meden hotel lately? What's the table decor looking like, and is there actually a noticeable difference between the $30 and $35 menus?

A total Sisyphus task... (not really related to the topic, just something I'm mulling over to myself)

Thomas Sanchez532 said:Let's keep everything regarding bands and restaurants in California all in one spot... This "Weddings in California" thread is growing so fast that any question you post eventually just disappears into the void.

I was wondering if anyone has been to a reception at the Meden hotel lately? What's the table decor looking like, and is there actually a noticeable difference between the $30 and $35 menus?

Because I'm asking the same thing! Does anyone actually know?

northernpilot72 said:Because I'm asking the same thing! Does anyone actually know?

It’s been ages since anyone who actually held a wedding at the Meden hotel stepped up to share their experience. That’s why you never get a straight answer when asking about weddings in California....
Anyway, I won't drone on too long. Hopefully, someone with actual facts will show up eventually....

Yeah, seriously.
In all my years on this forum—which feels like a lifetime—I haven't seen anyone mention doing a ribs dinner at Meden.
If you want to know about menu variations, just ask them directly; otherwise, you'll just have to take your chances.

But don't go setting your expectations too high. Everyone has different standards and tastes. What one person thinks is incredible, someone else might find mediocre. Honestly, the opinions of strangers you don't even know shouldn't carry much weight.
Good luck!

Meden Hotel (Seget)..............................$30-$35
Kokolo Restaurant...........................?
Pirate Restaurant.............................?
Atlantic Restaurant (Grašo).................?
Dolis Banquet Hall (Dugopolje).......................$31 (includes linens)
Slanica Castle (Omiš).....................?
Holy Cross Restaurant (Arbani Čiovo).....?
Frapa Marina (Rogoznica)............?
Jadran Hotel (Seget)....................... ?
Zarko Villa (Kastel).......................... $35 (includes linens)
Park Hotel.........................................?
Bellvue Restaurant (Trogir)................................$33 (includes linens)
Castello Restaurant (Kastel)...............................$33 (includes linens)
F1 Restaurant (Trogir)......................................$29-$30
Maestral Restaurant (Plano)..............................?
Nirs Restaurant.....................................$36 (includes linens)
Ino Restaurant......................................$29-$30 (no linens)

I figured this might be pretty helpful for anyone hunting for event spaces... If anybody happens to know the prices for the others (or knows any other spots around the area), feel free to jump in and add them.

The bands, the vocal groups....
Viva.............................
Bravo Band....................$1,000, or $1,200 if you want a girl in the mix
Milan..............................
The big leagues.........................
Total bangers...........................
Flash...............................
Matko and Brane................
Šumi and Mustache....................
Vice and Vilma....................
You feel me, man.....................
Dado..............................
Trio Gušt..........................
Adria...............................
Jole.................................
Stavros............................
Milenij..............................
Šufit.................................
Iskon...............................
Alen Nižetić...................
Marinero........................
Jessy band....................
021..................................
Bolero.............................
Jure Milatić....................
Bacho............................
Miro Boh....................
Sena................................
DJ Gabrić.......................
DJ Ćibi............................
DJ Cvitan.......................
DJ Zvone........................

Thomas Sanchez532 said:The bands, the vocal groups....
Viva.............................
Bravo Band....................$1,000, or $1,200 if you want a girl in the mix
Milan..............................
The big leagues.........................
Total bangers...........................
Flash...............................
Matko and Brane................
Šumi and Mustache....................
Vice and Vilma....................
You feel me, man.....................
Dado..............................
Trio Gušt..........................
Adria...............................
Jole.................................
Stavros............................
Milenij..............................
Šufit.................................
Iskon...............................
Alen Nižetić...................
Marinero........................
Jessy band....................
021..................................
Bolero.............................
Jure Milatić....................
Bacho............................
Miro Boh....................
Sena................................
DJ Gabrić.......................
DJ Ćibi............................
DJ Cvitan.......................
DJ Zvone........................

Jole 7000 E

Viva 2300 E

So, I’ve put together a rough breakdown of what various bands and vocal groups are charging these days...
Duo 800 e viva
Viva
Bravo Band
Milan
Prva liga
Bomba
Flash
Matthew and Bryan
Šumi and Brko
Vic and Wilma
Kužiš stari moj
Dado
Trio gušt
Adria
Jole
Stavros
Milenij
Šufit
Iskon
Alen Nižetić
Marinero
Jessy Band
021
Bolero
Jure Milatić
Bacho
Miro Boh
Sen
DJ Gabrić
DJ Ćibi
DJ Cvitan
DJ Zvone