Everything you need for a California wedding

Honestly, I'm just not feeling this Villa Žarko joke at all... it's not really my thing...

The venue is top-notch, but honestly, the owners are even better—I’m practically speechless.

Villa Žarko even offers round tables now... good grief...😢 I wouldn't touch that with a ten-foot pole...

Ladies, if you're hunting for a photographer, take a look at this guy:

http://www.ivicalisjak.com/

And for a venue, you might want to check this out:

Just wanted to drop a quick heads-up for all the brides-to-be out there... a relative of mine just called me up, and she's basically calling every photographer in sight (I'll keep you guys posted as more info rolls in)

Getty Images starter package is $1,000
Mark is charging $850.....

Those were the first two she reached out to... just thought I'd share the intel with the newbies

Jack Murphy7 said:unknown group (guitar and mandolin, adding ukulele soon) as backup $833, Church $333
Duo act $800
Viva.............................$2,300
Bravo Band....................$1,000, or $1,200 with a female vocalist
Matthew..............................
Major League.........................
Bomba...........................
Flash...............................
Matthew and Bryan................ $1,800
Forest and unknown....................
Victor and Wilma....................$1,000
You feel me, man................
Dado..............................
Tip-top..........................
Barbarossa......................
Glass Lady................
unknown..........................
Orion.............................
Trio Gušt..........................
unknown...............................$1,000
Jole.................................
Stavros............................ I think he said $5,000—but he only plays his own stuff
Millennium..............................
Shufit.................................
Iskon...............................
unknown...................
Marinero................................
Jessy band....................
021..................................$1,500
Bolero.............................
unknown....................
Bacho............................
Miro Bohem....................$1,000
unknown................................
unknown.......................
DJ Chibi............................
DJ Cvitan.......................
DJ Zvone........................

😛😍NERAXBAND.........$2,000 😍😍

rapidmason10 said:Just wanted to drop a quick heads-up for all the brides-to-be out there... a relative of mine just called me up, and she's basically calling every photographer in sight (I'll keep you guys posted as more info rolls in)

Getty Images starter package is $1,000
Mark is charging $850.....

Those were the first two she reached out to... just thought I'd share the intel with the newbies

I recall a girl on this forum mentioning that same photographer, Mark—if I remember correctly, it was mediokritet—and I believe she left some rather scathing reviews, claiming she wasn't satisfied with her photos at all.

redpuma25 said:Hello, I am new to this forum. I am getting married on August 30th, 2008, and I am currently searching for musical entertainment—specifically, a band. Please provide some quality recommendations. Thanos

😍On Saturday, while we were heading out to check out the Bolero venue, we stumbled right into a wedding for a famous RUKOMETAŠA-SVIRALI — the Nera X Band. Honestly, calling them phenomenal is probably an understatement. Just a heads up, the Cili Band goes for about $2,000—if they're even available, I guess.🙂

Justin Booth88 said:😍On Saturday, while we were heading out to check out the Bolero venue, we stumbled right into a wedding for a famous RUKOMETAŠA-SVIRALI — the Nera X Band. Honestly, calling them phenomenal is probably an understatement. Just a heads up, the Cili Band goes for about $2,000—if they're even available, I guess.🙂

I’ve never actually listened to them—but honestly, looking at those ticket prices? They must be incredible.
My advice? Just stick to lowercase—and hey, take a look at the instructions right under the first bullet point here. I can't believe how much things have changed—it feels like just yesterday we were all talking about this. Honestly, seeing everyone's takes now... it’s wild. Just a thought!
😉

Justin Booth88 said:Orange (female vocals) ....... $3000
I'M ADDING NERA X BAND TO THE LIST.......... $2,000😍😍😍

Orange won't be around next year $3000 instead $3667...I already booked them for next season 😍

belica said:What happened to all the girls on the forum?
I think it really comes down to the crew they send out. Some albums are total trash, while others are great, but honestly, if you compare his shots to someone else from this forum, there's just no comparison.

Here, I copied a comment, so just read it.
To my fellow brides, it looks like the organizers were a bit stingy when it came to planning the party... I can honestly say my big day was like a dream, but now that I've had time to breathe, I'm actually getting worked up—all because of the photographer.
Basically, some of you might have read about what went wrong, but here’s the breakdown of the details...
It goes like this, step by step:
- When we got to his place, I didn't want to say anything until I saw the DVD and the photos. I didn't want to judge based solely on the album, so I just paid the money and left. But once I got home and looked through everything, I was totally shocked because I realized an entire part of the party was completely ignored.
- The album is put together in such a weird way; the pictures don't match the memories or our actual celebration at all. The first half is just photos from the groom's house where he's hanging out with everyone, and the second half is the reception.
- The photographers were late arriving at the groom's place, and then instead of rushing over to my place, they just followed his guests around—standing in three spots and wandering into my apartment. They didn't even use those ten minutes to film my guests! My house was full of people too, and we were singing and dancing, food was on the tables, desserts were laid out, etc., not to mention my mom and sister who the videographer didn't even catch on film, let alone the photographer.
- They missed the bride's procession and the speech from my grandpa, who was welcoming the groom's guests—a sick man who could barely stand up or even make it there.
- They didn't film the bridesmaids acting as "fake brides."
- There isn't a single shot of the corsages being pinned, but instead, there's 15 annoying minutes of us just singing along to the accordion. The cameraman didn't even pan around; he didn't capture the decorated tables, the people around us, or even the balcony. Nothing.
- He didn't film or photograph the girls decorating the cars.
- He didn't film ABSOLUTELY any of my guests. It’s like they showed up just to pick me up from an empty house. That’s how the whole party was captured.
- He missed my godmother's boyfriend and her daughter too.
- Not a single photo or video of the church where we wed, nor a single shot of the guests looking at us as we walked into the service.
- During the mass, they mostly filmed us. For example, he couldn't even catch the moment two adults in the front pews started crying?!
- A beautiful reading of the Psalm was cut out entirely, and the lady who read it wasn't even photographed or filmed.
- The only thing they actually shot were staged photos; not one spontaneous moment was caught.
- When we were leaving, again, they didn't film or photograph the guests, or the girls throwing flower petals at us, or anything.
- In the hall, he barely made it past each table (which were empty at the time) and rushed through filming them without making sure everyone was in the frame.
- He didn't capture the waiters serving food or any shots of the actual dishes.
- Throughout the evening, he just stood in one spot filming the group in the center of the dance floor. He probably thought he was filming Live Aid rather than a party with 155 guests (you certainly wouldn't know it from the footage).
- There are older guests who can't dance but we really wanted them in the video. Regardless, he never walked through the tables; he just filmed the middle of the floor. And it's not like he couldn't reach them—he filmed every single song and every guitar solo in detail, like he was back at that "Live concert" illusion again.
- He missed every single funny, candid moment (think: when my cousin swiped my shoe, someone crashing hard on five chairs in a row, or the maid of honor spilling red wine on my dress—there were literally hundreds of hilarious things happening on the dance floor)
- The video editing looks like it was done by an amateur playing around with basic Windows software rather than professional gear—honestly, I could have whipped something better up in five minutes myself
- Why is the background just a plain black screen whenever they show our childhood photos?!?
- There isn't even a "best moments" highlight reel to summarize the whole party
- The songs are all mixed up
- We have about 600 photos from the entire reception
- There’s actually a shot on the DVD of him just sitting there doing absolutely nothing

Look, if you're selling yourself as a wedding photographer, you CANNOT be clueless about the fact that a wedding is a massive production with a specific flow. It’s not just us posing and shuffling around in San Francisco or rolling around on a bed. Every single guest was invited because we genuinely wanted them there to share our day, not just to act as background dancers while the band plays. He didn't catch a single spontaneous moment or any touching instances; everything feels shapeless and empty. Personally, I feel terrible and honestly pretty heartbroken over it. He didn't even film or photograph my grandparents—they don't appear once in the footage except for the brief moment my grandpa gives his speech.
All those people were there celebrating with us, and anyone professionally hired to film a party should know how to capture the soul of the event, not just people jumping around on the dance floor (don't get me wrong, that part matters too, but it needs more substance!). You're supposed to capture the food being served and the vibe of the room while everyone is eating (even if it means the prime rib gets a little cold!), not to mention there's my side of the party to document. It's just devastating; words can't even describe how huge this oversight is.
And just so we're clear: our wedding was a stunning day and everyone loved it, so his mediocre shots won't ruin our memories, but he wasn't there to hand out charity—he was paid top dollar. He didn't even do the job correctly, let alone well.
What hurts most is that I paid the full amount and then spent my energy trying to justify his work. The money I lost on this contract (which could have easily covered two different photo studios, giving us four photographers and two cameras at the reception?!) is something I can never get back. You only get married once. They are hired to be witnesses to that day and document it, not to bumble around and take pictures of cacti.

Sorry for the vent, girl, but I really needed a place to let this out, and I wanted to say it here to warn everyone else... I hope you guys have much better luck with your wedding photos and videos.
Unfortunately, the photographer's response to all of this wasn't an apology or an admission of fault. Instead, he threw out excuses like, "You should have told us what to shoot," "You should have mentioned we needed two cameras," or "Even a football game uses twelve cameras and still misses stuff"—just total nonsense. UGH, I get so mad just thinking about it! At least he promised us a new album that we can put together ourselves, so... maybe we can salvage whatever is left of
__________________
Sometimes it's easier to write it out than to read it.

Justin Booth88 said:Hey, they aren't even that pricey! Viva costs about $2,500, and the singer told me their rates usually run between $1,600 and $2,200 depending on if it’s a trio, quartet, or quintet. I asked for recommendations at a few restaurants and everyone pointed me toward them if I wanted a band with a female vocalist. Honestly, that handball player could have hired anyone—I don't think money was his issue. I got their CD and checked out their music videos on YouTube—they're awesome! I've made my decision, too. I haven't pulled the trigger yet, but I definitely need someone high-end and original, not just some classic cover act.

I ended up booking the Orange band... even though I got plenty of recommendations for your group too... so you definitely didn't miss out! 👍

Justin Booth88 said:Hey—thanks! They aren't actually that pricey—Viva costs about $2,300, and the singer told me their rates usually run between $1,500 and $2,000, depending on if it’s a trio, quartet, or quintet. I asked around at a few restaurants for business cards and everyone pointed me toward them if I wanted a band with a female vocalist. Honestly, that handball player could have hired anyone—I don't think money was the issue there. I got their CD and checked out a few of their videos on YouTube—they're great! I've made my decision—I haven't picked out flowers yet, but I need someone original, not just standard classics.

So, when is the party??

Over by the flower shops, I can recommend Užanca, Cvitak, or Emezzete flower shop Ispod skala (that's the one I used)
The flower shop in Walmart
In San Francisco, there's Iris, Keti... there are others, but nothing else is coming to mind right now😵

belica said:I was actually thinking about a photo studio?
I know you mentioned Bellevue. I was just checking out a video from a pirate who shot there a few weeks back. That space is awesome, especially those lighting effects—it's seriously 👍.

Studio in....they've got a few clips up on YouTube so go check them out...sadly they don't have a website yet

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=y5R1dOhPBYU

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=qZsYgvOt_gQ

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=s9Ao8tQDnzs

Honestly, everything’s golden... the music, the food, the hotels... even the photography and the camera crew. And me? Yeah, I'm doing just fine too.

Justin Booth88 said:😛😍NERAXBAND.........$2,000 😍😍

stop using all caps

Justin Booth88 said:😍On Saturday, while we were heading out to check out the Bolero venue, we stumbled right into a wedding for a famous RUKOMETAŠA-SVIRALI — the Nera X Band. Honestly, calling them phenomenal is probably an understatement. Just a heads up, the Cili Band goes for about $2,000—if they're even available, I guess.🙂

stop using all caps

Justin Booth88 said:NERA X BAND...................$2000....

..

Justin Booth88 said:ADDING NERA X BAND.....$2000

..

Justin Booth88 said:Orange (female vocalist) ....... $3000

ADDING NERA X BAND..........$2000::
..

Justin Booth88;14489118:nerai x band---there was an article in the New York Post ...they played for that handball player Vukic—it mentioned how they played and said the party went until dawn....we actually wanted to call Viva...we came for the venue and ended up booking both the music and the hall[/QUOTE said:
...

Justin Booth88 said:She won us over instantly with that spontaneous energy—gave us advice on all sorts of things, too. But man, that singing... as for the article itself? There isn't much to it. Just some bits about the young crowd, two photos of the NERA X BAND playing, and then "FESTIVAL UNTIL DAWN" slapped at the bottom in huge letters. I'll scan it for you and send it over via DM.🙂

Honestly, this whole thing smells like a paid ad to me. I’m not 100% sure, so consider this a little heads-up—don't go typing in all caps or spamming five identical posts. If you actually want to swap stories and experiences, go find an American diner or something. This place is strictly for useful information. Nothing else. 😉
So, the band's name is Sale—just flower shops and that's it. Simple enough, right?

Let me get this on the record too:

Ira in Dugopolj,
the elite at Dgopolj Ružica,
Ružica in San Francisco,

these are all just supply shops. You can find everything from ribbons to cake boxes and whatever other little trifles you might need. 👍

and Nirs,

Cosmo over in Blatina 😍

Urban near the downtown area by the President Hotel

Mladen

There’s this one spot in Blatina where a ton of girls used to hang out... I can't for the life of me remember the name. Can someone please drop it in the comments?

p.s. Christian Ross6, are we allowed to post stuff like this here??? If not, just move it somewhere else... thx

Justin Booth88 said:
Honestly, this whole thing feels a bit like an ad to me—just a hunch, though. I’m not entirely certain, so consider this a gentle heads-up. Basically, don't use all caps, don't spam five identical posts, and if you want to swap stories, there's a specific thread for that. This space is strictly for useful info. Nothing else. 😉
Just list the band name, the prices, the florist, and leave it at that.

🙂I get the deal with the capitalization—the girls already warned me... since I'm new and don't really have much experience here yet, I wanted to apologize in advance for any potential slip-ups... sorry ladies... from now on, just short, helpful info.😍

Kosta's hair salon in Manhattan👍