Everything you need for a California wedding

So, where does one actually go to order a decent wedding cake in San Francisco?

Kate Gonzalez said:I could use some advice here...

Has any woman from Miami ordered cakes or pastries from Zenith or Viacom lately?

Personally, I think Viacom is fantastic; in the past, I've had them deliver all sorts of treats and even a wedding cake, and honestly, everyone was thrilled with how they turned out.

Bryan Gomez90 said:So, where does one actually go to order a decent wedding cake in San Francisco?

I think the cakes over at the Mississippi Delta aren't bad... a friend of mine had her wedding cake from there and it cost about $267... it was pretty tasty..

I ordered a cake from the Mississippi Delta and I have to say, it was delicious and looked exactly like the photo we picked out, plus the prices are actually pretty reasonable. To top it all off, I grabbed some pastries from this local lady who runs her own small business nearby—they were absolutely perfect!!!!

Zachary Price2 said:I ordered a cake from the Mississippi Delta and I have to say, it was delicious and looked exactly like the photo we picked out, plus the prices are actually pretty reasonable. To top it all off, I grabbed some pastries from this local lady who runs her own small business nearby—they were absolutely perfect!!!!

So, regarding the Mississippi Delta👍

Could someone send me a DM with info on that lady with the amazing pastries and her phone number?

Hi everyone, I’m looking into hosting a wedding reception at the Neva venue, specifically considering their location in the suburbs or perhaps over in San Antonio. Does anyone here happen to know what the pricing looks like, or better yet, has anyone actually held an event there?
I could also use some advice—is the Neva space, or even just the outdoor area, large enough to comfortably accommodate about 100 guests for dancing and everything else?

Hey ladies, I’m dropping this here even though I already asked on another thread. Does anyone have recommendations (and phone numbers) for good makeup artists in San Francisco?

Thanks in advance.😍

Send the numbers via DM so I don't break any rules.

Lorena Salon and Vivien for hair and skin care, plus Kate Baban... I can't quite recall the rest of the names.

Harold Scott4 said:Hi everyone, I’m looking into hosting a wedding reception at the Neva venue, specifically considering their location in the suburbs or perhaps over in San Antonio. Does anyone here happen to know what the pricing looks like, or better yet, has anyone actually held an event there?
I could also use some advice—is the Neva space, or even just the outdoor area, large enough to comfortably accommodate about 100 guests for dancing and everything else?

We actually considered Vivien too because the outdoor vibe is incredible. I think it’s big enough for 100 people, but what happens if it rains? The indoor space can't even fit 90 people... at least that's my take. You should probably go check it out yourself to be sure, but those were the reasons we passed on Vivien.😉
The price at Vivien is $35 per person for a standard menu,
$50 if you include drinks,
you can have music until 3 AM,
kids under 6 get half off, but everyone else pays full price,
and the couple gets a free suite.
As for San Antonio, in my opinion, you can squeeze maybe 100 people inside, no more, even if they tell you otherwise. Their standard menu is also $50, and you could host the cocktail hour by the pool. I was at a wedding there once; it was nice how the buffet was nicely separated from the tables, but honestly, the food wasn't anything special, and neither were the portions. It really just depends on what matters to you.😍 I hope that helps...😍

Raymond Brooks7 said:Welcome to the club.
Lisjak and Matić have completely different approaches when it comes to photography. It’s all a matter of taste, really. Personally, my vote goes to Lisjak—after all, he’s the one who took my photos. 😍)
I’m putting Photo California at the absolute bottom of my list. Honestly, unless you can drop a specific photographer's full name and surname, don't expect anything from them.
Bolero is an incredible lounge. I was there for a gala once, and honestly, the vibe was just something else. 👍

Hey, I see Lisjak shot your wedding and you were happy with the results. Any chance you could share a photo so I can see his style?? Also, which package did you guys end up going with? He gave us three options, and I'm stuck wondering if the mid-range one is the sweet spot. Did you guys do the shoot the day before the big party, or did you just "escape" the reception for an hour or two?

goldenheron34 said:Quick question regarding ice cream shops in San Diego: does anyone have any suggestions or experiences to share? 🙂 Anyone?
(I'm asking for everyone except "Croquettes"—they wouldn't bother implementing FDA standards, so even if their pastries were the best, I probably wouldn't grab anything there—I guess. -.- )

My dear, my wedding was in July and we spent an absolute eternity planning every single detail... which is why I can tell you with total confidence: if you want a cake or pastries, go exclusively to Tiramisu !!!! I practically auditioned every bakery in the area—from the local spots to some gentleman's shop out in the suburbs—because I wanted to be thorough (admittedly, I was a bit obsessive). But Tiramisu is hands down the best. Everything is delicious, and more importantly, they are incredibly friendly. They don't play games with pricing or billing afterward, which is a breath of fresh air. Seriously, just go there yourself and see; I am certain you will share my enthusiasm!!!
Since I don't have the luxury of being on this forum constantly, I’ll take this opportunity to throw in a few other praises. )
To recap: the bakery is Tiramisu !!!!, the venue is Gastro, the band is Tempo, and the florist is Natalie... all absolutely wonderful!!!
I hope this helps. To all my fellow brides: stay calm. That day will fly by in the blink of an eye. So please... just enjoy yourselves!!!!

wanderingbadger17 said:We actually considered Vivien too because the outdoor vibe is incredible. I think it’s big enough for 100 people, but what happens if it rains? The indoor space can't even fit 90 people... at least that's my take. You should probably go check it out yourself to be sure, but those were the reasons we passed on Vivien.😉
The price at Vivien is $35 per person for a standard menu,
$50 if you include drinks,
you can have music until 3 AM,
kids under 6 get half off, but everyone else pays full price,
and the couple gets a free suite.
As for San Antonio, in my opinion, you can squeeze maybe 100 people inside, no more, even if they tell you otherwise. Their standard menu is also $50, and you could host the cocktail hour by the pool. I was at a wedding there once; it was nice how the buffet was nicely separated from the tables, but honestly, the food wasn't anything special, and neither were the portions. It really just depends on what matters to you.😍 I hope that helps...😍

I’ve never been to a wedding at Neva, so I can't comment. I don't do hearsay; I need to see it for myself before I form an opinion.

Regarding San Antonio, honestly, I was pretty disappointed. The only thing I actually liked was the huge patio for cocktails and for people smoking during the night. Everything else, in my book, wasn't worth the money. I don't care much about catering anyway—wedding food is usually just fuel so I don't pass out from hunger and have enough energy to dance—but here, it was seriously below average. The hall was cramped, too; you’re constantly having to move your chair just so a waiter can squeeze past behind you. The layout is actually good, though—large and separate from the tables, which is a plus... that's just my two cents.

frozentiger2 said:Hey, I see Lisjak shot your wedding and you were happy with the results. Any chance you could share a photo so I can see his style?? Also, which package did you guys end up going with? He gave us three options, and I'm stuck wondering if the mid-range one is the sweet spot. Did you guys do the shoot the day before the big party, or did you just "escape" the reception for an hour or two?

Have you checked his website yet? My photos are actually up there too... if those aren't enough, I can send you some more. 😉
The plan was to get the shots done that day, before the guests arrived (I’m really not a fan of "slipping away" from my own party), but the weather turned sour and ruined everything. We had to push the shoot to Monday...
As for the packages, I don't know what his current lineup looks like, but we ended up doing a mix of packages 2 and 3. He suggested package 2, but I ended up adding a few extras to the order...

frozentiger2 I I have to say, Lisjak was such a pro at taking photos, and our venue was the Bolero.
I went with the third package from Lisjak, and honestly, the shots turned out incredible. 🙂 We did all our posing that morning before the reception because we didn't want to be "running away" from our guests later on... I really can't say enough good things about him; he’s just so incredibly charming, constantly smiling while he works, and you can tell he truly loves what he does.🙏
As for the Bolero crew, they stuck to everything we agreed upon, so I have zero complaints. The only thing was that before the party started, I heard a lot of negative rumors—people saying they serve cold food or turn down the music too much. We made sure to sit them down right away and let them know those things were absolutely not an option, and we gave the band a heads-up too, so everything went off without a hitch.😉

I’d like to weigh in on this Fabula story.

Our wedding was last year, and everything we agreed upon was honored to a tee—from having the cake delivered at 10:00 PM on a Friday (which isn't exactly prime time for anyone sane) down to the tiny details regarding how to shave a few bucks off the total cost.

The manager is certainly an unconventional type, but his organization is top-tier; he keeps a million details in his head. He treated us as if we were his only clients, even though he probably handles a wedding every single Saturday. He greeted us quite casually, but they have beautifully dressed servers who are, above all else, polite and briefed on every single detail.

The chefs even prepared cooked fish for two of us at 1:00 AM without any prior notice. We have nothing but praise for the food and the service.
When it comes to the food, you order 15 slices of prosciutto, but they bring two platters to the table and the servers keep bringing more as long as you're eating. The coffee is individual espressos brewed specifically for each person, unlike most venues where you get drip coffee served all at once. You can order whenever you want and it arrives promptly, and they refill your drinks before you even finish the bottle. They even chilled our white wine until it was practically freezing just because we asked.
Because the weather was acting strange, the AC struggled a bit for the other guests, but those are minor things—though some people mentioned it felt too cold in their sections, even though it was September.
One more thing: they reserved and saved parking spaces for us, despite there being a concert happening at the nearby arena.

And honestly, two other couples from our wedding have already booked the same hall for this year; they say they are thrilled with the attention to detail and the organization provided by that "casual manager."

In any case, I haven't seen this level of organizational support in many halls around the US.

Anthony Bennett6 said:Man, I really wish I had snapped a photo of the appetizer platters at the start.....

The spread: 14 slices of prosciutto
8 slices of cheese
8 olives
And the French dressing was so sour it was basically inedible....

And that was just two platters for 10 people!

The food was coming out in tiny drips..... and after midnight, we were waiting 20 minutes just for drinks....

We even waited nearly an hour just to get coffee....

As for the host, he was something else—he greeted guests in a polo shirt instead of a suit, holding a cigar in his hand.....

The only bright spot? The AC was great.......

All in all, the party was a total circus......

wanderingbadger17 said:We actually considered Vivien too because the outdoor vibe is incredible. I think it’s big enough for 100 people, but what happens if it rains? The indoor space can't even fit 90 people... at least that's my take. You should probably go check it out yourself to be sure, but those were the reasons we passed on Vivien.😉
The price at Vivien is $35 per person for a standard menu,
$50 if you include drinks,
you can have music until 3 AM,
kids under 6 get half off, but everyone else pays full price,
and the couple gets a free suite.
As for San Antonio, in my opinion, you can squeeze maybe 100 people inside, no more, even if they tell you otherwise. Their standard menu is also $50, and you could host the cocktail hour by the pool. I was at a wedding there once; it was nice how the buffet was nicely separated from the tables, but honestly, the food wasn't anything special, and neither were the portions. It really just depends on what matters to you.😍 I hope that helps...😍

So, I actually went to both restaurants myself, and wouldn't you know it? They told me that if I wanted any actual information, I would have to call the managers directly. Well, thanks for nothing on the pricing, I suppose.
At the end of the day, isn't it all essentially the same price? It really just comes down to whatever you personally prefer, because an entree at a place like Tony's will run you about fifty bucks once you add a drink to the tab.
When I think about the layout at Vivien, I can't help but feel a certain sense of frustration regarding the venue's design. If we happen to run into some rainy weather, isn't the indoor space just far too cramped? The floor plan feels incredibly tight, and honestly, those massive support pillars are positioned so poorly that they completely obstruct the view; you can barely even see the person sitting across from you. While the miniature portions are fine, it’s such a shame because the outdoor atmosphere is absolutely brilliant. Why can't they balance that wonderful exterior vibe with a more functional interior?
I have mixed feelings about the atmosphere over at San Antonio. While I actually quite enjoy the interior of the establishment, those square tables are just fundamentally wrong, aren't they? And don't even get me started on the outdoor area—it feels incredibly neglected. Everything looks overgrown and frankly a bit grimy; at least, that was my personal impression. To make matters worse, they refuse to allow any kind of dining on the patio. Wouldn't it be much more sensible to allow for outdoor seating that could simply be moved inside if the weather turns sour? It’s exactly how they handle things over at Neva, yet here at San Antonio, the whole setup just feels poorly planned and utterly pointless.
Does anyone know of any venues in the immediate area that can actually compete with Neva? I'm looking for something with an interior space that is significantly larger and, frankly, much more aesthetically pleasing than what they offer.

I’m planning a wedding in California at Gusar restaurant this June, and I find myself needing some guidance. Does anyone have recommendations for a venue—perhaps a restaurant or a banquet hall—that could host a joint reception for about 130 guests prior to the church ceremony?

Which church are we talking about?

If it's St. Patrick, maybe they mean The Ritz-Carlton?

Harold Scott4 said:So, I actually went to both restaurants myself, and wouldn't you know it? They told me that if I wanted any actual information, I would have to call the managers directly. Well, thanks for nothing on the pricing, I suppose.
At the end of the day, isn't it all essentially the same price? It really just comes down to whatever you personally prefer, because an entree at a place like Tony's will run you about fifty bucks once you add a drink to the tab.
When I think about the layout at Vivien, I can't help but feel a certain sense of frustration regarding the venue's design. If we happen to run into some rainy weather, isn't the indoor space just far too cramped? The floor plan feels incredibly tight, and honestly, those massive support pillars are positioned so poorly that they completely obstruct the view; you can barely even see the person sitting across from you. While the miniature portions are fine, it’s such a shame because the outdoor atmosphere is absolutely brilliant. Why can't they balance that wonderful exterior vibe with a more functional interior?
I have mixed feelings about the atmosphere over at San Antonio. While I actually quite enjoy the interior of the establishment, those square tables are just fundamentally wrong, aren't they? And don't even get me started on the outdoor area—it feels incredibly neglected. Everything looks overgrown and frankly a bit grimy; at least, that was my personal impression. To make matters worse, they refuse to allow any kind of dining on the patio. Wouldn't it be much more sensible to allow for outdoor seating that could simply be moved inside if the weather turns sour? It’s exactly how they handle things over at Neva, yet here at San Antonio, the whole setup just feels poorly planned and utterly pointless.
Does anyone know of any venues in the immediate area that can actually compete with Neva? I'm looking for something with an interior space that is significantly larger and, frankly, much more aesthetically pleasing than what they offer.

We were looking for something similar... honestly, I'm afraid you might not find it. I really wanted that outdoor atmosphere—something like a pool area or a well-kept park—paired with a nice indoor hall, but I haven't had luck finding that combo. Grasso is decent, but I doubt you can fit more than 100 people inside, though you could probably mix indoor and outdoor seating. Another option is Sky, over in downtown Las Vegas. It's beautiful, at least in my opinion. You can fit up to 200 people inside, and if you go outdoors, there's a pool and a view overlooking the whole city.😍 They are a bit pricier, but you really have to call and negotiate; it all depends on what you want. I think the standard menu at Sky (dessert included) is about $50 with drinks, excluding wine. At Grasso, the standard menu is around $40 without drinks, but they ask for a $10 deposit $0.00 (which seems a bit steep...😲). Anyway... let me know if you need anything else.☕ 😍

Eric Kern7 said:I’d like to weigh in on this Fabula story.

Our wedding was last year, and everything we agreed upon was honored to a tee—from having the cake delivered at 10:00 PM on a Friday (which isn't exactly prime time for anyone sane) down to the tiny details regarding how to shave a few bucks off the total cost.

The manager is certainly an unconventional type, but his organization is top-tier; he keeps a million details in his head. He treated us as if we were his only clients, even though he probably handles a wedding every single Saturday. He greeted us quite casually, but they have beautifully dressed servers who are, above all else, polite and briefed on every single detail.

The chefs even prepared cooked fish for two of us at 1:00 AM without any prior notice. We have nothing but praise for the food and the service.
When it comes to the food, you order 15 slices of prosciutto, but they bring two platters to the table and the servers keep bringing more as long as you're eating. The coffee is individual espressos brewed specifically for each person, unlike most venues where you get drip coffee served all at once. You can order whenever you want and it arrives promptly, and they refill your drinks before you even finish the bottle. They even chilled our white wine until it was practically freezing just because we asked.
Because the weather was acting strange, the AC struggled a bit for the other guests, but those are minor things—though some people mentioned it felt too cold in their sections, even though it was September.
One more thing: they reserved and saved parking spaces for us, despite there being a concert happening at the nearby arena.

And honestly, two other couples from our wedding have already booked the same hall for this year; they say they are thrilled with the attention to detail and the organization provided by that "casual manager."

In any case, I haven't seen this level of organizational support in many halls around the US.

I don't think I've ever even seen drip coffee served like that before.😕