Everything you need for a California wedding

Can anyone recommend a decent florist in San Francisco that won't absolutely rob me blind? 🙂
Also, where did you guys end up getting your invitations?
Thanks in advance.

I’ve been scrolling through your posts lately, and honestly, there’s some really interesting stuff in here. 😉 I was wondering if anyone has had any experience working with the Bolero group? Thanks in advance! 😛

swiftgardener4 said:Can anyone recommend a decent florist in San Francisco that won't absolutely rob me blind? 🙂
Also, where did you guys end up getting your invitations?
Thanks in advance.

Look, I haven't even hit the flower shops yet, but I've heard everyone raving about TNT—apparently they're the go-to.

Timothy Fisher50 said:Man, that sounds pretty great 🙂
because I was just sitting here scrolling through the photos on their website and feeling totally blown away. I can't quite put my finger on it, though—do those shots feel more like raw, natural captures, or do they look like they've had some heavy artistic editing done to them? 🙂

It’s really a bit of both, I suppose. I can't say for sure what the vibe will be for the ones from the outdoor photo sessions they did out in nature, but when my godmother and I did our shoot at her apartment, there were definitely some posed shots that felt very "artistic," yet there were also those spontaneous moments where Vedran Vidak and Ranko Pupić just caught a fleeting second they felt made for a great photo. And as the day went on, they just captured everything that needed capturing—every single smile, every tear, even the crazy dance moves... they really did get it all.

gentlewolf69 said:It’s really a bit of both, I suppose. I can't say for sure what the vibe will be for the ones from the outdoor photo sessions they did out in nature, but when my godmother and I did our shoot at her apartment, there were definitely some posed shots that felt very "artistic," yet there were also those spontaneous moments where Vedran Vidak and Ranko Pupić just caught a fleeting second they felt made for a great photo. And as the day went on, they just captured everything that needed capturing—every single smile, every tear, even the crazy dance moves... they really did get it all.

Their photos are absolutely stunning. 🙂

Does anyone else have any experience working with Mark's photography? I'm honestly torn between Mark from the local area and Pixar. I'm having such a hard time deciding who to call.

Honestly, you should just ask them to sit down with you and flip through a full wedding album. You need to see how they actually handle an entire reception from start to finish, rather than just scrolling through Meta and seeing two or three shots of a single couple. It’s hard to get a real sense of their talent when you might just be looking at the only decent photos out of a hundred...

Anyone here have experience with a cappella groups? I'm still torn on whether to hire one to sing a few songs outside the church or if I should just go with something else entirely. :/

That’s beautiful. It always reminds me of this choir that used to sing "key to life" for newlyweds right after the ceremony outside the church. I think I got goosebumps at least ten times.

Hey everyone, I’ve been lurking here for a little while now, and I wanted to jump in with a question. How far in advance do you all typically get your affairs in order when organizing a big party—I mean, how early are we talking for booking a venue and getting everything else lined up?

We actually booked our venue over a year in advance because we had no other choice—there just wasn't any availability when we wanted it. It really all comes down to where you're hosting the party and what time of year you're looking at. As soon as the venue was locked in, we jumped straight into booking the photographer and the band. I’d definitely suggest getting those sorted right at the beginning.

Thanks so much! I’m also dying to hear if anyone has any firsthand impressions of the Radisson—I'd love to know what the vibe is like there!! I was actually at a reception at Velum yesterday and it was absolutely PERFECT!! The atmosphere was spot on, the music was incredible!! Honestly, I can barely contain my excitement to start planning my own big celebration 🙂

Carol Martin3 said:Thanks so much! I’m also dying to hear if anyone has any firsthand impressions of the Radisson—I'd love to know what the vibe is like there!! I was actually at a reception at Velum yesterday and it was absolutely PERFECT!! The atmosphere was spot on, the music was incredible!! Honestly, I can barely contain my excitement to start planning my own big celebration 🙂

😍 My big day at Velum is only 20 days away!

As for the planning part, we handled all the heavy lifting—venue, band, photographer—a full year in advance. We had everything locked in by early October last year, but the band's first opening after summer wasn't until October 26th, so we actually moved our date just to get them.

edit: Carol Martin3 give me some more deets on Velum... how's the food? Is the dance floor big enough (that's my only worry)? What about the new lighting and lasers (if the couple used them)? How big was the crowd? Thanks 😉

It’s honestly such a drag that you have to plan things out this far in advance... I mean, seriously? I’m definitely aiming for May or June—I already missed the boat on next year's window, so at least I have some breathing room before the next one rolls around. 🙂

You can definitely move faster if you don't have anything specific in mind. A friend of mine pulled the whole thing together in just five months—wedding was on a Friday, everything went flawlessly, but honestly, you've gotta book the popular bands, photographers, and venues way ahead of time.

I edited my post above, you missed it... please, tell me more about Velum. How was the seating? Was it cramped? And what about the light show??🙂

Here are my thoughts for anyone interested in the Radisson, they're quite fresh 🙂

The hall itself was beautiful, and honestly, the hotel is lovely too—no complaints there at all. My only minor gripe might be that the dance floor felt a little small, almost out of proportion with the number of tables...

Food:
- The prosciutto, cheese, and French varieties were fine; edible and tasty. It’s not exactly like what you'd get at a local farm, but it was decent enough and I had no major issues. Portions weren't exactly huge, though I suppose the servers can bring more if needed (we didn't eat everything ourselves, but that's mostly down to the group not being in much of a mood for food 😁)... additionally, the shrimp and tuna pâté provided was very modest—just enough for two slices of bread, even though there were nine people at the table

- I only tried the black risotto, and I was very satisfied with it. I assume the white version is just as good since the plate was cleared pretty quickly
My only complaint is that there wasn't any parmesan on the table 🤷 I'm not sure if the service forgot or what

- Next was the beef stew, which looked wonderful and was served in a generous portion, though I didn't actually taste it. I did try a pasta dish that was served at the same time, and it was also delicious, though I'm not quite sure what was in it 😁

- Instead of roasted lamb, there was some kind of sliced roasted meat. Personally, it wasn't bad, but the side dish didn't really pair well with it, so my overall impression wasn't the best, even though others at the table were commenting on how great the meal was
The salad was seasoned with a strange spice that I didn't care for; it wasn't vinegar, just something else, and I can't quite recall the name ☕

- The desserts I tried were good, filling, and tasty

Service:

It was mostly young servers who were relatively quick to serve us
One complaint is that they serve sodas in small bottles, so you have to constantly flag someone down, and another issue was the lack of ice on the table. Even after we asked them to bring some, they didn't realize the ice had run out and needed more, but oh well 🙂 ☕

All in all, I think the hall is fine and isn't something that will ruin your evening, though it's true that a few things could be improved 🙂
Smoking is prohibited in the hall, so smokers have to head out to the terrace to light up

Anyway, if I've forgotten anything, feel free to ask

I just saw an ad for Down 28 USD. Does that price include the service, or what? 🙂

Carol Martin3, here’s my take on how everything went down:
Look, the cocktail hour wasn't exactly traditional—it was more of an informal gathering in the foyer before entering the main hall. Since the weather was pretty miserable, everyone just huddled in that pre-function area. The catering crew brought everything in, so the food wasn't set up by the venue itself, but they had enough servers at the drink stations to keep things moving smoothly. There were supposedly about 150 guests, plus the band, photographer, videographer, and lighting crew (and honestly, the light show was fantastic—perfectly balanced, not too flashy but definitely not dim...). They actually had their own setup out in the foyer where the desserts were served. As for the dance floor, it was just the right size; even when people were dancing, it felt full, and even when some took a breather, it still didn't feel empty—I much prefer an intimate, packed space over a massive ballroom that looks hollow when people aren't dancing. I skipped the charcuterie, so I can't vouch for that, but the risotto (both the black and white varieties) was incredible. They actually had to pull the pot roast from the menu because they ran short on time, but the lamb was absolutely delicious... and the band? Phenomenal. You might not have heard of them, but everyone was raving; even the servers were saying they hadn't heard a better group play in ages. And the videographer—man, I can't wait to see if anything actually hits YouTube... Anyway, the whole thing lasted until 5 in the morning! What else do you want to know??

So you're saying even with 150 people it didn't feel cramped? Honestly, I was stressing because we're looking at about 120 guests here and I kept picturing everyone squished together, tables everywhere... maybe too many tables. Putting the dessert station and the DJ/photographers in the foyer is actually a solid move. Definitely gonna consider that! 😁
Thanks, I'm feeling way better now. I'm done overthinking this!

So, naturally, I’m obsessing over every single little detail regarding the wedding right now—I’ve already locked in the venue and the band, which is a huge relief, but now I’m really torn between two different photographers for the big day...

A few other things on my mind:
Does anyone have any favorite local florists they’d swear by?
And for the rings, did you guys go the DIY route or just pick something ready-made from a jeweler?
Has anyone actually attended an outdoor wedding out in the hills of Napa Valley? I’d love to hear what the vibe was like and if the weather cooperated.
Also, I’m hunting for recommendations for hair salons, nail studios, or makeup artists—does anyone happen to have personal experience working with Tino Kalinic?
Oh, and one more thing! I’d love to hear any thoughts or experiences regarding Photo Marko or Photo Color if you’ve used them before.🙂

Timothy Fisher50 said:So, naturally, I’m obsessing over every single little detail regarding the wedding right now—I’ve already locked in the venue and the band, which is a huge relief, but now I’m really torn between two different photographers for the big day...

A few other things on my mind:
Does anyone have any favorite local florists they’d swear by?
And for the rings, did you guys go the DIY route or just pick something ready-made from a jeweler?
Has anyone actually attended an outdoor wedding out in the hills of Napa Valley? I’d love to hear what the vibe was like and if the weather cooperated.
Also, I’m hunting for recommendations for hair salons, nail studios, or makeup artists—does anyone happen to have personal experience working with Tino Kalinic?
Oh, and one more thing! I’d love to hear any thoughts or experiences regarding Photo Marko or Photo Color if you’ve used them before.🙂

Tina Turner is an incredible makeup artist. Seriously, wherever I go, she’s my go-to. 🙂 If you pick her, you won't regret it. 🙂