Everything you need for a California wedding

Walter Collins6, if you're looking to save some cash without sacrificing the quality of the band, I might have just the recommendation for you... There's this group called Synergy, they actually back Josip Ivančić, and you can find their recordings over on YouTube. To be honest, I hadn't even heard of them until about six months ago. Back in June, I went to my husband's cousin's wedding—well, he was my boyfriend back then—and they were playing; I actually ended up praising them on a forum, never imagining they’d end up playing our big day. We had already booked a different band, but things went south fast... they hiked up their prices and completely ignored our setlist requirements. First, they promised us 90% of the songs we wanted, but then, just a month before the wedding, the guy sends over a song list that was nothing like what we asked for... so there we were, a month out, scrambling for a new band. Synergy was the first group that popped into my head, so I reached out immediately. At first, they told me they were booked for August 31st, but it turns out someone must have canceled on them, so we snagged the date. They’re a group of six, including a male and female vocalist, and everyone plays their own instruments—keyboards, guitars, drums, violin... all that good stuff. As for the price, it was $800 without the female singer, or $900 if you wanted her included. They were so respectful of everything we asked them *not* to play—none of that cheesy wedding fluff, no Elvis Presley, no mat Bulić... and within that single month, they mastered every single request we threw at them. We even changed our first dance song just five days before the wedding, and they played it so flawlessly that my maid of honor remarked later that she could have just played a CD and gotten the same result 😁 . They kept the party going until 7 in the morning. If I ever decided to tie the knot again, I’d do almost everything differently, except for the music... I’d hire them all over again in a heartbeat.

gentlewolf69 said:Walter Collins6, if you're looking to save some cash without sacrificing the quality of the band, I might have just the recommendation for you... There's this group called Synergy, they actually back Josip Ivančić, and you can find their recordings over on YouTube. To be honest, I hadn't even heard of them until about six months ago. Back in June, I went to my husband's cousin's wedding—well, he was my boyfriend back then—and they were playing; I actually ended up praising them on a forum, never imagining they’d end up playing our big day. We had already booked a different band, but things went south fast... they hiked up their prices and completely ignored our setlist requirements. First, they promised us 90% of the songs we wanted, but then, just a month before the wedding, the guy sends over a song list that was nothing like what we asked for... so there we were, a month out, scrambling for a new band. Synergy was the first group that popped into my head, so I reached out immediately. At first, they told me they were booked for August 31st, but it turns out someone must have canceled on them, so we snagged the date. They’re a group of six, including a male and female vocalist, and everyone plays their own instruments—keyboards, guitars, drums, violin... all that good stuff. As for the price, it was $800 without the female singer, or $900 if you wanted her included. They were so respectful of everything we asked them *not* to play—none of that cheesy wedding fluff, no Elvis Presley, no mat Bulić... and within that single month, they mastered every single request we threw at them. We even changed our first dance song just five days before the wedding, and they played it so flawlessly that my maid of honor remarked later that she could have just played a CD and gotten the same result 😁 . They kept the party going until 7 in the morning. If I ever decided to tie the knot again, I’d do almost everything differently, except for the music... I’d hire them all over again in a heartbeat.

I stumbled upon a few options, but they're based out of Boise... ?!😕😕

Walter Collins6 said:I really love their style, honestly—it’s great. But I can't help feeling like a female voice would have been a much better fit here.

I just got off the phone with Marina, and she seems wonderful. However, her pricing is nearly identical to what I saw at Instagram, and I spent most of yesterday comparing different quotes. Right now, I'm torn between Marina and Adria... Adria is more budget-friendly, yet their aesthetic is virtually indistinguishable from Marina's. My plan is to visit both studios in person before making a final call; there really isn't any other way to be sure 😁 though, truth be told, the music selection is what's actually keeping me up at night.

Like how? Give some advice to future brides.😉[/B]

Maria Bailey4 said:

Like how? Give some advice to future brides.😉[/B]
Like how? Give some advice to future brides.😉[/B]

That sounds great. 😁 Just let me know if everything went smoothly, though I'm not exactly holding my breath 🙂

By the way, do you have any intel on the extra lighting for the hall? Back in July, they told us they were planning to install more lighting, but they were being incredibly vague about it. Now I'm stuck wondering if I should actually put in a formal request for lighting, or if they'll just get around to installing it without me having to jump through hoops.
And did you ever get the music situation sorted out?

Walter Collins6 said:I stumbled upon a few options, but they're based out of Boise... ?!😕😕

They play everywhere, you know, and they actually did a few gigs down in San Diego once... It’s possible they might ask for maybe an extra fifty or a hundred bucks, though they didn't charge me anything extra for that show in Imotski, but even if they do tack on a little more, they’re still way, way cheaper than any of the local bands around here...

Maria Bailey4 said:

Like how? Give some advice to future brides.😉[/B]
Like how? Give some advice to future brides.😉[/B]
If I could go back, I’d swap out the florist (even though everything was lovely and the bouquet was beautiful, it just wasn't quite what I had envisioned in my head), the hair stylist, and the makeup artist (though I will honestly never regret the fact that Ivana Češljar was available for my date). Maybe even the photographer too, though I’m still waiting to see all the shots before I decide... 😁 Nothing was done poorly, really, it just didn't match the vision I had spent months building...
I wouldn't change the venue for anything in the world (Topić) because it was absolutely perfect; the space itself is stunning and so open, without those annoying pillars that block your view of half the guests, plus the dance floor was huge and the lighting was gorgeous... the food was fantastic and the service was seamless. But honestly, the band was the absolute highlight of everything and I don't even know how to thank them enough. It actually crossed my mind afterward that I should have tipped them at least another $100 because they truly earned it. They were such sweet people that they even posted a song dedicated to us on Meta after the wedding to wish us well...
My biggest piece of advice is to get everything organized well in advance—book your hair and makeup as early as possible because you never know what might pop up. For example, my getting-ready time was set for 3:00 PM; I scheduled my hair for 10:00 AM, makeup for noon, and my maid of honor's hair for 11:30 AM and her makeup for 1:00 PM. We told the photographer to be at my place by 2:00 PM to start capturing everything. Everything would have gone smoothly if the makeup artist, Antonela Đuzel, hadn't completely messed things up... See, I went to her for a trial on July 27th and asked exactly how I wanted my makeup to look. I told her I wanted purple and teal tones on my eyes. She told me straight up that she wasn't expecting that kind of look since most brides stick to neutrals, and she hadn't brought those specific shades because she had brides booked all day and assumed I'd want something standard. Well, she did the trial with what she had, and I actually loved how it looked, so I booked her for August 31st and even sent her photos on Meta to show her exactly what I wanted for the big day. Then, on August 31st, she calls me at 11:30 AM asking if I can come a little later because another bride—who wasn't even booked—had brought her maid of honor along and she wanted to do her too. I told her I'd be there at 12:30 PM. I showed up at 12:30 PM and ended up waiting until 1:15 PM just to get in the chair. When it was finally my turn, she asks me again what I want and tries to push some burgundy shade on me, insisting it was basically purple. Long story short, I ended up having to call my maid of honor to bring her own eyeshadow palette so she could do my makeup herself! Because of that unprofessionalism, I had to call the photographer and ask him to show up at 2:30 PM instead. I barely have any photos with my maid of honor because she didn't get in the makeup chair until 2:20 PM and didn't get home until 3:30 PM, and my husband was already picking me up at 4:00. So, my advice is to aim to be finished an hour earlier than planned, rather than being an hour late because something went sideways... and definitely bring your own eyeshadow if you have any specific or "unusual" requests like I did...
Make sure to tell the photographer which people are your priority so you leave enough time to get photos with them...
For things like pinning boutonnieres, rely on your inner circle, and let the younger crowd handle decorating the car...
If you have small errands to run (like waxing or getting your nails done), try to get them out of the way the night before, because you simply won't have the time on the actual day...

gentlewolf69, who exactly is this photographer?? Honestly, that’s completely unprofessional—it's a massive red flag in my book!

I’m not quite following your logic here... why on earth would you label the photographer as unprofessional?

Thanks for all the input everyone...
Does anyone have any advice on whether I should book a trial run? Also, do you think it’s actually worth getting professional makeup done for the photoshoot the day after the big gala? Thanks...

I completely misread the situation—honestly, my mistake. I was under the impression the photographer was running behind schedule, which is why I assumed you hadn't received any shots yet. My apologies 🙂

Walter Collins6 said:Like how? Give some advice to future brides.😉[/B]

That sounds great. 😁 Just let me know if everything went smoothly, though I'm not exactly holding my breath 🙂

By the way, do you have any intel on the extra lighting for the hall? Back in July, they told us they were planning to install more lighting, but they were being incredibly vague about it. Now I'm stuck wondering if I should actually put in a formal request for lighting, or if they'll just get around to installing it without me having to jump through hoops.
And did you ever get the music situation sorted out?
honestly, I didn't even ask about the lighting because I don't really care... my guess is our reception should wrap up by midnight... and as for the music, I haven't looked at anything yet because I don't want those basic wedding bands—I'm thinking something different, like an acoustic group with guitars, upright bass, maybe a mandolin... we aren't really going for that traditional dance vibe 😉

and regarding the food and staff, my future mother-in-law was at a party there during her ninth month of pregnancy, and she absolutely loved it—said everything was perfect... so I'm sure it'll be great for us too 🙂

gentlewolf69 said:Like how? Give some advice to future brides.😉[/B]

If I could go back, I’d swap out the florist (even though everything was lovely and the bouquet was beautiful, it just wasn't quite what I had envisioned in my head), the hair stylist, and the makeup artist (though I will honestly never regret the fact that Ivana Češljar was available for my date). Maybe even the photographer too, though I’m still waiting to see all the shots before I decide... 😁 Nothing was done poorly, really, it just didn't match the vision I had spent months building...
I wouldn't change the venue for anything in the world (Topić) because it was absolutely perfect; the space itself is stunning and so open, without those annoying pillars that block your view of half the guests, plus the dance floor was huge and the lighting was gorgeous... the food was fantastic and the service was seamless. But honestly, the band was the absolute highlight of everything and I don't even know how to thank them enough. It actually crossed my mind afterward that I should have tipped them at least another $100 because they truly earned it. They were such sweet people that they even posted a song dedicated to us on Meta after the wedding to wish us well...
My biggest piece of advice is to get everything organized well in advance—book your hair and makeup as early as possible because you never know what might pop up. For example, my getting-ready time was set for 3:00 PM; I scheduled my hair for 10:00 AM, makeup for noon, and my maid of honor's hair for 11:30 AM and her makeup for 1:00 PM. We told the photographer to be at my place by 2:00 PM to start capturing everything. Everything would have gone smoothly if the makeup artist, Antonela Đuzel, hadn't completely messed things up... See, I went to her for a trial on July 27th and asked exactly how I wanted my makeup to look. I told her I wanted purple and teal tones on my eyes. She told me straight up that she wasn't expecting that kind of look since most brides stick to neutrals, and she hadn't brought those specific shades because she had brides booked all day and assumed I'd want something standard. Well, she did the trial with what she had, and I actually loved how it looked, so I booked her for August 31st and even sent her photos on Meta to show her exactly what I wanted for the big day. Then, on August 31st, she calls me at 11:30 AM asking if I can come a little later because another bride—who wasn't even booked—had brought her maid of honor along and she wanted to do her too. I told her I'd be there at 12:30 PM. I showed up at 12:30 PM and ended up waiting until 1:15 PM just to get in the chair. When it was finally my turn, she asks me again what I want and tries to push some burgundy shade on me, insisting it was basically purple. Long story short, I ended up having to call my maid of honor to bring her own eyeshadow palette so she could do my makeup herself! Because of that unprofessionalism, I had to call the photographer and ask him to show up at 2:30 PM instead. I barely have any photos with my maid of honor because she didn't get in the makeup chair until 2:20 PM and didn't get home until 3:30 PM, and my husband was already picking me up at 4:00. So, my advice is to aim to be finished an hour earlier than planned, rather than being an hour late because something went sideways... and definitely bring your own eyeshadow if you have any specific or "unusual" requests like I did...
Make sure to tell the photographer which people are your priority so you leave enough time to get photos with them...
For things like pinning boutonnieres, rely on your inner circle, and let the younger crowd handle decorating the car...
If you have small errands to run (like waxing or getting your nails done), try to get them out of the way the night before, because you simply won't have the time on the actual day...
that's why my sister is doing my makeup... I mean, who knows, she'll know what works for me since she's done it tons of times, and I won't be stressing about whether everything goes perfectly, plus I can do endless practice runs for free (maybe buy some makeup if she's missing something, but she has everything—she probably has better stuff than half the pros out there anyway)☕ 😍

Forget about finding a cure, I’m looking at something else... what color did you guys pick to be the main vibe (the reveries, the decor...)?

Purple and a sort of petrol green or blue...

Can anyone give me a quick rundown of good photo studios or freelancers doing photography and video work in San Diego? Thanks! 🙂

Taylor Perez51 said:Can anyone give me a quick rundown of good photo studios or freelancers doing photography and video work in San Diego? Thanks! 🙂

Every single friend of mine who’s had a wedding in San Diego ended up "importing" their photographers from Miami or Washington, D.C. Honestly, you get a much broader—and frankly, superior—selection that way. Plus, if you play your cards right, you can often find great deals; a lot of them won't even charge you for travel expenses at those distances.

gentlewolf69 said:They play everywhere, you know, and they actually did a few gigs down in San Diego once... It’s possible they might ask for maybe an extra fifty or a hundred bucks, though they didn't charge me anything extra for that show in Imotski, but even if they do tack on a little more, they’re still way, way cheaper than any of the local bands around here...

I managed to find some recordings, and honestly, I wasn't exactly blown away, 😢but I appreciate the recommendation nonetheless.

Has anyone here actually worked with the catering at the Medena Hotel?

I’m currently looking into them primarily because of their guest accommodations... I have a group of about 20 to 30 people I need to house for a single night, so having the lodging in close proximity to the ballroom is a huge plus for me. That said, if anyone has a better suggestion regarding venue selection, I’m all ears. Thanks in advance! 😉

cosmiclynx18 said:Has anyone here actually worked with the catering at the Medena Hotel?

I’m currently looking into them primarily because of their guest accommodations... I have a group of about 20 to 30 people I need to house for a single night, so having the lodging in close proximity to the ballroom is a huge plus for me. That said, if anyone has a better suggestion regarding venue selection, I’m all ears. Thanks in advance! 😉

I think N/A might have some rooms right under the hall... you could check with the Radisson too... honestly don't know much about the Honey...

So, we went ahead and booked the Radisson even though we didn't actually know anyone there—not that we needed to, because apparently, they’ve hosted massive parties before. The best part about the Radisson is how chill they are; you can basically lock in a date without feeling like you're signing your life away. That reservation stays valid for three weeks, and during that window, they’ll reach out to invite you to one of their upcoming events or weekend receptions so you can actually see the setup in person. It’s like sitting in the restaurant, tasting the courses, and getting a feel for the vibe before you commit... so yeah, just sleep on it. Honestly, we've been hearing nothing but glowing reviews from pretty much everyone lately, so I've got a good feeling this is going to be awesome 🙂

Chloe Ramirez55 said:Hi everyone! I’m looking for some detailed feedback from anyone who’s attended a wedding at the Radisson. I’m seriously considering booking their venue, so I’d love to hear your thoughts on the food quality and the level of service they provide.
I’m feeling a little lost here because I don't really know anyone personally who has hosted an event there, so any insight you can share would be a huge help.
Seriously, anyone!
I saw that May Moon left a nice review, but I’d be so incredibly grateful if someone who actually hosted their own reception there could reach out.
Thanks so much!

Our wedding is over, so here are a few thoughts...

Velum — no complaints here. Everything was wonderful. The location and vibe were huge pluses, really intimate, perfect for smaller receptions. Food was good, though I can't say I felt stuffed or remember every single dish (you know how it is for brides), but some guests mentioned the beef stew was pretty spicy. Service was great too, the waiters were everywhere... Overall impression is excellent, even if they cut the music at 5 AM and said "that's it!" They warned us, but we didn't think anyone would still be dancing at 5 in the morning. We had a ton of young people who would've been jumping in front of the band until 8 AM if they'd let them.

Jessy band— honestly, no words. A week after the party, I'm still getting calls from people asking about the music. Everyone was blown away. We agreed on an urban vibe, domestic and foreign rock, maybe some local classics too (though there wasn't much of that). They totally read the room and gave the crowd exactly what they wanted. Proof of their quality? At 5 AM, there were 30 people standing right in front of them yelling "don't want to go home, play more!" Okay, that's partly on the guests, but credit to the band too. Total recommendation from us!

The Cake EM-k — looked and tasted amazing! It literally melted in my mouth. It was kept at 40 degrees, which was good, but I wish someone had told us there was cardboard between the layers... made cutting it a bit of a struggle 😁 price 1600 KN $533.

Photo/Video Megagraf — punctual, stuck to the agreement, no delays, and they weren't pushy. During the shoot on Monday, they really worked hard to get it right; we spent 3 hours together. The thank-you photo is beautiful, hoping the rest turn out the same. We'll see...

Accordion and guitar — Buddy, what can I say? Absolute blast!

The Dress - La perla — the women there were so sweet. The dress was gorgeous and worth every penny. I feel bad about returning it, but they said they'd fix it without any issues.

Makeup - Katarina Jakelić — this girl seriously blew me away. I booked her without a recommendation, just went with my gut, and I wasn't wrong. Besides being incredibly lovely, she did my makeup, my maid of honor, and my mom perfectly. Price $83 (included false lashes).

My husband's side used catering from Pimpinela, so I didn't see it personally, but I tried something the next day. I know everyone was happy with the service and the price.

For the flowers, a dear friend of mine did everything—the bouquet, boutonnieres for the groomsmen and groom, 12 table arrangements, 6 small ones for the head table, and one for the house and car $533. She only charged me for the flowers and materials; her "labor" was my wedding gift. <3

http://www.vjencanje-ponuda.com/pdf/...mladenke-1.pdf

http://www.vjencanje-ponuda.com/pdf/...a-mladence.pdf

might help someone out 😉