Everything you need for a California wedding

Has anyone here listened to the band Number 1?

I figured I’d chime in too, since I actually went to Cher's for a wedding dress fitting, and honestly, it was such a letdown.
Everything I just read in the comment right above mine is spot on.!!!
The saleswoman was incredibly rude... she wouldn't let me touch anything, insisting she'd bring everything over herself.
She brings things out based on what she wants, not what I want, and the dresses they have ready to go? Not even close.
In fact, she only brought one single dress, and only after realizing she wasn't making a sale.
She kept going on about how they’re the best, that nobody has as many models as they do, that their materials are top-tier and all that nonsense.
But I can tell you the exact opposite.
The dresses were mediocre, messy, poor quality... some were even slightly torn. Honestly, it's an embarrassment for a shop that's so highly praised.
Since they used to charge for fittings $67, and now they've "lowered" it to $70, I at least expected some prestige and decent gowns.
The shop is a mess, dresses just piled on top of each other... my mom said it felt more like a flea market than some supposedly exclusive boutique.
Basically, a total disaster.
Not to mention she kept trying to push all these outdated styles on me... I didn't see anything from a recent collection; it looks like they're just holding onto old stock.
At the end, when she saw nothing was happening, she told me to "look around a bit longer," but then added there's no stock left in the store and basically implied I won't find a dress in California if I'm this picky. Just total rudeness to say something like that.
As if they're the only shop in town. She acted like I was being difficult, but they had nothing worth looking at, let alone buying.

My advice to any future brides: stay far away from this place!!!
You'll save your money and your sanity.

copperowl13 said:The more I read through this forum, the more my anxiety spikes... 🙂 If I lean toward one option, people claim it’s a disaster... it’s honestly all becoming quite overwhelming—I’m feeling the stress. Ideally, wouldn't we just pick the absolute best across the board and have everything go smoothly? That’s why there’s such intense pressure here. Now I’m debating whether I should even share my thoughts, because if I criticize an option someone else has already chosen, they might actually have a panic attack, right? 🕺🤔
But anyway...
For instance, I was looking into Papaya. I read some excellent reviews and even chatted with them, then happened to see them working at a wedding reception once. To be honest, they didn't click with me at all. There was zero chemistry between them and the guests—it felt like they were just there to clock in and out. Plus, the photos I saw weren't exactly anything to write home about, so I decided against them. Yet, everyone seems to rave about them... I suppose it depends on what we're looking for; maybe their style just isn't my cup of tea. Just because they didn't suit me doesn't mean they won't work for someone else—a friend of mine is a professional photographer and he insisted they are top-tier... hmmmmm
The best videographers seem to be those from the local indie scene, but they were way out of our budget. :-(
Ranko Pupic can be a bit pushy; if you can manage to navigate past that, his work is solid enough.
There are also some wonderful people among the boutique studios (like Gaspar)... where the quality really shines.

As far as bands go, most are fine. Personally, DJs aren't really my thing, but names like Viva, Taxi, Best, XXS, Kocka, PVA Liga, or Jadran are safe bets—you won't go wrong there.

Regarding venues, Kocka is my pick, though I still find myself wondering if everything will turn out okay...
I’ve noticed that even if you visit the same venue week after week, the food isn't always consistent...

The Radisson asked for significantly more than what’s listed here—by the time we factored in the basic menu and drinks, it would have cost us a hundred dollars per person... so we passed. A friend of mine was there and mentioned the food was decent, but the portions were small. My fiancé, who usually doesn't complain, told me the food was actually quite poor...
I visited Park personally; the food was a bit sparse, but the quality was good...
For example, I wanted Aria because the room was lovely, but my fiancé—who rarely nitpicks—said the food wasn't great there. (And the Radisson was one of the only two places he had issues with regarding the catering.)
Then there's Sky... it looked amazing to me too, but just when I was considering it, we attended a reception there and the food was bland. Completely tasteless, nothing to write home about. So, that was off the table.
Gusar, on the other hand, comes with nothing but praise; they are perfect. Truly. However, they can only accommodate about 80 people, and that’s it. If you're planning a smaller reception, go there or try Amigos... you won't regret it.
We decided against going to the suburbs or the outskirts. From those areas, we might only consider Lesnina or Dolis... the food there was actually good.
If I had been any smarter, I might have gone there, but... well...
And Bolero... unfortunately, it fell short of expectations.
Velum has great atmosphere outside, but the food was disappointing.

As for wedding dresses... that’s a whole different story. I honestly don't know what is going on with the bridal boutiques in town...
The ones at Cher are just... ugh. Either they won't let you touch anything, or they are incredibly rude and overbearing. And I'm not just speaking from experience; at least five or six other girls have told me the same thing. They won't let you wear the dress you actually want; they insist on what *they* decide. It’s an uncomfortable experience.
La Perla—on their Facebook photos, it looks like they have a massive collection of gowns. But when you actually show up... there's hardly anything to choose from.
Lipoto, my goodness... they are okay, fairly standard. The sales staff is polite. I didn't love the dresses, but the experience was pleasant, so I have no complaints.
Mila was so exhausting that I didn't even walk in. A friend of mine had a terrible experience with them because they refused to do a simple hem adjustment, and she ended up having to change her dress the day before the wedding to someone else.
Jelena seemed fine to me... pleasant and approachable. But then I see comments online saying she's unprofessional. Who knows!
Regarding makeup, I booked Ana Grgic, and then I was immediately bombarded with comments about how she's arrogant and doesn't listen to how you want to look. She's apparently quite temperamental (that's from three different girls), even though one person was satisfied... though personally, I wasn't a huge fan of how she did my makeup either.

And there we have it... 😵🙄 what is there even left to say after all this? It seems everyone is doing a stellar job—and nobody is doing anything right at the same time... 😵 because I’ve reached that stage where just when you think you’ve finally smoothed everything over, some new doubt or sudden fear crawls back in. I can only hope it all pans out in the end. Honestly, guests rarely tell you to your face that things aren't working; they wait until you're gone to whisper about it. (A friend was bragging about how her gala was absolutely flawless—perfect, she said, with nothing but praise from everyone... despite the fact that the catering was mediocre, the menu was lackluster, and the band was frankly abysmal, leaving no one actually dancing...) It really just comes down to the observer's perspective, doesn't it? I suppose the main goal now is just to get through it without losing our minds... 🎉

I couldn't quite tell from your post if you actually settled on a venue yet, but have you looked at something like the Hilton in San Diego or maybe a coastal spot near Malibu (not sure if those are too far for you)? Or maybe Allure ex fabula in the city, or I don't know, maybe Velum

Has anyone here actually dealt with the Allure ex fabula spread? Their standard menu is sitting at $38, but I haven't been able to get any real info from this thread dating back to July 20, 2015.
If anyone happens to have some actual intel on them, I’d really appreciate it.🙂

amberhawk60 said:I figured I’d chime in too, since I actually went to Cher's for a wedding dress fitting, and honestly, it was such a letdown.
Everything I just read in the comment right above mine is spot on.!!!
The saleswoman was incredibly rude... she wouldn't let me touch anything, insisting she'd bring everything over herself.
She brings things out based on what she wants, not what I want, and the dresses they have ready to go? Not even close.
In fact, she only brought one single dress, and only after realizing she wasn't making a sale.
She kept going on about how they’re the best, that nobody has as many models as they do, that their materials are top-tier and all that nonsense.
But I can tell you the exact opposite.
The dresses were mediocre, messy, poor quality... some were even slightly torn. Honestly, it's an embarrassment for a shop that's so highly praised.
Since they used to charge for fittings $67, and now they've "lowered" it to $70, I at least expected some prestige and decent gowns.
The shop is a mess, dresses just piled on top of each other... my mom said it felt more like a flea market than some supposedly exclusive boutique.
Basically, a total disaster.
Not to mention she kept trying to push all these outdated styles on me... I didn't see anything from a recent collection; it looks like they're just holding onto old stock.
At the end, when she saw nothing was happening, she told me to "look around a bit longer," but then added there's no stock left in the store and basically implied I won't find a dress in California if I'm this picky. Just total rudeness to say something like that.
As if they're the only shop in town. She acted like I was being difficult, but they had nothing worth looking at, let alone buying.

My advice to any future brides: stay far away from this place!!!
You'll save your money and your sanity.

So yeah, I'm passing on them... Do boutiques everywhere charge for fittings these days?

So, out of nowhere, they just dropped this bombshell that catering is totally banned at the estate, which basically turns the whole thing into a formal Sunday service vibe. It wasn't exactly what I had in mind, but hey, it is what it is. The venue itself is gorgeous, though, so we aren't backing down.

Anyway, quick question for the group... has anyone here worked with the photographer Vedran Vidak? I was poking around Facebook yesterday checking his rates... apparently, his full package is around $1,750. We’ve got our date in November open on his calendar... I'm torn on whether I should pull the trigger and book him right now or keep hunting. He comes highly recommended, which makes it tricky.

Michael Mendoza14 said:So, out of nowhere, they just dropped this bombshell that catering is totally banned at the estate, which basically turns the whole thing into a formal Sunday service vibe. It wasn't exactly what I had in mind, but hey, it is what it is. The venue itself is gorgeous, though, so we aren't backing down.

Anyway, quick question for the group... has anyone here worked with the photographer Vedran Vidak? I was poking around Facebook yesterday checking his rates... apparently, his full package is around $1,750. We’ve got our date in November open on his calendar... I'm torn on whether I should pull the trigger and book him right now or keep hunting. He comes highly recommended, which makes it tricky.

We ended up booking Forever studio. Honestly, everything I read about them was glowing, and their whole package is 1150 bucks. If they hadn't been booked up, we probably would've gone with Ante Gašpar. 😉

amberhawk60 said:I figured I’d chime in too, since I actually went to Cher's for a wedding dress fitting, and honestly, it was such a letdown.
Everything I just read in the comment right above mine is spot on.!!!
The saleswoman was incredibly rude... she wouldn't let me touch anything, insisting she'd bring everything over herself.
She brings things out based on what she wants, not what I want, and the dresses they have ready to go? Not even close.
In fact, she only brought one single dress, and only after realizing she wasn't making a sale.
She kept going on about how they’re the best, that nobody has as many models as they do, that their materials are top-tier and all that nonsense.
But I can tell you the exact opposite.
The dresses were mediocre, messy, poor quality... some were even slightly torn. Honestly, it's an embarrassment for a shop that's so highly praised.
Since they used to charge for fittings $67, and now they've "lowered" it to $70, I at least expected some prestige and decent gowns.
The shop is a mess, dresses just piled on top of each other... my mom said it felt more like a flea market than some supposedly exclusive boutique.
Basically, a total disaster.
Not to mention she kept trying to push all these outdated styles on me... I didn't see anything from a recent collection; it looks like they're just holding onto old stock.
At the end, when she saw nothing was happening, she told me to "look around a bit longer," but then added there's no stock left in the store and basically implied I won't find a dress in California if I'm this picky. Just total rudeness to say something like that.
As if they're the only shop in town. She acted like I was being difficult, but they had nothing worth looking at, let alone buying.

My advice to any future brides: stay far away from this place!!!
You'll save your money and your sanity.

Sorry, but I have to jump in here... I was in for a fitting just yesterday, and those women couldn't be more helpful if they tried. First off, if you actually bother looking at their catalog, almost everything is from the new collection.
I really think it just comes down to the individual...
Every single one of my friends who got married over the last year has nothing but glowing things to say about Vesna Sposa...
Listen, girls, if you look at their Facebook page, they show all the dresses, and most of them are actually available in the showroom... it's rare to find a model they don't have. If there's a specific style you're obsessed with, you can totally ask them to order it specifically for you to try on—that's literally why you book an appointment in the first place...
$23They charge a fee for the fitting, but only if you don't buy anything, which seems fair to me... I mean, the staff spends an hour and a half, sometimes even longer, working with you...

lonefox6 said:Has anyone here actually dealt with the Allure ex fabula spread? Their standard menu is sitting at $38, but I haven't been able to get any real info from this thread dating back to July 20, 2015.
If anyone happens to have some actual intel on them, I’d really appreciate it.🙂

Like I mentioned before, we hosted a baptism ceremony there about three months ago.
Honestly, we can't say anything but good things about both the staff and the kitchen; the servers were polite, attentive, and always right there whenever we needed something. The chef and the manager deserve serious credit—you can tell these people actually know the hospitality business inside and out. They even packed up the leftovers for us to take home! We had homemade prosciutto, two types of cheese, French specialties, black risotto, and roasted lamb. You can pretty much negotiate whatever you want with them since they're quite reasonable, and they even offer catering services. If there's anything else you need to know, just ask.

Michael Mendoza14 said:So, out of nowhere, they just dropped this bombshell that catering is totally banned at the estate, which basically turns the whole thing into a formal Sunday service vibe. It wasn't exactly what I had in mind, but hey, it is what it is. The venue itself is gorgeous, though, so we aren't backing down.

Anyway, quick question for the group... has anyone here worked with the photographer Vedran Vidak? I was poking around Facebook yesterday checking his rates... apparently, his full package is around $1,750. We’ve got our date in November open on his calendar... I'm torn on whether I should pull the trigger and book him right now or keep hunting. He comes highly recommended, which makes it tricky.

Vedran does phenomenal work and his shots are stunning, but honestly, he stays booked solid, so if you’re thinking about him, you really need to move fast because he's in high demand—we actually tried calling him a year in advance and he was already taken, so we ended up hiring Ante Gašpar instead and we haven't regretted it for a second since he absolutely blew us away (though, of course, Vedran was the one who recommended him).

David King72 said:Vedran does phenomenal work and his shots are stunning, but honestly, he stays booked solid, so if you’re thinking about him, you really need to move fast because he's in high demand—we actually tried calling him a year in advance and he was already taken, so we ended up hiring Ante Gašpar instead and we haven't regretted it for a second since he absolutely blew us away (though, of course, Vedran was the one who recommended him).

Anyone know what Jasper's pricing looks like for a package?

Michael Mendoza14 said:Anyone know what Jasper's pricing looks like for a package?

I actually worked with him during a photo session back when he was collaborating with Marina, and I ended up going with the mid-tier package which ran me about $1,750...

Let me weigh in on Papaya studio too.
From the very first moment I saw their work on Facebook, I knew they were the ones. I got incredibly lucky that they actually had my date available, so we booked them over our first coffee—we didn't want to take any chances. They are such an approachable, young couple; chatting with them felt totally natural, almost like catching up with old friends rather than meeting someone for the first time in your life.
I have no idea how the photos will turn out, and I might change my mind about them once the wedding is over, but hey, eight months before the big day, I’m at least stress-free regarding this one thing. 😁
Besides them, my shortlist included Marinkovic, Beep studio, and M. Alajbeg. I never even heard back from Marinkovic after reaching out; honestly, I'm happy for him because his work is gorgeous, but it still stings a little feeling like you aren't "special" enough to get a response for your wedding. 🙂:
Beep studio was a bit pricier than Papaya, and for some reason I just found myself leaning more toward the Papaya crew. As for Alajbeg, his pricing caught me by surprise; if I couldn't book Papaya or if I had to slash my photography budget, I'm confident I wouldn't regret going with him.

For the music, we decided on the Phoenix group.

My only lingering doubt is the lighting. How much do I really need it? Is it actually worth spending the extra cash?

I saw a stunning cake today at a vendor's booth from a local confectionery—their business card says Art Cako M. Does anyone here have experience with them?
Also, has anyone ordered a wedding cake from Viadel? It’s driving me crazy that they don't have an online presence, so I can't tell if they do those trendy modern designs or just stick to the heavy, traditional classics.

Oh, and if anyone has a specific recommendation for somewhere that makes super simple, clean invitations, I’d really appreciate it! 😉

lonefox6 said:Has anyone here actually dealt with the Allure ex fabula spread? Their standard menu is sitting at $38, but I haven't been able to get any real info from this thread dating back to July 20, 2015.
If anyone happens to have some actual intel on them, I’d really appreciate it.🙂

That catering crew is back in action. I attended a wedding they handled last September and everything was flawless—no complaints whatsoever. They have my full recommendation. 👍

Has anyone here actually worked with photographer Marina before? We just got a quote from her with a massive discount, so I'm curious.
Are you guys planning on hitting up the bridal expo?
Also, what’s the word on those cakes from San Francisco and Miss Flower Girl?
The San Francisco crew was the first ones to tell us straight up they could do a vegan cake without any issues—and for the same price, too. Their online portfolio looks killer, and prices start at $8.25 per person depending on how much decor you want. They even suggested that if we have, say, 120 guests, we should probably just grab a cake meant for 80 :-)
I jotted everything down, including the 15% discount she offered us.

analogdrifter51 said:So yeah, I'm passing on them... Do boutiques everywhere charge for fittings these days?

No, they don't charge you separately. You just pay right here.

Kenneth Martinez11 said:Sorry, but I have to jump in here... I was in for a fitting just yesterday, and those women couldn't be more helpful if they tried. First off, if you actually bother looking at their catalog, almost everything is from the new collection.
I really think it just comes down to the individual...
Every single one of my friends who got married over the last year has nothing but glowing things to say about Vesna Sposa...
Listen, girls, if you look at their Facebook page, they show all the dresses, and most of them are actually available in the showroom... it's rare to find a model they don't have. If there's a specific style you're obsessed with, you can totally ask them to order it specifically for you to try on—that's literally why you book an appointment in the first place...
$23They charge a fee for the fitting, but only if you don't buy anything, which seems fair to me... I mean, the staff spends an hour and a half, sometimes even longer, working with you...

I went through the catalog, but the clerk told me I was wasting my time because they don't carry everything listed in the shop anyway.
Exactly what I asked for wasn't there.
From what I've heard, she's nearly bankrupt and isn't ordering new inventory, so she stays afloat by charging for fittings and pushing old models at new prices.
And I also heard the owner uses various fake profiles on Facebook to defend herself... so I wouldn't be surprised if this whole thing is just more of that, given the automatic excuses and the "it's all about the individual" vibe.😵

I sent a message over to the local florist more than ten days ago, and I still haven't heard a single word back. Honestly, isn't that just unprofessional?

I reached out to them immediately after seeing all those glowing reviews online, but clearly, that wasn't enough..

Michael Mendoza14 said:So, out of nowhere, they just dropped this bombshell that catering is totally banned at the estate, which basically turns the whole thing into a formal Sunday service vibe. It wasn't exactly what I had in mind, but hey, it is what it is. The venue itself is gorgeous, though, so we aren't backing down.

Anyway, quick question for the group... has anyone here worked with the photographer Vedran Vidak? I was poking around Facebook yesterday checking his rates... apparently, his full package is around $1,750. We’ve got our date in November open on his calendar... I'm torn on whether I should pull the trigger and book him right now or keep hunting. He comes highly recommended, which makes it tricky.

A full package? Does that include both photography and video, or what exactly is included?

Hey, what kind of experiences have you all had? Like, did anyone actually manage to get their deposit back??