Everything you need for a California wedding

amberhawk60 said:Anyone got cake recommendations?
I was thinking about grabbing some pastries at Viadel, but based on what I've read in the comments, their cakes aren't really hitting the mark... so I'm wondering who you guys have actually had great cakes from without breaking the bank.

Are we talking about a tiered wedding cake or more of a croquant style? Because if you go with tiers, you can actually make that work for a lot of different things...

Joseph Taylor7 said:I was actually the one who booked her... if I were you, I’d suggest meeting up with John specifically—not his mom—to lay everything out on the table from start to finish. Once you've said your piece, he'll probably ask what kind of budget you're working with, so just figure out what you're comfortable paying for the gym sessions beforehand. Then he can tell you straight up whether that works or if it's a non-starter. In my case, she didn't really bother giving me a breakdown of individual prices; I just listed everything I wanted and gave her a total number I was willing to pay. She agreed to it, and that was that. I guess we'll just have to wait and see how it all turns out.🎉

Just make sure you stay cautious when dealing with her, too.

Quincy:

Joseph Taylor7 I can't even begin to process this. Honestly, I’m just sitting here staring at my screen, trying to make sense of what was actually said. It’s ridiculous. Truly. I feel like I need a drink just thinking about it. Where does it end? Does anyone actually think this makes sense? I doubt it. Probably not. Anyway, here goes nothing... I was the one who booked her... Honestly, my best advice? Go straight to John (don't bother talking to his mom) and lay it all out on the table. Tell him exactly what you want, from start to finish. Once he knows the full scope, he’ll ask what kind of budget you're working with—basically, figure out what you're actually willing to drop on a gym membership first—and then he'll tell you if that's doable or if you're dreaming. She didn't give me a breakdown of individual prices or anything like that; I just listed everything I wanted, gave her a total number I was comfortable paying, and she agreed. Done. We'll just have to wait and see how it actually plays out.🎉

I honestly have no clue what a decent price range looks like for a table setup. I’m thinking something like one big, gorgeous bouquet on a tall stand that kind of drapes over the edge, paired with maybe two or three little vases at the base with a single flower or a candle each. Since I don't have a ballpark figure, I have no idea what budget to even bring up with her. Her mom actually mentioned last week that she’d give me a call about some sort of special promotion, but I haven't heard anything yet. Can you tell me exactly which flowers you picked out and roughly what you paid per table?

So, I touched base with a florist over in San Francisco—they’re called Orchid—and for those simple, low-vase arrangements using peonies and hydrangeas, they're looking at about 60-$23 per table. A standard bouquet is 400, and the head table would be around 600-700. I made sure to emphasize that I want things very minimalist: just two or three large blooms in a vase, nothing fancy with extra greenery or whatever. She mentioned that this combo actually costs more than, say, roses. I really hope she's right about the pricing, but she seems pretty chill and easy to work with. Honestly, at those wedding expos, people were quoting us 100-$83 per table and 1500 for the head table, which felt ridiculous. Anyway, does anyone have experience with Toni Photo Studio in San Francisco? Or maybe Majorie Banic for makeup? Also, I'm looking for a solid band or DJ for the cocktail hour—someone who can actually set a good mood while guests are arriving and outside the church. And, if you happen to know a really talented female vocalist for the ceremony, let me know. Good luck to everyone else still searching:::location is San Francisco

Maybe just give them a call and ask, though I wouldn't hold it against them if they haven't gotten back to you yet since they probably have way too much on their plate... I was actually picturing pink hydrangeas taking center stage, maybe with some roses, daisies, or baby's breath woven in wherever it makes sense. Basically, my main table would be dominated by those hydrangeas, while the other tables might have these smaller, rounded arrangements in tall vases—maybe just daisies and something else. Personally, I feel like having stuff sitting at the base of the vase is kind of pointless; it just gets in the guests' way later on. But hey, that's just my take. Regarding the pricing per table, for instance, the lady over at the local florist asked me $60 per bouquet, whereas at ST Flowers she said $17, though she wasn't being very specific with me... so everything seems pretty subjective. My main table ends up being a bit cheaper across the board, costing about $500. A bouquet at Mis is $183 including the boutonnieres (which is similar elsewhere), and for the church, I'll just have one large arrangement in front of the altar for roughly $100 (I think she included the linens and chair covers in that price), plus the car decoration is about $67... She mentioned she'd also make a second smaller bouquet for me to toss, plus two little ones for the bridesmaids, and that's really it. I told her I could give her a maximum of $1333 for 🙂
.

Michael Mendoza14 said:Quincy:

Joseph Taylor7 I can't even begin to process this. Honestly, I’m just sitting here staring at my screen, trying to make sense of what was actually said. It’s ridiculous. Truly. I feel like I need a drink just thinking about it. Where does it end? Does anyone actually think this makes sense? I doubt it. Probably not. Anyway, here goes nothing... I was the one who booked her... Honestly, my best advice? Go straight to John (don't bother talking to his mom) and lay it all out on the table. Tell him exactly what you want, from start to finish. Once he knows the full scope, he’ll ask what kind of budget you're working with—basically, figure out what you're actually willing to drop on a gym membership first—and then he'll tell you if that's doable or if you're dreaming. She didn't give me a breakdown of individual prices or anything like that; I just listed everything I wanted, gave her a total number I was comfortable paying, and she agreed. Done. We'll just have to wait and see how it actually plays out.🎉

I honestly have no clue what a decent price range looks like for a table setup. I’m thinking something like one big, gorgeous bouquet on a tall stand that kind of drapes over the edge, paired with maybe two or three little vases at the base with a single flower or a candle each. Since I don't have a ballpark figure, I have no idea what budget to even bring up with her. Her mom actually mentioned last week that she’d give me a call about some sort of special promotion, but I haven't heard anything yet. Can you tell me exactly which flowers you picked out and roughly what you paid per table?

Well, since you're aiming for something extremely simple, you'll probably save quite a bit. I mean, more upscale wedding tables usually start at $1,500 and go way up from there... I actually thought Maja Banic looked amazing on Facebook, and I almost booked her for $150 makeup, but once she mentioned that a trial session costs the same as the actual thing, $150 I kind of changed my mind haha... That XXS group has such a great vibe and creates a really genuine party atmosphere 🙂

Maria Hughes11 said:So, I touched base with a florist over in San Francisco—they’re called Orchid—and for those simple, low-vase arrangements using peonies and hydrangeas, they're looking at about 60-$23 per table. A standard bouquet is 400, and the head table would be around 600-700. I made sure to emphasize that I want things very minimalist: just two or three large blooms in a vase, nothing fancy with extra greenery or whatever. She mentioned that this combo actually costs more than, say, roses. I really hope she's right about the pricing, but she seems pretty chill and easy to work with. Honestly, at those wedding expos, people were quoting us 100-$83 per table and 1500 for the head table, which felt ridiculous. Anyway, does anyone have experience with Toni Photo Studio in San Francisco? Or maybe Majorie Banic for makeup? Also, I'm looking for a solid band or DJ for the cocktail hour—someone who can actually set a good mood while guests are arriving and outside the church. And, if you happen to know a really talented female vocalist for the ceremony, let me know. Good luck to everyone else still searching:::location is San Francisco

David King72 said:Just make sure you stay cautious when dealing with her, too.

I completely agree. A friend of mine used her for her wedding, and while I know she didn't pay a premium, her bouquet was honestly the most underwhelming arrangement I have ever seen in my entire life. On top of that, the floral decor scattered throughout the venue was absolute garbage. But the absolute worst part? My friend mentioned afterward that the florist went rogue and did something entirely different from what they had actually agreed upon. To me, that is the ultimate red flag—when someone you are paying simply ignores the contract. Mind you, that was back in 2013, so obviously, things could have changed significantly since then.

For my own wedding, I hired a local florist called TNT (located right below the Belvedere building). They handled my bouquet, the car decor, and the main head table, all for less than $1000, and I was beyond thrilled. I spent the entire evening telling everyone how perfect the head table looked. Not long after me, another friend got married and used them as well, and she was just as happy. The woman is professional, polite, unassuming, and truly knows her craft. She respects your vision and sticks to the agreement; she can replicate exactly what you show her in photos, and she offers great advice if you're feeling indecisive (which was me, since I only knew 😁)... I recommend her from the bottom of my heart. 👍

Edit: Oh, I almost forgot—every single florist I’ve spoken with includes vases, candle holders, and similar items in their pricing. I’m not sure if that is the industry standard or if I just happened to find the good ones

Joseph Taylor7 said:Everything is signed and sealed, I guess. Vera Wang’s take on this whole tragedy is honestly such a great description—it’s almost like those old Chinese fables. My godmother and I were just waiting in line, trying to sneak a quick peek at the dresses, when some lady acting like she owned the place stepped in to warn us. She told us we couldn't touch anything because they handle everything with gloves.🧐 I mean, I guess it’s just because when I walked into the dressing room, the hangers were all tossed on the floor or draped over some racks... and then, to top it off, they actually try to charge me for fashion consulting. $23 I guess she didn't mention anything about that when I was booking the appointment... I had absolutely no idea it would be like that. Honestly, I was so close to just losing my cool and snapping at her right then and there.😵😠

And apparently, those "fashion consultations" are what keeps them in business😵 Yeah, exactly. A total train wreck. My goddaughter is still reeling from the whole experience.
The glove thing is just ridiculous though... I've never seen anything like it elsewhere🤦

Joseph Taylor7 said:I’m also looking into this, though if I’m being honest, I don't really get the logic behind it all... for instance, companies like MediaRent and Rabbit Rock are asking for around $4,000-$2000 depending on what you need, whereas lighting outfits like Lolita or Sempre Fi are quoting closer to $1000. It feels like they’re offering basically the same thing, so I guess I have no idea why there’s such a massive gap in pricing. I’m meeting with them soon, so hopefully they can actually explain the discrepancy to me. 😲

They're just slashing prices for no reason, everything is pretty much the same everywhere.
They all provide the same thing—light shows, dance floors (moving heads, LED lighting, fog, bubble machines, room coloring), and no matter how hard they try to justify charging 4-$1667, it just doesn't add up to me.
The lighting isn't any worse than $1000.
A friend used Samuel Fi and was super happy with them.

Joseph Taylor7 said:Does anyone else have experience with The Salon? Just say yes if you do. I was honestly blown away by how kind and welcoming everyone was; it really felt like they were actually putting in the effort... I guess I just have a feeling everything is going to turn out great...

Everything is great except the food.
I've heard plenty of bad things about the menu...

David King72 said:Are we talking about a tiered wedding cake or more of a croquant style? Because if you go with tiers, you can actually make that work for a lot of different things...

I’d still go with the tiered option.

amberhawk60 said:They're just slashing prices for no reason, everything is pretty much the same everywhere.
They all provide the same thing—light shows, dance floors (moving heads, LED lighting, fog, bubble machines, room coloring), and no matter how hard they try to justify charging 4-$1667, it just doesn't add up to me.
The lighting isn't any worse than $1000.
A friend used Samuel Fi and was super happy with them.

What does Samuel charge? I’m not looking to overspend, just something decent.

coastalharbor6 said:What does Samuel charge? I’m not looking to overspend, just something decent.

Coastalharbor6, they quoted me around 2900$1033, though they mentioned if that specific package was booked, we could look at a slightly lower tier around $833... nothing too fancy.
A friend of mine got a deal for 2500, and she said everything went smoothly.

Thanks for the info! 🙂 I ended up choosing a salad with Caesar dressing, so I’m not entirely sure what the lighting situation is like over there, but this gave me a pretty good idea. 🙂)

coastalharbor6 said:Thanks for the info! 🙂 I ended up choosing a salad with Caesar dressing, so I’m not entirely sure what the lighting situation is like over there, but this gave me a pretty good idea. 🙂)

Lighting matters too. It’s nice to have at least a basic setup... once you have decent lighting, you don't have to overdo the table decor as much, and everything looks way better in photos.
I was debating whether to get the lighting or not, but we ended up pulling the trigger and getting it anyway.

Hannah Murphy11 said:I completely agree. A friend of mine used her for her wedding, and while I know she didn't pay a premium, her bouquet was honestly the most underwhelming arrangement I have ever seen in my entire life. On top of that, the floral decor scattered throughout the venue was absolute garbage. But the absolute worst part? My friend mentioned afterward that the florist went rogue and did something entirely different from what they had actually agreed upon. To me, that is the ultimate red flag—when someone you are paying simply ignores the contract. Mind you, that was back in 2013, so obviously, things could have changed significantly since then.

For my own wedding, I hired a local florist called TNT (located right below the Belvedere building). They handled my bouquet, the car decor, and the main head table, all for less than $1000, and I was beyond thrilled. I spent the entire evening telling everyone how perfect the head table looked. Not long after me, another friend got married and used them as well, and she was just as happy. The woman is professional, polite, unassuming, and truly knows her craft. She respects your vision and sticks to the agreement; she can replicate exactly what you show her in photos, and she offers great advice if you're feeling indecisive (which was me, since I only knew 😁)... I recommend her from the bottom of my heart. 👍

Edit: Oh, I almost forgot—every single florist I’ve spoken with includes vases, candle holders, and similar items in their pricing. I’m not sure if that is the industry standard or if I just happened to find the good ones

Man, now I'm confused. I actually came to this forum specifically looking for recommendations for Mis Florals, and now I don't know what to think 🤔🤦 It seems like everyone either loves her or hates her, haha. Her Facebook photos look great, but at the end of the day, it matters to me that everything turns out exactly how I envisioned it, stays true to the agreement, and that the lady is kind and easy to work with.

Ugh, I don't know what to do now 🤣

I don't really know, I usually just buy flowers from her whenever I need something and I honestly just hope she does a good job. I'm not really the type of person who leaves things up to chance or lets her just decide how she feels inspired... I have all the photos of exactly how I want things to look, though I suppose I leave her some room for her own touch... For instance, I went to Tiffany's once and for the exact same offer she asked me for $1833, and we just didn't really click. It wasn't that I got the impression she understood what I wanted, or that she was even particularly interested... so to me, she was a total disappointment, even if her work looks great in photos. She was actually the first one I ever went to... so I guess we all just have our own different experiences 🙂

Hannah Murphy11 said:I completely agree. A friend of mine used her for her wedding, and while I know she didn't pay a premium, her bouquet was honestly the most underwhelming arrangement I have ever seen in my entire life. On top of that, the floral decor scattered throughout the venue was absolute garbage. But the absolute worst part? My friend mentioned afterward that the florist went rogue and did something entirely different from what they had actually agreed upon. To me, that is the ultimate red flag—when someone you are paying simply ignores the contract. Mind you, that was back in 2013, so obviously, things could have changed significantly since then.

For my own wedding, I hired a local florist called TNT (located right below the Belvedere building). They handled my bouquet, the car decor, and the main head table, all for less than $1000, and I was beyond thrilled. I spent the entire evening telling everyone how perfect the head table looked. Not long after me, another friend got married and used them as well, and she was just as happy. The woman is professional, polite, unassuming, and truly knows her craft. She respects your vision and sticks to the agreement; she can replicate exactly what you show her in photos, and she offers great advice if you're feeling indecisive (which was me, since I only knew 😁)... I recommend her from the bottom of my heart. 👍

Edit: Oh, I almost forgot—every single florist I’ve spoken with includes vases, candle holders, and similar items in their pricing. I’m not sure if that is the industry standard or if I just happened to find the good ones

I finally just went ahead and booked MediaRent for $1167, mostly because I honestly don't have the mental energy left to obsess over what might go wrong or how everything will turn out... I know they're reliable since they've worked at this venue before, and they'll coordinate with my photographer and videographer, so that should be that 🙂. Honestly, Semper Fi kept asking me $967 and he's actually been such a pleasant and easygoing guy to deal with... He did mention he has some slightly lower-end gear, but if you're just looking for something decent, I think you'll be perfectly fine... It’s probably best if you just meet him in person and have a chat
.

coastalharbor6 said:What does Samuel charge? I’m not looking to overspend, just something decent.

uh.. I’ve also caught a few comments here and there suggesting the food wasn't actually that great... but then on the flip side, I keep hearing things about how it's from Arcade, that famous chef Miro Bogdanovic, and that the food is supposedly top-tier. I guess we'll just have to see. ☕

amberhawk60 said:Everything is great except the food.
I've heard plenty of bad things about the menu...

I really hope this info helps someone out! My initial thought was to host about 80 people, so I was hunting for a smaller hall or a nice restaurant. Even though the Nautic venue (Kašel gomilica, near the marina) can actually hold up to 250 people, I picked it simply because it’s stunning. The whole side is glassed in, offering this incredible view of the ocean and the marina. It's perfect for catering too—and naturally, you get a discount if you use their catering services. As for pricing, a classic menu depends on the headcount, but once you cross the 100-guest mark, you're looking at roughly $38 per person. For photography and video, I went with Unlimited Crew (Leo Bartulica) because, in my opinion, they are among the absolute best. (Megagraf is also top-tier). Now... the hardest part was choosing the band. I still haven't made a final call. But let's start from square one: I planned to set aside a maximum of $1,900 to $2,200. There are just so many options out there that it's overwhelming; honestly, even trying to listen to them all on YouTube gives me a headache, and by the time I finish the third band, I'm completely lost. So, I relied heavily on recommendations I gathered from everywhere, and I'll list the bands that received the most praise.

Pink Panther - gets the most praise ($2,300)
Barbary - lots of glowing reviews and great impressions, but I'm not particularly fond of her vocal tone, even though she seems like a very pleasant and approachable woman.
Best
Volare
Centrifuga
Twist off
Totem band - I think they're great ($1,850)
Euphoria ($2,200)
XXS band - Really good entertainers; they truly know how to get a crowd moving. Received plenty of compliments from friends.
Boss Ritam
Ritam kiše
jessy band
Taxy band
Mirko Bura
Mušac band

Other recommendations: Aura, Black Flash, Matko and Brane, Mediterranean, Ružin, los navika (super)

Just one thing: tastes vary wildly. What one person thinks is terrible, another might love, and vice versa. Narrow your choices down to three or four bands that catch your ear, listen to them on YouTube, arrange a time to hear them live, and you're done. Good luck!

PS: I'm still looking for: lighting, flowers, a makeup artist, and a wedding dress, obviously. If anyone has recommendations, I'd be grateful. Also, does anyone know where I can get fireworks? 🙄🙄