Everything you need for a California wedding

coastalharbor6 said:You really have to pay them to set up the church, I think it’s $67..

We have our wedding before us, so if the church ends up being renovated by then, do we still have to pay for decor? And who am I even supposed to coordinate all this with, and when?
Also, I really want someone to sing during the ceremony—where can I find info on that? We found a duo, but $133 paying them just for a few songs feels like way too much. Even just having one song during the processional would be great so it isn't dead silent.

Does anyone have recommendations for a musician to perform during the wedding procession before the ceremony? Looking in the San Francisco Bay Area area. 😁

steelheron10 said:We have our wedding before us, so if the church ends up being renovated by then, do we still have to pay for decor? And who am I even supposed to coordinate all this with, and when?
Also, I really want someone to sing during the ceremony—where can I find info on that? We found a duo, but $133 paying them just for a few songs feels like way too much. Even just having one song during the processional would be great so it isn't dead silent.

We actually had a wedding right before us once, and yeah, you still have to pay. 😉
You’ll need to coordinate all of that directly with the priest.

As for the music, that's also something to discuss with the priest. He asked us if we wanted someone to sing or if we had our own musicians... we didn't have anyone, and honestly, we didn't want anyone either.

"We hired" a local lady to play the entrance music and the Alleluia... you know, the standard stuff.🙂

Hey everyone, where did you guys end up getting your wedding bands? Looking for some solid recommendations here.
Thanks

coastalharbor6 said:We actually had a wedding right before us once, and yeah, you still have to pay. 😉
You’ll need to coordinate all of that directly with the priest.

As for the music, that's also something to discuss with the priest. He asked us if we wanted someone to sing or if we had our own musicians... we didn't have anyone, and honestly, we didn't want anyone either.

"We hired" a local lady to play the entrance music and the Alleluia... you know, the standard stuff.🙂

Got it, thanks so much!🙂
Regarding rings, we haven't picked ours up yet, but we've checked out quite a few spots around town. We liked the selection at Tiffany & Co. best, along with that little jewelry shop near the main post office in San Francisco. Most places offer some kind of discount (whether you use cash or card), but those two felt like the best fit for us. Oh, and there's also a great deal at a jeweler on the waterfront that isn't too pricey.

Hi everyone!

I was wondering if anyone might have some recommendations for a wedding venue in the Seattle area or somewhere nearby... ideally for a group of about 100 guests... and if you happen to know anything regarding the typical price ranges for those kinds of spaces

Thanks so much in advance!

Hey everyone, hope you're all doing well.🙂 I’m dropping in here because I could really use some advice—if anyone is willing to share some ideas...
The plan is to tie the knot this December. I absolutely love the December vibe and that whole Christmas atmosphere. But honestly? I have zero interest in the traditional wedding circus—no formal reveries, no fancy invitations, no photo studio sessions, and definitely none of that band setup. I just can't deal with all those rigid procedures, the rehearsals, the bouquet tosses, and that endless "this happens, then that follows" sequence. It sounds incredibly stressful to me. We're looking at about 100 guests, so calling it a "simple dinner" feels a bit dishonest—it's still a big group. People say there should be music and food, but I have no clue how to actually pull it off. Should I be scouting out high-end restaurants or looking for private event spaces? I'm feeling pretty overwhelmed by the whole thing, so if anyone has a vision for how to do this without the headache, I'd be super grateful.🙂

Look, you can cram that many people into a banquet hall,
but restaurants? Not always. So, do yourself a favor: scout out some spots that can actually handle a crowd of 100, pick the one that doesn't look like a total dump, and call it a day.

And please, for the love of god, make sure there's variety. You can't just serve one single dish all night long. 😬
Honestly, though, that’s not even your headache—that's on the restaurant to figure out.

Just grab a playlist or talk to the DJ about what kind of music they *shouldn't* play, and boom, problem solved.
As for photos, favors, or fancy invites? If you don't want to deal with that crap, don't. It's your party.

Bottom line: get a move on. A hundred people is no joke—it's basically a mid-sized wedding, and bands and venues book up faster than you can blink.
The silver lining of planning 12 months out is that you won't be fighting for dates during peak wedding season, so some halls and restaurants might even give you a decent winter discount.

Hey there. Has anyone actually done a wedding at the Radisson in San Francisco? The vibe looks incredible, so I’m curious if anyone here has been through it...

Robin Hughes91 said:Hey everyone, hope you're all doing well.🙂 I’m dropping in here because I could really use some advice—if anyone is willing to share some ideas...
The plan is to tie the knot this December. I absolutely love the December vibe and that whole Christmas atmosphere. But honestly? I have zero interest in the traditional wedding circus—no formal reveries, no fancy invitations, no photo studio sessions, and definitely none of that band setup. I just can't deal with all those rigid procedures, the rehearsals, the bouquet tosses, and that endless "this happens, then that follows" sequence. It sounds incredibly stressful to me. We're looking at about 100 guests, so calling it a "simple dinner" feels a bit dishonest—it's still a big group. People say there should be music and food, but I have no clue how to actually pull it off. Should I be scouting out high-end restaurants or looking for private event spaces? I'm feeling pretty overwhelmed by the whole thing, so if anyone has a vision for how to do this without the headache, I'd be super grateful.🙂

We wanted to dodge all those traditional wedding tropes too, so we decided to just head to the courthouse and then grab lunch with our family and godparents. Just a normal lunch without all the formal courses. Then, for later that evening (or maybe the next day), we were thinking about renting out a venue. Apparently, there's a great spot right by the water in Manhattan (I don't know the area that well, so I'm not sure of the name, maybe something like "Cvrčak"?). We want to skip the classic seated tables and just do a buffet style where people can cycle through the food whenever they want, no pressure. We'd probably just hire someone to play some music, find a place with a nice atmosphere, and call it a day. No massive production, just short, sweet, and done.

Yeah, putting a cricket right by the Atlantic Ocean under a hotel? Not exactly a stroke of genius.

I’ve already commented on another thread regarding this—we aren't doing a traditional wedding either. We’re looking at about 100 guests. We decided on a venue roughly an hour and a half away from where we live, so everyone is staying overnight. We will be meeting at a church (my fiancé actually went as far as saying he doesn't even want to see a photographer before 😁), and after the ceremony, we head straight to the venue to gather and toast. Once people find their seats, dinner will be served. During the meal, an acoustic duo will play just to set the mood, and if anyone feels like dancing, they are more than welcome to 🙂 There will be no announcements, no anthems, no prayers (why would we pray if we left the church an hour earlier?), no banners, nothing. There isn't even a sweetheart table for the couple 😁 We’ll have a standard table just like everyone else. The last two courses will follow a buffet-style format to ensure nobody falls asleep; I’ve included various pastas and gnocchi for the third course, and the final course will be a grill prepared outdoors in a specialized pit, so people can grab food as it’s being cooked.

Around midnight, the DJ arrives. Those who want to dance will stay and dance, and those who want to go home will go home. We have zero intention of forcing anyone into anything. The only "protocol" we have planned is cutting the cake—again, without any of those "drink up" toasts or tacky traditions; we’ll just cut the cake and be done with it.

It was incredibly important to me that this happens in the summer and outdoors, simply because open spaces create a much more relaxed atmosphere. People can stand up, take a stroll, or sit in some lounge chairs to chat with those who aren't sitting at their table... In the event of rain, everything moves indoors, but since the date is July 22nd, I am honestly hoping the weather cooperates. But even if it snows, we are getting married, and having only our closest people there is what truly matters.

The bottom line is this: do it however you want. Think about which arrangement makes you feel most comfortable. Anything is possible. Even though we are paying for overnight accommodations for 100 people, the total cost hasn't been excessive at all; it’s going to be twice as cheap as what some people spend on weddings in San Francisco. And most importantly—it will be exactly how we want it.

vividotter12 said:I’ve already commented on another thread regarding this—we aren't doing a traditional wedding either. We’re looking at about 100 guests. We decided on a venue roughly an hour and a half away from where we live, so everyone is staying overnight. We will be meeting at a church (my fiancé actually went as far as saying he doesn't even want to see a photographer before 😁), and after the ceremony, we head straight to the venue to gather and toast. Once people find their seats, dinner will be served. During the meal, an acoustic duo will play just to set the mood, and if anyone feels like dancing, they are more than welcome to 🙂 There will be no announcements, no anthems, no prayers (why would we pray if we left the church an hour earlier?), no banners, nothing. There isn't even a sweetheart table for the couple 😁 We’ll have a standard table just like everyone else. The last two courses will follow a buffet-style format to ensure nobody falls asleep; I’ve included various pastas and gnocchi for the third course, and the final course will be a grill prepared outdoors in a specialized pit, so people can grab food as it’s being cooked.

Around midnight, the DJ arrives. Those who want to dance will stay and dance, and those who want to go home will go home. We have zero intention of forcing anyone into anything. The only "protocol" we have planned is cutting the cake—again, without any of those "drink up" toasts or tacky traditions; we’ll just cut the cake and be done with it.

It was incredibly important to me that this happens in the summer and outdoors, simply because open spaces create a much more relaxed atmosphere. People can stand up, take a stroll, or sit in some lounge chairs to chat with those who aren't sitting at their table... In the event of rain, everything moves indoors, but since the date is July 22nd, I am honestly hoping the weather cooperates. But even if it snows, we are getting married, and having only our closest people there is what truly matters.

The bottom line is this: do it however you want. Think about which arrangement makes you feel most comfortable. Anything is possible. Even though we are paying for overnight accommodations for 100 people, the total cost hasn't been excessive at all; it’s going to be twice as cheap as what some people spend on weddings in San Francisco. And most importantly—it will be exactly how we want it.

Same here. Similar plan, except we haven't found our venue yet. Unless you're keeping it a secret, everywhere we look is either massive, overpriced, or way too small. We'll have about 80 people.

Hey, could I get some advice regarding makeup and hair? Does anyone here have any actual experience working with that stylist I saw on Facebook—the one who seems to be doing incredible work? As for the hair, I was looking at D-art and they seem pretty solid, but does anyone happen to know more about them?...

steelheron10 said:Same here. Similar plan, except we haven't found our venue yet. Unless you're keeping it a secret, everywhere we look is either massive, overpriced, or way too small. We'll have about 80 people.

Yeah, tell me about it. Same vibe. We're hunting for something similar, but honestly, it feels like anywhere around the San Francisco Bay Area or Santa Barbara, if a spot can hold a hundred people, it's just some generic, boring banquet hall.

not a person

Keith Gomez9 said:We wanted to dodge all those traditional wedding tropes too, so we decided to just head to the courthouse and then grab lunch with our family and godparents. Just a normal lunch without all the formal courses. Then, for later that evening (or maybe the next day), we were thinking about renting out a venue. Apparently, there's a great spot right by the water in Manhattan (I don't know the area that well, so I'm not sure of the name, maybe something like "Cvrčak"?). We want to skip the classic seated tables and just do a buffet style where people can cycle through the food whenever they want, no pressure. We'd probably just hire someone to play some music, find a place with a nice atmosphere, and call it a day. No massive production, just short, sweet, and done.

Good grief, you’d probably pay through the nose for a slice of that pizza right about now.🙏🙏🙏😁
How would you even go about setting up a target range for the local crowd? We’ve still got that church right there in Manhattan—it’s basically our neighborhood. Honestly, thanks for the idea. If we could actually get the locals to agree on something, this would be the perfect spot. Thanks. 🙂

Adam Hayes9 said:Hey there. Has anyone actually done a wedding at the Radisson in San Francisco? The vibe looks incredible, so I’m curious if anyone here has been through it...

I had mine on the outdoor VIP deck, which was stunning. The food was decent—I really hope it was enough, because I told them about a hundred times that I wasn't paying those prices if they were going to run out of food. I'd heard rumors about small portions and poor service. Honestly, the food and the service were the only things that actually went according to plan. Everything else was a mess; they made so many mistakes that they seriously stressed me out on the actual wedding day. I wasn't nitpicking the tiny details, either. I'm talking about big stuff—like the vegetarians didn't get a meal, or guests having to cut their own cake. We specifically agreed on all of that four days before the reception. This isn't exactly a budget hotel, so you'd expect better for the money we paid. It was pretty unprofessional, though the outdoor setting was lovely. If I'd been inside, I don't know what would have made the experience better. It’s just unsettling when you realize on your wedding day that the things you explicitly agreed upon aren't being honored.

Ladies, what’s the best way to decorate a hall, a church, and a car on a budget? Should I even bother asking here?

Hey, does anyone recognize where this wedding took place? http://marinkovic-weddings.com/jelenamarko-in-split/

Also, does anyone actually know any spots that work for this? I’m looking for somewhere outdoors—maybe an oceanfront terrace or even a ranch/farm setting out near San Francisco or Savannah. Needs to be places you’ve actually been to and know aren't total disasters. Has anyone dealt with General Mills over in Santa Monica, or maybe one of those spots in Malibu like Miami, Nevada, Austin, or San Antonio?..
Around 130-150 people