Everything you need for a California wedding

Thanks, but they don't have it at ST Offertiss, and honestly, I have zero creative bone in my body. I'd probably just screw it all up😁

Still on the hunt for a band and a photographer in ST. Every decent one is already booked—it’s an absolute nightmare 😢 I know exactly what vibe I want, but finding someone available is impossible.

Has anyone heard of Antea Mrčela? She seems a bit more modern to me..

Please, help me out 🙂

Noah James23, BTW, I found out you just have to notify the security guards when the cake arrives so they let the cars through, and that's it! And better yet—nothing needs to be paid 😉

Also looking for a makeup artist who won't make me look like a total freak. Come on, you bachelors from the San Francisco area, where are you hiding? 🙂

Ronald Anderson48 said:Thanks, but they don't have it at ST Offertiss, and honestly, I have zero creative bone in my body. I'd probably just screw it all up😁

Still on the hunt for a band and a photographer in ST. Every decent one is already booked—it’s an absolute nightmare 😢 I know exactly what vibe I want, but finding someone available is impossible.

Has anyone heard of Antea Mrčela? She seems a bit more modern to me..

Please, help me out 🙂

Noah James23, BTW, I found out you just have to notify the security guards when the cake arrives so they let the cars through, and that's it! And better yet—nothing needs to be paid 😉

Also looking for a makeup artist who won't make me look like a total freak. Come on, you bachelors from the San Francisco area, where are you hiding? 🙂

Oh, I was just about to write to you.
I went with the A2 size for the dream prints because there are so many of us... though I doubt everyone will actually leave one, haha. Her website is in German, but I'm pretty sure you can order in English or just reach out to them. As far as the photos go, the site doesn't show anything except our names and dates. The instruction sheet is in German, but I'll just print out my own version in English myself.
As for makeup, maybe check out Tina Kalinic, miss makeup, or Violeta Kekezovic... they seem great and you won't end up with that heavy, caked-on look.

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If I want to take photos at Sustipan, I don't need to apply for any special permits or anything like that, right?😬

redharbor5 said:If I want to take photos at Sustipan, I don't need to apply for any special permits or anything like that, right?😬

Nope, you're good. 🙂

That seems logical to me, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask anyway. Thanks 😁 😉

Noah James23 said:Oh, I was just about to write to you.
I went with the A2 size for the dream prints because there are so many of us... though I doubt everyone will actually leave one, haha. Her website is in German, but I'm pretty sure you can order in English or just reach out to them. As far as the photos go, the site doesn't show anything except our names and dates. The instruction sheet is in German, but I'll just print out my own version in English myself.
As for makeup, maybe check out Tina Kalinic, miss makeup, or Violeta Kekezovic... they seem great and you won't end up with that heavy, caked-on look.

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How much did everything end up costing you? And what's the shipping fee?

I’m going with Miss Makeup in the end. Seems straightforward enough, and they don't charge for trials the same way they do for weddings.

As for parking, I found out you just have to notify the security guards beforehand and they let you in without any issues. My thing is in September, so it won't be peak season. Just one less thing to worry about.🎉

What do you think about this instead of those dream prints? You can actually write names right on the hearts, leave a little note...

http://imageshack.com/a/img923/8729/rX01xZ.jpg

I saw that too. It’s kind of cute. But how does it actually work—do they just sign it and toss it in? Can you hang something like that up somewhere too?

I was actually going to go with the heart designs first, but there are just so many people involved that I don't think even half of us could fit our names on there and the prints with the photo and date ended up costing me about $34, though I have no clue what the shipping would run to here in the States

They’ll write some nonsense and claim they’ve got that tree too... about $83

I’m getting married in San Francisco this September. Since I’m not a local, I had to do some serious digging to figure out everything needed for the big day. Here’s a breakdown of what I found regarding florists:

Ivica Radan—super friendly guy and his prices are great because he charges per stem, but there's a catch: he only does arrangements. He doesn't handle any of the other wedding details I need, like table numbers, linens, lanterns by the water, or all those little extras.

Mirella—honestly, she left me with a bit of a bad taste in my mouth. She comes off as pretty arrogant, though that doesn't necessarily mean her work isn't good. Price-wise, she's on the higher end. To make matters worse, at the bottom of the quote, she just gave me one lump sum without a specific breakdown of costs.

Ira-Plodina—they have a massive selection of vases, candle holders, and various decor. They operate out of Plodina, which is a large florist chain with multiple locations. Their pricing is reasonable.

Lanterna—lovely ladies, very modern style, but definitely more expensive.

cvjećarnica Mis—never even got the quote I asked for, not even after following up once.

cvjećarnica Anda—Mrs. Ana has over 20 years of experience. She’s calm, easy to talk to, and was incredibly patient while showing me everything. She also has a huge inventory of vases and similar items. Her prices are fair, and everything is negotiable.

So, my partner is basically obsessed with how his suit looks. He was actually inches away from buying the exact same suit, shirt, and tie combo as the best man at the wedding yesterday... Ladies, please help a girl out—where are your men getting their sharpest fits?

You’d be wise to give mister motati a very wide berth... Seriously. He sold him two different suits, and both times the pants split right at the crotch by morning—literally sewn together for a single use, and don't even get me started on the price tag. When he tried to file a complaint, they just offered him the exact same crappy pants again, but what's the point when the quality is non-existent? The jackets were just as bad; honestly, a blind person would have given him a better cut, but the guy wouldn't even let me—or any of the "women in the family"—go with him to help. To top it all off, they talked him into $200 shoes—for a guy who's 6'7", 220 lbs, and wears a size 13—that basically kill his feet after two or three hours once they start to warm up. At the end of the day, all that matters to them was making the sale so she could collect her commission.

Amy Evans64 said:So, my partner is basically obsessed with how his suit looks. He was actually inches away from buying the exact same suit, shirt, and tie combo as the best man at the wedding yesterday... Ladies, please help a girl out—where are your men getting their sharpest fits?

Mine came from Veštit. It's in the city, down that street you take when you're walking from the bookstore toward the fruit market. Suit is fine. We're happy enough.

Megan Bishop3 said:This is actually weighing on me quite a bit.
I'm stuck on when and how to handle giving out thank-you notes, and also managing all the gifts coming in..🤔.
I mean, regarding cash envelopes—since those bringing larger items, maybe more sentimental things like framed photos,
usually arrange to drop them off either right before or after the reception.

I know in places like the Midwest or Washington, D.C., they sometimes go through these massive marathons of gift-giving where guests just line up to congratulate the couple... we definitely don't want that. And like Scott Jones mentioned,
the tradition is usually that people give their gift as they leave, and you provide a thank-you in return.

So, I'm wondering where to put everything... maybe a box on the table that was mentioned earlier? Or should I just hand them off to the parents or the best man... if anyone has any creative suggestions, I'd be grateful.🎉

In San Francisco at weddings, people are bringing envelopes the whole damn time. In our family, we assigned Grandma to handle the first part of the day, and then whenever an envelope comes in, you hand it to the parents, the best man/maid of honor, or siblings (whoever is nearby) so they can pass it to Grandma, who keeps a large bag she refuses to let go of. At the venue, we just kept passing the envelopes to the parents.

Hey everyone,

Well, our big day finally happened, so I figured I’d hop on here and give you all the lowdown on how everything went. 🙂

The wedding took place out in beautiful California at the Knight Hotel. Honestly, I can't recommend them enough—the food was incredible, the servers were lightning-fast and super friendly, and the whole vibe was just top-tier.
During the cocktail hour, we had Kraken performing, and man, those guys were awesome.
As for the desserts and the wedding cake, we went with Dolce & Gabbana. I honestly couldn't tell if they looked better or tasted better; everything was gone in a flash. We really couldn't have picked a better option.
Later that night, The Ramones took the stage, and they played the exact setlist we had agreed upon. They didn't take any massive breaks either, kept the energy high, and the dance floor was absolutely packed from start to finish until 5 in the morning.
Our photographer was photo Zumba. We haven't received the actual photo book yet, so I can't speak to that part, but so far, we are extremely happy with the shots.
Starlight handled the lighting, which was also really solid; everything went exactly according to plan.
Photo Fun Split provided the photo booth, and let me tell you, it was a total hit! It was such a blast, and we actually used their stuff for our thank-you favors too.
For the ballroom decor, the seating chart, the invitations, and all that good stuff, we worked with a crew of girls from Washington, D.C., specifically m2 Floral design. They did a phenomenal job; seriously, everyone was commenting on how beautiful the room looked—they've never seen anything like it.
I got my suit at Galileo.
The wedding dress was rented in NYC from the Artajan boutique. It’s this wonderful little shop run by a mother and daughter who are just the sweetest people ever, and their dresses are stunning and in perfect condition.

Anyway, I hope this breakdown helps someone out, because we were genuinely thrilled with every single vendor we chose.

Thanks

If you can, please list out the prices—especially for the choirs, that band Square, and the lighting setup 🙂

Susan Jones6 said:Thanks

If you can, please list out the prices—especially for the choirs, that band Square, and the lighting setup 🙂

We paid $867 for the choir, $2,000 for Square, and $350 for the lighting.

Greetings,

This forum was a lifesaver during the planning stages, so now that the dust has finally settled, I’m here to drop my unfiltered thoughts on everything.

Victoria's Secret Wedding Dress - San Francisco: Look, you can negotiate almost anything until the dress is actually in your possession. Then, suddenly, a few days before the reception, everything turns into a massive headache. When I first tried it on, a button was missing—thank God the maid of honor managed to camouflage it. And the contract? Good grief. Once they get the dress back, they start scrutinizing every inch just to see if they can squeeze more money out of you. The little girl's dress price doubled in forty-eight hours, just like that. To top it off, I had the dress from Thursday (reception was Friday) and barely kept it until Tuesday morning, even though it was supposed to be returned by Monday.
Galileo Suits: Picked this up during one of their sales. The staff was decent; they even swapped out a shirt a couple of days late without a fuss because my husband put on a few pounds.
Makeup - MAC Cosmetics: Absolutely thrilled. Everything stayed perfectly in place all night, and the price was reasonable.
Hair - ExxonMobil Hair Studio: The stylists were fantastic. My hair held up flawlessly, and the pricing was fair.
Catering - Compass Group: There was plenty of food, and it tasted great.
Bath & Body Works Band: Since I've seen them perform at numerous receptions, I thought I knew what to expect, but at mine, they were incredibly disinterested. They even showed up on the day of the reception trying to rush us so they wouldn't have to wait after the service (even though we had an agreement and they were already paid!). We had to firmly explain that wasn't acceptable before they agreed to stay. That attitude on the big day was a huge strike against them; I wouldn't recommend them to anyone.
Saint Anthony Church: Father Tomislav was wonderful, and the mass was beautiful.
Sky Hall: The manager was excellent. We went with a classic menu, and everyone raved about the food (especially the lamb and the prosciutto). The servers were attentive and always available, the drinks were top-shelf, and they even took back our leftovers. Total thumbs up!!!
Fleetwood Mac and Ivo Band: Classically good, as always. I've caught them at about ten different weddings.
1-800-Flowers: The venue looked stunning, but they were incredibly stubborn about my design ideas. They refused to adapt to my vision, so I ended up having to handle the decorations for the pool area and the Compass Group setup myself.
Victoria's Secret Bouquet: Won this through a giveaway; it was gorgeous.
I handled the invitations and thank-you notes personally.
Semper Fi Lighting: Everything was fine, though it took me ten days to realize we didn't have the smoke machine effect that was explicitly stated in our contract.
Desserts - Godiva: Phenomenal treats. Every single one was eaten, and the price was acceptable.
Entenmann's Cookies: Delicious and beautifully decorated; every cent was worth it.
Wedding Cake - New York Cheesecake: All praise to them for both the look and the taste of the cake.
We are still waiting on the photos and video, so I will write an update on that later.

Best to everyone,

Greetings, everyone,

Does anyone happen to know where I might be able to rent some beverage coolers (the kind you typically see in bars or cafes)? I’m aware that soda distributors have them and that you can sometimes talk your way into getting one from them, but I would much prefer a straightforward rental option if such a thing exists...
Any information at all would be greatly appreciated 🙂