Everything you need for a California wedding

There are plenty of decent halls around the San Francisco area for about $30 a head—honestly, some are quite nice. You can also find photographers who won't break the bank. Personally, I worked with two photographers, and for everything—video, a photo book, albums for the parents, five DVDs all on USB sticks tucked away in a wooden chest, plus a framed print of their choice as a gift—it only cost me $10,000. Instead of wasting money on thank-you cards we didn't really need, we had them put that extra budget toward a beautiful album for the wedding party rather.

Gary Reed9 said:I’m helping out an organization right now...
In Phoenix, Arizona, you’re looking at $34 per chair—Doris is charging $36, Catherine is north of $50, and once you get into San Francisco, expect to pay anywhere from $40 to $60.

Jukica Photography is running about $900 for one photographer and a small album, $1,000 for a mid-sized album, or $1,200 if you want two photographers and a large album. Add $500 for a videographer, plus maybe another $50–$60 per album for the wedding party or parents...

Bonačić Photography is roughly $2000 + $167 - $667 depending on how big the album is.
Video is around $1667...

Basically, everyone is hovering around the $1,000 mark just for photography.
And then you’ve got another $500 to $1,000 for video work.

The Bura Band is $1,900 for a five-piece.

Some people are going to charge you up to $3,000, regardless.

+ obviously, there are chairs for the band members too.

Misha, is the photographer quoting in dollars or euros?

The deposit is that amount, and the entire package mentioned above comes to $10,000.

Thanks, everyone.

Scott Jones—I’m gonna reach out to Misha in the next few days. If he's actually free during my slot next year, I'm totally booking him. I'm a huge fan of his style.

Susan Jones6 said:Thanks, everyone.

Scott Jones—I’m gonna reach out to Misha in the next few days. If he's actually free during my slot next year, I'm totally booking him. I'm a huge fan of his style.

The Guy is wonderful! We hit it off so well that I can hardly wait for the party. Honestly, you'll see for yourself.🙂 What's your date again?

His photos are killer, and honestly, the price looks like a total steal compared to everyone else out there.

I’m thinking about dropping him an email right now to see if he’s actually available, just so I know whether I need to keep hunting.
Man, I really hope he's free.
09/29/2018

If anyone has any fresh intel on that church over in Manhattan, it would be a huge help.🙂
Also, when can I actually go sign up and get everything sorted?

Susan Jones6 said:His photos are killer, and honestly, the price looks like a total steal compared to everyone else out there.

I’m thinking about dropping him an email right now to see if he’s actually available, just so I know whether I need to keep hunting.
Man, I really hope he's free.
09/29/2018

If anyone has any fresh intel on that church over in Manhattan, it would be a huge help.🙂
Also, when can I actually go sign up and get everything sorted?

Just send him a DM on Meta, reach out right away! 😉

Man, thanks a million! Seriously, I owe you one! 🙂

ironsurfer15 said:Hey everyone!

I honestly don't get why there aren't specific subforums for different areas like Los Angeles-San Diego-San Francisco, because trying to find anything here is a nightmare! 😠 I've been scrolling forever trying to find some wedding venue recommendations in San Diego, but I can't find anything useful or even current. Someone recently asked about experiences at Miami Beach club and it looks like they never got a reply (by the way, I did a quick Google search and apparently the place is actually shut down right now due to some inspection issue ☕

Anyway, I'm on the hunt for a wedding spot. I'm definitely not looking for big banquet halls like Anna or Tony or whatever, but since I haven't lived in San Diego for a while, I'm pretty out of the loop on local spots. Ideally, I'd love something more intimate—maybe a family estate, a villa, or something similar that fits about 100-150 people max. I stumbled upon Black Rock Tavern while searching and it looks really cute, so if anyone has been there, please let me know what you think!!😉
Or maybe a hotel, like Penelope? It seems nice since it's right by the water... and maybe the Four Seasons too, though I have a feeling that might be a bit pricey...🤔

Thanks in advance!!🙂

We actually already put down a deposit at Malibu Beach for next year. We're just hoping the whole inspection situation gets cleared up soon because the owner is seriously awesome 🙂. We're planning on having an outdoor ceremony with an officiant right there on-site. As for Black Rock Tavern, I can definitely vouch for them since the owner is our neighbor. For flowers, Dora is hands down the best choice 🙂. A friend of mine got married at the Marriott, but unfortunately, the weather was so bad they had to move everything indoors. It cost about $70 per person, and they were actually really happy with how it turned out 🙂.

Honestly, what’s the verdict on them? Do they actually know how to host a decent wedding?
If anyone here has actually been to one of their weddings or heard any firsthand accounts, I’d love to hear the tea. Thanks!

Hey, is forum buddy chunky still playing for the Kraken?

If they are, someone tell them to hit me up—I could really use some help with...

Hey there, I was just wondering if anyone here has caught a live set by Topco lately? Like, maybe in the last few months.
On one hand, I’ve been hearing nothing but glowing reviews—people saying they're absolutely killer—but then on the flip side, I hear some folks saying they were kind of a snooze, or that their song list was pretty thin... I'm honestly a bit stumped on which way to lean 🤔

David Torres7 said:We actually already put down a deposit at Malibu Beach for next year. We're just hoping the whole inspection situation gets cleared up soon because the owner is seriously awesome 🙂. We're planning on having an outdoor ceremony with an officiant right there on-site. As for Black Rock Tavern, I can definitely vouch for them since the owner is our neighbor. For flowers, Dora is hands down the best choice 🙂. A friend of mine got married at the Marriott, but unfortunately, the weather was so bad they had to move everything indoors. It cost about $70 per person, and they were actually really happy with how it turned out 🙂.

Finally got an answer! Thanks so much!!🙏

You mentioned Stone is a decent spot, but do you actually know how big that space really is? I'm trying to figure out if it can actually hold around 100 to 150 people, or if it’s more of a small-group kind of vibe.
And here’s another question that probably sounds pretty silly, but I gotta ask—how far in advance did you guys put down your deposits? Your wedding isn't even until next year, so was it really necessary to book everything that early?

Honestly, I'm feeling the same way about ZARA—it’s got such a great vibe right by the water. I'm really crossing my fingers that everything gets sorted out before the wedding! 👍

Aaron Reyes6 said:Does anyone have any recent experiences or feedback regarding the Eufor group?

I hit up a wedding this past Saturday, and honestly? It was a 2 out of 5 for me. The setlist was just a disaster—they were playing everything from Thompson to Rozga, even looping through "Walkin' on Sunshine." On the bright side, they were serving P. Dragojevic beer and had a female vocalist, which I was actually looking forward to since I rarely attend weddings. But this whole thing? Just total 💩

Hey everyone,

We just got some 5x7 inch prints made from our wedding photos at a local CVS. Honestly, finding decent photo albums in Indianapolis that actually fit that specific size—you know, the kind where you slide the photos in rather than having to glue them down—is surprisingly difficult.

Does anyone happen to know where I can pick some up locally or maybe order them online?

Thanks 🙂

ironsurfer15 said:Finally got an answer! Thanks so much!!🙏

You mentioned Stone is a decent spot, but do you actually know how big that space really is? I'm trying to figure out if it can actually hold around 100 to 150 people, or if it’s more of a small-group kind of vibe.
And here’s another question that probably sounds pretty silly, but I gotta ask—how far in advance did you guys put down your deposits? Your wedding isn't even until next year, so was it really necessary to book everything that early?

Honestly, I'm feeling the same way about ZARA—it’s got such a great vibe right by the water. I'm really crossing my fingers that everything gets sorted out before the wedding! 👍

I honestly think 100 guests would fit in there without a problem, so your best bet is probably just to hit them up on Facebook to double check, maybe even grab a coffee with them so you can get the real scoop firsthand, plus the venue has this old-school Stone feel that gives off such a great rustic vibe which would look incredible once it's all decorated 🙂. As for the deposit, we actually locked ours in 15 months ahead of time because that spot is incredibly popular, and we just wanted to be absolutely certain and handle all the logistics since there's so much coordination involved, so I went ahead and booked the restaurant, the officiant, and the photographer all at once, though looking at this forum it seems like plenty of other people are booking this far out too 🙂. Thanks, and we're crossing our fingers that things work out 🙂.

David Torres7 said:I honestly think 100 guests would fit in there without a problem, so your best bet is probably just to hit them up on Facebook to double check, maybe even grab a coffee with them so you can get the real scoop firsthand, plus the venue has this old-school Stone feel that gives off such a great rustic vibe which would look incredible once it's all decorated 🙂. As for the deposit, we actually locked ours in 15 months ahead of time because that spot is incredibly popular, and we just wanted to be absolutely certain and handle all the logistics since there's so much coordination involved, so I went ahead and booked the restaurant, the officiant, and the photographer all at once, though looking at this forum it seems like plenty of other people are booking this far out too 🙂. Thanks, and we're crossing our fingers that things work out 🙂.

👍

restlessmoose said:Hey everyone, I’ve got a wedding coming up at the end of April next year and I'm hunting for a DJ.

DJ Double is out. Based on your comments, he won't play the stuff we actually want to hear at our wedding. So, I need the real scoop: what are the others like? What kind of music do they spin, how do they handle the flow of the night, how do they keep the energy up, what are we looking at price-wise, etc.?

I'm looking into DJ Khaled, DJ Snake, DJ Marshmello, and that Wedding DJ company. If you have other recs, throw them my way. Just starting my research, so any advice helps.

Actually, Duplo does weddings—he brings a second DJ if needed to play everything he refuses to touch. He sticks to his specific "Lost Generation" vibe and he's a master at it; the only issue is his price tag starts at $5,000+, which might be too steep for some.

Out of those three others, DJ Fly is my top pick—he and his wife specialize exclusively in weddings (Semper Fi). As for Khaled and Jazzy Jeff, they aren't really my style for a wedding.

Susan Jones6 said:His photos are killer, and honestly, the price looks like a total steal compared to everyone else out there.

I’m thinking about dropping him an email right now to see if he’s actually available, just so I know whether I need to keep hunting.
Man, I really hope he's free.
09/29/2018

If anyone has any fresh intel on that church over in Manhattan, it would be a huge help.🙂
Also, when can I actually go sign up and get everything sorted?

Signing up for a wedding? Look, first off, the priest has to actually agree to marry you there before any registration happens. That church was one of our options. Basically, you call them up and ask if they're free on your date. After that, the priest is going to grill you about whether you're part of that specific parish, and if you aren't, he’ll want to know why you're so dead set on getting married right there. Pro tip—don't make my mistake by telling them you just love the view. Apparently, "it looks nice" isn't a valid enough reason for them. 😂 Luckily, we found out later that there used to be a graveyard on the property, so honestly, I'm not even sorry we didn't go through with it there, despite how great the scenery is.😁

Wait, are they actually turning you down? 😲
When are you even supposed to go sign up?

I mean, I’m just gonna swing by to see if they're even open to the idea. I gotta figure out the catering situation too, and I'll probably drag my mom along since the guy works on a cruise ship...
So, I'm definitely not mentioning the location yet 🤣

But what am I supposed to do if the venue is perfect but the people are just... meh?
Now I gotta figure out how to make that all work together 🤔

They didn't actually turn us down, though I've heard stories from other people who couldn't book that church because they weren't part of the local parish. When I called them, the guy was pretty hesitant; he kept saying everything depends on things, that he needs to meet us in person first before making any calls... We never even bothered going back because I just didn't have the patience for it, honestly. I was too busy obsessing over getting married at that old cemetery with the killer view. We basically just walked away ourselves.☕ Maybe you need to be more persistent, but just don't bring up the location or the scenery.😉 Just tell them you have deep respect for Saint Stephen.😁