Everything you need for a California wedding

Keith Thomas65 said:The Beatles

🙂 👍

I have a bit of a dilemma. I heard they aren't really into playing folk music. It’s not that I’m asking them to perform four sets of that style, but I would love to have at least some of it included. If you know whether they play variety hits, I might reach out to them. Then again, since I managed to snag a date in August, maybe there won't be much luck finding bands or photographers. It seems like wedding season peaks in the summer rather than the winter, so availability is tough.

As for the wedding dress, I was a bridesmaid for a Glamorous Bride recently, and honestly, I have no comments. My friend sent over photos of what she wanted to see and try on ahead of time so they could have everything ready for her appointment. You wouldn't believe it, but none of the sizes fit her. Two dresses were beautiful, just not the ones she actually wanted. So, we kept looking. "Can she try this one?" "Unfortunately, no, it's too small." It was exhausting; you'd think I was the one having the fitting. In any case, I'll probably skip them next time. Personally, I'd prefer to have something custom-made, but I don't have a clue about the costs. When you look at renting, it's maybe around $4$1667 max. If anyone has some insight, that would be great. 😁

Kyle Campbell3 said:🙂 👍

I have a bit of a dilemma. I heard they aren't really into playing folk music. It’s not that I’m asking them to perform four sets of that style, but I would love to have at least some of it included. If you know whether they play variety hits, I might reach out to them. Then again, since I managed to snag a date in August, maybe there won't be much luck finding bands or photographers. It seems like wedding season peaks in the summer rather than the winter, so availability is tough.

As for the wedding dress, I was a bridesmaid for a Glamorous Bride recently, and honestly, I have no comments. My friend sent over photos of what she wanted to see and try on ahead of time so they could have everything ready for her appointment. You wouldn't believe it, but none of the sizes fit her. Two dresses were beautiful, just not the ones she actually wanted. So, we kept looking. "Can she try this one?" "Unfortunately, no, it's too small." It was exhausting; you'd think I was the one having the fitting. In any case, I'll probably skip them next time. Personally, I'd prefer to have something custom-made, but I don't have a clue about the costs. When you look at renting, it's maybe around $4$1667 max. If anyone has some insight, that would be great. 😁

I was at a Glamorous Bride wedding recently serving as a bridesmaid, and let me tell you, the service was absolutely abysmal. It was easily the most disrespectful treatment I’ve experienced compared to any other venue. Honestly, they aren't even worth a single cent.

When it comes to custom sewing, I opted for something a bit more understated—a wedding dress that hit just below the knee—and the total cost ended up being... $800 So, even if you decide to go for one of those more extravagant options, I suspect you still won't end up blowing the budget on the rental, right?

frozenbadger32 said:I was at a Glamorous Bride wedding recently serving as a bridesmaid, and let me tell you, the service was absolutely abysmal. It was easily the most disrespectful treatment I’ve experienced compared to any other venue. Honestly, they aren't even worth a single cent.

When it comes to custom sewing, I opted for something a bit more understated—a wedding dress that hit just below the knee—and the total cost ended up being... $800 So, even if you decide to go for one of those more extravagant options, I suspect you still won't end up blowing the budget on the rental, right?

Yeah, the whole thing was a massive headache. You show up, and since everyone is already dealing with limited sizing and other constraints, they really should at least be upfront about things. It felt like we wasted so much time for nothing. But hey, at least now I know I won't be stepping foot in there again. I have no clue what the going rate is for a custom wedding dress, but if the numbers are what you're saying, that sounds like a great deal. I still have some time before January, so there's no real rush or panic yet. 😵 Thanks for the heads-up. 🙂

Back again 🤔
I’m currently torn between Tip Top and Bura Band. Has anyone here actually worked with them? There’s a $400 price gap between the two. I’m really leaning toward Bura because they have an accordion player—I was thinking it might be worth having the accordionist join the band for at least an hour during the reception just to switch up the vibe.

We had some heavy winds blowing through during our event, but those guys were absolutely stellar... They’re adaptable, young, laid-back, and just genuinely fun—he even hopped down onto the stage with an accordion, and the energy was just insane. They were still playing the next morning for anyone who wanted to jump in for some karaoke (we actually had a few hidden gems among our guests 😁). They even learned a well-known song for the first dance since they didn't know it beforehand; we chatted quite a bit on Facebook about all the little specifics and what we wanted. For instance, we ironed out the program details during the evening—like when to call people up to the floor—and since it was my folks' wedding anniversary, we worked out a little surprise. Honestly, neither I nor anyone else had a single complaint 🙂

As far as I know, Tip Top isn't bad either, and they're great too, so I think you really can't go wrong regardless of which one you pick.

Gary Reed9 said:We had some heavy winds blowing through during our event, but those guys were absolutely stellar... They’re adaptable, young, laid-back, and just genuinely fun—he even hopped down onto the stage with an accordion, and the energy was just insane. They were still playing the next morning for anyone who wanted to jump in for some karaoke (we actually had a few hidden gems among our guests 😁). They even learned a well-known song for the first dance since they didn't know it beforehand; we chatted quite a bit on Facebook about all the little specifics and what we wanted. For instance, we ironed out the program details during the evening—like when to call people up to the floor—and since it was my folks' wedding anniversary, we worked out a little surprise. Honestly, neither I nor anyone else had a single complaint 🙂

As far as I know, Tip Top isn't bad either, and they're great too, so I think you really can't go wrong regardless of which one you pick.

🙂🙂🙂:klap: thanks so much!

Back again 😵
Does anyone have any feedback on Studio Smile in San Francisco? Some friends recommended them for a photo and video package. I spoke with the guy yesterday, and he quoted me around $2,000 for two videographers and one photographer. That includes drone footage, an extensive portfolio to review, and the video delivered via USB. Since I’m a bit out of my element here, does that sound like a fair price for a photographer 😲?

Not really. Unfortunately, prices just seem to hover around that mark or keep climbing. You’re looking at $1,000+ just for the photography side—that’s two photographers plus the albums—and you still have to account for the videographers. Basically, if you want three people on-site along with all the gear, you aren't going to find a quote any lower than that. The only exception is if you're having a tiny wedding and decide you don't actually need a full crew or a drone. Personally, I wasn't interested in video; I just wanted a massive pile of great photos and some high-quality albums. We ended up paying about $1,000 for two photographers, one large album, and four smaller ones. Smile is decent—I think they've been mentioned before—and I know they shot a wedding for someone in my circle, though I can't quite recall exactly who...

Gary Reed9 said:Not really. Unfortunately, prices just seem to hover around that mark or keep climbing. You’re looking at $1,000+ just for the photography side—that’s two photographers plus the albums—and you still have to account for the videographers. Basically, if you want three people on-site along with all the gear, you aren't going to find a quote any lower than that. The only exception is if you're having a tiny wedding and decide you don't actually need a full crew or a drone. Personally, I wasn't interested in video; I just wanted a massive pile of great photos and some high-quality albums. We ended up paying about $1,000 for two photographers, one large album, and four smaller ones. Smile is decent—I think they've been mentioned before—and I know they shot a wedding for someone in my circle, though I can't quite recall exactly who...

I honestly can't thank you enough for actually answering my questions.🙂))

I also tracked down Duke Bonačić, and he happens to be available on our wedding date too. His rate would be around $1,800. Has anyone mentioned him on the forum before?

I ended up booking Duke, though we didn't have a videographer 😍
He was an absolute pro, along with his colleague—the shots were stunning, and the photo book is just phenomenal 🙂 One of them worked with my husband, the other with me, so we eventually combined everything once we all got together. They listened to every single thing we wanted, stayed totally unobtrusive, and Duke even pulled off some ridiculous stunts just to get that perfect private shot 🤣 Honestly, I can't recommend them enough if you're looking for someone 🙂 The books themselves are gorgeous and really well put together. We grabbed one massive one for ourselves and medium-sized ones for my parents and godparents. They all feature the same content, just in different sizes, and they made sure not to leave out that one crucial shot—plus, we got the full set of files on a USB

Gary Reed9 said:I ended up booking Duke, though we didn't have a videographer 😍
He was an absolute pro, along with his colleague—the shots were stunning, and the photo book is just phenomenal 🙂 One of them worked with my husband, the other with me, so we eventually combined everything once we all got together. They listened to every single thing we wanted, stayed totally unobtrusive, and Duke even pulled off some ridiculous stunts just to get that perfect private shot 🤣 Honestly, I can't recommend them enough if you're looking for someone 🙂 The books themselves are gorgeous and really well put together. We grabbed one massive one for ourselves and medium-sized ones for my parents and godparents. They all feature the same content, just in different sizes, and they made sure not to leave out that one crucial shot—plus, we got the full set of files on a USB

A friend of mine just recommended I look into Boško Ćosić. Do you happen to know anything about him? My head is already spinning from staring at so many photos and videos.🙂

Unfortunately, I haven't heard anything about him. Caspar does an incredible job, but his schedule is booked solid way in advance—check out APStudio Aheropit in California if you want to see what I mean. Those are the guys who handled recordings for my friends, and honestly, the quality was top-tier—plus, they didn't drag out the handoff for more than two months.

Gary Reed9 said:Unfortunately, I haven't heard anything about him. Caspar does an incredible job, but his schedule is booked solid way in advance—check out APStudio Aheropit in California if you want to see what I mean. Those are the guys who handled recordings for my friends, and honestly, the quality was top-tier—plus, they didn't drag out the handoff for more than two months.

Yeah, Smile films for friends too, and it seems like their turnaround time can be pretty unpredictable. Since Caspar actually has my date available, I’m really torn. Thanks again for all the input. I'll need to make a call on this very soon.

It’s funny—a friend of mine finally got her hands on those latest materials for her first wedding anniversary 🤦 😵 But honestly, that was four years ago, and I didn't really feel like bringing it up... though clearly, nothing has changed since then 😵

Gary Reed9 said:It’s funny—a friend of mine finally got her hands on those latest materials for her first wedding anniversary 🤦 😵 But honestly, that was four years ago, and I didn't really feel like bringing it up... though clearly, nothing has changed since then 😵

As for my situation, Ante Gašpar will be handling both video and photography with a three-person crew for about $2,000. If I remember correctly, there were some whispers that he tends to overdo it with Photoshop. I’m really hoping to avoid that. I'm just relieved I managed to book him. Nadan hopes I won't end up regretting it.😵

Great choice 😁 yeah, he’s all about Photoshop and those fancy effects, but he won't push them if you tell him you're actually looking for something more natural 🙂 the real issue is that people these days just fall for anything—over-the-top surrealism, dramatic clouds, smoke, shots in the ocean, all that stuff. He was my first point of contact, but his schedule was already booked up for my dates. Either way, Duke was fantastic too.
One problem solved 😁

Gary Reed9 said:Great choice 😁 yeah, he’s all about Photoshop and those fancy effects, but he won't push them if you tell him you're actually looking for something more natural 🙂 the real issue is that people these days just fall for anything—over-the-top surrealism, dramatic clouds, smoke, shots in the ocean, all that stuff. He was my first point of contact, but his schedule was already booked up for my dates. Either way, Duke was fantastic too.
One problem solved 😁

Exactly. Thanks so much!🙂

Hey everyone,

I’m on the hunt for a makeup artist in San Francisco who actually knows how to do a "natural" look—someone who listens to what the bride actually wants instead of forcing heavy lashes and bright red lipstick on someone who doesn't even touch mascara on a normal day. 😁

The wedding is in two weeks, and honestly, I’m hitting a breaking point. I’ve wasted way too much money and sanity on trial runs where I ended up looking like a walking caricature. At this point, I'm pretty desperate. 🙂

If you have any recommendations, please let me know! 🎉

Kenneth Ramos4 said:Hey everyone,

I’m on the hunt for a makeup artist in San Francisco who actually knows how to do a "natural" look—someone who listens to what the bride actually wants instead of forcing heavy lashes and bright red lipstick on someone who doesn't even touch mascara on a normal day. 😁

The wedding is in two weeks, and honestly, I’m hitting a breaking point. I’ve wasted way too much money and sanity on trial runs where I ended up looking like a walking caricature. At this point, I'm pretty desperate. 🙂

If you have any recommendations, please let me know! 🎉

Have you checked out Helen? She’s incredible.

Back again 🙂😵

Does anyone here happen to know anything about the band Mike Bora? I’ve been enjoying their sets at local backyard BBQs lately, but I haven't been able to track down any actual reviews on this forum.
You're welcome👍