Everything you need for a California wedding

Robin Sanchez5 said:Hey guys, does anyone have a recommendation for a band to play during the cocktail hour or just fill the room while our main act takes a break?
Ideally something with an accordion, sax, trumpet, or upright bass... I really don't want it to be just a guy with a guitar and a mic.
The wedding is actually at an eco-resort out in rural California, which isn't quite the coast, but we're originally from San Francisco. 😁
Thanks!

We actually hired Kaleta Kaleta Kaleta from San Diego (you can find them on Facebook under the name Kaleta Kaleta Kaleta), and they created such an incredible vibe at the party that everyone was asking us for their info afterward. There are about five of them in the group, they play the accordion along with several other instruments, and honestly, I can't recommend them enough! 😉 )

Hey there,

I’ve got a wedding coming up on May 30th, 2020, and I am officially on the hunt for a florist.
The venue itself is super lush with tons of greenery, so I really just want some greenery mixed with a few roses for the head table. For the other 10-15 tables, I’m thinking minimalist vibes—lots of green or maybe even some dried flowers, but kept low so people can actually talk over them.
I also need a bridal bouquet and some car decor.

Does anyone have recommendations for someone who won't absolutely fleece me? I’m seriously going for that clean, minimalist look—nothing over-the-top or crazy expensive.

Hi everyone,

Since it seems like some of my previous comments have been helpful to you all, I wanted to sit down and write out our full impressions. Our catering was handled at the Palace Salon. Even though we heard some chatter about the manager being a bit eccentric—which has been mentioned here before—we actually sat down and hashed out every single detail a few days before the wedding. During the actual event, he was completely at our service, and the head venue coordinator was the absolute height of professionalism. As for the food? It was incredible. We didn't lack for anything, and we even had guests telling us they’d never eaten better at a wedding reception. We definitely recommend them!

Regarding the floral arrangements from Lanterna—honestly, a huge disappointment. Despite seeing nothing but glowing reviews online, that just wasn't our experience. We went over everything in painstaking detail and even sent over reference photos of exactly what we wanted. The bridal bouquet didn't even come close to the look I requested; parts of it were already wilted and dried out. But the worst part? More than half the flowers in the hall were artificial, even though we explicitly stated we didn't want any fake flowers—yet we were charged the full price for fresh blooms. The room looked lovely at first glance, but when we went to pick up some bouquets at the end of the night, we realized only the ones on our specific table were actually fresh. Judging by the photos they post on social media, I suspect this is a regular practice of theirs, so please, be careful.
For makeup, I highly recommend Violeta Kekezovic. After a few frustrating trial runs with other people, everything went perfectly with her. She listens to exactly how much makeup you want and what kind of look you're aiming for. If you want a natural makeup look, she’s your girl. 👍
Luka's Ice Cream Shop was fantastic—their tarts and mousses were delicious.
The cakes from Dolcemania were great too; everything was exactly as agreed and tasted wonderful.

Good luck !!

hollowtiger31 said:Hey there,

I’ve got a wedding coming up on May 30th, 2020, and I am officially on the hunt for a florist.
The venue itself is super lush with tons of greenery, so I really just want some greenery mixed with a few roses for the head table. For the other 10-15 tables, I’m thinking minimalist vibes—lots of green or maybe even some dried flowers, but kept low so people can actually talk over them.
I also need a bridal bouquet and some car decor.

Does anyone have recommendations for someone who won't absolutely fleece me? I’m seriously going for that clean, minimalist look—nothing over-the-top or crazy expensive.

My advice? Check out Violeta from Livno. I think they work up in San Francisco too, and honestly, their prices are way better and the work is lovely! (Just look them up on Instagram to see their stuff)

Hey, just wanted to vent about my nightmare experience at Dvornik jewelry in San Francisco. They’ve got a huge reputation, but man...
After they resized my engagement ring, I noticed the diamond was wobbling in its setting. I went back thinking it was an easy fix, but the clerk—who’s actually the owner's son—just shrugged and said it was totally normal. Even the owner backed him up!
Fast forward four months, and the stone just pops right out. No impact, no nothing, it just fell out. Sadly, I couldn't find the diamond anywhere 😢

So I head back to get a new stone set. Since I bought it less than six months ago, I naively expected it to be cheap—maybe even free! Nope. They tried to charge me $667"with a discount." Like, let's be real, it’s just a standard tiny little stone, nothing crazy. I ended up overpaying just to get it over with. (Later I found out I could've gotten way better deals elsewhere, but I was foolish enough to think staying with the original jeweler was the smart move)

To make matters worse, when I finally went to pick up the ring, the price had somehow jumped even higher than what they quoted me(!!!!)

The stone isn't wobbling anymore, mostly because they sent it off to a specialist in New York for repairs (since they were the ones who messed up the resizing in the first place)
And get this—when I was picking it up, the owner actually had the nerve to lecture me! He told me I need to be "more careful" with the ring and can't just treat it however I want. EXCUSE ME? I’m not going to walk around on eggshells just because I'm wearing a ring

Anyway, just posting this so nobody else gets burned like I did. It was a total disaster, even if the owner acts all sweet and charming to cover it up.

My ring was way too big for me, so we went in to get it resized—only to be told it was impossible because there are tiny side stones bordering the center gem. So much for that. Luckily, it wasn't massive, but it was definitely wobbling on my finger. Anyway, when we were actually shopping for wedding bands, we headed over to Vagus together since I’d spotted some styles I liked at a trade show. While we were picking them out, the guy there noticed my engagement ring was too large and offered to take it and resize it for free. I told him what those other people had said—that it couldn't be done—but he just brushed it off like it was nothing. He insisted it was easy. Also, even though the ring is white gold, the alloy they used is garbage; whenever it gets resized or just worn daily, the yellow tint starts bleeding through the surface (or the plating just wears off). I asked the folks at Vagus about it, and he just slathered some coating on it and told me to come back if it happens again, claiming it's perfectly "normal" for these kinds of materials.
Given the price my husband dropped on this thing, the quality is undeniably poor, even if the ring looks gorgeous at first glance.
By the way, per our agreement, Vagus made us some stunning wedding bands—a custom mix of several models they had, and they even adjusted the stone sizes so everything lined up perfectly with the engagement ring.

hollowtiger31 said:Hey there,

I’ve got a wedding coming up on May 30th, 2020, and I am officially on the hunt for a florist.
The venue itself is super lush with tons of greenery, so I really just want some greenery mixed with a few roses for the head table. For the other 10-15 tables, I’m thinking minimalist vibes—lots of green or maybe even some dried flowers, but kept low so people can actually talk over them.
I also need a bridal bouquet and some car decor.

Does anyone have recommendations for someone who won't absolutely fleece me? I’m seriously going for that clean, minimalist look—nothing over-the-top or crazy expensive.

Lalisia Decor, you guys have a page on Facebook.

First time jumping into a thread, so please bear with me if I end up asking something that’s already been covered a million times over. Basically, my daughter is getting married soon—about five months out—and she is absolutely buried under work right now. It breaks my heart seeing her so stressed, especially since she hasn't had a single second to figure out what kind of wedding dress she even wants. Just to be upfront, we aren't exactly rolling in cash, so I’m looking for some solid leads on pre-owned, rental, or similar options... ideally around the San Francisco area. Or, if you know a better site for this kind of thing, please point me in the right direction. Thanks in advance for any help or good vibes you can send our way!

Edit: Honestly, even suggestions for areas near Hercegovina would work...

David King29 said:First time jumping into a thread, so please bear with me if I end up asking something that’s already been covered a million times over. Basically, my daughter is getting married soon—about five months out—and she is absolutely buried under work right now. It breaks my heart seeing her so stressed, especially since she hasn't had a single second to figure out what kind of wedding dress she even wants. Just to be upfront, we aren't exactly rolling in cash, so I’m looking for some solid leads on pre-owned, rental, or similar options... ideally around the San Francisco area. Or, if you know a better site for this kind of thing, please point me in the right direction. Thanks in advance for any help or good vibes you can send our way!

Edit: Honestly, even suggestions for areas near Hercegovina would work...

There’s actually a whole separate thread dedicated just to wedding dresses. Honestly, if budget is a major concern, you’re way better off checking sites like Poshmark or eBay. Rental prices at the fancy boutiques can easily run you thousands of dollars.

I think there’s an expo coming up at the San Francisco Arena soon—you should probably check out what they’re offering. Usually, you can find free samples or better prices on stuff like that.

My advice? Go try on some models to see what you actually like, then either find a tailor or look for deals on Craigslist.

Thanks a ton, everyone. I think I’ll try my luck at the trade show first, and if that doesn't pan out—which, let's face it, could happen—I'll definitely start looking into those other options.

Oh yeah, at the wedding expo in Chicago, Nikolin had an incredible deal—she was offering a discount of $333 along with custom invitations, thank-you cards, and RSVP cards.

Hey, is it actually standard practice for a makeup artist to charge extra for a trial run?

Jessica Carter2 said:Hey, is it actually standard practice for a makeup artist to charge extra for a trial run?

Yes, it is.

One lady told me it was already included in the price ($100), but then another one insisted it wasn't ($83)... so now I'm just standing here completely confused 🕺

Hey everyone,

I’m looking for some wedding florist recommendations. I’ve been hunting around for three months now and, honestly, I am absolutely floored by the price tags I keep running into. Like, are these people selling petals or actual gold?
Any leads would be much appreciated.

Jessica Carter2 said:Hey, is it actually standard practice for a makeup artist to charge extra for a trial run?

It really just comes down to the individual. Some artists have higher base rates where the trial is already baked in, while others keep their initial prices lower but bill the trial separately. There aren't any universal rules here; everyone handles it differently.

I was wondering if anyone might be able to point me toward a talented makeup artist in the San Francisco area? 🎉

I noticed some talk about jewelry stores earlier in the thread. To be honest, I had a Swarovski engagement ring, and while it was absolutely gorgeous, I wouldn’t recommend buying their rings if you want something durable. They’re just so delicate. I wasn't exactly the most disciplined when it came to following all those "take it off before washing" rules—I just didn't feel like constantly taking it off and putting it back on—so it ended up turning a bit pinkish after a while. I eventually tucked it away in a jewelry box after the wedding. As for where to shop, we went to Sam's Jewelry (they have a location in Malibu near San Francisco) and the service there was fantastic, so feel free to check them out if you need a recommendation...

Regarding makeup artists, I’d highly suggest Joe Smith. I went to her for a trial run and then sent over a detailed list of exactly what I wanted to change (she’s great at defining eyebrows, so definitely let her know if you prefer a more natural look). I was so happy with how everything turned out on the big day! Just a heads-up, she does charge for the trial ($67 it was $250 without false lashes). For the actual wedding day, I went to Malibu, where she works at Makeup, and she has an Instagram page @m.pe.beauty. I was equally thrilled with the results there (same price point)... 🙂

Sam Clark4 said:Hey everyone,

I’m looking for some wedding florist recommendations. I’ve been hunting around for three months now and, honestly, I am absolutely floored by the price tags I keep running into. Like, are these people selling petals or actual gold?
Any leads would be much appreciated.

Lalisia Decor is on Facebook, I think.