Everything you need for a California wedding

Gary Reed9 said: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.

Classic white gold behavior. It has nothing to do with the alloy; everything on the market is rhodium-plated anyway.🙂

Robin Sanchez5 said: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.

Thank you for posting yet another identical critique online. The truth is slightly different, but I hope you are happy with your ring now.

I explained why on Google Reviews and Facebook, but if you want to share this with as many people as possible, it's only fair that I share my side too.🙂.

Let’s go through this step by step:
Resizing a ring will not affect the stone in the setting; the band is narrowed at the bottom, not at the top. The stone was stable at the top, which is how it was sold—I personally inspect them myself.

Why did it move?

A stone has prongs that serve as security; if it snags on something—for example, a piece of clothing—the prong can bend slightly, resulting in the stone shifting because the prong is no longer aligned.

Why didn't we give a red alert that the stone was about to fall out?

Because there was no reason for an alarm at that time. The prong was only slightly bent, so there was no danger. Yes, the stone had minor movement, but it was nowhere near—I repeat, nowhere near—falling out. Obviously, no one can predict the future; yours fell out four months after the resizing.

When snagging on clothes or dropping things happens repeatedly, or if there is a heavy pull, the result is that the stone eventually falls out because the prong moves out of the crown and the stone slips out.

"On its own" is impossible. If that were possible, I would have far too much work here dealing with countless rings where zircons or diamonds just fall out spontaneously.

We rebuilt your crown and reinforced it with gold. It was sent to New York because our master prong setter was unavailable at the time; that is just standard practice for us.

Moving on: the price of the diamond.

As often repeated, the price depends on several factors.
In your case, as I recall, it was a G/VS1 combination, which is not the same as an H/SI1 or perhaps a pique where inclusions are visible to the naked eye.

Of the three options listed, we have three distinct price points. While they all technically qualify as diamonds, the disparities in quality are glaringly obvious, which ultimately dictates the final cost. This is precisely why many jewelers will quote you wildly different numbers; they simply don't account for the specific characteristics of the original stone you were sold. Using terms like "much more affordable" is just industry shorthand for inferior color and clarity—though, naturally, they won't be so blunt about it with you.

To wrap this up: no one here has ever attacked you, looked at you sideways, or spoken to you disrespectfully. We don't engage in that sort of behavior. Yes, caution is necessary—not just with diamonds, but with any new purchase. Honestly, I am sorry this happened to you, and I am sorry that this "experience" has left you feeling this way. I hope that moving forward, you will be more careful with the ring and that it serves you exactly as you intended. Personally, I find it quite uncomfortable to read the same repetitive online reviews months after a repair has been completed. My phone number is available to you daily should any grievances or claims arise.

Regards from the polite and "sweet" version of myself,

Dana Brown34 said:Classic white gold behavior. It has nothing to do with the alloy; everything on the market is rhodium-plated anyway.🙂

I don't know about all this being "typical" or if "everyone" actually deals with it. I got a white gold ring for my anniversary—styled like an engagement ring—and sixteen years later, it hasn't changed color once. I've never even sent it in for a professional cleaning or a re-plating, and I wear it constantly 🤷 An engagement ring? Good luck with that. I only wear mine once a year because otherwise, it looks like cheap costume jewelry 😢

Gary Reed9 said:I don't know about all this being "typical" or if "everyone" actually deals with it. I got a white gold ring for my anniversary—styled like an engagement ring—and sixteen years later, it hasn't changed color once. I've never even sent it in for a professional cleaning or a re-plating, and I wear it constantly 🤷 An engagement ring? Good luck with that. I only wear mine once a year because otherwise, it looks like cheap costume jewelry 😢

White gold in the Palace—before palladium prices spiked, most white gold was alloyed with palladium, which maintains that white luster for a very long time. I assume yours is palladium-based.

Nowadays, because palladium is so expensive, manufacturers don't alloy it anymore; instead, they plate the rings with rhodium. Essentially, it's just a coating.

Some will hold up for a long time, others won't last a month. It all depends on how often you wear it, washing your hands while wearing it, and so on.

Dana Brown34 said:Thank you for posting yet another identical critique online. The truth is slightly different, but I hope you are happy with your ring now.

I explained why on Google Reviews and Facebook, but if you want to share this with as many people as possible, it's only fair that I share my side too.🙂.

Let’s go through this step by step:
Resizing a ring will not affect the stone in the setting; the band is narrowed at the bottom, not at the top. The stone was stable at the top, which is how it was sold—I personally inspect them myself.

Why did it move?

A stone has prongs that serve as security; if it snags on something—for example, a piece of clothing—the prong can bend slightly, resulting in the stone shifting because the prong is no longer aligned.

Why didn't we give a red alert that the stone was about to fall out?

Because there was no reason for an alarm at that time. The prong was only slightly bent, so there was no danger. Yes, the stone had minor movement, but it was nowhere near—I repeat, nowhere near—falling out. Obviously, no one can predict the future; yours fell out four months after the resizing.

When snagging on clothes or dropping things happens repeatedly, or if there is a heavy pull, the result is that the stone eventually falls out because the prong moves out of the crown and the stone slips out.

"On its own" is impossible. If that were possible, I would have far too much work here dealing with countless rings where zircons or diamonds just fall out spontaneously.

We rebuilt your crown and reinforced it with gold. It was sent to New York because our master prong setter was unavailable at the time; that is just standard practice for us.

Moving on: the price of the diamond.

As often repeated, the price depends on several factors.
In your case, as I recall, it was a G/VS1 combination, which is not the same as an H/SI1 or perhaps a pique where inclusions are visible to the naked eye.

Of the three options listed, we have three distinct price points. While they all technically qualify as diamonds, the disparities in quality are glaringly obvious, which ultimately dictates the final cost. This is precisely why many jewelers will quote you wildly different numbers; they simply don't account for the specific characteristics of the original stone you were sold. Using terms like "much more affordable" is just industry shorthand for inferior color and clarity—though, naturally, they won't be so blunt about it with you.

To wrap this up: no one here has ever attacked you, looked at you sideways, or spoken to you disrespectfully. We don't engage in that sort of behavior. Yes, caution is necessary—not just with diamonds, but with any new purchase. Honestly, I am sorry this happened to you, and I am sorry that this "experience" has left you feeling this way. I hope that moving forward, you will be more careful with the ring and that it serves you exactly as you intended. Personally, I find it quite uncomfortable to read the same repetitive online reviews months after a repair has been completed. My phone number is available to you daily should any grievances or claims arise.

Regards from the polite and "sweet" version of myself,

Look, man, stop posting your private info on this forum! Just own up to the fact that you botched that ring—you're basically doing your own PR damage control here.

Dana Brown34 said:White gold in the Palace—before palladium prices spiked, most white gold was alloyed with palladium, which maintains that white luster for a very long time. I assume yours is palladium-based.

Nowadays, because palladium is so expensive, manufacturers don't alloy it anymore; instead, they plate the rings with rhodium. Essentially, it's just a coating.

Some will hold up for a long time, others won't last a month. It all depends on how often you wear it, washing your hands while wearing it, and so on.

Thanks for the heads-up. That's pretty depressing considering what these rings cost... at least now I know I'm staying away from white gold in the future. By the way, we had our wedding bands made at a different jeweler using a fifty-fifty white/yellow gold mix, and we haven't had any issues with that. It was actually significantly cheaper than the engagement ring, too. So, for anyone else shopping, just ask what kind of alloy they use so you don't get ripped off—obviously, not every jeweler follows the same standards.

Hey everyone, I’m looking for some honest feedback on Viacom's pastries. I’ve tried their cream cakes before and they weren't dry at all, which is a plus, but I haven't ventured into their full cake selection yet. I’m planning on ordering quite a few cakes for an upcoming event, so I’d love to hear any general recommendations or tips on where you usually go when you need to place a big order.
Also, does anyone have a lead on a good praline crunch cake? I checked with Zenith and Mediterranean, but they’re asking upwards of $3,000, which is just insane. Anything over $2,500 feels way out of my budget right now.

Sam Clark4 said:Hey everyone, I’m looking for some honest feedback on Viacom's pastries. I’ve tried their cream cakes before and they weren't dry at all, which is a plus, but I haven't ventured into their full cake selection yet. I’m planning on ordering quite a few cakes for an upcoming event, so I’d love to hear any general recommendations or tips on where you usually go when you need to place a big order.
Also, does anyone have a lead on a good praline crunch cake? I checked with Zenith and Mediterranean, but they’re asking upwards of $3,000, which is just insane. Anything over $2,500 feels way out of my budget right now.

The pastries from Viacom are excellent—at least based on everything I've ordered (both the dry ones and the creamy varieties). Don't let the modest storefront fool you; the treats are incredibly fresh and high quality.
Honestly, I don't think you'll find a better deal on sweets in the San Francisco area.

As for cakes, I haven't ordered traditional ones from them; instead, I've picked up a few different varieties from Starbucks (honestly, it's hard to say which one is superior).

Word on the street is that the tortica from Castleton is great for cakes, though their individual pastries tend to be pricey...

Ladies and the occasional gentleman 😁

I have spent quite some time lurking on this forum, but I am looking for recent firsthand experiences and solid recommendations
regarding:
*hotel venues: Lion, Radisson, Atrium, and the President in Solon?

Additionally, does anyone know when the new Amphora hotel might open up near the coast?
Based on the blueprints, they should have banquet halls as well, right?

*bands: Yellow Cab, Jessy, Phoenix?

*photography/videography: California, Beep,..

*Makeup: Honestly, I’m at a complete loss here, so please share your thoughts. 😁

The same goes for florists; I've noticed some people who used to swear by certain vendors are now feeling pretty let down.

I trust you will all be generous with the latest intel. It would be a massive help.

Thanks 😁

hiddendriver18 said:Ladies and the occasional gentleman 😁

I have spent quite some time lurking on this forum, but I am looking for recent firsthand experiences and solid recommendations
regarding:
*hotel venues: Lion, Radisson, Atrium, and the President in Solon?

Additionally, does anyone know when the new Amphora hotel might open up near the coast?
Based on the blueprints, they should have banquet halls as well, right?

*bands: Yellow Cab, Jessy, Phoenix?

*photography/videography: California, Beep,..

*Makeup: Honestly, I’m at a complete loss here, so please share your thoughts. 😁

The same goes for florists; I've noticed some people who used to swear by certain vendors are now feeling pretty let down.

I trust you will all be generous with the latest intel. It would be a massive help.

Thanks 😁

I had my C-section relatively recently—back in August—so here are a few details to help out...

As far as weddings go, I’ve only ever been to one back at the Lion about ten years ago... 😁 I honestly have no idea what the vibe is like there right now, but I did a little digging into the Lion brand while browsing the sales. It looks like their chairs are hovering around $110 each, which is just... well, for my food budget, that’s a bit much. I crossed them off my list immediately. Besides, $110 really is way too steep for a single chair...

When it comes to live music, we hired Phoenix and they were honestly such an incredible band! They have more of an alternative vibe, but they’re really respectful of what the couple wants—they actually send over their full repertoire ahead of time so you can pick your favorite tracks or even request specific songs in advance. They also make it clear right away in their initial email that they don't play any cheesy country music, which was a huge plus. Even some of our older guests were absolutely loving them; they kept saying they'd never heard a wedding setlist like this before. We had everything from Pink Floyd to Dina Dvornik and Linđo... basically just a great mix of everything... 🙂 We actually decided to mix things up by bringing in an accordion player to fill the gaps between the band's sets. It was a great call because it meant we had a bit of everything playing—from local favorites to all those big international hits... there really was something for everyone... 😁😁 (except for the songs)...

We used Studio Jabuka for our photos, and honestly, I’d book them again in a heartbeat! I am just so impressed with them—they're incredibly easy to work with, super approachable, and the whole experience was just wonderful...
I’ve heard some good things about Beep, but apparently, you have to be really patient if you want to see any photos... I hear the wait time can be anywhere from nine to twelve months...

Makeup: Josipa Svalina! To wasn't actually my first choice, but my regular makeup artist had to cancel on me just a month before the wedding due to some personal stuff, so I reached out to Josipa. I went in for a trial run and made sure to point out everything I wasn't quite feeling, and she really nailed it on the big day: it was subtle and exactly what I asked for...

I did some floral arrangements for a florist named Nela—you can probably track her down on Facebook or Instagram if you're looking...

I was pretty happy with how everything went! The bouquet was actually a little on the heavy side since it was made entirely of roses, so instead of tossing it, we just did something a bit different. All the girls stood in a circle, I closed my eyes, spun around, and just picked someone at random to catch it... It was honestly such a beautiful arrangement, though, so I really can't complain... 🙂

Anyway, I really hope this covers everything and that I didn't miss any important details.
Best of luck with everything! 👍

Greetings... so, my fiancée and I are actually from two different corners of the country—she’s from the Midwest and I’m out in California—and we were wondering if anyone might be willing to share some rough estimates for wedding costs in California? 🙂
To be clear, I'm specifically looking at the big three: the venue, the photographer, and the live band. I've spent quite a bit of time scrolling through previous threads on this forum, but I just haven't been able to find a breakdown that matches exactly what we're searching for...

Does anyone here actually have a standard-bearer?

A decent chair runs you about $30 to $45, a photographer will set you back $1,000 to $1,500, and expect to pay $1,500 to $2,000 for a band.

nimbleviper3 said:Does anyone here actually have a standard-bearer?

It will all work out in the end... somehow... 😁

I am truly at a loss for words—there is simply nothing more to say... everything has been laid bare.

nimbleviper3 said:A decent chair runs you about $30 to $45, a photographer will set you back $1,000 to $1,500, and expect to pay $1,500 to $2,000 for a band.

Thanks... Regarding that price—does the cost for being in the capital include both the meal and drinks, or is everything billed separately down in California? It’s hard to tell sometimes...

slyraven50 said:It will all work out in the end... somehow... 😁

I am truly at a loss for words—there is simply nothing more to say... everything has been laid bare.

Thanks... Regarding that price—does the cost for being in the capital include both the meal and drinks, or is everything billed separately down in California? It’s hard to tell sometimes...

Of course it does.
I mean, besides dessert.
Sometimes wine is included, sometimes it isn't.
And if you want a table, you better book it tomorrow for next year!😁

You can grab a decent table for about $30-$40 in places like Dugopolje or Castleton, but if you’re picky and want those high-end spots—think hotel ballrooms with a menu that actually offers something other than just charcuterie, soup, risotto, or roast—you’re looking at $60 to $100 or more.

As for the band, expect to pay double what I just mentioned. If you want an accordion player or some folk musicians, you're looking at roughly $1667 up to $1,000+, depending on the season and travel costs. DJs are usually cheaper; you can probably find one for under $1,000.

Photography can also get pretty pricey if you’re asking for the whole package—video, digital shots, physical albums, invitations, thank-you cards... the works.

Flowers and decor? That really just depends on how deep your pockets are—the sky's the limit there—but you could scrape together $1,000$0.67 for just the basics from a small local florist, like the sweetheart table and the bridal bouquet.

Then there are the favors. They can be real or artificial, bought from a florist or custom-made by local crafters, ranging from a few bucks to several dozen per piece. For a batch of 100, plan on spending at least $100+.

Gary Reed9 said:You can grab a decent table for about $30-$40 in places like Dugopolje or Castleton, but if you’re picky and want those high-end spots—think hotel ballrooms with a menu that actually offers something other than just charcuterie, soup, risotto, or roast—you’re looking at $60 to $100 or more.

As for the band, expect to pay double what I just mentioned. If you want an accordion player or some folk musicians, you're looking at roughly $1667 up to $1,000+, depending on the season and travel costs. DJs are usually cheaper; you can probably find one for under $1,000.

Photography can also get pretty pricey if you’re asking for the whole package—video, digital shots, physical albums, invitations, thank-you cards... the works.

Flowers and decor? That really just depends on how deep your pockets are—the sky's the limit there—but you could scrape together $1,000$0.67 for just the basics from a small local florist, like the sweetheart table and the bridal bouquet.

Then there are the favors. They can be real or artificial, bought from a florist or custom-made by local crafters, ranging from a few bucks to several dozen per piece. For a batch of 100, plan on spending at least $100+.

Exactly what does that hundred dollars cover? Are we talking lobster and lamb here?

Villa California, Hemingway, Pirate... they’ll serve up whatever you want and whatever you negotiate—food, drinks, you name it. I remember once we even had pizza delivered because that's just what the crowd was craving at the time. Basically, if you have the cash and enough ridiculous whims, you can get any kind of music or vibe you want.

Look, let’s be real here—back when I used to pay for my seat at Dolisa, it was about $40 including drinks (though we just brought our own spirits and dessert). Even now, post-pandemic, places like Dugopolje might hike their prices since everyone is looking for event spaces again. My point is, those lower prices people mention are for the basic tier. If you’re looking at custom requests—like a bride wanting specific decor or everything tailored to her exact vision—you have to balance both families' needs, and yeah, the price can go up, and up, and up.

Gary Reed9 said:Villa California, Hemingway, Pirate... they’ll serve up whatever you want and whatever you negotiate—food, drinks, you name it. I remember once we even had pizza delivered because that's just what the crowd was craving at the time. Basically, if you have the cash and enough ridiculous whims, you can get any kind of music or vibe you want.

Look, let’s be real here—back when I used to pay for my seat at Dolisa, it was about $40 including drinks (though we just brought our own spirits and dessert). Even now, post-pandemic, places like Dugopolje might hike their prices since everyone is looking for event spaces again. My point is, those lower prices people mention are for the basic tier. If you’re looking at custom requests—like a bride wanting specific decor or everything tailored to her exact vision—you have to balance both families' needs, and yeah, the price can go up, and up, and up.

How much did I hear that a ticket for *Pirate* went for about $45? Still, the theater itself is tiny—hardly enough room for a true California pirate. 😁)

For any pirate, the following points are paramount:
Will there be enough space in the hall?
Is there anything better than a prime cut of lamb, some salty prosciutto, and a great bottle of wine? Honestly, that’s exactly what people crave most. 😁
And let's not forget that Tool is actually incredible music.

The last time I was there last year, we were looking at an 80-person headcount—but honestly, I’m not going to get bogged down in the weeds of whether the price jump is because they overhauled the menu or if it’s just the sheer number of guests affecting the bottom line.