Everything you need for a California wedding

You guys are honestly wonderful🙂—there's just so much great info here. Since you're all being so helpful, I figured I'd ask for some advice. A close friend of mine is getting married soon, and we're hunting for a beautiful little venue that can hold about 80 people. Her big dream? She wants a classic Swiss-style setup!

Well then, if you guys are all so against Vic and Wilma, help me out here PLEASE just DM me those band numbers for the San Francisco area. The party is on October 10th, 2009, so I’m running seriously low on time to track down a decent band.

San Antonio, Arcade, and Amigos are all located in the sub-district. Over at St. Grašo Bekan, you can even hit up the terrace if the weather stays nice this summer.

Has anyone actually been to a party where the Twist OFF guys were playing? I'm trying to figure out if they're any good

Has anyone here actually tried organizing a buffet-style setup for a party? I was originally picturing it more like a big blowout for the crew—just a massive spread where everyone can grab what they want. I think doing it at Grašo Bekan would be pretty solid! Honestly, San Antonio sounds like a great option too, especially since people keep raving about it. Please, tell me more about San Antonio!

Gerald Wells40 said:Has anyone actually been to a party where the Twist OFF guys were playing? I'm trying to figure out if they're any good

Someone else just asked this exact thing...
I won't repeat myself... I saw Twist OFF at a party in San Francisco once and again in San Diego, and they were great. They play mostly live sets and the energy is always solid. Their singer, Sunny, used to sing that "Here I Am" song back when she was with the Coast. In my opinion, the best way to judge any band is to catch them live in a bar or a club to see how they actually perform. A DVD gives you a completely different impression than being there in person... so, there's my two cents...

gentlemoose72 said:Has anyone here actually tried organizing a buffet-style setup for a party? I was originally picturing it more like a big blowout for the crew—just a massive spread where everyone can grab what they want. I think doing it at Grašo Bekan would be pretty solid! Honestly, San Antonio sounds like a great option too, especially since people keep raving about it. Please, tell me more about San Antonio!

I think pretty much every venue offers it... but honestly, buffets are usually geared toward smaller weddings. You can definitely do it for larger crowds, but then it’s just way more work—and obviously, the price tag goes up... definitely check with whichever hall you pick... and if they don't offer it, you could always just hire a caterer instead😉

Gerald Wells40 said:Well then, if you guys are all so against Vic and Wilma, help me out here PLEASE just DM me those band numbers for the San Francisco area. The party is on October 10th, 2009, so I’m running seriously low on time to track down a decent band.

I sent some numbers to your inbox. 😉

Kimberly Robinson55 said:What about Gypsy Photo?

Nahhhhh, absolutely not👎

shadowseal2 said:So, I finally sorted out the cake situation 🙂 I found this girl who’s going to handle it, and honestly, the price is pretty reasonable and she’s actually willing to make it exactly how I want. Now I just need to nail down the band...
I was checking out some photos from the gigs in Lida and Stojan, and they look great—plus, the price difference is basically peanuts.
As for the videographer, I’m still totally clueless. Negotiations are ongoing, so I'll let you guys know how it turns out.
Has anyone here ever heard of the band Horizon?

never heard of that band😍, are they from San Francisco🤷

shadowseal2 said:So, I finally sorted out the cake situation 🙂 I found this girl who’s going to handle it, and honestly, the price is pretty reasonable and she’s actually willing to make it exactly how I want. Now I just need to nail down the band...
I was checking out some photos from the gigs in Lida and Stojan, and they look great—plus, the price difference is basically peanuts.
As for the videographer, I’m still totally clueless. Negotiations are ongoing, so I'll let you guys know how it turns out.
Has anyone here ever heard of the band Horizon?

Kimberly Robinson55 said:Let me know if you track down a videographer! I'm actually heading into an interview for a camera operator right now, so I'll catch up with you later.

Honestly, if you go with Lida, you might as well just book their videographer, and if you pick Stanley, do the same thing... most girls just handle it that way.

rapidmason10 said:With Marko, you’ve really only got one solid crew (Patrick and Zvoniti), though John the videographer is pretty great too...
I've heard girls complaining about their work for a while now...
But hey, everyone's got different tastes.😉

P.S: If you're looking for bands, I'd definitely recommend Twist OFF 🤷

Ciao!

So, did you end up going with Lisjak?

I’ve looked through the photos from California, Foto Marko, and Lisjak, and personally, I think they’re good. Look, people have different preferences—not everyone is going to love the same thing—so I don't think we need to make a huge deal out of it right now. Every photographer has their own vibe... Lisjak is more of an artistic type; he doesn't over-process his shots and leaves them looking much rawer compared to the others. It just comes down to what you're into.
By the way, I checked out a bunch of other photographers too, and honestly, there are plenty of bad ones out there—terrible cameramen, even... but I'm not one to talk trash, so I won't name names.
As for band recommendations... well, it's the same story as the photography. To each their own. Some people dig this band, some prefer that one—we don't all listen to the same stuff. But if you're making a final call on a band, you really should see them live. A DVD just doesn't capture the same energy; you get a completely different impression.🙂

frozentinker3 said:Ciao!

So, did you end up going with Lisjak?

I’ve looked through the photos from California, Foto Marko, and Lisjak, and personally, I think they’re good. Look, people have different preferences—not everyone is going to love the same thing—so I don't think we need to make a huge deal out of it right now. Every photographer has their own vibe... Lisjak is more of an artistic type; he doesn't over-process his shots and leaves them looking much rawer compared to the others. It just comes down to what you're into.
By the way, I checked out a bunch of other photographers too, and honestly, there are plenty of bad ones out there—terrible cameramen, even... but I'm not one to talk trash, so I won't name names.
As for band recommendations... well, it's the same story as the photography. To each their own. Some people dig this band, some prefer that one—we don't all listen to the same stuff. But if you're making a final call on a band, you really should see them live. A DVD just doesn't capture the same energy; you get a completely different impression.🙂

Nah, I actually went with studio in 😁

But thanks for the heads-up! 👍

If you need anything else, just holler... 😍

rapidmason10 said:Nah, I actually went with studio in 😁

But thanks for the heads-up! 👍

If you need anything else, just holler... 😍

Did you end up taking that course at the church? How long does it actually last—what's the whole process like? Oh, and one more huge thing!!!! Does the godparent seriously have to be baptized, or can you just give the priest a hundred bucks to make it work?

frozentinker3 said:Did you end up taking that course at the church? How long does it actually last—what's the whole process like? Oh, and one more huge thing!!!! Does the godparent seriously have to be baptized, or can you just give the priest a hundred bucks to make it work?

I haven't made it to the course yet, but it’s usually three days. Your best bet is to check directly with the priest to see when they’re running the pre-Cana sessions.
From what I know, the best man or maid of honor is basically just a witness (totally different from a godparent at a baptism), so I don't think they need to have any sacraments, but definitely double-check with the priest to be sure....
As far as I know, they'll just ask for a copy of the best man's ID—they won't ask for any other paperwork...
So yeah, you definitely don't need to bribe the priest with a hundred bucks! 😉

EDIT: Just did a quick search online, and turns out the best man/maid of honor doesn't even have to be baptized because for a wedding, they're really just there as witnesses.

Honestly, it’s all been said a thousand times already... you just need to flip through a few pages... and besides, this specific thread is dedicated to weddings in California... let's keep this space for useful info only... no need to multiply 😍

rapidmason10 said:I'll send you my makeup artist Taylor Swift's info—she definitely does house calls.

As for hair, I'm stumped... personally, I think Michael over at Joker is the best.👍

Hey rapidmason10, do you happen to know any women from Savannah who do makeup? I heard someone there is actually really talented.
Well, personally, I wasn't exactly thrilled with Antonija Guć; she did my sister's makeup when she was younger, and she did a truly beautiful job on her.😕

Kyle Scott10 said:Hey rapidmason10, do you happen to know any women from Savannah who do makeup? I heard someone there is actually really talented.
Well, personally, I wasn't exactly thrilled with Antonija Guć; she did my sister's makeup when she was younger, and she did a truly beautiful job on her.😕

I actually know a girl from Savannah who is amazing at makeup. I'll shoot you a DM...

Wait, I'm lost here. Was your sister's makeup amazing, or was it just done too late? 🤷

I mean, if you hire Leo, you might as well just grab his cameraman too, and honestly, if you go with Stanley, you’re probably going to end up hiring his guy as well... that’s just how most of these girls operate.

I get what you mean, though I think Stanley is actually the better deal because you get an unlimited number of shots for the same price, whereas Leo puts limits on everything. Though, I have to admit, the lady over at Lida is an incredible photographer.

Pink Butterfly, where are you even planning on having your wedding? We're still in the middle of negotiating everything right now, and since my fiancé and I have been tossing around a few different ideas, we might skip San Francisco entirely.🙂
But I won't say for sure until I'm absolutely certain.

Sure, I might go take a look at some invitations down in San Francisco...