Everything you need for a California wedding

silentpuma28 said:I actually picked up all my flowers from that little shop near Whole Foods...
for the bouquet—$117
plus about 65 table arrangements--$23piece by piece
the bridal table—$167
and then two bouquets for the family back home$100

I didn't really decorate the church myself since I got lucky—there was another bride getting married the exact same day who had already gone all out decorating the pews and our chairs... so, as my own contribution, I just rented some covers for the church seating and gave a little donation toward the altar decor...

Since we ended up walking instead of using a wedding car, I didn't even bother ordering an arrangement for the vehicle... anyway, hope this helps!😉

👍🙏
I'm having this one person do my boutonnieres. She does amazing work and her prices are actually reasonable.
www.obrtnici.info/web/nina

Jack Miller4 said:Could someone walk me through how an "open bar" actually works at these kinds of venues?
I’m struggling to see the logic behind opting for an open bar if the wine, beer, and sodas are already unlimited. I assume there might be some loophole where guests could bring their own hard liquor, right? 🤷
Also, from a logistical standpoint, how do the hosts even verify if the guests actually consumed as much as the venue claims they did?
My apologies if this question feels a bit out of place in this particular thread...

Don't even think about doing that... first off, everyone ends up hovering around the bar instead of being on the dance floor, especially the guys... and second, I know a guy who got charged almost as much for the drinks as the whole venue rental just because of how they count it... yeah, the beer and wine are free, but the spirits aren't... sure, you could bring your own bottle, but if you've got an open bar setup, people are gonna demand shots, and they'll drink yours and then the venue will hit you with a massive bill and you won't have any way to prove they didn't drink it all.

Karen Cruz2 said:👍🙏
I'm having this one person do my boutonnieres. She does amazing work and her prices are actually reasonable.
www.obrtnici.info/web/nina

I have to admit, I hadn't heard of her before—but this is great! You just gave so many women a huge heads-up 👍

silentpuma28 said:I have to admit, I hadn't heard of her before—but this is great! You just gave so many women a huge heads-up 👍

She just started doing this professionally. She used to just do it for fun with her crew, but once the outside orders started rolling in, she decided it was time to scale up the business.

Oh, and one more thing. If you’re going with a croquant cake, you seriously have to hit up that bakery by the Marina near the Mediterranean Sea… they’re killer 🙏….

Megan Reyes73 said:Oh, and one more thing. If you’re going with a croquant cake, you seriously have to hit up that bakery by the Marina near the Mediterranean Sea… they’re killer 🙏….

I mean, they're pretty much the most famous spot in the whole area... but man, those prices though! Holy cow...😲

Michael Davis21 said:I mean, they're pretty much the most famous spot in the whole area... but man, those prices though! Holy cow...😲

Not even close... I checked out the prices at the Ritz and they were way higher, even without the wedding party, fireworks, and all that other nonsense my man keeps pushing. The guy's got some seriously wild ideas—you can basically see them coming a mile away. Personally? That lighthouse idea is just straight-up depressing.

Megan Reyes73 said:Not even close... I checked out the prices at the Ritz and they were way higher, even without the wedding party, fireworks, and all that other nonsense my man keeps pushing. The guy's got some seriously wild ideas—you can basically see them coming a mile away. Personally? That lighthouse idea is just straight-up depressing.

A huge, standard croquembouche usually runs about $900—$400 which isn't bad at all, but with them, everything is way over $833 (I actually asked around at a bridal expo). To be honest, I don't even care that much since it’s probably just going to end up smashed anyway😁—might as well just smash it $400 rather than drop $3,000-$1333🤷 on it, but hey, to each their own, I guess...😉

Michael Davis21 said:A huge, standard croquembouche usually runs about $900—$400 which isn't bad at all, but with them, everything is way over $833 (I actually asked around at a bridal expo). To be honest, I don't even care that much since it’s probably just going to end up smashed anyway😁—might as well just smash it $400 rather than drop $3,000-$1333🤷 on it, but hey, to each their own, I guess...😉

I was actually thinking about setting up a little section near Times Square for the croquant, though I haven't really figured out the layout yet... I did some math and put down roughly $333 for the croquant. Does that price cover custom shapes too, or is that strictly for the bell shape?

Jack Miller4 said:Could someone walk me through how an "open bar" actually works at these kinds of venues?
I’m struggling to see the logic behind opting for an open bar if the wine, beer, and sodas are already unlimited. I assume there might be some loophole where guests could bring their own hard liquor, right? 🤷
Also, from a logistical standpoint, how do the hosts even verify if the guests actually consumed as much as the venue claims they did?
My apologies if this question feels a bit out of place in this particular thread...

Listen, honey, just close the bar after the cocktail hour. Don't even let them touch the hard stuff—not even a little bit! It would be absolute chaos. Wherever there's been an open bar in my experience, there's always been a mess, and you definitely don't need that stress. There is simply no way to track exactly how much everyone is drinking; honestly, things tend to get skimmed off the top. It’s basically a golden opportunity for the venue to pad their pockets because you'll never truly know the tally. Having plenty of beer and wine should be more than enough for anyone looking to celebrate!
Also, a quick word of advice: hire one or two extra servers from home to handle the heavy lifting and make sure nobody tries to bring in outside bottles. You never know when some idiot might try to drive under the influence and cause a disaster. It is much better to pay a few extra bucks for staff $167 than to live with the guilt for the rest of your life if someone gets hurt!

Karen Cruz2 said:We actually put a deposit down yesterday at Photo Color over on Broadway. The shots look decent, even though I know everyone just picks the absolute best highlights for their albums...
I wrote off Marko Photography pretty quickly. As for Photo California, I've heard you book one crew only to have a totally different group show up on the day—and they aren't exactly cheap, either...
Matić and Lisjak were booked up, but whatever, it worked out fine. We'll see how the photos actually turn out.☕

So, what kind of price did you settle on?
How many photographers and cameras are you planning to have on site?
I'm asking because I'm still completely undecided on who to hire.

Michael Davis21 said:A huge, standard croquembouche usually runs about $900—$400 which isn't bad at all, but with them, everything is way over $833 (I actually asked around at a bridal expo). To be honest, I don't even care that much since it’s probably just going to end up smashed anyway😁—might as well just smash it $400 rather than drop $3,000-$1333🤷 on it, but hey, to each their own, I guess...😉

🙂

Nicholas Brown84 said:I was actually thinking about setting up a little section near Times Square for the croquant, though I haven't really figured out the layout yet... I did some math and put down roughly $333 for the croquant. Does that price cover custom shapes too, or is that strictly for the bell shape?

I'm pretty sure those are just basic cakes at $333, anything else is gonna cost you more. Plus, you gotta wonder if every baker can actually pull off whatever crazy design you want... there are cheaper spots over at Whole Foods too....
to me, a cake at Cheesecake Factory ended up being 1400 + extras $100... honestly, I'm not even that big on brittle so it felt pricey, 👎but I grabbed it just for my man...

Nicholas Brown84 said:I was actually thinking about setting up a little section near Times Square for the croquant, though I haven't really figured out the layout yet... I did some math and put down roughly $333 for the croquant. Does that price cover custom shapes too, or is that strictly for the bell shape?

That’s gotta be a custom quote... I mean, since it's something totally unique and not just one of those cookie-cutter designs they usually pump out... at least that's my two cents anyway...🤷everyone comes in with their own wild ideas...😍..but once people realize how much those extra details actually cost, most of them end up just playing it safe and going with something simple.
But hey, you should definitely go ask them directly just to be sure!😉

Megan Reyes73 said:I'm pretty sure those are just basic cakes at $333, anything else is gonna cost you more. Plus, you gotta wonder if every baker can actually pull off whatever crazy design you want... there are cheaper spots over at Whole Foods too....
to me, a cake at Cheesecake Factory ended up being 1400 + extras $100... honestly, I'm not even that big on brittle so it felt pricey, 👎but I grabbed it just for my man...

Ugh, I'm not really into praline either🙄but my partner was being so insistent... so what am I supposed to do? I just gave in🤷....though I definitely don't budge when it comes to other stuff😍😁(like the decorations, and a ton of other little details...🤣)
Personally, I think adding praline is kind of silly... you just crunch it up and toss it 🤷 (hardly anyone actually eats it!), and then you've got a cake with a few layers and whatever else.... but fine, whatever, let him have his way😳😁

Michael Davis21 said:Ugh, I'm not really into praline either🙄but my partner was being so insistent... so what am I supposed to do? I just gave in🤷....though I definitely don't budge when it comes to other stuff😍😁(like the decorations, and a ton of other little details...🤣)
Personally, I think adding praline is kind of silly... you just crunch it up and toss it 🤷 (hardly anyone actually eats it!), and then you've got a cake with a few layers and whatever else.... but fine, whatever, let him have his way😳😁

It’s the exact opposite at my house. My husband would love the cake (for the same reasons you mentioned), but I’d be totally fine with skipping it.
😁

Thomas Sanchez532 said:It’s the exact opposite at my house. My husband would love the cake (for the same reasons you mentioned), but I’d be totally fine with skipping it.
😁

And trust me, it’s a rush... a total sensation. Even if I ended up in tears because the damn thing completely fell apart on me. 😂

Honestly, I think brittle is just top-tier—both for snacking and for crumbling over desserts. It looks so much better than those plain white cakes, too. I’m actually thinking about asking my baker if they can do a custom shape, maybe something inspired by Times Square since I love that vibe.
But then again, a lot of people just grab brittle as a snack or make it at home. For me, though? A wedding without some good brittle feels wrong. I guess I’ve just loved it since I was a kid. 😍
And man, it always gives me such a boost. That concentrated sugar hit really hits the spot during those afternoon slumps when you feel like you're running on empty.

Nicholas Brown84 said:Honestly, I think brittle is just top-tier—both for snacking and for crumbling over desserts. It looks so much better than those plain white cakes, too. I’m actually thinking about asking my baker if they can do a custom shape, maybe something inspired by Times Square since I love that vibe.
But then again, a lot of people just grab brittle as a snack or make it at home. For me, though? A wedding without some good brittle feels wrong. I guess I’ve just loved it since I was a kid. 😍
And man, it always gives me such a boost. That concentrated sugar hit really hits the spot during those afternoon slumps when you feel like you're running on empty.

There wasn't a single bit left at my place... okay, fine, let's be honest, about 20% ended up on the floor... the rest was split up... everyone got a piece... just enough!
I'm a huge fan too... it feels like such an American tradition. 😍

Just checking in... let me know if you guys need the full ensemble or just the duo—guitar and mandolin.