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!😉

Kudos to you, Slave—you're definitely one of the more sensible ones when it comes to all this flower stuff....

Good grief.... but honestly? If I'm being real... I am a total cheapskate when it comes to wedding flowers. From experience, I know that once the ham and cheese platters show up, those flowers just end up shoved under the table because there's zero room left on top... but hey, if I'm paying $380 for a venue and everything you guys listed—covers, bows, bouquets—and it's all included, fine. But flowers for the house? That feels absurdly unnecessary (AGAIN, JUST MY TWO CENTS) and as for the church—it's a church. You don't need to bedazzle it. 🤷🤷 Everything inside is beautiful enough on its own. 🤷

The only things I’ll admit to spending on are the getaway car decor, the ribbons, and the bouquet.... everything else feels like throwing money down the drain. I truly believe you can decorate tables and everything else so beautifully and creatively using pebbles, mesh, ribbons, lavender, candles, and all sorts of things where you'll spend a maximum of $100 and actually be able to use them at home or somewhere else later... 🤷🤷

I know myself—after receptions, I usually end up shuffling floral arrangements around the room because I'm busy hunting for dropped appetizers or trying to squeeze wine out from under the tables 😂😂, so for that first impression when guests walk in, it's way smarter to go with something recyclable rather than dropping thousands of dollars on blooms.... You girls are all so creative; just use a little imagination and you can make it look like a fairytale for way, way less money 🤷🤷

Raymond Brooks7 said: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. 😍

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.

🙂

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😳😁

we reached an easy deal, he picked the royal icing and I went with a purple cake (10 servings) stacked up nicely in 5 layers....problem solved instantly without me losing my mind over tiny little cakes...👍

Megan Reyes73 check your DMs😉

The Ino-Kaštela bistro was absolutely stellar; the servers were incredible, practically hovering by our table to ensure we had everything we could ever need before we even realized it... the food was simply divine 🙂, a perfect ten out of ten
. As for the live music from Vine and Ivo , what can I even say? Major props to them! These guys are fantastic and they cultivate such an infectious atmosphere that I honestly found myself in disbelief... 👍

Hopefully, this helps someone out there

wiredbison98 said: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.

They quoted us $1,000. That covers everything—tips, an album with about 300 photos (including 15-20 larger ones and one 30x40 print), all the digital files on a DVD, plus five DVDs for the video footage. Honestly, the best part for me was getting all the raw footage from the videographer.
We went with one videographer and one female photographer.
We actually skipped the extra albums for our parents. We figured we'd rather just pick our favorite shots later and buy custom albums ourselves, especially since those things run about $50 each.
Hope that helps!

I need some urgent info if anyone knows...
Does anyone know of a marriage prep course starting today that lasts three days? 🤣

We finally made it to the parish office this morning, but apparently the course started last night 🙄
And since we won't be back home until August, does that mean there aren't any courses available anywhere else??? 😕

Anonymous said:I need some urgent info if anyone knows...
Does anyone know of a marriage prep course starting today that lasts three days? 🤣

We finally made it to the parish office this morning, but apparently the course started last night 🙄
And since we won't be back home until August, does that mean there aren't any courses available anywhere else??? 😕

I think you could probably head over tonight and try to sign up. It shouldn't be much of an issue... I know Megan Reyes73 organizes one every month, so there's always something coming up later on, but who knows.
Just go ahead and try your luck tonight... and bring the cash to pay upfront just in case.👍

Anonymous said:I need some urgent info if anyone knows...
Does anyone know of a marriage prep course starting today that lasts three days? 🤣

We finally made it to the parish office this morning, but apparently the course started last night 🙄
And since we won't be back home until August, does that mean there aren't any courses available anywhere else??? 😕

Just go tonight... you’re allowed one absence... just show up early tonight and call ahead, and you're set. Last night was basically just one lecture anyway... (at least that's how it works at St. Peter's; they only do one service on Sundays)....

Anonymous said:I need some urgent info if anyone knows...
Does anyone know of a marriage prep course starting today that lasts three days? 🤣

We finally made it to the parish office this morning, but apparently the course started last night 🙄
And since we won't be back home until August, does that mean there aren't any courses available anywhere else??? 😕

Every church has a full yearly schedule—for both St. Peter and San Diego. Just go to the nearest one and look at the bulletin...

If I recall correctly, it’s at St. Peter... the second Sunday of every month. Don't quote me on that, though; I just glanced at it quickly after getting my own stuff sorted. Last year it was the first Sunday, and yeah, there's always a break in August...

So I guess my only option is to head over there tonight and see if they’ll finally show us some mercy. 🙄
Hey, I'm gonna try to talk my partner into it. Just curious though—how much does that even cost? Just trying to get an idea. 😉

Anonymous said:So I guess my only option is to head over there tonight and see if they’ll finally show us some mercy. 🙄
Hey, I'm gonna try to talk my partner into it. Just curious though—how much does that even cost? Just trying to get an idea. 😉

Last year was $33... and they'll take you in without a second thought. Just show up and put in those two days...

Quincy:

says: I seriously need some info right now if anyone knows... is there some kind of engagement course starting today that lasts three days? 🤣 we finally dragged ourselves to the parish office this morning, but the course started last night 🙄 and by August when we're actually back home, apparently there aren't even any courses scheduled??? 😕

Look, I've got the calendar here with all the dates they hold them... specifically over at St. Peter's. Their next one is May 10th, and as for August, nothing until the 30th... hope that helps.😉

I'm having a bit of a dilemma here.

I can't decide if I should go with a tiered cake on a stand for Karen Cruz2 or stick to a single-tier design covered in fondant.

What do you all think works better?

Or is it honestly just down to aesthetics?

Raymond Brooks7 said:Last year was $33... and they'll take you in without a second thought. Just show up and put in those two days...

👍
btw it’s always $33, all of it

hollowpilot58 said:I'm having a bit of a dilemma here.

I can't decide if I should go with a tiered cake on a stand for Karen Cruz2 or stick to a single-tier design covered in fondant.

What do you all think works better?

Or is it honestly just down to aesthetics?

It really comes down to taste versus presentation... but honestly, just hop back on the chat and drop some photos. Once you see everyone's reactions, you'll be even more torn.🤣

Raymond Brooks7 said:Last year was $33... and they'll take you in without a second thought. Just show up and put in those two days...

But honestly, I don't think it's worth it. Someone told us this morning that the schedule has already shifted, and now we're supposed to check in at the local community center to see when the next one is? Like, what, do we really have to go back again... 🙄

I’m starting to feel like even this attempt at picking a date is going to fall through. 🤣

Anonymous said:But honestly, I don't think it's worth it. Someone told us this morning that the schedule has already shifted, and now we're supposed to check in at the local community center to see when the next one is? Like, what, do we really have to go back again... 🙄

I’m starting to feel like even this attempt at picking a date is going to fall through. 🤣

Just go by yourself... it's not like anyone is going to ask where he is. When I went, there were plenty of people in the same boat—they only showed up on the very last day.
If you're lucky, maybe he'll actually show up tomorrow to grab the paperwork with you.😉

It’s just not happening... honestly, these local pastors don't have a clue how the system actually works...
Look, you can skip it if you have to. It's better if you show up for all three days, sure, but it's not the end of the world if you can't make it...

Then he can just head over there in August when the classes aren't running... or tell him his other option is to go to some priest who will just bully him through it... or he won't be able to get married in the Church because he won't have the certificate...

And I wouldn't risk her going alone... or with someone else... maybe they would've gotten away with it yesterday, but today there won't be nearly as many people looking to cut corners after missing that first day.

Raymond Brooks7 said:It’s just not happening... honestly, these local pastors don't have a clue how the system actually works...
Look, you can skip it if you have to. It's better if you show up for all three days, sure, but it's not the end of the world if you can't make it...

Then he can just head over there in August when the classes aren't running... or tell him his other option is to go to some priest who will just bully him through it... or he won't be able to get married in the Church because he won't have the certificate...

And I wouldn't risk her going alone... or with someone else... maybe they would've gotten away with it yesterday, but today there won't be nearly as many people looking to cut corners after missing that first day.

When I went, there were a few people in the same boat and it wasn't an issue... but honestly, he should decide for himself..
Will you still be around here in May?