Everything you need for a California wedding

Adam Alvarez5 said:I’m actually having a bit of a crisis here—I can't quite decide which dining room I prefer: Castello, Bellevue, or maybe Saint Croix? Honestly, I'm torn. I haven't had much time to dig through the archives to see if anyone else has shared their thoughts on the food quality or the general vibe, so I thought I'd just ask you all directly. Any insights would be hugely appreciated!

Don't even think about choosing Castello; sure, the room itself looks great, but the service is hit-or-miss at best and the food is absolutely mediocre.👎 👎

David King72 said:Don't even think about choosing Castello; sure, the room itself looks great, but the service is hit-or-miss at best and the food is absolutely mediocre.👎 👎

I have to disagree with you there... I was at a wedding there recently and everything was top-notch, from the catering to the staff...

If I were picking, my order would be: Saint Croix, then Castello, then Bellevue... but honestly, it all depends on where your church is located. If the cathedral is over in the downtown area, Bellevue is probably your best bet...

For what it's worth, I've been to all three and I haven't found a single thing to complain about regarding the food, the service, or the atmosphere.😍

Raymond Brooks7 said:I have to disagree with you there... I was at a wedding there recently and everything was top-notch, from the catering to the staff...

If I were picking, my order would be: Saint Croix, then Castello, then Bellevue... but honestly, it all depends on where your church is located. If the cathedral is over in the downtown area, Bellevue is probably your best bet...

For what it's worth, I've been to all three and I haven't found a single thing to complain about regarding the food, the service, or the atmosphere.😍

I was just there about twenty days ago, and frankly, I haven't had a worse meal in my life; half the stuff we ordered never even made it to the table. As for the service, our specific waitress was fine, but the rest of the staff? Not so much. Some tables didn't receive their dishes at all, and when they did, the portions were laughably small for a group of ten.

Anne split: Castello... the room was nice, food was okay, service was fine, but nothing to write home about. Honestly, that venue is pretty low on my list.
I wasn't at any parties over at Holy Cross, so I can't really weigh in on that hall, but I can definitely vouch for my spot, Bellevue. I've got nothing but praise for them—the food, the staff, everything was spot on. If you want the inside scoop, just shoot me a DM!

Raymond Brooks7 said:I have to disagree with you there... I was at a wedding there recently and everything was top-notch, from the catering to the staff...

If I were picking, my order would be: Saint Croix, then Castello, then Bellevue... but honestly, it all depends on where your church is located. If the cathedral is over in the downtown area, Bellevue is probably your best bet...

For what it's worth, I've been to all three and I haven't found a single thing to complain about regarding the food, the service, or the atmosphere.😍

I've actually had similar experiences with Castell. I was there last year and everything was just 👍

Hey ladies...

I’ve pretty much picked out everything...
I have to give a huge shoutout to Susan—she is seriously amazing...🙏

The only thing left is the music. I'm still deciding, so I wanted to see what you all think about Calypso and Rockatansky?
Also, any thoughts on Big Fun?

Thanks, everyone!

🙂

Yeah, true... and before I forget—even though I really need to watch my budget here—what’s the consensus on light shows? Specifically, what kind of pricing should I expect around the San Francisco area?

I’ve only ever looked at one quote, so I’m trying to figure out if I’m looking at the high end, the low end, or somewhere right in the middle🤷...as far as costs go...and what have your experiences been like?
Personally, I think they make a huge difference for the vibe...it changes how the whole venue looks, and honestly, people tend to🙂 relax more on the dance floor when they aren't staring under those harsh, bright house lights...

What do you guys think?

mellowfalcon said:I actually shot Suzy an email, and she sent over some videographer recommendations along with their contact info. So yeah, don't sweat that part too much.😁

Yeah... I've been taking everyone's advice to heart... thanks... Susan actually pointed me toward a cameraman, and I've already 👍

Oh, and before I forget, thanks Mariposa, Tani, Ivanaudan, and Olivia Adams71... 🙂 for all the helpful info...

Aha... personally, I’m leaning towards Holy Cross as the best pick. We’re currently over in San Francisco, though, so I’m not entirely sure how much of a trek that would be from here. That said, Amigos Podstrana looks pretty incredible in all the photos they post online... I’m just sitting here wondering if anyone actually has firsthand experience with them? Has anyone been there lately?

Olivia Hill9 said:Hey ladies...

I’ve pretty much picked out everything...
I have to give a huge shoutout to Susan—she is seriously amazing...🙏

The only thing left is the music. I'm still deciding, so I wanted to see what you all think about Calypso and Rockatansky?
Also, any thoughts on Big Fun?

Thanks, everyone!

🙂

Never heard of Calypso, and Rockatansky? They're way overhyped. From what I've gathered, they're pretty full of themselves—they just play whatever they feel like instead of sticking to the plan you actually agreed on.
I've checked out Big Fun, though, and they're solid. 👍 We were looking at them and Amadeus—honestly, I don't think we would've regretted picking either one. 😉

Olivia Hill9 said:Yeah, true... and before I forget—even though I really need to watch my budget here—what’s the consensus on light shows? Specifically, what kind of pricing should I expect around the San Francisco area?

I’ve only ever looked at one quote, so I’m trying to figure out if I’m looking at the high end, the low end, or somewhere right in the middle🤷...as far as costs go...and what have your experiences been like?
Personally, I think they make a huge difference for the vibe...it changes how the whole venue looks, and honestly, people tend to🙂 relax more on the dance floor when they aren't staring under those harsh, bright house lights...

What do you guys think?

Some bands come with their own setup, but if you want to add an extra light show, expect to shell out an extra $1,000. I don't have a specific contact, but honestly, that feels like overkill to me.
Just take a look at the venue's built-in lighting and see how they handle it during the dance sets. At our place, they kept all the lights on the whole time; nobody seemed to mind too much. I mean, a few people mentioned it was a bit bright, but they still danced.

A part of the Calypso band actually plays at the Forum too... given their track record, I doubt they'd be anything less than great... I was just wondering what they're like for weddings since I haven't caught them live yet...

Thanks for the heads-up on Rockatansky; sounds like Big Fun is a solid choice too... do you happen to know what their rates look like?

As for the light show, it feels like a lot to me too... but I'll give it some more thought. I need to see where I can trim the budget just to see if I can squeeze this in... maybe. Yeah, I know the Trophy crew had their own lighting setup... but they're booked up... which I guess explains why their prices are so high...

Adam Alvarez5 said:Aha... personally, I’m leaning towards Holy Cross as the best pick. We’re currently over in San Francisco, though, so I’m not entirely sure how much of a trek that would be from here. That said, Amigos Podstrana looks pretty incredible in all the photos they post online... I’m just sitting here wondering if anyone actually has firsthand experience with them? Has anyone been there lately?

I've been to parties at both Holy Cross and Amigos!

Holy Cross: The hall is massive and honestly perfect. The food was easily the best I've had, even if the menu wasn't exactly traditional. Staff was awesome, too. It’s a bit of a trek, but there's lodging right there in Holy Cross—we stayed overnight and it was great.

As for Amigos, it's alright. The space is way, way, WAY smaller than Holy Cross and feels kind of dark. Food's fine, service is decent.

I don't know if I'm just completely out of the loop here or if things have shifted recently. Everywhere I look, people are talking about how they source all their supplies from Ira, but then I actually show up there and find out they won't sell to me as an individual? Apparently, you need a business license or a corporate account just to buy anything.

Aaron Patel15 said:I don't know if I'm just completely out of the loop here or if things have shifted recently. Everywhere I look, people are talking about how they source all their supplies from Ira, but then I actually show up there and find out they won't sell to me as an individual? Apparently, you need a business license or a corporate account just to buy anything.

You can still grab some wholesale items, but you're gonna have to drop a bit more cash to make it happen.$100

Thomas Sanchez532 said:You can still grab some wholesale items, but you're gonna have to drop a bit more cash to make it happen.$100

Look, I get that, but I honestly thought I could pick out anything. There’s stuff—like certain flowers, for example—that isn't strictly on the official wedding checklist, but I’d definitely be buying them for the big day!

Olivia Hill9 said:A part of the Calypso band actually plays at the Forum too... given their track record, I doubt they'd be anything less than great... I was just wondering what they're like for weddings since I haven't caught them live yet...

Thanks for the heads-up on Rockatansky; sounds like Big Fun is a solid choice too... do you happen to know what their rates look like?

As for the light show, it feels like a lot to me too... but I'll give it some more thought. I need to see where I can trim the budget just to see if I can squeeze this in... maybe. Yeah, I know the Trophy crew had their own lighting setup... but they're booked up... which I guess explains why their prices are so high...

Big Fun quoted us around $1,300, if I remember right.
IMO, lighting is just throwing money down the drain. When you look at the venue for what it actually is—which venue are we talking about? 🤔—you might be better off spending a few bucks on floating candles and some centerpiece bowls for the tables (if that's the vibe), then just asking them to dim the lights during the dance set. Boom, instant atmosphere for peanuts.😉

Raymond Brooks7 said:I have to disagree with you there... I was at a wedding there recently and everything was top-notch, from the catering to the staff...

If I were picking, my order would be: Saint Croix, then Castello, then Bellevue... but honestly, it all depends on where your church is located. If the cathedral is over in the downtown area, Bellevue is probably your best bet...

For what it's worth, I've been to all three and I haven't found a single thing to complain about regarding the food, the service, or the atmosphere.😍

In my opinion, Castello is 👍 pretty rough, honestly—from the actual space they have to the servers and the food itself. I've been to a few dinner parties there and it just wasn't it.

I’ve been sitting here wondering if Holy Cross is actually the best fit for what we have in mind... at least for me, anyway. I can't quite wrap my head around the capacity requirements there. Do you think 120 or 130 guests would feel a bit sparse? I'd hate for the hall to feel cavernous or like there's just too much empty space surrounding us. Also, regarding the overnight stay—is there any sort of complimentary upgrade or bonus room situation for the newlyweds, or is that strictly extra?

Adam Alvarez5 said:I’ve been sitting here wondering if Holy Cross is actually the best fit for what we have in mind... at least for me, anyway. I can't quite wrap my head around the capacity requirements there. Do you think 120 or 130 guests would feel a bit sparse? I'd hate for the hall to feel cavernous or like there's just too much empty space surrounding us. Also, regarding the overnight stay—is there any sort of complimentary upgrade or bonus room situation for the newlyweds, or is that strictly extra?

Out of those three options, this one has the best layout.
I have a feeling they used to throw in free spa access or something similar for the newlyweds back in the day.

Over at the Honey place, you actually get a free suite for the night.

Thomas Sanchez532 said:Out of those three options, this one has the best layout.
I have a feeling they used to throw in free spa access or something similar for the newlyweds back in the day.

Over at the Honey place, you actually get a free suite for the night.

Aha... well, I've had some people tell me all three are equally great... honestly, I'm starting to lose track myself.🤷