Everything you need for a California wedding

electriccanyon17 said:Hey everyone
I’ve been lurking here for a while now, and honestly, you guys have been a lifesaver when it comes to all my wedding stress—everything from the venue and photography to picking out flowers... 👍
But I’m hitting a wall because I can't find anyone who actually saw Jesse's band perform at a wedding. Some friends recommended them, but I'm dead set on finding a real, full-scale band—you know, actual drums, keys, guitars, and both male and female vocals. I am absolutely NOT doing some duo or trio running off a drum machine. And obviously, I need a setlist packed with pop-rock and classic California hits, with zero country music allowed.
This is a huge deal for me, so if anyone here has actually seen them live, please, please drop your honest thoughts below...

Do it this way: look up their info on jessy-band.com, find out when their next gig is, and just go watch them! You don't need anyone else's opinion.

That's how you handle it.🙂

Got a few questions about makeup and hair in San Diego... for a wedding, obviously! 😁

I heard Martine does amazing makeup, and since I’ve seen so many good reviews on here, I’m thinking of just keeping it simple and booking her directly.

I think she has a hair salon there too, so I was wondering if anyone has used them for hair? What was the vibe?
There's also the Galant salon nearby, so if you've been there for hair, please let me know what you thought!

Did you guys do a trial run for your makeup and hair before the big day? 😕

Thanks!

Gregory Campbell56 said:Got a few questions about makeup and hair in San Diego... for a wedding, obviously! 😁

I heard Martine does amazing makeup, and since I’ve seen so many good reviews on here, I’m thinking of just keeping it simple and booking her directly.

I think she has a hair salon there too, so I was wondering if anyone has used them for hair? What was the vibe?
There's also the Galant salon nearby, so if you've been there for hair, please let me know what you thought!

Did you guys do a trial run for your makeup and hair before the big day? 😕

Thanks!

I used Martine for my makeup... she opened her new studio in those white buildings behind Maraschin... she doesn't do hair anymore, but she recommended Anchi's salon, which is only 50m from hers. I was extremely satisfied.👍

It’s been over a month since my big day, so I figured I’d drop a quick recap for you all:

Venue: Robot—absolutely phenomenal. The round tables looked great, the food was perfect and there was more than enough of everything... plus, the service was even better.

Music: 021—they created such an incredible vibe. The dance floor was packed the entire night. They played a mix of local hits and international tracks... seriously, hats off to them.

Photo: Color—honestly, I have mixed feelings. The actual photos turned out beautiful, but the DVD was a bit of a letdown. To make matters worse, the photographer was pretty overwhelming that day. It felt like she wouldn't leave my side for a second. When it was finally time for us to head out, she insisted on "one more quick photo session" that was supposed to take five minutes but ended up taking an hour. She felt a bit unprofessional.

Flowers: Jaglac Florist—the bouquet and the head table arrangement were beautifully done.
The car and decor were handled by a decorator I worked with (I used her for invitations and thank-you notes too). She did an amazing job, and her prices were very reasonable. I’d recommend her to anyone.

Hair and Makeup: Vivjen-fenomenen—simply phenomenal. She totally exceeded my expectations.

Dress: Helen, Brnaze-vešta—the dress itself was fine, but they really nickel and dime you. We had agreed on a price for it being a first-wear gown, but then some other girls tried it on before me, and suddenly they claimed they never said the price would drop unless several people wore it first. Whatever.

Cake: Viadel-jedrenjak

Church: St. Dominic—everything was set up perfectly. The priest was wonderful, and their youth choir was even better. It was truly special.

So... even though things didn't go exactly according to plan, everyone ended up having a great time. Most importantly, we were both incredibly happy.
Thanks to everyone for all the help and advice along the way.

You all are wonderful! Truly, thank you so much for everything you've shared here. It was only about a month ago that I realized I actually needed to start wedding planning. A few people warned me to get moving with reservations and all that, but I honestly thought we had plenty of time since the wedding isn't until the ninth month. Boy, was I wrong. Since I'm new to this, I really didn't have a clue how much planning goes into a wedding. That changed once I started reading your posts and following your advice. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything!
Forgive me for such a long introduction, but I just had to tell you all.
Now, I could really use some help: I'm struggling to pick a band, and I have a few options on my list. I haven't heard or seen any of them live yet—some I found online, and others were recommended to me. Please let me know which one you think I should choose: First League, Joker, Marinero, Fantastico, or Brava? I want the music to feel like a real party, specifically that classic West Coast vibe. Nothing cheesy, no country, and definitely no pop fluff.

Emily Garcia6 said:You all are wonderful! Truly, thank you so much for everything you've shared here. It was only about a month ago that I realized I actually needed to start wedding planning. A few people warned me to get moving with reservations and all that, but I honestly thought we had plenty of time since the wedding isn't until the ninth month. Boy, was I wrong. Since I'm new to this, I really didn't have a clue how much planning goes into a wedding. That changed once I started reading your posts and following your advice. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything!
Forgive me for such a long introduction, but I just had to tell you all.
Now, I could really use some help: I'm struggling to pick a band, and I have a few options on my list. I haven't heard or seen any of them live yet—some I found online, and others were recommended to me. Please let me know which one you think I should choose: First League, Joker, Marinero, Fantastico, or Brava? I want the music to feel like a real party, specifically that classic West Coast vibe. Nothing cheesy, no country, and definitely no pop fluff.

Just take it easy, you still have time... kidding. Band and photographer... then maybe a little break 😁
and yeah, welcome to the group...
as for the music... if I were you, I'd go with either Brava or First League... I used the first one, and the second was a close runner-up, and I've caught both playing at a few parties... they were both fantastic!!!!!!

Oh, thanks so much! I’m actually planning to call the Brava band again tomorrow just to see if they’re still free. Since I've already booked the church, the venue, and the restaurant, the band is really the last piece of the puzzle for me to finally relax. Half of our guests will be from out of town, so I'm a little nervous that things might turn into a wild party instead of a formal reception. I think I already gave them a heads-up that things might be a little "different," haha!

Emily Garcia6 said:Oh, thanks so much! I’m actually planning to call the Brava band again tomorrow just to see if they’re still free. Since I've already booked the church, the venue, and the restaurant, the band is really the last piece of the puzzle for me to finally relax. Half of our guests will be from out of town, so I'm a little nervous that things might turn into a wild party instead of a formal reception. I think I already gave them a heads-up that things might be a little "different," haha!

Welcome! 👋

My sincere recommendation would be to call everyone as soon as possible and get those reservations locked in. For instance—my own wedding was set for September 4th, 2010, and we had already booked our band by October of the previous year. When we tried to reschedule them for the weekend prior just ten days later, they were already fully booked! 🙂
(from Orlando)

As for the Bravo Band, I KNOW they are fantastic, but they are also booked solid for all of September 2010! (They were my personal favorite.)
The First League group is also quite good—though personally, I find them a bit overpriced—but I know they can be very expensive. A friend of mine paid $2,300 $0.00 back in September of this year!! 😲 😲 😲)

Anyway, I hope this provides at least a little bit of assistance. 😉

Anyone ever been to Phoenix in small-town Indiana??

Jessica Clark4 said:Welcome! 👋

My sincere recommendation would be to call everyone as soon as possible and get those reservations locked in. For instance—my own wedding was set for September 4th, 2010, and we had already booked our band by October of the previous year. When we tried to reschedule them for the weekend prior just ten days later, they were already fully booked! 🙂
(from Orlando)

As for the Bravo Band, I KNOW they are fantastic, but they are also booked solid for all of September 2010! (They were my personal favorite.)
The First League group is also quite good—though personally, I find them a bit overpriced—but I know they can be very expensive. A friend of mine paid $2,300 $0.00 back in September of this year!! 😲 😲 😲)

Anyway, I hope this provides at least a little bit of assistance. 😉

Give me a break. How could $7667 pay that much? That's 3000 dollars... I know prices went up to 2000, but honestly, I have to ask—did the guy actually pay that much? Maybe the party was held somewhere in Indianapolis or something?
For half that price, you can get a seven-piece folk group to show up with their own travel and lodging covered.

Jack Murphy7 said:Give me a break. How could $7667 pay that much? That's 3000 dollars... I know prices went up to 2000, but honestly, I have to ask—did the guy actually pay that much? Maybe the party was held somewhere in Indianapolis or something?
For half that price, you can get a seven-piece folk group to show up with their own travel and lodging covered.

I’m certain the top tier doesn't cost that much ☕ and my friend had them back in September... so... 😕 like Jack Murphy7 said, maybe the party was in Indianapolis and they had to drive through Washington, D.C. to get there. 🤷

Raymond Brooks7 said:I’m certain the top tier doesn't cost that much ☕ and my friend had them back in September... so... 😕 like Jack Murphy7 said, maybe the party was in Indianapolis and they had to drive through Washington, D.C. to get there. 🤷

uh... over Greece and then uphill...👍

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!

🙂

take Calypso—you won't regret it. I've seen them perform at two different weddings now... they play incredibly well and they really know how to set the mood. In fact, they're actually playing at my wedding next year.

Jack Murphy7 said:Give me a break. How could $7667 pay that much? That's 3000 dollars... I know prices went up to 2000, but honestly, I have to ask—did the guy actually pay that much? Maybe the party was held somewhere in Indianapolis or something?
For half that price, you can get a seven-piece folk group to show up with their own travel and lodging covered.

It wasn't in Indianapolis—it was actually a bit closer to Washington, D.C. He also had a small group of musicians—maybe five or six people—perform before the ceremony, plus a choir at the church. Fortunately, they can certainly afford those kinds of extras...🤣

Raymond Brooks7 said:I’m certain the top tier doesn't cost that much ☕ and my friend had them back in September... so... 😕 like Jack Murphy7 said, maybe the party was in Indianapolis and they had to drive through Washington, D.C. to get there. 🤷

$7667, even though my husband insists they charged him $27! But they didn't—they played from 8 PM until 8 AM; meanwhile, a year ago they played for one of his relatives (that is where people actually caught on to them) and they definitely paid much less than double!
I have no idea what kind of pricing scale they use—all I can say is that at her place, nobody could ever request a single song—but with them, it happens constantly; they kept playing until 8 in the morning, whereas she usually wraps things up around 3 AM... and in the meantime, they certainly made a name for themselves... so, I truly don't know 🤷, maybe that is why!

Bradley Sanchez61 said:Anyone ever been to Phoenix in small-town Indiana??

Honestly, I had a blast there. Can confirm the whole experience was a solid 5 out of 5.

Jessica Clark4 said:$7667, even though my husband insists they charged him $27! But they didn't—they played from 8 PM until 8 AM; meanwhile, a year ago they played for one of his relatives (that is where people actually caught on to them) and they definitely paid much less than double!
I have no idea what kind of pricing scale they use—all I can say is that at her place, nobody could ever request a single song—but with them, it happens constantly; they kept playing until 8 in the morning, whereas she usually wraps things up around 3 AM... and in the meantime, they certainly made a name for themselves... so, I truly don't know 🤷, maybe that is why!

I think you’re thinking of The Beach Boys

There's also a band out of Miami 😉 they came to play for me in September for 1500 US Dollars.

We finally bit the bullet and decided to host a lunch for the relatives followed by a full-blown party for our friends. The vision is essentially a buffet-style spread paired with a DJ, with all the seating moved outdoors to catch the breeze. Now, I’m looking for the right venue in Miami or somewhere nearby that can pull this off. Does anyone have recommendations for a specific lounge, restaurant, or bistro? We're looking at a group of about 30 people.

Alex Carter3 said:I think you’re thinking of The Beach Boys

There's also a band out of Miami 😉 they came to play for me in September for 1500 US Dollars.

That is correct, Alex Carter3 🙂.
My apologies, ladies—I truly wasn't aware there was another group with that exact same name based out of Miami. 🤷
As for those guys, I don't know anything about them. 😉

Look, I can back this up—The Beach Boys out of Miami will definitely pull in $1,500! We’ve got our party coming up next September, and we already locked them in. The contract says they play until 4 AM, but does anyone know if there's an extra hourly fee if things run late? I totally forgot to ask... honestly, I don't think our bash will go past 5 anyway. But yeah, I highly recommend them! 😍
Right, we actually called them and booked them way back in September... because let me tell you, they get busy fast. So, if you want a fresh deposit down, hurry up... good luck!😁