Everything you need for a California wedding

Since it feels like there’s almost zero info online about anything local around here, which is honestly pretty frustrating (I mean, I can tell you every single band and how many members are in 🙄 every group from the Washington, D.C. area... but when it comes to wedding halls, florists, or bakeries near Charleston, Denver, or Palm Springs, there's basically nothing to find🤷)

So, I’m asking for some help. If you’ve been to weddings in this part of the country, please drop some comments. I need ideas on which bands are actually worth hiring, which venues are great versus which ones are total nightmares... even which florists actually know what they're doing. As a bride-to-be living in this neck of the woods, this info would be a lifesaver!

Thanks in advance👍

So, here’s my two cents... if you need invitations made, I’d highly recommend checking out the local print shop, Getty Images, over in Denver (right near the police station)... Even though they don't explicitly advertise it, they have this gorgeous selection of invites and thank-you cards at prices that actually make sense 👍

I also really have to give a shout-out to the bridal boutique "Nicholas" in Denver. They deal with every little whim and specific request with an insane amount of patience (which, let's be honest, was a total necessity for me 😁)... They're so helpful that I honestly feel like they could take one dress, tear it apart, and rebuild it into something completely different just to satisfy a bride's vision... Plus, they've got a solid collection of beautiful styles 👍 and everything is relatively affordable (I put down my deposit with $67, whereas renting a dress costs a whopping two thousand bucks! And that's for a sample model that's already been worn twice)

BUT!!!

Right now, my absolute biggest headache is finding a band... We just can't seem to track down anyone local because 1) we barely know any good ones and 2) the few numbers we actually managed to dig up? Yeah, they're all booked up through April... so we're starting to get a little desperate

We really thought we had plenty of time, but now I'm officially spiraling... Any advice would seriously save my sanity!

Richard Brown7 said:Can anyone recommend an elite makeup artist based in San Francisco?

I'm looking for someone on par with top-tier pros like Marija Butković.

I live in Washington, D.C., but I’m getting married in California this summer. I’ve scoured every forum out there, but I can't find a solid recommendation. No one seems to have a portfolio website readily available, and I haven't seen anyone getting much hype—nothing like the reputation you see with people like Marija, Vrban, or Novak Djokovic.

I was a bridesmaid once and used a trainee at a salon in Washington, D.C.; it was an absolute disaster. Now, I'm fully prepared to pay a premium for a true professional. Honestly, I'm a little nervous about just picking anyone off a list. Getting the makeup right is non-negotiable for me.

Who do you ladies trust with your face? Please, if you have a go-to expert, let me know.

Based on my experience, I’d highly recommend Sanja Krstulović. She works absolute magic.😍😍😍😍😍
Can I PM you?

Hey everyone... here's yet another case of total confusion on my part... so, I've got this dilemma regarding a band. Since I live out on Maui, it's a huge pain for me to make the trek over to San Francisco just to catch some live shows, but people have been hyping up the Pink Panther so much that you'd think they play even better than the Stones... help me out if anyone here has actually heard them live before...

Richard Brown7 said:Can anyone recommend an elite makeup artist based in San Francisco?

I'm looking for someone on par with top-tier pros like Marija Butković.

I live in Washington, D.C., but I’m getting married in California this summer. I’ve scoured every forum out there, but I can't find a solid recommendation. No one seems to have a portfolio website readily available, and I haven't seen anyone getting much hype—nothing like the reputation you see with people like Marija, Vrban, or Novak Djokovic.

I was a bridesmaid once and used a trainee at a salon in Washington, D.C.; it was an absolute disaster. Now, I'm fully prepared to pay a premium for a true professional. Honestly, I'm a little nervous about just picking anyone off a list. Getting the makeup right is non-negotiable for me.

Who do you ladies trust with your face? Please, if you have a go-to expert, let me know.

Lucy Smith,

Tina Turner,

Anne Guy

have plenty of amazing talent under their wing (the first two did mine)... they just don't advertise much compared to the D.C. crowd... probably because they don't need to. They're booked solid. Word of mouth works wonders.

Mark Hughes8 said:Hey everyone... here's yet another case of total confusion on my part... so, I've got this dilemma regarding a band. Since I live out on Maui, it's a huge pain for me to make the trek over to San Francisco just to catch some live shows, but people have been hyping up the Pink Panther so much that you'd think they play even better than the Stones... help me out if anyone here has actually heard them live before...

was at two parties where they played... they're okay... no complaints, really... but are they in the same league as the Stones? Not quite. Maybe try The Band, Viva, Major League, or Bravo Band... honestly, I don't know what you're looking for.

What are your experiences with the bands Kocka and Taxi? 🙂
Also, what are your thoughts on Photo California?

Thanks for getting back to me so quickly regarding the Democratic Party... I'm really just looking for someone who can play a bit more rock—you know, that classic New Wave vibe, maybe some Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, or even some older folk-rock stuff. They don't need to jam all night long or anything, but I'd love to hear a few songs that actually mean something to me...

Mark Hughes8 said:Thanks for getting back to me so quickly regarding the Democratic Party... I'm really just looking for someone who can play a bit more rock—you know, that classic New Wave vibe, maybe some Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, or even some older folk-rock stuff. They don't need to jam all night long or anything, but I'd love to hear a few songs that actually mean something to me...

I attended an event where Pink Panther was playing. They lean toward rock and weave a bit of that edge into every song, so I suspect they likely have those artists in their repertoire.😉
I don't have their number handy, but one of the ladies probably does, so just ask her.🙂

Has anyone here hired Jack for floral arrangements? I am curious about their current pricing and if you were satisfied with the service.
Do you have any other florist recommendations in the Los Angeles area? 🙂

Adam Fowler58 said:Has anyone here hired Jack for floral arrangements? I am curious about their current pricing and if you were satisfied with the service.
Do you have any other florist recommendations in the Los Angeles area? 🙂

Merder, Ane10, Tenkica, and myself... we've all used Jack, along with plenty of others. Some of us aren't as active on here as we used to be.😉
Speaking for my own experience... I was beyond satisfied. The price was right, and the quality and quantity were top-tier.😁
The rest of you should weigh in.

I'd also recommend 😍Iris
.

Raymond Brooks7 said:Merder, Ane10, Tenkica, and myself... we've all used Jack, along with plenty of others. Some of us aren't as active on here as we used to be.😉
Speaking for my own experience... I was beyond satisfied. The price was right, and the quality and quantity were top-tier.😁
The rest of you should weigh in.

I'd also recommend 😍Iris
.

Can you send me your number via DM 😁 and roughly how much did your total cost come to 🙂

Thanks so much for the heads-up, Adam Fowler58. You ladies have been such a huge help... Honestly, my wedding isn't until May, and I hadn't even given it a second thought—not that I was looking for anything specific—but I just had this random urge to browse this forum (which I stumbled upon last week while searching for tent rentals). It turns out you all figured everything out way ahead of schedule! I actually called Pink Floyd the other day, and they happen to be free on my date, so I went ahead and put down a deposit. They ask for $50 to hold the date, though the total comes to about $1,800 for the four of them, or maybe $2,100 if you include a vocalist. What really sold me is that they’re all professionally trained musicians; I guess I’m a little bit of a snob when it comes to formal training, if I'm being honest. Plus, I figured if I tried to find someone else, I’d probably just lose that $50, and that’s not exactly pocket change for me.
I don't know much about florists either, but thanks for the tips! I'll probably swing by Jaglac once I finally make it down to San Francisco...
So, since I was operating under the assumption that there was zero rush, please tell me: should I be stressing about the wedding dress already? Like, do I need to book something right now? I haven't even started thinking about it, but I have to admit, seeing how prepared you all are has given me a bit of a panic attack.
As for photography, I'm totally clueless... My maid of honor got married back in October, and she found a great photographer who was actually pretty affordable, I gotta say. $100
She ended up with 180 photos in various formats spread across two massive albums, about 300 or so shots on a CD, and one large framed photo from them. That seems reasonable to me. What do you guys think?

Excuse me, I said three hundred bucks, not some random currency...

I don't know anything about wedding dresses yet. I plan to start browsing through boutiques in about a month or two. 🤷 The wedding itself is in October. 😁
Which photographer on earth is asking for only $300? 😲

I am not entirely certain if this question is appropriate for the group, but since everyone here seems to be from California 😁
what kind of experiences have you had with bridal boutiques in San Francisco? I have heard they carry incredible dresses without hiking up the rental prices to the moon 🤷

...I can't remember exactly which photo belongs to him, but I know the guy's name is Ivica... I'll check with a friend and let you know what she says. Honestly, I think I'm going to go with him. I’ve looked through the portfolios from Lisjak, Studio in, and Matić, and I couldn't really see much difference between their work and his shots. His big package is about $550. What I actually liked was how low-key he is—he doesn't push himself on anyone (and since I was the Maid of Honor, I definitely know how that goes). He’s so subtle that we all actually doubted whether the photos would turn out okay, but when they finally arrived—wow, total surprise...

Adam Fowler58 said:I am not entirely certain if this question is appropriate for the group, but since everyone here seems to be from California 😁
what kind of experiences have you had with bridal boutiques in San Francisco? I have heard they carry incredible dresses without hiking up the rental prices to the moon 🤷

When I went down to Miami with my friend to browse through wedding gowns, I actually had a pretty great experience overall.👍

If you're looking for a band, check out Orange... they didn't play at that party, they were actually at the prom🙂

I have a quick question... has any girl here actually gone wedding dress shopping down in San Diego? I’m trying to figure out if the prices for renting or buying a gown there are somewhat comparable to what you'd find in Miami. I actually spotted this one specific dress on the Los Angeles bridal site, but they don't carry it in Miami, so I'm wondering if it's even worth making the trek out to Los Angeles🙂.
Also, if anyone could give me a heads-up on rental prices at the big Miami salons, I'd appreciate it—I'm terrified I'll walk in there and have a literal heart attack when I see the price tags...

God, what have I gotten myself into...

I honestly have nothing but glowing praise for the restaurant in California. The food was genuinely delicious—truly top-tier—and at just $28 a plate, you really can't complain about the value, especially since the decor is quite nice with those classy chair covers and a dining room that easily holds up to 350 people. Plus, there’s plenty of floor space if you actually feel like dancing.