Everything you need for a California wedding

So, I headed out to the expo today... honestly, what a total letdown.

They build up this massive hype about having over 300 exhibitors, but when you actually show up, there are barely 60. To make matters worse, at least 20 of them traveled all the way from outside San Francisco just to take up space without offering anything useful.

The organizers must have blown $0.00 on advertising just to get people through the door, only to leave them with absolutely nothing to show for it once they arrive.

Thank goodness the raffle was the one bright spot—everyone walked away with something!

It doesn't really matter; if it's for George Bonacci, I'll gladly hand over 50 🙂

Hey everyone.

I’m trying to figure out how far in advance I need to book a venue. We’re looking at about 100 guests—so, a standard mid-sized wedding—and the food quality is non-negotiable. It needs to be good, just not over-the-top excessive like what you'd see at Leo's or something. Also, we need enough floor space to actually dance; a well-organized layout is key. Ideally, somewhere in the Castleton area or nearby.

Some people told me booking a year out is overkill, while others managed to pull it off with only two months' notice. Obviously, it all depends on the date, the guest count, and all that—which is why I’m giving you the rough details I have.

The timing would be late summer—think late August or early September.
Thanks.

crimsonsailor2 said:Hey everyone.

I’m trying to figure out how far in advance I need to book a venue. We’re looking at about 100 guests—so, a standard mid-sized wedding—and the food quality is non-negotiable. It needs to be good, just not over-the-top excessive like what you'd see at Leo's or something. Also, we need enough floor space to actually dance; a well-organized layout is key. Ideally, somewhere in the Castleton area or nearby.

Some people told me booking a year out is overkill, while others managed to pull it off with only two months' notice. Obviously, it all depends on the date, the guest count, and all that—which is why I’m giving you the rough details I have.

The timing would be late summer—think late August or early September.
Thanks.

That guest count isn't small, but it isn't huge either... it's actually the worst kind of middle ground. I don't mean to scare you, but you haven't exactly picked the "off-season" for weddings. My advice? Start hunting immediately. Once you get the venue, photographer, and band off your plate, you can finally breathe again.

Check out the Castle; Ino; Bellevue; Holy Cross; Mammoth...

crimsonsailor2 kaže:
Hey everyone!

I'm trying to figure out how far in advance I need to book a venue. We're looking at about 100 guests—so, a pretty standard mid-sized wedding—and my priorities are solid food (nothing over-the-top like what Leo does) and a decent dance floor in a well-laid-out space near Castleton or the surrounding areas!

Some people told me booking a year ahead is overkill, while others managed to pull it together just two months out. Obviously, it all depends on the date, the guest count, and all that, which is why I'm giving you the details I have so far.

As for the timing, we're looking at late summer—either late August or early September!
Thanks!
For a group that size in San Francisco, you could look at Grasso, Big City near Zenith, Little Forest, South, Benedict near Bellevue, or even the San Francisco Amigos outside of town. You also have Diocletian, San Antonio, the Sun Hotel in the suburbs, George, or Pitom.

Can anyone hook me up with some numbers for makeup artists around the San Francisco area? I'm looking for people who actually know what they're doing but won't totally break the bank.
Thanks so much!!

Hello,
I know this topic might have been brought up before—though I can't seem to find it anywhere in the archives...🤷 My partner and I are planning a trip out toward the outskirts of San Francisco in the next few days to pick up some supplies for our wedding invitations, thank-you cards, and boutonnieres. I remember seeing a post mentioning Ira Commerce, but I can't track it down; I also recall someone mentioning another shop... if anyone happens to remember the name, please let me know...

Thank you.😉

Out in the suburbs near the metro station

Hey ladies, I’m looking for some photographer recommendations in San Diego. I’ve been searching online, but honestly, most of them don't even have decent websites, so any help would be huge. I’ve heard great things about photo Mark from Old Castle and Profoto in San Diego. If anyone here has used either of them for a party, could you let me know how they were and what their rates look like? I’m also hunting for a good band based in San Diego—specifically curious if anyone has hired Calypso and what they charge. Choosing both a photographer and a band is proving to be such a headache... 😢

Thanks so much!!!

ironmarlin32 said:Hey ladies, I’m looking for some photographer recommendations in San Diego. I’ve been searching online, but honestly, most of them don't even have decent websites, so any help would be huge. I’ve heard great things about photo Mark from Old Castle and Profoto in San Diego. If anyone here has used either of them for a party, could you let me know how they were and what their rates look like? I’m also hunting for a good band based in San Diego—specifically curious if anyone has hired Calypso and what they charge. Choosing both a photographer and a band is proving to be such a headache... 😢

Thanks so much!!!

A friend of mine used Photo Mark last year. The crew was awesome, and the photos? Just perfection!!!! I was actually torn between them and some local guys in my town, but I went with the locals since they're just five minutes from my place, whereas those guys are all the way out in Castleton...
When I was hunting for a photographer, I emailed Photo Mark and they told me: "Pricing depends on the package, how many photos and DVDs you want, and the style of shooting and filming,
so it's best to just drop by the studio for a chat. You should probably book soon though, because next year is already filling up."
(Prices start at $1,000 and go up from there, and your date isn't locked in until the deposit is paid)....
My friend got the mid-range package and it ended up being around $7,300...

Anyway... hope that helps a little bit 😁

ironmarlin32 said:Hey ladies, I’m looking for some photographer recommendations in San Diego. I’ve been searching online, but honestly, most of them don't even have decent websites, so any help would be huge. I’ve heard great things about photo Mark from Old Castle and Profoto in San Diego. If anyone here has used either of them for a party, could you let me know how they were and what their rates look like? I’m also hunting for a good band based in San Diego—specifically curious if anyone has hired Calypso and what they charge. Choosing both a photographer and a band is proving to be such a headache... 😢

Thanks so much!!!

If you end up going with Photo Mark, definitely try to request Patrick or John (I also heard some guy named Brian is pretty solid), but those are my picks 👎. For San Diego, you should check out Susie 👍 since she actually has a website you can browse. Honestly, just scroll through some of the threads from the last few months
.

Thanks for the info! We finally pulled the trigger and booked the My Way group 🙂 after searching forever, haha. Now we're thinking about using Photo in San Diego for our photography and video needs... ??? What are your thoughts? Any experience or impressions with that studio? LP

ironmarlin32 said:Thanks for the info! We finally pulled the trigger and booked the My Way group 🙂 after searching forever, haha. Now we're thinking about using Photo in San Diego for our photography and video needs... ??? What are your thoughts? Any experience or impressions with that studio? LP

I haven't heard a peep about Photo. Why don't you just head over to the expo at Arsenal next weekend? I'm sure there will be tons of gear and plenty of photographers hanging out, so you can check it out for yourself.

Hey everyone! I could really use some help here... I'm getting married this summer in San Diego, and while I've already checked most things off my list (yeahhhhh!), I'm still struggling to find accommodations for my guests. Since a lot of them are traveling from out of state, I need something solid. Does anyone know of any nice apartments right in the heart of downtown San Diego or maybe somewhere close to the beach? I would be soooooooo grateful if you could shoot me the details via DM.

Thanks!!!

ironmarlin32 said:Thanks for the info! We finally pulled the trigger and booked the My Way group 🙂 after searching forever, haha. Now we're thinking about using Photo in San Diego for our photography and video needs... ??? What are your thoughts? Any experience or impressions with that studio? LP

Tanita makes a good point about checking them out at the photography expo—honestly, I didn't dive too deep into the photographer hunt myself. For us, it was pretty much Studio G or nothing, so we didn't even bother looking at the rest 😉
If you want to see how they turned out, I put the photos in my signature, so take a look 😁

Brian Martin98 said:Hey everyone! I could really use some help here... I'm getting married this summer in San Diego, and while I've already checked most things off my list (yeahhhhh!), I'm still struggling to find accommodations for my guests. Since a lot of them are traveling from out of state, I need something solid. Does anyone know of any nice apartments right in the heart of downtown San Diego or maybe somewhere close to the beach? I would be soooooooo grateful if you could shoot me the details via DM.

Thanks!!!

If you're looking at July or August, you are definitely going to have a tough time finding a spot!

ironmarlin32 said:Hey ladies, I’m looking for some photographer recommendations in San Diego. I’ve been searching online, but honestly, most of them don't even have decent websites, so any help would be huge. I’ve heard great things about photo Mark from Old Castle and Profoto in San Diego. If anyone here has used either of them for a party, could you let me know how they were and what their rates look like? I’m also hunting for a good band based in San Diego—specifically curious if anyone has hired Calypso and what they charge. Choosing both a photographer and a band is proving to be such a headache... 😢

Thanks so much!!!

Thomas Sanchez532 said:If you end up going with Photo Mark, definitely try to request Patrick or John (I also heard some guy named Brian is pretty solid), but those are my picks 👎. For San Diego, you should check out Susie 👍 since she actually has a website you can browse. Honestly, just scroll through some of the threads from the last few months
.

Look, I’m really not the type of person to sit around nitpicking or trashing people's work... that's just not my vibe... but seriously, you might want to be careful if you're looking at Mark's photography. I actually booked John—who everyone seems to swear is the absolute best—but man, was I disappointed... especially considering how much I shelled out for the session... The photos? Nothing special... honestly, some of them were a total disaster... just weird angles everywhere... oh my god. Word on the street is they've been getting a ton of complaints lately, so maybe think twice before booking... I'm sitting here kicking myself now, but hey, what can you do, right? It's too late for that. I called Mark and was perfectly polite about it... then John ended up calling me himself to apologize... which was fine, I guess. Anyway, I showed the shots to a friend of mine who’s an amazing photographer and actually knows John personally... and even she couldn't believe they were his work! It felt like he just rushed through the whole job just to get it over with. Don't get me wrong, there are a few decent shots in there, but there are also some absolute train wrecks that no professional should ever let leave their studio. And the church photos? Ugh, don't even get me started... they had zero detail, nothing... they looked like amateur snapshots. When I pointed that out to him, his response was basically, "Well, you should have told me that mattered to you..." Excuse me?! Helloooo? If the church ceremony—the actual wedding rite itself—isn't important to capture, then I really don't know what is...🤷
To make a long story short... Mark just isn't the same guy he used to be—honestly, I don't know what happened there. Lately, I feel like everywhere I turn, I'm hearing more and more negative stuff about him... it's getting hard to ignore.
I hate being that person—really, I do—but I just have to say something because this is supposed to be your big, dream day... You’re paying a premium to ensure every single shot is absolutely perfect, and let's be real, $1,300 is a massive amount of money for anyone to drop... it's not like it's pocket change or anything, so when things don't go right... well...☕

Michael Davis21 said:Look, I’m really not the type of person to sit around nitpicking or trashing people's work... that's just not my vibe... but seriously, you might want to be careful if you're looking at Mark's photography. I actually booked John—who everyone seems to swear is the absolute best—but man, was I disappointed... especially considering how much I shelled out for the session... The photos? Nothing special... honestly, some of them were a total disaster... just weird angles everywhere... oh my god. Word on the street is they've been getting a ton of complaints lately, so maybe think twice before booking... I'm sitting here kicking myself now, but hey, what can you do, right? It's too late for that. I called Mark and was perfectly polite about it... then John ended up calling me himself to apologize... which was fine, I guess. Anyway, I showed the shots to a friend of mine who’s an amazing photographer and actually knows John personally... and even she couldn't believe they were his work! It felt like he just rushed through the whole job just to get it over with. Don't get me wrong, there are a few decent shots in there, but there are also some absolute train wrecks that no professional should ever let leave their studio. And the church photos? Ugh, don't even get me started... they had zero detail, nothing... they looked like amateur snapshots. When I pointed that out to him, his response was basically, "Well, you should have told me that mattered to you..." Excuse me?! Helloooo? If the church ceremony—the actual wedding rite itself—isn't important to capture, then I really don't know what is...🤷
To make a long story short... Mark just isn't the same guy he used to be—honestly, I don't know what happened there. Lately, I feel like everywhere I turn, I'm hearing more and more negative stuff about him... it's getting hard to ignore.
I hate being that person—really, I do—but I just have to say something because this is supposed to be your big, dream day... You’re paying a premium to ensure every single shot is absolutely perfect, and let's be real, $1,300 is a massive amount of money for anyone to drop... it's not like it's pocket change or anything, so when things don't go right... well...☕

Michael Davis21, thanks so much for the heads-up... I've had my own share of wedding drama, but I'll definitely warn my maid of honor (they went with Brian). We had Jacob Teklic shoot ours, and if I were ever to get married again, I'd definitely book Jal🙏. He did an incredible job. The photos are stunning, he caught every little detail, and he was so low-key and non-intrusive. 🙏🙏... we were so happy we just managed to snag him at the last minute since our wedding was one of his last ones specializing in weddings😢.

Hey,
A friend of mine is getting married in mid-June. She’s pretty much got everything under control, except for the music. It’s going to be a small wedding—about 30 people—so she’s looking for something low-key, maybe a duo or a trio. If you guys know any good bands that would fit the vibe, she’d really appreciate the help. The wedding is in Miami. Thanks.

Joshua Howard79 said:Hey,
A friend of mine is getting married in mid-June. She’s pretty much got everything under control, except for the music. It’s going to be a small wedding—about 30 people—so she’s looking for something low-key, maybe a duo or a trio. If you guys know any good bands that would fit the vibe, she’d really appreciate the help. The wedding is in Miami. Thanks.

Brava Band Music
The band Kocka
Major League

Look, almost everyone operates with 2 or 3 members, except for Vive 😍.
It all comes down to her specific taste and whether the bands are even available... we're talking about three months out here. I’d suggest telling her to hurry up if she wants anyone actually well-known...