Everything you need for a California wedding

Hey, what's with all the advertising?

Charles Gomez4 said:Red Sox Nation? 😁

I think the Grand Canyon is fantastic—great location and a solid room—but I've also heard the food isn't exactly top-tier. 😢

I actually swung by this theater near Savannah recently: the "Rangers" venue. It just opened up.
Honestly, when they first told us the name and where it was located, I was low-key terrified of what it might look like. But man, once we pulled up, I couldn't believe how awesome the place actually is!
Everything from the decor to the AC... even the little details, like those lights that follow you in when you walk in for the first time. They color the walls and the ceiling and stuff, and honestly, the food is actually decent too.
I haven't checked out many other theaters around Savannah, but seriously, none of the places I've been to in San Diego or the surrounding areas can even touch the Rangers!
Highly recommend it!

I caught the live stream of the hall later on, and honestly, it doesn't hold a candle to the hotels in Savannah or the surrounding areas. It’s definitely more decked out than the old venue, but in my opinion, it still misses the mark. 😁

Here’s a photo if anyone wants to see what I'm talking about:

Can I get some advice here?
So, here’s the situation: for my wedding, I want a full band playing in the main hall, but I also want an accordionist and a guitarist to handle the cocktail hour and fill in the gaps during the band's breaks—basically, I want constant music and high energy all night long.
I started calling around to various bands in Savannah, but apparently, everyone is already booked up for June 2011.
Because of that, I pivoted to looking at solo musicians instead. I reached out to a group called DUO 2V, and they actually offered me a package where they can perform as a trio.
The plan would be for the duo to handle the reception, then transition into a trio for the main hall performance—with the accordion and guitar filling in the lulls.
What do you guys think about this setup?
Is it smarter to just hire a dedicated band and then book a separate duo to cover the rest?
My one big concern is burnout—it basically means two out of those three people wouldn't get a single break from 2 PM until sunrise.
Has anyone here ever worked with DUO 2V?

stormypanther55 said:Can I get some advice here?
So, here’s the situation: for my wedding, I want a full band playing in the main hall, but I also want an accordionist and a guitarist to handle the cocktail hour and fill in the gaps during the band's breaks—basically, I want constant music and high energy all night long.
I started calling around to various bands in Savannah, but apparently, everyone is already booked up for June 2011.
Because of that, I pivoted to looking at solo musicians instead. I reached out to a group called DUO 2V, and they actually offered me a package where they can perform as a trio.
The plan would be for the duo to handle the reception, then transition into a trio for the main hall performance—with the accordion and guitar filling in the lulls.
What do you guys think about this setup?
Is it smarter to just hire a dedicated band and then book a separate duo to cover the rest?
My one big concern is burnout—it basically means two out of those three people wouldn't get a single break from 2 PM until sunrise.
Has anyone here ever worked with DUO 2V?

I did something similar once and didn't end up passing out—I played accompaniment and then played in the hall later... but these guys of yours are doing all of that together, and playing through the breaks too? Good for them, I guess, but I don't see how those two in the trio are actually going to find time to eat anything at all...
I wasn't sure if you actually hired them for backup or if you just got a quote—if you want, I can give you a quote for my group, Cragun. We're essentially a quartet with a mandolin and two guitars, and we can add a double bass or accordion if needed. We've played for several people from the forums, so you can always ask around...

I haven't actually hired anyone yet... I’m just reporting what was put on the table...
That’s exactly what I was wondering too... when on earth are these two actually going to eat? 😉
And that group of four—they’re supposedly down for the reception and working through the night, right? Look, just shoot me the details in a DM... please!

stormypanther55 said:I haven't actually hired anyone yet... I’m just reporting what was put on the table...
That’s exactly what I was wondering too... when on earth are these two actually going to eat? 😉
And that group of four—they’re supposedly down for the reception and working through the night, right? Look, just shoot me the details in a DM... please!

The Beach Boys deserve all the praise 👍

Alex Carter3 said:The Beach Boys deserve all the praise 👍

🙂 thanks

Kevin Jones39 said:Look, the Best Group completely split up... it's basically two separate entities now: Pulse Group and Best Group.

If anyone has any actual intel... just put it out there...
Word on the street is that Pulse Group is way better since most of the original crew jumped ship over there.

Best Group is very much alive—they even have an official website. As for Pulse, it’s just a messy project started by their former keyboardist who's performing under the group name now. By the way, he’s terrible.

Has anyone picked up any cakes or pastries from Betty Crocker lately? How was the quality?

About a year and a half ago, I ordered a variety of pastries and cakes from an American bakery, and they were absolutely divine. They weren't just those dry, crumbly little cookies you often find at certain local bake sales; these were legitimate, decadent desserts—think things like triple chocolate delights, rich layered sponge cakes, and creamy cream puffs. Since I was hosting a catered event, I decided to pick up five or six different specialty cakes to ensure there was something for everyone—we had a dark chocolate cherry cake, a classic American walnut cake, a light lemon chiffon, and a few others that escape me now. While I didn't get a chance to taste them myself during the rush, my guests couldn't stop raving about how delicious they were.

Sounds promising. My mom let me know—since I'm not living in San Francisco—that she spoke with the owner and they’ve reached a rough agreement. I'll be heading out there next month to hammer out all the specifics in person. Thanks for the info.

Hey everyone, I need some advice on hiring a photographer. I’m looking for a few professional shots—nothing overly staged or cheesy—around the ceremony and the service. People are quoting me upwards of $500 for this, which feels steep to me. I’d rather find a local pro who knows their stuff instead of bugging my friends, but I don't know anyone else. I want quality photos, but they don't need to be high-concept art pieces, so that price tag just doesn't sit right. What's the consensus?

One more thing. We're torn between two venues. One includes drinks in the package, while the other doesn't—but the second one is so much better that we'd pay the difference just to have it. My concern is how much the bar bill might actually run us. Any idea how to gauge that?

crimsonsailor2 said:Hey everyone, I need some advice on hiring a photographer. I’m looking for a few professional shots—nothing overly staged or cheesy—around the ceremony and the service. People are quoting me upwards of $500 for this, which feels steep to me. I’d rather find a local pro who knows their stuff instead of bugging my friends, but I don't know anyone else. I want quality photos, but they don't need to be high-concept art pieces, so that price tag just doesn't sit right. What's the consensus?

One more thing. We're torn between two venues. One includes drinks in the package, while the other doesn't—but the second one is so much better that we'd pay the difference just to have it. My concern is how much the bar bill might actually run us. Any idea how to gauge that?

Hmm... normally you're looking at anywhere from $1,200 up to $2,000... but that usually includes the album, the video, shooting at your place, the venue, the church, the reception... maybe $500 is just for a specific part of the itinerary? 🤷
Listen, being too polite never works out... why not squeeze a friend just a little bit? 😍 You could offer to let the photos count as their wedding gift, especially if they're handling the printing.

So, I’ve got a big birthday coming up in October, and I am on the hunt for a decent photo studio. Right now, I’m kind of feeling out Photo Adria and
Mirjana Photography, but honestly, has anyone actually worked with them? I’d love some real feedback. Also—if you guys happen to know any good studios over in Arizona, please let me know!

Gregory Cook79 said:So, I’ve got a big birthday coming up in October, and I am on the hunt for a decent photo studio. Right now, I’m kind of feeling out Photo Adria and
Mirjana Photography, but honestly, has anyone actually worked with them? I’d love some real feedback. Also—if you guys happen to know any good studios over in Arizona, please let me know!

If you're looking in Arizona, check out Photo Omega and Photo Dino; they both have websites you can browse.
The first ones totally blew me away, and while I haven't used the others, I've seen their work online and it looks great.

David King72 said:If you're looking in Arizona, check out Photo Omega and Photo Dino; they both have websites you can browse.
The first ones totally blew me away, and while I haven't used the others, I've seen their work online and it looks great.

Thanks🙂. Does anyone here have any experience with that Photo Raos place over in rural Missouri? Like, are they actually any good?

Anyone know a catering company or someone I could rent those small, tall, round cocktail tables from for a little get-together out front?

Hey everyone, I’m starting to map out a wedding for this coming summer with a guest list of somewhere around 80 to 90 people. We were originally looking at booking Amigos, but it turns out they don't actually handle weddings during July or August, which is a bit of a bummer.
We’ve been checking out George’s restaurant over in Philadelphia lately, and I was just wondering if anyone here has ever worked with them or maybe attended an event there? I’d love to hear your thoughts on how the food is! Thanks so much, cheers!

Hey everyone,
this is my first time popping in here just to pick your brains😉, and I was wondering if anyone could give me the lowdown on the President Hotel in Philadelphia for a wedding reception?
What’s the damage regarding pricing, how's the staff... has anyone had any horror stories or bad experiences there lately?
I'd really appreciate any insight you guys can share!!
THANKS so much🙂