Everything you need for a California wedding

Olivia Lee5 said:Hey everyone, I was wondering if you all tend to order catering for home events, or if you prefer to whip up the food yourselves? If you do decide to go the DIY route, what are you thinking of making? I’m currently sitting here crunching the numbers and doing some math. It looks like Baletni would charge $20 per person, while Gusar is around 85-$40 per person, and I still need to check in with Pimpinelon... honestly, it’s quite a significant amount of money, which feels a bit steep if you ask me. But then again, if I were to handle everything myself, I wouldn't really know what to offer besides maybe some cheese, charcuterie, and desserts... if I tried to make fancy canapés, I’d just end up dealing with the headache of slicing bread and handling all the decorations... 🤷

Regarding photographers—I've actually made my decision and gone with California Photography because their work is significantly better than Mark Photography. In my opinion, Mark Photography is a total disaster; the only photographer who truly does a fantastic job is Boris. Zvoniti isn't bad, but they aren't anything special either. California Photography has a large team, and of course, not everyone there is performing at a top-tier level, but I specifically requested either Miro or Matthew, as they produce absolutely stunning shots, and I managed to secure one of them. I'm not particularly worried about the videography side of things, so we just opted for their most budget-friendly video package, paired with the second most expensive photo package plus a large album. All in all, it's going to cost us about $2,000. California Photography is definitely one of the pricier studios in ST, but when it comes to photography, I didn't want to make any compromises, so I chose them.

Maybe ask Rusulica or Little Kate what kind of catering deals they can hook you up with.

Betty Hernandez4 said:Thanks. This is already the second comment like this that has come my way, so California is officially off the table. Now I just need to gather some impressions regarding Rank Pupić (Smiliti studio), and if anyone could point me toward a specific photographer to look for at Mark Photography... I was really struck by his photos at the expo, but I'm truly lost now. Everyone just showcases their absolute best shots—they all look amazing—but I have no clue what it’s actually like when you receive the full package.🙂

Hey there, my wedding was shot by Zvoniti from Mark Photography, and I couldn't be happier with how the photos turned out, though I did have to wait quite a while—about three months—to see them. If you're on Facebook, I can send you my info via DM if you want to take a look at my gallery. Best,

I was wondering if anyone here has actually booked a session at Megagraf Studios lately? Does anyone have any firsthand experience or stories to share regarding their work?

Olivia Lee5 said:Hey everyone, I was wondering if you all tend to order catering for home events, or if you prefer to whip up the food yourselves? If you do decide to go the DIY route, what are you thinking of making? I’m currently sitting here crunching the numbers and doing some math. It looks like Baletni would charge $20 per person, while Gusar is around 85-$40 per person, and I still need to check in with Pimpinelon... honestly, it’s quite a significant amount of money, which feels a bit steep if you ask me. But then again, if I were to handle everything myself, I wouldn't really know what to offer besides maybe some cheese, charcuterie, and desserts... if I tried to make fancy canapés, I’d just end up dealing with the headache of slicing bread and handling all the decorations... 🤷

Regarding photographers—I've actually made my decision and gone with California Photography because their work is significantly better than Mark Photography. In my opinion, Mark Photography is a total disaster; the only photographer who truly does a fantastic job is Boris. Zvoniti isn't bad, but they aren't anything special either. California Photography has a large team, and of course, not everyone there is performing at a top-tier level, but I specifically requested either Miro or Matthew, as they produce absolutely stunning shots, and I managed to secure one of them. I'm not particularly worried about the videography side of things, so we just opted for their most budget-friendly video package, paired with the second most expensive photo package plus a large album. All in all, it's going to cost us about $2,000. California Photography is definitely one of the pricier studios in ST, but when it comes to photography, I didn't want to make any compromises, so I chose them.

Hold on, I don't quite follow those catering prices...$20 per person? Does that mean if you have a party of 200 people, the catering costs you 12$0.00... I guess I don't understand—do they calculate based on a smaller headcount? The caterer I hired works like this:
Their service—which includes the tent, tables, dishes, waitstaff, food setup, and all those little extra details—comes to $533.
Then you buy the food yourself and they arrange everything and prep it all; they tell you how much to buy, but their estimates are ALWAYS excessive. Three of my friends got married using this method, and they ended up with so much leftover food they were handing it out to everyone they knew.🙂

Betty Hernandez4 said:Hold on, I don't quite follow those catering prices...$20 per person? Does that mean if you have a party of 200 people, the catering costs you 12$0.00... I guess I don't understand—do they calculate based on a smaller headcount? The caterer I hired works like this:
Their service—which includes the tent, tables, dishes, waitstaff, food setup, and all those little extra details—comes to $533.
Then you buy the food yourself and they arrange everything and prep it all; they tell you how much to buy, but their estimates are ALWAYS excessive. Three of my friends got married using this method, and they ended up with so much leftover food they were handing it out to everyone they knew.🙂

I was actually leaning towards hiring Baletni because I’ve heard great things. You don't order based on a strict headcount; instead, they use their experience to tell you exactly how much you'll need. The food at Baletni is excellent, and they mix up different delicacies so there's plenty of variety for the guests. Plus, the catering setup is seamless since they bring and take back all the dishes and equipment; you just provide the drinks, so there isn't any headache later on. On top of that, Baletni offers a free tent rental, which is a huge plus since I understand those usually charge by the square foot. Once I factored in the cost of buying the food, the total was pretty much the same, so when I compared it to the sisters' mashed potato prices, I decided this was the better route.
Betty Hernandez4, which catering company did you go with?

frozencobra46 said:I was actually leaning towards hiring Baletni because I’ve heard great things. You don't order based on a strict headcount; instead, they use their experience to tell you exactly how much you'll need. The food at Baletni is excellent, and they mix up different delicacies so there's plenty of variety for the guests. Plus, the catering setup is seamless since they bring and take back all the dishes and equipment; you just provide the drinks, so there isn't any headache later on. On top of that, Baletni offers a free tent rental, which is a huge plus since I understand those usually charge by the square foot. Once I factored in the cost of buying the food, the total was pretty much the same, so when I compared it to the sisters' mashed potato prices, I decided this was the better route.
Betty Hernandez4, which catering company did you go with?

Does the catering include drinks, or just the food? The catering I'm looking at is from Ploča. You can check out Mustapić Catering and Anđeo Catering on Facebook... and honestly, it doesn't cost nearly as much as you'd think. I'm not sure how you guys handle the beverages, but here, we just buy everything ourselves and return whatever isn't opened—then we only pay for what was actually consumed (you obviously have to return unopened packages, not half a bottle of Jagermeister, hahahaha🤣). You know what, I don't even stress that much over the amount of food. Based on what my friends have told me, people barely eat anything during the reception before the main course; that whole phase passes so quickly. With 100 guests, you won't have even half of them eating much, so there's really no point in overdoing it with the food... though, of course, it still needs to be "high quality"!

I’m currently looking into catering options for a group of 100 guests, though I expect the headcount to climb to about 160 once the groom's side arrives at my place. Right now, I’ve only looked at a quote from Baletni, $2167, which doesn't even include drinks or dessert. Honestly, that feels like way too much for what I actually want. I think I just need some nice cheeses, prosciutto, a variety of canapés, and maybe some finger foods... plus the usual desserts and drinks, of course. Does anyone happen to know a caterer who could come to my house to set everything up and bring their own supplies? I'd really prefer someone who provides their own tableware—plates and glasses for 160 people—since it doesn't make much sense for me to go out and buy 100 extra glasses right now, only to be left with a mountain of them later.

Olivia Lee5 said:I’m currently looking into catering options for a group of 100 guests, though I expect the headcount to climb to about 160 once the groom's side arrives at my place. Right now, I’ve only looked at a quote from Baletni, $2167, which doesn't even include drinks or dessert. Honestly, that feels like way too much for what I actually want. I think I just need some nice cheeses, prosciutto, a variety of canapés, and maybe some finger foods... plus the usual desserts and drinks, of course. Does anyone happen to know a caterer who could come to my house to set everything up and bring their own supplies? I'd really prefer someone who provides their own tableware—plates and glasses for 160 people—since it doesn't make much sense for me to go out and buy 100 extra glasses right now, only to be left with a mountain of them later.

$2167,that sounds like a lot... a friend of mine paid for $0.00, two full caterings—meaning she had one full setup and then more for the groom's side. My advice? Just take one of those two options I mentioned earlier; either one will work, and you'll save money—believe me, they're great! Plus, it includes the tent, the dishes, and the service staff. You could technically ask them to handle the food shopping too, but it's better if you do it yourself—you won't actually need nearly as much as they claim... there's always way too much left over 🙂

I honestly thought they might pass on coming all the way out to Castel since they're based over in Metković. Oh well, thanks for the tip! I guess I'll just reach out to them via Facebook. 😉

Betty Hernandez4 said:Does the catering include drinks, or just the food? The catering I'm looking at is from Ploča. You can check out Mustapić Catering and Anđeo Catering on Facebook... and honestly, it doesn't cost nearly as much as you'd think. I'm not sure how you guys handle the beverages, but here, we just buy everything ourselves and return whatever isn't opened—then we only pay for what was actually consumed (you obviously have to return unopened packages, not half a bottle of Jagermeister, hahahaha🤣). You know what, I don't even stress that much over the amount of food. Based on what my friends have told me, people barely eat anything during the reception before the main course; that whole phase passes so quickly. With 100 guests, you won't have even half of them eating much, so there's really no point in overdoing it with the food... though, of course, it still needs to be "high quality"!

From what I know, it's just the food included, and the drink situation works the same way. I'll definitely take a look at those caterers you mentioned.

It looks like both of those caterers are out of luck—one is already booked up on my date, and the other is asking for $1167 just to travel out to Castel. I actually stumbled upon an option here in St that works perfectly with what I had in mind: I provide the food myself, and they handle all the setup and provide their own dishes. I just need to double-check the pricing, and then I think I can finally take this whole headache off my plate.

Olivia Lee5 said:It looks like both of those caterers are out of luck—one is already booked up on my date, and the other is asking for $1167 just to travel out to Castel. I actually stumbled upon an option here in St that works perfectly with what I had in mind: I provide the food myself, and they handle all the setup and provide their own dishes. I just need to double-check the pricing, and then I think I can finally take this whole headache off my plate.

That’s a shame... I really hope the one you choose works out for you. Just stay organized and I'm sure everything will be perfect. Good luck! :😍

Hey ladies, first off, Happy International Women's Day to all you legends! But alright, let’s get down to the business that actually matters.😁...
So, here's the deal: my better half and I are tying the knot in two months (we're doing it out in Trogir). It’s going to be a bit of a cultural mashup since I'm from the Midwest and she’s a local California girl. Because of that, I'm hunting for a band or some musicians around the Split area who can actually play a mix—you know, not just the local coastal hits, but also some Midwest country or classic oldies too. We have been scouring the entire internet and we've already reached out to a bunch of people, but honestly? Most of them have a repertoire that is like 95% local coastal stuff. It's frustrating. So, if anyone knows a group that can handle a diverse setlist, please help a guy out!

Does anyone happen to have a quote for Papaja handy, or perhaps know someone here on the forum who does? Thanks so much! 🙂🙂

Betty Hernandez4, what specifically do you want to know about Papaja? Send me a DM. They’re going to be doing the photography for me, so I can give you the inside scoop!

Aside from Delta and Bobis over in Split, where else can I track down some actually decent wedding cakes and pastries? I'm looking for something with a proper certification, but let’s be real—I don't want to pay through the nose like I'm buying solid gold.

Olivia Lee5 said:It looks like both of those caterers are out of luck—one is already booked up on my date, and the other is asking for $1167 just to travel out to Castel. I actually stumbled upon an option here in St that works perfectly with what I had in mind: I provide the food myself, and they handle all the setup and provide their own dishes. I just need to double-check the pricing, and then I think I can finally take this whole headache off my plate.

Could you please DM me their number or a link to their Facebook page? I’m looking for the exact same thing!

Thanks so much!

William Cook35 said:Aside from Delta and Bobis over in Split, where else can I track down some actually decent wedding cakes and pastries? I'm looking for something with a proper certification, but let’s be real—I don't want to pay through the nose like I'm buying solid gold.

viadel 👍

I am in desperate need of some urgent advice here—I’ve already tried posting about this, but I haven't had much luck getting a solid answer, and I really need to make a call on this immediately. Should I go with Foto California or Studio Megagraf? Please, I could really use some help deciding...

I was wondering if anyone here has had any experience with the band Calypso—maybe you've seen them play at a wedding or heard them live recently? I'd love to hear your thoughts or any impressions you might have... thanks! 😍