Everything you need for a California wedding

I have finally locked in my photographer... Studio Papaya... the search is officially over. Honestly, it wasn't easy—finding him was probably harder than finding my husband! Onward and upward...🙂 Thanks to everyone for the helpful tips..
Now I am pivoting to lighting, decor, and floor plans. Can anyone offer some recommendations? Hallelujah

Betty Hernandez4 said:I have finally locked in my photographer... Studio Papaya... the search is officially over. Honestly, it wasn't easy—finding him was probably harder than finding my husband! Onward and upward...🙂 Thanks to everyone for the helpful tips..
Now I am pivoting to lighting, decor, and floor plans. Can anyone offer some recommendations? Hallelujah

Congrats! 😁

He’s a friend of mine and an incredible photographer!

Noah Wright4 said:Congrats! 😁

He’s a friend of mine and an incredible photographer!

Thanks, truly... I’m really happy with everything I've seen from his work so far—plus, the crew is just so easygoing and relaxed.🙂 Can't wait... even if there is still quite a bit of waiting left to do.

Linda Harris5 said:Hey everyone!

It looks like there’s a lot of great info floating around here.
We’re hosting a party in San Francisco for about 100 people. We've narrowed our restaurant options down to:
The Avengers
Vela
Benedict-South
South

I'd love to hear your recommendations or any experiences you've had with them! It seems like everyone raves about The Avengers, but I can't find much info on Vela, Benedict, or South...

Now, I've heard from a few people that the food at South is actually fantastic—even though I haven't had the chance to visit myself... As for Velum, we actually dropped by there to chat, and frankly, I wasn't thrilled with what they told us. They claimed that since we'll have 100 people, they won't be able to connect the terrace with the main hall (and this is for a summer wedding!)...😕 So, basically, we'd be forced to have the reception indoors while all the other restaurant patrons sit outside doing their own thing, staring at us through the glass... how lovely...🤷

Has anyone received an offer from Smith yet? It’s urgent!!!🙂

I got an offer.. thank you! 🙂))
Things have gotten a little complicated regarding the date, so I’m back on the hunt for a photographer... does anyone here have experience working with Siniša Srdanović? His photos on Facebook are absolutely insane and his quote works for my budget—I just really want to see a full wedding gallery he's shot. If anyone on this forum has been photographed by Siniša, I would be BEYOND grateful if you could reach out to me....

Betty Hernandez4 said:I got an offer.. thank you! 🙂))
Things have gotten a little complicated regarding the date, so I’m back on the hunt for a photographer... does anyone here have experience working with Siniša Srdanović? His photos on Facebook are absolutely insane and his quote works for my budget—I just really want to see a full wedding gallery he's shot. If anyone on this forum has been photographed by Siniša, I would be BEYOND grateful if you could reach out to me....

I needed him for a shoot... but he wasn't available, so lisjak stepped in instead. But listen:
He shot my son's godmother's wedding—the photos were phenomenal
He shot an acquaintance of mine—photos were phenomenal
He’s shooting another friend soon—I have zero doubts about the result...☕

I don't have his shots in digital format, but everything I've seen that he's done is top-tier... not to mention, he's a genuinely great guy to be around ☕
If I were getting married again... hmm, I'd probably go with lisjak again 😁 though I'd bring the son along too 😍

Raymond Brooks7 said:I needed him for a shoot... but he wasn't available, so lisjak stepped in instead. But listen:
He shot my son's godmother's wedding—the photos were phenomenal
He shot an acquaintance of mine—photos were phenomenal
He’s shooting another friend soon—I have zero doubts about the result...☕

I don't have his shots in digital format, but everything I've seen that he's done is top-tier... not to mention, he's a genuinely great guy to be around ☕
If I were getting married again... hmm, I'd probably go with lisjak again 😁 though I'd bring the son along too 😍

Thank youuuuuuu 🙂!! You truly made my day with that comment... I mean it, REALLY 🙂) Also, if anyone else on the forum has some photos they could share, I would be so grateful 🙂 hvala Raymond Brooks7 🙂

Betty Hernandez4 said:Thank youuuuuuu 🙂!! You truly made my day with that comment... I mean it, REALLY 🙂) Also, if anyone else on the forum has some photos they could share, I would be so grateful 🙂 hvala Raymond Brooks7 🙂

just ask him if he has any buddies who can show you their work...🤷
Unfortunately, I can't send over any photos myself since they aren't mine and I don't have them saved digitally, but I truly love his work 😁. Honestly, the best part is how much he actually listens; you can tell him exactly what you want and he genuinely respects the couple's vision... I don't think you'll regret going with him

Raymond Brooks7 said:just ask him if he has any buddies who can show you their work...🤷
Unfortunately, I can't send over any photos myself since they aren't mine and I don't have them saved digitally, but I truly love his work 😁. Honestly, the best part is how much he actually listens; you can tell him exactly what you want and he genuinely respects the couple's vision... I don't think you'll regret going with him

It’s fine... you’ve helped me enough as it is. I’ll figure things out with him—but I always prefer to do a little digging before I commit to grabbing coffee. 🙂 He’s being quiet for now... but I honestly think once we grab coffee, he’ll be 100%—I've heard nothing but glowing things about his character from people who know him. 🙂 Now I just need to track down someone to handle the video... uh...🙂 Thanks again.

Betty Hernandez4 said:It’s fine... you’ve helped me enough as it is. I’ll figure things out with him—but I always prefer to do a little digging before I commit to grabbing coffee. 🙂 He’s being quiet for now... but I honestly think once we grab coffee, he’ll be 100%—I've heard nothing but glowing things about his character from people who know him. 🙂 Now I just need to track down someone to handle the video... uh...🙂 Thanks again.

Just ask him; usually, those guys have their own cameramen they work with. 😍...Fox set up my video for me...

Could someone please do me a huge favor and send over the contact info for Anne Hathaway? 😉

Hey everyone, I’m getting married on September 22nd and could really use some collective wisdom here... We’re on the hunt for a solid DJ out in California who actually knows how to read a room—not just someone to press play, but someone who can actually keep the energy up and engage the guests. On top of that, we need some talented live musicians—think guitarists or accordion players—who know how to throw a real party, because we want them performing alongside the DJ in the hall! (The reception is going to be held in a small town in the US)
Thanks so much from the bottom of my heart!🙂

If you’re tired of that mainstream, cookie-cutter pop garbage and actually want to hear some decent, high-quality music, then you seriously need to check out DJ Damir Duplančić from San Francisco.

Hi there,
Does anyone have a solid recommendation for a DJ in the San Francisco area, provided we steer clear of Duplancic?
Also, has anyone here actually hired Zoran Flies for their wedding before?

Benjamin Robinson2 said:Hey everyone, I’m getting married on September 22nd and could really use some collective wisdom here... We’re on the hunt for a solid DJ out in California who actually knows how to read a room—not just someone to press play, but someone who can actually keep the energy up and engage the guests. On top of that, we need some talented live musicians—think guitarists or accordion players—who know how to throw a real party, because we want them performing alongside the DJ in the hall! (The reception is going to be held in a small town in the US)
Thanks so much from the bottom of my heart!🙂

Alan Mornar is top-tier! 👍

Betty Hernandez4 said:Has anyone here actually worked with Instagram from Castle Rock? I was just at the Lion expo... and honestly, what I saw looked incredible—maybe even better than expected. But here's the thing—when companies show off albums at these trade shows, they obviously only pick the absolute best shots. I really want to know how they handle an entire wedding reception. Has anyone actually hired them for a big event? I didn't realize choosing a photographer would be *this* difficult!

I used them once, and I wasn't happy... 😢
I saw some work by Lisjak and he seems great...
Honestly, you're better off hiring a specific individual rather than a big photography studio, because you never truly know who they’ll end up sending to your wedding... 🙄

Alexander Ruiz2 said:I used them once, and I wasn't happy... 😢
I saw some work by Lisjak and he seems great...
Honestly, you're better off hiring a specific individual rather than a big photography studio, because you never truly know who they’ll end up sending to your wedding... 🙄

We ended up hiring Siniša Srdanović. We met up for coffee twice, and he is just such a lovely, down-to-earth guy—honestly, he won me over as a person so much that I don't even care what the photos look like—haha, just kidding... He showed us some of his portfolio, we put down a deposit, and I'm feeling great about it. Now we just need to pick a videographer so we can finally check this off our list. 🙂

Hey everyone, quick question—does anyone know where I can rent some tall flower stands for floral arrangements here in San Francisco? If you happen to have a contact number or a cell phone handy for a local rental shop, that would be amazing! Thanks so much...

So, I’ve been getting a few recommendations for DJs lately, and I was wondering if anyone here has actually caught any of them live at a party—you know, seen how they handle the crowd and keep the energy up?
DJ LETO
DJ ALAN MORNAR
DJ DAMIR DUPLANČIĆ
DJ PECO
DJ ZORAN FLIES

Thanks so much...
🙂