Everything you need for a California wedding

Adam Sanders4 said:Vice and Vilma—their partnership has totally fallen apart

I actually ended up at a party once where Vice and XY were performing (since we don't have Wilma with us anymore)... and honestly, it was just not it. It was pretty bad, if I'm being totally honest...

Alright, I’ve got everything squared away on my end. The guys are grabbing beers, and the wedding studio is already on-site filming. The only thing bugging me is this whole situation with the manager over at Dolis—it feels sketchy. Honestly, I’m in a worse spot than most, yet they won't even mention that this new policy regarding seat payments is actually happening... Hmmm :/

gentlewolf69 said:Hey everyone, just wanted to drop a quick heads-up for anyone currently hunting for a wedding venue. A close friend of mine is getting married next year—most likely in September—and she’s been scouting locations. She actually fell in love with this specific venue in Dover that holds about 200 people. They’re planning on inviting around 200 guests, though they're realistically expecting closer to 170 to actually show up. Well, the venue manager told them that if they truly think only 170 will attend, they should just book a smaller room... because if they go with the larger space, they have to pay for all 200 seats regardless. Even after giving him a final headcount closer to the date, he won't budge. When they asked what would happen if they booked the smaller room but then suddenly had 200 people show up, he basically shrugged and said that wasn't his problem. If you want a room for 200, you pay for 200 chairs. He even went on to say that if someone books a hall for 350 because they invited, say, 360 people, but then notifies him a week or two before the deadline that only 300 are coming, they still have to pay for all 350. Apparently, this is his "new policy" and how he's decided to run things lately. I mean, how is anyone supposed to know their exact guest count a full year in advance to pick the right room? And these days, by the time you even know, everything is already booked up months ahead anyway... I just wanted to share this because my friend was absolutely livid dealing with such an idiot, and honestly, I am too. I can't believe some people run businesses like that. If he had said that to my face, I would have given him a piece of my mind and then some... 🙂 🙂

Dolis has four different halls, and obviously, he's trying to squeeze every penny out of the situation... He actually mentioned once that his occupancy is around 70%, and he feels like he loses a ton of money when people cancel.

That Dolis venue (the one not located by Lesnina) is honestly one of the best spots in all of California, excluding standard restaurants or hotel ballrooms. It fits about 230 people... and the guy simply refuses to rent it out for 170 guests a year in advance when he knows someone else will eventually swoop in for that date with 220 people. Let's be real: those extra 50 people represent pure profit for him.

Anthony Bennett6 said:Dolis has four different halls, and obviously, he's trying to squeeze every penny out of the situation... He actually mentioned once that his occupancy is around 70%, and he feels like he loses a ton of money when people cancel.

That Dolis venue (the one not located by Lesnina) is honestly one of the best spots in all of California, excluding standard restaurants or hotel ballrooms. It fits about 230 people... and the guy simply refuses to rent it out for 170 guests a year in advance when he knows someone else will eventually swoop in for that date with 220 people. Let's be real: those extra 50 people represent pure profit for him.

I can't quite agree with the idea that those 50 people are pure profit—I assume he makes a margin on every guest, meaning the cost of a single chair and service is part of his overhead... though, obviously, more people means more profit; 200 guests bring in more than 150.
Personally, I'd rather lock in a party for 170 people a year in advance than sit around waiting for a group of 200 to potentially appear... but I guess the guy knows from experience that he can afford the risk...

Anthony Bennett6 said:Dolis has four different halls, and obviously, he's trying to squeeze every penny out of the situation... He actually mentioned once that his occupancy is around 70%, and he feels like he loses a ton of money when people cancel.

That Dolis venue (the one not located by Lesnina) is honestly one of the best spots in all of California, excluding standard restaurants or hotel ballrooms. It fits about 230 people... and the guy simply refuses to rent it out for 170 guests a year in advance when he knows someone else will eventually swoop in for that date with 220 people. Let's be real: those extra 50 people represent pure profit for him.

If he hasn't been mentioning this to anyone else, then it’s pretty obvious he turned them down because he’s holding out for someone with over 200 names on their guest list. But honestly, telling someone they can only have a room for 150 when they're inviting 200—while simultaneously expecting 170 guaranteed heads—just feels wrong. I mean, what happens if all 200 actually show up? It’s already a tight squeeze with 170 in a 150-capacity room, let alone 200. And as for the money side of things, you have to consider that one guest isn't going to eat everything, or use the exact amount of electricity for the lights, or consume all the water used for prep and dishes... between the food, the power, and the seating, the owner is coming out ahead regardless. If he’s turning people away just because he’s gambling on someone else bringing 20 more guests, then we're talking about greed, not business logic. I don't see how he "loses" money on halls that are 70% full, especially since people usually give two weeks' notice on final counts, and the catering is prepared based on that number, not just the number of chairs available. He seems to view it as a loss only because he's obsessing over the hypothetical client who might bring more people later. Again, it isn't about profit or loss at that point, it's just plain old greed. You have families willing to drop $6,500 for their guests, yet he turns them away because he's calculating an extra $500 in potential earnings from someone else...
It's true, the Dolis venue is one of the top spots in California; I've never actually stepped foot in there myself, but people on the forums rave about it, and a friend of mine went a couple of times and loved it, which is why she wanted it. I can't say anything against the decor or the food, but I can certainly say something about the way the business is being run...

Paul King5 said:Bolero is a killer venue, but honestly? It feels better suited for massive weddings. I was there for a wedding recently—didn't even hit 150 people—and the whole place just felt empty. There was way too much wasted space behind the stage and around the edges... even with most people on the dance floor, it looked hollow on the wedding video. Still, the food and the vibe were top-tier though.

Anyone here dealt with Aria lately? I’ve heard nothing but good things, but since they transitioned from being Kokolo to Aria, I'm curious how they're running things now under the new owner and the new crew.

When I was checking around on Facebook for a friend, I managed to get two different takes on Aria. I'll just paste them here:
I went to a party at Aria last year—it's the old Two Hearts restaurant location. I think the per-person cost was around $40, there were about 180 people there, and the space is incredible. It's completely renovated, looks amazing. Definitely the best hall I've been to...

I was at Aria (formerly Two Hearts) this past winter and the food was excellent, plus the space has been remodeled so everything feels brand new, clean, and polished...

On the flip side, an acquaintance told my friend that the food was absolutely terrible, like she could barely eat anything at all...
Then again, who knows, it’s all so subjective. Honestly, the best thing would be to just go and see for yourself, because you'll know once you're there. For me personally, the food isn't even the most important part; I care much more about whether people feel comfortable in the room and if they can actually have a good time with some decent music...

Listen, everyone,
I need some advice on ordering cookies for a crowd of 150. It’s for an event where people gather first and then come pick me up... anyone have experience with this? How much should I actually order to cover everyone??? 🙏

gentlewolf69 said:When I was checking around on Facebook for a friend, I managed to get two different takes on Aria. I'll just paste them here:
I went to a party at Aria last year—it's the old Two Hearts restaurant location. I think the per-person cost was around $40, there were about 180 people there, and the space is incredible. It's completely renovated, looks amazing. Definitely the best hall I've been to...

I was at Aria (formerly Two Hearts) this past winter and the food was excellent, plus the space has been remodeled so everything feels brand new, clean, and polished...

On the flip side, an acquaintance told my friend that the food was absolutely terrible, like she could barely eat anything at all...
Then again, who knows, it’s all so subjective. Honestly, the best thing would be to just go and see for yourself, because you'll know once you're there. For me personally, the food isn't even the most important part; I care much more about whether people feel comfortable in the room and if they can actually have a good time with some decent music...

🙂 In the meantime, I checked with a few other people who were recently at a party there, and not one single person had anything good to say about the food... 😢

I honestly don't know what to tell you... Maybe they just have more chefs on staff now, so your group happened to run into a bad one while my two friends lucked out with someone decent. I'm not sure when your acquaintances last ate at Aria, but mine were there just last year. They might have swapped out the kitchen crew since then, or maybe they’ve just stopped putting in the effort with the menu. These sales change every single year, you know... Like, last year I was at a banquet at Phoenix and the food was absolutely unpalatable—we had veal medallions with mushrooms, but the mushrooms were those canned, rubbery things, and then they threw some black coloring into white risotto and tried to pass it off as black risotto, not to mention the beef stew was practically swimming in vinegar, goodness help us... But then, just the other day, a friend tells me he was at a banquet at Phoenix over the weekend and said it was the best meal he's ever had. I also hear the catering at the ExxonMobil location in Kaštela is fantastic and everyone is thrilled with that particular sale, and people are even raving about the robot at TTTS and the bolero kod Victa.

gentlewolf69 said:When I was checking around on Facebook for a friend, I managed to get two different takes on Aria. I'll just paste them here:
I went to a party at Aria last year—it's the old Two Hearts restaurant location. I think the per-person cost was around $40, there were about 180 people there, and the space is incredible. It's completely renovated, looks amazing. Definitely the best hall I've been to...

I was at Aria (formerly Two Hearts) this past winter and the food was excellent, plus the space has been remodeled so everything feels brand new, clean, and polished...

On the flip side, an acquaintance told my friend that the food was absolutely terrible, like she could barely eat anything at all...
Then again, who knows, it’s all so subjective. Honestly, the best thing would be to just go and see for yourself, because you'll know once you're there. For me personally, the food isn't even the most important part; I care much more about whether people feel comfortable in the room and if they can actually have a good time with some decent music...

I was at Aria for a party less than six months ago. The venue looks great with all the lighting effects, and the food was solid (the beef stew was actually amazing), but the staff was a letdown. You have to ask for things two or three times before anyone notices you... Great hall and food, but the servers 👎

Thanks for the feedback, everyone. We’re gonna head over to Aria to check things out and talk to the manager to see what the deal is. I’m honestly losing it... my place is amazing, but this food is seriously messing with my head. After that, we might hit up Amigos in Podstrana... and who knows where else we'll end up, we'll see.

Paul King5 said:Thanks for the feedback, everyone. We’re gonna head over to Aria to check things out and talk to the manager to see what the deal is. I’m honestly losing it... my place is amazing, but this food is seriously messing with my head. After that, we might hit up Amigos in Podstrana... and who knows where else we'll end up, we'll see.

A close friend of mine was actually at an event at Aria back in September and she couldn't stop raving about the food and the service... She said every single dish was so delicious they kept ordering more, and they never once ran out of anything!😉

man 🎉 just awesome, seriously...

Hey guys, I wanted to pick your brains on something. Are you all planning on DIYing your own invitations, or are you just going to outsource the whole thing? Also, does anyone happen to know where I could track down some decent heavy cardstock for them, and maybe a local print shop that wouldn't mind doing some custom die-cutting for specific shapes...

Sophia Phillips3 said:Alright, I’ve got everything squared away on my end. The guys are grabbing beers, and the wedding studio is already on-site filming. The only thing bugging me is this whole situation with the manager over at Dolis—it feels sketchy. Honestly, I’m in a worse spot than most, yet they won't even mention that this new policy regarding seat payments is actually happening... Hmmm :/

If I were you, I’d be really careful if you decide to order a book, just so they don't charge you for a high-end version from a place like Target that costs around $133 while they bill you for $0.00. I haven't experienced it firsthand, but I've been hearing some pretty sour feedback lately in a few different circles! Just make sure to iron out every single detail ahead of time and read that contract super carefully. 😉

Sophia Phillips3 said:Alright, I’ve got everything squared away on my end. The guys are grabbing beers, and the wedding studio is already on-site filming. The only thing bugging me is this whole situation with the manager over at Dolis—it feels sketchy. Honestly, I’m in a worse spot than most, yet they won't even mention that this new policy regarding seat payments is actually happening... Hmmm :/

Wait, Studio In is doing the photography???
How on earth did you guys settle on them???😉

George Davis4 said:I was at Aria for a party less than six months ago. The venue looks great with all the lighting effects, and the food was solid (the beef stew was actually amazing), but the staff was a letdown. You have to ask for things two or three times before anyone notices you... Great hall and food, but the servers 👎

I visited Aria back in September, and the food was absolutely perfect—especially that beef stew, I haven't had anything quite like it since! Plus, the servers there were wonderful and so attentive, always checking in on us. I guess it just depends on who is working that day. 🙂 Personally, I have nothing but good things to say about Aria (I haven't heard any complaints!). If we're talking about service, though, the team at NIRS is hands down the best... I've been there six times now, and I haven't met anyone more helpful!

Hey everyone... I'm curious about how you went about selecting your photography studio—specifically, how you chose the people behind the lens? Did you judge them based on their portfolio, their pricing, or maybe just word-of-mouth recommendations? What was your main deciding factor, and what kind of price range should I be looking at? I don't want to spend hours scrolling through everything from the beginning 🙂 and if anyone has a solid recommendation to share...

Hey Windy and Ivo, what kind of experiences have you guys had?

We passed on Aria. 😢Honestly, I don't think I'll ever regret it. The venue is gorgeous—both my guy and I fell in love with it instantly.
The only issue is it’s just too big for our wedding. We’re looking at about 120 guests, and that number might even drop, but this place holds over 200. I don't want a half-empty room feeling awkward...
The owner is awesome and the deal is solid. It's $40 for Saturdays, then $38 for Fridays and Sundays, and kids under 10 are $20. On Saturdays, there's a 130-person minimum; if 10 people flake, you still pay for 130. For Friday and Saturday, the headcount doesn't matter as much. They provide their own decor, including lavender and champagne linens, plus cool lighting effects throughout the hall. There's plenty of parking, smoking is allowed, and they don't have a curfew.
The food menu includes: prosciutto, cheese, French style, fish pâté, black or white risotto (you can swap one for shrimp pasta), beef stew, chicken in gorgonzola sauce, roasted lamb (which can be mixed with pork or veal from the oven), and dessert (a mix of store-bought and homemade).

We checked out Amigos too, but it felt way too small for us. It's perfect for maybe 80 people, but my 120 guests would be tripping over each other. Price is $40 (same for kids), and the newlyweds get a free night stay. Great spot for a summer wedding...

Now we're headed to check out Fable. I went there for a wedding a few years back. It's decent, though it feels a bit sterile, but you could probably fix that with some good decor...