Everything you need for a California wedding

If you're looking for some cheap single-track items—you know, those little decorative bows or whatever—head over to Rose Commercial in Mejašes; they've got them for just 1.50 cents per unit.
Also, just a heads-up that Nrisa is running a 30% discount through the end of the month on all their bows, cookie tins, trays, and pretty much everything else.

Betty Sullivan3 said:Hey everyone! I was wondering if anyone has some good tips on where to find wedding invitations and boutonnieres? I’m really hoping to find something a bit more budget-friendly than $7 per invite, and as for the boutonnieres $1.75, I haven't found anything reasonably priced yet—honestly, everything I've seen feels way too expensive for my budget! Any advice would be amazing ;D

What about buying online? These guys have boutonnieres for less than $1.75...
Those first ones, the lilac and white ones, really caught my eye... gorgeous. I gave up on the DIY boutonnieres... just didn't have the energy or the patience 😁

Douglas Reyes3, have you reached out to the Jesse band yet? I'm pretty sure they’re charging about $1,800 for this year... They played at my relative's party about a year and a half ago and they're actually quite talented. I wasn't huge on their choice of setlist—I mean, alongside all those lovely ballads, they threw in some Gibbon's songs like "I'm doing the right thing" and a few other tracks along the lines of "you left me, you don't love me anymore"—but I think you could easily negotiate with them regarding what you want and don't want them to play. They ended up stepping in for my relative because her own band canceled just two weeks before the party, so she didn't really care what they played, she just needed someone to show up... She did mention she didn't want any country music though. My bridesmaid has the Rose band playing for her in September for $1,500, and I've heard they're good. I know the Pink Panther is great too, but $2,100 is just way too much money... Currently, I have Centrifuge from Imok playing for me for $1,200. Everyone tells me they're amazing, but I'm feeling a bit skeptical because I watched a video on YouTube that didn't exactly wow me... still, the venue manager and the photographer both swear they absolutely kill it, so I'll take their word for it...

David King72 said:Wedding dress situation: officially sorted! 🙂
I honestly can't say enough good things about the boutique over in San Francisco, they really knocked it out of the park.
I originally went in thinking I was just going to browse for a dress to buy, but I ended up renting this absolute stunner instead—and honestly, why would I regret that? I completely fell in love with it. 😍

:klap:

I actually had my dress from Lipoto too... well, I brought them a photo and they custom-made it exactly how I wanted... I was beyond happy and would recommend them to anyone! 👍

gentlewolf69 said:Douglas Reyes3, have you reached out to the Jesse band yet? I'm pretty sure they’re charging about $1,800 for this year... They played at my relative's party about a year and a half ago and they're actually quite talented. I wasn't huge on their choice of setlist—I mean, alongside all those lovely ballads, they threw in some Gibbon's songs like "I'm doing the right thing" and a few other tracks along the lines of "you left me, you don't love me anymore"—but I think you could easily negotiate with them regarding what you want and don't want them to play. They ended up stepping in for my relative because her own band canceled just two weeks before the party, so she didn't really care what they played, she just needed someone to show up... She did mention she didn't want any country music though. My bridesmaid has the Rose band playing for her in September for $1,500, and I've heard they're good. I know the Pink Panther is great too, but $2,100 is just way too much money... Currently, I have Centrifuge from Imok playing for me for $1,200. Everyone tells me they're amazing, but I'm feeling a bit skeptical because I watched a video on YouTube that didn't exactly wow me... still, the venue manager and the photographer both swear they absolutely kill it, so I'll take their word for it...

Thanks... I'll send an inquiry to Jesse.
$2,100 is just way too much for me 🙂

Me too. I’ll never regret wanting to hear the Pink Panther, but man, they really went overboard with those prices. If there are five people in the group, then every single person is walking away with more than $1000 for just one night... someone else is out there working their tail off all month for that kind of cash.

gentlewolf69 said:Me too. I’ll never regret wanting to hear the Pink Panther, but man, they really went overboard with those prices. If there are five people in the group, then every single person is walking away with more than $1000 for just one night... someone else is out there working their tail off all month for that kind of cash.

And let’s not forget you have to pay for a seat for every single one of them too! That’s actually one of the reasons we didn't book a group, Boss. It would've cost us at least $1,800, plus six extra chairs... 🙂

We put down a deposit for Jesse's band, $1,800 for this year, but they mentioned prices are going up next year.
We were looking at the Boss group too, but when we checked out a restaurant, the owner told us they played there just last weekend. Apparently, besides the five main band members, there are two extra guys who hang around all night that you end up paying for too. She said they claim to handle the sound quality and make sure everything runs smooth, but honestly, who knows... I also heard they don't really care about what the bride and groom want and just play whatever they feel like. Supposedly one bride tried to speak up once and the singer just waved her off and made a comment to hype up the crowd... mind you, that’s just hearsay, not my own experience...

Well, I guess it’s finally time for me to stop lurking in the shadows and actually chime in on this forum after following everything for so long...
We’ve managed to nail down a date, but honestly, that’s about the extent of our progress so far.
Does anyone have any actual insight or experiences regarding the Dolis-Lesnin salad?

I already mentioned my thoughts on Dolis over on page 203, so I’ll just leave it at that... Basically, the food was fantastic, but the way they run the business? Not so much.

Thanks for the help... I honestly don't even know what to say about this ridiculous business deal...
We still haven't made a call yet... we're stuck debating between Lesnin and Dolis... does anyone have any updates on those two deals, especially considering we're looking at prices for a larger group of 250 people? And specifically🙂

gentlewolf69 said:I already mentioned my thoughts on Dolis over on page 203, so I’ll just leave it at that... Basically, the food was fantastic, but the way they run the business? Not so much.

So, I did a little digging to see what was going on—it looks like they actually tried to roll out that new way of doing things (even if they're officially denying it), but it clearly didn't fly with anyone. Honestly, it would have been total disaster for them. So, for all my ladies asking about Dolis-Lesnin: everything is back to normal. You can still expect great food, lovely service, and wonderful sales! 🙂

Here I go again... we still haven't quite pulled the trigger on which hall to pick... but I was wondering if anyone actually knows anything about the ballroom at the Hilton on Duilov? I heard they supposedly did a total renovation on it...

Hotel Plaza... I reached out to them, but honestly, I can't quite recall their exact response. They were pretty non-responsive, though. If I remember right, there was some kind of deal regarding the Lamb and the drinks, like we had to handle that part ourselves. And from what I recall, they won't even let a band play without a tip... Now I'm just pissed at myself for deleting their proposal 🙂

So, how exactly did you get a hold of them? Do you happen to remember what they were asking for the chair... and which hall you guys were actually in?

Check out this old menu for the Hilton over at Duilov—I'm not sure if they've updated the banquet hall since then, but this deal is straight from November 2012 for a summer 2013 event.
MENU:
HP (prosciutto, cheese, and French bread)
Half veal risotto and half cuttlefish risotto
California style beef stew with homemade gnocchi
Lamb roast (brought by the guest)
Roasted potatoes (half portion)
Seasonal salad
Bread
Cakes and pastries (brought by the guest)

DRINKS (included in the price)

Homemade aperitif (served upon entering the hall)
Matuško Red Wine 0.75 L or Peljesac / White Wine 1L
Matuško Rukatac 0.75L or Korcula 1L Beer Domestic 0.5L
Domestic beer 0.5L (Karlovy, Ožujsko, Laško, etc.)
Mineral water 1L
Soda and fruit juices 1L (Coca cola program)
Sparkling wine for the newlyweds and godparents
Coffee and teas

Starting at $78 per person

The guest provides: the roasted lamb, cakes and pastries, floral arrangements, and decor,
plus handles the music and all the logistics for the DJ/band.

gentlewolf69 said:I already mentioned my thoughts on Dolis over on page 203, so I’ll just leave it at that... Basically, the food was fantastic, but the way they run the business? Not so much.

Back around June 2013, right before Christmas, we were looking into Dolis—and honestly, we had a totally different experience. The guy was super professional and didn't get hung up on all those tiny details regarding the headcount or specific terms.
If they’d actually had an opening, we definitely would've booked our event at Dolis.
In the end, we went with Velum because the date worked out perfectly and we just loved the vibe there.
Some friends of ours are hosting a wedding there soon, so we'll finally get the real scoop on how their service holds up! 🙂

I really appreciate you filling me in on all that info regarding Duilo... as for the owner of Dolis, I actually caught up with him at a local bar just a few days ago, and honestly, he doesn't operate like that at all. From what I saw, his business terms were completely fair and he was nothing but professional.

Hmmmm, my rental fee actually covers all the decor for the hall. If you want to bring your own lamb, it’ll cost you an extra $7 or $9 per person—I can't remember the exact figure—but honestly, if you bring your own booze, I'd be careful, or they'll come after you for it the next day... Every venue feels so different to me. Personally, I'm not a big fan of lamb, and a lot of my friends aren't either, so why not just handle it yourself? You could find something better, or maybe just do half lamb and half pork to save a little cash... 🙂
Nobody has said a word about the bachelor party or the wedding reception in forever 🙂

feralsurfer3 said:Hmmmm, my rental fee actually covers all the decor for the hall. If you want to bring your own lamb, it’ll cost you an extra $7 or $9 per person—I can't remember the exact figure—but honestly, if you bring your own booze, I'd be careful, or they'll come after you for it the next day... Every venue feels so different to me. Personally, I'm not a big fan of lamb, and a lot of my friends aren't either, so why not just handle it yourself? You could find something better, or maybe just do half lamb and half pork to save a little cash... 🙂
Nobody has said a word about the bachelor party or the wedding reception in forever 🙂

Sorry... can I ask which venue we're talking about? I'm new to this group, so I'm a bit behind on the conversation...