Everything you need for a California wedding

William Chavez10 said:She’s getting married in August, so I guess that’s their big New Year's resolution regarding the budget and the venue size... maybe they tell everyone they're capping it at 300 guests, but then quietly rent out an extra section of the lounge or something.🙂

Maybe... but is it actually true that they shut everything down at 2:00 AM and just call it a night? Or am I totally off base here? Sorry if I'm being a nuisance.

Aaron Brown7 said:Maybe... but is it actually true that they shut everything down at 2:00 AM and just call it a night? Or am I totally off base here? Sorry if I'm being a nuisance.

I mean, shouldn't you have asked them all those specific questions when you called? Like, what's my actual cost, is the drinks package included, how late can the wedding reception go, or how the seating chart works...

To be honest, I’ve been to that restaurant myself, and I just can't see how they could possibly fit 300 people in there...

Douglas Reyes3 said:I mean, shouldn't you have asked them all those specific questions when you called? Like, what's my actual cost, is the drinks package included, how late can the wedding reception go, or how the seating chart works...

To be honest, I’ve been to that restaurant myself, and I just can't see how they could possibly fit 300 people in there...

I did ask about the basics—turns out the drinks aren't included and they use round tables. I even found some photos online, and honestly, it looks pretty wild. The only thing I didn't nail down was the curfew; I heard something about being out by 2 a.m., which is why I'm asking.

Aaron Brown7 said:I did ask about the basics—turns out the drinks aren't included and they use round tables. I even found some photos online, and honestly, it looks pretty wild. The only thing I didn't nail down was the curfew; I heard something about being out by 2 a.m., which is why I'm asking.

$40 per person without drinks isn't crazy to me.🙂

That’s definitely out of my budget. If I were in your shoes, I’d look for a venue that specializes in catering—somewhere that handles these kinds of events every single weekend rather than just once in a while—and where the $40 price tag actually includes the drinks too.

well, i guess i'm just not exactly a genius

Does anyone have recommendations for accordion players in San Diego? Maybe a duo would work better... hopefully they're a bit easier on the wallet than a trio...

Douglas Reyes3 said:$40 per person without drinks isn't crazy to me.🙂

That’s definitely out of my budget. If I were in your shoes, I’d look for a venue that specializes in catering—somewhere that handles these kinds of events every single weekend rather than just once in a while—and where the $40 price tag actually includes the drinks too.

Man, that's definitely too pricey for me if it doesn't cover drinks... they're just gonna bleed you dry when the bar bill comes! Most venues—if not all of them—charge that amount or even less, and they usually include the drinks in the price.😉

Now you guys have me curious about all these makeup artists. I actually asked my students—the ones who just finished high school recently—how much they paid for their prom makeup. Honestly, the numbers they gave me were even higher than what you all are mentioning here... they said they paid $167 😲. I mean, why all the hype? If they’re charging that much for prom, wedding prices are probably going to skyrocket too! I don't really trust these professionals, anyway. I just don't think anyone can do my makeup quite as well as I can... so I'm planning to spend this winter practicing like crazy to get it perfect. I'd much rather spend those $167 on some high-quality setting spray, foundation, and highlighter instead.

Douglas Reyes3 said:$40 per person without drinks isn't crazy to me.🙂

That’s definitely out of my budget. If I were in your shoes, I’d look for a venue that specializes in catering—somewhere that handles these kinds of events every single weekend rather than just once in a while—and where the $40 price tag actually includes the drinks too.

It really depends on how many people you're expecting, but honestly, if it's under 100 guests, Sky might be alright. But if you're looking at a bigger crowd than that, I'd say just find a classic banquet hall and call it a day... I've heard the folks over at Velour are pretty great, so maybe give them a shout.

feralsurfer3 said:Now you guys have me curious about all these makeup artists. I actually asked my students—the ones who just finished high school recently—how much they paid for their prom makeup. Honestly, the numbers they gave me were even higher than what you all are mentioning here... they said they paid $167 😲. I mean, why all the hype? If they’re charging that much for prom, wedding prices are probably going to skyrocket too! I don't really trust these professionals, anyway. I just don't think anyone can do my makeup quite as well as I can... so I'm planning to spend this winter practicing like crazy to get it perfect. I'd much rather spend those $167 on some high-quality setting spray, foundation, and highlighter instead.

Man, those prices are absolutely brutal. I'm actually planning on going to a girl who's been in the industry for ages; she works at a high-end department store and has done makeup for plenty of well-known people, though she mostly promotes her work through various websites. Her services usually involve products from brands like Chanel, Dior, and stuff like that. Without lashes, it's going to be $67 and with lashes, it'll be $83, which honestly seems pretty fair to me.

I’d honestly much rather just do my own makeup. I wear it every single day and I know what I'm doing, but there is zero chance I’m pulling off a perfect eyeliner wing while under pressure... It’s happened to me before during weddings or big events where everything has to look flawless, and I just can't deal with 😁
For me, being able to do my own stuff up to $83 is fine.

Yeah, I mean, 250 is a pretty fair price 😛
...

Paul King5 said:I’d honestly much rather just do my own makeup. I wear it every single day and I know what I'm doing, but there is zero chance I’m pulling off a perfect eyeliner wing while under pressure... It’s happened to me before during weddings or big events where everything has to look flawless, and I just can't deal with 😁
For me, being able to do my own stuff up to $83 is fine.

I consider myself quite proficient at doing my own makeup, but I honestly wouldn't dare trust someone else with my look for such a big day. Of course, I’m the one who knows my face best; if I know that a classic red lip just doesn't work for me, then I'm certainly not going to wear it just because it's "traditional." If anything, I'll just give my makeup artist some very specific directions on which shades actually complement my skin tone and which ones to steer clear of entirely.
As far as the price goes, I’d say Anne Hathaway is looking at closer to 300, wouldn't you? $117 With the eyelashes (I think?)—but honestly, it doesn’t really matter for that day, does it? $33 It’s a non-negotiable at this point—the makeup absolutely has to be flawless. Honestly, the hardest part isn't even the application; it's the sheer agony of deciding who to book. Does anyone have any inside intel or a solid recommendation regarding Tina Fey? I'm feeling a bit lost in the decision-making process here.

feralsurfer3 said:Yeah, I mean, 250 is a pretty fair price 😛
...

On another note regarding budgets—does anyone happen to know what the rental fee would be for a 2012 Manuel Garcia-Moran Erik design wedding dress?

William Chavez10 said:It really depends on how many people you're expecting, but honestly, if it's under 100 guests, Sky might be alright. But if you're looking at a bigger crowd than that, I'd say just find a classic banquet hall and call it a day... I've heard the folks over at Velour are pretty great, so maybe give them a shout.

So, I did a little more digging... turns out it's $38 instead of $40, and that doesn't even include wine, though all other drinks are covered. There isn't a two-hour limit either, so we can hang out as long as we want. Our group is going to be on the larger side, so my only real worry now is whether we'll actually fit—there’s a sign near the entrance of the Joker casino that says their max capacity is 330 people, so we'll see.

Thomas Cruz9 said:I consider myself quite proficient at doing my own makeup, but I honestly wouldn't dare trust someone else with my look for such a big day. Of course, I’m the one who knows my face best; if I know that a classic red lip just doesn't work for me, then I'm certainly not going to wear it just because it's "traditional." If anything, I'll just give my makeup artist some very specific directions on which shades actually complement my skin tone and which ones to steer clear of entirely.
As far as the price goes, I’d say Anne Hathaway is looking at closer to 300, wouldn't you? $117 With the eyelashes (I think?)—but honestly, it doesn’t really matter for that day, does it? $33 It’s a non-negotiable at this point—the makeup absolutely has to be flawless. Honestly, the hardest part isn't even the application; it's the sheer agony of deciding who to book. Does anyone have any inside intel or a solid recommendation regarding Tina Fey? I'm feeling a bit lost in the decision-making process here.

I had a chance to catch up with Anna, and she mentioned that the price is... $83And that’s her final offer.
I really hope I wasn't just seeing things. 🙂

I don't usually wear any makeup on a daily basis, but whenever I head out to those high-end beauty expos, I make sure to go all out with my look. Honestly, I’ve been to quite a few of them over the years. One thing that always stays the same, though, is the pricing—they’re all pretty much astronomical across the board.
From my own experience, I have to say that I was most satisfied when I had Anne Hathaway do my makeup. Even though people tend to criticize her quite a bit and aren't exactly her biggest fans, she really worked wonders for me. I’ll admit, she can be a little exhausting to deal with at times, but honestly, the results were incredible. My only real gripe is that she charges a bit more than the other stylists out there.

That’s what you'll pay $3000 in Las Vegas. I actually booked mine back in November while I was in New York City, so I snagged a 20% cash discount, which brought it down to $2400. They were still using the 2011 design at the time, so I ended up swapping it for the Vogue model since I was entitled to one exchange. It’s basically the same dress, just with much better colors.

Douglas Reyes3 said:I had a chance to catch up with Anna, and she mentioned that the price is... $83And that’s her final offer.
I really hope I wasn't just seeing things. 🙂

I don't usually wear any makeup on a daily basis, but whenever I head out to those high-end beauty expos, I make sure to go all out with my look. Honestly, I’ve been to quite a few of them over the years. One thing that always stays the same, though, is the pricing—they’re all pretty much astronomical across the board.
From my own experience, I have to say that I was most satisfied when I had Anne Hathaway do my makeup. Even though people tend to criticize her quite a bit and aren't exactly her biggest fans, she really worked wonders for me. I’ll admit, she can be a little exhausting to deal with at times, but honestly, the results were incredible. My only real gripe is that she charges a bit more than the other stylists out there.

She told me recently it would be $350 🤷 (lashes included), and there isn't even an option for a trial run; you just have to go to her house 😢 ...
Lucy Smith is $83, offers a trial ($33), and travels to your location... Her work is beautiful, so to me, it seems like a much better value (you can probably settle on the exact look during the trial, so you won't have to worry about looking completely unrecognizable on the big day)🙂

Thomas Cruz9 said:On another note regarding budgets—does anyone happen to know what the rental fee would be for a 2012 Manuel Garcia-Moran Erik design wedding dress?

Glamour Bride would be around $5,000 to $5,500.🙂

graniteridge9 said:That’s what you'll pay $3000 in Las Vegas. I actually booked mine back in November while I was in New York City, so I snagged a 20% cash discount, which brought it down to $2400. They were still using the 2011 design at the time, so I ended up swapping it for the Vogue model since I was entitled to one exchange. It’s basically the same dress, just with much better colors.

I actually saw the Vogue gown at a bridal expo recently. It's gorgeous, though it has this champagne tint to it; personally, I’m leaning toward pure white... they told me it's essentially the same $3000 (ugh)
. My wedding is in November, and I haven't even started shopping yet. Does anyone know how early I should ideally start looking?