Everything you need for a California wedding

Hey guys, anyone know where I can pick up some champagne with gold flakes like this one in San Francisco?

northerntinker13 said:Hey everyone! Quick question—does anyone know the actual capacity of the Adriatic Grašo restaurant in San Francisco if there's a DJ playing? I've heard a bunch of different numbers, so I wanted to see if anyone here actually knows for sure. People told me they could fit about 90 people if a DJ is set up, but honestly, that feels like a bit of a stretch to me 😁
Thanks a ton!

You can definitely fit 90. One table gets a little cramped—like, it doesn't have as much breathing room as the others—but it works out fine. I actually had a wedding at Graša with about 75 guests; it was originally supposed to be closer to 90, so I set up the seating chart for 90 people just to be safe, and everything went smoothly. Plus, I had a DJ too.

I recently attended an absolutely incredible wedding out in California, and I just had to drop a note about the venue and the band—hopefully, this helps anyone currently scouting locations! 🙂
The venue was Atrium Gulin (Lozovac near San Diego), and honestly? A solid 10+! Everything was perfection—from the gorgeous decor and vibe to the reception, the food (both flavor and portions were spot on), and the incredibly attentive staff.
Everyone was raving about the meal, which was truly gourmet. Plus, the servers were so proactive; they’d clear the plates the second we were finished rather than letting them sit empty, immediately swapping them out for fresh ones.
The service was seamless because they really stay on top of things. Even at our table of 10, we only had to call them over maybe three times the entire night; otherwise, they anticipated everything and brought what we needed before we even realized we were low.
By the way—the desserts were heavenly. I think I tried almost every single one! 😬
As for the music, Jukebox Live Bend (I believe that's the exact name and they're from Kaštel) was phenomenal! They played brilliantly, kept the energy high, and didn't take those long, awkward breaks. The dance floor was packed all night, and even the older crowd—including the bride's grandfather, who is over 80 🙂—was out there dancing non-stop.

This was my very first American wedding, and I have to say, I am totally impressed by Americans—you guys really know how to throw a legendary party! 👍

William Cook35 said:You can definitely fit 90. One table gets a little cramped—like, it doesn't have as much breathing room as the others—but it works out fine. I actually had a wedding at Graša with about 75 guests; it was originally supposed to be closer to 90, so I set up the seating chart for 90 people just to be safe, and everything went smoothly. Plus, I had a DJ too.

William, you have no idea how much you just made my day!!! Thank you so much!!! 😍

rowdyviper13 said:I recently attended an absolutely incredible wedding out in California, and I just had to drop a note about the venue and the band—hopefully, this helps anyone currently scouting locations! 🙂
The venue was Atrium Gulin (Lozovac near San Diego), and honestly? A solid 10+! Everything was perfection—from the gorgeous decor and vibe to the reception, the food (both flavor and portions were spot on), and the incredibly attentive staff.
Everyone was raving about the meal, which was truly gourmet. Plus, the servers were so proactive; they’d clear the plates the second we were finished rather than letting them sit empty, immediately swapping them out for fresh ones.
The service was seamless because they really stay on top of things. Even at our table of 10, we only had to call them over maybe three times the entire night; otherwise, they anticipated everything and brought what we needed before we even realized we were low.
By the way—the desserts were heavenly. I think I tried almost every single one! 😬
As for the music, Jukebox Live Bend (I believe that's the exact name and they're from Kaštel) was phenomenal! They played brilliantly, kept the energy high, and didn't take those long, awkward breaks. The dance floor was packed all night, and even the older crowd—including the bride's grandfather, who is over 80 🙂—was out there dancing non-stop.

This was my very first American wedding, and I have to say, I am totally impressed by Americans—you guys really know how to throw a legendary party! 👍

YES!!!
I am genuinely pleased that you approve of the hall. It is the exact venue I negotiated for...
It holds a special place for me. There are no pillars obstructing the view, and it is truly stunning.

Amy Johnson said:Bambola, are you absolutely certain Mladen is only charging 1,000 bucks? Because when I asked him for a ballpark figure, he told me that was just for the base package... but since you’ve got the book plus the extra stuff for the parents, it seems way too low to me.

The base package is $1,000, and the parent books are $100, so we're looking at about $1,100 total

Man, I’m still dealing with the fallout from the catering situation... we almost pulled the trigger on Phoenix, and we actually went to their banquet last Saturday, but let me tell you, the food was an absolute train wreck. Every single course was worse than the one before it—just a total disaster.

Now we’re stuck trying to find a venue for about 250 people, and it feels like we’re backed into a corner. We’re looking at one of those two identical halls, but if we want to rent out the entire space, they charge us for 350 guests regardless of how many actually show up. So, we're basically stuck with half of that massive hall for our group.

Has anyone here actually been to a party there with a crowd around 250? Can everyone actually fit comfortably, and is the buffet area a decent size? The manager is trying to sell us on the idea that it works perfectly fine, but honestly, we're pretty skeptical and would love some real-world examples before we commit.

Please, if anyone has any insight, help us out.

Thanks!

Michelle Ross4 said:Man, I’m still dealing with the fallout from the catering situation... we almost pulled the trigger on Phoenix, and we actually went to their banquet last Saturday, but let me tell you, the food was an absolute train wreck. Every single course was worse than the one before it—just a total disaster.

Now we’re stuck trying to find a venue for about 250 people, and it feels like we’re backed into a corner. We’re looking at one of those two identical halls, but if we want to rent out the entire space, they charge us for 350 guests regardless of how many actually show up. So, we're basically stuck with half of that massive hall for our group.

Has anyone here actually been to a party there with a crowd around 250? Can everyone actually fit comfortably, and is the buffet area a decent size? The manager is trying to sell us on the idea that it works perfectly fine, but honestly, we're pretty skeptical and would love some real-world examples before we commit.

Please, if anyone has any insight, help us out.

Thanks!

You can fit 250 people, and the dance floor is perfectly fine.🙂

Michelle Ross4 said:Man, I’m still dealing with the fallout from the catering situation... we almost pulled the trigger on Phoenix, and we actually went to their banquet last Saturday, but let me tell you, the food was an absolute train wreck. Every single course was worse than the one before it—just a total disaster.

Now we’re stuck trying to find a venue for about 250 people, and it feels like we’re backed into a corner. We’re looking at one of those two identical halls, but if we want to rent out the entire space, they charge us for 350 guests regardless of how many actually show up. So, we're basically stuck with half of that massive hall for our group.

Has anyone here actually been to a party there with a crowd around 250? Can everyone actually fit comfortably, and is the buffet area a decent size? The manager is trying to sell us on the idea that it works perfectly fine, but honestly, we're pretty skeptical and would love some real-world examples before we commit.

Please, if anyone has any insight, help us out.

Thanks!

I second this.
I’ve been to a banquet at Phoenix twice now, and I have never eaten worse food in my life.

We finally locked in the venue and the band, yippee! It’s all set for September 11th... and now we're officially on the hunt for a photographer. Does anyone here have any experience with Toni Photo Studio over in San Diego? Not the one in Solon, but the one in San Diego... wondering if they're actually any good...

Amy Johnson said:We finally locked in the venue and the band, yippee! It’s all set for September 11th... and now we're officially on the hunt for a photographer. Does anyone here have any experience with Toni Photo Studio over in San Diego? Not the one in Solon, but the one in San Diego... wondering if they're actually any good...

They do great work, honestly; their shots are really impressive... I can't say much about their pricing or specific logistics, though.😢

We ended up grabbing Tony’s photos, and man, they are absolutely insane... way cheaper than what anyone else was charging.
Does anyone know where I can snag some cheap car decals? I checked at AutoZone, and they have a 20-pack for $17, and the decals are about 2 inches wide—standard size, right? But then I saw on eBay that you can get a 50-pack for $28, which is basically the same price as getting them at Walmart. Does anyone know if there's an even better deal out there, or is this pretty much it?

Thanks for all the input. It sounds like you guys have only heard glowing reviews about Square... To be honest, I actually watched a DVD from a wedding where they were playing, but it just didn't really grab me. Choosing a band is such a massive headache—I am honestly struggling with this decision so much. Has anyone been to a party recently where Bill & Ben were performing?

Amy Johnson said:We ended up grabbing Tony’s photos, and man, they are absolutely insane... way cheaper than what anyone else was charging.
Does anyone know where I can snag some cheap car decals? I checked at AutoZone, and they have a 20-pack for $17, and the decals are about 2 inches wide—standard size, right? But then I saw on eBay that you can get a 50-pack for $28, which is basically the same price as getting them at Walmart. Does anyone know if there's an even better deal out there, or is this pretty much it?

If you head over to Rose in Small Town, USA, you can grab 50 of the 2-inch ones for $27. Could you drop the link for that eBay listing you found?

If you search eBay for car pull bows, you’re gonna strike gold.

Sorry if I'm repeating myself here, but I feel like I've scoured every corner of the internet and still haven't found what I'm looking for. Does anyone happen to have a photo of the registrar's office over in that small town near San Francisco? I'm really curious about what the actual hall looks like, though if anyone has a shot of the building itself, that would be even better! Thanks a million!

Hey everyone! So, I’ve been daydreaming about doing something a bit more modern—you know, that classic American vibe with a guest list of maybe 100 people... does anyone have any advice or maybe some experience with a wedding like that?? I’m really leaning towards getting married outdoors, like just a beautiful ceremony out in a meadow or a field—totally inspired by those dreamy American weddings where you bring a minister out to the site and everything is just perfectly styled with ribbons, flowers, and all that aesthetic goodness. Now, the big question is, how much does it actually cost to have an officiant come out to a remote spot? And what kind of locations should I even be looking at? The only thing popping into my head right now is somewhere like Manhattan 😕
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Also, can anyone suggest some venues or restaurants that can host up to 100 people and have either a pool or just a gorgeous garden without a pool?
A few girlfriends were telling me about the President in Atlanta, right near the pool—it sounds like it has a killer atmosphere and scenery, but I’m wondering how much they charge per seat... I’m guessing it’s pretty pricey 😲??

casualviper36 said:Hey everyone! So, I’ve been daydreaming about doing something a bit more modern—you know, that classic American vibe with a guest list of maybe 100 people... does anyone have any advice or maybe some experience with a wedding like that?? I’m really leaning towards getting married outdoors, like just a beautiful ceremony out in a meadow or a field—totally inspired by those dreamy American weddings where you bring a minister out to the site and everything is just perfectly styled with ribbons, flowers, and all that aesthetic goodness. Now, the big question is, how much does it actually cost to have an officiant come out to a remote spot? And what kind of locations should I even be looking at? The only thing popping into my head right now is somewhere like Manhattan 😕
.
Also, can anyone suggest some venues or restaurants that can host up to 100 people and have either a pool or just a gorgeous garden without a pool?
A few girlfriends were telling me about the President in Atlanta, right near the pool—it sounds like it has a killer atmosphere and scenery, but I’m wondering how much they charge per seat... I’m guessing it’s pretty pricey 😲??

First things that come to mind:
Michelangelo's Gallery.
Michelangelo's Castle.
Villa California.
The Park Hyatt has a beautiful garden, but they probably have a curfew around midnight.
The San Antonio Hotel in Malibu has a beach.
If you're looking for a cheaper option, Joe's restaurant in Malibu might let you set up tables in the lower area right on the beach.
As an alternative to all that, you could, I don't know, rent a big excursion boat and cruise through the San Francisco/Catalina Island channel while dinner is happening.
Etc.

Priests aren't allowed to perform ceremonies outdoors, just keep that in mind.

casualwolf22 said:First things that come to mind:
Michelangelo's Gallery.
Michelangelo's Castle.
Villa California.
The Park Hyatt has a beautiful garden, but they probably have a curfew around midnight.
The San Antonio Hotel in Malibu has a beach.
If you're looking for a cheaper option, Joe's restaurant in Malibu might let you set up tables in the lower area right on the beach.
As an alternative to all that, you could, I don't know, rent a big excursion boat and cruise through the San Francisco/Catalina Island channel while dinner is happening.
Etc.

Thanks! I'll definitely weigh all these options, especially since having a smaller group sounds way more my style anyway. 🙂