Everything you need for a California wedding

Joshua Perez122 said:The guy I was chatting with mentioned they have a standard menu... prices usually float somewhere between $45 and $35. If we book for a Friday or Sunday, he said we could get it for $35. When I told him we’re looking at around 200 guests, he suggested maybe $40.
A $500 deposit is required, and they can accommodate up to 320 people.
I really love that whole pool situation... :-)
I wonder if there's enough room for dancing though? That's pretty important to me.
Is Velum any good? I'm leaning towards it since being so close to the ocean sounds lovely...

Forgive me, Joshua Perez122, for jumping in here, but I don't quite see how the headcount affects the price per seat. Doesn't the cost really depend on the menu itself? It doesn't make sense for someone to ask how many people are coming and then quote you $40 for a group of 200, when if you had said 100 people, they'd charge you $80... they'd end up making the exact same amount from 100 people as they would from 200, while having to prep half the food. Don't let them play you for a fool... the price per plate should be driven by what you choose to eat, the drinks, the extras you want or don't want, but it shouldn't shift just because the guest list grows. Or am I missing something here...

gentlewolf69 said:Forgive me, Joshua Perez122, for jumping in here, but I don't quite see how the headcount affects the price per seat. Doesn't the cost really depend on the menu itself? It doesn't make sense for someone to ask how many people are coming and then quote you $40 for a group of 200, when if you had said 100 people, they'd charge you $80... they'd end up making the exact same amount from 100 people as they would from 200, while having to prep half the food. Don't let them play you for a fool... the price per plate should be driven by what you choose to eat, the drinks, the extras you want or don't want, but it shouldn't shift just because the guest list grows. Or am I missing something here...

even at Olive Garden they do stuff like that...

That’s what he told me, I guess... though I'm not really sure what all the variables are. I actually called up some restaurants for the first time today.
I honestly have no clue, I was just typing out what he said to me.

I honestly don't think a policy like that is right, and I certainly wouldn't sign off on it myself. Besides, all this talk about pricing feels like a complete fog to me... If you look at TTTS, Dugopolj, or Kaštela, the prices there are about ten bucks lower than they are in Split. It basically feels like you're just paying an extra ten dollars simply because of the zip code you're in.

Prices tend to fluctuate based on the guest count everywhere you go, though the difference shouldn't be too significant.
There are certain fixed costs that a venue or restaurant must cover regardless of how many people attend—things like the space rental, the waitstaff, and the kitchen crew if service is included. Similarly, items like the cake, floral arrangements, the wedding cake itself, the head table decor, and the bouquets all carry the same cost whether you have fifty guests or a hundred.

I mean, everything you just listed is definitely factored into the cost of the chair itself, but I really can't get on board with the idea that the guest count should influence the per-chair price... If someone is prepping a meal for 100 people, why on earth would they be charging as if they were catering for 200?

That dance floor looks absolutely awesome. Thanks so much for getting back to me!

gentlewolf69 said:I mean, everything you just listed is definitely factored into the cost of the chair itself, but I really can't get on board with the idea that the guest count should influence the per-chair price... If someone is prepping a meal for 100 people, why on earth would they be charging as if they were catering for 200?

The reason is quite simple: most professionals are paid based on their time. A waiter at a local diner earns a set wage regardless of whether he serves 10 coffees or 100.
For instance, I have always been told to budget for an additional waiter for every 50 guests, though obviously, you cannot have just one waiter if there are 50 people attending.
As I stated before, the differences here aren't massive; typically, for a group of 50, the per-chair rate is slightly $3.25higher.
It seems perfectly logical to me that the venue seeks its profit regardless of your guest list. If someone chooses to host 50 people in a hall that accommodates 200, they should expect to pay a premium.
Distributing a fixed overhead across 50 chairs versus 200 changes the math entirely.
Consider this breakdown: a bridal bouquet might be $1,000, the head table $800, the chef $1,000, the DJ $1,000, and the wedding cake $1,000 (and there are certainly other costs). Try dividing those figures up yourself, and then factor in the variable costs that depend on the guest count, such as food, drinks, and desserts.
I am not sure if you are currently working, but if you aren't, imagine working in retail and having your manager tell you that you won't receive your daily wages because you didn't make any sales. Similarly, the salaries of the venue manager, the chef, and the rest of the staff should not fluctuate based on how many guests a client brings.

Joshua Perez122 said:So, I just got off the phone with Sky and checked out a few other halls and restaurants a bit ago. Prices seem to be hovering somewhere between $45 and $50... I mean, I can definitely keep calling them myself, but honestly, I’m more interested in hearing from people who have actually been there for weddings..
I reached out to
Aria
Bolero
Sky
Velum
And Kadena—they said they can fit about 120 people there.

If any of you know anything at all, could you maybe write a few words about each place?..
Or if you have a recommendation, let me know!

Arija—personally? I wasn't feeling the vibe of that hall. Was at a wedding there once. Food was fine, nothing to write home about...
Bolero—even worse in my book. The hall is terrible. Ceilings are way too low.
Sky—loved it. The food, the cocktails, the pool, the atmosphere... everything was spot on.
Velum—never been, but looks great in photos. Though I doubt they can handle a huge crowd... A friend of mine was at a wedding there and she wasn't exactly blown away. :/
Have you checked out Castello in Kaštela?? They've got two halls, one small and one large, plus plenty of parking out front. I've been to two weddings there and had a blast. The hall itself is gorgeous. 👍 Can that second one hold more than 250 people?

gentlewolf69 said:I honestly don't think a policy like that is right, and I certainly wouldn't sign off on it myself. Besides, all this talk about pricing feels like a complete fog to me... If you look at TTTS, Dugopolj, or Kaštela, the prices there are about ten bucks lower than they are in Split. It basically feels like you're just paying an extra ten dollars simply because of the zip code you're in.

Well, duh, obviously prices in Split are going to be higher than they are in Dugopolj. In Dugopolj, all the spots are specialized catering halls with fixed menus, whereas in Split, we're talking full-on restaurants and hotels... personally, I'm totally fine with that because everyone can just pick whatever fits their vibe. Honestly, even if chairs in Dugopolj were 10 dollars cheaper, I wouldn't care because I wouldn't be working a catering gig out there anyway.

Joshua Perez122 said:That dance floor looks absolutely awesome. Thanks so much for getting back to me!

No worries at all 😉

I’ve actually heard some good things about arija too—supposedly it's totally fine. I haven't made it out there myself, but I have some close friends who hit up a party there recently and they gave it the thumbs up...

Thanks for the reply... Honestly, things with Sky are just getting better and better, I'm really starting to love it. He's originally from Split, but I'm from somewhere near Omis. We’re thinking about getting married at my local church, mostly because traveling that far would be a huge hassle. But he’s really set on having it in Split... I’m kind of worried the guest list might top 200, and I really don't want to pick a venue where we'll all be tripping over each other. I guess I'm just expecting a bunch of people to flake out anyway.

If you guys happen to know of any other decent hotels or maybe some cool little inns, please feel free to drop those recommendations here! :-)

Joshua Perez122 said:If you guys happen to know of any other decent hotels or maybe some cool little inns, please feel free to drop those recommendations here! :-)

Haha, it just occurred to me, and since you're near Omis,

or

both spots are more than adequate, from the food to everything else, each unique in its own way....
...there, the only thing is that it isn't Split🙂

I know both spots, honestly :-) especially those Radman’s grinders. But yeah, that’s probably not going to work out. I mean, I have to stick to what he wants, I guess. :-) Plus, there's going to be a ton of people coming from Split, so staying in Split just makes more sense for them too. Either way, thanks!

Hey guys, I really need some help finding a solid DJ... we actually booked someone for our big day, but then two months later they realized they were already double-booked for our date, which is just such a total nightmare... if anyone has been to a wedding lately where the DJ was actually awesome, please let me know! The most important thing for us is that they can really run the show and aren't super shy or awkward with the crowd...

William Lewis8 said:Arija—personally? I wasn't feeling the vibe of that hall. Was at a wedding there once. Food was fine, nothing to write home about...
Bolero—even worse in my book. The hall is terrible. Ceilings are way too low.
Sky—loved it. The food, the cocktails, the pool, the atmosphere... everything was spot on.
Velum—never been, but looks great in photos. Though I doubt they can handle a huge crowd... A friend of mine was at a wedding there and she wasn't exactly blown away. :/
Have you checked out Castello in Kaštela?? They've got two halls, one small and one large, plus plenty of parking out front. I've been to two weddings there and had a blast. The hall itself is gorgeous. 👍 Can that second one hold more than 250 people?

We're also torn between Air, Sky, and Bolero because we're looking for a venue in San Francisco for 220 guests.
William Lewis8, was that "great" food you had at Sky just their standard menu, or was it something special?
As for Bolero, we know the food is amazing, but the hall being in a garage area—with the access issues and those low ceilings—is a total dealbreaker, even if the interior looks nice.
Air seems alright—pretty basic and a bit sterile, even though they did add some new lighting inside. Not sure about the food though...

Jacob Evans12
The standard menu was fine—classic, really—but man, everything tasted incredible... If I were you, though, I’d definitely go with Sky, especially if you're planning on hitting the coast this summer... It’s just a vibe. 🙂

Joshua Perez122 said:I didn't actually ask if we could bring our own drinks... the food is $133. But honestly, I just don't want to drop that much cash on a wedding. I even reached out to a pirate. He already sent me some info. I'm not sure what my guy is going to think about everything... I really don't want things to feel too crowded. We're definitely looking at more than 200 guests... Our biggest headache is trying to visit all these venues since we're both based in NYC. My boyfriend is working full-time, and I'm still grinding away to finish up college at NYU.

Hey, we're having our wedding at the Radisson, and it works out to $107 per person, excluding dessert and drinks—we're just bringing those ourselves.
My advice? Don't hire a Pirate for a party of 200. My best friend had a crowd of 150 there, and it was just about perfect. That said, the Pirate actually has the best food of any venue or restaurant for parties. Seriously, they're Top Now.

Timothy Fisher50 said:I wonder how many pounds of pastries they actually keep in stock over at Slatkarije?
Do you guys think the treats at Slatkarije are actually better than what you'd find at those local American cookie shops, or maybe just a classic neighborhood bakery?

We went to the Candy Shop for a tasting and they were seriously Top Now 🙂
Total game changer.