Everything you need for a California wedding

Thomas Sanchez532 said:Honestly, it’s the same old story every single year. That massive place is going to be a tough sell, and even if it does go, they really have to stick to their contracts. When you deal with a safe, you make a solid agreement (like you get 2 parts and they keep 1), and you put down a deposit of about $1167 (if I recall correctly), and they actually follow through on everything promised. Personally, I was more than happy with the staff and the food, and my guests were too. There's a beach right below the venue, so you can head down after the feast and just let loose (that was our little move). Oh, and all the floral decor is included in the price (including the head table). You just tell them which colors and flowers you want to dominate the look.
Here is how it looked for us (mind you, those were their flowers, but I added those little nautical touches myself)


And here is the centerpiece for the main table, which, like I mentioned, is part of the package (except for that little seahorse I brought in because I wanted that ocean vibe)

Joseph Wilson31 said:Bell, that photo looks seriously amazing, I love it,👍 but how many people can the hall actually hold and what kind of pricing are we looking at?

rustyorca122 said:Hey everyone!

I’m new to this group, but I’ve been lurking for a while now because I am honestly losing my mind trying to organize a wedding.
I’m not originally from California, but I really have my heart set on having a wedding out there for about 70-80 people.
My partner is a foreigner and we actually live abroad, which makes planning from afar such a massive headache. I actually traveled through a bunch of parts in the northern US recently and was just so bummed out by how neglected everything looked, so I decided I definitely want to hold the big day out West.
San Antonio has really caught my eye. The photos they have online look incredible, but I’ve been burned before where the internet makes a place look amazing and then you show up and it's a total letdown... so I’m wondering how legit their presentation actually is. Has anyone here actually had a wedding there? I’d love to hear the real scoop—how was the service, the food, the sound system, the DJ setup?
Also, if anyone has suggestions for other spots that have gorgeous outdoor spaces—ideally near the coast, but even inland is fine if there are rules against loud music outside.
As far as the music goes, we’re bringing our own DJ from back home, so we’d just need to rent the sound equipment.
Everything else is basically a giant question mark right now, so seriously, any advice helps.
Especially anything regarding San Antonio! :-))

Thanks in advance!🙏

Thomas Sanchez532 said:This specific room holds over 200 people—when we had our party there, we had about 138 including the photographer and the band—but they also have that massive ballroom that could probably fit God knows how many folks. As for the cost, here’s what we paid when we booked it back then:
The standard menu (appetizer, pastries, pizza, prosciutto, cheese, French fries, plus black risotto, beef stew, and veal medallions, lamb, coffee, fruit, and salad) was $32 per person.

If you want the surprise omelet option, it’s an extra dollar per person.
Round tables and linens will run you another dollar too.

So, you're looking at maybe $35 max, though you can actually bring your own wine and lamb to save some cash (but honestly, that’s just more work for you).
From what I gather, other banquet halls charge more, and they usually don't even include the fruit or the head table decorations in the base price.

Joseph Wilson31 said:For everything included, the price is 👍, and that's pretty much the range for the other rooms too—some are actually way more expensive, so I really need to go check them out in person.

Jack Murphy7 said:Dammit, didn't we say we'd check everything this Saturday? Regards, Idu.

rustyorca122 said:Who even are you?
I mean, I read through the thread, but then some girl mentioned being "careful," and now I'm just sitting here wondering why she said that... kind of freaks me out a little.
Check what on Saturday? *confused*
Honestly, I’m mostly looking for feedback from people who actually had their wedding at the San Antonio venue... like, tell me about the food and the service? The posts haven't really gone into detail there. And seriously, that comment about being careful is really starting to bug me. Like, why??

rustyorca122 said:Maybe they just stuck to some standard set menu... but I gotta say, it bugs me that you felt the portions were tiny and the food was a letdown..
We were actually planning on just putting together our own custom menu to fit what we wanted. We weren't really leaning towards the classic route..
So, how was the service? Were the servers decent—you know, quick, sharp, and able to fly under the radar? And was the drink selection alright?
Thanks a million for the heads up..

rustyorca122 said:Yeah, I saw some girls commenting on here saying that once you hit about 80 people, the space starts feeling a bit tight... but since we’re looking at maybe 70, maybe pushing 80 tops, it should actually be pretty cozy..
And honestly, if I could emphasize one thing, it'd be making sure the portions are decent so nobody leaves hungry.
I know exactly how much it sucks when the food is just bad or there's barely anything on the plate..
We had this nightmare situation once over at Westin in NYC—not enough food, everything was lukewarm and just totally bland... and the bill was absolutely astronomical..
To me, $50 still feels reasonable if you compare it to what you'd pay for a meal in downtown Chicago or around there..
But I get it, for $50, my guests better leave feeling full and happy..
Was there lamb on the menu? How was it? Some girl was raving about it earlier so I figured it would be good..
Ugh, man..
Thanks so much, you're seriously helping me out with all this advice.. I'll probably go check it out in person, but honestly, nothing beats hearing from people who've actually been there. You know how it is, everyone's got an opinion on everything, obviously.
Oh, and they told us we can bring our own booze if we have specific whiskeys or certain foreign beers we want them to serve.. which sounds pretty sweet to me.

rustyorca122 said:Hey everyone!

I’m new to this group, but I’ve been lurking for a while now because I am honestly losing my mind trying to organize a wedding.
I’m not originally from California, but I really have my heart set on having a wedding out there for about 70-80 people.
My partner is a foreigner and we actually live abroad, which makes planning from afar such a massive headache. I actually traveled through a bunch of parts in the northern US recently and was just so bummed out by how neglected everything looked, so I decided I definitely want to hold the big day out West.
San Antonio has really caught my eye. The photos they have online look incredible, but I’ve been burned before where the internet makes a place look amazing and then you show up and it's a total letdown... so I’m wondering how legit their presentation actually is. Has anyone here actually had a wedding there? I’d love to hear the real scoop—how was the service, the food, the sound system, the DJ setup?
Also, if anyone has suggestions for other spots that have gorgeous outdoor spaces—ideally near the coast, but even inland is fine if there are rules against loud music outside.
As far as the music goes, we’re bringing our own DJ from back home, so we’d just need to rent the sound equipment.
Everything else is basically a giant question mark right now, so seriously, any advice helps.
Especially anything regarding San Antonio! :-))

Thanks in advance!🙏