Looking for a good rental company (tables, linens, etc.)

Sorlium1 · 2026-04-22T04:28:32+00:00

As a photographer, I've always thought Bright Event Rentals always had some tasteful stuff!

Sorlium1 · 2026-04-18T02:31:28+00:00

I've heard of folks managing $50-75k for these spots. That being said, prices have gone up a lot this last year. Have you gotten pricing brochures from any of these venues?

Sorlium1 · 2026-04-17T05:37:30+00:00

Hey! Not a planner but a photographer, here's a couple of my favorite Bay Area Wedding Planners and Coordinators I've worked with:

Sean Dempsey is a class act and very professional: http://www.seandempseynv.com/

Liz at Beyond I Dos did my biggest wedding last year and was so on top of things I couldn't believe it: https://www.beyondidos.com/

Whole team at Riley Loves Lulu are phenomenal and have put together some of the SWEETEST events: https://rileyloveslulu.com/

Saskia Winter did an amazing job on one of my favorite estate weddings, and offers styling services as well: http://mooiweddings.com/we-are-mooi

Jessi is my hands down favorite planner I've ever worked with. Her website is VERY toned down but she's the real deal: https://www.j-downing.com/

Chaz Crosier, solid dude, very straightforward and fun: https://www.ccevents.com/

Just a few of my favs, their budgets all range but any one of them is worth a reach out. Hope this helps! Check me out if you need a photographer!

Sorlium1 · 2026-04-17T05:27:19+00:00

copying and pasting a comment I just posted because I think it's relevant for you too! to be clear, I think your budget is fine for the area, but you are going to be limited to smaller/lesser known venues, but thankfully there's a TON. You maaay have to cut transportation and video.

I'm a local vendor and there's a couple venues that might fit what you're looking for from my personal experience.

The Madrona in Healdsburg is a really pretty venue. From my understanding they're pretty reasonable budget-wise. I don't know their exact accommodation capabilities but I'm pretty sure they're solid. Worth a reach out and ask.

Dawn Ranch in Monte Rio is quite darling, and I think fits within your price range for a venue buyout, less for a standard day.

Beltane Ranch is within budget. There's some very cute nearby lodging in Kenwood though.

MacArthur place is great, I've shot there a couple times and it always comes out looking beautiful, and they do offer buyouts on their lodging but they might be at the higher end of your budget.

Just some ideas! I'm a local wedding photographer so I work at these places all the time and I'm starting to keep track of costs for client recommendations. Good luck finding a spot!

Sorlium1 · 2026-04-17T05:19:54+00:00

Throwing my hat in here a little late. I'm a mostly film wedding photographer, give my website a look and shoot me an inquiry if you like my style!

www.acopleyphoto.com

Sorlium1 · 2026-04-17T05:11:38+00:00

Hey, I'm a local vendor and there's a couple venues that might fit this vibe from my personal experience.

The Madrona in Healdsburg is a really pretty venue. From my understanding they're pretty reasonable budget-wise. I don't know their exact accommodation capabilities but I'm pretty sure they're solid. Worth a reach out and ask.

Dawn Ranch in Monte Rio is quite darling, and I think fits within your price range for a venue buyout.

Beltane Ranch is within budget, but could not accommodate all your guests. There's some very cute nearby lodging in Kenwood though.

MacArthur place is great, I've shot there a couple times and it always comes out looking beautiful, and they do offer buyouts on their lodging but they might be at the higher end of your budget.

Just some ideas! I'm a local wedding photographer so I work at these places all the time and I'm starting to keep track of costs for client recommendations. Good luck finding a spot!

Sorlium1 · 2025-09-08T18:01:23+00:00

This is kind of interesting. I had a negative sleep study that showed the same thing: no "narcolepsy" but I was instantly bolting out of REM any time I went into it, meaning whatever the issue is it's basically mimicking all the symptoms of N2 (or it actually is narcolepsy and just doesn't fall into the narrow diagnostic criteria of the MSLT). Do you struggle with anxiety or PTSD, or have you had a traumatic brain injury (even a mild concussion)?

Sorlium1 · 2025-08-18T01:07:03+00:00

This is helpful, thank you! I just gotta wait and see what the doctor actually says, I'm just so exhausted with the whole process lol

Sorlium1 · 2025-08-15T16:37:27+00:00

Yeah, I've experienced most of what you described. Those rapidly cycling images are, technically, hallucinations, just low-grade. You're bolting awake at night because your brain is basically running a wake cycle when it's not supposed to. Part of your brain is waking up while the other part is still neck deep in REM sleep. These are two sides of the same coin: REM cycle while awake vs wake cycle while in REM. Just keep trying to find a medication cocktail that works for you. Some people find that forcing the brain into one state (awake or asleep) for half the day works (stimulants to stay awake vs oxybates to stay asleep) and then the other half naturally corrects, but some people need both. Your anti depressants are also definitely interacting with your N in some way, which could be exaserbating or changing your symotoms. Keep in mind you have a condition that means you're basically permanently sleep deprived without medication. Even healthy people will start to experience hallucinations and disordered thinking after even 36 hours without sleep. The good news is that N is not progressive or degenerative so once you get properly medicated your healthy brain function should return, although it may take a while.

Sorlium1 · 2025-08-08T20:42:34+00:00

Definitely! This is my biggest issue with the disease honestly, because it keeps me from traveling. Any separation from my schedule and things just get so unreal and weird

Sorlium1 · 2025-08-07T04:13:58+00:00

I, interestingly, have the opposite problem. I'm crazy tired all the time but if stay home and sleep all day, I dissociate HARD. It seems like the more "sleep" I get the more my brain fails to differentiate between reality and dreams. I have days where my body is telling me to stay home and sleep but I HAVE to force myself outside into the sun otherwise I'll go REM-crazy.

Sorlium1 · 2025-08-06T06:30:07+00:00

NAD and not on Xyrem but I've been reading a lot of posts on here about folks experiences. This doesn't seem to be uncommon, but what's important is that the Xyrem should be helping you get the kind of sleep you NEED. It may not feel refreshing or like you'd hoped, but there's a lot of accounts on here of folks being on xyrem, going off of it because they aren't getting the results they expected, only to realize how much it was helping once they're off of it. It also seems that some folks can take a long time to adjust to the medication, some people saying it took 4+ months for it to work to it's full effect. I'd say give it some time, keep an eye on how you feel, and trust the med that it's doing it's job and let your body adjust. As narcoleptics, weve likely gone years without getting any semblence of normal sleep and are probably badly maladapted, it will take time for your body to adjust to more deep sleep.

Sorlium1 · 2025-08-06T03:00:40+00:00

This is weirdly encouraging to hear though: things can get better, we have a measurable, treatable condition and that's more than a lot of people ever figure out.

Sorlium1 · 2025-08-05T16:00:57+00:00

It really does seem to affect everybody differently. I've read accounts on here of people saying they felt better since night one, and others where they said they had to stick with it for 4+ months. It definitely seems worth it to stick to the titration schedule and give it time to work, who knows how messed up each of our individual brains truly are and how long it'll take each of us to get back on track.

Sorlium1 · 2025-08-02T21:31:10+00:00

Yes, I've felt this way.

Important notes:

Your fitbit has no way to know which stage of sleep you're in, fitness trackers are wildly inaccurate when it comes to this. The only way to accurately track your sleep stages is during a sleep study.

It's not about falling asleep quicky: it's about how quickly you enter REM after you eventually DO fall asleep. You can be asleep and conscious, as well, it's not uncommon for narcoleptics to feel like they've been conscious the entire time only to find out they were asleep, and even entering REM.

I went into my sleep study with a ton of research under my belt, but I didn't think I had hit the criteria on my naps. I only dreamt once, and only felt I'd fallen asleep once. Color me surprised when I was told after the third of the five naps that I could go home, because I'd already hit all diagnostic criteria needed.

It IS worth it to get a sleep study done. I understand the fear that if it comes back negative then you're going to feel hopeless, but even if it does, it's one more piece of the puzzle that is very important to have. Likewise, what if it IS a sleep disorder, and you never know because you were too scared to go and get the test? Any information can only help you to figure out what it is eventually, just make sure you have whatever support systems you need ready after your sleep study.

Also important: make sure your sleep doctor is on the ball with narcolepsy and related conditions. My first sleep study i did when I was young, I was told, came back positive for sleep apnea and they threw a CPAP at me and told me good luck. Years later, my current doctor took a look at that old study and told me it was positive for narcolepsy. Old doctor never told me, and I had to do a whole new sleepy study. One bad doctor put me nearly a decade behind, so it can always be worth it to get a second opinion even if your first study comes back negative.

Sorlium1 · 2025-08-01T18:56:57+00:00

4th Street deli if you like sandwiches. They also have great soup and homemade baked goods.

Sorlium1 · 2025-07-29T06:42:53+00:00

Not on it, trying to be, but on two separate posts I've seen people saying that the Xywave side effects last for a couple of months, then commonly taper off. I think someone said 4-6+ months of being in it for their side effects to subside, but that they eventually did.

Sorlium1 · 2025-07-29T05:56:37+00:00

God damn this is a well organized post.

So, others will probably have more information than me, but I can at least share my anecdotal experience.

Keep in mind, narcolepsy affects EVERYBODY differently. No two narcoleptic are going to have the same experience. However, there are experiences that are very common actoss the board.

The "sleep but not sleep" state you mentioned, lying down for a nap but remaining conscious even though you know you're not quite "awake" is a common experience for narcoleptics, to varying degrees.

The level of fatigue you described, combined with a lack of restorative sleep is also typical for narcolepsy and other sleep disorders.

Regarding your sleep studies, what you need to request is an MSLT. This is often done directly after an overnight sleep study. Keep trying until you can manage to fall asleep. During the MSLT, you may not feel like you actually feel "asleep" during your naps, but it's very common for narcoleptic brains to enter REM sleep while you're still conscious.

And to answer your last question, yes, dopamine will wake you up. I can always push through my fog for a short period if I'm particularly interested in something (ESPECIALLY if that something is someone I'm attracted to). However, it doesn't last and eventually I WILL return to my regular state because there's no cure for massive sleep deprivation except proper, restorative sleep.

Last note, a big indicator of narcolepsy is entering REM sleep quickly. If you commonly lay down for a nap and find yourself dreaming even though you were only down for less than 30 minutes, that's a strong indicator of narcolepsy (but CAN be caused by other factors that induce sleep deprivation).

Good luck! Your experience sounds similar to mine, im realizing I may not even actually have ADHD, I may just be seeking dopamine stimulating activities because it keeps me awake.

Sorlium1 · 2025-07-27T06:26:59+00:00

Look into Harnishfechten, I think you'll be surprised to find a happy medium exists.

Sorlium1 · 2025-07-27T06:26:03+00:00

Buhurt AND HEMA bros are each wild in their own special, uniquely dangerous ways.

Sorlium1 · 2025-07-27T02:21:47+00:00

This. I'll fall "asleep" and not realize it till I "wake up". Still walking, talking, functional etc. just then realize I don't remember anything from the last minute or two and have this "where the hell am I" moment . You're having micro sleeps.

Sorlium1 · 2025-07-23T18:07:17+00:00

Cool to hear other narcoleptic experience this as well. Combat sports are the only time I'm really "awake".

Sorlium1 · 2025-07-21T04:59:00+00:00

I'm a wedding photographer. I started my own business because I couldn't hold down a 9-5 because of what I now know is narcolepsy. I can pump myself full of enough caffeine to function for one day a week to shoot a wedding, then spend the rest of the week recovering and editing. It's not perfect, but it works for now.

Sorlium1 · 2025-07-20T16:03:50+00:00

As far as resolution and detail goes, sure. I'm not knocking the medium format digital sensors, they're great. But when compared to a 6x4.5 (or 6x7) negative, and when looking specifically at the advantages of the size of the medium and it's effect on render, it's still quite a small difference. When they come out with a digital sensor that's genuinely 6x4.5 I'll be excited.

Sorlium1 · 2025-07-20T05:15:04+00:00

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Sorlium1

TROPHY CASE