Private Estate Weddings in Southern California l Gianna and Company

Planning a special event and booking event professionals can be a challenging process. Our job, as an event planning and location company is to ease the burden for our clients.  Our company is equipped with a network of professionals to make sure our clients receive high-quality service at an affordable price. Although, we can be involved in every aspect of planning the wedding or special event, the final decision on everything is ultimately yours. 

Our company offers complimentary searches. For more information, please call our office at 818-246-2288.  

A private estate can be a beautiful backdrop to the wedding of your dreams, but if you haven’t prepared yourself, estate weddings and special events can easily turn into a planning nightmare. Here are some tips to ensure your estate event planning runs as smoothly as the event itself:

• Hire an event planner with estate event experience to help guide you through the event planning process. An experienced professional who knows the ins and outs-and how to (gracefully) handle any challenges that pop up-can really can save you money, time and a lot of headaches.

• Find out if a special events permit is required in the town you wish to have your event. If a permit is necessary, make sure that your estate’s permit is valid and is in good standing with the city.

• Don’t just take someone’s word for it: confirm with the homeowner that the estate is really available to rent as a wedding or reception space.

• Be realistic: your estate rental budget should not be more than 20% of your overall budget. If you do not have a set wedding budget, it’s worth having a wedding planner prepare one for you before you start putting down deposits and reserving your date.

• Your deposit should be 50% of the rental fee and should be refundable as long as you put the estate back to the condition it was prior to your party, i.e. clean up and no damage to the property.

• Verbal contracts leave you very little to fall back on. Make sure every detail that’s important to you is spelled out clearly in writing and signed by everyone involved (most importantly, the homeowner, event site representative, and you).
•As you map out your own dream private estate wedding, repeat this mantra to yourself: if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is too good to be true. 

Our Inspirational Picks of the Week -

Love the crystal votive glass.  

Private estate wedding.  Photography by Heather Kincaid

Green and white florals with touches of green glass. 

Sneak peak at Eric and Kim's Rancho Palos Verdes California Private Estate Wedding - photo by Lin and Jirsa Photography 

Beautiful photo of one of our bride's Christina. 

Wishing everyone a wonderful week!  xo, Gianna 

Hiring Event Professionals, Plus Our Picks of the Week

Planning a special event and booking event professionals can be a challenging process. Our job, as an event planning company is to ease the burden for our clients. For first-time brides and grooms, overpaying for flowers, catering, videographers and the reception is a major concern. Our company is equipped with a network of professionals to make sure our clients receive high-quality service at an affordable price. Although we could be involved in every aspect of planning the wedding or special event, the final decision on everything is ultimately yours. 

We recommend the following these tips before hiring event professionals:

1. If you find a professional that you really like, do a background check (their name and company) via Google and Yelp to see if there is any negative press.

2. Ask for referrals from friends and family that you trust.

3. Make sure that you get everything in writing that you have been promised.

4. Before signing contracts, read the fine print and/or have a lawyer review.

5. Compare prices to make sure that you are being charged a fair price for their services.  Avoid hiring someone because their price is the lowest.  There may be a reason for the low price, such as a hidden cost on the back-end.  Several years ago, one of our clients hired a photographer because his price was the lowest. After the wedding, they learned that the cost for the images were not included in his fee and those costs were outrageous.

If you have any questions or would like to find out more about our services, please call our office at 818-246-2288. XO

Being a great guest at someone's event -

The bride should be the only one that wears white, unless you are in the wedding party and you have been asked to where white. On a few occasions, I have seen a guest wear an ivory gown...only need one word to describe the reception towards that person - awkward. 

Avoid getting intoxicated at the party/wedding.  Drink plenty of water to keep hydrated and please don't forget to eat.  

Stay away from sensitive topics, such as politics and religion.

Choose your attire based on the day and time of the wedding. Someone may want to rethink wearing a low-cut gown to a morning wedding. 

If asked to give a toast, do your best to keep it short (one to three minutes) and avoid roasting the VIP or couple.

Estate 9600 Palos Verdes - 
Hanna and Dean's Wedding: 

Picks of the Week: 

Have a great weekend!
xo, Gianna

Just Got Engaged? Tips for the First Time Bride and Groom.

Happy Valentine's Week. 

Since it is Valentine's weekend, I thought it would be fun to write a blog with tips on how to plan a successful wedding, plus our picks of the week.

• Research potential event professionals carefully.  Please check them out on the internet and Yelp before you hire anyone. 
• Don't pay anyone in full for their services - best to spread-out payments. 
• Set a realistic budget and prioritize what is important to you and your fiancé.
• Take good care of yourself - drink plenty of water and get enough sleep.
• Spend quality time with your fiancé.  Remember, the wedding will last one day, but the relationship can last a life-time.
• If you find yourself becoming impatient or short-tempered, step away from the planning and take a break.
• Don't forget about the details. 
• Consider hiring an event planner to handle the details that you don't have time to pursue and focus on the projects that are important to you.

Fraud Alert -Avoid Scam Artists via On-line Dating. 

Our company has been fortunate enough to have planned some beautiful weddings for clients, who have met and fell in love via on-line dating.  However, we recommend that you are aware of con-artists who prey on dating sites, especially around the holidays which includes Valentine's week.  

Here are some red flags -  

They live far away and they claim to be in the military or working overseas.

He or she wants to meet with you, but his or her travel plans keep falling through. This person might even email you a photo of their plane ticket to show that they are serious about traveling to see you.   

After a short time, they start asking for money for their flight or if you can help them out of a sticky financial situation. 

Beware of fake dating profiles and Facebook pages. 

Some scammers may even ask you to move money around for them, which in turn can make you an accomplice to their scheme. 

Our Estate Pick of the Week -  Malibu 8536

 175 person guest count without having to cover the pool. 

 Helicopter pad for a ceremony or cocktail hour. 

 Beautiful vineyards surround the private estate. 

Our Featured Wedding - Jeannie and Eddie's Wedding

Sweetheart and Cake Tables 

Our Picks of the Week- xo

Have a great weekend.
XO, Gianna