Wedding and Event Planning Tips l Los Angeles Event Planner Gianna and Company

Gianna and Company has been busy working on our brand, new website and blog and getting ready for a busy year.  If you are planning a special event or wedding or looking for a private estate or special venue, please let us know how we can help. xo

Here is a quick guide to keep your event from falling flat or going up in flames -

1. Don't skimp on the audio, so your guests can hear your vows, toasts, and the entertainment.

2. If you're having a slide show, make sure your content fits the equipment and is formatted correctly.

3. If you have a lot going on at your event, such as lighting, slide show, a band, schedule a technical walk-through.

4. Hire a professional and licensed alcohol caterer to serve the drinks; never agree to a self- service bar.  As the host, you are liable if your guests become intoxicated, and someone gets hurt - or worse.  When we produce an event, we use licensed and insured bartenders, experienced valet companies and off-duty police officers to help ensure maximum safety.

5. Make sure that you are kind to your event professionals. These people are hired to help make your dreams and visions come to fruition. We recommend that you confirm where they will park (make sure it is as close to the venue as possible), provide shade for the musicians, and a substantial hot meal if they are working more than four hours.

6. When planning your event, connect the dots from the moment your guests receive their
save-the-date to the final weeks before the event. Your event should be about the fun details, not about the money that you spend.

7.  When planning an event, we always think about the comfort of the guests - will they be baking in the sun, or could they be too cold?  When your guests are comfortable, the event goes more smoothly and everyone has a better time.

8. Be careful of event professionals who "promise you the moon."  Periodically, we talk with clients who have a $50,000 budget for a wedding in Los Angeles with 200 guests, and they want a high-end event.  I never say no to my clients as I value the importance of their needs, however my job is to be honest and help guide my clients toward reputable event professionals so they have options.

9. Watch the weather 10 days before your event and make sure you have a carefully considered contingency plan in place.

10. If you want to enjoy your event day and the time leading up to it, hire an experienced event planner to help you stay stress-free. Leave the planning to us and enjoy the process.

Estate Pick of the Week - We Have Access to Hundreds of Private Estates & Mansions

A Fun Idea for Your Next Event - 

Try a snow cone table for a late night snack.  Ask your venue or caterer to supply ice with a variety of exotic flavors, such as mango-mint, strawberry-basil and lavender-lemonade syrups.

Picks of the Week -

 Private Estate Wedding - Cake design by Super Fine Bakery

Jimmy Choo

 Love the crystal votives.  

 Hanna's bouquet.  

Love chandeliers and beautiful lighting.  

Have a great week!  XO, Gianna 

Tips to Save Your Sanity While Planning a Wedding, Plus What is Trending

We receive calls every day from potential clients needing help with the planning of their weddings.  Some clients don't have the time to plan, while others are doing this for the first time. We appreciate our clients and our ultimate goal is to assist them reach their goals.

We understand that weddings have changed dramatically over the years.  When I was a kid growing up in our family floral business, I remember how easy it was for our clients - they went to their favorite hotel or venue, hired their parent's caterer, florist, and bakery and even chose their own attire. Today's wedding is much for involved, which includes at least 150 hours to plan.

Here are some quick and easy tips to help you navigate the planning process -

1. Sit down with your planner and determine a realistic budget based on your style, wedding date (e.g., will it be a holiday weekend, what percentage of your guests will be traveling, will weather be a challenge, etc.) and guest count.

2. Choose a realistic date for the wedding.  You may wish to keep in mind school, work, financial obligations, plus other competing family and/or friend commitments.

3. Make sure your guest count matches your budget.  It is not unusual for a client to call us with a 250 guest count and 25 K budget.  These two numbers don't match and here is why:

Most venues and hotels have a food and beverage minimum of $30,000, especially on a Saturday night.

In addition to the above mentioned minimum, the following depicts a partial list of further items to budget for:

Coordinator
Attire
DJ or Band
Ceremony and Cocktail Music
Save the Dates and Invites
Transportation - Shuttle and Valet
Hair and Makeup
Video
Flowers
Photographer
Rings
Cake or Other Dessert Options
Officiate
Decor - Table Linens, etc.

4. Talk with reputable professionals who will be straight forward with you about your budget and expectations.  Sometimes clients want us to guarantee an out-the-door budget and I know it would be unrealistic based on the client's style and/or guest count. For an example, if our client's floral decor costs 30% of their overall budget this could be slippery slope for the planner to try and guarantee.

This ceremony set up could cost $1,200.00 and up.

5. Hire a planner who understands decor and design, budget, timelines, transportation, and contingency plans with access to a plethora of event professionals.  Keeping these expectations in mind, pair that with someone who is reputable. We recommend checking out your event professionals on Yelp and various social media sites.

If you need assistance, please call our office for more information.

ESTATE PICK OF THE WEEK -

Estate 7230 Palos Verdes















PICKS OF THE WEEK -









Beach wedding idea.















Wishing everyone a great day.  XO

Our Top Ten Holiday Event Planning Tips, Plus Our Picks of the Week

Happy Holidays!

I thought it would be fun to highlight our favorite holiday party planning tips in this week's blog.

The holidays can be magical when you surround yourself with loved ones and what better way to enjoy them, but with great food and drink.

My husband and I love to entertain. One of my favorite ways of entertaining is creating the small touches to make it special. 

This could be anything from mistletoe above the door, to colorful votive glass or small candy canes placed on martini glasses. 




A few years ago, my husband, who loves to cook, introduced me to Epicurious.  They have great recipes, as well as a plethora of information, such as stating the start to finish time to make a recipe and little forks as their fork user ranking system.

The recipe link below is Bloody Mary Shrimp - it ranked very high on their web site and it looks delicious.


Bloody Mary Shrimp Recipe

Top Five Holiday Planning Tips -
1. Check the weather starting 10 days out - this will help you make changes to keep your guests comfortable, such as adding more heaters or creating an area to place their coats and umbrellas.
2. Plan your menu with vegetarian and non-vegetarian choices that are easy to consume (I love small bites), so your guests can have a variety of selections. We recommend anywhere from 4-6 different appetizers. 
3. Hire an experienced bartender - they know how to make great drinks. Also,have the bartender arrive about an hour earlier, so he or she can set up the bar.
4. As the host or hostess, please have alternative transportation in case one of your guests has a little too much cheer. Cab vouchers are great or you can even have the phone numbers of reliable cab companies on hand should the need arise.
5. If you are having a large cocktail party, consider hiring a planner to assist with the last minute details.
6. If you want your guests to dance, hire a disc jockey. Professional disc jockeys know how to read the crowd and can play music to make your party fun!
7. I always recommend hiring wait staff (maybe one person or more depending on your guest count), who can pass appetizers and assist with clean up.
8. Create a party list and run it by your event planner to make sure you have not forgotten any important items. Last minute shopping or staff hires can be expensive.
9. Add pretty lighting to your party - it can be votive candles with LEDs or the real thing. Remember to keep the flames away from flammable items and at the end of the night, make sure everything is extinguished.  I grew up in a family with firemen (my uncles and cousins) and this has been rule number one, from day one.
10. Once your team is in place, give yourself a couple of hours to get ready before the guests arrive. Then, right before they arrive, all you need to do is dim the lights, start the music and ask your bartender to make your favorite cocktail.  
XO

Fashion Picks of the Week - Michael Kors Is Our Inspiration This Week -XO
















Wedding Dress Picks of the Week -















Wishing everyone happy holidays!  Love, Gianna 
XO