What is Hot and What is Not, Plus Tips Every Couple Should Know

Work has been a little busy, so I am somewhat late with this post.  We are very excited about this summer and the wonderful clients whom we have the opportunity to work with on their events.

When there is time, I love getting together with other planners to swap event stories (without using client names, of course).

Ask most event planners to name their top tips and there is probably a story that goes along each one.

Here are my top five this time around, in descending order -

5. Choose your bridal party wisely and try not to focus on balancing both sides of the party equally.  Surround yourself with sincere friends, who will have your back on one of the most important days of your life. The wrong person or persons can cause unnecessary stress.

4. If you decide to display family photos at your wedding, please use discretion on which photos guests will see, especially if a divorce has occurred. One of our clients used a wedding photo of her parents, and the guests repeatedly asked the second wife if it was she in the photo.  

3. Try and stay away from being too trendy.  What seems really hot right now will most likely look dated in a few years. 

2. Create a budget and spend what you can afford.  There are so many creative ways to create a beautiful event, and it is not necessary to go into debt trying to do it.

1. When things get stressful (try not to inundate yourself with all of the wedding web sites and magazines), remind yourself why you are getting married and focus on creating the style and sentiments which reflect you and your fiancé (within your budget, of course).

Bonus tip - If it sounds too good to be true, check it out because it probably is too good to be true. 

Estate Pick of the Week - 9662 Malibu

Romantic estate with beautiful gardens and ocean view.

Picks of the Week - xo

Have a great weekend! Gianna 

Bridal Couture with R-Mine Bridal

Recently, I had lunch with Arminé to talk about her collection, along shopping tips for finding the ideal dress.

Los Angeles based fashion designer, Arminé, has a very impressive background that begins with a Fine Arts degree from Armenia.  As an artist she loves painting, creating, and exploring different pieces of artwork.  Her love of fashion started when she was young, growing up, Arminé would design and make dresses for her dolls and then eventually for herself.  After moving to America, she decided to attend FIDM and pursue a degree in Fashion Design. Upon graduation she spent over eight years working with various designers– cultivating a deep love for high fashion! Arminé put a brief hold on her career to raise her two children, but returned to the business after a few years with an idea and a plan.  For over fifteen years now, she has been creating couture wedding and evening gowns, establishing one of the most unique boutiques in Los Angeles, R-Mine bespoke.  She designs bespoke gowns for weddings, celebrities, red carpet events and editorials.

GP - How long does it take to create a dress?

Arminé - Ideally eight months to a year.  Some of our fabrics take up to six months to make and ship.  But if the material is on hand, we can do a dress in as little as two weeks.  

GP - Two weeks? How can you create a couture dress in such a short time?

Arminé - We create and make everything in-house. All of our team are very skilled.  However, rush orders will increase the cost considerably.  We have to halt productions on all other gowns and solely focus on that one gown.  We then have to rush order any supplies if they are not in store, such as beading and crystals, which can be very costly.   

GP - Is everything done by hand?

Arminé- Yes, we do everything by hand.  We sew each individual crystal to the gown, all the rouching and even the pleating is done by hand, in-house.  It’s a really fun and interesting process to watch.  The only time a dress leaves the store is when the client comes to pick it up.  We have such an amazing and talented staff of seamstresses who take so much pride in their work!  

GP - What is one of the biggest mistakes that brides make when shopping for a dress?

Arminé- When a bride brings a group of her friends to pick out a dress.  This can be very stressful for the bride.  We recommend that the bride bring only one or two people (this could be her mother, sister or a really good friend) whose opinion they trust.  When a bride brings a lot of people with her to try on dresses, her opinion gets lost so quickly over the voices of the other women.

GP - What is the second mistake a client can make?

Arminé - It is best for the bride to be honest about her budget at the very beginning, so a sales consultant can pull the right dresses for them. Some brides think that their wedding dress isn’t that important because they are only in the dress for a day.  In actuality, it’s one of the most essential aspects of the wedding day, when the bride’s children and grandchildren look through photo albums, the main pictures that will survive time will be the brides on their wedding day smiling in her beautiful wedding dress.

GP - What if the bride loves a specific designer?

Arminé- If she loves a certain designer, then I recommend that she goes to that designer and choose a dress from that designer’s collection.  This is a once in a life time experience, so they should be wearing the dress they always dreamed about.  

GP - Where is your shop located?  

Arminé – R-Mine bespoke is located in the heart of Studio City on Ventura Blvd., in the Ventura Corridor.  Our address is 12242 Ventura Blvd. Studio City, CA 91604. Our contact information is 818.505.9064 or info@rminebridal.com.

www.rminebridal.com

Gianna's Picks of the Week

Romantic.

Just love this cake.

Mercury glass.

Sweet.

Sophisticated.

 Rehearsal Dinner.

Alexander McQueen

Fun.

Off White Peonies.

Pale Pink Peonies. 

Luminaries.

If you are planning a special event or wedding and want a stress-free experience, please call our office because we can make it happen!

Have a great week. Gianna

From Decor to Planning Tips

I love my job even though it has been ranked the 6 TH most stressful job (event planner is one notch above police officer) in the United States.  


I believe an event planner's goal is to connect all the dots from start to finish.   

Since most event planners produce live productions, such as weddings and special events, we know there are no do overs...that is why we end up working late, to figure out the details...


Our company believes in giving our clients choices to assist with the planning process, so they can choose the right level of service they want with an option to upgrade anytime during the planning process. 


Here's to a healthy, happy and productive 2012! Yours truly, 


XO, Gianna


A month ago, our company produced a beautiful wedding at Saddlerock Ranch in Malibu, California.  Our bride had a vision and our goal was to make it come to fruition.  Here are a few shots from the wedding -

TIPS OF THE WEEK:

If you are having shuttles, we recommend having a coordinator at each hotel. Your guests will be able to relax knowing when the next shuttle is arriving and if your guests are running late, they have someone who can help them connect with your wedding.

When throwing a party at a restaurant or venue, one room is ideal.  If you have multiple rooms it can divide your party and defuse the energy. 


The location rate for a venue (except for an estate in Southern California) is lower in January, February and March than other times of the year.  Please make sure you have a contingency plan if your wedding is outside.


Buffet meals can be more expensive than plated dinners, since your guests can consume more food.  Ask your venue  what the difference is in pricing before you make your decision.


Try and avoid having your wedding around Valentine and Mother's Day, since flowers cost more and some varieties of flowers such as roses are hard to obtain.

Gianna's Picks of the Week:

 Simple, but pretty.

Replace the guest book with a wine bottle(s) to represent milestone anniversaries.

Lady Slippers.

Elegant.

 So unexpected....Alexander McQueen.

How to Achieve the Most with Your Event Professionals

Planning a beautiful wedding or special event does not mean that you need to refinance your home or blow your savings. My father taught me that the client comes first and to treat the event professionals with fairness. 

Here is a short list of recommendations to help you create a successful event:


Please don't cut corners on the your vendor's meals. They work hard to setup, perform and strike and a good meal gives them energy and it shows that you care.  I have seen high end hotels and resorts serve sandwiches made with stale bread or a rubber chicken dinner that was not edible.  Since your vendors can't leave, they are stuck eating the meal.  

Weather  - will your musicians be performing in the sun?  Supplying one or two market umbrellas will do the trick. Will they be performing outside in the cold?  Since temperatures drop through out the night, please add heaters to the rental or banquet event order to keep them warm.   

The necessities - will they have access to a restroom?  I have heard horror stories from some of my valet companies that said that they were told no bathroom access for the valet staff.  Really?

If it is really hot outside and your vendors have a long setup day and it is challenging for them to leave due to logistics (need a shuttle to leave the property or they will get behind on time if they leave), please consider supplying cool water in the afternoon.

Gianna's Picks of the Week

Love the assorted colors of pink.

Sweet. 

Dance the night away...

Elegant....

Fun.

Party Favor?

Beach Wedding?



Pretty in Pink.

Possible ring bearer?  xoxo