Our Top Tips, Plus Our Estate and Photos Picks of The Week.

As an event planner, our job is to help our clients navigate through sticky situations.

Here are a handful of tips to help you dance your way through the planning process, without stepping on anyone's toes. 

1. You want to exclude a difficult sibling from the pre-wedding festivities. 

Consider the consequences before your make your decision. Excluding a sibling will cause hurt feelings and can close the door on the relationship. 

If possible, sit down with your parents and your sibling and discuss your concerns to see if there is a reasonable solution.  Let that sibling know that he or she means the world to you and how much you want them at your wedding, but there has to be parameters set before the event, so everyone is on the same page.

2. A relative or good friend has offered his or her services for your wedding.

I always recommend hiring someone not related to you to do photography, catering, etc.  There are several reasons why this makes sense, such as they might not have the skill set or financial contribution to create the look or level of service that you are seeking.  Gently let them know how much you appreciate their generous offer, but you would prefer that they be a guest, so they can enjoy the wedding and celebrate with you. 

3. Whether or not to serve shots at your wedding.

Every time our clients offer shots to their guests, I can guarantee that there will be people who drink too much and get sick.  As the host, you want your guests to be safe (not drinking and driving) and for you to avoid not having to deal with "situations" that present themselves with too much alcohol.  

4. The Do's and Don'ts of giving toasts.

Don't allow an intoxicated friend or family member to give a toast. 

I have seen this done a handful of times and it is horrifying to watch.
You and your fiancé are vulnerable to the person standing in front of the microphone and having your guests hear personal stories that could cause a lot of embarrassment. 

5. Thank you notes - when and how to send them. 

Send a thank you note within two weeks of receiving the gift.  

Don't send a pre-written note or an email thanking them for the gift. 

Take the time to write a handwritten note and thank them for the gift and let them know how you plan to use it.

6. Choose your wedding party wisely. 

Don't select your bridal party based on balancing each side of the wedding party, so they are even - this is the wrong reason.  Choose true friends that have your back and will support you on your big day.  

7. Keep your wedding safe.

If you have friends or family members that want to party at your event, hire shuttles or setup an uber account with promo codes, so they don't drink and drive.  We had Ubers at a wedding recently and it worked out well.

Our Wedding Pick of the Week at One of Our Favorite Estates  - Estate 9600 PV

Picks of the Week -

Have a wonderful week.  XO, Gianna 

Make Up - Our Event Professional Pick of the Week, Plus Tips for Having a Fab Fourth of the July Party!

I love summer!  Hard to believe that July is already here.  





If you are planning a get together with friends and family on or around the Fourth of July, 
here are some fun ideas to get you ready for the celebration -

Heat the pool a few days ahead if needed. 

Turn off the sprinklers if you will be entertaining on the lawn.

Stock up the pool with rafts, inner tubes and beach balls.  If you want to play pool games, how about a volleyball net and a scoreboard. 

If you don't feel like cooking or barbecuing, check out the popular food trucks in your area.

Talk with your neighbors and see if they will be having a party on the same day.  Make sure you are prepared with parking options for your guests or consider hiring a valet service. 

Lighting - do a lighting test at night to make sure you have sufficient lighting. If you want to add color to your up lights, try and keep blue and green off of your guests - not the best colors for people.

Stock up the bathrooms with hand towels and supplies.

If you are having a swim party, place towels out for your guests. 

If there will be dancing, hire a DJ.  If you only want ambiance, then your favorite tunes will do the job.  Note:  If you hire a DJ, please have a small generator to avoid power black outs. 

Check out firework ordinances in your area and take safety precautions.


Setting up the bars - stock up on bar items (ice, alcohol, sodas, mixers and wines) and check out this fun web site for your friends who don't drink alcohol - Mocktails

Raspberry Lemonade


Event Professional of the Week:
When it comes to makeup and skin care, I only work with the very best in the industry.  

We are highlighting Jennifer Charm of Carabella Cosmetics and Skin Care in this week's blog. 

Carabella is a semi-private eco-friendly skin salon, providing state of the art and preservative free skin care, organic bath and body products, mineral cosmetics, clinical facial treatments, body treatments (aromatherapy polishes, infra-red cellulite wraps, back facials). We are the #1 award-winning Brazilian bikini and body waxing salon in Los Angeles! Carabella offers customized makeup lessons, lash services and even teeth whitening! Carabella clientele range from local men, women & students to Hollywood celebrities, who all share one thing in common: they all expect professional, customized treatments in a friendly, comfortable atmosphere and to feel nurtured, pampered and see real results from their visits. 

Jennifer Charm is a makeup artist, who has worked on Hollywood's most famous faces in film, TV awards shows and weddings.

Salon clients include -
JLo, Lauren Holly, Marisol Nichols, Jenna Elfman, Erika Christiansen 

Makeup clients include-
Kirstie Alley, Kelly Preston, Anne Archer, Danny & Chris Masterson, Judy Norton, Alex Breckinridge

Jennifer was not content with simply having another facial and waxing business, therefore, after receiving her California Esthetician license in 1991, she furthered her education by studying chemistry and ingredient courses under Rebecca James Gadbury at UCLA and ethnic skincare with Betty Odem, the country’s leading Black educator in Aesthetics. 

Jennifer was educated in the relationships between pharmaceuticals, illness and skin care treatments with Rachel Furman, noted skin specialist and Pharmacist. She became certified in advanced chemical peels 1994. She trained on the first microdermabrasion machine approved by the FDA before it was sold to the industry.  Carabella is an industry leader in advanced microdermabrasion treatments, pulsed LED light and chemical peels.

Aware of the dangerous side-effects of drugs and toxins stored in the body, she did a detoxification program called The Purification Rundown. Amazed at her results, Jennifer decided to carry the high quality holistic & organic product lines which create positive effects on the skin. Many lines call themselves “natural” because they contain an essential oil or two, but are made up of bases loaded with chemicals (containing petroleum distillates), harsh preservatives, perfumes and dyes. She carries a great selection of holistic products, as well as her custom line of organic bath and body products. She advises her clients to clear any toxic products from their homes and instead she offers a line of body cleanse products.

She understands the essentials to living a healthier and longer life.

Jennifer actively works in her community as a volunteer training at-risk teens and their parents on improving their skin and appearance, and working in hospitals helping patients take care of their skin. 

At Carabella, the skin care products reflect and harmonize with the body’s own chemical make up. Jennifer gives facial treatments that combine the newest proven technologies with good old fashioned pampering in a luxurious spa setting. Jennifer, a highly trained Aesthetician is trained in make up and she can create a complete line of cosmetics that are custom blended from pure mineral powders tinted with natural iron oxides. Carabella carries the Valley's most extensive collection of pure mineral cosmetics. This is also the only salon where clients are numbed for delicate waxing services. Carabella does complete bikini hair removal and designs.  Jennifer’s eyebrow styling enhances some of Hollywood’s most famous faces.  

Many clients who come to Carabella work in the film industry and many are referred by area dermatologists and health related fields who have benefited from the salon’s programs.

The goals of Carabella -

Help elevate self esteem and empower women by teaching them how to take care of themselves aesthetically, with correct skin care regimens and customized makeup lessons.

Create beautiful brides and bridal parties, using natural and long lasting cosmetics. 

Enhance the quality of photographic experiences by creating fabulous makeup looks in a professional and safe environment.

Create an environment where all people can get help with problems in life, both physical and spiritual, without evaluation, invalidation and drugs, and be guided towards healthy solutions that work.

Here are few samples of Jennifer's makeup work-

For more information, please check out Jennifer's beautiful web site -

Carabella

Gianna's Estate Pick of the Week -Estate 9349











Gianna's Picks of the Week -












Salted Caramel Apples...Yum.

Have a beautiful day and a safe holiday!

Fresh Concepts for Your Wedding or Special Event

I don't normally use my blog to promote any causes, but the recent tragedy in Boston is one that I can't ignore.

Here is the link to the fund that the Mayor and Governor of Boston setup, so far it has raised $26,399,470 to help those affected by the tragic events - The One Fund Boston.

Thank you! 

How do you envision your wedding day or special event?

Do you see yourself surrounded by trees and beautiful lighting or a gorgeous venue with high ceilings and city views?

Maybe a band or DJ with late night snacks or a day wedding at a lovely mansion with a jazz band?  

We always ask our clients to start a Pinterest inspiration board with photos that they like, so they can see how they envision their event.  

Once you have a good idea of the style of wedding, then you can hone in on the details.

Here are some of our favorite ideas -

If your venue is white or creams, then make sure your lighting company wraps the lighting poles in the same color.  Same with your speakers - ask your sound and or entertainment company to cover their black speakers to match the cream colored walls. 

If your venue is spacious and you want to frame the ceremony or background, we like to reuse the floral arrangements after the ceremony to frame the area that you want to have stand out.

If you are into a specific hobby or you like a certain sport, you can incorporate it into your wedding or special event so it incorporates your signature. 

Try researching wedding traditions and how they came about so you can see which ones work for you. Ever wonder why Brides started carrying fresh flowers?  This tradition was started in the Victorian days and was introduced by Queen Victoria. 



Our Venue Pick of the Month - 

At Mr. C Beverly Hills, we have multiple traditional as well as unique Los Angeles event venues and meeting rooms.  The unparalleled 360 degree panoramic views from the 12th floor Banquet Room capture the beauty and landscape of Los Angeles - looking toward the Hollywood Hills, the lights of Downtown, and on a clear summer's day you can see as far west as the beaches of Santa Monica.  This event venue also features an outdoor teak deck with wrap around glass. 

For more information, please contact Jennifer Cohen at 310-226-6227. 

Aerial shot of the ceremony area. 

Outdoor ceremony.  

Cocktail reception or dinner by the pool. 

Banquet room for a dinner reception or cocktail party. 

Spring wedding inspiration photos from a wedding we produced - 

Photographed by Ellice Boone of ES Photography


Gianna's Pick's of the Week -





ines di santo
























Wild Heather.  xo



Pretty. XO





Wishing you a great weekend! XO Gianna