What can be more fun than to be among event coordinators
for an event décor and party design celebration?
That is where I was last week in Beverly Hills at the
charming Il Cielo restaurant. A portion of the restaurant
was completely transformed by event décor and party
design florist, Ricardo Luna.
This party gave me some fabulous ideas for event
décor and party design and I saw these new and
unique chairs that will be perfect for a Winter Wonderland
wedding I am coordinating next year. The party also
reinforced some of the important secrets of party planning
success I discuss in my book, Budget Bash - Simply Fabulous
Events on a Budget. One secret is that you can throw a
fabulous party and simultaneously maintain your budget by
serving delicious tray-passed appetizers as dinner. But
first, let me give you the rundown about the event
décor and party design as well as the different
event coordinators and vendors present that evening.
Ricardo Luna wanted to show his appreciation towards some
of the local event coordinators who have supported his
business throughout the years. There were various Los
Angeles special event vendors as well as event
coordinators. Event coordinators from the local hotels
were in attendance as well as well-respected entertainment
vendor Susan Debois and photographers David Frey and
Michael Brannigan. I enjoy working with all of these
vendors because they are professional and provide excellent
service and attention to all the events and event
coordinators they work with. Their support makes my me
stand out among the competition and in turn, my clients'
parties are more memorable.
Like any other good event designer, Ricardo set the tone of
the evening from the beginning when I walked in the door of
the restaurant. A server, holding a tray of glasses filled
with champagne, greeted the event coordinators and a
guitarist set the mood with wonderful ambient acoustic
guitar music.
The linens Ricardo selected for the evening were from a
fall palate of orange and rust. He also created a casual
atmosphere for us to sit and relax with his own selection
of special event furniture. Of course, Ricardo first
started his company as a floral studio. To say the least,
the floral designs were spectacular along with the added
props such as fall-colored trees which were placed on the
perimeter of the room and fall colored branches with leaves
hanging from the ceiling.
All in all, I felt as if I was back East in a park on a
warm fall eve. A mixture of floral arrangements, both
classic and hip, adorned the coffee tables as well as the
tall center table and surrounding cocktail tables. In the
corner, to add flair to the event décor and party
design, Ricardo brought these new-styled chairs giving
added fun and whimsy to the evening. The chairs were
oversized with padded fabric and had a concave top giving
you a regal feeling when you sat down.
The food that was served that evening was great. It was
all tray-passed, either on small plates or hand-held
accompanied by cocktail napkins. Portions of delicious
pasta, crostinis with smoked salmon and Italian cured meats
are a few examples, and for dessert, we were treated to
bite-sized tiramisu and chocolate covered strawberries.
A tray-pass styled cocktail party is a great way to give an
elegant party, provide your guests with plenty of food and
maintain a budget as discussed in Budget Bash. Needless to
say, I tried all of the food selections quite a few times
and didn't walk away hungry that evening!
However, what I did walk away with that evening was a great
appreciation for a twist on a typical cocktail party with a
different approach to event décor and party design,
a chance to visit among friends and colleagues and the
opportunity to provide my Winter Wonderland bride the
perfect "throne" for herself and her husband-to-be on their
special day.
----------------------------------------------------
Andrea Wyn is a special event planner with over 15 years of
industry experience. She has been the Awards Event
Supervisor for the Screen Actors Guild Awards(R) since
2000. Her book, Budget Bash-Simply Fabulous Events on a
Budget, is available at http://www.budgetbashbook.com . She
has an MBA from the University of Chicago & a BA from UCLA.
To learn more about Budget Bash & events go to
http://www.awynningevent.com
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