PORTFOLIO
Inspiration + Events
Downbeat + Bel-Air Bay Club
Bel-Air Bay Club held its annual wedding industry mixer at the stunning Upper Club venue location and Downbeat LA was a proud sponsor, providing musical entertainment for the entire evening, alongside the following team of vendors:
Brand Videography / The Butter End Bakery / Chiavari Chair Rentals / Designer 8 / Ice Bulb / Juicy Ladies / La Tavola / Laurie Bailey Photography / Love this Way / Mystic Reading Palmistry / The Paper Bakery / Quality Parking / The SnapBar / Stagelabs / Wisteria Lane
Jazz band TruBlu performed in the living room for the welcome reception, providing entertainment for guests as they entered the space, sipped specialty cocktails and greeted fellow wedding industry professionals.
When the sun went down, DJ Live took the stage and interacted with guests for the remainder of the evening, performing upbeat, high energy dance music to keep the party going (cue the audience tambourines and drum participation)!
Wedding Planners & Packages: Choosing The Right One For You!
Weddings - no matter how big or small - involve a certain degree of planning and design. Some couples may opt for a smaller scale, DIY route while others have more extravagant and involved plans in mind.
Downbeat LA consulted with expert wedding planner Bianca of Rosé Events to gain insight into how couples can choose the right wedding planner for their big day and decide on a planning package that fits their needs and style best.
"Are you the couple who just wants to show up to the party, or do you want to be included in the decisions and details?"
Whaley suggests couples first figure out the answers to the following questions?
- What is the total wedding budget?
- How much do you want to be involved in the process?
There are wedding planners who offer full-service planning, which includes conception, design and execution from the engagement to the "I Do's", and there are coordinators who simply offer services for the month or day-of. Some packages can be customized to incorporate design and decor elements, but its important to nail down which is best for you, so Rosé Events has broken down the pros and cons:
FULL-SERVICE PLANNING: THE PROS
- LESS STRESS!
- Someone to share your ideas with who can run with them and make it happen.
- Viewpoint from someone who can offer unbiased ideas, opinions and suggestions other than family members and loved ones.
FULL-SERVICE PLANNING: THE CONS
- COST! Full-service planning typically requires a large budget.
MONTH/DAY-OF COORDINATION: THE PROS
- Suitable for lower budgets.
- If you're someone who already likes to be in control and is organized and detail-oriented, you don't have to pay someone to do extensive planning for you.
- You still get support close to and on the big day to help you stay in the moment and enjoy it.
MONTH/DAY-OF COORDINATION: THE CONS
- MORE STRESS! You can't just show up to the party, as there are more details to work on and think about leading up to the big day.
At the end of the day, the most important thing is to be ready for your big day! So whether you have a small or large budget, we highly recommend hiring a professional to help with your event!
If you'd love to talk to Bianca from Rosé Events, we'll leave their info here.
Honeycomb Affair - Floral Designer
Most wedding vendors specialize in one area of expertise, but we love meeting teams who can do it all! At a recent wedding in Santa Monica, we worked with the Los Angeles-based luxury botanical floral design team Honeycomb Affair, who provided all of the gorgeous floral displays adorning The Beach Club ceremony and reception areas as well as the planning services.
Started by Christy Villasenor, Honeycomb Affair has been in business for more than six years and has supported events throughout the Southern California region and beyond. Christy's arrangements add a "fresh twist on classic wedding flowers, and embrace the narrative of every couple's love story."
Read her philosophy below:
"We believe in creating custom pieces that reflect the unique personality and style of each individual we work with, while encompassing the overall event day vision. Our work is inspired by natural elements with a love for luxury garden details. We aim to find the most special blooms and foliage that showcase color, texture, movement and depth for each arrangement. From bouquets, to dessert tables and installations, no event is too small or too large for our services. We look forward to to having the opportunity to design and create for your special day!" - Honeycomb Affair
For more information about Honeycomb Affair, visit their website at www.honeycombaffair.com
Stylish Details Events - Wedding Planner
Our friends at Stylish Details Wedding and Event Design know how to produce incredible events! This Southern California-based company serves brides and grooms across Orange County, Los Angeles, San Diego, Palm Springs and more destination locations!
AMFM had the pleasure of performing at a wedding this dream team designed at Greystone Manor and the details were not to be missed:
Learn more about Stylish Details by visiting their website www.stylishdetailsevents.com.
Vendor Spotlight- SoHappi Together
California is a dream wedding destination, and a local event design and planning company we absolutely love working with is So Happi Together. Downbeat LA has had the pleasure of performing at weddings this team has designed across Southern California and they have all been incredible. Not only are they fun and easy to work with, but the beautiful, custom weddings they design speak for themselves.
Take a look at some of their most weddings below:
Founder and Principal Planner, Nancy Park, has a rockstar team and philosophy in place to ensure every client gets a the perfect custom experience for their wedding day:
"Our philosophy is that phenomenal parties are a result of purposeful planning. The unique identities and stories of our clients inspire the design of our events. No two are alike! Together, we orchestrate a day that harmoniously reflects your style, vision, taste, and love. We adore personal details and the challenge to creatively incorporate them into your day! From ballrooms to barnyards, we love it all as long as it speaks to and about you!" - So Happi Together
To learn more about So Happi Together and see more of their work from previous weddings, visit their website at www.sohappitogether.com
Moana Events - Wedding Planner
Hawaii is home to some of the world's most beautiful and luxurious wedding destinations and venues. Whether it's an elopement or a grand destination celebration, we cannot say enough about the wonderful boutique wedding and event planning team at Moana Events.
Owner and creative director Morgan Childs brought together and impressive vision that has allowed her and her team to build an incredible portfolio of custom-designed celebrations across Kauai, Oahu, Lanai and the Big Island of Hawaii and earn accolades from industry heavy-hitters such as Vogue, Bride, US Weekly, Style Me Pretty and more!
Moana Events' mission is as beautiful as their work:
"We believe in CELEBRATING life’s occasions. Bringing people together in beautiful environments and creating opportunities for JOY. We believe in SERVING our clients well. We believe in getting to know our clients and what is important to them, being their advocates throughout the planning process and respecting their investment. We believe that BEAUTIFUL environments and MEANINGFUL details make a difference."
"Custom design is a gift and there is no better job we can do than to get to know our clients so well that we can make their dream day a reality. We believe in TRANSPARENCY, HONESTY and RESPECT in dealing with our clients and vendors. We believe in GIVING BACK. We partner with Aloha Harvest to donate any and all leftover food from our events to the needy in our community. We also partner with our florists to donate flowers after our events to hospitals and nursing homes. We provide career coaching & host clothing drives for Dress for Success to benefit disadvantaged women."
For more information about Moana Events, visit their website: www.moanaevents.com
Top Wedding Trends for 2018
New Year, new trends! 2018 has already seen some gorgeous winter weddings, but the entire year lies ahead and there are new trends to incorporate into planning for the big day! Our friends at Brides.com compiled a list of 2018's biggest wedding trends from celebrity planners and industry pros, and we wanted to share our favorites:
1. "Greenery instead of fabric drapery for outdoor, tented weddings. Think clear tents with lush greenery installations to bring in that natural element and really make things feel organic" - Mindy Weiss, Mindy Weiss Party Consultants
Some of Mindy's other trend predictions for 2018 include metallic colors, French service dinners, smaller but more flowers, gift lounges, less focus on the wedding cake, less-traditional invites, colored candles, balloons, less-formal invitations, and Italian touches.
2. "A big call for casual vibes: lawn games, umbrella-topped picnic table seating, local craft brews, al fresco lighting, and an overall chill garden party vibe." - Calder Clark of Calder Clark
3. "As we anxiously await the next Royal Wedding in May, we think American couples will also embrace the British tradition of children-only bridal parties. A group of charming flower girls and ring bearers make adorable attendants for an elegant bride—we think the flock of adult bridesmaids have had their day." - Laurie Arons of Laurie Arons Special Events
4. "Bold and dramatic floral patterns! From the tablecloths to paper and the dance floor, we're seeing dramatic floral prints with saturated colors on black backgrounds as a huge trend right now." - Shannon Leahy of Shannon Leahy Events
5. " The biggest wedding trend will be couples moving to more modern, clean, and minimal wedding styles. From stationery that is not filled with loopy calligraphy to minimal table designs, I think the trend coming up will be a less-is-more approach to the wedding. I do not want people to think that a minimal approach means we are doing away with installs or thinking outside of the box for decor, but I think couples will invest in a few more magical things, rather than multiple, less special things." - Jove Meyer of Jove Meyer Events
6. "The after-party is no longer an afterthought. It has become a critical part of the wedding celebration with its own entertainment experiences!" - Augusta Cole and Lynn Easton of Easton Events
7. "Destination weddings continue to be big! And our clients are thinking bigger—we have couples coming to us saying things like, “Wouldn’t it be epic if all of our friends vacationed in Italy together?!” Well, you can! Invite lists become smaller and the goal becomes more about creating authenticity, creating an environment that is relaxing and inspiring, and giving their guests the best possible time." - Alison Laesser-Keck and Bryan Keck of Alison & Bryan
Cole Drake Events
We cannot say enough about the Napa and Sonoma Valley-based wedding planning and eventdesign company, Cole Drake Events. With a recent front page appearance on Style Me Pretty, we had to feature this team our Vendor Spotlight blog!
"Cole Drake Events is an experienced team of luxury wedding and event planners in the Napa and Sonoma Wine Country with a combined experience of over than 20 years of design and production. Their philosophy is to keep your event or wedding day authentic to who you are and therefore to your vision. Through creative dedication, they strive to focus on creating a sensory story within your event, sharing your story, your life, your vision, in a simply beautiful, inventive way."
Boasting a "planning foundation based on appealing to the senses, using Honesty, Authenticity, Creativity, and (a sh*t ton of) Humor with just a smidge of sarcasm," Cole Drake's portfolio speaks for itself! Gold Standard performed at the garden wedding this dream team designed at Napa's Calistoga Ranch and it was absolutely breathtaking - have a look:
For more information on Cole Drake Events, visit their website at www.coledrake.com
Intertwined Events
As a vendor who has attended a lot of weddings, we are always excited to see how the evening will look and feel. We appreciate the attention to detail that goes into everything from the centerpieces, to the color palette, and even to how the dance floor looks. We've seen it all and we found it necessary to give Intertwined Events a shout out for their superb work,
We've crossed paths with their team a few times and working with them is nothing short of phenomenal. If you don't believe us, take a look at some of their work!
For more information about Intertwined, head on over to their website, www.intertwinedevents.com, and let them know we sent you. #downbeatla
Wedding Kate
Throughout the years we've worked with a ton of wedding planners but meet one of our favorites who we absolutely love working with, Wedding Kate! Wedding Kate is one of the most sought out wedding planners in Santa Barbara and is considered as a premier event design planning firm in Southern California.
All of our bands, have had the pleasure of working along side Wedding Kate and its been successful even after event. For more info, please head to their website and take a look at their lists of their amazing work, here.
Wish Wonder Dream Weddings & Events
Downbeat LA recently celebrated the wedding of Caroline and Mike at Triunfo Creek Vineyards in Agoura Hills, California. The beautiful outdoor venue was set beautifully and the big day went off without a hitch thanks to the amazing team at Wish Wonder Dream, a rockstar wedding and event planning team based out of Southern California.
The day-of communication and coordination we experienced firsthand was wonderful and highly professional, and we can only imagine how well the team worked with the couple throughout the entire planning process leading up to the big day. With packages spanning from small and simple to full-scale and premiere, Wish Wonder Dream seem to offer a wide range of services for couples looking to make their wedding special.
For more information on this Southern California-based wedding and event planning team, Wish Wonder Dream, visit their website at www.wishwonderdream.com.
To visit Downbeat LA's blog, click here.
Spark Creative Events
Working in the entertainment and events industry, we know - and appreciate - that it takes an extraordinary team of talented individuals to design and implement an entire event's ambiance and feel. Downbeat LA had the pleasure of witnessing a creative vision be brought to life at a beautiful Ojai wedding with Gold Standard and Santa Barbara-based event designers, Spark Creative Events.
Specializing in weddings and corporate events, Spark offers a massive array of services for clients, including lighting, decor, rentals, audio, video and more! Visiting their online gallery alone gives you an idea of the incredible work they do, see for yourself:
The team is highly professional and an absolute pleasure to work with, and we're already looking forward to the next time we visit Santa Barbara to work with them on a wedding or special event.
For more information about this amazing vendor, visit them at their website: www.sparkcreativeevents.com
For more wedding tips and industry insights, visit Downbeat LA's blog here.
Events by M & M
Over the years, Downbeat LA has worked with a number of event planners in California and across the country. Our friend Meg West, Owner, Planner and Designer of Events by M & M, has designed some beautiful weddings that we've had the pleasure of performing!.
Her team offers a wide range of services and planning packages for wedding and special event clients, and we've experienced firsthand their exceptional service, professionalism and design taste.
"It's important to me that each event captures the essence of our clients, giving them freedom of time to live passionately for themselves and still have an awesome party!" - Meg West
For more information on their event planning services and to view their portfolio, visit their website: www.eventsbymandm.com
Julie Lee Wedding Planners
We had the pleasure of working with Julie and her team and all we can say is wow! Check out more of their stuff and all that they have to offer to make your special day even more special. www.julieleeweddings.com
They have a ton of color palettes to cast vision of what your wedding can look like; and from experience they are more than capable of executing and producing exactly what you're looking for.
Blake Entertainment
Downbeat LA bands love traveling outside of their home base in California to perform at destination weddings and events around the world. Gold Standard recently came back from their second annual trip to Hawaii working with event planning company, Blake Entertainment.
Melissa Blake and her team are an absolute dream to work with and are incredibly accommodating to the needs of both their clients and vendors. From rolling out the red carpet to creating impressive themes with gorgeous décor, they can do it all!
For more information on Blake Entertainment, visit them at blakeentertainmenthawaii.com.
Wild Heart Events
Santa Barbara wedding and event design company, Wild Heart Events, is beyond impressive to work with! It is clear how dedicated the entire team is to their clients and fellow vendors when it comes to executing a big day.
The great thing about Wild Heart Events is that they cater to their couples and clients, whether they are looking for partial or full service planning.
For more information on Wild Heart Events, visit wildheartevents.com.
Tags: #sundayspotlight #downbeatlaapproved #weddingplanner #eventplanner #santabarbarawedding
LB Event Planning
Our Sunday Spotlight goes to our friends at LB Event Planning! In our recent events, we've had the privilege of working with this incredible team and all we can say is that they can do it all! From interior designing, weddings, and corporate events; it's very clear that they know what they're doing.
Check out some of their masterpieces by heading to their website - www.lbeventplanning.com
Truly Fancy
Katie and Brian’s wedding at USC Town & Gown Ballroom was amazing, and Soultones had guests dancing the night away! One of the most beautiful components of this particular wedding was the gorgeous floral designs and arrangements by Truly Fancy Events.
It’s no wonder this Southern California-based team is featured on all of the top wedding blogs, check out some of their gorgeous work below.
For more information, visit Truly Fancy Events at trulyfancy.com
Honeyfitz Events
When it comes to designing the perfect event, the HoneyFitz Events team is inspired by all things beautiful, and it shows. Our band, AMFM, had the pleasure of working with them recently on a wedding at Los Angeles’ iconic venue Vibiana, where every detail was flawlessly executed.
This Los Angeles-based team boasts full service planning for all wedding needs, check out some of their gorgeous work.
For more information on HoneyFitz Events, visit them at their website, www.honeyfitzevents.com
Tags: #sundayspotlight #downbeatlaapproved #weddingplanner #eventplanner #socalweddings #losangeleswedding #amfmla #downbeatla
Lumiani Events
When the band is still talking about a wedding weeks after it happened, you know it was one for the books! Our friends at Lumiani Events absolutely nailed John and Ada’s wedding at Bel Air Bay Club last month! These wedding and event planners based in SoCal know how to throw a wedding celebration that guests will be talking about forever!
WWW.LUMIANIEVENTS.COM @LUMIANIEVENTS.
Tags: #sundayspotlight #downbeatlaapproved #weddingplanner #eventplanner #socalweddings #soultonesla #downbeatla
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