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Wedding Day Music: You Have More Resources Than You Think!
There are so many things to consider when planning a wedding, but one of the most important things to be excited for - and not stressed about - is the music and entertainment for the celebration! Whether you're a music lover or not, deciding on all of the music for your big day can seem overwhelming, but you have access to more resources than you realize!
For ceremonies, cocktail hours, dinners and dancing, Downbeat LA recommends tapping into the following resources to create a memorable and meaningful playlist for your wedding:
1. Wedding Band/DJ
If you're hiring musicians to perform, they can help you create the ultimate song list from their experience and repertoire. Don't be afraid to ask them for advice when it comes to the different parts of the wedding day timeline and what music would work best, they're the professionals after all!
2. Wedding Guests
We've seen couples include a line for guests to fill out their favorite song or music genres when sending back RSVPs in the invitations! This is a great way to find out what your friends and family want to hear and incorporate it throughout the day and evening.
3. What Songs Are Meaningful To You?
If there are songs that are especially meaningful to you as a couple, make sure they make it into the set list! Save it for a first dance, or make sure it gets playing at some point during the party to create a special moment when you hear it.
4. Spotify
We all listen to music across various apps and programs, which all have amazing playlists built in for every occasion and mood. Do some research on Spotify to see what wedding day music might be popular and let your wedding band or DJ know!
For more tips and industry insights, visit Downbeat LA's blog here.
Vavé Studios
Downbeat LA had the pleasure of working with today's spotlight vendor at a recent wedding in Malibu. South Pasadena-based flower and event designers Vavé Studios adorned the outdoor Adamson House venue with stunning pieces scattered throughout the tables that included wooden branch elements and colors to match the bride and groom's theme perfectly.
We loved getting to see Vavé's work firsthand, have a look for yourself:
For more information on Vavé Studios, visit their website at www.partywithvave.com
Soultones + Calamigos Ranch
Downbeat LA is no stranger to the gorgeous Malibu venue, Calamigos Ranch. Dance band Soultones recently performed at a wedding in The Oak Room, with a ceremony site located in front of a sweeping waterfall and the indoor reception featuring glass walls and vaulted ceilings with twinkle lights and billowing fabric (gorgeous!).
Soultones provided the music for the ceremony, cocktail hour and reception! The band featured a full horn section and a DJ to keep the party going between sets. Dance battles and sing-alongs ensued as the night progressed, and the bride and groom even took the stage!
Calligraphy Katrina
AMFM has the honor of performing at the recent wedding of Carrie and Jim Rollings in Santa Barbara. The setting was gorgeous and the evening was a blast, but a major detail that stood out in a beautiful way was the calligraphy on all of the personalized signage by Calligraphy Katrina. From the programs and table cards to the menus and event signs, the hand-written calligraphy had a huge impact on the couples' overall theme and decor throughout the wedding, all thanks to this Los Angeles-based calligrapher.
Exploring Katrina's different fonts gives you an idea of just how talented she is, especially when one of her services includes creating a personalized font for your wedding day! See for yourself how beautiful handwritten calligraphy can really be:
"As a calligrapher, I will make your projects divinely without question. As a businesswoman, I will acknowledge your opinions and questions with the best of intentions, patience and without judgment. I will try my best to give light to your vision and will scour for solutions. I am frank but honest and will make sure to help with every decision to save your woes with some tricks of the trade without compromise to quality and elegance. I will also make sure to run beyond and more so you don't have to. I will hold your hand to keep you calm so you don't panic, and will deliver. I believe that everyone should have a chance to receive and enjoy the grandeur and elegance of the handwritten name by making it accessible with quality without sacrificing a weeks’ worth meal. As Katrina, I will be your friend and confidant, because I am more than just your calligrapher.” - Katrina
For more information on Calligraphy Katrina, visit her website at www.calligraphykatrina.com
For more Downbeat LA wedding industry insights, click here.
Wedding Day Snapchat Geofilters - How To Make Your Own!
You've probably attended a wedding or event where you capture a moment on Snapchat and find that as you swipe, there is a custom geofilter you can use! This fun social media tech trend is popping up everywhere and it's surprisingly easier than you may think to create your own!
Our friends at The Knot are the absolute best when it comes to creating personalized wedding websites and providing tools to help you throughout the planning process, including getting all of your social media channels on track. The site just announced the launch of their Snapchat Filter Feature, which allows couples to create personalized geofilters for all of the special events leading up to the big day, including the engagement, bridal shower, bachelor/bachelorette party and more!
With a wide variety of templates and graphics, you can customize your own geofilter and maintain a cohesive theme by using your names, wedding hashtags, date and location and even fun emojis in the design. Downbeat LA loves this tool and we encourage our brides and grooms to explore their tech savviness and use it!
Get started on your personalized geofilter by clicking here.
For more wedding industry tips and insights, visit the Downbeat LA blog here.
Dmitry Shumanev Production
Weddings along the coast in Malibu are always breathtaking, but it takes a talented visual team to capture all of the beauty throughout the day. Our band Gold Standard recently performed at the historic Adamson House venue and worked alongside the talented videographer team that is Dmitry Shumanev Production.
While this Los Angeles-based production studio provides services in both photography and videography, we had the opportunity to see their video skills in action during the gorgeous wedding of Grace and Eric! Just check out this teaser they put together:
"We are masters of light manipulation and photojournalistic style photography, with a fashion sensibility that creates clean, crisp and colorful images to capture every meaningful moment of each event. We use the best available digital photo, 4K video and audio technology, capturing each tear that runs down a face, every joyful dance move with a loved one, and the tone in every speech and well-wish." - Dmitry Shumanev Production
We look forward to the next time we get to work with this awesome team of creative individuals! For more information, head to their website: shumanev.com
For more wedding industry insights and tips from Downbeat LA, head to our blog here!
Wedding Day Reminder: Don't Forget To Party!
If there's one thing Downbeat LA prides itself on, it's knowing how to get the party started and how to keep it going strong! Weddings involve a great deal of planning and hard work, but when the day comes it's important to enjoy it to the fullest, and as musicians and entertainers, it's our job to make sure everyone in the crowd is having the time of their lives.
Here is some inspiration to serve as a reminder that no matter what, when the big day comes, don't forget to have fun and party!
Read more from Downbeat LA's blog here.
Best Day Ever Floral Design
Florals are an important part of every wedding, and today's vendor spotlight goes out to one of Downbeat LA's favorite floral designers to work with: Best Day Ever Floral Design
Best Day Ever is a boutique floral design studio based out of Los Angeles, and their creations are simply stunning! With a style that's a "complementary mix of wild playful blooms that also carry a sense of ethereal beauty and magic," you truly get a true sense of the team's passion in every arrangement they bring to life.
Check out some of their amazing work below:
For more information about Best Day Ever, visit their website at www.bestdayeverfloraldesign.com.
Libraries, Museums & More! Unconventional Wedding Inspiration
Los Angeles is home to many different and unique wedding and event spaces for those looking to take a more unconventional approach to the big day. In fact, any city will have historic locations, popular attractions, museums, libraries and public spaces that can accommodate weddings if you can find one that suits you.
We rounded up some specific spots around Los Angeles County that would make for an unconventional and memorable wedding:
Imagine having your wedding ceremony in the African Mammal Hall or North American Mammal Hall, then taking guests to the impressive Grand Hall or Rotunda to continue the celebration in true "Night at The Museum"-style.
Archways of books, labyrinths of shelves and hidden passageways make up this iconic bookstore in Downtown Los Angeles, perfect for the book-loving couple who are looking for a unique and intimate gathering for their big day.
3. Huntington Library, Art Collections & Botanical Gardens
This 207-acre estate has endless possibilities when it comes to weddings. If the idea of being surrounded by art, history and literature on your big day excites you (and you don't mid a site fee between $50,000-$150,000), then this is the place for you!
Did you know you can host your wedding in the Samuel Oschin Pavilion, which is home to the space shuttle Endeavor? You and guests can dance the night away under the last orbiter built by NASA. Space junkies, you're welcome.
For more wedding tips and industry insights, visit the Downbeat LA blog here.
The Bosco
Downbeat LA's band Soultones recently helped celebrate the wedding of Clark and Lara Tesora in Garden Grove, CA. Between dance sets at the reception, we had the opportunity to experience the impressive animated GIF booth setup, The Bosco. Our singers and band members had so much fun with this creative team - as did all of the wedding guests - so we decided to find out more about the company!
This "luxury and high tech social media photo booth" is based in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, and is known for creating custom, creative photography installations and experiences for clients. They have an impressive portfolio of previous work, and exploring their website's case studies alone gives you an inside look at the company's grand scale collaborations with global brands and products. Here are some of our favorites:
To see how these GIFs and experiences are created, take a look at the innovative Bosco Multicam:
To find out more about this awesome company, visit their website: www.thebosco.com
Wedding Reception Must-Have Music Moments
Downbeat has years of experience providing its wedding clients with unforgettable celebrations filled with great music and entertainment. While we strive to create custom playlists and unique selections of songs special to each and every couple we work with, there are five must-have music moments that every wedding needs:
GRAND ENTRANCE: Keep it upbeat to get everyone ready and excited for the celebration!
FIRST DANCE: Find something romantic and meaningful to you as a couple.
DINNER MUSIC: Guests will want to enjoy great meals and conversation, keep it soft and light.
DANCE MUSIC: Make sure your band or DJ can keep the party going with upbeat favorites.
LAST SONG: Whether it's a slow sing-along or a party hit, make it unforgettable!
For entertainment booking inquiries and music consultation for your next event, click here.
Top 5 California Garden Wedding Venues
There's something so romantic about a wedding celebration secluded in the unforgettable setting of a natural landscape and garden surrounded by your closest family and friends. If a secret garden-feel is what you envision for your big day, we've rounded up our top picks for private California wedding venues that offer a ceremony and reception site surrounded by gorgeous gardens and floral bed-filled grounds.
Beaulieu Garden (Rutherford, CA): "Imagine the exchange of vows in the sunken garden or dinner delightfully served under a sycamore arbor dappled with lights. As night falls, your guests can dance beneath the stars next to a sparkling pool bordered by manicured lawns and grape vines stretching up into the rolling hills beyond."
Eden Gardens (Moorpark, CA): "Situated in the hills between Thousand Oaks and Moorpark, the Eden Gardens has over four acres of gardens and a glassy pond at its center.With carefully maintained palms, colorful birds of paradise, and countless rose bushes, you are genuinely removed from everything else in a little Eden to call your own."
Bear Flag Farm (Winters, CA): "Just a short drive away from Napa, Bear Flag Farm is a blissfully romantic venue that captures the artisan spirit of California. This private estate boasts acres of vineyards, orchards and lavender fields carefully positioned to optimize privacy from the outside world and an intimate environment from which to celebrate. Surrounded by beautiful gardens, this peaceful estate promotes a feeling of relaxation and tranquility."
Greystone Mansion (Los Angeles, CA): "Grand or modest, Hollywood glamour or California casual, at Beverly Hills’ Greystone Mansion & Gardens: The Doheny Estate, your wedding ceremony and reception will be unforgettable. Imagine being surrounded by the beauty of a garden setting as you tie the knot among your family and friends. The mansion courtyard, framed by the walls of the mansion with a lit fountain in the center, suggests an air of European timelessness."
Descanso Gardens (La Cañada Flintridge, CA): "Located in the quaint town of La Cañada Flintridge in California, this venue provides several landscapes to backdrop a gorgeous wedding. Occupying over 150 acres, this botanical garden also includes a Rose Garden, Oak Forest, Japanese Garden, and several lawn areas both expansive and intimate. Whether among the serene bed of the oak forest or the gazebo surrounded by five acres of rosebushes, the natural splendor of Descanso Gardens never seems to end."
For more wedding tips and industry insights, visit the Downbeat LA blog here.
Soultones + Vibiana
Downtown Los Angeles' Vibiana is always a favorite venue of ours to perform. The jaw-dropping ballroom never fails to set the perfect scene at the weddings and events hosted there. Soultones recently performed at a gorgeous wedding on the property and guests loved the energy that the 10-piece ensemble brought to the party!
The room lends itself perfectly to the band's singers and horn players who love to go out into the crowd during each set!
Wedding Planners, Vendors and Couples: Navigating the Process Together
A recent article featured on the Martha Stewart Weddings blog addressed the question of how hands-off couples should be with their wedding planners. Author Alyssa Brown outlined the following key things to remember:
- Your wedding package should be customized.
- Your wedding planner should keep you organized and on track.
- There are always going to be things your wedding planner cannot do for you.
- You should feel comfortable with the amount of and quality of work your wedding planner's doing.
Not only are these important to remember for planners, but they can apply to wedding vendors as well. Whether it's the planner who communicates with the team of service vendors, or you are in direct communication as the bride and groom, it's important to establish mutual trust and respect, be very clear about what your vision is, and be vocal about how involved you'd like to be from the beginning.
If you're aligned with a team you trust, there's no need to constantly check in with your planner or your contacts. Brown states:
"Wedding planners hate being micro-managed just as much as the next service provider, but don't be afraid to say something if you're not getting your needs met. The relationship you have with your wedding planner works best if you're able to communicate and honestly so that all tasks on both your lists are taken care of in a timely and professional manner. Trusting your planner's guidance, organizational tools, creative ability, and general advice are crucial to the enjoyment of working together and planning a beautiful, fun, and relaxing wedding."
As long as you remember it's a team effort, and there are responsibilities that everyone owns - including the bride and groom - then the process is much easier to navigate together.
For more wedding-related tips and advice, head to Downbeat LA's Wedding Tips Blog here.
AMFM + Limoneira Ranch
Ventura County's Santa Paula is home to the lovely Limoneira Ranch, a rustic and charming wedding and special events venue. AMFM had the pleasure of performing at a wedding here on a gorgeous day with both the ceremony and reception set outside surrounded by the beautiful landscape of the Heritage Valley.
The band kept guests on their feet all night, whether it was surrounding the bride and groom during their first dance and the parent dances or during the upbeat dance sets that went until the very end of the celebration.
The lead singers kept everyone excited by singing and dancing along to the couple's favorite songs, jumping out into the crowd to encourage guests to sing along, and even breaking out a surprise horn section during the set.
Summer Wedding Weekend Inspiration!
For family and friends traveling from out of town to celebrate your wedding day, planning local activities and social gatherings around the date is a great way to welcome everyone and spend quality time together. Weddings have become so much more than just the big day as more and more couples are planning entire weekend itineraries around any budget for guests to enjoy.
With summer in full swing, we've got plenty of inspiration to share with you for a sunny wedding weekend itinerary, including rooftop cocktails at sunset, beach games, boat excursions and more! And while it's never mandatory or expected, giving your loved ones the opportunity to continue the celebrations above and beyond the wedding day is something you'll both cherish forever:
Fore more wedding tips and inspiration, read more from our blog 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.
Gold Standard + Terranea Resort
Gold Standard recently performed at a gorgeous oceanfront wedding at the luxurious Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes. The picturesque ballroom was set with romantic florals, pops of red and lit candelabras with friends and family filling the space, eager to celebrate the newlyweds, Brent and Jessica Fierro.
The 10-piece band was on stage the entire night, keeping the all white dance floor packed. Per the bride and groom's request, the band performed the special parent and sibling dances live and there wasn't a dry eye in sight. From dance-offs and party props to heartfelt toasts and speeches, here are some of the highlights from this amazing wedding we were lucky to be a part of:
Find out more about Gold Standard by visiting their artist page.
For live entertainment booking inquiries regarding your wedding or special event, click here.
How To Host Wedding ANY DAY of the Week!
Saturday weddings are commonly desired by couples for many reasons, but what if your dream venue doesn't have any dates available or the price tag isn't as flexible as the Friday or Sunday option? There could be a number of reasons why you choose to host a wedding on an off-day, but here are some things to consider before you do to ensure it's the best it can be:
1. Guests traveling from out-of-town may need to take time off from work on one or both ends of the trip, if that's even an option. While you shouldn't expect them to do so, be sure to show you're consideration by hosting a welcome reception or planning to spend together before or after the actual wedding day.
2. For weekday weddings, make sure to ask your vendors for any deals or discounts they may offer, especially if most of the weekends are already booked. You and your planner should feel comfortable having these discussions with the people you'll be working with for the wedding.
3. Plan for evening activities and celebrations for Monday-Friday weddings. Anything after 6:00pm is safe if guests are expected to travel on the same day. For activities before or after the actual wedding day, consider a cocktail hour instead of brunch, or an intimate dinner instead of a luncheon. However, if the day after your wedding is a Saturday then anything goes!
4. If the day following your wedding is a work day, don't feel like you have to cut celebrations short on behalf of guests who can't take the time off. You can still plan an after party or keep the reception going late, just give them the option to stay of leave if they'd like.
Remember that whatever day you decide to host your wedding will be perfect because it will be what's best for you!
For more Downbeat LA wedding tips, 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.