Lucas Bar Mitzvah at The Pacific Design Center, Los Angeles

Today I would like to invite you into the Bizarro world of Superheroes and Comic Book characters.  If you are a DC comics fan get prepared to fall in love with this Bar Mitzvah.  When I began to work with Lucas and his family I was told that he only liked DC comics and that he was intrigued with the Justice league.  The first task was to find a venue that was both affordable and could lend itself to the world of comics.  Lucas, his mom and older sister fell in love with the PDC when they first entered the space.

I really had a lot of fun working on this event as my clients were AWESOME and I got to revisit and re-acquaint myself with the world of Superman, Batman, Flash and Green Lantern which were Lucas' favorite characters.  Working off of the Roy Lichtenstein vibe of the venue gave us a good platform upon which to start creating our alternative universe.  One in which justice would prevail.

Along with my team from Greco Decor, Lighter Side, CJ Matsumoto, Spotlight Entertainment and Wolfgang Puck we                                                                    created a lot of POW, BAP and ZAM.

Credits go to: Joe Buissink, Greco Decor, CJ Matsumoto, Wolfgang Puck Catering, Pacific Design Center, Spectra, Eventures, Lighter Side, Spotlight Entertainment

If you found this article helpful or interesting please leave a comment.  Let me know your thoughts, If you have any questions or need any information about a specific topic that you need help with let me know.  If you don’t want to leave a comment below you can always email me: Julia@eventuresinc.net or simply visit our website at www.eventuresinc.net.

Grace, Gratitude and Happy Planning!

3 FULL-PROOF SECRETS FOR A FUN WEDDING OR MITZVAH

Have you ever gone to a wedding or special event and thought wow- that went fast?  Why did they end so early?  Then you look down at your watch and go “Holy **it” it’s midnight!!  Do you want to know why this wedding/Mitzvah was so much fun.  Would you like to be able to recreate that for yourself? 

If you answered yes then read these three surefire ways to a successful wedding or Mitzvah:

3. A GREAT TIMELINE. A well-planned party is created by building great energy.  Some  of this can be done with décor and lighting however, the one crucial element is a well thought out time-line in which every moment and/or detail should flow effortlessly into the next.

2. ALCOHOL.  Alcohol is key to a successful party.  A lot of people think they will save money by serving wine and beer, but unless you are a wine/beer drinking crowd it is important to have a good bar.  You don’t need to go crazy with 30 specialty drinks but 1 or 2 signature cocktails for the night will help with the partying mood. I had a client who decided to switch from an open bar to serving only wine and beer at the reception. A large amount of her guests actually left the party to go to the hotel bar.  No joke. 

1. YOU!  You are the most important part of your party.  If you are happy your guests are happy! Happiness and laughter are infectious.  So is anxiety and stress.  Your guests feel your emotions.  They take their cues from you.  So if you are in the bathroom crying, there is a good chance that ¾ of your party will be in there with you.  If you want a dance party get on the dance floor.  If you want fun memories, it is up to you to infuse your guests with YOUR excitement and joy. 

If you found this article helpful or interesting please leave a comment.  Let me know your thoughts, If you have any questions or need any information about a specific topic that you need help with let me know.  If you don’t want to leave a comment below you can always email me: Julia@eventuresinc.net or simply visit our website at www.eventuresinc.net.

Grace, Gratitude and Happy Planning!

10 Ways to De-Stress When Planning Your Wedding

Are you planning your own wedding but don’t know where to start.  If you answered “yes” then you are not alone. A lot of Brides I speak with have a hard time weeding through the amount of information that is available. All those late nights glued to your computer makes you feel like your head is about to explode. Sometimes too much internet/pinterest is not a good thing.  You have to know when to take a break and pull away. Here are some tips to help you “de-stress” and get focused.

1. Remove the words “I don’t know what I am doing” from your vocabulary.  Negative thoughts are just a set up to failure.

2. Focus on what is possible instead of finding out the costs.  Hire people based on your connection and shared vision.  The prices will fall into place.

3. Everything will work out in the end. Sometimes you have to walk thru an entire forest to find your ideal tree.

4. Create a timeline for yourself. Use this as a guide.  The Wedding Gods will NOT strike you dead if you didn’t find a dress 6 months prior.

5. Ask for help.  Whether it is from a professional, a group of trusted friends or even your Mother.  You know with some boundaries set, your Mom might prove to be very useful.

6. Be open to new and fresh ideas.  This is your day, let down your guard and what others may think. 

7. Be in joy throughout the process. The journey leading up to the day is just as important as the wedding itself.

8. Celebrate every decision and be confident in your choices.

9. Rely on your vendors for advice and information.  If you don’t trust that they know what they are doing then you shouldn’t have hired them.

10. Just start- you may need to hire someone to finish, and that is OK.  It is not a sign of failure.

These are some of the same things I have to tell myself every day, now I would like to hear from you.  Please leave a comment and share with what you do to reduce the stressers when planning your wedding.

If you have any questions or need any information about a specific topic that you need help with let me know.  If you don’t want to leave a comment below you can always email me: Julia@eventuresinc.net or simply visit our website at www.eventuresinc.net.

Grace, Gratitude and Happy Planning!

Breakfast at Tiffany's Themed Reception

A custom "Playbill" was created for the invitation.

When planning a Breakfast at Tiffany's event there are so many different ways you can go that it can be hard to choose the best path.  When my client came to me with the Breakfast at Tiffany's idea for her daughters Bat Mitzvah I immediately went to the period of the iconic movie- and so we searched out a venue that could emulate a time when life seemed so much simpler and uncomplicated.  The El Rey theater seemed to be the perfect choice because of it's Art Deco interior.  The goal was to keep it simple, elegant and make good use of the space to accommodate the number of guests. 

Staged Grand Entrance 

A Cappella Street Singers greeted guests upon arrival

If you found this article helpful or interesting please leave a comment.  Let me know your thoughts, If you have any questions or need any information about a specific topic that you need help with let me know.  If you don’t want to leave a comment below you can always email me: Julia@eventuresinc.net or simply visit our website at www.eventuresinc.net.

Grace, Gratitude and Happy Planning!

Will Your Wedding Photographer Capture Your Day Your Way?

I am very lucky. I truly love what I do.  One of the reasons I love my job is that I get to work with and meet some of the most talented people in the country.

Just this past week I had the opportunity to meet with, probably, one of the most revered photographers in the special events industry. He was charming, humble and really, really nice. The meeting was very productive and a lot of fun.  We ended up having a conversation about the process and the shots that he chooses to take. Candidly speaking of course.  

This got me thinking about the candid shots that a photographer should or could take.  For instance let's say that something big happens at your wedding like: on the way up to your reception your Grandmother who has severe cataracts, can't really see the stairs on the escalator, miscalculates her step and falls on the escalator. As she falls she takes down your mother and possibly a few others.  Feet dangling- legs in the air- unmentionables showing.  It is a mess! Would you want a photo of this moment? Or would you think that taking the shot was in bad taste? What if your 4 year old nephew sneaks up to the cake and sticks his finger in it, would you want that photo? Or maybe you are so choked with emotion during the ceremony that when you cry the tears completely destroy your makeup and you have black stains dripping down your face; would it be in bad taste for the photographer to take that picture?

I am really curious to know how many people want their photographer to take all the possible shots of both good and bad moments or do you think he should avoid the candids that show you and/or your guests poorly.

Please share your opinion about this topic by leaving a comment or email me directly julia@eventuresinc.net.

If you have any questions or need any information about a specific topic that you need help with let me know.  If you don’t want to leave a comment below you can always email me: Julia@eventuresinc.net or simply visit our website at www.eventuresinc.net.

Grace, Gratitude and Happy Planning!

What Inspired the Theme for Your Child’s Bar/Bat Mitzvah ?

The Bar/Bat Mitzvah is about celebrating and showcasing your child.  It is a time when the community comes together to support and guide them into the next stage of their journey. 

When planning your child’s Mitzvah is your inspiration coming from a TV show, favorite book, a movie or was it your child’s Torah portion that prompted your theme?  Are you delving into his/her  psyche and coming up with their current passion, interest or hobby?

For this Bat Mitzvah the inspiration was my client’s daughter passion for fashion.  Her passion went beyond just shopping and malls. It extended into her love for creating her own style and shoes- it was more like fashion as an "art-form."

We started with a photo session of the Bat Mitzvah girl wearing different looks that she created by herself; then with the help of a talented graphic artist transformed these images into varying stages of  different print ads. These images were then sprinkled around the room as wall art.  The backdrop of the room was a giant video screen on which we looped excerpts from fashion shows and other fashion mediums in addition to clips from the movie the Devil Wears Prada.  We also hired models to wear the latest fashion finds from vintage clothing stores. The dance floor was staged to replicate the “catwalk” and we opened with the models taking a walk in the latest fashion put together by our Bat Mitzvah. The models then added to the fun of the party by dancing with the guests and having a great time!

If you found this article helpful or interesting please leave a comment.  Let me know your thoughts, If you have any questions or need any information about a specific topic that you need help with let me know.  If you don’t want to leave a comment below you can always email me: Julia@eventuresinc.net or simply visit our website at www.eventuresinc.net.

Grace, Gratitude and Happy Planning!

How Important Is Your Wedding/Event Invitation?

I spend a lot of time with my clients helping them to design the perfect invitation, whether we go to a graphic artist or choose an invitation from a book.  It takes time and thought and most  of all can eat into the entire wedding/event budget.  How important is the invitation to you?

When answering this question you have to consider that the invitation is usually the first thing that your guest receives and it can set the tone.  If you are having a themed Bar Mitzvah it can allude to the theme and create some pre-event excitement.  If it is for a wedding it lets your guests get a feel for your style.

A traditional paper/snail mail invite does cost money to produce which can eat away at your wedding/event budget. Especially when you add in the cost for calligraphy, postage and  the time it takes to sort and stuff your invite.  And just when you think your done you find yourself standing in line at the post office having them weighed so you know how much postage to buy, but wait- still not done because after you affix the postage you will most likely want to hand cancel each invitation hoping that they will arrive to their destination as beautifully packaged as when they left your hands.

If you are tight for time and on a tight budget the paperless invite may be a great option for your. However, if you are going paperless you really need to know the age demographic of your guests. Does your 91 year old Grandmother even have email?  Does she know how to use it? When the arrives in her inbox will she realize what it is? or that it is from you? And finally will she be able to open the invite and later on remember she has it? Furthermore,  how do you even know if your evite even arrived in all the right inboxes?  Maybe it got caught in a spam filter or some cyberspace holding cell?

What are you planning to do for your invitation? Are you going paperless? Are you having one custom made or are you choosing yours from a book?

I would love to know your thoughts and decisions on this subject.  Please leave a comment and tell me what you think!

If you found this article helpful or interesting please leave a comment.  Let me know your thoughts, If you have any questions or need any information or would like to see me write about a topic you need help on let me know.  If you don’t want to leave a comment below you can always email me: Julia@eventuresinc.net or simply visit our website at www.eventuresinc.net. 

Grace, Gratitude and Happy Planning!