Archive for the ‘Social Events’ Category

A Lunch Fit for a Queen

Wednesday, May 9th, 2012

Last week we had the privilege of attending an industry event hosted by Steve Fortunato of roomforty. While we expected to join some of LA’s premier event industry for a tasty meal, we had no idea we were about to experience an exquisitely prepared and artistically presented six-course meal for lunch!

The six-course lunch (which felt like 12 courses with all of the goodies they served us) took place at Vibiana.  The lone wooden table in the center of Vibiana was adorned with beautiful custom-made linen and scattered with vibrant wildflowers and fresh herbs of all kind, which we found to be an excellent detail. Not only did the aroma of the herbs contribute to the rustic atmosphere of the lunch, the very presence of these individually-wrapped plants also happened to be a great talking point for the guests, whom amused themselves by smelling and guessing each other’s herbs.

We dined on treasures like spring corn bisque with langoustines, chives, and laced croutons; heirloom tomatoes with house smoked burrata, balsamic caviar, and opal basil vinaigrette; and, a dish we will be dreaming about for weeks – the prime braised beef short ribs with parsley root puree, baby vegetables, and braising jus. The cocktails served by roomforty’s very own mixologist were just as exciting, with a special nod to the “Smoky Baby Burns,” a woodsy gentleman’s drink that was brought to the table literally smoking.

Although there was much chatter between courses, the only thing we could hear once each dish was served were indistinct “mmm’s” and the soft Spanish guitar in the background. Overall it was a beautiful experience…

Thank you roomforty!!

A Spooktacular Soiree!

Saturday, October 29th, 2011

Ahhh . . . Let the holiday season begin! It all starts with scary goblins, crazy outfits, and haunted houses – yes it’s going to be one fun Halloween weekend! We’re having some friends over to our very own Haunted House and thought we would share some of our ideas and inspiration.

First we have to begin with the libations! A little Black Magic Martini is the perfect drink to get the mood started!

(Black Magic Martini pictured far right)

Serves 1
1 cup ice
1 ounce black vodka (such as Blavod)
2 ounces cherry juice
Fresh raspberries and blueberries, for garnish

Combine ice, vodka, and cherry juice in a cocktail shaker; shake vigorously. Pour into a martini glass. Thread raspberries and blueberries onto a cocktail skewer, and place in drink. Serve immediately.

Blacklights are back! Yes, we are lighting the dance floor with blacklights! And for that extra WOW . . . hidden bubble machines filled with blacklight bubbles. Let the dancing begin.

It wouldn’t be a Halloween celebration without some creepy props. We came across this Meat Parlor at a Halloween store and we’re taking a bit of a gruesome risk but we have decided to recreate it! It’s going to make the perfect backdrop for photos!

Lastly, we have to have something a little sweet . . . with a spooky twist! How about some Bloody Witch Finger Cookies?!

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

A few drops of green food coloring

Whole almonds for decorating

1 cup of white chocolate chips

A few drops of red food coloring

Directions

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and confectioners’ sugar. Add vanilla and food coloring. Gradually add flour; mix well.

With lightly floured hands, shape a couple tablespoons of dough into 3-in. long “fingers”.

Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Press a whole almond onto the tips of the cookie. Bake at 350 degrees F for 9-11 minutes or until edges and bottom are lightly browned. Cool for 2-3 minutes before removing to wire racks.

For the blood red white chocolate:

Microwave white cholate chips until melted. Add food coloring. Dip cooled cookies into chocolate.

HAVE A FUN AND SAFE HALLOWEEN!

Three Lessons From Mr. Hearst

Thursday, September 8th, 2011

For some time now, I had been wanting to experience the famous California coast. I finally had a chance to sneak away and make the drive!

Along our drive we stopped at Hearst Castle.  I loved three things about Mr. Hearst’s main dining room.  First, the table was intentionally made narrow to encourage conversations.  Often times in events we want wider tables to allow more room for table top decor; yet we forget about the importance of conversation.

Second, he always used paper napkins, never cloth.  He felt this would make all of his guests, no matter their background, feel more comfortable.  A great host always considers the comfort of their invited guests.

Lastly, I loved how he fell in love with wooden wall panels that ended up being too short for the walls, but that didn’t stop him from using them…he put them on the ceiling!!

The stakes are high!!

Wednesday, May 11th, 2011

Last night, we attended a private wine tasting by JAKQ cellars . . . it was amazing! We thought we were attending a wine mixer event, but lo and behold, it was a full tasting of their complete wine portfolio!

(JAQK Cellars wine portfolio)

Inspired by the jack, ace, queen and king in a deck of cards, JAQK wines has both a clever graphic bottle design (with a cool story to go along with each one) and an impeccably smooth wine to boot! Looking for gift ideas? Their flagship wine, the “High Roller” would make an excellent groomsmen gift and any level of their “Tipsy King” wine club would be a great thank you gift for a client.

(Laura and Ali with David Dees of JAQK Cellars and their favorite bottle!)

Viva Mexico!

Wednesday, May 4th, 2011

Viva Mexico!! This Thursday is Cinco De Mayo and at Special Occasions we believe that any holiday is a reason to entertain your friends and family at home. Here are some fun ideas for hosting a festive Cinco De Mayo party . . . Enjoy!

Guac-Off

Who doesn’t love a little competition?! A Guac-Off is the perfect way to get everyone to try a different guacamole recipe. You can create mini prep stations complete with molcajetes and ask your friends to bring their ingredients so they can prepare their guacamole fresh at the party. First place gets to take a molcajete home and the runner-up gets an avocado knife.

Loteria

Loteria is the Mexican version of Bingo! Using images on cards instead of numbered ping pong balls and pinto beans as markers, the first player to complete their sheet, otherwise known as tabla, shouts “Loteria” and is the winner. The winner of the game (you can also do multiple rounds to make it more competitive) gets to take home a bottle of tequila- one of our favorites is Don Julio.

Red Chile Guava Margarita

Have a unique specialty drink . . . we love this recipe from Public Restaurant in NYC.

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups Chile-Infused Tequila
1 1/2 cups Triple Sec
1 1/2 cups guava nectar
1 cup fresh orange juice
1 1/2 cups fresh lime juice
10 lime wedges
Salt, for rimming the glasses
Ice
10 small red chiles, for garnish (optional)

Instructions
Combine tequila, Triple Sec, guava nectar, orange juice, and lime juice in a pitcher and reserve in the refrigerator until ready to use. Make sure you make this a couple of days in advance so you get that spicy kick!

To serve, rim a rocks glass with salt by rubbing a lime wedge around the outside and then dipping the glass in salt. Fill the glass with ice, add the margarita mixture, and garnish with a skewered chile pepper (if using).

Piñata

After the bellies are full and the drinks are flowing it’s time to bring out the piñata! There are a lot of different designs to choose from. Once you pick a piñata you can fill it with Mexican candy, little bottles of tequila, powdered margarita mix, packs of salt, Advil, and Alka Seltzer. Guests will have fun making their own hangover kits from what’s inside!

(This Don Julio piñata is from our "Hacienda Night" rehearsal dinner event recently featured in Martha Stewart Weddings)

You can find most of the items and ingredients we mentioned at Latino supermarkets. Vallarata Supermarkets and Superior Grocers have several locations throughout Los Angeles.

Adios Cabo, until next time…

Saturday, April 30th, 2011

One last exciting thing I would like to share about my Cabo adventure was my excursion to a small artisan town.  There was so many different types of art – I wanted to buy it all! Among the many types of mediums used, were tin and glass. I had the pleasure of meeting a very young and talented artist that specialized in glass art.  The abundance of talent in such a small community was amazing.

I loved this glass heart.  The color was beautiful. I bought plenty of glass and tin art and cannot wait to integrate it into a design concept!

I also loved this chandelier.

The resort did an amazing job utilizing the local art.  Check out their “glass trees”.

A very simple design made a huge statement throughout the resort.  Look how it is transformed at night.

More from my Cabo trip . . . Lighting!

Saturday, April 16th, 2011

Sorry for the blog absence! Between our event on Monday and another event last week, which we had one week to coordinate . . .  let’s just say, my office was pretty busy!! But we’re back and I want to continue to share more of my Cabo trip.

A couple of years ago I saw a photo in a travel magazine of a lantern design that inspired me. I actually re-created it for an event we did last year, so I had to make it a point to visit the source of inspiration in person!

(Lanterns in Cabo)

(Lanterns at an event produced by Special Occasions)

We really do believe in details. Take a look at the details in the landscape lighting at this resort. Such a small element can have a big effect on the environment you are creating.

Hola from Cabo!

Thursday, March 31st, 2011

Believe it or not – this is my first time in Cabo! I am here on a site visit for a client’s upcoming birthday party at Las Ventanas al Paraiso.  We started the trip on the right track – with a drink tasting! Look at some of the amazing drinks created by our personal bartender, Gerson!

In between drinks, they made us delicious shrimp tacos and wood-fired pizzas in this gorgeous outdoor wood-fired oven. I love the detailed tile work!

This is just the beginning! Much more to come!  Stay tuned…

A Night at Grand Del Mar

Friday, March 4th, 2011

Last week, Paige Levy and Charles Stuart from the amazing Grand Del Mar Resort, hosted their annual industry “Wedding Experience”. I entered my beautifully appointed room to find a stylish, eco-friendly laptop bag as a welcome gift. Great find Paige! I will definitely suggest these as a perfect welcome gift for a client’s corporate sales retreat.

Another highlight was a cooking demonstration hosted by 5 top San Diego chefs followed by a gourmet lunch. I loved the interactive mozzarella station combined with the wood burning pizza oven! Can’t wait to have a mozzarella station at one of our events . . .Yummy!

My favorite dish was a mushroom truffle soup. I had to go back for a second sample and would have had a third if I had the opportunity! Stay tuned next week for the recipe!

To top it all off there was also made-to-order sweet and savory cotton candy. I loved the savory twist on cotton candy!

Thank you Paige and Charles for a perfect and inspiring getaway!

We are flipping out!

Saturday, January 22nd, 2011

We recently produced a wedding in which we placed a Flip camera at each table and it was a huge hit! Guests were encouraged to record their personal speeches and wishes as well as record candid footage of the entire event. We collected the flip cams at the end of the evening and gave them to the videographer to edit the footage.  The final video was super cute! The cameras were then donated to various non-profit organizations that are involved with Youth Arts & Media.

Having flip cams at an event is a great modern rendition of the “traditional” still cameras. You can also personalize them with your own photo or custom graphic!

They also make for the perfect welcoming gift for a destination wedding. Just drop them in the welcome bag upon guest’s arrival so they can record the entire weekend and festivities.