An Exquisite Home Wedding

A few months ago, we had the pleasure of hosting my sister-in-law's wedding (my husband's sister) at our home.  So here I am, a planner, having a family wedding, at my home....oh yeah, and it was accomplished in about 3 weeks-no pressure!  Luckily, Nadia knew what she wanted, made decisions quick, and was the easiest bride...and she's one of my favorite peeps! The colors we chose were a beautiful aqua and gold which complimented the shades of pinks that were used in the flowers.  There were about 80 of Nadia and Anish's close family and friends there so it was the perfect, intimate wedding and I had a blast putting it together. I only wish my backyard could look like that all the time! To Nadia and Anish: Wishing you both health and happiness for years and years to come Photography: John Solano Photography Thank you to everyone involved in making this such a special occasion! Wildflower Linen, Luna Party Rentals, Tic Tock Couture Flowers, Supercool Creamery, Special Occasions LA, FlipBoothLA        

A Dream Getaway: One and Only Palmilla in Los Cabos, Mexico

Madiha and I had the pleasure to visit One and Only Palmilla in Cabo these past few days.   This visit was for a client’s upcoming destination wedding at the beginning of the year and the main focus was to have a comprehensive design walk through for the client’s multiple events. In the few days, we were able to accomplish a lot with the help of lovely Arianna at the resort who was instrumental in setting up appointments for us with local partners. It was exciting, invigorating and amazing to meet some of the most talented people in the industry. One and Only is the most exclusive resort and from the moment our private car pulled up at the airport to the ride to the resort, it was a great experience. The car was fully stocked with all the amenities and our driver was friendly, courteous and professional. As we pulled up the front driveway the staff was there to welcome us, including Arianna. We went over our scheduled meetings, which were back-to-back starting at 8:30 am on Monday and checked in to our rooms. The staff at the resort is very professional and fluent in English and the butler is at your beck and call. Once we checked in, Madiha and I went over our agenda for the next day and after a delicious lunch decided to take a stroll around the property. Monday was a full day with meetings with florists, rental companies, lighting and everything in between. We also toured the property with Arianna to see each space where the events are going to be held.

Property Entrance

Bahia Courtyard

Ceremonies to be held on Turtle Beach

Our last meeting ended at 6 pm and by then, we were quite exhausted. A great dinner at the resort did the trick and we were able to catch up on some emails and work. The next day was the meeting with the chef to discuss various menu options and what a pleasure it was to spend some time with him. We again met up with some more vendors and had a lovely exchange of ideas. Of course you would not expect anything less from a Jean George Vongerichten restaurant! Seared is a Michelin-starred steak house on the resort. A new glass-walled meat cellar features 15 different cuts of the finest meats from around the world - from Rib Eyes and Tenderloins to Wagyu A5 certified and Kobe beef. We had a delicious meal and a lovely time enjoying the live music and the dreamy ambience.

A verdant oasis on the tip of the Baja Peninsula. Where azure waters greet the mountainous desert and the Pacific Ocean merges with the Sea of Cortez. One&Only Palmilla is where warm waves break onto a dramatic shoreline… and grey whales can be seen rising majestically in the distance. Here, the gracious style of Old Mexico - with its red-tiled roofs, whitewashed walls, and idyllic setting of exquisite fountains - is quietly nestled amidst swaying palms, bird of paradise and other tropical bloom. 

The resort 1956 as a 15-room luxury hideaway by Don Abelardo Rodriguez, son of the President of Mexico, and was uses as an exclusive getaway for Hollywood elite. In 1970,the Transpeninsular Highway was built and the resort became increasingly popular. It had 50 rooms by 1984. In 1991, the Palmilla Golf Club opened, and in 1996, the property was expanded to 115 rooms. Needless to say, we are very excited about this wedding and can’t wait to share the photos with our readers. Thank you to our wonderful tour guide at the One and Only Palmilla! We are so excited for next year's event! Thanks for reading our blog! Have an Exquisite weekend, and we'll see you next week! ? Exquisite Events

An Engagement Party in the Rain

This was an event that we will not forget, nor will our amazing vendors, or our clients! Talk about everything coming together in a bind! In Southern California, where it rarely rains, we are usually considering tenting because of the sun and the heat, but on this particular occasion, at the 11th hour, we were calling vendors all over Los Angeles to see who would be able set up tents in the middle of a rain storm. It was an engagement party of a client's son who is also a dear friend.  The event was planned in three months and after a few design walk throughs and diagrams, a floor plan was selected keeping in mind something elegant and sophisticated for outdoors.  The color palette of peach, gold and ivory was chosen to compliment the engagement invite.  Production started at the beginning of the week with pool cover and carpeting, followed by rentals. The day before the event, the lighting crew came to do the extensive lighting and Nikki and Madiha were present the entire afternoon receiving deliveries and ultimately doing light check at 9 pm. The day of the event around 11 am, it started to rain like there was a hole in the sky and all our floor plan and diagrams changed dramatically and radically.  We were fortunate to secure a tent company after making dozens of phone calls.  The lighting crew had to come back to redo each and every light and amidst panic, helplessness and frustration, we managed to change the entire design aesthetics. We also emptied the house of furniture to create space for the dinner tables that were originally meant to be set outside. Needless to say, it was a long and wet day, but the vision came together as it always does. The setting became even more intimate and elegant by using the clients' home. Guests were welcomed by a harpist in the entry way, handed a glass of champagne, and guided out to the bar on the dancefloor adorned with the couple's initials. By now, the rain had completely stopped and the main tent looked beautiful with a lovely bar, dance floor and a full orchestra with an amazing vocalist. The bride's family was received at the main door and escorted to the drawing room where a short ceremony was performed and the bride and groom were blessed with gifts, and well wishes from family and friends. Then the bride-to-be and her family mingled with guests and enjoyed the evening. Food stations as well as tray passed appetizers were a huge hit and dinner buffet was sumptuous and elaborate.  There was a beautiful dessert buffet laid out with ice cream cart.  All in all the evening was a big hit and everyone enjoyed it tremendously.

  A special thanks to our fabulous vendors: Rentals: Luna Party Rentals Photography: John Solano Photography Decor: Revelry Event Designers Lighting: Images by Lighting Wait Staff: Argyle Event Staffing Valet: Premiere Valet Services Flowers: Celio Design Flowers   Thanks so much for stopping by and reading about this Exquisite Engagement Party! Have an Exquisite weekend and we'll see you here next Friday! ? Exquisite Events

Calamigos Ranch Elegant and Rustic Indian Wedding

Birva first approached our company almost a year ago. At that time, she was looking into Terranea and Four Seasons Santa Barbara. After exchanging a few emails about venues, one day she called to tell Nikki that they had set the date and venue was to be Calamigos Ranch in Malibu.   She wanted a rustic, elegant wedding distinctive of her and Ben’s personalities. After our first site visit, detailed discussion ensued and Nikki and Madiha walked away with a clear idea of what our future bride and groom were envisioning for their big day. Birva also made it clear that photo and video were two elements that were very important to both of them. We were very lucky to have Mike Colon shoot the wedding and Elysium Productions was hired for the video. Birva wanted one WOW factor in the tent, which was based on her inspiration of a floral chandelier. An added element in planning this wedding was that Birva and Ben both lived on the East Coast, so all the appointments were scheduled during their visits to Los Angeles. She also wanted her wedding to be deep Indian colors and reception to be more neutral and elegant. After careful consideration deep red and yellow was chosen for the ceremony. The ceremony site at the venue has a perfect raised area under a beautiful, mature tree, which had marigold garlands hanging. The mandap was a perfect compliment to the flora and fauna and blended with the surroundings. Ben arrived in a vintage Rolls Royce for his baraat with all the pomp and circumstance. After the ceremony, guests enjoyed wine pairing with delectable bites during the cocktail hour and tasting from a local winery along with full bar while a string quartet entertained the guests. The tent curtain was lifted to reveal Birva’s vision of mixing rustic with elegance. Colors were all neutral with a few long tables and rest all rounds. Birva and Ben changed reception attire and she wore a beautiful Monique Lullier while Ben looked dashing in his tuxedo. They made their grand entrance to thunderous applause and went to the dance floor for first dance. Guests were also treated to complete Indian and Italian fare and night ended around 12am when Birva and Ben left in the beautiful vintage car. Below are some screen shots of our favorite photos from the event. Click here to see more. Thank you to all of our vendors: Venue: Calamigos Ranch Photographer: Mike Colon Videography: Elysium Productions Florist: Hidden Garden Flowers Rentals: Luna Party Rentals DJ: Special Occasions Thanks so much for stopping by! Have an Exquisite weekend and we’ll see you here next Friday!

60th Birthday Bash in Pacific Palisades

We were approached by a dear friend to plan her husband’s 60^th birthday bash. Because of couple’s love and passion for music and good food, the right entertainment and a delectable menu was very important to them. The couple also wanted to create an Andalusian/Moroccan theme because of all of their travels and their special love for architecture, music and colors. Nikki and Madiha were able to sit down with the couple for a detailed discussion and walked away with a full understanding of what the client was envisioning. After the initial site visit with all the involved vendors, wheels started to turn in motion as they had two months to plan this bash. The couple was given the color chart and shown two specific colors - deep red and midnight blue - that we thought would work well with the space and theme. Because entertainment was a vital part of this event, a trio of cajon, acoustic guitar/singer and dancer was hired. The food was also very carefully chosen to reflect the theme with Mezze table and a delicious cuisine paying homage to Morocco. Beverages were given careful consideration and upon arrival of guests, they were served Moroccan inspired drinks. Bartenders were dressed in Fez and Djullabas to create the cohesive theme. We also managed to get the best DJ who rocked the night! Looking at all the details from the invite to the door sign, menu, bar signs, lighting, food, furniture vignettes, long tables, bar area, pool area, one could tell that a lot of planning, designing and coordination had gone into this event. Guests were in for a beautiful experience and best part of all was to see the birthday boy having a blast, so much so that at some part of the night, he decided to jump in the pool and also dance flamenco style with the dancer! This was truly a birthday that my friends and their guests will never forget! We loved working with them to pull this event together, and wish the birthday boy a very fruitful and wonderful year! Photo credit: Amanda Sweiko Photography Thanks for reading our blog. Have an Exquisite weekend and we'll see you here next Friday! ? Exquisite Events