You’ve just had the most beautiful experience of your life, and you’re full of emotion. Beneath your excitement, you’re probably bone-tired, too, and anxious to take off your shoes and have some quiet time with your new spouse. But before you leave your wedding venue, there are still a few things that need to be taken care of. You don’t have to do them all personally, but you do have to make sure they’re done, either by the best man or maid of honor, by your parents, or by some other trusted soul. 1. Store Your Cake You probably want to save the top tier of your cake, either to freeze and have on your first anniversary, or just to gorge on à deux for the next week or when you come back from your honeymoon. If you were able to eat more than a bite of it during the reception, you’re ahead of the curve. Regardless, considering how much time and effort you put into making sure the cake would be both gorgeous and delicious, you deserve to wallow in its yumminess. If you’ve got a cake-topper, you don’t want it left behind, either. Tell your venue or caterer ahead of time not to slice the top tier, and ask to have it boxed and refrigerated after guests have been served. Then remember to take it with you. If you’re going to freeze the cake, refrigerate it again for a while when you get home so the icing firms up. There might be cardboard underneath the cake; if so, remove and cover the cardboard with aluminum foil and then replace it. Now wrap the cake tightly in two layers of plastic wrap to protect against freezer burn. Even if you don’t have the time to refrigerate the cake first, wrapping it in plastic shouldn’t disturb a smooth fondant coating, although it might mush a softer frosting. But better to have the cake remain edible than perfect. Finally, put the wrapped cake back into the box, wrap the box in foil, and pop it into the freezer. Alternatively to the box, put the wrapped cake into an airtight plastic container that you had the wonderful presence of mind to buy in advance. If someone else is doing all this for you while you head directly off to your honeymoon, try to keep the ultimate transfer time to your own freezer as short as possible. Every time the temperature of the frozen cake drops, it gives ice crystals time to form and affect the texture of the cake. You’ll probably forget this next bit of advice by the time your anniversary rolls around, but we’ll offer it anyway: The day before you want to eat the cake, take it out of the freezer and put it into the refrigerator to defrost, removing the plastic wrap after a couple of hours. Then leave it out for an hour or so before serving so it reaches room temperature. 2. Stow the Gifts Inevitably, some people will bring gifts with them to the wedding. You made sure that they’ve been safely tucked away throughout the evening. Now don’t go home without them! It sounds like a simple thing, but in the crush of saying goodbye to everyone, it might slip your mind. It’s best to designate someone to be responsible for gathering up and transporting the gifts so that nothing goes astray. 3. Save the Decorations If any part of the décor is something you want to save, be sure the venue or your wedding coordinator knows in advance. When an event is over, staff swoops in fast to start cleaning up and tossing things or packing them up for retrieval by the rental house. In any case, you really shouldn’t count on the venue to know the difference between the items that have been rented and those that you’ve brought from home and want to keep. Even things that should be obviously personal, like framed photos, might be inadvertently thrown in with tablecloths that are going to the laundry. You’ll probably get them back, but why go through the hassle? Designate a trustworthy person or two to do a quick sweep of the room as the last guests are leaving. 4. Pay the Bills You’ve already paid most of the bill to the venue and caterer, but there may be additional items that couldn’t be added until the evening was over. Be clear in advance about acceptable forms of payment (check, credit, or debit card), and make sure the responsible party knows he or she has to wait for the final tally before heading home. The same goes for tipping. If you studied our wedding checklist, you prepared tip envelopes in advance and entrusted them to the best man or maid of honor to distribute at the end of the evening. 5. Check the Dress This clearly isn’t something you need to do before you leave your venue, but as soon as possible, carefully check your wedding dress for stains. The faster the dress is in the hands of a reputable dry cleaner, the better the chance is that stains can be removed without harming the fabric.
By admin
February 11, 2015
Your wedding is the surely the most important event you’ve planned in your life until now, and it will certainly rank among the most important you’re ever going to plan. You could rush into it headlong, doing things in the order that they come into your mind, making decisions on the spur of the moment with post-it notes stuck to everything but the dog, and hoping it will all turn out fine, or you could take a little time to learn what you’ve got to do, plan your approach, and sail toward your wedding date in calm control. Getting Started The very first thing to do is determine your wedding budget, because it will influence every other decision you make. If you jump right in without knowing the bottom line, you may wind up wasting thousands of dollars in deposits on things you ultimately find you can’t afford. It isn’t always how much you spend, but how you spend it. Decide your priorities and go from there. Next, choose a wedding planner. Even if you already have a pretty good idea of how you want your wedding to go, a planner will be able to negotiate great deals for you and make everything go smoothly. At the very least, you should consider having a coordinator for the actual day of the wedding to coordinate the fine points and take away some of the stress on the big day. (Some wedding venues provide this service for a fee.) Imagine Your Dream Wedding Now pick a date and a location. This may take some juggling, especially if you’d like to have your ceremony and reception at different locations. You’ll want to pick a beautiful venue that complements your dream day. You may have to compromise to steer clear of major holidays and other major events involving close friends and relatives, but you’ll be happier in the end when all of your nearest and dearest are able to attend your own celebration. Next up is determining your guest list and honor attendants. You will have thought about how large (or small) you’d like your guest list to be when you chose your venue, but now you’ve got to start making decisions. Decide if and how you’re including children and plus-ones, and make that decision known so your guests can make appropriate plans. (While you’re at it, make sure you’ve got everyone’s first and last names spelled correctly, and begin collecting addresses.) You’ve probably been thinking all along about how you’d like your wedding to look and feel, so finalize those thoughts before you go forward so that everything is cohesive. This includes your save-the-dates and invitations, your dress and what everyone else will be wearing, the décor and flowers, the cake, the music, and maybe the menu, too. Nail Down the Specifics Now that you’ve got the look in mind, you can send save-the-dates and design your wedding website. Remember that older relatives may not have access to or be interested in the social network thing; make sure you don’t leave them out of announcements and important information. If your venue doesn’t include catering, don’t wait long before selecting a caterer. You also want to reserve a band or DJ, florist, photographer, and videographer as far in advance as possible. Decide who’s going to make your wedding cake, too. Popular vendors book up fast. It can take many months for a wedding dress to be delivered, so shop for that next. It’s certainly possible to buy a beautiful dress off the rack and have it altered to fit you perfectly, but if you’ve got your heart set on ordering one special gown, allow at least four months for it to arrive, and another few weeks at the least for it to be altered. Your wedding party also needs to be dressed, of course. Delivery of bridesmaid dresses usually takes 2-3 months, and they often have to be altered as well. You also have to order attire for the male contingent; don’t expect to find all the styles and sizes you need to be available at the last minute. Wedding invitations should be mailed at least eight weeks before the big day (with RSVPs due three weeks before the date), so order them with enough time to address them, whether you’re doing it yourself or hiring a calligrapher. Last-Minute Items In the final months before the wedding, order your wedding rings, reserve transportation, book rehearsal and rehearsal dinner locations, test out your wedding hairdo and makeup, order gifts for your bridal party, and find out if your religious service requires any special documents in addition to a marriage license. Don’t apply for that license too far in advance; in California they’re only good for 90 days. A month before the wedding, if you haven’t done it sooner, collect special items you’ll want for the ceremony, write your vows, confirm with all of your vendors, make a day-of schedule and contact list, catch up on thank you notes, and keep on top of RSVPs so you can begin planning the seating chart. The last weeks before the wedding will go by in a blur, with piles of personal stuff to take care of that no one else can plan for you. Just stay calm and organized, and don’t forget to have fun as you keep your eyes on the prize: a memorable wedding celebration that brings family and friends together to send the two of you off into a loving life together. Everything else is just details. See our printable month-by-month wedding checklist: WEDDING PLANNING CHECKLIST
By admin
January 21, 2015
Since the ancient Romans ended wedding ceremonies by breaking a cake of wheat or barley over the bride’s head as a symbol of good fortune, weddings have been celebrated with a special cake. Traditions evolved through the ages, and for the past 150 years or so, a tiered white cake has been the single most iconic wedding image there is. Today’s cakes, though, take many shapes and colors, and choosing one for your wedding is a sweet, but sometimes confusing, task. 1. Book a Baker Early Any wedding planner could tell you that good bakeries in L.A. book up fast, particularly for Saturday weddings in the very popular wedding months of June, September, and October. Do your research by asking for recommendations from your venue, caterer, and friends. You’ve likely been scrolling through Pinterest and making notes on what kind of cakes you like and what styles and colors of decoration would best suit your wedding. Bring photos with you when you interview bakers, and listen to suggestions they offer. Your perfect match will be a baker who’s able to do what you want at a price you can afford. Wedding cakes are priced by the number of guests they can serve as well as how elaborate they are, inside and out. Be prepared to pay anywhere from $4 to $10, and up, per slice. 2. Decide on the Shape A graduated series of round layers is the traditional style, but tiers of square layers have become very popular and lend themselves to a contemporary-style wedding. Other shapes like hexagons and ovals are possible, as are more whimsical shapes that your baker can create from standard geometric forms. 3. Decide on the Icing Once you have decided on the shape of your wedding cake, the next move is to determine the icing you would like, if any. The five most common icings are: Buttercream is made from butter and sugar and flavorings are easily added. It’s rich, smooth, and stays soft, so it can be spread smoothly or piped in latticework, basket weaves, or other patterns. It’s also used to create swags, rosettes, and other decorations, and it can be used as a filling, too. Because it melts in extreme heat or humidity, it’s not a good choice for outdoor weddings. Fondant is made from sugar, corn syrup, and gelatin that’s rolled out and then molded over the cake. It’s the most popular coating for wedding cakes because of its clean, porcelain-like finish. It is also easily molded and is good for draping, but it does not take well to flavorings. For this reason, most bakers will frost the cake in buttercream before adding the fondant as a finishing touch. Ganache is made from chocolate and cream, and is as delicious as it sounds. In its standard form, ganache is poured over the cake for a smooth, glossy finish, but it can also be whipped and applied like buttercream. However, it will melt in the sun and can’t be colored the way other icings can. Marzipan is made from ground almonds, sugar, and egg whites, and can be rolled and draped the same way as fondant. It’s more generally used to mold edible flowers or fruit as cake decorations, but as an icing it’s indescribably more delicious than fondant. The downside is that marzipan is often more expensive. No frosting at all is a growing trend for wedding cakes, and is simple and beautiful when the cake is decorated with fresh fruit and flowers. A naked cake won’t be protected from the effects of air or air conditioning, though, so it’s more likely to dry out if it’s held too long before serving. 4. Decide on the Decorations Your cake can be decorated a multitude of ways, including with piped beading, scrolls, swags, lacework, Swiss dots, flowers, leaves, or other elements made with buttercream or firm-textured royal icing. More detailed and realistic flowers are usually created from gum paste (a combination of sugar, cornstarch, and gelatin) or marzipan that is hand molded and delicately painted or airbrushed. Another technique is pulled sugar, in which air is incorporated into boiled sugar by a process of pulling and folding; it produces shiny, translucent flowers, and bows. Pulled sugar can also be blown like glass, to form bubbles and other unique shapes. Keep in mind that all of this handwork takes time and talent, and for that reason can be quite expensive. An alternative is to have your cake decorated with fresh flowers or a combination of simple piping and fresh blooms. 5. Decide on the Flavor This calls for a tasting, where the baker will set out a tray of cake and filling samples for you to try. Ask ahead to see what the selection will be so you can add to it if you have something specific in mind. Pretty much all wedding cakes used to be vanilla, but that has since changed. You can have a different flavor and color for each tier and go wild with fillings if you want. The outside of your cake is important, of course, but as with people, it’s what’s on the inside that counts!
By admin
December 20, 2014
If you’ve been looking for the perfect outdoor location for a wedding or party, you’ll find what you’ve been hoping for at the new Patio at Brandview. Already known for its elegant ballrooms, L.A. Banquets has expanded to include this spacious open-air deck that takes advantage of our spectacular year-round weather. It’s such a natural, we don’t know why we didn’t think of it sooner. Accommodating 100 guests, an event on the Patio combines L.A. Banquet’s know-how with the best of Southern California living. Whatever kind of event you’re thinking of, the Patio can be adapted to suit it. Imagine taking your vows beneath a twinkling canopy of stars. Following the ceremony, your guests will enjoy artisan cocktails and dinner prepared by Anoush master chefs. After the meal, your guests can retire to the welcoming couches in the Patio’s lounge, with fire elements to warm any breeze, and a customizable hookah bar. If you decide on the more formal and larger-capacity Brandview Ballroom for your wedding, consider including the Patio in your plans as a quiet retreat for intimate conversation during the cocktail hour or as the ideal spot for a late after-party. The Patio is also beautifully suited to daytime events. What could be lovelier than a wedding lunch under the clear blue Southern California sky? Think about an alfresco bridal shower or a celebratory luncheon after a christening or other special ceremony or event. The Patio’s fountains will add soft, soothing sounds to the background as your guests savor the finest Anoush Catering has to offer. You can even add an ice cream bar for the sweetest of treats. Thinking of an early evening cocktail reception to entertain clients or reward employees for a job well done? The Patio at Brandview is an exceptional spot for mingling. It offers a unique and tranquil setting in the heart of Glendale. High above the sounds of the city, the clamor of the workday will be forgotten as your guests refresh themselves while sipping cocktails and feasting on an unsurpassed array of hors d’oeuvres. Brandview Ballroom Exciting changes have also been taking place in the elegant Brandview Ballroom. The bar has been completely redesigned with dramatic flair. LED-lit colored shelves reflect in the new mirrors, and a virtual fireplace lends an enchanting glow. We’ve also added the services of Anoush Signature bartenders to dazzle guests with their showmanship. Their flaming shot towers are something to see! Anoush specialty cocktails are the best in town. Offer your guests a wide selection or choose several from our extensive menu including Passion Island Mojitos, Lemon Drops of Love, Amaretto Orangesicle Kisses, and the amazing Wonka’s Flaming Chocolate Bar Martini. If you’d prefer, the Anoush Signature staff can create a delicious cocktail just for you and your event. We’ll name it for you and display it on electronic screens above the bar for all to see. Because of our special relationship with Anoush, the bartending staff members are also available to add their style and expertise to special events at other locations. Glenoaks Ballroom and Le Foyer Ballroom L.A. Banquets’ Glenoaks Ballroom in Glendale and Le Foyer Ballroom in NoHo have also undergone stunning changes, with new gleaming white dance floors to enhance their European glamour. Customized hookah bars are now available at both of these locations, too. Contact L.A. Banquets to schedule a tour of any of our beautiful facilities. Let’s make your special event dreams a reality!
By admin
November 19, 2014
Once only for the tech-savvy, wedding websites have become so popular that 75 percent of engaged couples have them. Also known as “wedsites,” they have evolved from “just the facts” one-pagers to multimedia, interactive productions filled with original art, slideshows, videos, bios of the entire wedding party, countdown timers to the wedding date, quizzes, polls, guest books, wedding vendor credits, and blogs. If you’re having an intimate wedding or just want to keep your personal stuff to yourself (an increasingly rare proposition these days), there’s no need for a website. However, if you’re inviting a lot of people, if you’re expecting a number of guests to be traveling from elsewhere, or particularly if you’re having a destination wedding, a website can be very helpful in terms of disseminating information and posting any changes to the plans. Even at that, you can designate a password for your site so only friends and family can enter or access certain information. Setting Up Your Wedding Website There are many dozens of online services offering templates and other help in building the websites. Some are free, and some are pricey because they include custom design and content production. Hosting services charge about $40 to $80 to maintain your site for a year; you may also choose to keep it active longer for an additional fee. Deciding on the URL for your site may be tricky if you share popular names with the rest of your generation; there are more than two million weddings a year, and an awful lot of people named Jessica or Michael. Try combinations with your nicknames, initials, wedding date, dots, dashes and underscores, whatever will set you apart, but at the same time don’t make it impossibly complicated or too long to fit on your save-the-date announcement or other places you may want to use it. Another option is to buy a domain name from GoDaddy and set it to redirect to your wedding website. What Should You Put on Your Website? To make it easy for visitors, the first page of your site should contain all the basic information for the wedding: date, place, and time. Don’t make people scroll through everything else to find those things out. Do have clearly labeled navigation to other parts of the site so that someone looking for your registry can find it without having to listen to a playlist of the songs you danced to on your first date. A mainstay of wedding websites is the “meet-cute” story of the bride and groom, the ups and downs of their relationship, and the wind-up to the proposal. While romanticizing the story a little is understandable, making a novel out of it is going too far. The two of you are endlessly fascinating to each other, as you should be, but be aware of the gag factor. Also be aware that the site may be read by employers, future employers, exes, your parents’ friends, and, maybe most importantly, relatives who may never have met one of you. The Things to Avoid Don’t include personal narratives that are appropriate for only your closest friends to read, or that cast anything either of you has ever done in a less than flattering light. Revealing that you were too intoxicated to remember each other’s names after you first met, even if it does make for a funny story, is probably not the best way to introduce your future spouse. Keep things private that should stay private; don’t fall prey to TMI syndrome. You’re certainly going to include some photos of the two of you, but edit carefully so your gallery isn’t overwhelming. You might have so many great pictures that you simply can’t decide, but make the effort. Regarding photographs of other people in love, most people think less is more and will be grateful. Include Practical Information The guests who will find your website most useful are the ones coming from out of town or joining you for a destination wedding. Be specific about logistics like travel routes and maps, available accommodations, expected weather, and local sights to see for anyone who’s staying longer than a day or two. If you’ve put a hold on hotel rooms, make sure people know pricing and reservation deadlines. Include a link so that people can download and print a document with relevant maps and directions, contact phone numbers, and any other important details. If you’re including information about the rehearsal dinner and any itinerary you’ve planned for out-of-town guests, be very clear about who is invited (“members of the wedding party” or “our families from the East Coast”). You might want to see if you can arrange a password-protected link to those details, or just send the information separately via email. By all means include a link to your wedding registry, but some people also include a note with theirs along the lines of “What we really want is just to share our special day with the people that matter most, but if you were thinking about gifts, we’re registered here.” One honest couple’s site said, “What we want most is to have you at the wedding to celebrate with us. That said, we also could use some dishware and a shiny new four-slice toaster, so here’s where we’re registered.” The Final Review Before you go live with your website, make sure to double-check for spelling and grammar. The very last thing is to sit back and read it as if you were just meeting yourselves. Does it sound like the two of you and represent the kind of people you are and the kind of wedding you’re having? Yes? Then let it fly!
By admin
November 12, 2014
If your out-of-town wedding guests have never been to Los Angeles, they’ll probably want to see the Hollywood Walk of Fame and Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, Rodeo Drive, the beach, and the other world-famous attractions in the area. It’d be wonderful if you had the time to take them around yourself, but if you don’t, here’s just a sampling of all the ways you can arrange for your guests to see L.A. without you. Even amidst all your wedding preparations, you may want to join them for an excursion or two. If you’re paying for their reservations in advance, all your guests will have to do is show up or, in some cases, be picked up right where they’re staying. Make sure you run the activities with them ahead of time, though. There’s always a chance your aunt wants to spend every free minute shopping in the Americana at Brand instead of doing the town. No matter where your guests choose to spend their time before the wedding, you can be sure any of the following tour options will appeal to their inner Hollywood star and prepare them for your glamorous big event at the gorgeous wedding venue you’ve chosen. Touring by Bus StarLine Tours has been in operation for 75 years, with pickups and drop-offs at most Los Angeles–area hotels. One of their popular tours is a two-hour ride to see 40 movie stars’ homes, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Sunset Strip, and Rodeo Drive (adults $47, children $37). An extended four- to five-hour tour includes a private VIP tour of Warner Bros. Studios (adults $99; children $89, must be 8 or older). For visitors who prefer to see everything on their own time, StarLine has 24-hour and 48-hour passes for its Hop-on, Hop-off narrated city tour on a double decker bus with loops through Hollywood and Beverly Hills (including Rodeo Drive, Farmer’s Market, Melrose Avenue shops, the La Brea Tar Pits, L.A. County Museum of Art, and the Petersen Automotive Museum), West L.A. and Santa Monica (including Westwood Village, Hammer Museum, Century City, Montana Avenue shops, and the Santa Monica Pier), and downtown Los Angeles (including Olvera Street, Union Station, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Staples Center, L.A. Live, the Grammy Museum, Fashion District, Jewelry District, Our Lady Cathedral, Little Tokyo, Chinatown, and Grand Central Market). Pick up a connecting bus to the tour at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, Universal Studios, the Hilton or Sheraton Universal, or the Hollywood Bowl. If you don’t get off the bus to do your own thing, the complete circuit takes about 4-1/2 hours; you can spend as much or as little time as you’d like at each stop. Adult price for the 24-hour pass is $39; the 48-hour pass is $54. Reduced rates for children. LA City Tours offers a variety of tours with mini-buses departing from its Hollywood & Highland location in Hollywood. Free pickup is available for registered guests at hotels in most parts of the city. One of its extended tours is a 5-1/2 hour ride to see movie stars’ homes, the Sunset Strip, Beverly Hills, Bel-Air, Hollywood, downtown L.A., the Santa Monica Pier, Venice Beach, and Marina del Rey, with five stops along the way (adults $71, children 3 to 11 $51). The seven-hour tour includes a four-hour stop in Santa Monica for shopping and hitting the beach (adults $111, children 3 to 11 $91). Touring by Bike Bikes and Hikes LA offers a variety of tours, including a 2-1/2 hour bike ride through Beverly Hills, Bel-Air, and West Hollywood ($44), and a 32-mile, five-hour “LA in a Day” excursion ($162) from West Hollywood through Beverly Hills, Bel-Air, Santa Monica, Venice, and Marina del Rey. Includes a 21-speed hybrid road bike, helmet and vest, and bottled water. Special accommodations for children of all ages. Group rates available. Bike Tours Hollywood features a 10-mile, two-hour ride through historical Hollywood ($65), a 20-mile, four-hour ride through Hollywood and Beverly Hills ($130), and a 40-mile, six-hour ride through Hollywood and Beverly Hills to Venice Beach ($195). Includes hybrid-geared bike, helmet, bottled water. Children must be 14 and above with an adult. Walking Tours Red Line Tours offers a two-hour Hollywood Behind the Scenes walking tour of Hollywood Boulevard that starts in the courtyard of the Egyptian Theatre. $25 for adults, reduced prices for seniors and children. Group bookings available. Felix in Hollywood Tours offer a historical lecture tour of the Hollywood that’s not on the Boulevard. Tickets are $40, and attendees must be age 16 or older. The Los Angeles Conservancy offers a series of 2-1/2 hour walking tours focused on downtown Los Angeles. One takes visitors on a 12-block exploration of the extraordinary number of art deco buildings found in the area. Another takes in six blocks of the Spring Street area, a National Register Historic District. The Conservancy’s most popular tour is of Union Station, the last great railway station built in America, with a unique combination of Spanish colonial revival and art deco styles. Most tours are wheelchair-friendly (adults $10, children $5). Touring on Horseback Sunset Ranch tours are for the real or wannabe cowgirls and cowboys who’d like to see Los Angeles the way the original out-of-towners saw it. Your guests can choose from a one-hour ride in Griffith Park ($40) or a four-hour dinner tour ($100) that takes riders from Beachwood Canyon in Hollywood over the mountains to a Mexican restaurant in Burbank and back again, with daytime and nighttime options in between. The Best of the Rest Just about any way your guests want to see Los Angeles, you can be sure there’s a tour to cater to their interests. Your guests may enjoy a private and personalized tour for up to five people in a classic 1960s Cadillac convertible (about $325 per car). Take in the sights up close and personal on a Segway tour. Two-hour rides through Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, or Venice Beach starting at about $99 per person. Group tours available. Helicopter tours are available from a number of providers, offering dramatic daytime or nighttime views of the highlights of the city and coastline. Prices range from about $90 for a 15-minute trip to $400 per person for a spectacular 90 minutes. Most have a 2-person minimum and 3-person maximum. Elite Helicopters and Orbic Air take off from Van Nuys airport. Copter Pilot takes off from Burbank. Los Angeles Helicopter Tours flies from Van Nuys, Burbank, and El Monte airports. Other helicopter tour providers take off from LAX and other local airports.
By admin
October 31, 2014
