by Vrej Sarkissian, CEO of L.A. Banquets. We want to introduce a new feature on our blog and bring you real weddings from our L.A. Banquets reception venues. For the first post in this series, we have Ana and Grigor’s wedding that transformed Le Foyer Ballroom into a dreamy white wonderland. This was a particularly special wedding for L.A. Banquets as the bride, Ana, is the daughter of one of our vendors, CMC Party Rentals. We’ve worked closely with CMC Party Rentals on countless events, so Ana’s wedding felt like a family affair for us too. With anything she could imagine at her reach, Ana envisioned a classic, all-white wedding with gold accents. Our venue needed some extra touches to meet Ana’s requirements. With CMC Rentals, we hung up soft white drapes around the entire perimeter of Le Foyer Ballroom. Our red carpets disappeared under a blanket of white. And the hardwood dance floor was covered in pristine white tiles. We were all awed by how a few changes utterly transformed Le Foyer Ballroom to provide the setting for a glamorous, yet classic wedding. Ana’s dream wedding surpassed every expectation. Congratulations Ana and Grigor!
by Vrej Sarkissian, CEO of L.A. Banquets Browsing through the news a few days ago, I came across a story about moms who cite Pinterest as a source of stress in their lives. As a virtual place to share and find beautiful images of parties, food, and craft projects, Pinterest should be a haven for relaxation. But as moms try to replicate that level of fantasy perfection, and do it all themselves, they find the reality doesn’t often match their pinned perfection. And it’s not just moms. Every day I see brides who suffer from “Pinterest stress” too. Overwhelmed by all the “inspiration,” brides are driven to anxiety, or worse, jealous competition. Brides convince themselves they have to plan the most fabulous, unique, Pinterest-worthy wedding Pinterest has ever seen. Often without regard to what their budget allows. Many of these stresses stem from the sheer number of wedding related do-it-yourself projects brides undertake. From handmade centerpieces to home preserved jam wedding favors, wanting to DIY aspects of a wedding to achieve a uniquely personal look is a natural inclination. Not everyone has Martha Stewart skills and patience for crafts though, but Pinterest makes many brides feel that handmade and DIY is the true mark of a great wedding. For brides who aren’t naturally handy or creative, DIY can pose a real challenge and endless headaches. I’ve seen brides try out calligraphy for the first time with 350 invitations to hand-letter. The result is usually spilled bottles of ink and ruined sheets of expensive paper. And besides taking up a lot of time, DIY projects don’t always save any money. Especially if a frustrated bride or couple ends up finding a vendor to take over a failed DIY project. Wedding planning is difficult enough without adding the extra stress of trying to create a Pinterest-perfect DIY wedding. I say this to all the brides out there: There’s no shame in saying “I don’t” to DIY. Stand up to the Pinterest pressure and create the wedding you envision, not the one Pinterest says you need to have. Your guests won’t appreciate all the little handmade touches if you’re too exhausted to celebrate. Just remember Pinterest is a tool to help you plan, not the point of your wedding itself. Stay true to what you want and need, and be aware of time and patience limitations when it comes to DIY. Save the elaborate projects for your vendors and save yourself the headaches. Don’t worry if your wedding doesn’t match up to the Pinterest fantasy, because the real thing will be so much better.
Position Title: Administrative Associate Start Date: Immediately Compensation: Salary: commensurate to experience Hours: Full Time (6 days a week including weekends 10am – 8pm) Deadline To Apply: Immediately We are looking for an experienced administrative associate to join our team. Candidate’s responsibilities will be to assist in all aspects of the venue/catering operation. through multiple venues. Your key role is to be a liaison between our sales team and clients. Duties will include, but not be limited to: - Answering Phone & Email Inquiries - Coordinating calls/voicemails among sales associates - Maintaining the office space - Confirming Meetings with clients - Tracks incoming leads, assigns & follows up with sales associates. - Can qualify a client’s purpose for calling and forward to the appropriate personnel or department - Welcomes on-site visitors, determines nature of business, and introduces visitors to appropriate personnel - Monitors visitor access - Updates Appointment Calendars to ensure venues and staff availability Mandatories: - Fluent in both English and Armenian (additional languages a plus!) - Comfortable in both a MAC/PC environment - Quick on their feet and able to assist in any role - Isn’t afraid to speak up and address a situation in need ______ If qualified, please email resume and cover letter to hr@anoush.com No phone calls please.
By: Vrej Sarkissian, CEO of L.A. Banquets It's the morning of your wedding. Even before you open your eyes, only one thought buzzes through your brain: Today is The Day — The Day you’ve spent months planning, The Day you’ve waited for your whole life. Your excitement and anticipation made sleep nearly impossible, but you lie in bed a few more minutes, thinking over all the details: Roses and lilies delivered — check! Handmade decorations in the reception hall — check! The construction of your five-tier passion fruit and dark chocolate mousse cake — check! Everything has come together just like you and your fiancé planned, but... Then you realize that something, everything could go awry. What about the band? Did they get the playlist? Did the photographer get the right address and start time? Has the champagne been chilled? You bolt out of bed, about to call every vendor to triple-check orders and... Stop. Before you let stress consume you on The Day, remind yourself that you’re already prepared. To help yourself relax, think back to your last run of sleepless nights filled with anxiety... Preparation Beats Perspiration Remember finals week in school? Think of your frazzled friend, cramming at the last minute. She was so stressed out, she couldn’t concentrate on even eating. Then think of your other friend who stumbled into the classroom in flip-flops, coffee cup in hand, looking like she just came from the beach. Both had studied and were equally prepared, but who usually scored better? The friend in flip-flops, of course. She knew she had prepared, and that exam day is too late to learn more, so why stress about it? Her calm confidence helped her more than any last-minute cramming would. On your wedding day, emulate your second friend. No, don't wear flip-flops down the aisle (unless tropical beach is your wedding theme). Just remind yourself that you’ve done all that you can in the months leading up to this date. Anything that doesn’t go according to plan is beyond your control. Florist deliver flowers in the wrong shade of pink? Ceremony run a few minutes late? Only you will notice, so let others think about them — your parents, your wedding planner, the professionals at your banquet facility. Instead focus on the life-changing event that matters: marrying the person you love. Here's another tip to keep you stress-free and confident in the days leading up to The Day: while planning your wedding, keep the details organized. Try the Ultimate Wedding Planning Checklist at Real Simple, and the wedding planning tools created by Google and the wedding experts at Style Me Pretty. Share the documents with your fiancé and anyone else helping you plan. Using these tools will help free your mind, so instead of sweating the details you're savoring every moment. And while you're getting your hair and make-up done, try on a pair of flip-flops – they'll remind you that everything will turn out better than even you expected.
“It’s the people surrounding me day in and day out at work who are my inspiration,” says Ani Keshishian, recipient of the 2013 Women in Business Award, presented by the Armenian American Chamber of Commerce. Ani is the Director of Human Resources for both L.A. Banquets & Anoush Catering, where she works to ensure that all of the company’s employees feel like members of the family. Putting together a close-knit team keeps the business operating smoothly and more importantly keeps her motivated. “Without a hardworking, loyal and dedicated team, I can never be successful.” Ani embraces her personal motto, “the best attitude is gratitude,” in several charities. She actively participates in the SAK Foundation, a charity established by her family to better the lives of impoverished children in Armenia. “When I see pictures of the children in Armenia, I can’t help but see my own kids reflected in their eyes and smiles. The instinct to help them is great and I’m so glad I can through SAK’s work.” Since the importance of giving back was instilled in her at a young age by her family, she is today involving her own children in charity projects. Ani recently bridged her charity work with her professional career by establishing the Charity Outreach Division at L.A. Banquets & Anoush Catering. “Anoush Catering and L.A. Banquets have been the backdrop for so many important events for the people in our community. Our Charity Outreach Division is a way of saying thank you to everyone for always letting us be part of their celebrations and gatherings.” With gratitude for the people around her and her successes, Ani recognizes that the joy in life is in the journey. “Building and creating lasting memories is the key ingredient. Between my two kids, my career, and an incredibly busy husband, it’s a constant juggling act to maintain a well-balanced and happy life. But being passionate, humble, and willing to learn has made this journey pleasant and rewarding.”
Spring is in the air — and everyone feels like celebrating: • In Japan, the blooming cherry trees bring families together to picnic beneath the pink blossoms. Paper lanterns illuminate the celebrations into the night. • In Iran, the new calendar year begins with Spring and the two-week celebration Nowruz, which dates back 3000 years. Families visit each other and every home sets a table of seven items symbolizing life. • And in India, the Holi celebration breaks across social lines as rich and poor, young and old dress in white, dance in the streets, and literally paint each other. They fill the air with plumes of multicolored powders in a vivid celebration of the bright days ahead. Even here in Southern California, where the Winters feel like Spring, the new season finds everyone in a celebratory mood, with weddings and graduations, Easter and Passover, and other reasons to bring families and friends together. Of course, that means finding a place to celebrate can be a real challenge, particularly on weekends in April, May, and June. Fortunately, we still have a few dates open at our colorful locations: In our newly expanded Brandview location, we have these dates available: • April 6, 12, 28 • May 11, 12, 19 • June 9, 23 (you're in luck, June brides!) At Le Foyer, you can pick from any of these dates: • April 14, 28 • May 3, 5, 10, 17 Just three days at the Galleria: • May 17,18 • June 30 And at Glenoaks we have just two days available: • April 14 • May 12 So if you're looking to celebrate for any reason, please call us soon: 818-241-0888.
