The Party Goddess UNCENSORED

A-list celebrity event planner, Marley Majcher (aka The Party Goddess) will be hosting the hippest boutique conference in town!  Event planners and professionals, mark your calendar and plan to join us March 17 – 19 at the ultra-swank Hotel Palomar for the time of your life!

The Party Goddess! UNCENSORED will be 2-1/2 action-packed days of education, networking, and guaranteed fun.  Marley has assembled a panel of top-of-their-game professionals and experts to share their tips and experience to:

• land an A-list celebrity client
• get the PR you deserve
• double your income!
• release your brilliance
• reignite your creative spirit

This conference will be a launching pad, empowering you in the next steps to success.  You will receive:

• strategies for identifying the perfect client for you
• action plan for setting and achieving your goals in 2010
• a full list of attendees so you can stay in touch with the friends you will make (and hopefully find ways to make money together!)
• and of course  (because this IS The Party Goddess after all) a crazy-cool SWAG bag full of treats!

Take a look at The Party Goddess UNCENSORED website for a full list of speakers, details, and registration information.

I hope you’ll join me at the conference!  I’ll be the one with the a flower in my hair and a cocktail in my hand, tweeting madly!

“Cheers!”

**********  NEWSFLASH!!  THIS JUST IN!!!  **********

The Party Goddess is offering FREE ADMISSION TO UNCENSORED for one lucky winner!!

Submit your best video (no longer than 3 minutes) on why you have to be at Uncensored.  You’ve got until February 19, 2010 at 5pm PST to send your clip.  One lucky winner will get a free seat at Uncensored (a $497 value!).  Send your submission to katrina@thepartygoddess.com. GOOD LUCK!

ISES-LA at Ebell LA: Power Breakfast

This week, we had the honor of welcoming International Special Event Society (ISES) members and guests to our Ebell of Los Angeles for an Educational “Power Breakfast.”

We started the morning with networking (and lots of coffee!).  While guests dined on a buffet featuring Prosciutto Eggs Sardou and sipped Sunrise Sangrias, our featured speakers gave us plenty to consider in regards to building a strong network and defining our business brand.

Special thanks to all who made the morning a lovely one:

• Our speakers: Chien J. Wang, master networker and the author of “It’s Who Knows You”, and Sandra Sellani, author of “What’s Your BQ” and a business speaker known for her topic: “The Cure for the Common Brand”.
• Pianist Jeremy Weinglass for providing an elegant soundtrack to start our morning.
• Elegant Design Specialty Linens for providing luscious colors and luxuriously textured linens to our tables.
• Jackie Combs Floral Design for so generously decking our halls with spring bouquets and floral accents.
• Our Ebell Executive Chef Louis Pechan and his team for the delicious delicacies.
• Ebell Events Supervisor Anessa Curtin and her service team.  Couldn’t have done it without you!
  
• And of course, the generous and gracious ISES Board.  Jeff Sigler, Joanna Chong, Takowa Patterson, Ron Hobbs, Debbie Hawkins — it was a pleasure producing this event with you!

Wilshire Ebell Theatre photography feature

When photographer Marianne Lozano asked me if she could set her next fashion photo shoot in the Wilshire Ebell Theatre, I immediately wondered what those photos might look like.  I’ve seen many event photos, fashion images and movie sets within the clubhouse but hadn’t experienced the same for the Wilshire Ebell Theatre.

Now, having a background in theater and performance, I feel at home on the stage, blinded by a spotlight, or waiting in the wings.  Even a stage empty of props, with nothing more than a single-bulb work light, is exciting to me.  An empty house feels like a playground before the rest of the kids arrive.  So I was particularly taken by the glamor of the fashions  to the contrast of a theatre-in-waiting.  I love our Theatre.  I love these images.

Special “thank you” to Ceremony Magazine for showcasing The Ebell of Los Angeles in both the Los Angeles edition and the Orange County edition.  Ceremony  is one of Southern California’s finest wedding publications.  I highly recommend it as a resource for top-of-their-field event professionals as well as the extended pages of design inspirations and real weddings.

Check out Ceremony Magazine online, and also enjoy other images from Marianne’s artistic perspective at StudioLozano.com.  Special “thank you!” to Jeannie Ward of Wedding Jeannie for coordinating all the elements for this photo shoot.

“On with the show!”

Book your photographer, support Haiti

Image by B&G Photography

I received word from Jen and Nate of B&G Photography and I have to share with you their wonderful offering.

Jen & Nate have offered up a their photography talents and services that gives back: from now until Feb 14th, B&G Photography will be donating 5% of their bookings to Doctors Without Borders in support of their relief efforts to the people of Haiti.

Book your wedding photographer now and be a part of the contribution.  Or book a portrait session in time for Valentine’s Day.  More information is available on the B&G Photography Blog.

Grammy Foundation Cue the Music at The Ebell

Its GRAMMY Week!  The GRAMMY Foundation returned to The Ebell of Los Angeles, hosting “Cue The Music: A Celebration Of Music And Television,” the 12th Annual GRAMMY Foundation Music Preservation Project, at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre. The evening featured live musical performances and historical television footage from the Paley Center for Media, content partner for this year’s program.  And what a show it was! – GRAMMY-winning legend Solomon Burke, current GRAMMY-nominated artist Colbie Caillat, current GRAMMY-nominated R&B vocalist Melanie Fiona, GRAMMY-nominated pop/rock band the Fray, Latin GRAMMY winner Jorge Moreno, and current GRAMMY-nominated singer/songwriter Jason Mraz were a part of the sold-out show.

And while guests enjoyed the music in the Wilshire Ebell Theatre, the Ebell Catering Team was busy transforming the Dining Room into a reception fitting the theme: what better way to celebrate music and television than with build-your-own T.V. Dinners??

Executive Chef Louis Pechan tapped into our collective memories, and offered selections such as Salisbury Steak, mashed potatoes and gravy, macaroni and cheese,  peach cobbler – all served in sectioned aluminum trays.  Classic.

Congratulations to The GRAMMY Foundation and their hard-working and dedicated staff for yet another successful celebration!  Can’t wait to do it again!

“Cheers!”

Be sure to tune in to the GRAMMY Awards telecast on Sunday, January 31 at 8pm ET/PT on CBS.  Can’t get enough GRAMMY?  Check out the GRAMMY Museum, recently celebrating its 1st Anniversary!

Improv Everywhere: Wedding Reception

Good morning!  Let’s start the day with something funny!  Today, the funny is provided by Improv Everywhere, a New York City group of comedy actors (and sometimes hundreds of other people who want to play along, too.)  By their own definition, Improv Everywhere “causes scenes of chaos and joy in public places.”  They have executed over 100 missions, and the video below is one of my personal favorites. My wedding industry friends in particular will enjoy this as we start the “booking season.”

Fun, right?!  Here’s another fun one, especially if you are like me and wish that life could be one big musical:

Ok, one more – this one makes me smile: shouldn’t we all start our day this way?

“Hi Five!”  Enjoy your day!

Kiss My Bundt – let’s get to bakin’!

I love to bake.  I love the smell and warmth of chocolate chip cookies in the oven.  I’m a sucker for pumpkin bread.  I discovered a decadent recipe for Kahlua Cake recently and love adding that to my collection of “recipes I know I can make well”.  So imagine my delight to discover a baking class devoted to the fundamentals of baking. 

Kiss My Bundt Bakery offers a Baking Academy, with such class subjects as Baking 101: Cakes, Intro to Frosting, Chocolate Decadence, and even a Kids Only class!   Owner and Senior Pastry Chef, Chrysta Wilson, believes that baking from scratch can be fun and easy with a few professional tips and the right foundational recipes.  In fact, the philosophy of Kiss My Bundt is baking from scratch, “using ingredients that you can spell, pronounce and find at your local grocery store.”  Focusing their menu on the highest quality ingredients, they can also bake vegan and lactose-free cakes, and sugar-free options are in the works.

I suggest calling up some friends and signing up for a class!  Have some fun, sharpen your culinary skills and reap the rewards!

“Enjoy!”

Kiss My Bundt Bakery is located at 8104 West 3rd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90048, situated between Fairfax and La Cienega, just blocks from Beverly Hills and West Hollywood. Stop by for one of the “Daily 8″ (their most popular cake flavors:Vanilla Cake (with Vanilla or Chocolate Buttercream), Chocolate Cake (with either Vanilla Buttercream, Cream Cheese Frosting, or Dark Chocolate Glaze), Red Velvet Cake, Carrot Cake, and Luscious Lemon Drop Cake.)

Encore Bridal support Cervical Cancer Month

For the month of January, Encore Bridal will be donating $50 to the National Cervical Cancer Coalition for every dress sold.  There is one week left – this is a great opportunity for brides to find their dream gown and support an important cause.

Encore Bridal is located in Manhattan Beach.  The Showroom is available by appointment only, however in the month of January, the showroom will be open every Sunday, no appointment necessary.

Ebell welcomes ISES-LA for Workshop

The Ebell of Los Angeles is excited to welcome ISES-LA for its Power Breakfast and Education Workshop on Wednesday February 3rd.  The topic is a vital one: Gain New Business and Build a Strong Personal Brand.  Whether you are just starting out or are well-established in the special event industry, this presentation will be valuable to you.

In addition to the hearty breakfast being served by Executive Chef Louis Pechan, the “power breakfast” will feature 2 published authors who will reveal their secrets to GAINING NEW BUSINESS and getting those all-important referrals.

This is going to be a fabulous presentation and I encourage all of my event and wedding friends and colleagues to join us for the discussion.   I’m looking forward to seeing you there!

Ticket information and more details are available online at ISES-LA.com.

Wedding etiquette and the savy bride

Budgets, and traditions, and step-families – oh my! Planning a wedding is exciting, but it can also be overwhelming.  Picking a date, negotiating the guest list, setting a budget, researching and interviewing and booking all the event professionals… but wait: who pays for what?  How should the invitations read?  Is there a specific way to address the envelopes?  What to do and where to start?

Allow me to suggest a new book by wedding expert Holly LeFevre – “The Everything Wedding Etiquette Book, 3rd Edition”.   Organized to guide you through the wedding planning process as it happens, the book is conveniently printed in a compact size so you can pop it in your purse or bag and take it with you.  From invitations to thank-you notes – this book covers everything you need to handle even the stickiest situation with ease.

I’m also a big fan of Holly’s blogs: Hip, Stylish, and Totally Cool Weddings, which offers a glam guide for the savvy bride, and her day-in-the-life blog 504 Main, where she posts recipes, DIY projects, observations on her life as a wife, mother and sassy gal (in her hilariously frank and engaging style).  Holly is unlike anyone you’ll meet, and yet you’ll find a little bit of your life in her musings as well.  So while I highly suggest her wedding planning books for brides on the go, I also recommend setting your RSS feed to get her blog posts.

So pull up your laptop, settle in with your mocha latte and enjoy!