“An Evening in Africa”

October 11th, 2008- For it’s milstone 5th annual Diamond & Pearl Gala, The Beckstrand Cancer Foundation hosted nearly 400 guests at The Balboa Bay Club & Resort in Newport Beach. This event was especially important for me personally, because I have been a part of the organization since 2006-when the auxiliary of the foundation, The Four Pearls, was launched. Despite a suffering economy, over $1 Million was raised that evening. 100% of the proceeds will go directly to improve and enhance the quality of life of Orange County- and Los Angeles-based cancer patients and their families.

The event production & decor team began setup three days prior. The Grand Ballroom was truly transformed, in its entirety.

Since December of 2007, we were in talks with The Foundation about what the theme would be and then, eventually, the specific design/decor of the guest tables. We assembled all centerpieces which consisted of two different designs. The first design was used with pieces of Beachwood as the foundation. The branches were adorned with assorted succulents and protea attached in various clusters. This design was accented with a lot of candlelight-using both votives and pillar candles. For the second design, we had custom 20″x 20″ wooden boxes made specifically for the event. They were all stained a dark chocolate brown. Inside the box was mood moss, clusters of votive candles, succulents, protea and a trio of bamboo sticks. This design added the heigh factor, without obstructing any view. We initially struggled creatively with ideas for an “Africa-inspired” centerpiece, however, after doing much research, we concluded that raw nature and simplicity defined the “true” beauty of Africa.

Wildflower linen provided the tablecloths, napkins and custom-made the 9 VIP table linens-(132″ Chocolate Brown & Beige Zebra Print) & Chameleon Chairs provided the chairs. Other features of the room included: A live 14′ Giraffe for photo ops with guests, African Drummers, Cirque du Soleil African Acrobats, a Stilt Walker and a Custom-made “Hut” that served as the stage area, among other decor/entertainment details.

This event was truly spectacular to work on. It was not just truly amazing in the superficial sense, it was truly amazing emotionally, for every guest & employee that was fortunate enough to participate.

Festival of Brides Wedding Show – Temecula, CA

Hello Wedding World! It has been quite some time since a new post was added, but now…..I give you a STUNNING table design that came together thanks to: Wildflower Linen, Chameleon Chairs, Classic Party Rentals & our staff for the GORGEOUS floral piece. The centerpiece you see includes roses, artichokes & carnations (believe it or not), among other flower types-all of which are available year-round! This particular piece required two MEN to carry! It would retail at approximately $1,500 to give you an idea…

The Purple & Gold color scheme was inspired by the new Michael Kors floral print Fall ‘08 Ad. This color combination really makes a statement without being too overwhelming. It is different, yet elegant, feminine & fun!

Oh Dahhling…

Incorporating a variety of flower types is especially
fun when working with smaller pieces like these cocktail
arrangements. The gorgeous purple Dahlias are accented with White Hydrangea & Green Cymbidium Orchids, which result in a striking (color) effect!

Tropical Cocktails!

Feminine Birthday Arrangement

This was the centerpiece design for a woman’s Birthday Party in Newport Beach. We were able to find the Hydrangea in that gorgeous periwinkle/blue color (hard to find this late in the Summer!). We set the arrangements inside antique silver bowls to enhance the romantic, soft & effortless look. We are seeing less of the BEYOND LARGE, over-the-top, structured & tightly packed arrangements, and more of the loose, soft & effortless arrangements set inside beautiful vases. Like in fashion, the “less is more” approach holds true for floral design as well. Gorgeous flowers hold their own, stripped of any crystals, feathers, etc., that often times are a distraction and take away from their true beauty.

Newport Beach Wedding

Above is a photo from one of our April Weddings at The Balboa Bay Club & Resort, in Newport Beach, CA. (Summer wedding photos coming soon!) …The taupe bridesmaid gowns look spectacular with the soft pink & ivory color palate! The combination is very rich and elegant, which was just the look our bride wanted to go for. For the reception, we used silver bowls and candelabras to add to the “Vintage-Glamor” look. (See Below)

:::.Welcome to our world.:::

Greetings to all!!! I would like to welcome you to Planit’s very special Blog! Although we are a tad late in the game in having one of these, we have one NOW, and NOW, my friends, is all that matters! I think it is first appropriate, and perhaps most important for me to introduce you to the culture of our company…

When working with us, we strive to create none other than a “drama-free” environment – which is tough to come by in the world of OC party planning-<Gasp!> I know, it’s true!
To us, the planning process, and enjoyment of it, is just as important as the execution of your event!

Through this blog, we hope to gain insight and better ourselves and our company on a daily basis. We value your honesty, opinions, suggestions & criticism. Likewise, we hope that you also find our honesty, opinions, suggestions & criticism helpful in one way or another. This was created not only for our benefit, but for yours as well!

Yours Truly,
Laura