Your Guide: Corporate Event Planning Tips & Advice

A great corporate event can be a huge boost for your company, bringing you the attention you need from the public, investors, clients, and colleagues. But actually planning a corporate event can be a massive undertaking.

When planning a corporate event, you’ll have to juggle the dreams of your boss with the realities of event vendors, bridging the gap between what you’d like to see happen versus what’s actually possible. And you’ll be responsible for spending a significant portion of your company’s money, meaning you’ll need the event to be a success. Thankfully, the experts at De Luxe Banquet Hall are here to help with some useful corporate event planning tips and advice.

Watch the video below for more corporate event planning advice:

Set Concrete Goals For Your Event

What do you want to get out of your corporate event? This is a question you need to ask as soon as you start planning, as it will guide the rest of your decisions to come. Is your priority to honor employees and help them have fun? Are you trying to get the public interested in your company? Or perhaps you need to get some big investors for future projects? Ask yourself what you ultimately hope to achieve through your corporate event, that way you can set goals for the special occasion and decide what type of event is best for your needs.

Decide Your Budget Early

Before you dive deep into the event planning process, you need to to know how much money to spend on the event. Determining your corporate event budget is tough, as more often than not your boss will want you to save money, but determining your priorities will help you decide where you can spend money and where you should save. With a budget in place, you can begin meeting with event vendors and hunt for an event venue that fits your needs.

Pick A Great Support Team

As we’ve mentioned, corporate event planning is tough, and in order to make it a bit easier you should have a great support team by your side. Gather at least two or three of your most trusted colleagues to help you organize your big event. With a strong team by your side, you won’t get overwhelmed with the planning process, and will have plenty of input on the big decisions bound to come your way.

For more corporate event planning tips and advice, check out the blogs below:

Promote Your Corporate Event

You need people to come to your corporate event, and a good chunk of your budget should go towards corporate event promotion. This could include printing beautiful event invitations, promoting your event in your corporate newsletter, or personally reaching out to important colleagues you hope will attend. You may even want to reach out to the press for promotion if you’re holding a product launch, corporate awards ceremony, or a gala that’s open to the public.

Don’t Forget Post-Event Follow-Up

You want to get the most out of your corporate event, and in order to build even stronger connections with guests after your big day you should definitely engage in some post-event follow-up. Consider sending thank you notes to your event guests, or personalized messages to the corporate VIPs who were in attendance. That extra bit of work will definitely make a big impact on your guests.

Corporate event planning is a huge challenge, but with a thoughtful, organized approach, you’ll be able to plan a great event that makes your company look great. Of course, you’ll also need a location for your special occasion, and if you’re looking for a great corporate event venue in Los Angeles, consider De Luxe Banquet Hall. Our family of event venues feature beautiful decor, delicious catering, and affordable accommodations perfect for any budget and event. For more information on booking and availability, contact De Luxe Banquet Hall today.

5 Great Ideas For Your Engagement Party Theme

Congratulations! You’re finally engaged, and on your way to spending the rest of your life with your one true love. That’s cause for some major celebrations, which is why you should definitely consider having an engagement party.

A great engagement party will get guests excited for your wedding, inviting them to share the love that you share with your future spouse. And a creative engagement party theme is the perfect way to impress your guests. Luckily, the pros at De Luxe Banquet Hall are here with a few fun engagement party theme ideas. Read on for some of our suggestions below!

Check out the video below for more engagement party tips and ideas:

1. Wine Tasting Engagement Party

If you want to have an intimate wedding reception, it’s a good idea to also have an intimate engagement party. And one great way to incorporate that style is with a wine tasting engagement party.

Wine tastings are always classy events, allowing guests to mingle and unwind with some delicious drinks. We recommend a wine tasting party if you have a lot of guests that don’t know each other, as the chill vibe and intimate atmosphere will definitely provide them time to get to know each other.

2. Weekend Brunch Party

Most big parties are evening affairs, with guests celebrating and partying the night away. But if you’re looking to for something different, why not organize a great catered brunch for your engagement party?

Everyone loves brunch, and providing guests with some delicious food will definitely impress. You can likely make a reservation at a great local restaurant or have a catering service bring brunch to your home or event venue, providing guests with a comfortable, relaxed party that will get them excited for your wedding.

Luckily, De Luxe Banquet Hall offers world-class catering that can provide anything you request!

Check out the blogs below for some wedding planning tips and advice:

3. All-Ages Engagement Party

Your wedding is bound to have at least a few kids in attendances, so why not get them involved in the festivities from the start? If your wedding guests have kids, then you might want to consider having an all-ages engagement party.

An all-ages party is a great way to get your entire family involved in the festivities, from grandparents and teens to toddlers! You can organize this party more or less the same as any other engagement celebration, but we recommend incorporating some special activities or entertainment for your younger guests.

4. The DIY Engagement Party

Celebrating your engagement can be an expensive affair, and if you’re looking to cut some costs you should consider having a DIY engagement party.

There are plenty of DIY party planning tips available online to help you get started, and we’d recommend designing some of your own decorations and cooking up your own food for the event. It might be a lot of work, but doing all that work yourself will definitely help you cut the cost.

5. Outdoor Barbecue Picnic Party

It’s always fun to incorporate seasonal elements into your event, and a great way to celebrate your engagement is with an outdoor barbecue picnic! Nothing beats gathering all your friends and family for a day of fun in the sun, complete with some delicious catering.

Your engagement deserves just as much celebration as your wedding, and with a little creative planning you’re pound to have a successful engagement party. And if you’re looking for a great engagement party venue in Los Angeles, you should consider De Luxe Banquet Hall. Our event venues are perfect for engagement celebrations, wedding receptions, and so much more. Even better, we can meet almost any budget, guaranteeing you don’t overspend on your event. For more information on booking and availability, contact De Luxe Banquet Hall today.

Best Ways To Craft The Perfect Wedding Cake

For generations, a great wedding cake has been the centerpiece of every wedding catering menu. Guests always look forward to a delicious dessert following a beautiful ceremony and exciting reception party, and a great wedding cake will make your event even more memorable.

You and your guests deserve some delicious cake, but how do you choose the right one? Well, the wedding pros at De Luxe Banquet Hall are here to help with some useful tips and advice on how to craft the perfect wedding cake. Read on for a guide through the cake planning process.

For a look at wedding cakes over the years, watch the video below:

What’s Your Budget?

The first part of any wedding planning process is to determine your budget. Be sure to consider all aspects of your wedding to determine how much you can afford to spend on your wedding cake. Remember, you need to budget for the cost of the cake as well as cake transportation to your wedding venue. Wedding cakes are typically priced per slice, and you should plan to pay anywhere between $4 and $15 per slice per guest.

Decide On A Cake Style

Before meeting with wedding cake bakers, it’s worth sitting down with your spouse to think about what kind of cake you want. Do you want a simple, classy wedding cake? Or would you like a gigantic, decadent creation? What sorts of flavors do you want to incorporate in your cake? You should have a general idea of what you’re looking for before meeting with any cake vendors.

Meet With Different Wedding Cake Vendors

You need to find a great wedding cake, and in order to find the best cake you should meet with multiple wedding cake vendors. Scheduling and attending multiple meetings might seem like a hassle, but it will give you a great sense of the options available for your wedding. And having a variety of options will help you find the perfect wedding cake for a great price.

For more wedding planning tips, check out the blogs below:

Ask Friends & Family For Referrals

If you’re having trouble finding leads for your wedding cake, consider asking friends and family for some advice. There’s likely someone in your inner circle who’s had or attended a great wedding recently, and they can probably connect you with a great cake vendor.

Choose A Beautiful Cake Topper

Your wedding cake can’t just taste great. It needs to look great too, which is why you should find a beautiful cake topper for your dessert. Cake toppers are a wedding tradition, and can be anything from the classic bride/groom figures to colorful flowers and more. And if you’re looking to save some money, you can always craft your own DIY wedding cake topper.

Creating the perfect wedding cake is a difficult task, relying on the skills of a great baker and a hearty helping of your own ideas. But with a thoughtful, measured approached, you’ll definitely have an impressive cake for your event. And if you’re looking for a wedding venue in Los Angeles, you should definitely consider De Luxe Banquet Hall. Our event venue offers beautiful decor and exceptional accommodations perfect for wedding receptions, engagement parties, anniversary celebrations, and more. Contact De Luxe Banquet Hall today for more information on booking and availability.

How To Plan The Ultimate Quinceañera: Tips & Advice

Your daughter is one of the most important person in your life, bringing you happiness, joy, love, and so much more. And while every one of her birthdays is cause for celebration, she deserves nothing but the best for her quinceañera.

Your daughter’s quinceañera will be one of the most important days of her life. But actually planning a quinceañera can be quite the challenge. Thankfully, De Luxe Banquet Hall is here with a helpful quinceañera planning guide. Read on for our tips and advice on how to plan the perfect party.

Want tips on picking the perfect quinceañera venue? Watch the video below:

Start With Planning Your Budget

The first part of any party planning process is determining your budget. A big event like a quinceañera will require plenty of spending, from renting an event venue and hiring catering to selecting invitations and your daughter’s quinceañera dress. And those costs are going to add up quick. With a clear budget in mind, you’ll have a great idea of where to spend and where to save, eliminating much of the stress that comes with quinceañera planning.

Decide The Date As Soon As Possible

The perfect date is essential to the perfect party. To make sure your daughter’s celebration is a huge success, be sure to decide the date early. We recommend checking with family and friends to see if there are other major events in the near future, that way you can be sure that there are no conflicts. Consider deciding the date at least four months in advance, giving guests plenty of time to adjust their schedules for your daughter’s big day.

Complete Plenty Of Quinceañera Research

To ensure that your daughter’s celebration is a big success, you’ll want to do plenty of research. There are a lot of different elements to party planning, and we recommend finding answers to common questions including:

What kind of quinceañera event venue do you want?
What colors will look best for your daughter’s dress and decorations
Will you observe any traditional quinceañera traditions?
What kind of catering do you want for the party?

Hire An Event Photographer

You’ll cherish the memories from your daughter’s quinceañera for the rest of your life, and to help you capture those moments you’ll definitely want to hire an event photographer. The right photographer will be able to capture stunning candid shots and beautiful formal photos of your family, friends, and loved ones.

Choose The Quinceañera Court Wisely

If your daughter wants to honor tradition, then she’ll definitely have a quinceañera court at her party. The court celebrates the night alongside your daughter, and is comprised of 14 of her closest friends.

Naturally, your daughter should choose her own court, but you want to be sure she chooses wisely. The ideal quinceañera court will support your little girl throughout the planning and preparation process, helping shine a spotlight on her throughout the night and making the event truly memorable.

Help Your Daughter With Thank You Notes

A quinceañera signifies your daughter’s transition from childhood to adulthood, and that means she should start acting like an adult. To help teach your daughter the value of gratitude, be sure to help her craft thank you notes following the party. Thank you notes are a great way to show guests that your daughter’s appreciates them, strengthening her bonds with guests.

Planning a quinceañera is a massive undertaking, but in the end all of your research and preparation will be worth it. Remember, this is a big day for your daughter, and your careful planning will definitely make her happy. If you’re looking for a quinceañera venue in Los Angeles, consider De Luxe Banquet Hall. Our event venue is perfect for a variety of social events, from quinceañeras and birthday parties to anniversary celebrations and more. Contact De Luxe Banquet Hall today for more information on booking and availability.

5 Tips For Picking A Corporate Event Catering Service

Corporate events are a great way to draw attention to your company, giving employees a reason to get out of the office for something exciting and allowing industry colleagues to make connect with your business. Naturally, most corporate events feature catering, and the catering company you hire can have a huge impact on your event’s success.

Great food will make guests remember your event for years, and help get outsiders interested in working with your company. But how do you choose a corporate event caterer? If you’re looking for some help, you’re in luck, because the event experts at De Luxe Banquet Hall are here with some useful advice on picking the perfect catering service for your corporate event.

Take a tour of De Luxe Banquet Hall in the video below:

1. Start With Your Corporate Event Budget

Before you start any corporate event planning, you need to determine your event budget. Be sure to determine how much your company can spend on an event venue, catering service, decorations, and other details before picking your caterer. After all, you don’t want to waste time meeting with catering companies that you ultimately can’t afford.

2. Get An Approximate Headcount Before Booking

You likely want your corporate event to have tons of guests, and while that’s great for your company that can be a problem for some catering services. Some caterers specialize in smaller, intimate events, while others are better suited for large events. That’s why you should get an approximate headcount before booking your caterer.

You don’t need to know exactly how many people will be at your corporate event, but you should have a general idea of how many guests you’ll have. That way you’ll be able to pick a corporate event catering service that can handle your guests.

For more event planning tips, check out the blogs below:

3. Plan A Variety Of Food Options

Catering for corporate events can be tricky, especially considering so many classic catering options are kind of boring. It’s always beef, chicken, or vegetarian entrees, with some hors d’oeuvres along the way. But to make your corporate event really exciting, you should plan a variety of appetizing food options.

A great catering service will be able to design a menu that works for your event, creating a variety of delicious options for your guests. Whether its a corporate gala, corporate holiday party, or corporate conference, the right caterer will be able to handle the menu for any type of event. Sit down with your caterer to discuss different menu options for your event, making sure to provide options for every type of eater.

4. Do You Want A Bar?

Many corporate events have a bar, providing guests with perfect cocktails all night long. But you don’t need to have a bar at your event. Consider what type of event you’re having and whether a bar would be appropriate.

If you’re holding a holiday party or gala, you’ll want to have a bar. But if you’re just hosting a corporate conference, you can probably go without. Regardless, you’ll want to discuss the pros and cons with your corporate catering company to determine what’s best for your event.

5. Consider An Ongoing Relationship

Great corporate catering can be hard to find, and if you find a catering company that you love then you might want to consider an ongoing relationship. Plenty of corporate catering services are willing to sign ongoing contracts, guaranteeing their services for a set number of future events. An ongoing relationship between you and your caterer can be a great asset to your business, guaranteeing that guests will have great catering at all your company’s events.

You want your corporate event to be as memorable as possible, and having some great catering will help guests remember your event for years to come. If you’re looking for the perfect corporate event venue in Los Angeles, consider De Luxe Banquet Hall. Our event venues offer a variety of catering options including buffet style dining, family style dining, and delectable hors d’oeuvres that your corporate event guests will love. Contact Olympia Banquet Hall today for more info on booking and availability.

5 Sure Ways To Make Your Small Wedding A Big Success

Small weddings are a great way to celebrating your big day with an added level of intimacy. But some worry that due to their size, small weddings feel less special than a big one. Even worse, some thing that guests at small weddings can easily get bored. Thankfully, these worries can be avoided if you get creative with your event.

Small weddings can be even bigger successes than massive weddings, especially if you plan ahead. The experts at De Luxe Banquet Hall know what it takes to pull off a successful event, and that’s why we’re providing some helpful tips and advice on how to make your small wedding a big success below. Read on for some suggestions that will make your big day shine.

Take a tour of De Luxe Banquet Hall in the video below:

1. Set Up A Photo Booth

Having a small wedding will force your guests to interact with each other, but some of your more shy friends and family might need an extra push to have some fun. That’s why you should get creative and set up a photo booth! Simply set up some fun decorations in a corner of your event venue, designating that zone the “photo booth” for the night. Your guests will love the chance to take some special, fun photos. And to really make your photo booth a success, be sure to hire a professional photographer for your event.

2. Get Creative With Your Cocktails

A smaller wedding provides the chance for more customized food and drinks. To make sure your guests find something to love at your wedding reception, consider crafting some creative signature cocktails. You can go with fresh twists on the classics, drinks inspired by past memories with your spouse, or just something totally fresh and original. Just remember to have fun with your creations, and so will your guests!

3. Fun DIY Decorations

DIY wedding decorations have made a major comeback in recent years. They help make your event feel personalized and intimate, and if you’re having a small wedding DIY decorations will make your guests feel even more special. There are tons of DIY wedding decoration guides available online, and while your wedding event venue will probably have decor of its own they’ll definitely let you set up some homemade decorations.

For more wedding planning tips and advice, check out the blogs below:

4. Craft A Unique Wedding Guest Book

Guest books are a tradition at any wedding, often allowing guests to provide some fun, heartfelt notes to the newly married couple. At a small wedding, your guests are probably very close friends and family, and that means you already know how much they love you and your spouse. So, consider getting a bit more unique with your wedding guest book. Consider getting some custom art for your guest book, or ask your guests to provide unique suggestions on what you and your spouse should do after your wedding day.

5. Get Some Live Music

Live entertainment makes almost any event more fun, and it will definitely bring life to your wedding reception. We recommend booking a live band to play at your wedding, allowing your guests to dance the night away and sing along to their hearts’ content. A live band will be even more fun at a small wedding, because you’ll be able to get up close and personal with the musicians providing the entertainment.

Small weddings can be just as fun as big ones, especially if you plan ahead and include some creative takes on wedding traditions. If you’re looking for a wedding venue in Los Angeles, consider De Luxe Banquet Hall. Our space features three unique venues — the De Luxe Ballroom, De Luxe Lounge, and Olivia Restaurant — that are perfect for events of any size. For more information on booking and availability, be sure to contact De Luxe Banquet Hall today.

5 Tips For Wedding Planning On A Budget

Wedding planning is no easy task. From choosing the right venue to planning the menu for your reception, there are tons of decisions big and small that you’ll need to make. And those decisions can be even harder to make if you’re planning on a budget.

People think that in order to have a great wedding, you need to have an expensive wedding. While having tons of money never hurts, it’s possible to plan a successful wedding on a small budget. The team at De Luxe Banquet Hall is filled with wedding experts, and that’s why we’ve come together to provide some tips on how to plan your wedding on a budget.

1) Don’t Bother With The Wedding Program

A program outlining the details of your ceremony and reception is fairly standard at most weddings. And while a program can be a helpful guide to the festivities, it’s really an unnecessary expenditure. Your guests are likely all close family and friends, and that means they’re probably already familiar with your spouse and those involved in your wedding ceremony. Printing out programs that outline everyone involved wastes part of your budget on something that most guests will probably toss in the trash after the ceremony.

2) Get A Friend To Be The Photographer

You’ll definitely want to capture memories at your wedding with some high quality photos. But a professional wedding photographer can be pretty costly. Luckily, you can turn to your friends to handle photos duties for the night. To work within your budget, consider designating a friend or two as the official photographers for the night, snapping photos on their phones and then sharing them on social media throughout and after the wedding. You should still be able to get some high quality photos without the massive costs that come from a professional photographer.

3) Make A Playlist For The Reception

Music is a must at any wedding reception, but hiring a professional DJ or a live band is a huge expense. However, you don’t need a pro to make your reception music a hit. Just put together a great playlist yourself and play it at the gathering. Making your own playlist guarantees that you’ll have great music to dance to, which is the most important part of any wedding reception. Simply plug your computer into some speakers, press play, and hit the dance floor.

We recommend that you still rent a good speaker system for the event, but getting the sound system sans DJ/band should definitely help you cut costs.

Want more on weddings? Check out the blogs below:

4) Not Everything Needs To Be Customized

If you’ve ever planned a wedding, you’ve realized that you can get just about everything customized. Wedding invitations, table centerpieces and more are able to be designed right to the very last detail based on your specifications. But customization also means increased prices.

When you’re making decisions for your wedding remember that every single detail doesn’t need to be unique. The most important thing for your guests is that they’re together for your special day. They won’t remember the monogrammed napkins at your reception or what kind of flowers you used for decorations. Remember to weigh your wants with your needs to determine where you can cut costs.

5) Find A Budget-Friendly Venue

The biggest part of your wedding budget is the venue. You’ll want to find somewhere to hold your event that will impress your guests without busting your budget. Thankfully, with a little research you should be able to easily find a venue that perfectly fits your budget. The trick to finding a budget-friendly venue is to actually go out an explore your area, tracking down different options and meeting with venue managers to see how they can work within your budget.

If you’re looking for a budget-friendly event venue in Los Angeles, you’ll definitely want to consider De Luxe Banquet Hall. Our luxurious, customizable accommodations offer one of the best wedding event venues in Los Angeles. And our sister venues the De Luxe Ballroom and Olivia Restaurant also offer stunning wedding accommodations. For more information on our wedding event services, contact De Luxe Banquet Hall today.

Getting Inspired: How to Decide on Wedding Details

For many brides, setting the details of a wedding can be a daunting task. With so many options for venues, the ceremony and reception, and all of the little details that make a wedding unique to the couple, it can be hard to settle on details or even know where to begin. Here are some ideas for finding inspiration for your wedding plans.

The Venue

This is a pretty important detail and really sets the wedding mood or theme and can inspire the rest of the wedding details. If you don’t have a venue already in mind, here are some suggestions for finding inspiration for the perfect venue.

Where did you meet? Did you meet on the beach, a park or at a fun festival? Selecting your venue around where you met your love is a great way to share your story with your guests
Where was your first date? If your first date was a particular restaurant that you both love, you may want to consider having your reception, ceremony or your rehearsal dinner at that place where you took that first step to forever.
Do you share a favorite vacation destination? If you want a destination wedding, this might be a great way to decide on a location. If you haven’t traveled together yet but want a destination wedding, find inspiration in a spot that you both want to visit.

The Ceremony

While the reception is the big celebration, you have to get through the ceremony first. Here are some things to think about that will inspire those special ceremony details.

Are you drawn to particular colors? Choosing wedding colors can be a challenging task. Keep it simple and go with the colors you love the most.
Do you obsess over a particular flower? Use this as your base for all of your floral arrangements. A good florist will be able to make beautiful arrangements based on your favorite bloom.
Do you have a favorite romantic song or poem? Find inspiration for vows, ceremony music and special readings from works that you already enjoy, and that are meaningful to your relationship.

The Reception

There are a lot of details that go into planning your reception. Food, drinks, wedding favors, play lists, and seating charts. It can seem overwhelming. Here are some ways to narrow down your reception details.

Do you have a favorite restaurant or food? Menu planning can be challenging, especially if you have a lot of food options or have guests with dietary restrictions. Keep it simple by serving foods that you love or have a favorite restaurant cater your reception.
Do you have a favorite bar? If you are thinking about serving a custom cocktail or want to limit your bar, use your favorite bar or night spot for cocktail inspiration.
What songs remind you of love and family? If you need help thinking about songs to play at your reception, go for songs that remind you of love, happy times, or your mom or dad for those special dances.

Planning a wedding doesn’t have to be overwhelming, with the right inspiration. At DeLuxe Banquet Hall, our wedding professionals can help you through every detail of your wedding and reception.

10 Ways to Customize Your Entire Wedding

Although there are hundreds and hundreds of tips, ideas, and cool ideas on Pinterest for weddings, it is important to not get too caught up in what’s trendy and interesting for the moment. Those are the things that other people are thinking about too and may be incorporating in their wedding, in an effort to be “unique.” However, something done a million times over in one season is not going to be unique. The key to making your wedding special and personalized is to incorporate custom touches that no one else will have.

Invitation Suites

When thinking about how you want your invitations and other paper components to look, consider the overall style, formality, and atmosphere you want to represent at your wedding. And don’t forget about the elements in your life that make you, you. Incorporate images of your favorite flowers on your invite, your childhood home, the church or other venue location where you’ll be getting married, or even your beloved pet. These images will be so fitting for your special day and your guests will gush over the thoughtful touches.

Lounge Accessories

Lounge areas are a popular component of many weddings nowadays, and to make yours stand out, rent cool, vintage furniture and add comfort by decorating the pieces with monogrammed pillows. Find a seamstress or maker on Etsy to embroider your initials or wedding date on lush pillows that you can bring home after the wedding for your new love nest.

Personal Menu

The dinner menu is a fun place to add some personal touches and is a great way to incorporate food you love and that may be traditional to your culture. If you and your fiancé have a few favorite dishes that you love to cook together or you enjoy at a favorite restaurant, incorporate them into your menu.

Cocktail Napkins

Have cocktail napkins designed with personal touches that go beyond including your initials, and represent all of the special dates and moments from your relationship, like when you first met, your first date, your first kiss, and when you said “Yes!”

Bring in Your Interests and Hobbies

Everyone is different and has unique qualities that make them special. Celebrate those at your wedding and incorporate personal touches that represent your personalities, hobbies, and interests like a destination sign of all the places you have traveled to with your partner or family. And continuing with the travel theme, place elegant luggage pieces around as side tables beside the lounge areas as a unique way to represent a love in your life.

Brand Yourself

One surefire way to incorporate yourself into your wedding is to have a logo created and have it placed in dramatic ways like a large sign above the bar or sweetheart table, and snuck in more subtle ways like napkins, favors, drink signs, and shown onto the dance floor.

Drunk in Love

Come up with a few custom cocktails and fun names to serve to guests at the bar. Instead of just going with “Blushing Bride,” try coming up with names that are personal to you, such as nicknames, pet’s names, and favorite locations. Don’t forget to include the drink names and ingredients on a cute sign on the bar.

Floor to Ceiling Décor

As you plan the décor for your reception, don’t just look at the tables and lighting but look down as well. Consider renting a unique dance floor that isn’t the typical wooden platform and may be designed in a sleek color, fun pattern, and allow you to lay down a custom sticker.

Cake Toppers

If you’re going with the tradition of having a cake topper but don’t want the typical bride and groom, have one created just for you that looks like you and your fiancé! Toppers can be designed to feature your unique physical traits, in a favorite or representative outfit, and in a fun pose.

Party Favors

It’s always fun to leave your guests with something that will remind them of your special day. Customize your wedding favors with something that is meaningful to you, like a custom essential oil blend of the flowers used at your wedding, or an engraved USB drive that has your favorite music or video clips of you and your fiancé.

Finally, for a reception venue that is customizable and personalized for your special day by experienced design professionals, contact the De Luxe Banquet Hall.

3 Ways to Make Your Reception Kid-Friendly

Unless you are planning an adult only reception, the likelihood is good that you will have at least a few kids attending your wedding. They may be a part of your wedding as your ring bearer or flower girl, or they may be the children of your wedding guests. Either way, it’s a good idea to consider some kid-friendly elements for your reception. Keep in mind, if the children at your reception are taken care of and entertained, then their parents will want to stay longer and help you celebrate as a result.

Kid Food

The one thing that will cause your guests with kids to leave quickly is a hungry child. Your plan may be to have a beautiful, elegant meal, but chances are good that the kids in the crowd aren’t going to be as excited about your menu choice. Make sure that you include some kid-friendly foods in your dinner menu. Not sure what to include? Foods like buttered noodles, macaroni and cheese, chicken tenders, and French fries are always popular with kids.

Every kid loves cake, but kids love cupcakes even more. They are just the right size for little hands and don’t require a fork. Instead of serving just cake, consider a few cupcakes for the kids. If you want to take cupcakes to the next level, have a cupcake decorating station, where kids can add sprinkles, candy, extra frosting, and other fun decorations to their cupcakes. Not only will they love their dessert, but it will provide a little kid-friendly entertainment, too.

Kid Favors

The kids at your reception are probably not going to be totally excited about the favors that you give to your guests unless, of course, they happen to be bags of sweets. Consider making a few kid-friendly favors so that your small guests know that you appreciate them helping you celebrate. They can be as simple as small bags of candies, a box of cookies, or a small toy or game. If you are planning a seating chart, instead of using the same place card for the kids, as you have for their parents, replace their card with a small coloring or activity book and some crayons. This way, they have something to entertain them, and their parents can enjoy talking with the other adults at their table.

Kid Fun

Children generally need to be well entertained if they are going to be happy, especially if the event is more adult focused than kid focused. You may want to consider setting up some kid-friendly activities at your reception to give kids an option other than taking over the dance floor. A really easy way to include kid-friendly activities is to set up a game and activity station. Put out fun kids games, coloring books, crayons and a simple craft. Kids will be able to sit and play or create, while their parents enjoy the company of the other guests. Many couples have taken to hiring a babysitter or kid’s concierge to help with entertaining kids at their wedding. This person is responsible for putting together activities and helping entertain the kids with fun games. If all else fails, and you are in a hurry to find a good way to entertain the kids at your wedding, find a corner of your venue where you can set up a TV and DVD player

Kids can be a fun part of your wedding day. If you want them to have as much fun as the rest of your guests, take some time to include them in your plans. They will be excited to celebrate with you at your reception, and their parents will be even more excited to have help with keeping them entertained.

How to Make the Perfect Wedding Toast

Whether you’re the maid-of-honor, best man, or a sibling, you want to make a wonderful speech to the newly married couple that really strikes a cord with the bride and groom, touches the guests, and leaves a lasting impression. That being said, you want to make sure you hit all the right points for what makes a good speech so you can avoid anything that might tarnish it even a little bit. Follow these tips for making the perfect wedding toast and deliver a message that is memorable for all the right reasons.

Know the Audience

Chances are you’ve heard to keep toasts and speeches short and to the point, because you can easily bore an audience to death if you let things drag on. But you should also take into consideration the kind of people that are in the audience, other than the bride and groom. Inside jokes maybe funny to you and the bride or groom, but they will go over the heads of everyone else at the wedding. A truly great toast is one that gets everyone oohing and ahhing and teary eyed, not just the two most important people of the day.

Don’t Second Guess Yourself

There’s something so cringingly uncomfortable about seeing someone stand up in front of a group and it being so obvious how nervous and uncomfortable they are. We aren’t saying that you have to be a toast-giving expert, but the saying ‘fake it ‘til you make it’ applies here. Pretend like you’re totally confident and avoid starting out your toast by saying “I don’t really know what to say” or, “I’m not really good at making speeches.” If you would feel more comfortable reading off of your notes, no problem. Just remember to look up at everyone and the bride and groom every few seconds.

Keep it Brief

Yep, we’ve all heard it before: keep all speeches and toasts short and sweet. But it’s sometimes a different story when it’s your turn to write a heart-filled speech and this logic flies out the window. When you want to showcase your love for someone, it can be hard reeling in everything you want to say because it all seems important! But trust us, everyone will thank you, including the bride and groom, if you keep things short, don’t dive into intimate details of your past, and don’t repeat things over and over again. Anything else you might want to say, why not write it down in a letter and give it to the bride or groom later?

Practice Practice Practice

Just like you would if you were preparing for a speech at school or another important event, practice your toast before the wedding. Once the big day rolls around and you’re about to stand up with the mic, you’ll feel much more comfortable having rehearsed everything—from what you’re going to say to how you’ll address everyone, as well as how you’ll make eye contact around the room and use your hands during the toast. Even though it may be rehearsed, it’ll come off as natural and confident.

Think of Ways to Make It Personal

Rather than just googling good toasts online, think of ways you can personalize the toast (without turning to school-day memories and inside jokes). Consider playing a favorite song between the two of you, or bring in a photo of you two to show the audience your special relationship with each other.

End with Purpose

This means ending your speech on a high note, rather than just anti-climatically saying “okay, that’s it…” or nervously putting down the mic and sitting down to show your speech has ended. Speak from your heart and end with purpose, like asking everyone to raise their glass of champagne and celebrate the bride and groom. You can also think of something totally sweet or funny to say to end your speech and leave everyone in tears or laughing out loud.

Everyone has been to a wedding where there was an amazing speech that made you either laugh, cry or both. Be that person at the next wedding you have to speak at by following our tips and everyone will be touched by your words, eloquence, and confidence.

8 Things To Do As Soon As You Get Engaged

Did you just say “yes!” to the most important question you’ll ever be asked? Congrats! We couldn’t be happier for you at De Luxe Banquet Hall. We love helping brides plan their dream weddings with every detail accounted for, but before you can begin the fun planning part, you need to do these things first.

Tell Everyone!

In the day and age of instant communication and social media, you need to announce your engagement as soon as you accept the ring. But remember: you need to tell your close family members and friends first in private before you post anything on social media. And we mean anything! Otherwise, feelings are bound to get hurt if you don’t prioritize your announcement.

Schedule Your Engagement Party

Chances are, your parents will be dying to throw you and your fiancé an engagement party to show you off to all your close family and friends. And as soon as you announce your engagement is the time to start planning the celebratory party. Don’t forget to invite any colleagues, workout buddies, and dates of your friends that you know would love to come. Try your best to pick a date shortly after your engagement so people feel like they’re involved from the start rather than allowing the initial excitement to die down.

Set a Budget

Setting the detail of finances will set the tone for the entire wedding and will be what you base your expectations off of from the start. Not setting a budget right away and allowing yourself to start planning, only to get hit with a brick wall when you realize you can’t afford your “must-haves” will definitely damage the entire experience of wedding planning. Keep it fun and realistic by nailing down this important detail from the start: Who’s paying for the wedding—is it the bride’s parents, both parents, just you two, or a combination?

Start Creating the Guest List

Your budget will help you determine the ballpark of guests you can invite since the number of people attending is the primary driving force of your bottom line. Getting started on the guest list will also help you as you look into all the other aspects of the wedding, like how much food you’ll need, the type of food you can afford, where you can splurge, and where you’ll need to cut back. For example, if you have a gorgeous venue picked out that you just have to get married in, renting it may mean that you need to limit your guest list to close family and friends, rather than inviting every single person you know. But if the guests are the most important factor, then you may be more willing to look for less expensive vendors.

Look into Hiring a Wedding Planner

As a busy, young professional, you’ll appreciate all the help you can get with wedding planning. After all, you probably already have a job! Looking into hiring a wedding planner to help you out from square one will be totally worth it. Wedding planners are experts in everything to do with planning your dream wedding that fits into your budget. They can help you stay on track, tell you when it’s time to book certain vendors, and can make necessary phone calls and emails for you. They also have the insider scoop on the best vendors in your area, and can introduce you to vendors that you may not have known about otherwise, but that you end up falling totally in love with. Think of a wedding planner as your wedding fairy godmother, cheerleader, uncomfortable-situation mediator, and etiquette coach. When it comes to your dream wedding, what else can you ask for?

Choose a Venue

If you already have a dream location in mind where you want to get married, great. It’s now time to contact the venue’s representatives and look into pricing and availability. If not, your wedding planner will be able to take the reigns on this one and guide you on your journey by showing you a number of venues based off of your personal taste, dream wedding style, budget, and other wants. If you will be planning your wedding on your own, you’ll want to do plenty of research into the venues in your area to get a feel for what’s available, in your budget, and to figure out what you truly love. Schedule in-person visits to see all of the venues for yourself and don’t hold back on any questions you have, including any rules and limitations they have.

Set the Date

You will typically want to set your date after you’ve booked your venue. This way, you are certain your dream location is available on the date you want. If it isn’t, you can then adjust the date to accommodate the venue. Once this is all set, it’s time to send your save-the-dates to everyone you want to invite to the big day. But first, you may want to schedule an engagement photo shoot with a photographer and incorporate a photo or two into the save-the-date card.

Start a Registry

You should be excited about this one! The thought of walking through a favorite store and scanning every single (okay, maybe not every) item you love is enough to make anyone anxious. Although starting your registry isn’t necessarily an important to-do to get done right away, you may want to have it started by the time the engagement party rolls around so guests can give you something they know you love. This head start will give you plenty of time to really think about what you and your fiancé want most so you don’t forget anything on the registry.

Whew! What a whirlwind! Now that you’re engaged, get started on each of these to-dos so you can begin the really fun parts as soon as possible. We wish you all the best and hope you consider us for your dream venue.

10 Unique Wedding Guest Book Ideas

The wedding guest book is a very traditional component of weddings and its purpose is to give the bride and groom a lovely keepsake of notes from their wedding guests. However, it often gets placed in a box in a closet and is left to collect dust over the years. Many brides have chosen non-traditional ways to record their guests’ attendance that they feel is more authentic to them and they will actually look at over the years.

Here’s some inspiration to get you thinking about the many unique alternatives to the traditional wedding guest book:

Vintage Globe

Travel lovers can showcase their wanderlust spirit and mark the locations they’ve traveled together as a couple to all their wedding guests. This is also a cute option if the bride and groom were originally from different states or parts of the world. Have guests write their names over their hometown or their favorite vacation spot!

Vintage Books

Book worms—this one’s for you! Choose a classic romance novel or book of love poems for guests to sign their names by their favorite verses.

Antique Plates

Vintage china is a classic and romantic touch to all kinds of weddings. If you would love to bring these plates into your home after the wedding, what a great idea to have your guests sign the plates and then hang them on your walls!

Mad Lib

Who didn’t love mad libs as a kid? You can enjoy them all over again by having your guests sign a mad lib-like wedding questionnaire. You and your spouse will be cracking up as you read these pages and you can compile them together to create a book you can enjoy again and again.

Advice Coasters

Rather than just having guests sign their names, you can have each person write a little piece of advice for the bride and groom. Once you arrive home from your honeymoon, you will have a blast reading through what your friends and family wrote. And you will definitely use these special coasters as you sip wine and celebrate your new married life together.

Shadowbox with Hearts

Similar to the plate idea, this idea is great if you want to hang your guest book on a wall and be reminded of your special day every day. Small wooden or paper heart cutouts are signed by your guests and then dropped into a wooden shadowbox. The hearts won’t overlap each other but instead stack up to fill the shadowbox.

Personalized Print

You can paint a tree on a large canvas or wood and have paint set beside it for your wedding guests to stamp their fingerprint on to form the leaves of the tree. Another idea is to have you and your future spouse’s prints enlarged on a print and have all your guests place theirs around yours and to simple sign their names. And you aren’t limited to trees; a peacock with fingerprints as the feathers is a fun and unique alternative that would look great hanging on a wall in your home.

Game Board or Jenga Blocks

If you and your future spouse love hosting game nights with friends and family, having guests sign a favorite game board or on the individual Jenga blocks will be a fun representation of your interests. Each time you bring out Monopoly, Jenga, or your favorite game, you will remember all the warm sentiments from your wedding.

Quilt

What could be a better representation of the warm memories and love you’ll be feeling on your wedding day than to cozy up with a signed quilt from your guests? Each time you wrap up, you can read what your guests wrote and feel that much more warm and cozy inside.

Date Night Jar

Make it easy for you and your new spouse to decide on what to do for date night by having your guests write their suggestions on blank pieces of paper, and either placing them in a jar or in a box. This is an easy and inexpensive DIY that will provide big fun in the future.

When it comes to your wedding, make it unique to you and your sweetheart. Find a wedding guest book idea that you love and you know you will cherish for years to come.

For a luxurious venue to bring your unique wedding guest book to, visit the website of the De Lux Banquet Hall. None of your guests will forget your wedding reception nor the unique touches you bring to it.

I Am Virtuous 3rd Annual Brunch Held At DeLuxe

I Am Virtuous held its 3^rd annual brunch honoring International Women’s Day at the beautiful and newly remodeled DeLuxe Banquet Hall in Burbank, CA. I am Virtuous is a non- profit organization built on teaching self-worth to young women at the community level and providing girls opportunities for success and growth.

Over the past three years, I Am Virtuous has held this brunch to create a space and encourage dialogue between women and men to discuss the many issues facing young women in the 21^st century. I Am Virtuous club members from Serrano High School, parents, community members, industry professionals, and educators all gathered to celebrate International Women’s Day, which was on March 8th. There were over 100 people in attendance, including 35 high school students and I Am Virtuous club members. This year, I Am Virtuous also hosted a panel discussion at the brunch themed The Year of the Women.

List of Panelist At I Am Virtuous Brunch

Regina Wallace-Jones: Head of Security Operations at Facebook; Advisory Board for Women Who Code; patron of Black Girls Code
Christa Bowers: Confidential Assistant for the Associate Director of National Security programs at the office of Management and Budget, White House
Juanita Chan: Rialto USD Science Lead; Cohort 10 California Mathematics and Science Partnership Grant Project Director
Laksmi Lagares: FormerNor Cal Program Director, Junior State of America; CEO of Lagares Consulting
Jasmine Augilar: Game Designer & Developer at Nix Hydra
Jendalyn Coulter: I Am Virtuous Co-Founder, Freshman at UCLA, Sociology and Education
Claire Robbins: I Am Virtuous Fellow, Senior at Serrano High School

“This year, I chose to focus on and spotlight the Year of the Women and create a dialogue around what this means in 2016, and how women everywhere are pushing boundaries and owning their self-worth,” said Melissa McFarland, President of I Am Virtuous.

According to www.internationalwomensday.com, the World Economic Forum predicted in 2014 that it would take until 2095 to achieve global gender parity. Then one year later in 2015, they estimated that a slowdown in the already glacial pace of progress meant the gender gap wouldn’t close entirely until 2133.

I Am Virtuous 3rd Annual Brunch Held At DeLuxe

Important International Women’s Statistics

Globally only a 24 per cent of senior management roles are now filled by women.
Around the world, women are paid less than men, in most countries earning on average 60%-75% of men’s wages.
Women bear disproportionate caring responsibility for children, the elderly and the sick, spending as much as ten times more time a day on unpaid care work than men.
Of 585 peace agreements from 1990 to 2010, only 92 contained any reference to women.
21% FTSE 100 company directors are female.

DeLuxe was honored to have the I Am Virtuous brunch held at its Banquet Hall with so many intelligent men and women in attendance. It was a very successful event!

De Luxe Banquet Hall Gets a Face Lift For 2016

Since De Luxe Banquet Hall opened its doors over six years ago, we’ve been considered one of the most elegant and cutting-edge event venues in Los Angeles. For over half a decade, clients have raved about our beautiful interior, our magnificent dance floor, and our classy, neo-Renaissance decor. To remain current with the industry’s constantly-changing trends, we’ve made small improvements – adding flat-screen HD televisions covered in mirrored glass, for example, or incorporating more LED lighting elements into our facility – to uphold the look and feel our customers have come to expect from De Luxe Banquet Hall.

The Brand New De Luxe Ballroom! (Artist Rendering)

Guests Will Now Enter Through De Luxe's Redesigned Foyer (Artist Rendering) — *Guests Will Now Enter Through De Luxe’s Redesigned Foyer (Artist Rendering)*

An Artist Rendering of De Luxe's New Exterior — *An Artist Rendering of De Luxe’s New Exterior*

Now, the time has come to give our beautiful banquet hall a face lift! While the venue’s “old” look has contributed to years of success and served as the backdrop for hundreds, if not thousands, of wedding receptions, birthday parties, corporate galas, and other important occasions, De Luxe is now in the process of renovating the entire interior and exterior of the venue to emulate the clean, modern look clients are currently looking for in a banquet hall. Some of the changes include:

A new dance floor area with LED lights embedded underfoot
A complete redesign of the venue’s interior, including new carpeting, light fixtures, and a more elegant color scheme
A dazzling chandelier that looks like several overlapping rings
New tiling, lighting, and decor in the Foyer
More exterior LED lights to increase attention from the street
And much more!

Though the $400,000+ renovations will change the way De Luxe Banquet Hall looks, much of what our clients love about our venue – the great food and service, the spacious dance floor, the convenient floor plan, and access to the De Luxe Lounge – will not change. In fact, in many ways, De Luxe will be no different; the changes we are making, however, are definitely for the best!

Eager to see the newly-renovated and redesigned De Luxe Banquet Hall? We’re slated to be completely finished with our improvements by mid-March, and we’re currently booking events immediately following our grand re-opening. For information on soft openings and re-opening events, contact De Luxe Banquet Hall, or visit the De Luxe Banquet Hall Blog often for updates.

We are so excited to share the new De Luxe with everyone! It’s going to be a great 2016!

UPDATE: Sneak Peek Of De Luxe Banquet Hall Remodeling

In January, De Luxe Banquet Hall began remodeling the 4,300 square feet hall. Even though there is more work to be done before it’s completed, we wanted to share a couple photos of the progress that has been made with our wonderful clients. The remodel will be completed in March – stay tuned because there is more to come!

“Our team has been working tirelessly to ensure we complete our remodel by the mid-March deadline. I am thrilled with the changes so far and can’t wait to show our client’s the completed look. De Luxe has always been a premier event venue, but the new look will absolutely take your breath away,” said Rafi, President of De Luxe Banquet Hall.

Olivia Event Venue

De Luxe Lounge