Junior Prom Event

Junior prom| craneway pavilion

The Craneway Pavilion is a big giant white canvas, this waterfront warehouse located in the historic Ford Assembly Plant. A true "hidden gem"! The open warehouse-like building was the perfect place for the TL Junior Prom Dance which was held in the "Craneway Skyway Center" located on the second floor.

 One hundred and ninety six guests walked the white carpet and stopped to have their picture taken in-front of the step & repeat banner with their prom date or friends, prior to proceeding into the event.

Once the photos were taken, students proceeded down the white carpet and were greeted with a champagne flute glass, filled with lemonade and topped with cotton candy. 

The signature drink called the  "TL Twister" was served with pink or blue cotton candy, once the cotton candy hit the lemonade the color of the drink changed.

We hung large latex balloons from ceiling beams over the dance area, and surrounded the perimeter of the dance floor area with white leather sofas, ottomans, tables and added magenta colored pillows for a pop of color. Each table had battery operated wax candles that illuminated different colors by a remote control

Cocktail tables draped in white satin linen with battery operated votive's and two refreshment lighted stations where setup.

A customized fabric banner sign hung over the appetizer and dessert station.

To add a little personalization the schools logo the "Trojan" was edible and placed on short bread cookies.

To entertain students not dancing an air hockey and pool table was available for their entertainment.

Pink Shutters spacious and modern photo booth dressed in black and white offered props for some fun shots. Photos where printed instantly and accessible online.  A great way for all students to remember this amazing and memorable event.

View video advertisement from Pink Shutters Photo Booth!

The evening look with all the up -lights .

Vendor Credits

Rentals:   Big4PartyRentals, Encore Event Rentals , Hertz Equipment Rentals

Photographer:  Henley Photography

Pink Shutter Photo Booth:Pink Shutter Photo Booth

Transportation:California Wine Tours

Banners: www.stickersbanners.com

Carpet Runner:RugStreet

Location: Craneway Pavilion

Swanky Chic 40th Celebration

40th Celebration  | Feb 7th, 2015

by Despina Craig Events

A super chic and elegant event to celebrate the studio owners 40th birthday was a smashing success. Rich colors of satin red and black fabric, swanky chandeliers and  sexy flower arrangements created this "bougy" club feeling.

A custom designed Step and Repeat banner was the perfect backdrop for guests to take a photo and remember the evenings celebrations.

One hundred and fifty guests were welcomed at the entrance with an amazing champagne cocktail. 

The studio owners signature drink is Hennessy and in honor of his celebration the Hennessy bar  served special Hennessy cocktails.

 A custom designed sign hung above the bar.

The owners passion during his limited down time is Chess, therefore we incorporated some chess pieces through out the event to reflect him in a subtle manner.

Each cocktail table had a beautiful red rose flower arrangement surrounded by votive's, all tables were draped in black satin. 

The twelve foot translucent bar had a red satin backdrop with a black and white abstract fabric draped down the center. Two fabric chandeliers hung in the center over the bar. The bar was anchored by two tall translucent towers that were illuminated and used to house the glassware.

The flower arrangements consisted of glass cylinders filled with pearl black and white gels and two beautiful  bouquets of red roses wrapped in rhinestone fabric and a cluster of calla lilies draped down the center creating a contemporary romantic and sexy look.

In the center of the room, a beautiful black and white dance floor was visible from all the seating vignettes, with red up lights and palm trees surrounding the perimeter of the room. 

Darius McCrary, Flavor Flav and DJ Yoshe entertained the guest all night long!

Surprise for the evening for the guest of honor was the gorgeous burlesque dancer from 

"Tease If You Please" who entertained the guest.

Beautiful red roses in various containers were the perfect arrangement for cocktail tables surrounded by mercury and glass votive candles.

The food station had various Mediterranean  appetizers.

Vendor Credits

Rentals:   www.townandcountryeventrentals.com

Banners | Signs: www.stickersbanners.com

Event Décor & Flowers: www.despinacraigevents.com

Location: Film City Studios, Canoga Park  CA

Event-Solutions 2015 Spotlight Awards

I am truly honored and excited to announce that Despina Craig Events has been nominated by Event Solutions for the 2015Spotlight Awards in the category of a "Rising Star Of The Year". To be nominated among such talented industry professionals is truly humbling and I am so grateful!

TheSpotlight Awards are an annual awards presentation dedicated to recognizing the best and brightest professionals in the event industry. The awards are presented in a variety of categories and honor both individuals and companies for their body of work in the previous year. The winners in each category will be announced on March 10th at the Rock The Night Industry Awards Celebration at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. 

Event Showcase one | Coco Chanel Birthday, Film City Studios

Event Showcase two| Hawaiian Beach Theme Celebration

Event Showcase three | Hawaiian Beach Theme Celebration

None of this would be possible without my amazing team, supportive family and friends and most importantly my fabulous clients. This is a huge honor, thank you to Event Solutions for recognizing my talents and providing me with this incredible recognition!

Despina Craig

Cateringsource and Event Solutions Name Top Catering and Event Industry Professionals Making a Mark on the Business

Wedding Planners Value

DO YOU NEED A WEDDING PLANNER? | WOULD YOU REMODEL YOUR HOME WITHOUT A GENERAL CONTRACTOR? 

I don’t get it. Why would you take on a project that can cost you anywhere from $10,000 to, well, as high as you want to go without having a professional by your side?

Here is the thing, would you take on a major home remodeling project without hiring a general contractor? Of course not. I know, you are asking how are those even remotely the same. Let me ask you,

“How are they different?”

• Both have budgets in at least the 5 figure range. That is a LOT of money.
• In both instances you want a high degree of personalization. In short, you want YOUR dream to be executed.
• Both will require a long list of sub-contractors that you have most likely never dealt with before.
• Both require tight scheduling to make sure everything comes together on time and on budget.
• Both are going to have glitches and unexpected issues pop up that someone is going to have to deal with.
• The results of both are going to be with you for a long, long time.

Am I beginning to make some sense here?

All those things listed above are what a wedding planner does.

• They know which vendors are reliable and match your style.
• They help you translate your dreams to the people who are going to make them come true.
• They know all about how your venue works in terms of timing and convenience for load in.
• It is their job to keep that timeline on track so, for example, the flowers show up after the tables are set up, dinner is served hot and the MC know when to do the first dance.
• It is their job to keep all those sub-contractors working together on the right plan.
• They are there to look you right in the eye and say “Yes you can have that, but you are going to have to give up XYZ”
• They are there to handle those last-minute glitches and issues in a way that you don’t even know they happened.

There is a wealth of information online today on how to plan a wedding, but until you actually do it, you have no idea of everything involved.
Seriously, when you look at it in this light, why would you even think of not hiring a wedding planner for one of the days you are going to remember for the rest of your life.

Sure, I could watch HGTV, DIY Network, House Crashers and This Old House until my eyes bleed but one episode of Holmes on Homes or DIY Disaster will cure my ass of thinking I can remodel my kitchen on my own!

 By: Christine Boulton

Wedding Dish

Think Like A Bride

RUSTIC BARN | COUNTRY FARM | VINTAGE CHIC WEDDINGS

 WEDDING THEMES | PINTEREST

  

The most popular wedding theme seems to be Vintage Chic. Whether you are thinking of a Rustic Barn or Country Farm Wedding,  Pinterest will help you compile your desired wedding theme images and get creative ideas to help turn your vision into reality! 

View our collection at www.pinterest.com/despinacraig and follow us if you like what you see. We have collected photos of various wedding/event themes to help you get inspired!

DESTINATION WEDDING ETIQUETTE

DESTINATION WEDDINGS | ETIQUETTE

Photo taken by: delsolphotography.com

Destination wedding etiquette is far from traditional just as the "Trash The Wedding Dress Shoot" provided by destination photographers at www.delsolphotography.com as shown above.

White sand beaches and crystal blue waters are still the dream locations for destination weddings and they have grown so much over the years and today its considered very common. Here are some wedding etiquette tips for couples thinking of a destination wedding.

First off, the bridal couple does not have to pay for their guests travel expenses to the wedding location.

Guest accepting an invitation to a destination wedding means they understand the financial responsibility. Send out a save-the-date card and all detailed information should be included in the invitation. Insert reply cards that list each hosted event, and an explanation on the accommodation situation. This will help guests understand the overall structure of what is included and at the same time giving them a sense of how much of the trip they'll have to finance.

Find a good destination wedding planner or a destination wedding travel package through a travel vacation specialist, that offers airline discounts, group rates on hotel rooms.(Check out www.modernromancetravel.com Melissa Varela an amazing Vacation Specialist)

Try to formulate some type of travel plan for the guests in order for the trip to be as smooth as possible for guests to coordinate. Provide guest with as much information, offer them the airport code to the wedding destination, names of hotels, and driving distance from the wedding location.

If any guest passes or transportation is required to arrive to wedding venue, it should be arranged and paid for by the bridal couple.

The bridal couple is financially responsible for the ceremony, reception dinner, drinks as well as any other event that the bridal couple arrange for their guests. For instance the rehearsal dinner, brunch or any excursions that they have invited  guests to participate should be covered.

As for the bridal party the bridal couple is not obligated for their travel expenses. It's really important to be clear with your attendants on who's paying for what. In order to avoid any misunderstanding be specific as to what will be covered for each attendant.

Many couples want their wedding to take place in magical locations around the world however choosing the right one can be a difficult decision.  Here are the 2014 top wedding destinations in the US

·       Puerto Rico

·       Aruba

·       Curaçao

·       Cancun

·       Bahamas

·       Hawaii

·       St. Lucia

·       Key West

·       U.S. Virgin Islands

·       Riviera Maya

DESPINA CRAIG EVENTS | WEDDING SERVICES

promotion | wedding services

Ends January 30th, 2015

Despina Craig Events offers the following services:

The Month of Wedding Service, for those couples who enjoy planning their wedding and have  already secured and completed the majority of the wedding planning. Your personal wedding coordinator will step in at the final month to review all details of your contracts, work with to create your event timelines and  confirm final details. Our goal is to provide you with the peace of mind by overseeing all the details the day of and having everything come together as you envisioned. 

Wedding Event Planning and Design Services is the ultimate service for the busy couple who prefer the luxury of having an expert design, plan and execute their wedding. Our goal is to provide you with the peace of mind overseeing all the details and having everything come together as you envisioned. Creating a wedding that is unique to you by designing a personal look and feel that incorporates intimate details with your distinctive style to create unforgettable experience that will be remembered forever!

Wedding Event Design Services, is for the couple that enjoys planning all aspect of there wedding and  is looking for a professional designer to create a personalized overall wedding design that is reflective of the couple. Once the custom design has been established a proposal will be presented outlining the personalized design that meets our couples vision, once approved the execution and implementation of the design commences. If your looking for the special "WOW" factor, than this package is for you. 

Custom proposals are presented by Despina Craig Events.

despinacraigevents@gmail.com 

415.302.2054