Wedding Budgets Increasing

For the second year in a row, wedding budgets increased in 2012 according to the Real Weddings Study, published by TheKnot.com and WeddingChannel.com. The survey of over 17,500 brides who were married in 2012 showed that the average price of a wedding has increased to $28,427.

Here in Orange County, the average is higher. Ranking as the 12th most expensive place to get married, the average Orange County wedding costs $33,848. San Diego shares the ranking with the slightly higher average price tag of $34,136. Los Angeles comes in at 11th with an average wedding budget of $35,308.

With such big budgets, brides are working harder to create a special experience for themselves and their guests. This includes paying more attention to things like the reception decor. Rather than letting things go together willy-nilly, brides are tying things like chair covers and sashes into their themes and wedding colors.

These small touches are a great way to make your wedding look great without taking up much of your budget. Whether your wedding will be at, below, or above the average budget, we offer plenty of finishing touches for your big day. Give us a call to find out what we can bring to your reception.

Jennifer Aniston Plans Low-Key Wedding

It seems that Jennifer Aniston and her fiance, screenwriter and actor Justin Theroux, could be getting married as early as this month. The couple are finalizing their wedding plans, and might be getting married shortly after Jennifer finishes shooting on an upcoming film next week.

The details of the couple's wedding haven't been made public, but they are planning something low-key. This is a significant departure from Jennifer's first wedding. When the actress married Brad Pitt in 2000, the budget was a reported $1 million.

This wedding is likely to be small, with an intimate guest list of their closest friends and family. Jennifer and Justin have taken care of some of the final preparations, including choosing her gown and designing their rings. Jennifer is also set to take Justin's last name, though will still do professional work under Aniston.

We expect that Jennifer and Justin will opt for a California wedding with a relaxed edge, but still very classy. Whether they opt for a theme or not, we're sure they'll have a beautifully decorated reception right down to the details.

If you're planning a California wedding, get in touch with us to find out how we can add the final touches to your reception. From seat covers to chargers, we specialize in the details that can make a good wedding great.

Black Tie Decor

Many venues include chairs and tables with a wedding package, but without the right covers and linens your reception will look more like a business meeting than the best day of your life.

At Bella Event Services, we provide all the finishing touches you need to make your reception venue look really spectacular. This includes chair covers, sashes, table linens, and charger plates. These are the details that your guests might not think of, but they'll certainly notice if they aren't there.

When you have a black tie event, whether it's your wedding or a special party, your guests will have put a lot of effort into making themselves look great. With women in their finest gowns and men in tuxedos, you want your venue to be ready for that level of attire.

Taking a look at last night's Oscar parties, with all the celebrities in top designs, it would just look wrong for them to go into a room full of stacking chairs. You couldn't imagine them sitting at uncovered tables, could you?

Give your event the same sort of star treatment the Oscar attendees had last night. Get the finishing touches right and you'll have a great event. We serve all of Southern California, so get in touch today.

The World's Most Expensive Wedding Cake

Wedding cakes are one of the traditional aspects that every bride will include in one way or another. While many brides might splurge on something with a gorgeous decoration on their cake, few will be lining up to order the world's most expensive wedding cake.

The cake, valued at nearly $50 million, was created by British jewelers Russell and Case. The six-tiered pastry was decorated with more than 2,000 diamonds, giving a different take on a "carat cake." It will go on display at the National Gay Wedding Show in Liverpool, England, next month.

Although the look of wedding cakes have changed over the years, it's still an important part of the day. Whether you opt for a traditional tiered or a selection of delicate cupcakes, the cake is something that guests will always look forward to.

What do you think of the world's most expensive wedding cake? Would you want to serve your guests 2,000 diamonds, or do you think it's a bit too over the top?

Whatever type of cake you serve, you'll want to have the best table settings for your guests. Get in touch with us at Bella Event Services today to find out how we can help with the finishing touches for your wedding.

Styling a Vintage Wedding

Vintage weddings have been popular for a few years now, and they are set to stay a big trend for 2013 weddings. The vintage theme for weddings is a perfect combination of elegance and comfort.

One of the defining elements of a vintage wedding is the return to a type of classic romance. The decor for these weddings is full of lace, and can be made personal with old family photos. This is a great way to honor the joining of two families, and allows you to include past generations in your big day.

Of course, vintage weddings are popular because of all the historical style elements you can bring in. Whether you opt for Victorian style, Art Deco beauty, or mid-century retro, there are plenty of ways to work the theme into your wedding day. From your dress to your choice of menu, choosing a specific era is an easy way of pulling together a really clear theme for your wedding.

When you prepare your reception venue for a vintage wedding, you'll want to have the perfect table settings. We offer a huge variety of colors and styles, so get in touch today to find out what we can bring to your big day.

Christina Ricci is engaged!

Although she's been wearing a diamond ring since last October, Christina Ricci officially announced her engagement this week. In an interview with Us Magazine, Christina confirmed that her boyfriend of one year,  James Heerdegan.

This isn't the first time they've kept their relationship status under wraps. After Christina and James met on the set of Pan Am, they kept their dating quiet until last February. James worked behind the scenes on the show, of which Christina was a star.
Christina hasn't said much about how the wedding plans are coming along, or whether they have the date set.  (She did mention that they didn't have anything planned for Valentine's Day, so we might be able to rule out a February 14th wedding date!)
With such a stunning sparkler on her hand, we're guessing that the couple will have something really fantastic planned for the big day. What do you think we'll see from Christina and James?
If you're recently engaged, you should start planning now. If you want to discuss plans for your big day, get in touch!

Morning after brunch

Many couples are adding an extra party to their wedding – a morning after brunch. This is another great time to get your family together.

These parties are perfect for getting some extra photos of your family while they’re all together. It’s also a nice way for you and your new husband to enjoy being husband and wife in the company of those closest to you.

You might not have had a chance to say hello to everyone during your wedding, and this can give you an extra time to catch up. You can also hear about what everyone enjoyed most about your wedding.

The day after your wedding is a special time, and everyone will still be abuzz with excitement. With a less formal gathering, you can have a smaller guest list, but don’t feel like you can’t invite everyone!

Wedding celebrations that are spread over a few days have been a big celebrity wedding trend for a while, and it’s no surprise that it’s a 2013 wedding trend that we expect to grow. If you’re getting everyone together for a morning after brunch, get in touch to find out how we can help!

Extend your theme...

Just about every bride chooses a particular theme for her wedding and often this extends, not just to the outfits and the band, but also the reception area and table decor.

Color is always a big theme and it's easy enough for us here at Bella Event Services to match up with what shade the bride herself is keen on. But there's other little touches we can add too to emphasize that special theme. For instance:

Table decorations. Your guests are going to be spending quite a bit of time sitting around their table (unless they're the John Travolta type and you just can't get them off the dance floor). So, this is where you should think about adding in your theme too. Table linen and crockery are important, especially if you're going for a vintage wedding. Maybe you want to think about table confetti too - in a shade or shape that matches your theme?

Balloons. They're not mandatory but they do add a little fun to weddings - especially if you've little ones there. Children can spend ages amusing themselves by batting around balloons with each other (it's so much better than having to cope with tears and harassed mothers!).

Favors. In pretty boxes these can look great laid out on tables as the guests go to sit down and, again, they're another brilliant way of emphasizing your theme.

For more ideas on planning your wedding venue decor and to ensure it looks as perfect as you imagined it would, give our team a call here at Bella Events in California.

Uniqueness is the wedding theme this year

There’s four wedding trends that are set to be huge this year:

Color. Emerald green is this year’s color in case you haven’t heard yet. Shades of this such as sapphire blue and mint green will also be big news. Metallic is set to glimmer down the aisle and so too is gold. Neutral will stop playing a back seat and come to the fore – beige and soft grey in particular along with blush and taupe. 

Décor. Sophistication is replacing rustic. Look out for lots of geometric patterns too.

Destination weddings. More couples are going for an intimate ceremony in far off locations such European cities. Hawaii and the Caribbean will still be high on the list but maybe not as much as in previous years. 

Uniquness. Everyone wants a one-off these days and for vendors to tell the couple’s story. Look for favors and table settings with a difference.

For help with planning the decor and getting your look just right see Bella Events in California.

Our Busy Week at Bella Events

We've had a busy week here at Bella Event Services, having organized and supplied to a number of events at different locations and venues throughout California.

We took photos along the way to let you see some of the decor and themes involved. First up was a wedding reception at the Costa Mesa Marriott. You can see here the white chair covers, red satin sashes and red charger plates look pretty stunning together:

At the Harborside Grand Ballroom in Newport Beach, CA we organized a reception without chair covers and which, as you can see below, still looked stunning:

Next up, keeping the team busy, was a wedding at the Hilton Waterfront. This involved silver wedding charger plates, beaded, rose pink wedding linens, napkins and overlays. Again, a pretty impressive display we reckon - and happily so did the bride and groom:

For help on wedding event planning in California contact us at Bella Event Services for an initial informal chat.

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How to Enter a Wedding Reception

Imagine for a moment that your ceremony is over and it's time to enter your beautifully decorated
reception. The announcement of your bridal party can set the tone for your whole reception.
Whether it's fun and festive or formal and orderly, the introduction lets guests know what to expect
for the remainder of the evening. No matter how you set the stage for your big night, there is a
traditional, simple way to announce your bridal party.

The most important thing to remember is to speak with the MC days beforehand and map out who
will be walking in with whom and in what order. That way he can introduce each person as they
enter. Of course, the bride and grooms entry is the most important and should be done after the
bridal party entrance.

Most likely your wedding guests will be seated and waiting for your entrance...so make it a good
one. Some couples dance their way in which is a fun way to start the evening. Whichever way you
choose to enter your reception, make it memorable.