Mint Julep Social Events & Wedding Planners

Hello, I Love You

2012-04-20T15:41:00.000-07:00

This is why we do it folks! When our lovely client, Dana, contacted us to assist her in planning a surprise 15th anniversary celebration for her husband, we were ecstatic. Having worked with the couple previously on a surprise birthday weekend for Dana, we were thrilled to turn the tables on her hubby, Liam, and create a fabulous party for their close friends. Liam and their children met Dana for an intimate vowel renewal (the kids made rings for their parents) at the Santa Monica Pier and then headed to Casa del Mar for a formal dinner and wine pairing with deep red floral arrangements by Fiore Designs and romantic lighting by Invisible Touch. As a nod to the couple's Vegas nuptials, we had a surprise appearance by "Elvis" to perform for the party followed by a ceremonial cake cutting. Heartwarming toasts topped off the evening as guests enjoyed end-the-night libations. Congratulations! Photos courtesy of Photo Poet Weddings.

Rustic Ribbon Revelry

2012-03-07T20:15:00.027-08:00

This gorgeous wedding personifies rustic elegance with a bit of exotic whimsy mixed in. Ribbons were used extensively throughout the decor of this Saddlerock wedding and R Jack Balthazar infused everything from the welcome table to the dessert display with floral magic. Guests played with polaroid cameras and left their favorites on the "guest book board" and enjoyed Columbian-inspired punch prior to the ceremony. We wanted a different, casual feel to the reception, so traditional tables were thrown out in lieu of assigned lounge vignettes featuring persian rugs, coffee tables, and luxurious couches and chairs. Dinner was served tapas style catered by the always yummy Urban Palate with several courses leading up to the beautiful dessert display executed perfectly by Vanilla Bakeshop. We were thrilled when the bride jumped on our idea of hosting a late-night breakfast station with pancakes, french toast, and a buffet of syrups. This was an ode to one of the bride's favorite childhood memories of her mother making midnight pancakes. Enjoy the details photographed by Yvette Roman!

New Service at MJSE!

2012-01-16T00:57:00.000-08:00

Mint Julep is excited to announce a new service! In addition to our Mint, Olive, and Emerald wedding coordination packages, we are now offering the Mint Express, or Day-of Coordination. Planned your wedding up until the very end and feel like you might need some extra help on the wedding day? Not to worry, there's an option for you! No need to go with a more extensive package, the Mint Express will provide you with day-of service from set-up to tear-down, vendor management, and day-of timeline. Email info@mjse.com for a custom quote!

P.S. Ask about our Chartreuse Design. It adds pizzazz to any event!

I've Been Loving You Too Long

2012-01-05T23:08:00.000-08:00

Sentinmental touches mixed with cultural elements in this lovely wedding coordinated by Mint Julep Social Events. MJSE presented a crisp navy and coral color scheme with hints of green and the bride loved it! Milkfed Press designed an adorable stationery suite with said colors and inspiration taken from their venue, The Ojai Valley Inn & Spa. The bride's aunt embroidered linen drink napkins with the couple's initials to add a special touch and the bride's mother surprised the couple with a mariachi group after the ceremony that lead guests to cocktails. Guests enjoyed Dark & Stormy signature cocktails and a photobooth before entering into a color reception. Holly Flora's beautiful florals set a gorgeous backdrop to the live band who performed an Otis Redding classic for the Father/Daughter dance (hence this post's title). Gorgeous photos by Sarah Yates!

Lemonade, Coffee & Root Beer Floats

2011-12-18T18:39:00.000-08:00

Fresh! That's exactly the word to describe this elegant affair Mint Julep recently coordinated at the Bel Air Country Club. An afternoon ceremony was followed by a cocktail reception at the Club where tasty strawberry lemonade was offered to arriving guests. A bright green and white color scheme was laid out with touches of Iris Purple and guests were delighted to read a little snippet about the couple at each table which was named after something significant to the bride and groom. An after-dinner cappuccino bar and photo booth were lovely surprises, but the root beer floats were definitely the hit of the evening. Our suggestion of gifting guests with Virginia Peanuts and California Almonds (where the bride and groom hail from) was the perfect finishing touch. Photos courtesy of Sara Yates.

Lemonade and Kites

2011-10-13T10:25:00.000-07:00

Rustic weddings are always a pleasure for us to coordinate over at Mint Julep. For this wedding, we helped step things up a notch with several extra touches including pre-ceremony lawn games (think bocce, kite flying, and horseshoe). After a touching ceremony, guests were pleased to find lemonade cocktails infused with rosemary, peaches, and blueberries waiting for them. To tie in more of the bride's country-chic aesthetic, we suggested incorporating fresh apricots as escort card holders and mismatched linen napkins along feasting tables. Fiore Designs did a phenomenal job creating a "freshly" picked floral look with various shades of peach and cream. Guests were treated to tasty BBQ for dinner and a bluegrass band entertained until the wee hours. Definitely a rip-roaring time! Photos courtesy of EPLove.

Packing a Punch

2011-08-06T23:42:00.000-07:00

The bride's show-stopping Carolina Herrara dress was enough to imprint this wedding on the minds of Mint Julep forever, but the slew of vintage touches added even more charm. MJSE worked with Eric and Christine to create an intimate, classic ceremony and reception at the historic Ebell of Los Angeles. Taking a cue from not only the feel of the venue, but the bride and groom's love of old black and white films, we designed a palette of ivory, silver, and olive green. Vintage silver trays held escort cards with various glass bottles in between (our interpretation of a vanity cluttered with perfume bottles), cocktail hour featured a special punch (which I'm still trying to get the recipe for!) served from beautiful crystal punch bowls as a nod to the days of punch bowl parties, and guests were wowed as the Fabulous Esquires Big Band played lovely swing and standards throughout the evening. Photos courtesy of Max Wanger.

Surprise!

2011-07-28T23:25:00.000-07:00

MJSE loves a good surprise, so planning a surprise birthday party was a thrill and a half! Our lovely client Felicia planned and schemed with us for months to make sure that her hubby had no idea about the party in his honor. With a preppy 80s pink and green theme, we went all out at The Standard Hotel and filled the room with balloons (instant festivity), a crocodile ice luge (Lacoste anyone?), custom coasters, colorful straws, wheat grass centerpieces and photos of the birthday boy in every nook and cranny. After we confetti blasted the birthday boy (who wouldn't want that?!), guests enjoyed delicious cupcakes and took home pink golf balls and custom key rings (made by Felicia). Can't wait for the next one! Photos courtesy of Caleab Noh.

Parker Palm Passion - Part 2

2011-07-08T11:39:00.001-07:00

Picking up where Part 1 left off, we continue the wedding weekend celebration at The Parker Palm Springs with more festivities for guests. Mint Julep designed a Duck Egg Blue and Butter Yellow color scheme for the couple, accented with citrus and ivory hues. Pimm's with striped straws and a traditional bagpiper greeted guests as they found their seats for the ceremony on the Croquet Lawn. Cocktail hour featured the Parker's Muddled Lemonade as the signature drink with succulent table arrangements and a bird handler showing off both an owl and falcon. Yes, you read that right. The couple had accidentally come across owls several times during their courtship and thought it only appropriate to feature them at the wedding. An outdoor dinner reception soon followed with twinkle lights strung above and centerpieces by Fiore Designs with a vintage aesthetic on the tables below. Bret McKenzie serenaded guests with an original song about the bride and groom right before the ballroom opened and a traditional Scottish Ceilidh band performed. Such fun! Photos courtesy of Our Labor of Love.

Parker Palm Passion - Part 1

2011-07-08T10:35:00.000-07:00

Weekend-long celebrations are right up our alley, especially when they take place in Palm Springs! We had the honor of assisting with an exciting Welcome Dinner for one of our clients which took place at "The Lucy House" (a beautiful bungalow getaway previously owned by Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz). Playing on the history of the house and the fact that half of the guests were coming from England, old-fashioned Americana was the theme to run with. Red and white checkered tablecloths adorned picnic tables, American and British flags hung near the pool, and a festive bbq was served all with Hank Williams crooning in the background. We set up a colorful candy buffet to sit alongside a selection of delicious pies for dessert. Great way to start a wedding weekend! Absolutely gorgeous photography by Our Labor of Love.

Tea Time for Baby

2011-06-17T00:09:00.001-07:00

Mint Julep Social Events was excited to coordinate yet another co-ed baby shower, this time at the posh London Hotel in West Hollywood. The parents-to-be are expecting a girl, so all shades of pink were accented with black. Guests were greeted with champagne and strawberries and asked to write their advice for the new parents. The ever-popular baby food tasting game was set up and tried by a group of brave guests (Meatloaf? Yes, that was one of them). Baby Bingo (with custom made bingo cards from Lucky Penny Designs) and Baby Trivia were played while guests enjoyed afternoon tea, scones, and sandwiches. The pleasant shower ended with strawberries and cream flavored cake in the baby's honor and Seda France candles as favors. Melinda Dahl of Dahlhouse Productions was there to capture the moment!

They Say It's Your Birthday - Part 2

2011-06-16T23:03:00.000-07:00

After an adventurous group scavenger hunt around Santa Barbara, a black tie dinner was held in honor of the birthday girl. A Spanish guitarist greeted guests, decked out in their finest, no less. Letterpress menus by Milkfed Press detailed the multi-course wine pairing experience and touched on our traveler's theme with an old world compass icon. Our theme appeared again on the cake which featured a vintage map motif from Vanilla Bakeshop and in the photo booth we designed using antique props from Found. Exotic florals from Fiore Designs rounded out the aesthetic and made for a beautiful evening! Photography by Caleab Noh.

They Say It's Your Birthday - Part 1

2011-05-31T21:18:00.000-07:00

Scavenger Hunt? We can do that. Formal Black Tie affair? We can definitely do that. All in the same weekend? Absolutely! We were thrilled to coordinate an exciting 40th birthday weekend where most of the details were surprises to the birthday girl Dana, planned with love by her husband Liam (along with Mint Julep, of course). All guests were hosted at Bacara Resort in Santa Barbara for the weekend and were met with maps from Lucky Penny Designs, an envelope of "get out of jail" money, a list of Scavenger Hunt items, and a four hour time limit to return with as many items as possible. Mint Julep came up with the outrageous list of items (live lobsters included) which brought guests on a simultaneous site-seeing tour of Santa Barbara. The ambitious couple that came back with the most items won a fabulous day at the Bacara Resort Spa. Stay tuned for Part 2! Photography by Caleab Noh.

Spazmatic Razzmatazz

2011-04-18T20:30:00.000-07:00

A love for all things 80s lead our bride to an electric pink and teal color scheme that zapped energy into all of her guests. The Ojai Valley Inn and Spa (one of our favorites) was the destination for this Los Angeles couple who held a traditional sunset ceremony. Guests were then treated to a roaring good time as The Spazmatics, an 80s cover band, easily coaxed dancers to the floor in a room filled to the brim with fuchsia flowers of all kinds. An appropriately color coordinated candy bar surprised all as they exited the ballroom into the warm night. Gorgeous photography as always from Michael and Anna Costa!

An Intimate Affair

2011-02-10T22:27:00.000-08:00

Loved this wedding! Miles and Elisa had an intimate affair in mind when they came to Mint Julep. A quiet church ceremony in West Hollywood with pastel flowers in abundance preceded a lively, richly colored reception at Tinto's Tapas. The couple rented out the entire restaurant which worked perfectly for their sultry, Spanish theme. Guests enjoyed the sounds of Spanish guitarists when they arrived, a gypsy fortune teller during cocktails and a Flamenco show during dinner. The bride's father even performed a few acoustic Beatles songs much to everyone's delight. The sensuous feeling of the night was capped off by the cutting of a delicious buttercream confection from Susina's. Yum!! Lovely photos by Shannon Cottrell.

Living Cinema Highlight

2011-01-19T14:29:00.000-08:00

Ashley and Christian had the most beautiful wedding in the hills of Malibu and MJSE was there to coordinate it! We worked with an A-List team of vendors and created a heavenly scene for the couple at Saddlerock Ranch. More photos to come, but in the meantime enjoy this highlight video from Living Cinema! Don't blame us for any tears that may follow.

Engagement Inspired

2010-12-13T19:26:00.001-08:00

MJSE coordinated a lively wedding at the chic SLS Hotel recently and the decor was inspired by none other than the couple's engagement story. Our bride was shopping for Christian Louboutin shoes while on vacation when her soon-to-be-fiance popped out from the back of the store with a sparkly ring on a pair of bubblegum pink heels. Of course, the aesthetic of the wedding just HAD to take after the pumps! The ceremony took on an ethereal look with white and cream flowers overflowing the space while the reception embraced an array of rich pink hues. Enjoy this pink and white affair! Photography by Mathieu Photography.

Perfectly Perfect - Part 2

2010-12-13T19:25:00.001-08:00

While we posted a preview of our lovely couple Mary and Aaron's wedding a bit ago, there were so many beautiful details that a second entry was a must! We were (of course) pleased as pie to see this beauty featured on an episode of Whose Wedding is it Anyway? and Mary and Aaron worked closely with MJSE to make sure their vintage wedding reached its full potential. Details abound! The Ebell of Los Angeles served as the setting and warm shades of red and orange burst from every nook and cranny. Inclement weather threatened our garden ceremony decor, but our MJSE team swiftly rearranged the Ebell ballroom into a formal setting for the I Do's. A vintage television served as the vessel for a video montage during cocktails and each guest had a different "Wedding Traditions" card at their setting to enjoy. As a nod to Mary's Japanese heritage, we surprised guests with a Taiko drummer performance before the Martini Kings swept in to swing the night away. Michael and Anna Costa photographed this amazing wedding!!

Neutrally Beautiful Video

2010-12-12T15:26:00.000-08:00

The oh-so-pretty wedding we coordinated at The Bel Air Bay Club was just too captivating to keep to ourselves. Digital Princess Productions captured the lovely day in motion!

Under the Tuscan Sun

2010-12-05T19:29:00.000-08:00

Saddlerock Ranch is one of Malibu's hidden gems and MJSE had the pleasure of coordinating several weddings there recently. Leslie and Zach selected Saddlerock for their Tuscan themed nuptials and could not have picked a better location. Nestled in between roving hills of wine vineyards, their ceremony featured pale peach, butter yellow and lilac florals with no shortage of greenery to accompany them. Guests enjoyed cocktails while horses and zebra strolled by and found their escort cards (by Lucky Penny Designs) happily attached to tart green apples. Before partaking in a seven course meal (yes, seven!), guests found their seats at beautiful feasting tables set with an assortment of mixed crystal vases and gorgeous lilac, celery, and ivory flowers. The Human Jukebox provided the perfect soundtrack for evening and a gelato bar ended the evening on a sweet note! Stephanie Williams Photography captured the pretty details.

Baby Shower Bliss

2010-11-28T18:00:00.000-08:00

We at MJSE love our weddings, but we absolutely indulge in our social events! We had the honor of co-hosting an adorable baby shower with a subtle Parisian theme for a very important catering manager. Fiore Designs provided gorgeous florals in shades of purples and pinks and charcuterie displays sat alongside fondue sweets. Guests were greeted with champagne and fresh berries (the non-expecting guests, of course!) and enjoyed a few games including Celeb Baby Names and Guess That Gerber Food before partaking in our buffet. Attendees departed with custom-made cocktail rings. Viva la bebe! Parisian baby glamour captured by Michael and Anna Costa Photography.

London Chic

2010-11-21T09:42:00.000-08:00

One word to describe this wedding? Chic! Our posh couple wanted to embrace a clean white and silver color palette with a few hints of green. The London Hotel in West Hollywood was a natural pick as the venue for such an affair. While desiring to keep the wedding modern, the bride also had an affinity for vintage touches as well. Our idea to meld these two aesthetics was by introducing antique silver trays into the decor juxtaposed with airy white centerpieces and slinky satin linens. When the ballroom doors opened a dancefest ensued with help from an amazing percussionist and Gordan Ramsey's gastronomic masterpiece didn't fail to impress! Photography by Viera Photographics.

The Progressive Event

2010-11-08T15:18:00.000-08:00

We had oodles of fun coordinating this extravaganza at The Ojai Valley Inn and Spa. Spearheading the trend towards progressive weddings, this LA couple was all about making their event flow. Guests were greeted with cocktails immediately and while mingling the officiant rang a bell and before anyone knew it the bride and groom were standing in the middle of the guests and the ceremony began. Guests then moved into the newly opened pool area with comfy lounge seating for dinner and light dancing. Just when guests thought the end of the evening had come, we led them down to the Anacapa Ballroom for an after party! Doors opened to a posh lounge with an assortment of comfort desserts (donuts were a fave) and guests who weren't dancing up a storm were found in the (in)famous Smile Booth. Photography by Michael and Anna Costa!

Champagne & Chandeliers

2010-11-08T15:05:00.000-08:00

Always a pleasure to host events at, The Ojai Valley Inn & Spa served as the naturally beautiful canvas for our fashionista bride Ali and her groom Geoff. This is an example of a pink wedding done correctly! Ali wanted nothing more than to live in the color pink, but knew that she had to create a sophisticated look to work with the surroundings and, of course, not horrify her groom. R Jack Balthazar created a lovely charcoal and blush palette and strung a canopy of chandeliers above the couple's head table. Aside from the stunning decor was our assistance in wedding dress history. Deciding her mermaid gown was absolutely restricting her dancing enjoyment (we told you!), she asked MJSE to cut her designer gown. After double-checking, we dug into our Emergency Kit and went to town. Ali pranced back into the ballroom 10 minutes later with a dazzling mini dress! There to capture the moment were photographers Amy & Stuart.

A Pinkberry Wedding

2010-10-31T20:10:00.000-07:00

Where does a young, vivacious founder of a thriving company such as Pinkberry go when it's time to coordinate her wedding? Mint Julep Social Events, of course! Picking none other than the stylish SLS for the ceremony and reception, we had a wonderful time pulling together all of the elements. Our bride was set on pink roses (well, there HAD to be pink!) in every nook and cranny along with modern orchid arrangements. The beautiful ceremony was held on the Terrace at dusk with a string trio from West Coast Music providing background music. Guests moved into the amber-lit ballroom for the reception after noshing on cotton-candy foi gras (an SLS fave) during cocktails. The band Impulse delighted guests and NancyKay's Confections provided the orchid-decorated cake. Naturally, a Pinkberry wedding would not be complete without the tasty treat making an appearance as a dessert station! Thank you to the fellows at Apertura for the beautiful photos.