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LA Wedding Planning Parties: Not Your Average Bridal Show

Utterly-Engaged-2011-by-Ed-Kim---So-Happi-Together-Table-Design
(credit: Ed Kim/upimagery.com)

If you are planning a wedding or just looking for a fun night out with friends, there are two events coming up in Los Angeles that you are not going to want to miss.

Wednesday, February 29, 2012
7:00 PM – 11:00 PM
$25 presale or $30 at the door

First up is the Leap Year Remix Party put on by Utterly Engaged, an incredible online wedding magazine for the stylish bride. With features on wedding fashion, honeymoon planning, styled photo shoots and do-it-yourself-tutorials, the magazine is beautiful and bursting with helpful information. Once a year, Lucia Dinh Pador and Henny Vallee, creators of Utterly Engaged, along with other fabulous sponsors, bring the pages to life with a party. The 3rd annual event will be held on Wednesday, February 29, Leap Year! They decided to hold the party on Leap Year because, as Henny says, "2012 is all about taking the leap to make a difference in your life and your community." Prospective brides-to-be can sample yummy bites, dessert treats and dance to great music. But a highlight of the party is always the Design Challenge. This year 12 teams of the best and up-and-coming wedding professionals and bloggers will design table scapes for a cash prize. "You won't want to miss this! The last two competitions have been fierce!" says Henny.

Utterly-Engaged-2011-photo-1-by-Ed-Kim
(credit: Ed Kim/upimagery.com)

A major component of this year's party is recognizing the efforts of a fellow industry professional, Lydia Yeung, and her efforts to raise money in response to the earthquake and tsunamis in Japan. To continue this effort, Utterly Engaged has partnered with Shelter Box and will donate $1 from each ticket sold to raise money for emergency shelter and lifesaving supplies. The crowd is a mix of industry professionals, bloggers and prospective brides and grooms. It is a great way to mix and mingle with potential vendors for your wedding and beyond.

Thursday, March 1, 2012
6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
$45

This next event is far from your typical bridal show. The Cream event, formerly known as Hitched, is a full on party described as "one hell of a showcase event featuring the raddest crop of people in weddings" by event organizers Kelly Harris and Paige Appel. Harris and Appel who make up one of the country's most creative and forward-thinking event production and design houses, Los Angeles-based Bash, Please, have worked hard to curate a stylish roster of exceptionally talented vendors and share them with brides and grooms to be.

Set up like the coolest wedding reception you could ever dream of, it is the perfect way to see the most unique vendors in action. The party features a fashion show of the hottest trends in wedding fashions, pop up shops by Twig and Honey and Ban.do for your day-of accessorizing, and Fiore beauty doing complimentary lashes, lips and shellac nails for attendees. A handful of the carefully selected wedding designers will share their style through decorated tables to show off their skills and provide inspiration for the couples. Appel says, "Brides and grooms can see the cream of the crop working in weddings today (over 40 participants hand-picked) doing their thing! They will be getting a first hand look at how these pioneers interpret a wedding. All the elements you need to plan and design a rad wedding can be found at The Cream."

The Cream Confetti Dance Floor by Annie McElwain
(credit: Annie McElwain)

Oh, and there is a dance off. In parties past, the winners of the dance off have won a honeymoon! But everyone wins with an insanely good time. After taking this event on the road to Palm Springs and Austin, the Bash, Please girls have brought it back to Los Angeles for their 4th installment. This event sells out so buy your tickets now.

Sharon Garofalow is a mom blogger in Orange County. See more of her work at Cupcakes and Cutlery.

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