A Wedding with Magic AND a Marching Band!
Katie Hall: Top right
An interview with Katie Hall, Best Day Ever LA
What was your favorite wedding you planned and produced at The Ebell?
I’ve done so many weddings at The Ebell that this feels sliiiiightly impossible to answer! Best Day Ever LA Events has planned weddings with Lion Dance Troupes, the most well-behaved doggy best man, rugby team cameos, multicultural weddings, two-ceremony weddings, weddings with no ceremonies (since the couple was already legally married and wanted to get straight to the party), NYE weddings with Live Bands I dreamt about for weeks, the most love-filled queer weddings that still make me cry to this day…the list goes on and on.
But, with the current atrocities happening in the Middle East, I’d love to highlight a beautiful Jewish wedding I planned and produced last year. Before I get into all the magic (and there was a lot), I’d like to state to the Israeli, Jewish and Palestinian communities having to endure the unthinkable — you are not forgotten. I see your searing pain and my heart is with you and every innocent civilian suffering at the hands of hate. Peace is the only way forward and, as someone who gets to surround themself with love for a living, I can attest to the fact that kindness heals. Compassion cures. My heart is breaking too, and I’m holding space for all those experiencing unfathomable devastation.
Most weddings I plan at The Ebell have creative teams of around 10 vendors outside of the venue (which already provides the food and beverage, staffing, in-house rentals and lighting). But Maggie and Ryan wanted to up the ante. Y’all…when I tell you they worked me harder than I’ve ever worked before…I ain’t lyin’. We hired 20 vendors to their team and it was magnificent madness from the start. The amount of creative minds, moving parts and logistical elements involved in this wedding eclipsed any event I’ve produced before. And, after a year of focused planning and preparation, the outcome was show-stopping magic!
The bride was a USC Song Girl and she really wanted to surprise their guests with a performance from the USC Spirit of Troy Marching Band. This was in addition to them already having experienced roaming magicians, life-sized ice sculptures, a gorgeous open-air vintage photo booth, and getting to leave the couple audio messages on a vintage phone instead of writing traditional messages in a physical book. Guests had literal magic greeting them at every turn, and when I tell you that the marching band’s performance was the most magical cherry-on-top moment ever? It. Was. Fire!
I’ve seen a lot in my decade of planning and producing large-scale events, and it takes something really special and unique to truly surprise me. But every second of this band’s performance had the guests on their feet, mesmerized by the energy. It was so incredibly special to witness.
Wedding Planning + Production: @bestdayeverla_events | Venue: @ebellevents | Photographer: @davidmendozaiii | Videographer: @iheartcreativefilms | DJ: @redshoela | Florist: @stillcarnations | Photo Booth: @papermoonshoppe | Lounge Furniture Rentals: @archiverentals | Reception Chair Rentals: @tacer_losangeles | Classic Car Rental: @classychassisrentals | Cake: @thebutterend | HMU: @face_it_sugar | Signage Suite: @simplystatedstationery | Roaming Magicians: @markpmagic @micahthemagician | Ice Sculpture: @laiceart | Audio Guest Book: @afterthetone.co | Neon Sign and Sugar Candy Favors: @etsy | USC Spirit of Troy Marching Band: @usctmb | Valet: @bhb.valet | Getting Ready Location: @thelinehotel