Tag: engagement parties

Wedding Bartender

Valentine’s Day Wedding in West Hills

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westhills1Saturday was Valentine’s Day and Shaken Not Stirred provided bartending service and servers for a wedding in West Hills. This was my first time bartending an Ethiopian wedding, and it was quite an incredible experience. This is what I love about doing event bartending. I am exposed to so many different cultural customs and traditions at landmark events in people’s lives. I have bartended at Mexican weddings, Armenian Christenings, Qinceaneras,  Vietnamese engagement parties, Persian weddings, traditional Jewish weddings, military weddings,  and all kinds of birthday parties.

This Valentine’s Day wedding was held at a house in West Hills, on the far North west edge of the San Fernando Valley that overlooks the entire valley. The weather could not have been nicer. When you are planning weddings in Southern California, the odds are pretty good that there is a ninety percent chance of no rain. This particular house is available for weddings and other events, and I did not get the name of it, but it was an incredible venue.

Traditional Ethiopian wedding dance
Traditional Ethiopian wedding dance

I brought two servers with me and three of us were busy the entire time. I had spoken with the bride several times leading up to the event and I helped her plan a shopping menu.  Unfortunately, we had plenty of alcohol, but everybody seemed to only want one choice – Grey Goose. We ran out of Grey Goose vodka two hours into the reception and I sent one of my girls out to buy more.  Then a couple hours later we ran out again! I left the reception leaving the girls to hold down the fort and went and bought more. I am not a big believer in Grey Goose and think that it is way overpriced, but it was what the hosts wanted.

We served the champagne toast and we helped serve the wedding cake and then the party started winding down. I am bartending a 60th birthday party in Northridge on the 28th and am still available for the 21st, so who knows where that will take me. In March I have three events in Palm Springs, all on weekdays, so I still have three Saturdays open. The final Saturday of March I have a big wedding in Santa Ynez, where I will provide bartending service. And winter is almost over.

February in Southern California
February in Southern California
Engagement Parties, Mobile Bartenders, Party Bartenders, Special Event Bartenders

Mobile Bartenders for 2013 Private Events

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Shaken Not Stirred provides mobile bartenders and servers for private events throughout the entire Southern California area. The busy holiday season is now over, but the party season in Los Angeles is just beginning. Awards season is big in Los Angeles and we provide bartenders and servers for parties and events until the broadcast of the Academy Awards and beyond. We also bartend at birthday parties, weddings, engagement parties, openings, screenings, fund raisers, mixers, and all kinds of corporate events.

If you are planning any kind of party with 25 or more guests, don’t even try to bartend yourself. Shaken Not Stirred can provide a private, certified bartender for your event in the Los Angeles area for as little as $100 for 4 hours. For areas more than 50 miles from the San Fernando Valley the minimum is $150 for fives hours. Bartenders arrive one half hour early to set up and bring a professional bar kit that includes shakers, cutting board, pourers, wine openers, etc. For no extra charge we can also include a 64 quart cooler for ice or beer.

If you are planning a large event with 100 or more guests, we can provide more than one bartender and/or servers. Call for rates if you are planning a large event or have special requests. We can get rentals such as a portable bar and glassware if needed. Large parties are great business, but we like to do small parties of 40 people and under as well. We have serviced many birthday parties in the 25 to 50img77 person range.ImageImageImage

To book a party we require a 25 percent non-refundable deposit, which you can pay via credit card on our PayPal link. We have male and female mobile bartenders available – all are prompt, very experienced, and professional. We have done parties as far south as San Diego, as far east of Los Angeles as Indian Wells, and in Ventura to the North. Call us today and let us help you plan a drink menu and shopping list. Call today – (310) 280-6103.

Engagement Parties

Need a Bartender for Your Engagement Party?

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Tables set up for formal engagement party in Encino

Guests enjoy traditional Persian cuisine at Encino party.
Rob bartending at Encino engagement party.

Recently, I have bartended at two engagement parties in the Los Angeles area. I worked a Mexican American engagement party in Norwalk last month and I worked a Persian American engagement party in Encino two weeks ago. It is nice to see families honoring their children and throwing formal engagement parties for the families to get acquainted before the wedding. Both events where held in back yards and included catering and live entertainment.

The Norwalk engagement party hosted approximately 50 people and featured Mariachis, barbequed goat meat, chicken, and beef. The most popular drink was the Cadillac Margarita with a salt rim, with Jack and Coke coming in second. Corona and Pacifico were the beers of choice. The party wound down at 11 pm and was attended by grand parents, grand children, and everyone in between.  This was a non-formal event, done very nicely and great fun seemed to be had by all.

The Encino event was held in the backyard of the the future bride’s parents. It was a semi formal event catering, white table cloths, and live traditional Persian entertainment. The engagement party had nearly one hundred invitees in attendance. I was hustling bartending for that many people – (I recommend a barback or second bartender for maximum service for parties that large).  The drink of the night was the Pomegranate Cosmo, with Scotch and Soda coming in second. The guests dined on chicken kabobs and rice and enjoyed traditional Persian dancing.  I didn’t leave the party until nearly two AM.

Summer is the season for a myriad of celebrations – including engagement parties, quincineras, weddings, and all kinds of ethnic events. Shaken Not Stirred realizes that LA’s culture is widely diverse and looks forward to serving all kinds of people and cultural events. We also do pool parties, barbeques, corporate parties, grand openings, art shows, screening events, and after parties. Shaken Not Stirred serves the entire LA area including Los Angeles, Orange,Ventura, and Riverside Counties. Please call us at (310) 280-6103 to let us help you plan your next event.