Mindy Weiss is one of Hollywood’s go-to party and event planners for everything from an intimate dinner party to a lavish wedding.
And we do mean lavish.
She let us in on what it’s like to work with some of Hollywood’s biggest names and offered insight as to how young professionals can throw a dinner party that’ll leave a lasting impact without break the bank.
The biggest difference between celebs and other clients is the timing.
“A lot of the time with the celebrities, they don’t have much time to plan their events in between work projects, so the time we spend together is very intense and filled with long periods of quiet time. This is different from my other brides because they’re in and out. As a result, I have become pretty good friends with most of them because they share things with me that they may not share with anyone else – it’s such an intimate time in their lives.”
“Celebrity or not, the brides are all the same – with their magazine tears and Pinterest finds. The only real difference is the security.”
The Simpson sisters are big fans.
“I just did Ashley Simpson and Jessica Simpson’s weddings and they really took on both of their personalities. Jessica’s was really about her favourite movie, Great Expectations, so it was very her and how she lives. And Ashley’s was very bohemian and loose and a little bit spiritual. Ashley’s wedding was planned in six weeks; it was a quickie.”
“At Ashley and Evan’s wedding, it started raining 30 minutes before the ceremony and I kept looking at this weather app and telling them that it was supposed to stop 15 minutes before invitation time. I told them I would dry off all the chairs and that we’d get the guests to the outside area. Right when it stopped, a rainbow appeared. I said to them, ‘you didn’t pay for that. I made that happen.’ It’s all about the unexpected moments.”
Heidi Klum is actually that gorgeous without makeup…and loves being naked.
“Heidi is exactly the way you think. She never wears makeup unless she goes out. I always call her the naked girl because she’s always naked. First time I met her, she was naked. I did her wedding to Seal and went through all the birthdays of all their four kids – and still do them. They also got remarried every year for six years and we did that. Now, I do her dinner parties and anything she needs. When her kids see me they want to talk about their birthday parties, even if it’s not for another six months.”
Katy Perry’s birthday parties are just like her concerts and music videos.
“Katie always has a themed birthday party. She’s very fun – just like her music videos or concerts – and that’s how her birthday parties are. The best part about her is that she’s girlfriend-y, funny and whatever is on her mind comes out. There isn’t a power trip with her.”
Sometimes the stars (like Charlie Sheen) just need to take her advice.
“For Denise Richards and Charlie Sheen’s wedding, we had seen a tree where they were going to be married, but at the time that we saw it, there were no leaves on it. But I told them that I could picture this tree and that they should get married under it and hang 500 candles from it. They weren’t sold, so I drew it out and explained it all. Then, when they showed up for the wedding, it was so much fuller than I thought – it was so beautiful. It was an ‘oh my god’ moment for sure.”
The key to a dinner party is interaction.
“With interactive elements, you don’t need entertainment and/or to worry about guests meeting each other.”
“The easiest and trendiest thing to is to serve Mexican-style but with a unique twist. It works for somebody who doesn’t cook, the gourmet and someone who has no time. This means a complete taco bar. Old El Paso Restaurante has this amazing new taco product that’s a complete go-to. There are three different types and it comes with the seasonings and tortillas. You make the basic shell, seasoning, and the fish or meat and let your guests add whatever else they want. Have a guacamole station where guests can make their own guacamole and seasoning, complete with things like pineapple, toasted coconut, and jalapenos. Finally, you can’t forget the tequila-tasting station. At my last party, we put out five different tequilas and an explanation of where it came from and what’s in it. Guests can then taste and vote on the best. Aside from Mexican, I have also done things like omelet and doughnut-making stations.”
The worst part of the job?
“It’s always really sad if the weddings don’t work out.”
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Images: aceshowbiz.com, hawtcelebs.com, mindyweiss.com
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