This Birthday Party I Attended In LA Is How They All Should Be Done
Y’all…
I haven’t been posting in this While in Los Angeles > sᴏᴄɪᴀʟɪᴢᴇ section much at all because my can’t-sit-still-behind is always out socializing, but that’s about to change. New to this entrepreneurial world, as a freelance writer, I’m going to have to figure out this whole work-life-balance thing. I often find myself swaying from “girl live yo’ life!” to “girl get some sh*t done!”
Well, I lived a little life Monday night, helping a friend celebrate his, and I’m here now to get some juices flowing thru these fingers with it, because this is a Los Angeles lifestyle blog after all and social events are indeed a considerable part of LA lifestyle.
Related: Explore L.A. Thru The Lens of a Girl Exploring L.A.
(Oh look, I may be getting a grip on balancing already.. midday, somebody was on my line talking about hitting *Highlight tonight and you know what? I’ve turned my WiFi off and my airplane mode on, that way, I won’t be tempted to answer the phone and end up Diddy boppin’ thru the city. I’ll be right here at my desk, talking to you ❤︎)
Let’s get into this social event, honey!
My boy’s joint golden 30th birthday celebration had all the components of a fantastic night: food, fun, photos, and family.
A former co-worker from my luxury retail days in Beverly Hills, Tiffany, accompanied me to my friend’s Golden 30th Celebration in LA. | photo cred: (I’ll have to ask the birthday boy, Blake; he’s the one that sent it to me.)
There are a lot of parties that take place in Los Angeles… a lot. And it would be safe to say that more than half of them are subpar at best.
For those of you who may not know, let me give you a little background, before you wonder “who made this girl an authority on what’s good?!” Me. I did. Due to writing not quite putting clothes on my back, my side hustle has been working in the high end event industry. My entire 5 years in Los Angeles, I’ve been a part of all sorts of social productions — whether it’s an 80-year-old’s cozy birthday dinner in Hancock Park, or the founder of Tinder’s 4-million-dollar wedding in Malibu. 97% of the clients I work for are wealthy White folks (or a different flavor of White folks- Persian, Jewish, etc.), so I see that side while working events. Then, in my leisure, also since I moved to LA, I’ve been partying with the balling Black folks (the athletes, the rappers, the plugs, etc.). So, I see that side too. I know events. What makes a good one?
What makes a good party in Los Angeles?
I’ve been to parties thrown by, or celebrating, A-list celebrities, that are complete trash. Lines of ladies knocking their knees in stilettos on the sidewalk, or groups of men gathered around the entrance, doesn’t make a party bomb. Not being able to walk thru the space doesn’t mean it’s lit. Even a slew of celebrity sightings doesn’t automatically make an event good.
When I sit back and analyze it, a good social event really boils down to it being two things: entertaining and comfortable. If you’re entertained and you’re comfortable, unless you’re a stinky grouch, you’re having a good time; and a good party is a bunch of people having a good time.
4 Factors for a Fantastic Party
I want to say, “here are four F’s that make a good party,” but one of them starts with a P even though it’s an F-sound. Oh, I can think of one more F that could be the aftermath of a good party… Anywhoot..
Food
I don’t know what type of creature you are, but I’m with that vast majority of the human population that likes to eat. It’s proven. For example, a number of the top earning bloggers only talk about food. There’s a girl named Lindsay that has a blog named “Pinch of Yum” where she mainly writes food-related posts and makes $70,000+ a month from it! That’s how many people are clicking on her personal website about food! People like food, even in skinny a** LA. That’s why I list food first; if it’s not thee absolute most important aspect of a party, it is definitely a part of the foundation.. and baby, what do you have without a foundation?!
**Lucky and Blake’s private party was beautifully served with food. And when I say beautifully, I’m not only speaking figuratively about them having it being a beautiful thing; I mean the service and presentation of the literal food was beautiful.
Attractive girls walsed around on their tippy toes with silver trays resting on their arms, bent at a 90-degree angle, offering varying hors d’oeuvres each spin around the space. I was barely in the door good before I had a juicy chicken breast skewer in my mouth. Next was shrimp. Then, I spotted my favorite: chicken and waffles. (Don’t tell anybody, but I had like 5; shhhhh! I spaced it out and let other people eat). There were also sliders and meatballs floating around the room, but I’ve never eaten eat red meat, so I politely declined on those.
Did I mention that these attractive girls walsing around were essentially nude? I’m no lesbian, but that was even a treat for me. I’m sure the male guests enjoyed this elevated aspect. I’ve served many a parties, but I’ve never done it in only a g-string with the image of a tuxedo drawn on my bare skin with body paint. That’s next level.
And drinks!
The ladies also occasionally swapped out their trays of food for trays of shot glasses filled with tequila accompanied by a lime wedge. Classy, man. Classy.
The adult beverages flowed all night. The fine bar offered a selection of complimentary signature cocktails, customized for the guests of honor, Lucky and Blake.
Fun
Okay, the meat of it is out of the way. Pun intended. These next three aspects of a great private party won’t be as lengthy.
Your basic private party depends on the DJ to be the source of fun. And yes, at most nightlife/party events, the DJ leads the fun, so to speak. However, at elevated events, there are additional aspects of entertainment. At Lucky and Blake’s black tie birthday affair, we saw the collision of a casino floor and upscale lounge. Different game tables were spread across the space with uniformed dealers and money chips for playing. I didn’t go get a voucher to redeem playing chips, but I had fun watching others play. It was entertaining.
There were tall cocktail tables, if you wanted to stand and rock to the music. There were couch/booth areas, if you wanted to duck off and dabble in conversation with a possible bae. And there was floor space, if you wanted to f*** it up.
People don’t want to stand in between 4 plain walls with music blasting their eardrums out, looking at each other do nothing. That’s not a fun party. Fun is movement. Fun is small, flirty conversation with a new person. Fun is engagement. Fun is playing. Fun is when it’s not missing the “social” in social event. Often times, these coveted celebrity parties aren’t even fun for real — other than it being fun to say you were there, I guess (??) — they just do a good job of making it seem that way on social media and ShadeRoom.
Lucky and Blake’s private party was actually fun.
Photos
Hello, we’re millennials! We need our photos, honey. Even if you have time to snap it up before you leave your house, or after you valet park your car, or when you get into the party, it’s always nice to have another source capturing the moment (or your look). When you have to pull out your phone to capture a picture or a video, you’re capturing the moment, but taking yourself out of the moment. If you’re phone is out recording the entire time, you’re in your phone, not in the moment. It’s lovely when you can stay present, enjoying yourself, and have some of those moments captured for you.
Photographers walked around this private party snapping pictures of people, some posed, and some off-guard.
Take it up another notch with even more photo opportunities. A photo booth area not only grabs memories, it serves as a form of entertainment. It’s FUN! You grab the person you came with, or the new friend you met at the bar a moment ago, and head over to the photo booth. Pick up some props, then laugh and giggle as y’all make a Gif.
If you don’t have some sort of hired photography for your private event in L.A., it’s giving “it wasn’t in the budget” and I’m confused. You be putting that sh*t on tho.. Hmmmm.
Lucky and Blake’s photo booth printed out hard copies, giving guests the opportunity to take home a keepsake from the party.
Family
I said the first one first because it’s the most important aspect of a private party, but I’m saying this one last because it’s really the most important aspect of a private party.
Without family, and/or friends that are like family, at your private party, WTF is this really?! You can have the most savory dishes, the photographers with the best eye, and all the entertainment in the world, but without people — GOOD people — you have nothing. I had to put the word “good” in all capital letters because a (so called) private party filled with a bunch randoms and whack energy isn’t a good party.
For example, I went to an NBA player’s private birthday party at the Nice Guy and it had potential to be good, it really did. Unfortunately, the crowd caused it to miss the mark. The space was conducive to a comfortable party and there were drinks, as well as a couple of small bites, but the overall party wasn’t fun. First of all, it was a complete taco fest, and none of the tacos were trying to have fun because they were too busy trying to “get chose” by one of the 3 sausages in the room. In that type of environment, people will look at you as if you’re the weirdo if you start dancing, and there’s no chatty fun talk between new girls because they’re all sizing each other up.
When you have a private party where the majority of the guest list knows, cares for, and/or has a relationship with the guest(s) of honor / host(s), it makes a big difference. I’m not sure if that seems obvious, or it’s weird that it has to be said, but it has to be said. Some of these L.A. parties are weird.
At this private party this past Monday night, bringing in 2.22.22, the crowd was there to celebrate Lucky and Blake, have fun, and look good while doing it. It was a group of successful yet unpretentious people. You could feel the love in the room. People, that didn’t know one another, met. There was no need to look over your shoulder. Nobody had their eyebrow raised about anything. I entered not knowing anyone, other than my plus one and my boy Blake, and left having met plenty of pleasant people with no motive. It was all good energy, a good time, with good people.
Now that, my friends, is a private party done right.
The music, the food, the vibes, the crowd… Lucky and Blake had it all for their private black tie affair in LA. My girl Tiffany that joined me had to pause in the middle of it and say, “wow, T.K., thanks for inviting me,” in between repeating “this is nice” 50leven times. It really was that nice.
Not the other Hollywood-LA bullsh*t y’all be getting away with..
Now, I done called y’all other folks’ parties trash, but let me make something clear.. I’m still coming. For some unknown reason, I tend to have FOMO like a motherf*****. Baby, I don’t like missing anything; I’m not good at turning down a potentially good invite. And for the extreme end of the extrovertism spectrum my personality lives on, where social interactions are a recharge, every invite has potential (…even if I’ve been to the same boring a** club twenty times).
A souvenir photo booth station was icing on the cake at Lucky and Blake’s Golden 30th Celebration. | photo: EYphotobooth
Think about these aspects of a great party the next time you’re throwing, or attending, one.
I’ve given you all the 4 aspects that make a great party: food, fun, photos, and family/friends. Implement them into your party planning. Or, the next time you’re browsing the social scene in Los Angeles, take these thoughts into account when deciding which events are worth your time and energy. I’m looking forward to bidding the subpar parties farewell.
Friends share good things with one another. Share this.
What truly good parties have you been to in Los Angeles, or your city? Do you even care about the overall quality of a nightlife social event, or do you just want to get wasted all the time? Share this blog post in your group message and debate whose party was better.
*Highlight = referring to a rooftop space above Dream Hotel in Hollywood, Highlight Room. on Wednesday nights, an LA nightlife group takes over with “#SaadiQ” - an old school, 90s and 2000s R&B filled club vibe. one of my first times at Highlight for SaadiQ, I ended up chatting with Savannah James about her recent big chop in LeBron James’ well-secured section; it continues to be an LA nightlife hotspot.
**Lucky and Blake are lifelong friends that share a birthday. I was invited by Blake Stanton, who is a tech executive. I’m not sure of Lucky’s field, but based on this party he threw with Blake, I’d bet he’s successful in whatever it is. Want me to find out for you ladies? He might be single too! See more of Blake or Lucky on Instagram. (Yes, click their names to go directly to their respective pages.)
