Birthday Parties on a Budget!

Turning the big 3-0 can be a big milestone for many people. Some say that the 30's are the best years of their lives. Most people have begun to find themselves and feel a sense of comfort in "their own skin". For my dear friend and sister, Punam, this is definitely so. Some people dread turning the big 3-0, but Punam is embracing it! When I was first approached to plan this fabulous soiree, I was truly humbled and honored to celebrate in her 30 year milestone but also in the announcement of her pregnancy to over 35 of her closest family and friends. As crazy as Punam is and the big creative visions she holds, she wanted to transform her home into a Mediterranean lounge on a $200 decor budget. Alongside her husband Dal, the keeper of the funds and movie maker extraordinaire, we began the journey. Let me stop here for a moment and say how I truly witnessed how much Dal would do for her. He really wanted this to be a moment in her life she would really remember, no matter how many 6PM phone calls he had to make to my cell phone. So we were off!

I was on the hunt for a look, so why not look to the source. After numerous magazine clippings and research on one of my favorite places on earth, Turkey (if you've never been there you have to go!), I had the look! Now, I had to find "the person with the goods". After an Orlando hunt, I had her. Big Shout out to my new homegirl, Pinky! She had the goods, beautiful fabrics, carpets, low-tables, lanterns all for an affordable price! With a little finesse and some Chipotle, TEAM decor was in action. Another affordable tip, do you know anyone who has been to an Indian wedding or have you participated in one? Use your sari and drape a mirror, a sofa, or even a banister. It looks great and doesn't cost you a thing.

We had a transformed home, great food from Kabob including hummus, chicken and beef skewers, pita bread, tabbouleh, grape leaves, and much more! For an extra special touch, guests enjoyed tarot cards from Madame Tussa in a special reading area. Bellydancing and Zorba music played as guests formed a circle with the their coin belts to show off their best Shakira moves! During the night, we presented "30 years of Punam" movie in which the video ended with an extra special announcement for guests that said, "P.S., Punam is pregnant"!

What a celebration! Thank you Punam for your extra special friendship and trusting me with this new 10 year's of adventures!

And you can do the same thing with the right kind of help and a small budget. These moments should be remembered and that's why we are here! Tell your friends,
www.rynctaproductions.com

20 years for Hialeah Miami Lakes!

On July 31st, Mia Restaurant and Ultra Lounge opened it's doors to the most fabulous "class" of people Hialeah Miami Lakes has ever seen: Class of 1990! Led by the guru who embraces life, Wayne Louk and the fabulous group of committee members, we had over 120 guests who celebrated alongside fellow classmates.At Ryncta Productions, I can't say we've ever seen a class that was so bonded and so connected with one another. We truly enjoyed working with the committee over a period of six months, and being involved in their memories over the years.

The night included a walk down memory lane with a slideshow of some of the best images, music that rocked the house in the early 90s, courtesy of Jay Meletiche, and so much dancing and shouting it made my head spin, literally!

We want to thank all the Class of 1990 members that attended and we really enjoyed making your night special and over the top! With such strength and love in your class, we at Ryncta Productions, believe you will be celebrating together for years to come.

Special thanks to Milagros for your beautiful photography and Jay Meletiche on the ones and twos. Also, thank you Wayne for letting Ryncta Productions be a part of your special event! You are truly our Cuban Bruce Lee!

Garba Raas - Rich, Colorful, Vibrant!

This past Memorial Day, I had the pleasure of attending and helping my neighbor's Radha and Mahesh as they entered into holy matrimony, Indian-style. The celebration of their nuptials lasted over a five day period where the entire family was involved in planning, performing family traditions, and hiring the best of the best in the wedding industry. Not to mention, the fabulous write-up they received in the Orlando Sentinel .

The reason we, at Ryncta Productions, love the Indian culture is because of the intricacy that goes into every detail, from over the top catered buffets at every event to the imported sarees that brides travel all the way to India to get custom made.

One of my favorite moments of the entire series of events was the Garba Raas. Garba is an Indian form of dance that originated in the Gujarat region. It is more similar to Western folk dance than to the presentational style of Indian classical dances such as bharatanatyam and odissi. The name garba comes from the Sanskrit term Garba ("womb") and Deep ("a small earthenware lamp"). Many traditional garbas are performed around a central lit lamp, but in Radha and Mahesh's case around a large revolving peacock shrine with endless gems and elaborate candles. The circular and spiral figures of Garba have similarities to other spiritual dances.


Guests dance around the center, bending sideways at every step, their arms making sweeping gestures, each movement ending in a clap. As I took my first "leap" into the beautiful circle of colorful, free-flowing grandmothers leading the circle, I felt a sense of pride in experiencing the beauty of this culture. Although the dance was quite simple, family elders throw in their own special touches by adding in semi-circles, and spinning in circles with other family members seeing how fast they can go! And, this goes on for more than 45 minutes and you wonder if it will ever stop, but then it keeps getting faster and more intense! The family members seemed to embrace my presence and I was even asked if I was a professional Indian Dancer!

There was also a huge interest in Garba amongst the youth of the Indian and in particular Gujarati diaspora in Garba. Garba and Dandiya Raas are popular in America where more than 20 Universities have Raas Garba Competitions of a huge scale every year with professional choreography. During the Garba Raas, dance is the most important element of the traditions. A dance group from the local university came in with the bridal party as they were being introduced and added the extra touch of glamour to an already over the top event.

Eventually, the dance switched to Raas, another Gujurati dance with sticks and my personal favorite. If you ever loved to play the drums and square dance, you love some Raas! Guests were given a set of two colorful sticks, which they would play across for another person in a line. And what I learned about this dance is once you start in the line, you aren't leaving for a good 45 minutes, so be prepared to bang it out!

The bride and groom had so much energy and participated in everything and that was simply beautiful. Also, Garba can be enjoyed by all and is a good form of exercise.

I was impressed with the level of compassion between the Indian community, the acceptance of other cultures, and the detail of decor. Indian weddings are elaborate because in past traditions it was a celebration owned by the entire community, and sometimes when the bride married, she'd be sent off to another village, and may not see her family and friends for a very long time. I think it's important for all of us to look back at our own heritages and incorporate elements of our own cultures, so that we can appreciate all our ancestors did to form our traditions today.

Radha and Mahesh, they were a beautiful couple, inside and out, who truly honored their culture and shared that with me. Thank you for letting us be a part of your memories!

Can we be a part of your Indian wedding? If you need day-of coordination please contact us at rynctaproductions@gmail.com or visit our website at www.rynctaproductions.com.

Ryan Gonzalez
Ryncta Productions, Inc.

Season for Bridal Showers- Fun Ideas for the perfect event!

How the heck did we come up with the celebration"Bridal Shower" and how the heck did it start? The Bridal Shower originated with the intent to strengthen friendships between the bride and her friends. In this gathering, the bride’s friends would give her moral support and help her prepare for her marriage. The idea to give gifts is fairly new; originating circa the 1890’s. At one shower, the bride’s friend placed small gifts inside a parasol and opened it over the bride’s head so that the presents would "shower" over her. When word of this hit the fashion pages, people were so taken with the idea that they decided to do the same at their showers.

Getting gifts hitting me over my head may not be my idea of the perfect bridal shower but it's important to us at Ryncta Productions to give you some fun ideas when planning your next shower on a budget or some fun ways we can do it for you! Here are just a few great ideas:

1) Entertainent Theme- Want to have a fun co-ed shower? This is a fun theme for a bride and groom who are movie buffs or love sports. Why not make a fun entertainment lounge or movie theater in a rec room or rent out a small movie theater? You could do your invitations on old movie postcards that feature classic couples on stage and on screen and serve fun foods such as popcorn, licorice, and movie theater favorites. Fun games to play would include wedding karaoke, or even a fun movie quiz challenge.

2)"Green" or bohemian bride- This bride likes to be different so why not set up an evening of eclectic foods and gifts to pamper her. This theme would work best in a small tearoom or cafe or at a spa. Hire a fortune teller or mehndi artist to entertain the guests and set-up a goddess goodies bar where guests can indulge in some of their favorites such as nail polish, bath beads, aromatherapy oils, incense, etc. and let the ladies scoop some of these goodies into their gift bags. Set up the event Morrocan style with pillows on the floor, serve drinks in Morrocan tea glasses, provide fun bangles, and serve fun satays on sticks!

3)Sin and Heaven Theme (for the playful, sexy and sophisticated bride)- It's the perfect combination for a chocolate lover's lingerie shower. This theme would work best in an intimate room in your home or at a fancy chocolate shop. Decorate your space with sexy reds and pinks and why not write your invitations in lipstick or include a chocolate kiss. Guests should be advised to bring slippers, shoes, sexy mood-enhancing CD's, undies, teddies, and jammies for the bride. Serve Hot Cha-cha chocolate, mocha liqueur cups, anf fun Bridal sweet martinis. Play a fun wedding night game where someone writes what the bride says after opening each gift. When all gifts are opened, read her phrases back out loud with the proper giggle-inducing emphasis- you want to sound like she might on her wedding night.

The bridal shower is something that should be planned in advance and given a lot of thought. The bridal shower is espiecially personal and intensifies the excitement about the big day to come. What I hope you'll take from this is that in planning a bridal shower "anything goes". We are always here to help you make your vision perfect and best of luck to you!

Meet the Martinez Family!

Happy New Year Ryncta Fans!

The Christmas season did not go without love this year in the Ryncta family. Between all the kisses under the mistletoe, hot cocoas by the fire, and time spent with the family, I can't go without mentioning one of the most important memories I was lucky enough to be a part of. About 10 months ago, I met Chela and Gabe from San Francisco. Fun-loving, full of spunk and compassion, I then became a part of their story. Some of our best conversations involved some of my favorite topics such as jelly beans, tango dancing, and visiting boutique hotels. And I can't imagine how tasting cake and alfajores, having drinks at some of South Florida's most fantastic venues, and spending hours listening to some of their favorite music was unbearable for them lol,(being sarcastic). After months of emailing, setting them up with some fantastic vendors, and my daily conversations with Chela discussing everything from bustles to pumpkin cheesecake, we were ready to bring the loving couple down the aisle in "style".

The Sundy House and the fantastic staff AJ and Anayda provided the perfect comfortable "home meets romance" feel. They are one of my favorite vendors! The setting itself mixed with the unique blend of orchids and arrangements provided by my favorite Brit Jackie and the team at J.P. Morgan Flowers, added the right amount of flair! To capture all this beauty, I relied as always on my right hand man Miguel and his team at Miguel Irias Photography. Photo above.
And let's not forget DJ Shawn on the ones and twos with Complete Music!

But at the end of the day, a wedding is not a wedding without the blushing bride and her groom. She was absolutely gorgeous thanks to hair by Miriam and makeup by Rocio. She looked beautiful, had love in her eyes, and for that I am grateful for my job.

Martinez Family thanks for allowing us to meet such beautiful people, for letting us mingle with the "crazy" aunt, and most importantly choosing us to share in your moment. We will never forget it!

Ryan Gonzalez
Ryncta Productions, Inc.
Want us to plan your special event? Contact us at rynctaproductions@gmail.com