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Paul Bott, Event Planner, tells Your Wedding Day magazine, that the inspiration to develop his own business occurred a day years ago when he was the recipient of a bouquet. “I got started after being inspired by a gift given to me of a beautiful bouquet of flowers one day. This was way back in 1981 and I was so touched that it reminded me of growing up with my parents and all of the great and beautiful parties they gave.” These included parties produced by Paul’s father, who ironically was a jet mechanic for United Airlines. “My father stared out as a jet mechanic
for United, one of the first jet mechanics, but he had such enthusiasm he was soon asked to take on an additional role.” Paul explains that that ‘additional role’ was to orchestrate parties for the employees’ Mainliner Club, and Paul got to “tag along.” But these weren’t your typical parties; for these affaires, it was not uncommon to have 50,000 guests. However, this was not the only early party-planning inspiration Paul recalls. “My parents did fabulous parties too. I used to sit on the stairs, listen to the ice cubes clinking in the glasses, listen to people talk, smell the food.” Soon, even as young boy, he began to cook. “I had a huge interest in cooking as a little boy.” Paul laughed, “I was a precocious, unstoppable force of a child. I even tried to make my own wine!” At 11 years old, this “precocious child” actually went to work in the food-related industry. “I got a job at a farmers market selling produce, and I did so much business the booth owner had to open a second booth.” Then, he graduated to working in restaurants, where again, his natural culinary leanings shown through. “At my restaurant jobs,” Paul says, “they always put me in the kitchen.” And with those experiences, next he was off to France to work in the kitchen on a private yacht owned by one of the world’s richest men. Fortunately, that is for Paul, the yacht’s head chef had a habit of too frequently dipping into the cooking wine, and Paul was frequently left in charge of singlehandedly preparing all the meals. His next job landed him in the kitchen too. “I was hired as a groundskeeper for a French household,” he explains. But soon, he was in the kitchen cooking. “That’s when I learned to cook from scratch,” he says. “I still today, do it exactly the same way. Nothing is out of a can.” Being a highly-sought after chef now would be accomplishment enough, but Paul’s expertise seems to go on and on. It’s amazing! But the truly amazing part is that in all areas, he is self-taught. For instance, Paul recalls the day he decided he could learn floral design. “While having lunch in a restaurant one day, I noticed that the flowers on the table were awful!” Not being a shy person, on his way out Paul very nicely mentioned this fact to the manager. “The manager asked me if I could do better,” he says. “Which I said ‘yes,’ and I was in there with arrangements the next morning at 7 a.m.” Paul’s “classroom” in which he was both student and teacher was never-ending, and soon in addition to chef and florist, he had added caterer and event designer to his repertoire too. “It’s very difficult for me to decide how to describe myself,” he says with a laugh. That would be a difficult decision, and Paul says perhaps the best way to tell what he does is to call him and his company a “Full-Service Event Producer.” “We create your perfect menu; we provide all staffing, including your exceptional uniformed service staff; we create your breathtaking floral arrangements; we develop and create your décor based on your theme; and we provide all of your specialty items including custom linens and specialty china, flatware, and glassware.” Where does Paul do all of this? you may be wondering at this point. You are very lucky, because anywhere you and your wedding will be, Paul will be happy to be there. Although his company is Southern California-based, Paul creates events everywhere across the United States and world-wide, including a recent event in Paris. His clients across the globe have included Estee Lauder, Martha Stewart, the New York City Ballet, the New York City Opera, Oprah Winfrey, Tommy Hilfiger, Vogue, Walt Disney Pictures, and the Tony Awards. He and his work have been featured in countless magazines including Vogue, House Beautiful, Architectural Digest, Metropolitan Home, the New York Times, the Times of London, and, of course, Your Wedding Day. With all of this well-earned success, Paul says that even today, with a full staff available to him, he continues to do all of his own shopping for his recipes and menus. “I don’t let anyone do that,” he says. He continues to do much of his own event cooking too. “I can cook dinner for 100 people, including soups and sauces in the same time it takes other chefs to do just the appetizers.” The logical question then seemed to be, to ask Paul whether there is anything he doesn’t do. “I haven’t designed the brides’ wedding dresses,” he says. But after a pause, he adds “Yet.” He explains that with a niece in pattern-making school in Los Angeles, he’s giving wedding dress design some serious thought. “My niece and I have talked about it,” he says. “I’m thinking about going into that too!” Perhaps one reason that Paul can accomplish so much is that he’s the definitive multi-tasker. While responding to these impromptu Your Wedding Day interview question with perfect charm, comprehensiveness, and clarity - never missing a single beat - Paul was simultaneously whipping up a sweet potato cheesecake. And you just know that that cheesecake came out better than perfect too! By Susan Hart Hellman, Executive Editor

Paul Bott
1915 Grace Av #G
Hollywood CA 90068
Phone: 877-722-7895
International Website This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Directions


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