What we do here
Getting to Malibu is Kanan or Malibu Canyon from where we are, or the coast road if you are coming along it. We build that drive into the schedule rather than the invoice. What it changes is the setup window, which starts earlier here than almost anywhere else we work.
Wind is the real design constraint. Balloon work and anything else tall has to be weighted for it. A table dressed for a photograph at noon can be on the floor by two if nobody planned for the afternoon. We choose where things stand based on how the air actually moves through your particular garden, which is why we want to see it first.
The light goes early against the hills. A house tucked under the ridge can lose the sun well before sunset. So we plan the timeline backwards from the photographs you want, rather than forwards from the invitation time. That one change makes more difference than any decorative decision.
Salt air is the quiet third factor. It is hard on ribbon, paper and anything with a raw metal finish over a long afternoon. We choose materials for it rather than discovering the problem at four o’clock.
See how we work togetherOccasions
Milestone birthdays and anniversary parties fit a Malibu afternoon. Baby showers do well earlier, before the wind picks up.
This is the Malibu party people picture, and for good reason. Late afternoon into evening, the light doing most of the work, and a table that only has to be beautiful rather than clever. We spend the budget on the setting and the seating and keep the structures low, because low things survive the wind and tall things become a project.
Earlier is better here. A late morning or lunchtime shower gets the calm part of the day, before the onshore breeze builds. We keep florals compact and weighted, use linen that will not lift, and put the dessert table somewhere sheltered rather than somewhere scenic. The view is already doing enough.
Children’s parties out here are lovely and take more setup than the same party inland. Everything light needs securing, and anything that can blow into a pool or over a fence gets planned out of the design rather than chased on the day. We build the play area on the sheltered side of the house whenever there is one.
Dinner in Malibu wants heating and lighting booked before it wants flowers. The temperature drops fast once the sun is behind the hills, and a table nobody wants to sit at is a wasted tablescape. Get the warmth and the light right and a very simple setting will carry the whole evening.
How it works
We want to stand in a Malibu garden before we quote it, at roughly the hour the party will happen. Where the breeze funnels, where the shade lands, and how a van gets in and turns around. A site visit is part of The Bubbly Experience and it is worth more here than anywhere else we work.
Mood board, colour palette, tablescape, backdrop and balloon concepts, signage direction and rental recommendations, with one revision included. Every Malibu design gets a second pass for wind and salt, which usually means lower, heavier and better anchored, and almost always looks better for it.
On The Bubbly Experience we are onsite from the first delivery to the last box, with a longer setup window than an inland party of the same size. Vendor arrival and delivery management is part of that package, and out here it earns its place. A late florist on the coast road is a late florist for the rest of the day.
The details
Balloon installations and backdrops, welcome and event signage, dessert table styling, tablescapes, floral styling, lounge and seating layouts, favours and rental coordination. Setup and breakdown come with the tiers that include the day. Outdoors and exposed, the seating layout and the anchoring plan matter more than any single decorative choice.
Our number covers our work. The party itself is bought separately and billed to you by the suppliers: décor, rentals, florals, balloons, catering, the cake, entertainment and printing. Heating, shade and any tenting sit there too, and on the full-service package we source and book them for you.
Ways to work together
Three ways to work together. Malibu parties lean full-service more than most, because the setup is longer, the vendors are further away and somebody has to be there when they arrive.
Event design
Starting at$500
You have the ideas, and we turn them into one cohesive celebration. You get a complete creative plan you can bring to life yourself.
You handle: Purchasing, vendor communication, setup and event-day execution.
Start with thisPlanning and design
Starting at$1,000
For the client who wants professional guidance all the way through planning, but is comfortable running the celebration day.
You handle: Signing vendor agreements, vendor payments, setup, event-day management and breakdown.
Start with thisFull-service planning & production
Starting at$2,000
Hand us the details and be fully present for the celebration. We plan it, design it, and bring it all together on the day.
The starting price covers a local social celebration of up to about 50 guests. Larger events, additional locations, extensive installations or longer coverage are custom quoted.
Start with thisAlready planned it and just need the day run? That is The Final Pop.
Package pricing covers Bubbly's professional planning, design and coordination services. Décor, rentals, florals, balloons, catering, entertainment, printing and other vendor services are purchased separately. Final pricing is based on guest count, location, event complexity and coverage required. Travel is included for celebrations within Los Angeles County. Events outside Los Angeles County may receive a customized travel quote based on location and the onsite visits required. Read our FAQ for deposits, timelines and what happens if it rains.
Timing
Eight to ten weeks ahead, and a little more for anything with a marquee or a structure that has to come along the coast road in sections. Ask anyway if your date is sooner and we will be straight with you about it.
September and October are the best months out here by a distance. The water is still warm, the evenings hold their heat and the wind is gentler than it is in spring. April and May are beautiful and breezy, and mid-summer afternoons need shade you have to hire.
Good questions
No. We do not charge travel anywhere in Los Angeles County, and Malibu is in it. Only celebrations past the county line get a travel quote, and it always comes before anything is booked.
Earlier than inland. It depends on the build, but a Malibu setup usually wants a bigger margin because weighting and anchoring take real time and the drive is longer for everyone involved. The setup window goes into the production timeline and we confirm it with you and the vendors before the week of the event.
On The Bubbly Experience, yes. Vendor arrival and delivery management is part of that package, and it matters more here than most places. We stagger arrivals, confirm them in writing and hold the schedule on the day.
Not if the installation is built for it. Everything tall is weighted, and garlands are anchored rather than taped. We place things according to how the breeze actually moves through your garden.
Tenting, heating and shade are yours to arrange and pay for, and we will tell you plainly what we think you need. On The Bubbly Experience we source and book it. We may adapt part of the design if wind would make it unsafe, and we talk to you first whenever there is time.
We do, as long as they are small. If yours is already planned and you need somebody to run the day, that is The Final Pop. It starts at $1,200 and picks up four to six weeks before the date.
Everything else is on the full FAQ
Let’s celebrate
Tell us the occasion and the date. We will come back to you within two business days.
Start planningBased in the San Fernando Valley, available across Southern California, from Santa Barbara to San Diego.