Novato Patch Welcomes Two Aces Event Planning

When they met seven years ago, neither Casey Domingo nor Stacey Randall could have imagined that they would one day be starting a business together, offering catering and event planning on a professional level. After all, they met while dropping their children off at school.

But that is exactly what happened after these two Novato residents got involved in fundraising for the school, and over the years joined forces to put on events like auctions, golf tournaments and private parties, with a focus on raising money for local nonprofits.

Two Aces Event Planning plays on the letters each share in their first name, but what they also share is a passion for getting things right, from the initial concept all the way to the moment a client tells them that the event they have just produced has gone off flawlessly.

“We did two auctions — one at Cline Barrel Room in Sonoma, and the other at the Parish Hall at Our Lady of Loretto School,” where the business partners’ children attend school, Domingo said.  “Both auctions were hugely successful.  It is personally gratifying to create an event where 200 people lift their paddles and raise much-needed funds for a great cause.”

“We’ve even created a 150-seat, Bollywood-style, Indian party in the Parish Hall complete with fire dancers,” Domingo added. “And we’ve also hosted two successful and fun crab feeds.”

Domingo said that the pair’s reputation became such that she and Randall decided to start their own business, with Randall running the technical aspects of each event and Domingo working on the creative.

“We work very, very well as a team,” Domingo said.

Domingo also operates a travelling Paella business and is as a private chef.  She even received a contract to compete on Fox TV’s “MasterChef” (hosted by culinary broadcasting icon Gordon Ramsey), but declined due to other responsibilities.  “I cook everything but sushi,” she said.

Randall, a former banking and mortgage professional said that her motivation to become involved in event planning has to do with an innate ability to organize and make people feel welcome.

“We want to inspire people to create a party or an event – make it different, spectacular, and special – but also to remain within a budget, because we’re all on a budget these days”, Domingo said.  “Because of our ability to create so much ourselves, from seating charts and escort cards, to menus and invitations, we keep prices down. We take our customers’ theme and turn it into an event people will talk about for a long time.”

For more information on Two Aces Event Planning, visit www.twoacesevents.com.