Designed by Debby

Designed by Debby, event planning in Los Angeles

Creating meaningful experiences around people’s most important moments

Debby Rasson

Event planning for birthdays, bat mitzvahs, holiday parties and family celebrations across Los Angeles.

Plan your eventSee her work

About Debby

Debby Rasson studied hospitality and event management and has spent the past five years in the events industry. Her experience runs from venue operations and venue and vendor sourcing to corporate event planning and birthday parties. She learned the work behind the scenes at brand events and entertainment premieres, where the timeline has to hold and nobody is supposed to see the effort. Now she brings the same discipline to all of your event needs.

More about Debby

Parents laughing as their little boy sits at a garden table in front of a cow-print first birthday cake topped with tiny boots and a cowboy hat

The Art of Bringing a Story to Life

Every celebration begins long before the day itself.

It begins with who you are. Where you come from. The memories that shaped you, the people who matter most, and the future you imagine.

At Designed by Debby, we bring those pieces together to create celebrations that feel deeply personal.

From the food that reminds you of home to the music that takes you back to a particular moment, every detail becomes an opportunity to tell your story.

Through creative direction, intentional design, and thoughtful production, we transform your vision into an experience you can see, feel, and share.

Because long after the celebration ends, what stays with you isn’t just how it looked.

It’s how it made you feel.

How Debby works

From your story to the day itself

  1. 01

    Creative Direction

    We uncover the story behind your celebration, exploring your influences, memories, and personal style to develop a vision that feels entirely yours.

  2. 02

    Experience Design

    We translate your story into tangible details, from the setting and tablescape to the food, music, atmosphere, and moments your guests will remember.

  3. 03

    Planning & Production

    We bring every element together through thoughtful planning, vendor management, and seamless execution so you can be fully present.

The story so far

Where the passion comes from

I get to create memories for people that they’ll look back on for the rest of their lives.”

Debby, on her first event

That was the thought Debby had the first time she worked an event, as an intern at a destination event management company, and saw what the day meant to the client. She has known it was her passion ever since, whether the client is a global company or a family celebrating a first birthday. She brings an eye for detail and an operator’s mindset to every event, keeping every moving piece on schedule at once.

Where it started

Debby got her foot in the door as an intern at American Guest, a destination management company. After graduating, she moved to Milan for international experience and coordinated events at TERRAEVENTS, a destination management company (DMC) there.

What she handled

  • Internship
  • International events
  • Milan

For your eventShe learned early how to make a day feel effortless for the people attending it.

End to end

For nearly two years at Mastercard, Debby managed more than 650 events a year at the company’s New York Tech Hub, for groups of up to 500 people. She coordinated the room setup, catering, sound and lighting, security and outside vendors, and was on site from setup to breakdown, fixing problems as they came up. She also ran offsite programs for 100+ VIP guests.

What she handled

  • 650+ events a year
  • Up to 500 guests
  • Vendors
  • The day itself

For your eventShe knows what to ask a venue or vendor before you sign, and how to keep the host in the loop without piling on work.

Behind the scenes

Debby has led staffing, logistics and operations on brand events for Louis Vuitton, the US Open Opening Party and Vince Camuto’s Boots for Fall, along with Tiffany, American Express, Condé Nast and Barstool, and on premieres for HBO, Hulu and Peacock.

What she handled

  • Staffing
  • Logistics
  • Operations
  • Premieres

For your eventShe is used to events where every detail gets noticed, and she brings the same care to a backyard birthday.

Her full story

Where she has worked behind the scenes

  • Louis Vuitton
  • Tiffany
  • American Express
  • Condé Nast
  • Mastercard
  • US Open
  • Vince Camuto
  • Barstool
  • HBO
  • Hulu
  • Peacock
  • Cushman & Wakefield
  • TERRAEVENTS

The work

01

Birthday parties

Debby holding the birthday boy in front of the red barn backdrop and the first birthday cake, framed by red, white and cow-print balloons
A buffet table under a red gingham cloth, with cups of pasta salad and vegetable crudités on wooden risers around a wildflower centerpiece
A petting pen of rabbits, chickens, ducks and young goats on fresh hay
A wood-fired margherita pizza on a white serving board
Families on picnic blankets on a lawn listening to two musicians, with the red barn and the ocean behind them
A small boy in a gingham outfit in front of a cream barn backdrop framed by brown and cream balloons, beside a cow cutout
Baby’s breath in a terracotta pot and bundles of white flowers on a wooden table while the buffet is set up behind
A grazing table of charcuterie, wraps, fruit and salad around an arrangement of white roses
Two musicians with a guitar and a tambourine playing for toddlers on a picnic blanket in front of the barn backdrop
An outdoor lounge of black cushioned seating, teak tables and small white flower arrangements on a lawn

1 of 10: Debby holding the birthday boy in front of the red barn backdrop and the first birthday cake, framed by red, white and cow-print balloons

02

Themed events

Studio 54 party

A performer in a white suit and wide hat on a small stage under blue and pink lights, with dancers behind her and guests watching from the floor
A performer in a sequined slip dress and a blonde curly wig beside a glowing white bar, with walls of projected colored squares and neon triangles overhead
Curved white bars lined with glassware under walls projected with rippling blue water light
A corridor of gold fringe curtains with mirrored disco ball balloons and a single yellow spotlight

1 of 4: A performer in a white suit and wide hat on a small stage under blue and pink lights, with dancers behind her and guests watching from the floor

03

Corporate events

MastercardMastercard
Cocktail tables in orange linen with candles and a small arrangement of roses and lilies, in a high-floor event space with floor-to-ceiling windows over the Manhattan skyline
A long dinner table set for a seated dinner, with patterned orange linen, a low run of orange and yellow flowers, menus at each place and black wishbone chairs, beside windows over the Manhattan skyline

1 of 2: Cocktail tables in orange linen with candles and a small arrangement of roses and lilies, in a high-floor event space with floor-to-ceiling windows over the Manhattan skyline

What she plans

Six ways to work with Debby

  1. 01

    Birthdays

    Debby plans the party with you: the venue, the vendors and the schedule for the day.

    Debby handles

    • The venue or backyard setup
    • Food, rentals and entertainment
    • Kids’ activities and a schedule that keeps cake and games on time

    Ask about this: BirthdaysSee it in the work: Birthdays

  2. 02

    Bat mitzvahs

    Debby plans the celebration with you: the venue, the vendors, the floor plan and a schedule that keeps the night on time.

    Debby handles

    • The venue and floor plan
    • Music, food and rentals
    • A schedule for the whole night

    Ask about this: Bat mitzvahs

  3. 03

    Holiday parties

    At the office or at home. Debby handles the venue, the vendors and the schedule for the day, so you can host.

    Debby handles

    • The venue or your home setup
    • Food, drinks and decor
    • Keeping the night on schedule

    Ask about this: Holiday parties

  4. 04

    Themed events

    Pick the theme and Debby builds the event around it: the look, the vendors and the schedule for the day.

    Debby handles

    • Turning the theme into decor, food and music
    • Sourcing rentals and props
    • Setup, so the theme lands the moment guests walk in

    Ask about this: Themed eventsSee it in the work: Themed events

  5. 05

    Private celebrations

    Anniversaries, milestone dinners and anything else worth celebrating. Debby plans the venue, the vendors, the floor plan and a schedule for the day.

    Debby handles

    • The venue
    • Vendors
    • Floor plan and schedule

    Ask about this: Private celebrations

  6. 06

    Day-of coordination

    You have done the planning. Debby takes over the timeline and vendor contact ahead of the day, then runs the day itself.

    Debby handles

    • Confirming every vendor in the weeks before
    • A written schedule for the day
    • Running the day from setup through breakdown

    Ask about this: Day-of coordination

What Debby takes off your plate

  • Finding the venue
  • Booking the vendors
  • Planning the look
  • The schedule for the day
  • Setup and breakdown
  • Running the day, so you can enjoy it

5 years in events · 650+ events a year at Mastercard · New York, Milan and Los Angeles

How it goes

  1. 1

    A first conversation

    What the first call covers.

    What this involves
    • A relaxed call about the basics: the date, a rough guest count, the kind of event and the feel you want.
    • What you want Debby to take on and what you would rather handle yourself.
    • A comfortable budget range, so her ideas fit it from the start.
    • Afterward, Debby follows up with how she would approach it and a quote.

  2. 2

    The plan

    The timeline, the venue and the vendors worth trusting.

    What this involves
    • Finding and booking the venue, or working with the one you already have.
    • Choosing vendors: food, rentals, music, decor and entertainment. Debby brings options she trusts; you make the calls.
    • Setting the overall look and a timeline of what gets booked when.

  3. 3

    The details

    Everything that happens before the day.

    What this involves
    • Regular check-ins as the day gets closer, so you always know where things stand.
    • Vendor contracts, deliveries, floor plan, guest flow and kids’ activities.
    • In the final weeks: confirming every vendor, arrival and setup times, and a written schedule for the day.

  4. 4

    The day

    Who is there, and what they handle.

    What this involves
    • Debby arrives before anyone else and oversees setup.
    • She is the contact for every vendor, so nobody comes to you with a question.
    • She keeps the day on schedule, handles anything unexpected, and stays through breakdown.
    • You get to be a guest at your own event.

Her full process

Questions?

Yes. It is one of the things she knows best.

  • She runs operations for Los Angeles event venues including Savanna Rooftop and The Lillian, so she knows how venues work from the inside: what they include, what costs extra, and what they will ask of you.
  • She can suggest spaces that fit your guest count, budget and style, from backyards and parks to restaurants and private venues.
  • Before you sign, she looks over what is included, setup and cleanup times, and any rules on vendors, music or decorations.

Already have a venue? She will work with it.

You plan it. Debby runs it.

  • In the weeks before: she reviews your plan, confirms every vendor and their arrival times, and builds a written schedule for the day.
  • On the day: she oversees setup, is the contact for every vendor, keeps things on time and handles anything unexpected.
  • After: she stays through breakdown so you are not left cleaning up.

It is a good fit if you love planning but want someone else in charge once the party starts.

Yes.

She will coordinate with anyone you have already booked, and suggest trusted options for anything still open.

Not at all.

A date (or a rough one), an idea of how many people and a sentence about the day are plenty. Figuring out the rest is Debby’s job.

Planning something?

Tell Debby what you have in mind. A date, a rough guest count and a sentence about the day are plenty to start.

Get in touch

Debby replies to every inquiry herself, usually within a day or two.

Plan with Debby