Angela Gala and Sikky Rogers are the dynamic design duo behind Rogers & Gala, an acclaimed event planning business that has created memorable weddings, parties and corporate events across the country and abroad. Their business includes a growing Holiday and Seasonal Design division. PHOTOS COURTESY OF ROGERS & GALA.
Acclaimed event planner Sikky Rogers didn’t realize it at the time, but in 2016 she gave her event planning company Rogers & Gala a big gift. That’s the year she and her business partner Angela Gala decided to add a division devoted to holiday decor. “It has been good for us during Covid because all of our events were cancelled,” Sikky says.
The holiday division’s niche is focusing on commercial buildings. The dynamic design duo work all year with their team of top-notch vendors to create stunning decorations for their clients. Everything must be in place by Thanksgiving and usually stays up until the New Year.
In this unusual year, the property managers they work with decided to scale back some of their decor. Because of social distancing, no one wants to entice people to congregate in lobbies to view elaborate displays.
For example, the enchanting small-scale winter city scene with 40 handmade buildings Rogers & Gala commissioned a train maker in Dallas to create for a client’s lobby has been packed away this year. Instead, the emphasis will be on a 26-foot-tall lighted Christmas tree with 1,000 ornaments that can be seen from the street.
An outdoor display showcases a stunning Christmas tree dripping with lights and ornaments.
Crystals reflect sunlight into this lobby causing a spectrum of colors to dance all over the floor.
To see more of the elegance Sikky and Angela are known for, visit rogersandgala.com. Or follow them on Instagram at @rogersandgalaevents where you’ll also see Sikky Says, which is Sikky’s expert advice on etiquette. What is one of the modern bad habits she sees the most often? “Putting a cell phone on the table while dining,” she says. “My grandchildren used to do that when I would take them out to eat. They stopped when I told them I wasn’t going to pay anymore unless they put their phones away.”
Here’s more of Sikky’s thoughts on where she finds inspiration, the biggest seasonal decor trend and how to enjoy the holidays.
The Inspiration Behind The Holiday Division
“i was tired of looking at commercial buildings that weren’t decorated in a sophisticated way. I wanted to see something more special that would attract attention to the buildings in an elegant way.”
Chic Advice For Your Home
“This year is about smaller displays and entertaining smaller groups of people. What we’ve found to be the most popular decor now is Winter Wonderland — a white Christmas look with flocked trees and lots of lights. There are so many great LED lights out there that you can buy to make almost anything twinkle and shine.”
Cheers To 2021
“We believe things will get back to normal next year and it’s going to be really busy, so we’re planning to expand our holiday division even more. We’ll be going to the Christmas show in Atlanta to see what’s new. We also get a lot of our ideas from going online searching for inspiration from all over the world. We keep a notebook of all the ideas we like. But it’s when we get on site and look at a property that we really see in our minds what we want to do.”
Her Best Advice For Enjoying The Holidays
“Don’t have expectations. if you don’t have any expectations for events and people, then whatever happens is a good thing. i get in trouble when i expect something to be wonderful or expect someone to do something that is wonderful. That’s when i get disappointed. Years ago for Thanksgiving, I wanted everyone in my family to dress in Black Tie. My children finally told me they didn’t have a good time because I had so many things I wanted them to do that it wasn’t fun for them anymore. I’ve learned to just be with my family and enjoy them.”
