So Let's Talk About the Venue....finally!

I've been holding out on talking about our venue since we still need to finalize a couple things but I think I'm over it now. They've assured me the date is mine & I don't need to worry. So without further ado, we're getting married & having our reception at The Bungalow Club in Los Angeles.

Here's some pics from the interior:

The two pictures above are from the front bar.

These two are the patio area

And this is the upstairs lounge!

Fabulous right? Ok, so not exactly the retro cocktail party thing I had always wanted but we really like it & I love the owner. She is so cool & fabulous & she makes it so easy (need I remind everyone how much I enjoy the easy?). And since we're getting married on a Sunday, we get the entire venue to ourselves! Until 1:30am. Woohoo!

When I sent in my request for a quote, she sent me back one price. ONE PRICE!! Thank you Jesus! It includes ceremony (need an officiant) appetizers, buffet dinner, open bar for an hour cash bar after that (I know, I know - people think it's unacceptable but ya know what? I don't drink & I have a very hard time paying for people to get drunk at my party. So it is what it is & my friends are fine with it) and of course all tables, chairs, lines, servers, security & get this - TAX & TIP! Yay, I don't have to think about it!

AND, since it's got so much of it's own stuff going on that I don't really need to decorate much. All those candles are part of the decor. Maybe some centerpices but that's about it. One more thing off the list! I'm kidding of course, I don't have a list. I should have a list & sometimes I pretend I'm making lists to refer to later but then I never look at them again (no wonder I suck at this).

But I digress, the ceremony will be held on the patio. They'll move out all the furniture & set it up however we want (we don't know what that might be but they'll do it). After the short ceremony, everyone will move into the main bar for cocktails, appetizers & Sinatra while they prepare the patio for dinner. After dinner & cake, it's upstairs to the lounge for dancing & the older folks who don't like 80's pop & rock can still enjoy some mellower music downstairs.

A big thanks to The Broke-Ass Bride. If I hadn't seen this on her site, I never would have contacted them. I had seen the Bungalow Club on some list but didn't bother emailing as I didn't think I could afford it. Turns out I can. Email me if you want to know more about the cost.

Sneak Peek

Here is a little sneak peek of our venue:

I'm nervous about giving more info about the venue since we haven't actually put down the deposit yet but it has a lot of rich colors & a bit of a cool Moroccan vibe.

Today I've been thinking about bouquets & I am completely in love with the color of these purplish black calla lilies but I think I'll need to incorporate a bit more deep red to tie into the already existing colors at the venue.

But seriously, is this not fantastic?!

The Venue - finally!

We have finally decided on our venue & are going over next weekend to put down the deposit. It's not quite what I had imagined but I still really like it. I may have to do a little re-thinking in the centerpiece/decor department but frankly, the price is right & the owner is simply fantastic. She makes everything so easy & I think we've established that I am all about the easy.

As soon as we get everything signed, I'll put up some pics & share a little more. Can't do it yet for fear of jinxing something.

The Hollywood Chapel

In my search for a reasonable wedding/reception venue, I kept coming across The Hollywood Wedding Chapel. The subtitle of the site being "Where the hip get hitched". Well hell, I thought, we're hip, we should check it out. As I looked at the website, I knew it wasn't exactly what we were thinking but lately I've been more in a money saving mode so I'm exploring beyond my original vision.

The pictures of the little chapel looked cute & they could do a small (70 people) reception on site with cocktails & appetizers only. I always liked the idea of a cocktail party reception anyway so I talked J into going over to look at it since we were going to be in the area looking at the other venue I mentioned in an earlier post.

First of all, it's not in Hollywood, it's in West Hollywood. As we are driving up, it literally looks like a retail business from the outside. Now, I knew going into this that they catered to gay & straight couples so it was by no means a traditional chapel but I still expected a little more. I was still willing to give it a chance (even though J was shaking his head) but then I noticed it was directly across the street from The Pleasure Chest - an adult super store where you enter into some kind of alternate sexual universe where it is common to see or talk about anything & everything sex related - and I do mean EVERYTHING. Now, I don't have any problem with the Pleasure Chest. I've been there a number of times & it definitely serves it's purpose however, I just don't think that's the feel I want for the wedding. It's also about half a block from the Pussycat Theater - home of the porn star walk of fame. Again, just not quite what we had in mind.

This one is off the list without even seeing the interior.

I May Have Found Our Venue!

So, I've been furiously researching & emailing this week in the hopes of nailing down a few realistic venue options that we could then visit & hopefully get closer to a decision. Many of the responses congratulate me & give me some basic site info & then attach this huge menu. The food is listed by piece or per person with minimums required and many extras available ( all for an extra cost, of course). I don't know about the rest of you but I just think it's a huge pain in the ass. I just want someone to tell me the price including food, drinks, servers etc.

Today I got exactly that. No haggling over this appetizer is less than that one & if you choose chicken, it's less than steak. Nope, just one price that includes appetizers, dinner, desserts, coffee bar, open bar for an hour, ceremony & venue rental. Thank you Jesus! Not only that but the price was ridiculously reasonable - especially considering some of the other stuff we've looked at. I love L.A. but it can be stupid expensive.

Next step - we're going to look at it on Thursday & meet with the coordinator. I hope it is as fantastic as I think it is. I'll keep you all posted....

The Oviatt Penthouse & Occasions

I have decided that until I choose the venue, I can't really do anything else. I mean, I CAN - I can look at dresses, make-up & hairstyles read more blogs, get more ideas but I feel like the style of the location could change some of the other aspects. And let's face it, I am seriously trying to avoid doing more work than necessary.

Since money is an issue, I know that my perfect vision of the venue may be unattainable but for now, I am holding on the the idea that it is still doable. Yesterday we looked at 2 places. The Oviatt Penthouse in downtown LA & Occasions in El Segundo.

First Occasions - this is located in El Segundo & from the exterior it looks average at best but the garden area is beautiful. For an outside ceremony, it really is surprisingly lovely especially at night.

Unfortunately in interior reception area doesn't do anything for me. It's not bad, it's just nothing special.

The upside - the tables, chairs, dinnerware, linens & servers are all included. You just need to meet the food & beverage minimum cost with quite a few menus & styles to choose from. They do not supply alcohol but their bartender will serve if you supply your own.

Occasions pricing:
Tues - Fri AM - 3000
Sat & Sun AM - 6000
Fri, Sat & Sun PM - 7500

There is also an $850 ceremony fee plus tax, service charge & tips.

Next is The Oviatt Penthouse - it is almost impossible to get the real feel of the Oviatt by looking at the photos. It was Mr. Oviatt's residence and his men's department store was downstairs. For anyone that loves architecture, it is amazing. The wall sconces, light fixtures & windows are all Lalique crystal. Yep, that's right, the windows are crystal. They are frosted & carved - simply beautiful. The woodwork is also beautiful.

This is the exterior patio area. Both the ceremony & reception are generally held outside.

This is the entryway. What you don't see is an amazing marble fireplace that would be behind the photographer.


This is the bar - fabulous, right?


The Bride's room

I absolutely love this place. It is perfect for that old Hollywood glamour feel that I want. My honey is not completely sold on it. He feels that it's a bit worn down which I guess it is as it is old. I can get over it but the reality is, I'm not so sure we can afford it anyway.

Oviatt pricing:
Saturday $5,500
Sunday $4,500
Friday $4,000

Those are the site fees only. The Oviatt has 2 catering options; Cicada Restaurant which occupies the old department store area downstairs or Truly Yours Catering. Truly Yours does provide tables, chairs, dinnerware, linens & servers with the price of their service.

It's just the beginning, isn't it?