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I think that one of the reasons why weddings have gotten so out of control expensive is because of the "it's my wedding, therefore it should be exactly as I picutre it" mentality that brides have been told to have. You will love this man no matter where you marry him. Pick a venue with great food over amazing location -why? Because your guests will remember the food more than the size or shape of a room. What do guests remember --food and music, and how wonderful and happy the couple look together!
After looking at a gazzilon of places out of our price range, we finally had a long talk about what mattered most to us. 1. We get married 2. Our guests have fun 3. We do it without putting anything on credit. So we picked a location that suited our personalities, had great food, and spent a little extra money on the DJ. Our final decison was the UCLA Faculty Center.
I would look around some more... girl, its LA there are TONS of places.
is hubby helping you look? mine really helped me decide on a place that was PRACTICAL...
also i would ask the girls on theknot.com LA boards, they all have a lot fo great rec's
i say keep looking...
the venue was really important to me because i wanted a beautiful location for our guests in a room that would be practical and not-awkward.
was the l-shaped room Portofino, by any chance? the room there was l-shaped and our guests wouldn't have been able to see each other, let alone, us!
^ vee... are you a psychic? cuz you're right. such a lovely room, ain't it? it remindes me of Bellagio!
Ugh, I feel the same way. I really want to nail down the venue so we can get on with the avalanche of other decisions that we still need to make.
I don't know how anyone does anything under $20K-30K...especially in big cities.
I was looking at one post where the couple spent $15K, but turns out they had a mere 75 guests!
LA, I think is soooo daunting!! I looked for a couple of months and was online everyday for hours obsessing over the venue! keep looking, i think there is a venue that will just be the one.... there really are so many places here! I just found my venue and I actually found it on here comes the guide...(i looked at many places that were almost good enough until i found this place and i knew it was it without a doubt!) I actually think you can cut more corners if you can find a venue that is more of a blank slate (like a property or estate rental) where you can use whatever caterer and party rental place you want... in fact there are some caterers that also include the rentals in the pp cost, which is very affordable!! we are hoping to not go over 30k with 150 guests! which is very difficult! obviously saturdays cost the most, but you could do a cocktail wedding serving h'orderves and drinks only which can very nice and elegant and so much more affordable!!
Ours is in LA (UCLA Faculty Center), we found the site on Here Comes the Guide. The food, dessert, drinks, and location are running us just under $12,000 for 140 guests. When all is said and done we will be at around $17,000 without the honeymoon. It takes research and a commitment to your budget to do it they way you want it and not go in debt!
I speak from experience when I say, please keep looking....
I agree with everyone else. It is so hard to find a venue in L.A. if your criteria is a)affordable and b)beautiful. But, if you're kind of ambivalent about the venue, you might want to search just a little while longer to see if there's another place that you like more (that you can afford). I ran into the same problem and really regret choosing the venue I did. They were a pain in the ass to work with, and I just felt like in the end, I could have done better if I wasn't so frustrated with the search. My friend is getting married in May of '09 at an estate in Azusa (I can't remember the name of it), but they are listed here:
If I'm not mistaken, they're paying $10K for everything (food, cake, limited alcohol, linens). If you go to the website, and scroll down to Historic sites for special events, they will give you an A-Z list of places for your wedding and/or reception. Don't give up just yet!
Ditto, keep looking! Not everyone was 100% happy with our original choice, and we ended up changing ... AFTER I had already put down a deposit for the first location. I was also stressed about getting the venue done and done, and was so eager to just book the place. But having second thoughts costs $$$, so make the right decision the first time around!
Also, to reiterate what mydogsnameisollie said, you might be able to find a place that isn't that expensive that will let you bring in catering. I used Stonefire Grill...and although I hated my venue, I am very happy with the catering. They are an excellent and inexpensive option to use, and I can't tell you how many people raved about the food. I originally saw them on Weddings Altered, and since went to another wedding that used them as their caterer. You won't be able to have a sit down dinner, but the food is excellent and you can hire servers if you need them.
Also, to reiterate what mydogsnameisollie said, you might be able to find a place that isn't that expensive that will let you bring in catering. I used Stonefire Grill...and although I hated my venue, I am very happy with the catering. They are an excellent and inexpensive option to use, and I can't tell you how many people raved about the food. I originally saw them on Weddings Altered, and since went to another wedding that used them as their caterer. You won't be able to have a sit down dinner, but the food is excellent and you can hire servers if you need them.
caliocteach - that # sounds fab! but the last thing i want is to go to ucla again after the bf and i spent 11 years there between the two of us... he was a super duper senior, i a super.
It's weird.. All i care about is having a pretty venue. the food? eh, i don't really care for it much because they're coming to celebrate my wedding, not to chow down. I've learned that people will complain about everything no matter how much thought/money you put into it.
The bf and i want an ocean view. that's what's making this difficult. boooooooo~~!!!!
mlindsey- i'm going to look at that site now :) thanks!
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Let us know what you find! I have several regrets about my process, but it makes me oddly happy when I can help out other brides....
calalillies,
You can get a great place while still on a budget. Don't forget the power of pipe & drape and lighting. Just a little bit can really transform a room. Instead of paying a lot more for something you don't love because of the layout and floorplan, go for something that works for your budget and can be worked up by using lighting and decor. It can be quite economical to do it this way.
Spend the money elsewhere in your wedding. :)
A very cute venue with a fantastic ocean view is the Pointe Vicente Interpretive Center in Rancho Palos Verdes. However, everything would be held outside (the inside is home to the Learning Center - complete with a life-sized replica of a whale). You can bring in your own caterer, which is a plus, but there a few restrictions, and again, there is a built-in "aquatic" theme.
As previous posters have said, take a look at the knot boards, projectwedding.com, and herecomestheguide.com. Good Luck!
If you seriously don't care about the food you can do what one of my friends did -- she had a beach front wedding catered by In-N-Out! It was TONS of fun.
Honey, it took us 7 months to find the right spot and nail it down. LA is a NIGHTmare, but if you keep looking, you'll find exactly what you're looking for! Just like you shouldn't rush into marriage, you shouldn't rush into a venue.
There's a great place in Dana Point that wasn't right for our theme, but we really liked it. Its RIGHT on the water and is really affordable...the location is lovely. Plus, you can bring in your own alcohol and food! I highly recommend you check it out - i bet you could have a super reasonable wedding there!
<font>Dana Cove Room at OC Sailing and Events Center
34451 Ensenada Place
Dana Point, CA
(949) 923-2215 or (949) 923-2218</font>
UPDATE!!!!
Thank you for all your recommendations. I'm so glad I have the hive to turn to for questions. After looking around some more, we have decided that the only place where we can get 1. a nicely decorated ballroom 2. with a ocean view 3. that's in our price range .. is the first hotel in the OP. Yes, I am not 100% satisfied with it because it lacks a separate cocktail area but in the end of it all, does that really matter? Nope!
As for the ceremony? I didn't like the next door ballroom remember? That problem's been solved too. We found a beeeeeeeeeeautiful cliffside church with great ocean view that's only 15 min away from the hotel! Kinda pricey but honestly, I love it. I always wanted to marry in a church and have a nice ballroom reception so it's working out! woohoo!
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It doesn't have to be perfect, but if you're not at peace with it, then I'd say to keep looking. It took us about 3 months to settle on a location that we both really like. Good Luck!
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The BF and I went to look at a hotel ballroom yesterday and we both loved it. The only problem is, it's shaped like a V, there's no official pre-reception cocktail area, the pool area is closed for winter ceremonies so we'll have to use the (ugly) ballroom next door. Don't get me wrong, the room is gorgeous. It was already set up for a reception for later on that evening so it made it really simple for us to envision our own. The problem is... I don't like it 100%.
Do I keep looking? I just wanna hurry up and set the venue so my uclers will go away~~~ why is it so hard? If i like the place, the catering is way too expensive. If the catering is reasonable, then the venue is not so great.
Anyone else having the same issue? It's so hard to stay within the budget and get something "nice". i wanna cry!!