Los Angeles River Center & Gardens
Los Angeles, CA 90065
(map) Phone: (323) 221-9939 x220 Capacity:400 or less
View:creek / river, hills / mountains
Visiting the Los Angeles River Center and Gardens is like getting an unexpected gift. Only minutes from downtown Los Angeles and just over the Los Angeles River, this gorgeous event facility will fit many a bride’s idea of the dream wedding location. The Center is a hidden jewel, sequestered behind thick, ivy covere...
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Reviews for Los Angeles River Center & Gardens
I was a guest at a wedding at The Los Angeles River Center and Gardens a few weeks ago. This really is a beautiful location and is something of a rare oasis in LA.
The reception area, which is a large courtyard with an incredible fountain, has great old-hollywood / spanish villa atmosphere. My only caution... is that the ceremony area, which is outside the courtyard (but with a wall to the exterior) was fairly noisy with traffic during the ceremony! Something to think about. It could have just been the time of day though? (5:30 on a Friday?)
We LOVED our venue! We knew from the moment we saw it that it was the place for our dream wedding. The venue doesn't provide anything beyond the actual location (and 150 chairs), so we brought in our caterer, rentals, alcohol, coordinator, etc. It was a lot of work, but well worth it! Zenia, the site manager, was easy to work with and very responsive. TIP: The Los Angeles River Center & Gardens books up really quickly, so you have to book early!
Beautiful grounds. Reasonable fee. Some tight restrictions, but understandable since they need to preserve the grounds for the future. Great space for our afternoon ceremony, dusk cocktails, and evening reception. Beautiful at each turn and looks like a different space in each light. Our contact Zenia was a pleasure to work with.
As mentioned, you need to bring in your own rentals, caterer, etc., so while the site fee is reasonable, depending on your tastes it can quickly add up and bringing in your own day of coordinator is pretty much a must to ensure everyone works together smoothly. This venue also have a list of preferred vendors so, while it's not impossible to work with a vendor on this list, there are quite a few vendors who are banned (like the first caterers we were looking to hire). Prepare to be flexible.
We had to call in Feb 08 to book our April 09 wedding. Dates open in early Jan/Feb for calendar year that follows. Off season and Friday/Sunday dates have more availability.
The LARC was the perfect venue for our wedding. The location is gorgeous and requires very little decoration. Our guests raved about the hidden gem in the middle of LA and it truly felt like a private oasis for the night.
We were able to supply our own catering and bartending which saved us a lot of money. Parking is a breeze (nice in LA!) and we had no trouble with noise (our wedding was on a sunday afternoon and we had speakers set up for the ceremony). It got pretty chilly at night, so the fireplace came in very handy. We set up a small lounge in front of it and my aunts huddled around it and were still able to enjoy the festivities.
Zenia the site manager is incredibly helpful and easy to work with.
The Los Angeles River Center is the most romantic setting for any wedding--we had a May wedding so the weather was perfect, day and night. Our guests were in love with this fairy tale villa, and completely enchanted by its beauty. Zenia is also wonderful and very helpful. I highly recommend this venue if you don't want your wedding in a traditional indoor setting.
we had both our ceremony & reception outside on the LA River Center Grounds. all our guests had nothing but compliments for the venue and loved not having to drive in traffic to a separate location for the reception. as someone mentioned previously, it IS a lot of work b/c you have to arrange all your own rentals, catering, beverage service, etc . . . but in the end, everything turns out so beautiful that it is worth it. i'm including a link to my wedding slideshow b/c the LARC's own website does not do it justice:
www.mgpweddings.com/bn
i had my wedding in may so i can't really speak from personal experience about having a wedding during rainy season. however, i htink the standard protocol if weather turns to rain is to bring the wedding indoors . . . which is a shame, b/c you pay all this money for the beautiful grounds. if you absolutely have to have your wedding in the spring, i would find another location that is indoors.
I just want to echo the other reviewers. This is a spectacular location. Not only did our guests rave about the location, but the proceeds go to the LA Park Service! The site has beautiful flora and fountains, so most of the decorating is already done. Exquisitely maintained by a helpful staff. I highly recommend both Zenia and the LARC.
What a beautiful oasis in the middle of LA! I had both my ceremony and reception here and it was perfect. My guests were blown away at how gorgeous the place was. There is also a lovely fireplace in the big courtyard where my reception was held and it added such a nice touch to my wedding.
There's plenty of parking, a huge bar area with spanish tiles, a bridal dressing room, and golden lights around the trees...everything that I envisioned my wedding venue is right here.
About Los Angeles River Center & Gardens
The small courtyard at the entry is a charming introduction to the Center, but before long the carved wooden doors at the back beckon you into the Main Courtyard, the ideal spot for a special event. The expansive multi-level patio is enclosed on three sides by the arcaded terraces of the Center’s buildings. Pepper trees rustle in the breeze, and beds of roses, agapanthus, and daylilies soak up the sun. A three-tiered fountain stands in the center of a tiled reflecting pool, hugged at its four corners by a multitude of flower-filled terra cotta pots.
From the Main courtyard, an arched entryway in a stucco wall leads to the San Fernando Courtyard, another broad patio with an adjoining lawn. A magnificent old ficus tree keeps this patio dappled in shade, and lends the space a quiet dignity. The lawn, enclosed by tree-lined walls, is often used for ceremonies; the patio offers an alternate space for dining or dancing. Bordered by the California Building on one side and high walls on the other three, the San Fernando Courtyard is its own private little world.
Indoor celebrations or large meetings take place in the California Building. The main event space features a Mexican-tile floor, arched windows and a huge, peaked skylight that floods the room with natural light. Tables and chairs are set up beneath the skylight, with additional seating available on the second-story walkway that runs around the entire perimeter of the room. The Los Feliz Room can accomodate smaller meetings and conferences.
More about the site's history:
The Los Angeles River Center and Gardens is located at the former site of the Lawry’s California Center, near the confluence of the Los Angeles River and the Arroyo Seco, close to Elysian Park and downtown Los Angeles. Its beautiful mission-style grounds and conference facilities serve as a focal point for the renewal of the Los Angeles River, and a prime location for community gatherings, educational conferences, and special events.
The above description is directly from the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy website. The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy manages this facility.
Blog: Los Angeles River Center & Gardens
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