Hotel Figueroa: A modern boutique hotel and wedding venue

Part of our job (and trust me it's a fun part) is that we get to visit wedding and event venues all over Los Angeles and beyond to see if they might be a good fit for our clients. Sometimes they are venues that we know about but have never been in person and sometimes it's an old venue that got a new facelift. This time, Jessica, Kari and I headed downtown Los Angeles to check out the trendy and newly restored, Hotel Figueroa.

The Rooms

First we got a tour of the rooms and suites. We love checking these out because we can see where our couples will be getting ready and how the lighting and space will look for our photographers. Good news, every single room and suite looked photo-ready!

The event spaces

Next, we headed into the main area of the hotel to check out their cool event spaces. With over 10,000 sq. feet of event space Hotel Figueroa can offer an intimate and outdoor gathering on the Terrazza (for up to 140 guests) or something more elaborate in the Gran Sala complete with Spanish Colonial Architecture right down to the limestone fireplace.

Even beyond events themselves Hotel Figueroa is welcoming to all its guests. With many lounges scattered across the property it’s a perfect place to relax and mingle with old friends and new. P.S their cocktails are INCREDIBLE.

The food + drinks

As beautiful as this place is the facility is only part of the story. On our tour we got treated to lunch and ordered delicious dishes from their in-house restaurant, Breva. We sat outside in their tropical-modern-moroccan patio overlooking the pool. This space is available to rent as well!

After lunch, we ended the tour in their separate beach bungalow! This is typically open as a restaurant and bar but clients can do a full buyout and even use this space as the wedding after-party. I think this was my favorite space, look how colorful the design is.

Want more details about the Hotel Figueroa for your wedding or event? Email us! hello@causewecanevents.com

Photos by Kari Dirksen

Published by: Gabrielle Norton in Lifestyle, Wedding Business
Tags: boutique hotel, boutique hotel LA, boutique hotel wedding, Downtown LA trendy hotel, Downtown LA wedding, Hotel Figueroa, Hotel Figueroa Wedding, LA hotel wedding, LA Wedding Planner, LA wedding venue, trendy hotel LA

November 29, 2018 - No Comments!

Modern Navy and Grey Wedding at The Colony House

He was from LA, and she was from the Bay. Two different lifestyles over 400 miles apart, but the one thing that bonded them through the distance was their love for basketball. It played a huge part in their relationship as they both grew up playing and watching the game, and then playing with/watching each other as they got older! This past summer, we helped celebrate their love with their old teammates, friends, and family at The Colony House in Anaheim and it was nothing short of an amazing night.

Getting ready for an intimate First Look

Janet and Chris got ready at the Marriott in Fullerton and then headed over to The Colony House to take some photos. The Colony House has a really cool upstairs loft area which is where the couple had their First Look. Grab the tissues because it was such a tear-jerking moment!

Picture-perfect moments

Some things I absolutely love about this venue are the glass walls and windows, plentiful lighting, and beautiful exterior that made for perfect backdrops. Our photographer was able to capture so many great shots of the couple, bridal party, and family.

Details

Meanwhile, our team was working on a few finishing touches for the ceremony and reception. Check out some of the beautiful details of this elegant and modern wedding.

Ceremony

We used the upstairs loft area as the staging area for the bridal party. The loft has a large, clear glass window overseeing the entire downstairs space which gave us the perfect view of the entire ceremony.

Right after the ceremony, guests enjoyed cocktail hour upstairs and on the patio while we flipped the ceremony space into the reception area. 24 Carrots did an amazing job at preparing all of the tables ahead of time so that the break-down and set-up of the ceremony space was super quick and easy!

Grand entrance + first dance

After cocktail hour we welcomed guests to their seats for dinner as Janet and Chris made their grand entrance. Everything about this wedding brought tears to my eyes, but especially watching their first dance.

Reception

Following toasts to the bride and groom, dinner was catered by 24 Carrots. This crowd did not need to wait for dinner to end for the party to begin! Guests were singing and dancing to each other from across tables and I could not stop laughing. They were having so much fun, and we were having so much fun watching them.

Desserts + Cake

Desserts included donut holes from Café Dulce and an ice cream sammich bar from Chunk-n-Chip set up on the patio. Talk about delish! But first, can we talk about how gorgeous this cake from Torrance Bakery was?

Party time!

Once the plates were cleared and drinks were flowing, the party continued on the dance floor. I don’t know about you, but I could tell that this was a celebration that everyone would remember forever. Cheers to Janet and Chris!

Photographer JustinElement Productions // Planner Cause We Can Events // DJ Eric Vispares // Catering 24 Carrots // Cake Torrance Bakery // Desserts Café Dulce + Chunk-n-Chip // Hair & Makeup Kelly Zhang Studio // Florals California Petals

Published by: Gabrielle Norton in Wedding
Tags: best los angeles wedding planner, Cause We Can Events, LA Wedding Planner, Los Angeles Wedding, Los Angeles Wedding Planner, Modern elegance, Modern wedding, Navy and grey wedding, Orange County Wedding, Orange County Wedding Venue, The Colony House, Wedding, Wedding Ideas, Wedding Planner

November 8, 2018 - 11 comments

Bohemian Wedding at Smoky Hollow Studios

Kate said she wanted a man that was smart, funny, handsome, and from the South. Lucky for her, she found her dream man! Clem checked all the boxes off on her list, and he lived right here in the South Bay. It was only fitting that they celebrate their love locally with their friends and family, and they could not have picked a more perfect venue: Smoky Hollow Studios.

Getting Ready

Kate and Clem got ready at their home nearby, but arrived at Smoky Hollow Studios a bit earlier to take some pre-ceremony photos with each other and with the bridal party. A couple things I love about this venue is the upstairs loft that we used as the bridal suite, and the fact that the exterior is so beautiful and has so many cool places for photos. Check them out below!

The Ceremony

The ceremony took place on the patio right outside the studio. Guests gathered around on the patio while the couple exchanged vows from inside. From where we stood, this was our view. It was definitely cozy but it made for a very intimate setting.

From guests’ point of view, the couple actually stood above eye-level because the studio itself is on raised grounds. With the sunlight hitting perfectly and the beautiful interior of the venue in the background, it made it so much easier to ooh and ahh about this special moment—and so hard not to cry!

The Reception

Another thing I love about this venue is that we were able to create the ceremony and reception in one space. So after the ceremony, guests came back inside for the reception. Take a close look at some of the details of this bohemian-themed wedding. All the furniture, tables chairs, bars, couches etc. are included in the venue which is really amazing.

Party time!

After a delicious BBQ dinner from Baby Blues BBQ, it was time to party! I can’t remember the last time I had so much fun just WATCHING everyone have fun! This crowd sang and danced the night away to classics and when I tell you that everyone was on the dance floor, I mean EVERYONE!

The Cake

This couple decided not to have the big traditional wedding cake. Instead, they went for something smaller, tastier, and easier to eat (and cut!) – good ol’ Sweet Potato Pie! They also had several mini pies as desserts for guests, all from Know Reality Pie.

Did you like this bohemian industrial wedding at Smoky Hollow Studios? Check out this Winter wedding at Smoky Hollow next!

P.S Want to get inspired by other couples and ask questions to professional wedding vendors? Join our Adventurous Weddings & Elopements Facebook group!

Wedding vendor team

Photographer Geoff Rivers // Planner Cause We Can Events // Band VIPs Entertainment // Catering Baby Blues BBQ // Bar National Bar Staffing // Videographer Wandering Study Video // Desserts Know Reality Pie // Lettering Blue Poppy Lettering // Hair Dry Bar // Florals J Flowers

Published by: Gabrielle Norton in Wedding
Tags: best los angeles wedding planner, Best Wedding Planner Los Angeles, Best Weddings at Smoky Hollow Studios, Bohemian bride, bohemian wedding, Cause We Can Events, LA Wedding Planner, Los Angeles Wedding, Los Angeles Wedding Planner, Los Angeles Wedding Venue, Rustic Wedding, Smoky Hollow Studios, Smoky Hollow Studios Wedding, South Bay Wedding, South Bay Wedding Planner, Wedding

December 6, 2016 - 8 comments

Hanna + Jesse’s Lemon Grove Wedding

This love story is as good as it gets! Hanna and Jesse met while working at lululemon a few years ago. Jesse and I were actually in the same hire group and Hanna was one of our mentors. Even though all the girls in the store had secret crushes on Jesse, he knew from the beginning that Hanna was the one.

When it came time for them to plan their wedding, we all knew LEMONS would make an appearance, but this just blew us away! Take a peek at one of the most spectacular outdoor weddings of 2016 at the Limoneira Ranch in Santa Paula, CA.

The breathtaking ceremony took place at the St Sebastian Church in the cute little town of Santa Paula, CA.

Can we stop for a second and talk about how cute their getaway car was!!?! Obsessed.

Get ready for some amazing reception details! The bride and groom thought of everything. From clever signature cocktail names served at Lemonade Stands to Pick-Your-Own Lemons in lululemon bags as favors, it was a wedding planner's dream!