I got an invitation in my inbox a month ago inviting me to check out three new event locations. With the promise of wine and food I quickly sent in my RSVP! I'm very excited to share with all of you the details of these three lovely sites!
The first stop was a small vineyard, Triunfo Creek.
The site has a small grey stucco building with a lot of rustic appeal that fits well with the rest of the property. It's very inviting and pretty when you first pull in over a small bridge to the round gravel driveway. The well maintained and expansive lawn is just begging for an event to fill it.
Next, I entered the building and found the interior well matched to the exterior, raw and rustic but with lots of country charm. The image below is of one end of the small building. The other end is lined with wine barrels with lot of wood beams and a raw concrete floor in between.
Passing through the building you come upon a small patio with a view of the lawn and the hillside, which was full of grape vines just about to start growing leaves and fruit.
I adored this site! There just seems to be so much potential and already so many plans in the works to increase the beauty of the site and make it more event friendly. There was also additional ceremony locations up the hillside for those desiring more of a view for their nuptials.
Next, our small group piled into a limo and was driven down the road a bit to the next location, Lobo Castle, that's right, castle!
This location is actually a residence that was redesigned and renovated into the castle style you see. The owner and chef for this site and Triunfo rents out the location for events a couple of weekends a month. This site is perfect for a bride and groom looking for a site that is unique and private for their event. There are photo ops around every corner of the site, including the roof if you're brave enough to climb up a wrought iron ladder on the back of the house.
Tuscan water well courtyard
Small patio looking out the bride's room, overlooking the pool and bar
Bride's room and view from the pool to the bride's room patio
Our final stop in the limo was The Malibu Golf Club, Malibu and Vine. This site is a public golf course that has two lovely lawns available for event rental. The first site comes with wine barrel tables and chairs already provided and lovely market lights strung from the trees.
The second area is a large open lawn. This site is perfect for ... well anything you want to set up. It's a large, flat, blank canvas waiting for all the details.
One end of the lawn overlooks the golf course. This is the typical site to set up a wedding ceremony with the guests facing this view.
For brides and grooms interested in these locations please contact me! I can get you a discount in renting these sites for your next event. I can't wait to try them all out so please give me an excuse.
So here is my very belated recap of "A Girl in a Chair Soiree" event that was put on back in November at Rancho Las Lomas by Your Wedding Day Magazine. Unfortunately, the holidays took over and I never got a chance to do a write up on this event.
This event brought the guests behind the scenes to view the magazine's photo sets for the next issue. The sets were highlighting new trends of 2011 fashion, editorial and decor. It was really exciting to see everything live and in person. The photos always look so beautiful laid out in the magazine, but it really brought a whole new level of understanding of the design with this experience. Being able to walk up to the tables and dresses, traverse the space and seeing all of the details from every angle was a real treat.
Each of the sets focused on a different wedding destination. The design was meant to embody that location and the new trends for 2011 of each of the areas.
I'm looking forward to getting the "Your Wedding Day" issue with this photo shoot to see how the designs translate into two dimensional images. Of course no photography was allowed on the sets so I can't share any of the images with you.
The event itself was put on by LVL Events and Hitching Post Public Relations, catered by 24 Carrots and held at the beautiful Rancho Las Lomas in Silverado, California. I've run an event out of this location before so it was wonderful to get an opportunity to return and just enjoy the site.
Now I'll delve a little bit into the event's catering. There were passed appetizers throughout the evening and I think I was able to catch most if not all of the options available. I have to say the food was definitely enjoyable. Here are the items I was able to sample.
Shrimp on a White Bean Crostini - I wasn't able to get a picture of this item but it was tasty and easy to eat while standing.
Chicken Noodles
I loved the presentation of this item. The take-out box made it easy to carry around without spilling anything. It was also pretty tasty.
Mashed Potatoes with Beef
This was my favorite dish! The beef was cooked really nicely and it looked very appetizing on the plate.
Fish served over a Rice Cake
This was my least favorite dish. It looked nice but I found it to be bland. It needed a bit more seasoning.
Lobster Tamale Martini and a my self-served coffee
I wasn't impressed with the Martini. I loved its presentation, but taste is what's important with food. It wasn't bad, but the flavors didn't stand out. I did enjoy the coffee bar. There were a lot of options for customizing your drink and I enjoyed my cup.
BBQ Pork Slider
This dish was difficult to find. It was being snatched up every time I saw it. I'm a huge fan of sliders and Hawaiian sweet rolls so this got a plus in my book. Again it could have used a little bit more flavor in the sauce to really make it stand out but it was an enjoyable bite.
I really enjoyed the night and got to meet quite a few new event professionals. Although the one negative detail that I noted from the night (and overheard quite a few other guests mentioning) was the table linens. They were beautiful (as you can see from the food photos) with lots of beading detail. The beading, however, made it very difficult to set down a drink glass. The uneven surface kept encouraging the glasses to tip over. So if you're dead set on using a beautiful beaded linen for a cocktail table I suggest adding a glass topper to show off the detail while still giving your guests the convenience of a flat surface on which to set their drinks.
Me and Jami (one of my best friends) at the end of the night
Last night I attended an event put on by Truly Yours Catering at the Historic Oviatt Penthouse in Downtown Los Angeles. They are now the exclusive caterers for the site and threw the party for wedding and corporate event planners.
I've never been to this location before so I was very excited to finally see it in person. This was a great opportunity to view the property because not only did we get to sample the food, but the tours of the penthouse had a wealth of information on the history of the building as well as on using it for events.
Now for a tour of the location!
We pulled up to the building and were greeted by valet parking. This was nice because ... well it's downtown! There are parking lots all over but many of them closed at 8pm or earlier, which is inconvenient for an evening affair. I was not overly impressed by the outside of the building. It didn't stand out when I drove up to it and I had to look at the address to make sure it was the right location.
Cicada restaurant is located on the first floor so that is what you see as you pull up. I didn't see any signage stating it was the Oviatt Building, which was a bit confusing. The entrance area was where the look of the site started to improve.
You then turn left and enter the center elevator (the only one which goes to the penthouse). It's beautiful and the interior is covered in carved wooden panels. When you reach the top the doors open up to an entry room.
Straight ahead you can enter the bride's room. This is a gorgeous bedroom with a patio and Moroccan themed bathroom, that only the bride and disabled guests can use because it's original plumbing (almost 100 years old).
Bridal room
View from the bridal room
View from the bridal room patio
Bathroom
Down the hall is the first bar and a small room which would be great for entertaining guests while they're waiting for the ceremony to start or during a cocktail hour. The bar is a gorgeous example of the art deco design of the building. Next you step up onto the rooftop patio. This is where ceremonies and receptions take place. There is space for another bar on this level.
You can then go up another flight of stairs to the upper rooftop. This area only has enough room for about 40 guests but it also has the best view being the highest point and room for one more bar. This top roof also has a view of the Oviatt's clock tower. This is a nice photo opportunity although do it during the daylight because the numbers light up at night and not all of them illuminate.
I think this location is lovely but definitely not a large space. If you're looking for a unique downtown type of venue for less than 100 people this would definitely work. The Oviatt is only 13 floors so it's surrounded by larger buildings now. The lights from these buildings' windows is lovely though. I would say the highlight of the Oviatt though is the interior. All the woodwork in the bar, floors, and built-in furniture is beautiful.
Now on to the food!
I've worked with Truly Yours Catering at events before and have been pretty happy with them. They're professional and their food is pretty tasty, in my opinion. (Stay tuned for a review of their food at a wedding I recently coordinated.) I went to the event with one of my assistants and she didn't enjoy the food as much as I did. So, as with anything, it's all a manner of opinion. What we both did agree on was the vodka and pomegranate drink special they served. It was amazing! My assistant and I both had to go back for seconds.
As for the food, it included a mashed potato bar, a sushi spread, passed hor d'oeuvres, and a dessert table.
I was a big fan of the mashed potato bar. It was self-serve, which is always nice when you want to pile on toppings. They used martini glasses to hold the potatoes which really made it feel more upscale. The topping choices were plentiful: garlic, olives, sun dried tomatoes, green onions, caramelized onions, mushrooms, bacon bits, etc. The only difficulty was serving yourself and eating it if you had a drink in your other hand.
The sushi was decent and prepared at the serving table as it was eaten. I'm a sushi snob and don't normally enjoy buffet style sushi but I did go back for seconds.
I enjoyed most of the passed hors d'oeuvres. What I really didn't like was the ceviche. It was served in tall shot glasses. This made it difficult to eat, because tipping it back into your mouth caused all of the liquid to come out, but none of the fish. This made the flavor too fishy for me and I didn't even try and dig the fish out of the glass. My favorite hors d'oeuvres was the spicy spoonful of pear and ahi. It was a nice combination and just enough spice to make it interesting.
Finally there was the dessert table. It looked pretty with all the individual servings, but I was disappointed there wasn't any signage. There were so many options but nothing to tell you what any of them were. As for taste I'd say they were average. Nothing I tried got me excited but they were enjoyable.
General Event Information
Maximum # of guests: 125
Site Fees: Friday $2500 / Saturday $2000 & $4300 / Sunday $1500 & $2500
Additional Fees: Up to $990 (Fire Marshall, Security, Cleaning)
Hours: Friday 4PM-1AM / Saturday 9AM-4PM & 6PM-1AM / Sunday 9AM-4PM & 6PM-1AM
Address: 617 South Olive Street, Los Angeles, CA 90014
Contact: Roxy Adlesh
Phone: (818) 753-9110
