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 covered walls.
A wide, circular brick driveway with a spreading
ficus tree in the center marks the entrance,
and through the arched, wrought-iron gate you
get your first glimpse of the fountains, flowers
and serenity inside.
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.
If
you have any questions or need additional
information,
please feel free to call (323) 221-9939 x.220.
For general information call x.301. To take
a virtual tour of the grounds, click here.