ATTN SoCal Brides: My Venue is Offering 25% Off ALL Bookings

I have been plugging the shit out of our venue, BOXeight Studios ever since we booked it nearly 3 months ago. I mean, how could I not? It seriously looks *just* like the Marvimon, but is half the price. And with the 25% off, it will be even less - try $2250 for an ALL DAY rental, PLUS you can bring in your own booze, your own food, you're own everything pretty much, play your music as loud as you want, have an oudoor garden for your ceremony, an indoor loft-style photog studio for your reception, AND the guys that run the place are super cool, super laid back, and are all artists who will directly benefit from the money they receive from the rental. I seriously could go on forever about the cool amenities this place offers. For LA or for anywhere, I'm telling you kids, this is a STEAL. So get your asses over to boxeight.com and see what they have to offer. Oh, and the offer expires 12/31/09, so you guys have a little time to decide :)

And if you're wondering whether or not they gave us the discount too even though we've already booked our event, the answer is YES!! So basically we've just freed up about $750 to use for whatever the EFF we please!! Woot woot!

Can this venue get anymore awesome? The answer is fuck-to-the-NO. So get on it! Oh, and if you tell them I sent you, even better :)

25 Cost Cutting Concepts for the Post-modern Bride, Part I

Why POST-modern you ask? 'Cuz callin' it 'modern' ain't modern enough for this bitch. Thas right, son. I've scoured the pages of "Modern Bride Magazine"...and let's just say there's really not anything modern about it. I mean, are we really associating the word "modern" with articles on cake cutting etiquette??? Seriously, people. So, since I'm a little more modern than the current definition of a "modern bride," I've come up with some money-saving ideas for post-modern brides who adhere to the following criteria:

1. The desire to tweak or forgo traditions that are too costly or outdated.
2. The willingness to DIY, use friendors, and bargain with vendors.
   
3. The desire to BE YOURSELF 100% throughout this entire process.
   

If this sounds like you, read on, sista. Read on.

Recently, one of my readers reached out to me about our venue BoxEight Studios. She loved the venue but was worried that the $3000 rental fee would put too big a dent in the $10,000 budget. Knowing that we have similar budget constraints, my reader wanted to know how we were dealing with it and what exactly we were cutting back on. So here goes:

Bowie Bride's
"25 Cost Cutting Concepts for the Post-modern Bride"

1. Dress

• My wedding gown AND my reception dress together set me back $1100, including cleaning and alterations. TIP: Buy a sample gown. Mine was a sample and it was HALF PRICE. I was also able to get her to knock another $100 off the dress and get her to include cleaning and alterations - never hurts to bargain.
  
• Buy a white/cream/off-white dress off the rack. Nordstrom, Jovani, eDressMe, BCBG, Bluefly, ABS, and Net-a-porter are some great options.
  
• Hit up Dolly Couture for a 50s-inspired wedding dress for UNDER $600. She does custom pieces too. If I hadn't found my dress, I would have hands down gotten this dress from Dolly.
  
• I plan to sell my ceremony dress on Oncewed or Preowned Wedding Dresses after the wedding for half of what I paid.
• And I'm totally re-wearing my reception dress after the wedding.
  

2. Transportation

• Mike, me, and the entire wedding party will be taking the city bus to and from the wedding. No limos, or rented getaway cars.
  
• TIP: We knew the venue was located near a bus stop, so we chose hotels that are on the same bus line.
  
• To ensure your guests feel comfortable with the ever-intimidating prospect of taking public transpo, give them detailed instructions and tell them to travel in groups.
  
• We are also going to ensure there is a line of cabs waiting in front of the venue at the end of the night.

3. Centerpieces (image source)

• We are thrift store shopping for vases, mason jars, figurines, old tins, retro lunchboxes, doilies, old novels, cups, cans, frames, retro concert posters, LP sleeves, etc. Then we're going to "craft" it all together with flowers made out of paper and T-shirt material, mixed with a few in season blooms bought the day of, purple baby artichokes, succulents, fruit, Polaroid pictures, white lights, candles, etc.
  
• We are purchasing most of these items secondhand or we hope to share them or sell them to another bride (more on that in Part II).
• TIP: Start buying materials for your centerpieces at least 7 months before the wedding. This way you'll have a lot of time to DIY. Because that's what it's gonna take: TIME.
  

4. Color Scheme (image source)

• Will be nearly non-existent.
• TIP: Not being tied down to only two or three colors will give us more options for decor. I promise none of your guests will care or even notice the difference between "robin's egg blue" and "turquoise," so why obsess over it? This way, you won't be spending extra money just so you can get perfectly matched colors.
  
• Instead, we've chosen to have 10 colors that all compliment each other - this also provides more option for our wedding party. We are encouraging them to wear whatever they like, as long as it coordinates with said colors.
  

5. Music

• We are using an iPod and our venue is giving us free access to their huge sound system.
• TIP: If you use an iPod, hire someone or have a friend run it the whole night - with playlist and detailed instructions in hand. They'll need to know when to break for the first dances, etc.
• Don't be afraid to ask friends to 'gift' a service to you. I also have a VERY talented DJ friend who's worked with the likes of Snoop and Jurassic 5...so perhaps we can get him to 'gift' us an hour of world class DJ'ing? Just to get the party started?? Wink, wink, DJ Monsta, wink, wink... :)
  
• As for the ceremony music, we are NOT hiring live musicians. Instead, we are playing music from an iPod, and we got my sister to play our processional song on the electric guitar (obviously free).
  
• TIP: If you're too attached to the idea of a harpist or string quartet playing you down the aisle, then hit up your local University's music program and hire someone for half the price. All aspiring creative people and performers NEED PRACTICE AND WILL DO IT FOR CHEAP.
  

6. Videographer (image source)

• I went to film school, so I'm going to see if any grad student in cinematography would like to shoot our wedding video for a cheaper rate.
• I may also hire a student editor to put it all together.
  
• TIP: AGAIN, there are A LOT of aspiring filmmakers all in need of PRACTICE and would totally shoot your wedding for cheap. Film students are creative so you know they will care that it looks artistic. So just call up your local college film department, or advertise on Craigslist.

7. Honeymoon (image source)

• We're using flight vouchers for our honeymoon (this we got lucky on).
  
• TIP: If you have the option to get 'bumped' off a flight, TAKE IT. We volunteered to take a flight the next day because our plane was overbooked. The airline gave us $800 in flight vouchers, they put us up in a hotel, AND we got a free meal. Honeymoon airfare = PAID FOR.
  
• For hotel options, choose to forgo the hotel all together. Stay in a rented vacation home for a week and opt to cook for yourselves for some of those nights - especially if you're in a city where fresh fish is available everywhere. I found an amazing little bungalow with an outdoor shower on the Big Island of Hawaii for less than $90/night and a 5 minute walk to the beach.
  
• Can't afford a super-splurge or even a mini-splurge honeymoon? Reach out to friends, friends of family, co-workers, etc - maybe they have a timeshare somewhere they aren't using, or a vacation home that needs a sitter for a week. I know someone who has a great house overlooking a lake that they only live in part of the year. They prefer someone to house sit when they're away - and in exchange you get a free place to stay!
• Register for your honeymoon on Traveler's Joy. It's free to set up and easy to use!
  

8. Food (image source)

• We're renting a Kogi BBQ taco truck. Only 14 bucks per person, unlimited food and soft drinks for 2 hours - and it's like a taste of LA in one bite - Korean/Mexican fusion. Who cares if it's not a plated meal!
  
• Other cheaper food options include: Italian pasta buffet, Gourmet Pizza Delivery, a pig roast, a potluck.
  
• Or approach a smaller hole-in-the-wall type joint and asks if they can cater. I found a teeny tiny Mexican food place who can do tacos for your whole wedding for only $6 per person!
  

9. Attendant Gifts

• I plan on making something, or using my screenwriting background to write them a personalized, action-packed short film screenplay starring them! Personalized is always better anyway.
  
• Here's a gift I would like as an attendant: the ability to wear whatever I effin' please!
  

10. Booze (image source)

• We decided to cut back by doing BYOB.
  
• We will be providing kegs of beer, cases of wine and champagne.
• My dad is going to homebrew the rest of the beer and honey wine.
  
• I may be convinced to buy a few bottles of Patron Tequila for shots only...you know, for the rowdy crowd. I'll hit up Costco. Get the Patron four-pack.
  

11. Eve of Wedding Hotel Room

• Instead of having our own separate rooms, we may just stay together that night in the same room.
  
• We can save $100-200, AND I know we're going to be superballs nervous and we are the only ones who can effectively calm each other down.
  
• TIP: if you don't want to see each other that night, opt to split costs by sharing a room with members of the wedding party, then move into your own suite for the wedding night.
  
• Some hotels may even offer you a free room if a decent number of your wedding guests are staying in the same hotel. Just ask them. Can't hurt.
• If you're close enough, stay at home - or have one of you stay home for that night. Nothing is more comfy than home.
  

12. Day of Assistants (source)

• Hire 'production assistants' through Craigslist to set up, break down and clean up your wedding.
• Trade Day-of Coordinating services with another bride. A fellow bride KNOWS how important it is for everything to run smoothly, so who better to trust with the master schedule? I would LOVE to take advantage of this - both having a fellow bride do it for me, and me do it for her! It would be an honor.
• I may also reach out to my former film school to see if any students need some easy extra cash - especially since our wedding will be during the summer months when students have more free time (and are running out of money!)
  

13. Officiant (image source)

• We are having a friend of the family perform the ceremony for free.
• TIP: If you're officiant is out of state, avoid the state fees by saying you have specific religious needs that require your chosen officiant. (I realize many wouldn't dare do this, but we're not religious, so we may go for it).

Stayed tuned for #14-25...

Hipster Bride Style Guide: Venues

(source)

The HBSG: Venues

You're a hipster. You don't do banquet halls. You don't roll with with weddings on the beach. Even getting married in a graveyard wouldn't be hip enough for you. Think of your favorite indie haunts then immediately cross them off the list because even those aren't hip enough for your hip-ass wedding. Your goal is simply this: To wed where no hipster has wed before.

A Bomb Shelter.
In your vows you can say that when the world goes to sh*t, you promise to love each other even if it means living in an underground box!

(source)

A Treehouse.
Be like the Lost Boys from "Hook." Get married in a tree, then serve an imaginary feast hosted by Rufio!

(source)

A Public Bathroom.
Get married in the first place you did blow together!

(source)

The Sewer.
Get a hepatitis shot, throw on some galoshes, and say "I do" with the ninja turtles! Cowabunga, dude!

(source)

The Dump.
Get married, then get trashed! Just look at all that built-in decor!

(source)

The Roller Derby.
Get married on wheels, then kick each other's ass when it's over!

(source)

A Soup Kitchen
Make your guests feed the homeless, then put on a show while they eat by performing your ceremony right in the dining hall!

(source)

A Tattoo Parlor.
Have an artist tattoo your ring fingers during the ceremony!

(source)

Now that's hip as f*ck. Who wants to add to the list?

Our Venue: BoxEight Studios, Baby

The place where we will marry. I couldn't be more excited.

Date: Set. Venue: Booked. Mind: Blown.

The venue. Ah, the venue. The place that sets the tone for the entire sha-bang-a-rang-rufio. Ru-fi-OOOOOOOOOOOO! Sorry, had to.

For those of you planning a cheap, or cheap-er, or even cheap-ish wedding, I suggest you take the word "wedding" out of the Google search when looking for ceremony/reception sites. My search results came back with nothing but hotels, banquet halls, and super-pricey-have-to-use-their-catering-boring-ass-cookie-cutter-places.

Ideally, these are the things we wanted in a venue:

1. Loft-like studio space for reception - with decor semi-built in.
   
2. Outdoor space for ceremony.
3. The ability to bring in our own food and booze.
4. The ability to blast our music as loud as we please.
5. No hidden fees.
6. No A-holes.
   

This, my people, isn't easily achievable. I literally thought all hope had been lost after months of searching for the perfect place. We found places that we kinda liked...places that would work...but no place that came close enough to our vision. Well, there was ONE. The ultimate indie-style Los Angeles wedding venue: MARVIMON HOUSE. This joint has character coming out the wazoo. This was the first place we checked out. Loved everything about it...except the price. $6000 just to rent the place. Then you have to pay for them to valet everyone's car. Then you have to pay the clean-up fee. Then you have to pay for 2 site managers. And then after all that, you have to give them one of your ovaries. CRAZINESS!

{source}

Marvimon House in all its pricey glory.

Luckily, I found a website that would point me in the direction of what I was looking for. BizBash, baby.

BizBash saved my life. Their venue directory is fantastic. I found places that were literally right down the street from my house that I had never known existed. Who knew you could get married at Jim Henson Studios!

After looking on Bizbash, I was able to find 10+ venues that I wanted to check out. AND, it gave me an idea of how to search for the specific place I was looking for. I found a few unique venues on Craigslist - one we actually almost chose... So if your criteria for a wedding venue are similar to mine, don't fret! There's some really cool raw space out there. Just takes time to find it.

Here are some places we found:

The Wilshire Mansion

Review: Beautiful space. But there wasn't one big room for the the reception. This place would be better for a smaller wedding, or for a cocktail reception wedding. $3000 to rent. No fees, no BS.

Studio 724

Review: Nearly got this one... the space is a rooftop and a garden area. We would have used the roof for the reception and the garden for the ceremony - the roof has an unobstructed view of downtown LA. Totally awesome. $3000 to rent. No fees, no BS.

The Rec Center Studio

{source}
Review: Loft style studio space in hip-ass Echo Park. $3400 to rent, no fees, no BS. BUT, no outdoor space.

The Music Box @ The Fonda

{source}

Review: Cool-ass, old-timey concert venue with rooftop party area in the heart of Hollywood. The lady who we talked to was totally understanding of our budget concerns (we're trying not to crack 10,000 bucks). She said we could make this place work...somehow...so from that I'm to believe it can be done...

After all that, we still hadn't found THE ONE. But I knew we had one more gem to take a look at. And as it turns out, the last place we looked ended up being the best. So without further ado...the venue we chose is...

BoxEight Studios

{source}

More specifics on BoxEight to come...