Dear Caroline on Crack: Wedding Reception Venues?

— by Caroline on Crack

Royale on Wilshire

Somehow, I stumbled upon C on C & yea!!

I realized we’ve only just met, but I have this huge(ish) dilemma: Time to get married….I am a longtime LA/Downtown/Hollywood oldie, a little off my game this last year (moved from downtown to Pasadena a year ago), so your site has stirred my juices & renewed my excitement for putting together something interesting. Basically we are 40-50 people, looking to do cocktails/snacks somewhere nice/elegant but fun/unusual. I realize nowhere on your site do you mention “event planner” but I thought i’d stop by & throw it out there…. just to see if something came to mind.

Plus, I searched & it seems you have yet to visit the Blacklite…What gives?

~Would-Be Smug Married

Dear Smug Married,

Without really knowing your price range or your age group, etc., I’m inclined to say the Royale for elegant cocktails and snacks. Not only do they have that huge circular table for a big party but awesome food, an interesting menu. There’s an awesome mac and cheese (which I recommend hogging up for yourself) and you can even order cotton candy for dessert — a fun treat to split. Outside there’s a lovely patio with a tiny pool which the tenants use and adjacent to the bar is another room where people have events.

OR you could do it poolside at the Blue Velvet. There’s a fire pit out there or inside there’s a sunken center table in the bar/lounge area that’ll fit a big party. The food is all right and so are the cocktails but you get a gorgeous view of downtown and it’s an elegant setting.

OR have you checked out the Edison? That place is gorgeous! I always finding myself recommending it for fancy gettogethers. A converted old powerhouse, it has an elegant old L.A. feel to it. There’s even a generator room with a bunch of old generators as well as lovely seating areas. I haven’t tried the food (they just started serving food there Wednesday through Friday 5pm-11pm and Saturday 6pm-11pm) but the cocktails, albeit pricey, are tasty.

Let me know how it goes.

Yeah, there are a bunch of places I have to check out. But I’m only one little person. I’ll get to it if it catches my fancy tho.

Caroline