TOUR THE EBELL WITH WEDDING PLANNER, HOLLY GRAY
We love it when wedding planners visit our historic wedding venue. We love it even more when they write a fun and informative blog as Holly Gray, owner of Anything But Gray did. Here are the highlights of her detailed blog. We highly suggest you visit and read the full blog!
Words by Holly Gray
Photos by Aurelia D’ Amore Photography
The Ebell of Los Angeles is tucked off Wilshire Boulevard in the Miracle Mile district. With three levels and 75,000 square feet, this historic wedding venue features Renaissance-inspired architecture and is a registered National Historic Landmark.
While it hosts many weddings and events, this philanthropic, educational, and social club was built by women for women and has been in this Hancock Park location since 1928. In fact, The Ebell of Los Angeles is the longest-running women’s club in Los Angeles. The Club, founded in 1894 and now in its 125th year, The Ebell Los Angeles has been empowering women since day one.
The revenue generated by the Special Events Department supports the operation, preservation, and mission of this historic Ebell Club, Clubhouse and Theater. This support allows the Club to remain accessible and inclusive of ALL women, regardless of social status, and supports the philanthropic, educational, and social services of the Club.
PERSONAL MEMORIES OF A HISTORIC WEDDING VENUE
I grew up in Hancock Park, right down the street from The Ebell of Los Angeles (no relation to the Ebell of Long Beach). My brother and I attended Cotillion classes there as a child. Cotillion comprises of dancing parties emphasizing manners, social graces, and basic social dance skills. I remember these walkways well as my patent leather shoes would squeak while walking on them.
Wedding Ceremonies can either take place on the garden stairs or inside in the ballroom. Both options are equally beautiful!
In the middle of the garden lives The Fountain of Honor, crafted in 1928. Designed by Henry Lion in memory of Ebell members’ sons, husbands, and brothers whose lives were lost in World War I. for being almost 91 years old, she looks amazing and is plastic surgery-free!
HISTORIC WEDDING VENUE: THE GARDEN & PATIO
For those looking to experience all that The Ebell of Los Angeles has to offer, there is the Full First Floor Exclusive. This gives clients exclusive use of the historic Ebell Clubhouse for their event and their event only!
The Dining Room & Garden Combination provides an outdoor setting for guest arrivals, ceremonies, and cocktail reception with a grand ballroom featuring carved archways and a built-in stage for presentations, reception dining, and plenty of room for dancing the night away!
The dining room has a built-in air conditioning system. The Lounge and Art Salon do not have built-in systems, so it’s encouraged to rent an external air conditioning system for hotter month events from July-September. When opened, the French doors create natural cross ventilation and let in a lovely, evening breeze.
The Ebell of Los Angeles is fully equipped with state-of-the-art lighting options to create the ambiance, atmosphere or vision you have in mind.
The rental of the dining room includes up lights on the arches, column faces, and perimeter. The Dining Room includes a small stage drenched in burgundy, velvet curtains perfect for creating a star-studded Old Hollywood atmosphere.
There is vintage furniture included in the rental in almost every room of The Ebell.
What it costs for an event at a Historic Wedding Venue
Exclusive First Floor of The Ebell of Los Angeles (Lounge, Art Salon, Garden, Dining Room with 2 green rooms) rental for Saturdays is $9000 + $20,000-$25,000 Food and Beverage minimum depending on the season with 125 or more guests. A 21% Service charge and Current Sales taxes are also applied to this total. Couples should plan at least $40,000 for Food & Beverage costs with an average overall wedding budget of $70,000+. Clubhouse rental includes up to 9 hours of access and their inventory of tables, chairs, vintage furniture, tableware, and barware.
Another shining feature of The Ebell of Los Angeles is their adjacent parking lot which is included in the rental fee. As all Angelenos know, parking in the City of Angeles can be hell! To not have to worry about additional valet costs or offsite parking for your guests is a huge plus to this venue.
There are thousands of architectural, design, and style elements within this historic wedding venue that make it a one-of-a-kind property. From hand-carved ceiling details, vintage light fixtures, metalwork, stone columns, original wood floors, and Art Decor furniture, The Ebell of Los Angeles is dripping in old Hollywood glamour and grace.
At The Ebell of Los Angeles, an outstanding culinary experience is just as important as the ambiance and architecture. The artwork is both on the walls as well as the plates coming out of the kitchen. The close-knit team at The Ebell of Los Angeles is here to make sure, from start to finish, your event is picture perfect!
There are many rooms in the historic wedding venue that are not seen by guests on a daily basis. The third-floor theater, music room, and Fine Arts costume closet, which holds a vast collection of vintage costumes, hold some of the hidden histories of The Ebell of Los Angeles.
