Featured Wedding Venue: Madonna Inn

In our search for THE wedding venue, we decided to check out The Madonna Inn. And by "we," I think once you take a look at the place, it will be obvious that I mean me.

Photo courtesy of The Madonna Inn website

The Madonna Inn is a well-known hotel along California's central coast. It's pretty much famous for looking cuckoo and boasting over-the-top decor that would make even Liberace gasp in horror. 

I totally love it.

The hotel offers 110 bedrooms that each have very unique and defined themes. Some of my favorites include:

Old-Fashioned Honeymoon

Dez

 Romance

Austrian Suite

Jungle Rock

I can't help but think all of the kitschy design and flocked wallpaper and velveteen sofas would make for totally bitchin' wedding photo backdrops. Also, these rooms scream HOTEL ROOM PRE-PARTY!!! 

If you're anything like me, I'm sure you're bonkers in love with this place by now.

So we drove up to The Madonna Inn and checked out three of their rental venue spaces.

The first one we looked at was The Venetian Room. It's located on the lowest level and is decorated like Christmastime at The Olive Garden. It has a maximum capacity of 250 guests.

The next room we looked at was The Garden Room. It's located on the second floor and feels a little like a Swiss chalet. There are murals everywhere and it reminded me of the Griswold's European vacation. 

The room seemed pretty dark, but it's probably different when there's an actual event going on.

The last space we looked at was the stage area. This space is typically where the ceremony business goes down. According to the events coordinator, the staircase is usually a big selling point for brides who want to make a "grand" entrance. The room is decorated in red, pink, and gold and there are cherub statues. Also, this stage area opens up to the hotel's restaurant, so I imagine lookiloos would be watching while the wedded couple says their "I do's".

Along the way to the stage area is a fully-stocked bar and seating area.

The exterior of The Madonna Inn:

Check in and lobby 

The restaurant 

Located alongside the 101 

A statue of Alex Madonna (I think...)

if you're ever in the area, make sure to stop by The Madonna Inn. Also make sure to pick me up first because I've never actually stayed there and I'm dying to throw an impromptu photo shoot in one of those rooms.

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Featured Wedding Venue: Camp San Luis Obispo

It's official: The wedding planning has begun!

 Over the next few weeks, I'll be showcasing a different venue that I've visited in the hunt for our perfect wedding location. Most of these places are not popular venues that you'd find in your typical wedding research. Some may be a little non-traditional. And all of them are perfect for the budget-conscious.

 One thing I noticed while looking at venues online is that most websites don't show the details of the space. I.e. the light fixtures, windows, flooring, etc. And they always show the space when it's fully decked out in someone else's wedding decor. Hopefully, the shots I've taken will give you a better idea of the what each venue looks like as a "blank slate."

Like a venue? Give me your input! (If you already know which venue we've chosen, don't spill the beans, please!)

CAMP SAN LUIS OBISPO
Located three hours north of Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo is considered part of California's "wine country." Since I don't know too much about the factual history of this exact venue, I'll just give you the quick info I was able to learn in my research. It's a military base that's pretty much out of commission and only used nowadays for training purposes. Most of the buildings on base are dilapidated and it felt like a ghost town. With that said, it's a GREAT location if you want to be surrounded by nature.

Camp San Luis Obispo (CLSO) is located right off Highway 1 and it's very easy to get to. You don't need to have military clearance to get to this venue. However, you do need to have an appointment with the coordinator, so make sure you arrange this ahead of time. This venue offers both a ceremony location (chapel) and a reception location (Officer's Club).

Chapel - front

Chapel - side

Inside chapel - view from the balcony

Main aisle of the chapel

Chapel seating

View from the alter, looking towards the back of the chapel

Balcony seating

Light fixtures in the chapel

Exterior of chapel

Gazebo in front of chapel

Sign in front of chapel

Officer's Club - exterior

Officer's Club - exterior

The Lounge: This space is great for older guests to sit and relax, as well as for children to watch TV.

The Fireplace Room: This space is great for cocktail hour. The French doors on the far side lead to the bridal dressing room.

Wood beams in the Fireplace Room.

The Library is ideal as a bridal dressing room. There's plenty of space for several girls to get ready. There are also tables, comfortable chairs, and lots of natural lighting. 

The Ballroom

Stage area. This could be used for the DJ setup, cake display, or even the wedding party.

Linoleum flooring - no need to rent a dance floor.

Cool architecture

Door leading from the library, goes out to a spacious lawn area. This area would also be great for an outdoor ceremony.

Surrounded by nature

Sign outside of the Officer's Club

The rental fee for this venue is $2,400 and includes the following:

-Full use of Chapel

-Full use of Lounge

-Full use of Fireplace Room

-Full use of Library

-Full use of Ballroom (accommodates 300)

-Full use of on-site kitchen (includes refrigerator, industrial size gas stove, coffee maker, ice maker, sinks, microwave)

-All tables and chairs

-Dance floor

Note:

This venue offers TONS for its price. They only book one wedding per weekend, so you're guaranteed to have full use of all of the above mentioned spaces for your wedding alone. 

The coordinator has her own linen rental company, so it's easy to coordinate between vendors. Also, she's super friendly and helpful.

The venue is seriously just surrounded with green hills and old trees. If you're looking for one of those old barn type locations, but are willing to sacrifice on the barn itself, check this place out.

This site has a list of caterers (approximately 15) that it works with. 

For more information, contact Taffy at (805) 541-6168 or CampSanLuisObispoClubs@hotmail.com.

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