Are you planning a wedding at Valentina DTLA? I am a Los Angeles wedding photographer who has photographed at the Marvimon wedding venues.
I’m going to give all of my tips for planning a wedding a there below!
Crucial Tip For Your Valentine DTLA Wedding
The ceiling within the ceremony space is made of a glass-like material in which you and your guests can see the sky. This is obviously gorgeous, BUT depending on the time of day that your ceremony will be at, you may want to have the venue close it with their retractable shades.
They have some shade panels that can cover this room. These panels still let light through, but it won't be as harsh. This can make a drastic impact on your photos because when the sun is directly overhead and bright during the ceremony, it creates harsh shadows on one's face. Yes, it's unfortunate that the sky won't be showing, but if the choice is between amazing photos of you and your love exchanging your vows OR seeing the sky during the ceremony, I think most would go with prioritizing the first.
Keep in mind, you can always reopen the shades through the rest of your wedding day, so that guests can look up and see the sky during the cocktail hour, etc.
Valentine DTLA Wedding Cost
A Valentine DTLA wedding ranges between $35,000 - $50,000 depending on several factors, including vendors chosen, food and beverage, etc. The rental fee for Grass Room DTLA ranges between $6735 - $13,115. This price range does not include food or beverage. The exact rental fee amount depends on:
- 1) The day of the week
- 2) Your Guest Count
This rental fee includes the use of the space, site management, kitchen rental, and furniture setup. Valet service is additional and mandatory.
Decide if You’d Like to Get Ready at the Valentine DTLA
Valentine DTLA allows couples to arrive at the venue a few hours prior to the ceremony. In most cases, couples opt to get ready elsewhere and then arrive at the Valentine DTLA for finishing touches, such as putting on their wedding outfits.
Option 1:
The couple can do the majority of their getting ready elsewhere and then complete finishing touches at the Valentine venue. For example, you can arrive with your hair and makeup done and put on your dress at the venue in their "getting ready" room. In this instance, your photographer could begin his/her coverage at the venue. This will allow you to still get some getting ready shots. You can then have your first look at the venue.
Option 2:
The couple can completely get ready somewhere else and have their photographer document it at that location. After getting ready photos, you can have your first look at the location you are getting ready at OR you can postpone your first look to have it at the Valentine Downtown La.
Since the "getting ready" space at the Valentine Downtown La is so unique, you can still use it for some fun portraits with you and your partner! Their "getting ready" area is called the Grünwald. It's Valentine’s private lounge that includes fun turquoise, hand-upholstered walls designed and stitched by Tony Brown.
Getting Ready Locations Near Valentine DTLA
Below are a couple of hotels and Airbnbs that would work as amazing getting ready locations close to the Valentine wedding venue.
Unique Airbnbs in Downtown LA
Hotels in Downtown LA
Best Areas for Valentine DTLA Photos
- The Ceremony Site / Jungle Area
This space is typically used for the ceremony and it's surrounded by greenery everywhere. Beyond the ceremony photos, this is a phenomenal location for some couple portraits or even some group photos.
- Underneath the Keyhole Arch
This arch is fantastic for some fun Valentine DTLA photos. It is painted soft pink and has different birds & greenery on it.
- Downtown LA Cityscape
This is one of my favorites. When you exit the the venue, take a 1 minute walk to the light intersection and get some shots there with the Downtown Los Angeles Buildings in the background. If you are a lover of the city of the dreamers, I think this is an amazing shot to really feature the cityscape in the background.
- Turquoise Getting Ready Room
This room has a fun 70s vibe!
- Blue Mural with Pelicans
This mural is right outside of Valentine DTLA. It's a long wall that has blue accents and painted pelicans. It's also surrounded by some greenery. This is a great spot for some wide shot photos.
- Wedding Date & Names Marquee
Outside of the venue, there is a marquee that will have your wedding dates and names on it. This such a cute spot for a photo op!
- The Cinder Cone Bar
This bar features an erupting island volcano!
Get In Touch
For wedding photography questions, reach me HERE!
Valentine DTLA Wedding Photography Tips
Get Ready Somewhere Close By
Los Angeles traffic is no joke. If you're from the area, you already know this. If you're not native to LA are planning from abroad, please keep in mind that in LA, short distances can still take forever to travel within because of how terrible the traffic is.
With this, one of my best recommendations it to get ready at a location that is nearby, preferably somewhere already in downtown LA. Once you're in downtown LA, it's easier to get from point A to point B. But driving to downtown LA from a nearby city usually takes a lot of time because of the traffic entering the downtown LA area.
The good news is that downtown LA has so many great hotels and even some really cool airbnb spaces (I've included several recommendations above!). Having you, your partner, your wedding party, and your immediate family stay at one of these nearby hotels the night before will save you so much stress and time the day of the wedding.
Take Some Portraits at the "Getting Ready" Location
From what I've gathered, Valentine DTLA doesn't let people enter the venue until the afternoon. If one waits to take all portraits then, it could feel really crammed, timeline wise.
My biggest recommendation is to have a first look earlier in the day and gets some portraits taken then, such as some couple portraits and either family or wedding party portraits.
Keep in mind, when you get to the wedding venue, you can take more portraits there, of course! But it's always a good idea to get some beforehand to be on the safer side. This way, should anything run behind schedule, you already got some portraits in.
Please keep in mind that when photos aren't taken beforehand, usually the couple will be taking photos all throughout the cocktail hour at the wedding venue. With that said, it it's a priority for you and your partner to be able to enjoy some of your cocktail hour with guests, I highly recommend taking some photos beforehand at your getting ready location.
Have a First Look
A first look is when the couple opts to see one another BEFORE the ceremony. This is typically a very intimate moment with just the couple, the photographer, and videographer (if applicable). I'll include the many benefits of having a first look below.
What Are the Benefits of a First Look?
- It will add 3 or more hours to your Valentine Los Angeles wedding. It allows me to shoot beautiful portraits before the ceremony while also giving couples very intimate and personal time to just be together! So not only do they receive intimate time together, they also enjoy a stress free timeline, and around 40% more portraits.
- For example, most couples who share a first look take portraits before the ceremony and then immediately take all of their wedding party and family portraits. This means that we can capture some more couple portraits post ceremony, typically during the golden hour. Once that's done, couples normally start greeting guests by joining the cocktail hour...while we capture the untouched reception details and mingling!
How to Make Your Valentine Downtown La Wedding Extra Special
Be intentional with your wedding day decisions. Customize your wedding according to your interests and style.
Weddings should be made to fit you both, not the other way around.
Some examples can be the following:
- Integrate your favorite food or dessert into the wedding day. For example, if you both love ice cream, you can have an ice cream cart for dessert.
- Write your vows. This always really helps to personalize a wedding ceremony
- Lastly, ditch whatever doesn't really excite you. You don't have to do something just because that's how it's always been done. Do whatever feels best to you both!
Ideal Timeline for a Grass Room Downtown LA Wedding
I’m going to include an optional wedding day timeline below, specifically for a Grass Room Downtown LA wedding.
Here’s an estimate of how long it takes to capture certain photos.
Valentine DTLA Wedding Timeline
12:00 - 1:30: Details & Getting Ready Photos at Hotel
1:30 - 2:00: First Look + Couple Portraits at Hotel
2:00 - 2:45: ALL Wedding Party Portraits at Hotel
2:45 - 3:15: Travel from Hotel to Valentine DTLA
3:15 - 3:45: Downtime for Couple / Meanwhile Photographer Captures Reception & Ceremony Details
3:45 - 4:15: Family Portraits
4:45 - 5:15: Ceremony
5:15 - 5:45: Couple Portraits During the Golden Hour
5:45 - 6:15: Either More Wedding Party Portraits OR Couple Relaxes and Enjoys the Rest of the Cocktail Hour with Guests
6:25: Grand Entrance + First Dance
6:30 - 10:00: Reception Formalities + Dancing
Where is the Valentine DTLA located?
Valentine is the largest wedding venue under the Marvimon umbrella. It features a 9,000 square-foot site plan that was originally built in the 1920s.
Valentine DTLA is located on Fourth Street in Downtown Los Angeles.
Valentine LA is actually is adjacent to the Grassroom, which is another Marvimon owned wedding venue.
For wedding photography questions, please reach out to me here!
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