2 replies to this topic

[Cassie]

I am having a bit of a dilemna right now and could use some help from the Cali girls.

After tons of research, we decided on a place that was best for our budget but we also both really like. I'm really in love with the ceremony gazebo area. Unfortunately, since FI decided he didn't want to wait till 2011, we won't be able to make a site visit. All the reviews I found online were very positive though. So I was pretty set on this place and getting excited.

Then my cousin, also MOH, who lives in Reseda starts basically trying to talk me out of it. My location is in Montebello, and she says there's nothing to do around there. Then tonight FI says his mom sent our venue website to his aunt who lives in Pasadena. She said the same thing, are they sure they want to get married there? She made it sound like it was a bad area and said it's not very pretty. She also said our date, August 1st, would be too hot.

So ladies, please help! Does anyone know this area? Is it a bad spot? Is it too far away from everything? Is it too hot in August? I know this is our wedding and obviously our choice, but I want to make sure we're in a good location.

Here is the place we're looking at:




Thanks in advance!

[OceanWonderland]

Hi Cassie,
I live near San Francisco, but I used to live in Orange County and frequently visited the LA area. I have never been to Montebello but it does look nice, and I don't understand why your relatives are harping that it's not near anything. You are only getting married there, it's not like people are forced to stay in that city for the entire time they are visiting for your wedding. Anaheim (Disneyland) is less than 30 minutes away, Hollywood is a similar distance, if people want to stay on the beach (Redondo, Santa Monica, Malibu) that's about 45 min away. I don't see any of that being 'far', personally. You have to do what you can afford and what you feel calling to you.

I will say that East LA (which Montebello is close to) is not the safest part of CA, but it's not that bad. I have family that live in Oakland which is supposedly really dangerous, but there are good parts and bad parts to every city. Just don't drive or walk through a scary looking neighborhood. But most of the time will be spent on the freeways.

And yes, it will be hot in August. Are you planning to have the ceremony and the reception both outside? Unless you are ON the beach, it will be hot in southern CA, and even then, it will probably STILL be hot on the beach in August. That's why the beaches are packed! I'd estimate the temp will be around 85-95 on the beach and about 100 inland. But maybe you'll get lucky and it won't be so hot. Sometimes it's unpredictable. Now if you wanted cooler temps you'd have to venture further north, like Santa Barbara or even wine country, but that is just ridiculously expensive. And the affordable places up north are inland, and the temperatures also reach the 100's, so that wouldn't change anything.

Maybe you can rent a place with a pool nearby for the reception and people can jump in and swim if they get hot? hahaha

Good luck! I say go for it. It looks like a really nice place and it's in a central location.

Leslie

[Cassie]

Thanks for the response Leslie!

The more I was thinking about it, it's going to be hot in August anywhere. If we would get married here at home, it would be hot in August. We can't move the date back any further either, without moving it to 2011, due to school schedules. So I'm not going to let that change anything, we'll just deal with the heat.

Our ceremony is in the gazebo area outside, but the reception is indoors. Another reason I like this place is because there is a hotel onsite, within steps of the venue. So if anyone wanted to go jump in a pool, they could, ha!

My aunt (mom of the cousin who started this all!) said she would go drive out there sometime this week and take a look around. Love her!

If anyone else knows anything about it though, please share!