Up today, we’re featuring what just might be the West Coast’s most perfect art deco venue….
In 1925, James Oviatt was already a successful businessman. His department store, Alexander & Oviatt, had been attracting a high-end Los Angeles clientele in downtown LA for nearly a decade. He was in the midst of plans for their next expansion, a new building, constructed from the ground up…
… when he took a business trip to Europe. The original building design was in Italian Romanesque style, but luckily for us, he happened to find himself in Paris at the dawn of a new age… 1925 was the year of Paris Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes, the birthplace of Art Deco.
Oviatt was awed by these new designs, and upon his return to the States, he ordered the architects to construct the new building in the brand new style. He spared no expense, importing over ten tons of Lalique glass for use throughout the building.
And so the first true art deco building made its debut in Los Angeles in 1928 (and it included a 10 room art deco penthouse on top for Oviatt’s own residence.) The store closed in the 60s, but both the main space (a restaurant and venue now known as “Cicada“) and The Oviatt Penthouse are available for weddings and events, and they are the perfect backdrop to a Los Angeles art deco wedding. Take a look!
(also: If you are an art deco fan who happens to be visiting Los Angeles, be sure to check out the wonderful LA Conservancy and their incredible walking tours. They have an Art Deco Tour that features Cicada and the Oviatt Penthouse, and the other stops on the tour are a delight as well. They do great work!)
This absolutely stunning Gatsby wedding style shoot from Brienne Michelle Photography features one of our favorite West Coast venues, Union Station in downtown Los Angeles, and a dazzling array of deco delights, including this breathtaking vintage inspired headpiece and veil from Deborah Lindquist Eco Couture… Click the thumbnails below for larger shots and more details …
Today we have another gorgeous gold and silver wedding cake sent to us by Sugar Realm, and we are as delighted as we were with their last creation. This incredible art nouveau cake features some gorgeous color and design elements, and just look at the detail… As you can see below, the cake was inspired …
The venue search is one of the first and most defining elements of the entire wedding planning process. We’ll be featuring fabulous vintage, landmark and historic spaces from around the world for thematic inspiration and (for those who live close enough) as actual “ooh, I want to book this!” ideas. First up: a perfect art …
The Berkeley City Club is one of Northern California’s most beautiful vintage wedding venues: a gorgeous private social club, hotel and event venue, designed and built in the late 1920s by architect Julia Morgan. And it is absolutely, positively stunning. There’s both indoor and outdoor space and incredible architectural details throughout. This would be the …
Art Deco Venue | Cicada + The Oviatt Penthouse
Up today, we’re featuring what just might be the West Coast’s most perfect art deco venue….
In 1925, James Oviatt was already a successful businessman. His department store, Alexander & Oviatt, had been attracting a high-end Los Angeles clientele in downtown LA for nearly a decade. He was in the midst of plans for their next expansion, a new building, constructed from the ground up…
Photo via Flickr user Floyd B. Bariscale
… when he took a business trip to Europe. The original building design was in Italian Romanesque style, but luckily for us, he happened to find himself in Paris at the dawn of a new age… 1925 was the year of Paris Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes, the birthplace of Art Deco.
Paris Art Exposition, c.1925
Oviatt was awed by these new designs, and upon his return to the States, he ordered the architects to construct the new building in the brand new style. He spared no expense, importing over ten tons of Lalique glass for use throughout the building.
And so the first true art deco building made its debut in Los Angeles in 1928 (and it included a 10 room art deco penthouse on top for Oviatt’s own residence.) The store closed in the 60s, but both the main space (a restaurant and venue now known as “Cicada“) and The Oviatt Penthouse are available for weddings and events, and they are the perfect backdrop to a Los Angeles art deco wedding. Take a look!
(also: If you are an art deco fan who happens to be visiting Los Angeles, be sure to check out the wonderful LA Conservancy and their incredible walking tours. They have an Art Deco Tour that features Cicada and the Oviatt Penthouse, and the other stops on the tour are a delight as well. They do great work!)
Related Posts
Gatsby Wedding Style | Union Station Los Angeles
This absolutely stunning Gatsby wedding style shoot from Brienne Michelle Photography features one of our favorite West Coast venues, Union Station in downtown Los Angeles, and a dazzling array of deco delights, including this breathtaking vintage inspired headpiece and veil from Deborah Lindquist Eco Couture… Click the thumbnails below for larger shots and more details …
Art Nouveau Cake || Gold + Silver
Today we have another gorgeous gold and silver wedding cake sent to us by Sugar Realm, and we are as delighted as we were with their last creation. This incredible art nouveau cake features some gorgeous color and design elements, and just look at the detail… As you can see below, the cake was inspired …
Art Deco Venue: The Thaxton Building
The venue search is one of the first and most defining elements of the entire wedding planning process. We’ll be featuring fabulous vintage, landmark and historic spaces from around the world for thematic inspiration and (for those who live close enough) as actual “ooh, I want to book this!” ideas. First up: a perfect art …
Berkeley City Club || Vintage Venue
The Berkeley City Club is one of Northern California’s most beautiful vintage wedding venues: a gorgeous private social club, hotel and event venue, designed and built in the late 1920s by architect Julia Morgan. And it is absolutely, positively stunning. There’s both indoor and outdoor space and incredible architectural details throughout. This would be the …