Bakersfield Life

VOWS: Dare to be different

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     For many of today’s brides, long gone are the days of the wedding reception in an ordinary hall out behind the church or lodge.    In fact, many modern brides want much less “hall” and much more “style.”    And why not?    It’s certainly available; whether it’s a local art gallery, museum, historical home or — gasp! — a hall that aims not to feel like a hall.    Whatever the venue, one thing is clear: The demand for different is here to stay.Artistically speaking    For brides who are the artsy type, why not surround yourself with real art as your wedding décor?    It’s easily accomplished when you choose an art gallery or museum as the setting for your wedding reception or even the nuptials themselves.    “It’s for people who look for more contemporary-looking spaces,” said Don Martin, owner of Metro Galleries on 19th Street in downtown Bakersfield.    Event hosting in the gallery — which can accommodate 200 seated guests and up to 310 when incorporating the mezzanine space for a lounge area as well — was part of Martin’s business plan from the beginning.    “I knew I couldn’t make it on just selling art, although that would be nice,” said Martin, who opened Metro Galleries in February 2006.    Since then, a wide variety of events have taken place at Martin’s gallery, including weddings, baby showers, birthday parties and business social events.    The different styles of wedding décor selected by today’s brides also run the gamut, according to Martin.He’s seen everything from Chinese lanterns to aquariums with live fish in them accentuate Metro’s space.    All the while, whatever art is exhibited at Metro Galleries at the time just adds yet another unique element to the occasion.   To better serve people wanting a larger facility, Martin now also offers event hosting at Westchester Hall on F Street.     Calling this satellite location “Metro Special Events at Westchester,” this space can accommodate as many as 700 guests.     Nearby Surface Gallery offers a modern space for the bride who wants that clean, streamlined look for her big day.    Co-owned by Vikki Cruz and Yvonne Cavanaugh, the gallery on 20th Street opened in September 2008.    Since then, it has been welcomed with open arms into the downtown Arts District.     Its art exhibits have featured paintings, sculptures, photographs and even ceramics — all of which serve as an artistic backdrop for special events.     “The art on the walls does become a part of the experience. We know in advance (six months at least) what artists or artist we will be showing, so we are able to give anyone interested in renting the space an idea as to what the gallery will look like during their event,” Cavanaugh said. “We also change the color of the back wall to benefit the current art exhibition, so that is another element of the gallery that alters the feel of the space. Because the art and wall color changes, a wedding or bridal shower in March will look very different from one in November.”     Just as each of the artists and their work shown at Surface is distinctive in their own way, so, too will the memories of events held at the gallery, Cavanaugh said.     As artists themselves, Cruz and Cavanaugh also paid great attention to their space’s lighting and other interior details that appeal to those brides who want their event to stand out from the crowd.     “Weddings are a day long remembered by all who attend, and if you have yours in a place that is original, it will enhance that memory,” she said.     Over at Juliana’s Art Studio & Gallery on 18th Street, a stone pathway leads to a combination indoor-outdoor space—featuring hand-hewn beams, oak floors, exposed brick walls and brick fireplaces, wrought iron gates and a koi pond — offers a cozy, rustic feel for an intimate wedding reception, ceremony or both.     “We’re for the bride who is the creative type, who thinks outside the box, but still wants something pretty and wants to be surrounded by the beauty of art,” said Juliana Bernier Dooley, a Canadian-born sculptor, who relocated to Bakersfield and opened her studio in 2007.     There is a sizeable patio out back at Juliana’s that doubles as a concrete dance floor and inside, a built-in bar located just on the other side of the kitchen facility works nicely as a buffet area.     Recorded music can be piped in through the building’s built-in sound system, while sunlight floods in through the French doors and skylight, providing flattering lighting for those precious wedding photos.     Of course, for Dooley, the best photographic aid is hanging right on her gallery walls.     “You’re just surrounded by impeccable art — how can that not be a beautiful setting for a beautiful bride?” she said.Going for grandeur     Mother-daughter team Patrice Black and Alysia Wilson opened Moorea Banquet Centre in June 2008 with a central goal: offer people a stylish place to host special events.Yes, technically, Moorea — named after a favorite family vacation spot in the Tahitian islands — is a hall. But this isn’t your typical “hall.”     With its soaring, 18-foot ceilings and hip cocktail area, this venue greets guests into a truly grandeur space.     For Black and Wilson, “elegance” is Moorea’s theme of choice with its two-toned stained, high gloss, concrete floors and fresh, chic atmosphere.     “The goal was to create a venue that not only accommodated large groups, but also had a contemporary, yet classic, feel,” Wilson said. “We did our best to accomplish this, while still allowing room for the bride to create her own look.”     The 9,000-square-foot facility fills a void Black and Wilson perceived in the local venue market.     “We knew that Bakersfield needed additional options that could accommodate more than 200 people, so we wanted to have a place that could meet that need and do so in a very beautiful way,” Wilson said.     Moorea can hold 360 people and still have room for round tables, DJ area and dance floor and food line.     Black’s husband, Jim Black, built the Palm Island Plaza, where Moorea is located and where the 40-foot palm trees serve as handy geographical markers. The Black Construction office is also in the same development on Swigert Court in southwest Bakersfield.     Though both Black and Wilson each continue their work in radio sales and marketing, the pair’s past event planning experience helps tremendously in providing superb service to clients.    “Whatever we can do to make someone’s special day even more special, that’s what we’re here for,” Wilson said.