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 photos Courtesy of audrey dancelGuests enjoy a wedding celebration, an event that took place amid the oaks in the Los Altos History Museums brick courtyard.
Ready to take the next step in your relationship but can’t decide where to tie the knot? Finding the perfect setting for your nuptials can be a daunting task. Here’s an option that sets itself apart from other sites – a place that chronicles and celebrates the past.
The Los Altos History Museum could be that special location for couples to make their vows and step forward from the past into the future.
The locale is not your run-of-the-mill location for a wedding – if you want a unique option, the history museum should definitely be in the running.
The museum is nestled among majestic oaks near one of the few remaining apricot orchards in Silicon Valley. The three-story, 8,200-square-foot building contains a gallery of changing exhibits as well as a permanent exhibition, “Crown of the Peninsula,” that describes the rich history of Los Altos.
Audrey Dancel and Ryan Vandenbroeck hosted their wedding reception at the Los Altos History Museum July 11, and they said they couldn’t be more pleased with their choice of venue.
“It was perfect – simply gorgeous,” Dancel said.
Self-described history and art buffs, Dancel and Vandenbroeck wanted a site that was outdoors and woodsy without having to drive too far or up into the mountains. After scouting the museum, they agreed they had found the place they were seeking.
“You have to be interested in a different type of wedding venue,” said Laura Bajuk, executive director of the museum. “The museum is a very distinctive place to celebrate a memorable event. It’s like an island of calm and beauty in the heart of downtown Los Altos.”
The space surrounding the museum building is landscaped and maintained year-round with shady trees, beautiful flowerbeds and flowering-vine-covered arbors and trellises. Picnic tables are strewn about the area.
“We didn’t need any extra decorations,” Dancel said. “All we had were white flowers on the tables. I wanted everyone to enjoy the beauty of the surroundings.”
Whereas most venues have a structured wedding format for their clients with little wiggle room, the history museum offers moderate prices and “super flexibility,” according to Mark Perry, facility and rentals manager.
“You tell us what you want to do and we will work with you – within reason, of course,” Perry said.
In addition to helping brides and grooms plan their special day at the history museum, Perry is a hands-on wedding venue coordinator, present at every wedding for the duration of the event, according to Bajuk.
Perry joined the museum staff midway through the planning stage of Dancel’s reception but he picked up very quickly and smoothly right where the prior coordinator left off without any problem at all, according to Dancel.
Averaging approximately 20 weddings every year, the history museum is a full-service wedding venue offering a high level of service, Perry said.
Equipped with the basic necessities for a wedding and reception, the museum offers outdoor seating and dining space for 200 in a beautifully landscaped garden, an indoor gallery that can seat 100 or converted into a dance floor, a full-service kitchen equipped with modern appliances and food preparation area and convenient sliding doors for easy mobility between the indoor and outdoor spaces. The museum rents chairs and tables at reduced prices.
“We had 200 people for our reception and everyone had a great time,” Dancel said. “After dinner outdoors, we went indoors for the dancing, cake and ice cream.”
The building space, built in 2001, was designed for multipurpose use but the staff is very respectful of serving the community as a means to educate the public, keeping in mind the museum’s mission, which is to “collect, preserve and interpret the history of the Los Altos area,” according to Bajuk. Renting the museum for weddings and other events enables them (the city) to support its mission, she added.
The museum rates suited their budget and made it all possible, Dancel said.
“It was very economical to have our reception there,” she said.
In these tough economic conditions the museum is doing its bit to offer discounts and make it slightly more affordable for interested couples.
“If you pay cash up front, we’ll waive the $500 nonrefundable deposit,” Bajuk said.
Museum staff can provide information about caterers and event coordinators who are responsible and mindful of the museum’s mission, she said.
For more information, visit www.losaltoshistory.org/rental.htm.
Contact Jana Seshadri at
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