Getting a Gestalt

Randy Hester, one of my most interesting college professors, would often speak about "getting a gestalt" for a project. A professor in the College of Environmental Design, he is a Landscape Architect by trade as well as a proponent of Civil Rights and Social Justice.

"Getting a Gestalt" in Environmental Design is to visit a site and to essentially ask, "What does this space want to be?" Good design answers this question by considering history and context.

I've been trying to "get a gestalt" for the wedding. There are a lot of things my wedding could be, and a lot of things that I'd like it to be, but when I consider budget, the time of day, and where it will be held (both the ceremony and the reception), that narrows it down considerably.

Yesterday I saw pictures from a coworker's wedding- it was lovely! She was married at Tivoli Terrace in Laguna Beach, a location I've long admired. I considered so many locations, but was limited by budget, availability, and the fact that R wanted it to be here in the South Bay. Had finances not been a factor, I probably would have opted for the ceremony at Neighborhood Church (I was a flower girl there- it's beautiful!) or Wayfarer's Chapel. The latter is a mere 5 miles from home! Awesome! I also liked La Venta Inn and the Historic Library in Veterans Park on the beach in Redondo... That would have been charming and special. Ebell Club in Long Beach is nice, and I briefly imagined a wedding at the Country Club on Catalina Island. R is a Cubs fan, and the facility was once the Clubhouse for the team during their Spring Training on the Island (back in the day, when Wrigley owned the team). But I digress...

Two years ago, when R proposed, I booked Point Vicente Interpretive Center... It's on the ocean and it's possible to have the ceremony with the lighthouse in the background... So pretty. Interestingly, the new Terranea Resort has the same lighthouse view... but from the opposite direction! I looked into Terranea, but the wedding minimum was some ungodly sum- tens of thousands of dollars. Ha!

In the end, having forfeited my deposit and original date for the Interpretive Center, and fearful of the complications of having to arrange an outside caterer, I decided to choose a new location. I almost went with Averill Park- it's affordable and of the era when parks were designed for beauty, but I changed my mind when I read in the Daily Breeze that the ponds and fountains would be closed for repairs for an unspecified period of time. Besides, I wanted the ocean. So I booked the Bell! Let's hope it doesn't rain. They say rain is good luck on your wedding day, but I don't want my guests to be uncomfortable. I do, however, hope for a breeze-- (that shouldn't be a problem at the bell- it's the windiest spot in LA!) I want to fly a kite in my gown.