Jane is a Godsend. And the moment I stepped foot in her backyard I knew that I was meant to get married in that beautiful, airy, jasmine-laced garden. Three short weeks later and with plenty of help, flexibility, attention to detail and generosity from the host, my then fiancé and I gathered a dozen or so of our closest friends and family had a gorgeous wedding day at the cottage.
We rented the cottage from Friday through Sunday and held the intimate ceremony on Saturday evening. The outdoor space provided the perfect setting for a joyful day full of love and laughter. Jane was kind enough to let us reposition furniture, string up some additional lights to complement the beautiful ones she already had along her roof, and bring over rental tables and folding chairs to use for a small dinner after the ceremony. She even let us hide candy filled eggs around her garden space and cottage to stage an Easter egg hunt for the kids before the wedding ceremony.
And the cottage itself was just what we needed for a pre-wedding girls night in, the kitchen provided plenty of space to keep our catered food warm, and the bedroom gave me room to get into my wedding dress and make up while the groom and guests gathered in the front garden.
We also used the smaller back garden for a first look before the ceremony and our photographer got the sweetest shots of bride and groom getting an early peek at each other before the actual exchange of vows. The layout of the cottage and the multiple garden spaces and entrances made for a natural flow of guests, plenty of space to move about and a picturesque alter in front of a lovely tree with one of the mountains of Griffith Park dotting the background beautifully.
I’ve always wanted a small backyard wedding and Jane made her home my home for the weeks leading up to my wedding so that I could realize that dream. She was easy to work with and brought light, and humor and kindness to a process that usually involves high stress and hijinks as venues and vendors hike up prices and attach a premium as soon as you say the word wedding or bridal. Instead Jane darn near adopted us as her bride and groom and did all she could to make sure we had a wonderful wedding. We could not have crafted a happier day anywhere else. I will always remember her generosity, kindness and easy going, down to earth spirit. She’s the bestest!
If you’re going to be in the Burbank area and are looking for a place to call home for a few days, stay at Jane’s cottage and hopefully your stay is even half as glorious as ours was.