Local Venue Spotlight: Greenwood’s Urban Light Studio

You’ve probably walked right past it, I almost did and I was looking for it. Tucked between Greenwood’s Green Bean and Gary’s Games is a sweet little glass door, behind it a long hallway lined with an Astro turf rug, and beyond that, the funky, fun space that is Urban Light Studios.

Both a photography studio and wedding venue, Urban Light has been coyly putting on fab weddings for over a year now in a converted artist’s studio that lends itself to a secretive speakeasy vibe. Remnants of the past (the previous tenant was an eccentric local architect, who supposedly could throw a rager of a party back in the day) still remain: a built in tiki bar, a paint by number art piece that takes up an entire wall, a lemon-colored tub and a mammoth 9-foot tall stuffed lion (yeh, that isn’t a typo).

Owner Kevin Law and his team have kept the funky intact, while adding their own ironic, urban chic touch. On my visit last week, Law pointed out wood paneling in one of the dressing rooms pulled from the set of Northern Exposure (Law is also a photographer, and spent time working in Hollywood), his father’s own mounted fish wall hanging, plus the previously mentioned salvaged Astro turf rugs that have been turned into aisle runners by a few creative brides.

Urban Light can hold up to 250 guests throughout the sprawling space, which can span downstairs into Law’s photography studio and the accompanying Greenwood Collective studios if needed. Perhaps not surprisingly, Law and team can also be hired to do wedding photography and set up a custom photo booth downstairs.

Site fees (affordable!) and details are on the website, and as of last week Urban Light still had some summer dates available. So if you’re a super funky, crafty, quirky or offbeat bride (again, a stuffed lion) you may want to discover what’s behind that ubiquitous door in the 'wood.

(Above) The newly revamped Library; (below) the airy room set for a ceremony

(Above) the 'China Room'; (below) the photo studio downstairs

(Above) The old-school hunting cabin vibe in the dressing rooms; (below) the tiki, tiki, tiki room

All photos courtesy of Urban Light Studios