“This isn’t a regular church, it’s a chapel of luuuuurve” drawls a gent who looks suspiciously like Elvis Presley incarnate as he toasts the opening of The Church of Bang Bang Boogaloo, while simultaneously mourning the lack of fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches. He’ll have to settle for an all-white candy bar brimming with sweet marshmallows, alabaster freckles and tiny milk bottles for now.
Bang Bang Boogaloo is the latest addition to Jerome Borazio’s Get Notorious empire. And an unexpected one, considering Jerome is most known for founding or reinvigorating some of the grittier drinking establishments around town such as Ponyfish Island, Sister Bella, the Kelvin Club, £1000 Bend and the late, great St Jerome’s bar as well as the Intercontinental laneway music festival of the same name. As such, this new space is a little more rock ‘n’ roll than your average wedding venue with subtle nods to Las Vegas (sans most of the tack and morning-after regrets).
Hidden down a cobbled blue-stone laneway, complete with street art and paste-ups in the Melbourne CBD, Bang Bang Boogaloo has variously been a farrier, a Cobb & Co. stage coach factory and a motorcycle mechanic in past lives. Now it hopes to play host to engagement parties, vow renewals and commitment ceremonies with a good times vibe amid unpolished concrete floors, exposed rafters and charming crumbling walls.
While the space could easily encompass a completely sophisticated affair, the chapel lends itself to more irreverent celebrations. Not surprisingly music is an important factor here, with a Sonos sound system ready to blast couples’ custom playlists. There’s permanent space reserved for an instant photo-booth and even a general store for last-minute gifts, cards or forgotten essentials like flat shoes, bow ties or hangover remedies. The store can even be stocked with customised bridal merchandise; think ironic tote bags emblazoned with “totes getting married” or stubby holders starring the newly-wed couple.
Both the ceremony and the reception can be held within the chapel (which comfortably houses 150 guests) itself. Or, there is also the option of moving the party into the cavernous warehouse-cum-gallery behind £1000 Bend, which adjoins Bang Bang Boogaloo, after vows are exchanged. Individuality and personalisation are encouraged and couples aren’t restricted to sticking with the venue’s preferred suppliers like Create Catering, Pomp and Splendour, White Luxe and Dann Event Hire. Apart from the chapel itself, nothing is set in stone when it comes to the big day.
Though in true Vegas tradition, they do support you get hitched by The King of Rock and Roll (or one of their other youthfully exuberant celebrants). It seems as if Melbourne weddings are about to get, as Elvis himself might croon, all shook up.
DO NOT HIRE THIS VENUE FOR YOUR FUNCTION OR WEDDING! We were interested in The Church of Bang Bang Boogaloo for our wedding service and inquired through their website (the only way to contact them) a couple of times. After hearing nothing in response we contacted again with more exact details and also inquired through 1000 Pound Bend. When we still didn’t hear anything I decided to try their parent company Get Notorious and from this email I got a response. We found a time that suited and went to see the place. Unfortunately we really liked it and after chatting with the girl who showed us around about some of the details she said she would send us a quote that afternoon. This is the last we’ve heard from them. We sent numerous emails to find out what was going on, and nothing. Either this company likes to pick and choose their clientele (fair enough) but if they decide that your function isn’t good enough for them they don’t have the common courtesy to send one single email letting you know. Or they are simply so disorganized that replying to emails is the least of their problems. All I know for certain is that you should not trust this company with your important functions, especially your wedding. I’m just glad in our case their incompetency came up early on and didn’t end up costing us our special day.