Wedding Photographers & Videographers at Pemberville Opera House, Pemberville

A wedding at the Pemberville Opera House takes you up the stairs of the village's old Town Hall on Main Street to a restored hall from the 1890s. Volunteers uncovered the original stenciling on the walls and an 18-foot fresco on the ceiling, and the room is lit by gasolier-style chandeliers, so your wedding photos and video have painted walls and period light around you instead of a plain banquet room.

The Opera House rents for weddings, with a package made for them: you get the space the evening before for your rehearsal and decorating, and a host or hostess who runs the lights and sound for you on the day. A grand piano is available (you pay for tuning), and open flames, candles included, are not permitted. The stage at the front of the hall gives you a natural spot to stand for the vows, with guests seated facing you, a simple layout for a photographer and a videographer to cover from the aisle and the back.

Having the house sound and lights run by someone who knows the room helps your videographer get clear audio of the vows and readings. Because the hall is upstairs, ask about access for older guests, and plan how flowers and decorations will come up the stairway the evening before. The site doesn't describe catering or a reception setup, so ask the Historical Society whether a reception can follow in the hall or whether you'll move elsewhere after the wedding ceremony.

• Contact the Pemberville Freedom Area Historical Society through the Opera House website to check your date.
• Use the rehearsal evening to walk the room with your photographer and videographer.
• Ask about photo and video guidelines, food and drink, and access on your wedding day.

A little about the Pemberville Opera House

Civic leaders built the Town Hall with an opera house on its second floor during the oil boom, and it opened on July 5, 1892. After decades as storage it was restored by the Pemberville Freedom Area Historical Society and rededicated in October 1999.