Wedding Photographers & Videographers at Presque Isle State Park, Erie

A wedding at Presque Isle State Park in Erie gives you Pennsylvania's only seashore as a setting: sandy beaches, open water and big sky on a peninsula reaching into Lake Erie. Couples who want wedding photos and video with real waves behind them come here, and the park's 13-mile road loop leads to plenty of lakeside views. With the water to the horizon and sunset over the lake, your photographer and videographer will have no trouble finding a scene.

Several places are listed for a wedding ceremony, each for up to 100 guests: the Perry Monument, the Rotary Pavilion, the accessible deck at Beach 7, and other pavilions and beaches. Every wedding needs pre-approval from the park office, so call before you set your date. If you're hiring a professional photographer or a caterer, talk that through with the park office too. Out on the shore, lake breezes can carry voices away, so ask your videographer how they plan to capture the vows clearly.

Park rules apply too: guests shouldn't toss rice or birdseed, and no doves or butterflies may be released. With written permission, bubbles or quiet noisemakers are allowed for your send-off. Pavilions and other day-use facilities are reserved online or by phone, the park is open from 5 a.m. to sunset, and the Tom Ridge Environmental Center at the entrance has a 75-foot observation tower.

• Contact the Presque Isle park office for wedding approval before booking anything else.
• Reserve your pavilion early; summer weekends fill up.
• Ask about photo and video guidelines for commercial photographers, and plan your wedding day around sunset over the lake.

A little about Presque Isle State Park

The Perry Monument on Crystal Point went up in 1926 to honor the sailors of the Battle of Lake Erie in the War of 1812. The Presque Isle Lighthouse was first lit in 1873, and the North Pier Light has guided ships into Erie Harbor since 1858.