Wedding Photographers & Videographers at Warner Theatre, Erie

A wedding reception at the Warner Theatre on French Street in downtown Erie means a party inside one of the city's grand old movie palaces. The building is Art Deco and French Renaissance in style, with gold and silver leaf and gold-backed French mirrors, and that shine gives your photographer and videographer a rich, glowing setting for wedding photos and film that a plain banquet hall can't match.

The Grand Lobby is the main space for a wedding reception. It seats up to 250 guests for dinner, or more than 500 for a standing cocktail-style party. For something smaller, the Rehearsal Hall offers more than 4,000 square feet of flexible space that the theatre markets for weddings, private parties and small performances. Ceremonies aren't mentioned, so plan to get married at your church or another site and arrive here for the celebration, or ask the events team whether a ceremony is possible.

Erie Events runs the Warner, the same group that manages the city's arena and convention spaces, and they publish an event rental guide with the practical details. Parking is in the garages on East 8th and East 10th Streets across from the theatre. On video, the lobby's mirrors and gilding catch the light beautifully during the first dance, so ask how the room can be lit after dark and where your videographer can set up for the toasts.

• Call the Warner's administrative office to check dates around the theatre's show schedule.
• Tour the Grand Lobby and the Rehearsal Hall with your photographer.
• Ask about photo and video guidelines, catering and parking for your wedding day.

A little about the Warner Theatre

Warner Bros. opened the theater in 1931 as a movie house. The City of Erie bought it in 1976 and turned it into a performing arts center, and it has hosted weddings and receptions since 1983.