Wedding Photographers & Videographers at Centre Furnace Mansion, State College

A wedding at Centre Furnace Mansion in State College takes place at the headquarters of the Centre County Historical Society, on the corner of East College Avenue and Porter Road at the edge of the Penn State campus. Volunteer gardeners tend period-inspired beds of perennials, lilacs and roses here every week from spring into fall, and those gardens are the heart of any wedding photos or video you take on the grounds.

The society hosts wedding ceremonies and receptions on several acres of landscaped grounds, which hold up to 100 people. Guests can stroll the gardens, rest in the shade of the trees or play yard games. For a small party, the Hearth Room on the lowest level seats about 25 to 30 for lunch or dinner, or up to 40 standing. The upper porch and patio work well for appetizers. For a larger reception, couples rent a tent, usually set up in the parking lot for easy access. A docent can even give your guests a tour of the mansion.

This is a do-it-yourself venue: you arrange the caterer and rentals such as the tent and linens, dishes or a generator. The mansion takes only about ten weddings or large events a year to protect the gardens, so book early. Plan around Penn State: football, other games and graduation can snarl traffic nearby. Outdoors, ask your wedding videographer about sound for the vows.

• Call the society to check your date and see the property.
• Visit with your caterer and photographer well before your wedding day.
• Ask about photo and video guidelines and the times you can set up.

A little about Centre Furnace Mansion

Centre Furnace was established in 1791 as the first charcoal iron furnace in what is now Centre County. In 1855 its ironmaster donated 200 acres for the school that became Penn State, and the mansion is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.