About The Ebell of Long Beach

On a quiet residential corner in Long Beach, the Ebell of Long Beach is a wedding venue built as a clubhouse in 1924. Its story goes back further, to 1896, when Adelaide Tichenor and seventeen other women founded the Ebell Club of Long Beach as part of the Ebell Society, a network of women's clubs that took root in cities across California. The club grew fast, and by the 1920s membership had passed a thousand women, enough to justify a building of its own. The Spanish Revival structure that went up in 1924 had a red tile roof and an elaborately sculpted facade, built to hold the club's lectures, performances, and social events. The women's club closed in 2017, but the building stayed. Today it holds weddings, along with a handful of residential lofts.  

Couples are drawn to the Ebell of Long Beach for its architecture, exclusive use of the property for the day, and a location close to the center of Long Beach. That means a wedding here has the entire building to itself, and guests staying nearby have an easy time getting to and from the venue. That combination, architecture, full use of the property, and a location close to the city, is a big part of the draw for couples getting married here.

Ceremony and Reception Spaces

The Courtyard

The Courtyard sits just past the entrance and is enclosed, with skylights and a dozen crystal orb chandeliers keeping it filled with light throughout the day. Exposed brick walls, hand stenciled ceilings, and mosaic tile floors run through the room, with an ornate stone fountain set at one end. The space is set up for the ceremony, then flipped for dancing later in the night.

The Parlor

Just off the courtyard, the Parlor offers a smaller room for cocktail hour or a lounge during the reception. French doors open onto seating in front of a large fireplace, with vintage decor and artwork throughout the room, and an original baby grand piano in the corner.

The Grand Hall

The Grand Hall is where receptions take place, with twenty four foot ceilings, hand stenciled beams, and three crystal and iron chandeliers overhead. A hand carved, floor to ceiling mirrored fireplace faces a wall of windows across the room, with hardwood floors and detailed wainscoting throughout.

What We Love About The Ebell of Long Beach

Historical Character The building has held onto its hand stenciled ceilings, original tile, and vintage furnishings since it went up in 1924, none of it added later to make the space look historic. We love the contrast that creates between something old and the couple standing in front of it right now, past and present in the same frame.

Environmental Elements The Courtyard's mosaic tile and fountain, the Grand Hall's chandeliers and hand carved fireplace, and the Parlor's vintage furnishings each give a different part of the day its own finished look. We love working with what's already in the room, framing a shot through an arch, working a piece of artwork into the background, or using an environmental element in the foreground to help tell the story.

Distinct Event Spaces The Courtyard, the Grand Hall, and the Parlor each have their own specific architecture, light, and materials. We love that no two rooms give us the same kind of background, since it means that there is a variety to the images.

Insider Tips

We always recommend allowing extra time in the getting ready spaces, both of them are photogenic and worth shooting in before the day gets busy. It helps if the room stays tidy while getting ready, since clutter competes with the vintage decor and a clean space lets those details stand out.

We like to bring couples back out to the entrance for portraits once the sun starts to set. The portico is framed by palm trees, and at that hour the light has a golden glow.

For the first dance, we love to shoot from the second level balcony that looks straight down onto the Courtyard. It's a vantage point that gives us a different kind of composition and also highlights the mosaic floor.

Who Is the Right Couple for an Ebell of Long Beach Wedding?

The Ebell of Long Beach suits couples who want their wedding built around history and architecture, and the building has both, dating to 1924 with its hand stenciled ceilings, original tile, and vintage furnishings still in place. It also suits couples who want the day to shift as it goes, since the Courtyard, the Grand Hall, and the Parlor each carry a different part of the night. And for couples who want some privacy, the property sits on a quiet residential street rather than in an urban area.

An Ebell of Long Beach wedding brings together a hundred years of history with the Courtyard's mosaic tile, the Grand Hall's hand carved fireplace, and the vintage decor filling the Parlor. The Courtyard shifts from ceremony to dance floor as the night goes on, while the Grand Hall is set for dinner in between, so guests move through more than one setting over the course of the night. That same range gives us a different kind of shot in nearly every part of the building, which is part of why we enjoy documenting weddings here.

For More Inspiration

For additional details, and to discover the endless possibilities for a truly unique wedding, take a look at the full Venue Report.

Considering an Ebell of Long Beach Wedding?

Whether you are still exploring venues or have already chosen the Ebell of Long Beach, we would love to connect. We would love to share what we have learned from documenting weddings at this property.