Wedding Photographers & Videographers at Bavarian Aid Society (Bavarian Hall), Altoona

A wedding reception at the Bavarian Hall in Altoona brings your guests into one of the city's oldest social clubs. The Bavarian Aid Society rents its rooms to members and non-members alike, and its Main Ballroom has hosted many wedding receptions. For wedding photos and video, the ballroom gives you a big open room with space for a long head table, a full dance floor and a crowd around you during the toasts.

The Main Ballroom is for larger celebrations of 150 to 500 guests, with its own freestanding bar and a private entrance separate from the rest of the club, so your party stays your own. Smaller gatherings have choices too. The Party Room holds up to 150 and has a raised stage level above the seating and a dance floor, and the club suggests it for wedding showers. The Heritage Room seats up to 50 and is filled with keepsakes from Altoona's past. The club doesn't host ceremonies on its rental page, so plan your wedding ceremony elsewhere and bring everyone here afterward.

Talk with the events coordinator about a sit-down dinner or a buffet. A wedding videographer will want to know where the band or DJ sets up and how the lighting looks for your first dance, so ask to see the room in the evening if you can. Bowling lanes are on site too, and they can be rented when leagues aren't playing, a fun extra for an after-party or a rehearsal night.

• Call the events coordinator to check your date and the room that fits your guest count.
• Visit with your photographer to plan the entrance and the first dance on your wedding day.
• Ask about photo and video guidelines, catering and parking.

A little about the Bavarian Hall

Bavarian German immigrants working at the Altoona railroad shops founded the Bavarian Aid Society in 1887. Its home at Crawford Avenue and 13th Street was finished in 1927 and has grown with each addition since.