Wedding Photographers & Videographers at Bald Eagle State Park, Howard

A wedding at Bald Eagle State Park near Howard means a 1,730-acre lake at the foot of Bald Eagle Mountain, surrounded by forests and fields. For wedding photos and video, the water and the long ridge behind it give you a wide, open view that changes with the seasons, from summer green to fall color on the mountain.

Pennsylvania state parks usually allow a wedding ceremony, with pre-approval from the park office, and picnic pavilions here can be reserved up to 11 months ahead. Two picnic areas stand out for views. The Point Picnic Area sits on the tip of the peninsula overlooking the beach and marina, with Pavilions 3 and 4. The Skyline Drive Picnic Area is up on a ridge looking over Frog Pond, the lake and Bald Eagle Mountain, with Pavilion 5. Your photographer can use the shoreline and the ridge for portraits afterward, and your videographer should plan for breeze off the lake by bringing a lapel microphone for the vows.

Ask the park office whether your gathering afterward can be held at a reserved pavilion; picnic areas have grills and restrooms and are open from sunrise to sunset. Couples who want a full wedding reception indoors can look at the Nature Inn at Bald Eagle, which is listed separately and can host weddings with catering and overnight rooms. The park asks to know ahead of time if you're bringing a commercial photographer or caterer, and it charges an administrative fee on top of any pavilion rental.

• Call the park office for approval before you set your wedding day.
• Reserve your pavilion early; unreserved ones are first come, first served.
• Walk the spot with your photographer at ceremony time and ask about photo and video guidelines.

A little about Bald Eagle State Park

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built the Foster Joseph Sayers Dam here in 1969 to reduce flooding downstream, and the park opened on July 4, 1971. The valley, creek and mountain are named for a Lenape leader whose name meant bald eagle.