Alexandria Ballrooms
A 1906 Beaux Arts landmark in Downtown LA’s Historic Core, with three distinct ballrooms under one roof — a venue we’ve returned to for weddings across three years running.
A 1906 Beaux Arts landmark with three ballrooms in one building
Opened in 1906 inside the historic Alexandria Hotel, this Beaux Arts landmark added its showpiece Palm Court in 1911 — a room capped by a stained-glass skylight in the Tiffany style — and quickly became LA’s premier event space until the Biltmore opened in 1923. Presidents Taft and Wilson both spoke here, and in 1919 D.W. Griffith, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks are reported to have met here in the founding of United Artists. Designated an LA Historic-Cultural Monument in 1971, the building was later converted to residential apartments while its event spaces kept operating separately.
Three main ballrooms give couples very different looks in one venue: the Palm Court under its stained-glass skylight, the gold-leafed King Edward Ballroom with floor-to-ceiling windows, and The Mezz, an industrial-chic space with exposed brick and a dramatic staircase entrance. A separate standalone building down the block, The Bank, offers a smaller reception-only option.
A venue we keep coming back to in DTLA
We’ve photographed multiple weddings at Alexandria Ballrooms spanning fall 2023 through a booking on the calendar for early 2026, typically with a two-photographer-plus-videographer team over a roughly seven-hour day. The venue requires a $1M Certificate of Insurance well in advance, and access is controlled — we always confirm arrival time ahead so building security or the coordinator can let the team in. Our venue-side contacts there, Jemma Du and Olivia Squires, have been consistently responsive across every booking.
Good to know before you book
- $1M Certificate of Insurance required well in advance, naming the venue’s holding entities
- Building access is controlled — confirm vendor arrival time ahead for a security escort
- Underground vendor parking plus a marked Loading Zone for load-in
- A dedicated day-of coordinator is required by the venue
Where we like to shoot
- The Mezz’s dramatic staircase entrance under industrial chandeliers
- The Palm Court’s stained-glass skylight ceiling
- King Edward Ballroom’s gold-leaf grandeur and floor-to-ceiling windows
- The building’s marble staircase for formal portraits
What couples and guests notice about Alexandria Ballrooms
Reviewers consistently call the historic ballrooms stunning enough to need minimal added decor — three genuinely different rooms in one building.
Multiple independent reviews single out responsive, helpful staff by name, consistent with our own experience booking here repeatedly.
Add-on costs beyond the base rental — security, valet, dance floor, cleaning fee — are worth budgeting for upfront; several reviewers called the headline price misleading on its own.
Planning your day at Alexandria Ballrooms
Sample wedding day timelines at Alexandria Ballrooms
These are drawn from the weddings we have photographed here, with the ceremony and reception in the same building. Use them as a starting point to adapt with your coordinator rather than a fixed schedule.
Eight hours with a first look
- 2:00 PMCoverage begins at the ballrooms. Details, final hair and makeup, and the rooms before decor is finished.
- 3:00 PMPrivate first look, then couple portraits on the staircases and by the upstairs windows.
- 3:45 PMWedding party and family portraits, finished before guests arrive.
- 4:15 PMYou tuck away while guests arrive and the ceremony setup is photographed.
- 4:30 PMIndoor ceremony, around thirty minutes.
- 5:00 PMCocktail hour. Guest candids while the reception room is set.
- 6:15 PMGrand entrance, first dance, dinner and toasts.
- 7:30 PMA short portrait set by the second floor windows, then open dancing.
- 9:30 PMCoverage concludes, with the party continuing.
Eight hours without a first look
- 2:00 PMCoverage begins where you get ready. Details, beauty portraits and time with each side of the wedding party.
- 3:30 PMArrive at the ballrooms. Family portraits with each of you, kept apart before the ceremony.
- 4:30 PMGuests arrive. Ceremony setup and details photographed.
- 5:00 PMCeremony.
- 5:30 PMCocktail hour and room flip. Family, wedding party and couple portraits in the other ballrooms.
- 6:45 PMA private look at the finished reception room before guests come in.
- 7:00 PMGrand entrance, first dance, dinner and toasts.
- 8:30 PMParent dances, family traditions and open dancing.
- 10:00 PMCoverage concludes.
What is specific to Alexandria Ballrooms
A few things about this building that shape the day, and that are worth settling early with your coordinator.
Where couples also photograph nearby
Spots inside and just outside the building that come up on Alexandria wedding days.
- The Palm Court under its skylight
- The King Edward Ballroom windows
- The Mezz staircase entrance
- The marble staircase
- The second floor windows
- Spring Street in the Historic Core
Questions couples ask about Alexandria Ballrooms
How many hours of coverage do couples book at Alexandria Ballrooms?
Seven to eight hours covers a typical day here, from getting ready through the first stretch of dancing. Seven hours works when you get ready elsewhere and coverage starts at the venue. Eight hours gives room for getting ready coverage and more of the reception.
Should we do a first look?
It helps when the ceremony and reception share a room, because cocktail hour is also the room flip. A first look lets you finish family and wedding party portraits before guests arrive and join cocktail hour. Without one, portraits happen during cocktail hour in the other ballrooms, which works well with a clear family photo list.
Where do couples get ready?
Some get ready at the venue itself and some at a hotel nearby. Starting at the venue keeps the day in one place. Starting at a hotel works well too; allow travel time downtown and plan the arrival at the ballrooms before family portraits.
Can we photograph outside the building?
Yes. A short set on Spring Street gives a city look that contrasts with the ballrooms. Keep it brief and in good light. The second floor windows are a good alternative for soft, dramatic light without leaving the building.
Can we see the reception room before guests come in?
Yes, and we recommend it. A few minutes in the finished room before the grand entrance gives you a quiet moment together and lets us photograph the decor and tables before anyone sits down.