The Ebell of Long Beach
A restored 1924 Spanish Colonial Revival clubhouse and City of Long Beach historic landmark, built by and for one of Southern California’s largest women’s clubs.
A 1924 women’s clubhouse, restored as an event venue
Founded November 16, 1896 by Adelaide Tichenor and 17 other women, the Ebell of Long Beach grew into one of Southern California’s largest women’s clubs, with over 1,000 members and 20 departments by the 1920s. The current clubhouse was built in 1924 and operated as an active club for 117 years until it closed in 2017. It was purchased and restored in 2015 by Alan Dunn, of Tres LA catering and formerly of Chateau Marmont’s food and beverage program, and reopened as an event venue that December. It’s now a designated City of Long Beach historic landmark.
A stone portico flanked by palms leads into an arched, skylit courtyard with a bronze fountain. Inside, a 24-foot hand-stenciled beamed ceiling and a mirrored, floor-to-ceiling fireplace give the Grand Hall its warmth, and crystal chandeliers in iron orbs pick up the space’s terracotta tones.
Working within the Ebell’s in-house catering model
We’ve worked alongside coordination teams like Pop the Champagne Events, Love and Life Events, and J Love Events on Ebell of Long Beach weddings, with Tres LA handling catering as the venue’s mandatory in-house team. The architecture does most of the visual work here, so we spend our time chasing the light through the skylit courtyard rather than adding to the room.
Good to know before you book
- Catering is exclusive to Tres LA, the venue’s in-house team — no outside caterers
- A day-of coordinator is required, along with lighting and ceremony setup fees
- On-site parking is limited, so a shuttle is typically arranged
- The clubhouse is a designated City of Long Beach historic landmark
Where we like to shoot
- The stone portico flanked by palms
- The arched, skylit courtyard with its bronze fountain
- The 24-foot hand-stenciled beamed ceiling in the Grand Hall
- The mirrored, floor-to-ceiling fireplace for reception portraits
What couples and guests notice about the Ebell of Long Beach
Guests say the space needs little extra decor — the stenciled ceilings and Spanish tile do most of the work.
In-house catering from Tres LA is consistently called some of the best wedding food guests have had.
Mandatory fees for coordination, lighting, and shuttle service stack up — worth budgeting for from the start.
Planning your day at the Ebell of Long Beach
Sample wedding day timelines at the Ebell of Long Beach
Most days at the Ebell happen entirely inside the clubhouse, from getting ready upstairs to the last dance in the Grand Hall. These shapes are drawn from the weddings we have photographed here, and they are a starting point to adapt with your coordinator rather than a fixed schedule.
Eight hours, all at the Ebell, with a first look
- 2:00 PMCoverage begins. Details, final hair and makeup, getting dressed in the rooms upstairs and downstairs.
- 2:45 PMIndividual portraits and photographs with each side of the wedding party.
- 3:15 PMFirst look in the courtyard or under the portico, then couple portraits.
- 3:45 PMFull wedding party and immediate family photographs, so fewer groups are left for later.
- 4:30 PMYou step out of sight. Guest arrivals and the ceremony space photographed.
- 5:00 PMCeremony.
- 5:30 PMRemaining family groups, then cocktail hour and reception room details.
- 7:00 PMReception. Entrance, first dance, dinner, toasts, parent dances and cake.
- 8:30 PMOpen dancing and a short set of night portraits, then coverage concludes around 10:00 PM.
An earlier ceremony, starting at a hotel nearby
- 12:30 PMCoverage begins at the hotel. Details and final touches, one of you and then the other.
- 1:30 PMTravel to the Ebell. Getting dressed and portraits in the clubhouse.
- 2:15 PMFirst look, then couple portraits in the skylit courtyard.
- 2:45 PMFamily and wedding party photographs.
- 3:30 PMYou step out of sight as guests arrive.
- 4:00 PMCeremony.
- 4:30 PMCocktail hour and guest candids.
- 6:00 PMEntrances and dinner, with the first dance after dinner, then toasts and dancing.
- 8:30 PMCoverage concludes.
What is specific to the Ebell of Long Beach
A few things about this clubhouse that shape the day, and that are worth settling early with your coordinator.
Where couples also photograph nearby
Settings in and around the clubhouse that come up again and again on Ebell wedding days.
- The stone portico and palms
- The skylit courtyard and bronze fountain
- The Grand Hall beneath the stenciled ceiling
- The mirrored fireplace
- The second floor looking down
- Hyatt Regency Long Beach for getting ready
Questions couples ask about the Ebell of Long Beach
How many hours of coverage do couples book at the Ebell?
Eight hours covers a typical Ebell day from getting ready through the first part of the dancing. Because getting ready, ceremony and reception can all happen in the same building, there is little travel time to plan around.
Can we get ready at the Ebell?
Yes. There are rooms upstairs and downstairs that couples use for getting ready. Some couples start at a hotel nearby instead and finish the last details at the clubhouse.
Should we do a first look?
It works well here. A first look lets you finish couple, wedding party and immediate family photographs before the ceremony, so you can join cocktail hour and only a few extended family groups remain afterward.
Where are the best places for portraits?
The skylit courtyard with its bronze fountain, the portico with its palms, the Grand Hall under the stenciled ceiling and the mirrored fireplace. The second floor also gives a wide view down over the room.
Can we include a tea ceremony?
Yes. Couples fit a short tea pour into the ceremony itself or hold a fuller tea ceremony during cocktail hour. We plan the family order with you ahead of time so it takes as little time as possible.