Bride and groom on the deck of the Queen Mary ocean liner in Long Beach
Wedding Photography At

The Queen Mary

A 1930s ocean liner permanently docked in Long Beach — fourteen Art Deco salons of original woodwork, etched glass, and ocean-liner glamour that no built-for-weddings ballroom can replicate.

LocationLong Beach, CA
Capacity14 salons, from intimate (40) to grand (700+)
StyleArt Deco, 1930s ocean-liner glamour
About the venue

A 1930s ocean liner permanently docked in Long Beach

Built 1930–1936 in Clydebank, Scotland for the Cunard Line, the Queen Mary made her maiden voyage on May 27, 1936. Retired from active sea service in 1967 and permanently docked in Long Beach, she’s hosted weddings for over 50 years across fourteen distinct event salons, each keeping its original period details — exotic wood paneling and marquetry, etched-glass doors, and light fixtures and artwork that predate the ship’s retirement by decades.

The Grand Salon was the ship’s original first-class dining room. The Queen’s Salon holds a trio of golden onyx fireplaces alongside original artwork. The Verandah Grill — once the ship’s first-class nightclub — has a sunken dance floor beneath Doris Zinkeisen’s hand-painted “Entertainment” mural, and the Windsor Salon’s four original mirrored panels depict the myth of Jason and the Golden Fleece. Couples can even have a ship’s officer officiate in uniform, for an added fee.

Bride in a braided updo facing the panelled door of a Queen Mary stateroom as the groom laughs in a blue velvet tuxedoBlack and white photograph of the couple at the ship’s rail on the Queen Mary’s promenade deck

Weddings we have photographed aboard the Queen Mary

Bride’s dress catching the wind on the Queen Mary’s sun deck beside the forward gun turret
Couple kissing on deck surrounded by their wedding party in dusty blue
Wedding party celebrating with raised arms as the sun flares through the ship’s guns
Bride and groom standing together on the teak deck of the Queen Mary in Long Beach
Black and white photograph of the couple walking and laughing along the promenade deck
Bride on a painted steel stairway inside the Queen Mary with her train falling down the steps

Photographed aboard the Queen Mary, Long Beach.

Lulan Studio at the Queen Mary

Working alongside the Queen Mary’s own events team

We’ve photographed multiple Queen Mary weddings across different seasons, working directly with Kathrene Quesada, the ship’s own Catering Event Manager, and coordinating with outside planning teams like MMAD Events on the logistics a venue this size requires. The ship’s layout is large and genuinely maze-like, so we build in extra time to move between salons and get everyone where they need to be on schedule.

Good to know before you book

  • In-house catering only; no BYO alcohol
  • Vendors must submit a Certificate of Insurance to the events office
  • The ship layout is large and maze-like, with real walking and stairs between salons
  • A ship’s officer can officiate your ceremony in uniform, for an added fee

Where we like to shoot

  • The Grand Salon, the ship’s original first-class dining room
  • The Queen’s Salon, for its trio of golden onyx fireplaces
  • The Verandah Grill’s sunken dance floor beneath its hand-painted mural
  • On deck, framed against the ship’s smokestacks and the Long Beach skyline
What people say

What couples and guests notice about the Queen Mary

The wow factor

Guests repeatedly describe walking onto the ship as a moment on its own — the nostalgia and scale read in every photo before the ceremony even starts.

The staff

Couples and photographers alike single out individual coordinators by name for going above what a typical venue team offers.

The one catch

Wheelchair access is limited in parts of the ship, and it’s easy for guests to get turned around between salons — worth planning signage or a guide for.

Good to know

Planning your day at the Queen Mary

Address1126 Queens Highway, Long Beach, CA 90802
BookingThrough the Queen Mary’s in-house Catering & Events team
ParkingSelf-parking day rates from $15; guest parking is often a hosted add-on
CateringIn-house only; no outside alcohol
Planning your day

Sample wedding day timelines aboard The Queen Mary

The ship carries everything from a twenty guest deck ceremony to a five hundred guest reception in the Grand Salon, so timelines here vary more than at most venues. These three shapes cover most of what we photograph on board.

Six to seven hours, all aboard

Around 85 to 120 guests. Deck ceremony, ballroom reception.
  • 1:30 PMArrival and getting ready in a stateroom or the bridal suite. Detail shots and the ship exteriors.
  • 2:30 PMFirst look, then wedding party and family portraits along the promenade and staircases.
  • 4:00 PMCeremony on the top deck, looking out over the water.
  • 4:30 PMCocktail hour. Couple portraits around the ship while guests are seated.
  • 5:30 PMGrand entrance and first dance.
  • 6:00 PMDinner, toasts and open dancing.
  • 8:30 PMCoverage concludes after the dance floor has opened.

A short three to four hours

Twenty to forty guests. Deck ceremony and dinner, no formal reception.
  • 3:30 PMCoverage begins with the ship exteriors and detail shots.
  • 4:00 PMGetting ready. Portraits by the round windows and on the staircases.
  • 4:30 PMAn optional first look on deck or in a corridor, then couple portraits around the ship.
  • 5:15 PMGuests arrive.
  • 5:30 PMA short ceremony on the Sports Deck.
  • 5:50 PMFamily formals and couple portraits in the sunset light.
  • 6:15 PMDocumentary coverage of dinner, then coverage concludes.

Ten to twelve hours with a church ceremony

Large guest lists. Ceremony at a parish, reception in the Grand Salon.
  • 11:30 AMCoverage begins at a nearby hotel with both sides getting ready.
  • 2:00 PMCeremony at the church. A full Catholic mass runs closer to ninety minutes than sixty.
  • 4:00 PMTravel to Long Beach. Allow about twenty minutes, longer with a party bus and a large wedding party.
  • 4:30 PMCouple portraits on the decks before guests arrive.
  • 5:30 PMCocktail hour on the outdoor deck.
  • 7:00 PMReception in the Grand Salon. Entrances, speeches, dinner, dancing.
  • 11:00 PMCoverage concludes.
Good to know

What is specific to The Queen Mary

A ship is a different kind of venue. These are the things that most often shape a Queen Mary timeline.

CeremonyMost ceremonies are outdoors on the Sports Deck or the top deck, with the water and the Long Beach skyline behind. Indoor ceremonies in the ship rooms are the usual alternative.
Reception roomsThe Grand Salon and the Grand Ballroom take the larger guest lists. The Tea Room and the smaller rooms suit thirty to sixty guests, including morning and midday weddings.
Guest countThe ship handles a very wide range. We have photographed twenty guest ceremonies on deck and receptions in the hundreds in the Grand Salon.
Getting readyStaterooms on board keep everything in one place and give you the ship interiors for portraits. Hotel Maya and the Cabrillo Marina hotels are the nearby options when a stateroom is not part of the package.
PortraitsThe round windows, the promenade, the staircases and the corridors are the frames couples ask for most. They photograph well at any hour, which is useful when the ceremony is early.
Deck lightAn evening deck ceremony sits in beautiful light, and once the sun is down the deck needs a little added lighting. Worth agreeing with your planner in advance for a ceremony after sunset.
TravelAllow real travel time if the ceremony is at a church first. Parking and boarding on a busy weekend add minutes at the ship end.
Nearby

Where couples also photograph nearby

Second locations that come up on Queen Mary wedding days, on board and around the harbor.

  • The Sports Deck and top deck
  • The promenade and round windows
  • Grand Salon and Grand Ballroom
  • The Tea Room
  • The Reef on the Water
  • Chelsea Chowder House
  • Hotel Maya
  • Cabrillo Marina and the Plaza
  • The Long Beach waterfront
Questions couples ask

Questions couples ask about The Queen Mary

How many hours of coverage do most couples book at The Queen Mary?

Six to eight hours covers a full day from getting ready through the first stretch of dancing. Three to four hours is plenty for a small deck ceremony followed by dinner. A church ceremony first, with a large reception in the Grand Salon, usually needs ten or more.

Can we get married on the deck?

Yes, and most couples do. The Sports Deck and the top deck both look out over the water. Ceremonies are short by the nature of the setting, often fifteen to thirty minutes.

Where do people get ready?

Staterooms on the ship are the simplest choice and give you the interiors for portraits. Hotel Maya and the Cabrillo Marina hotels are the usual alternatives.

Is a morning wedding possible?

It is. We have photographed ceremonies as early as half past ten, with reception coverage through the early afternoon in the Tea Room. The ship interiors light well at that hour.

We are having a Catholic ceremony at our parish first. How does that work?

Coverage starts at the getting ready location, moves to the church for the mass and family formals, then travels to Long Beach. Build in the drive and a portrait window on the decks before guests arrive.

What if the ceremony runs past sunset?

A deck ceremony after dark needs a little added light. Once that is arranged, blue hour on the deck is one of the best looks the ship offers.

the Queen Mary photography

Planning a wedding aboard the Queen Mary?

Reach out to check your date