HISTORY, ELEGANCE, STYLE, PRESTIGE: ALTAR LONG BEACH

Photo by Bri White

By John Grossi

When you tour a wedding venue that just happens to be in the oldest standing building in Downtown Long Beach, built with impeccable architecture and attention to detail as the Masonic Lodge in 1903, it’s hard to compare the venue to anything else. The word “unique” barely does it justice.

Altar Long Beach is a wedding venue above the newly opened Altar Society Brewing Company, where couples can get married in an amazing space built over 100 years ago for the ceremonies and rituals of those Masons who built it.

In the heart of downtown Long Beach, there’s nothing quite like Altar, with its original brick, massive pillars, high ceilings and wood floors overlooking the rooftops on Pine Avenue.

“This place looks so amazing with just candles,” says venue manager Calli Verducci. “A lot of couples save money on full florals because candles alone bring out the mood and mystique of the space beautifully.”

For anyone interested in booking a wedding at Altar (or if they’ve already booked), Calli is their one and only point of contact. Her connection to the space is a special testament to the venue. She got married there herself and became so captivated by the space that she emailed the former owner, “Hey, this space is amazing, and I think it’s going to blow up in popularity! If you ever need help running the venue let me know!” Now working with the new owners of Altar Society Brewing Company, Calli runs the entire venue and can give personal advice to each couple about pulling off their own dream wedding in this dream location.

The Flow

Let’s navigate a typical wedding in this unique building. Guests enter on Pine Avenue through a private doorway that does not intersect with the brewpub downstairs. In fact, for a typical 5.5-hour wedding at Altar, most guests will never interact with the public brewpub at all, although it does serve as a nice option for a pre-wedding drink or post-wedding after party and late-night bite.

Guests immediately walk up a staircase (or take an elevator) to the second floor where the ceremony is to take place in the “Grand Hall” area of the three-story building. The second floor, just like the first floor where the brewpub is, boasts over 16,000 square feet. Luckily the concept is heavily furnished, giving a spacious but cozy living room vibe.

After the ceremony, guests ascend to the third floor and enjoy cocktail hour in a smaller (yet still spacious) loft room high above Downtown Long Beach. Once floor two is flipped and ready for the reception, guests walk back down, head to the built-in wooden bar and enjoy a night of dinner, drinks, dancing and fun in the hallowed walls of Altar.

Couples are often drawn to the old brick and industrial look of the building for photos but can also escape during sunset to Pine Avenue. What’s even more popular are photos on top of the parking structure (half a block away), where downtown and ocean views meet a beautiful west coast Pacific Ocean sunset.

The Altar Difference

The history and look of this venue speak for itself, but other advantages make Altar a rising star when it comes to Southern California weddings. The location allows for a full wedding weekend of fun in Downtown Long Beach, and with so many nearby hotels, none of that fun has to include driving a car. Now that’s a rarity in SoCal!

The venue is family-owned and operated, which means it’s fairly-priced and full of personality. Calli and her team work with you to make your wedding dreams come true. Their bar package includes two beers from the brewery, which makes for a fun (and free) beer tasting night-out for the engaged couple as they plan their wedding.

Best of all, everything that makes this massive space so amazing is indoors. So, no matter what time of year you plan your wedding, weather won’t be an issue!

Take a Tour!

To schedule a tour of this historically built but still relatively new venue, contact Calli at calli@altarbrands.com.