When a couple walks through our mahogany doors for the first time, we can usually guess what they’re picturing. A wedding that feels grand without feeling stiff. A day that runs on time without anyone chasing it down. A place that photographs as well as it lives. That’s the kind of celebration we host at Arts Ballroom, right in the heart of Center City Philadelphia, just off the Avenue of the Arts.
Couples choose Arts Ballroom for its historic Philadelphia setting, connected ceremony and reception spaces, private getting-ready suites, and all-inclusive wedding services. The venue also offers on-site coordination, catering, staffing, setup and breakdown, plus convenient access to Center City attractions and popular portrait locations for wedding photos.
We’ve been part of this building since it was the Hotel Sylvania, built back in 1923. After a full renovation wrapped in March 2011, the ballroom you see today carries that history in its bones while working beautifully for a modern wedding. Here’s what tends to make couples say yes.
What Makes Arts Ballroom a Natural Fit for Your Wedding Day
Choosing a venue really comes down to two things: how the space feels, and how the day actually runs. We’ve built ours so you never have to trade one for the other. Everything below comes back to one goal: letting you enjoy your own wedding.
Two rooms that flow into one celebration
Our Grand Ballroom is the centerpiece. It sits under a French acoustic ceiling, so your vows and your toasts carry clearly across the room without anyone reaching for extra equipment. You’ll find crystal chandeliers, white paneled walls, hardwood floors, a marble fireplace, and a granite staircase that gives you a real moment on your way in. Custom lighting lets you set the mood, from soft and warm to bright and lively.
Right next door is the Sylvania Room, with crystal chandeliers, mirrored décor, and a backlit marble bar. It’s where cocktail hour comes alive, and it works just as well for a rehearsal dinner with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres the night before. Because the two rooms sit side by side, your guests move from ceremony to cocktails to dinner without a single confusing turn.
A getting-ready space that’s actually yours
Above the ballroom, our Mezzanine and Lounge look down over the room through Juliet balconies. Up there you’ll find two private suites, each with its own restroom, set aside for the wedding party. It’s a calm spot to get ready, catch your breath, and take in the view before the doors open.
All-inclusive service, run by our own team
This is the part couples tell us they didn’t know they needed until they had it. Your booking includes on-site coordination with an event coordinator, so you have one point of contact who knows your plan inside out. Our staff runs deep, with an executive chef, a maître d’, a captain, servers, bartenders, doormen, and a bridal attendant looking after you specifically.
The ratios matter here. We staff a server for every 10 guests and a bartender for every 75, so tables get cleared and glasses stay full. Food comes as butlered hors d’oeuvres, attended cocktail stations, and a plated dinner served with white-glove tableside service, followed by a full dessert menu and a custom wedding cake. The bar is a top-shelf open bar. Tables, chairs, linens, silverware, glassware, full setup, and breakdown are all part of it, and tax and gratuity are included too. If you want to run through the ceremony first, we offer weekday rehearsal availability in the space. Fewer separate vendors means fewer things for you to track.
A Center City address your guests will love
We sit a short walk from some of the best photo spots in the city. Couples head to Rittenhouse Square, Washington Square, Dilworth Park, Love Park, and Broad Street for portraits, then come right back. With City Hall and the Pennsylvania Convention Center close by, out-of-town guests find us easy to reach and easy to build a weekend around.
When it comes down to it, couples choose us because the room feels special and the day feels handled. You get a historic ballroom in the center of Philadelphia, a team that has done this many times over, and a wedding where the toughest decision left is which staircase photo to frame. This is a room built for timeless elegance, and we treat every wedding like the milestone it is. We’d love to show you around and talk through what your day could look like.
Ready to see it for yourself? Fill out our form to get the pricing guide, or book a tour and walk the rooms with us.
FAQs
Can we hold both the ceremony and the reception at Arts Ballroom?
Yes. Our Grand Ballroom works for the ceremony and the reception, with the Sylvania Room next door for cocktail hour, so your whole day stays in one place. If you’d rather hold the ceremony offsite, that works too.
What comes with a wedding booking?
Quite a lot. You get on-site coordination, full staffing, catering with a top-shelf open bar, tables, chairs, linens, silverware, glassware, setup and breakdown, cake cutting, a suite for the wedding party, a custom wedding cake, and tax and gratuity included.
Is there a space for the wedding party to get ready?
Yes. Our Mezzanine holds two private suites, each with its own restroom, set aside for the wedding party before the doors open.
How do we get pricing or see the venue in person?
Fill out our form to receive the pricing guide, or book a tour, and we’ll walk you through every room.
