The Logan Hotel Wedding Guide | Philadelphia, PA

I have photographed weddings at The Logan. It is the hotel at One Logan Square on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, and the rooftop views of the city there are amazing.

A Logan Hotel wedding gives you a private courtyard, a ballroom, a rooftop lounge and 391 guest rooms and suites, all in one hotel. This guide walks through the spaces by the names the hotel uses, the ceremony options and the rain plan, the spots I like for portraits, and some house rules worth knowing before you plan your photographs.

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The Logan Hotel Wedding Venue Snapshot

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Why Couples Choose The Logan

It is a hotel, and that is the point. Your family can stay here, you get ready in your own room, and the ceremony, the dinner and the rooftop are all at the same address on the Parkway.

• The rooftop. Assembly Rooftop Lounge looks down the Parkway to the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
• You get inside and outside options in one hotel: a private outdoor courtyard, the Grand Ballroom, The Stenton and the rooftop lounge.
• The Ballroom has no pillars, so nobody at dinner ends up staring at a column.
• Mornings are easy. The hotel has menus just for the wedding party, and there is a spa in the building for makeup and nails.
• It feels like Philadelphia. The hotel is named for James Logan, and its 1,800-piece collection of locally curated art is full of Philadelphia history.
• The food stays in house, and the hotel will work with a kosher or halal caterer when there is a religious or cultural reason.

The building gives you plenty to work with. Outside, a tall black panel of cut-out letters spells LOGAN over and over, in case anybody forgets where they are, and it makes a great portrait backdrop.

Inside, there is a lounge with a long fireplace, bookshelves and a pool table. It is a warm spot for a few relaxed photographs together.

If The Logan is one of several venues on your list, my guide to the best Philadelphia wedding venues covers the others I would look at.

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What I Tell Couples Before a Logan Wedding

The rooftop

My favorite rooftop spot is by the bar at Assembly. Golden hour is the best, but any time of day works up there.

Everything is right outside

Logan Square is right across the street, so it’s super easy. Out front, by the main entrance awning, there’s a black metal backdrop with The Logan’s name etched all over it. That’s a must-get shot. The back courtyard has lots of spots, including a little bridge over a small water feature that leads from the next building to the back porch area. And there are great spots across from the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul.

Getting ready

All the rooms are awesome, and the Presidential Suite is another level. It’s really big. Compared with the big suite at Loews, they’re both modern, but the Logan’s is lighter in color and feels more open.

The library

To the left as you come in the main doors, there’s a library with a pool table and books all around. Nobody talks about it, and it’s a great spot for photographs. The Logan does not allow photography in its public spaces without approval, to protect guest privacy, so ask the hotel about the library well ahead of time. Those requests go to its Marketing department. And in the lobby, be mindful of other guests and keep the path clear.

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The Event Spaces at The Logan

The Ballroom

This is the hotel’s largest event space, and parts of the hotel’s site call it the Grand Ballroom. It is 4,374 square feet with soaring ceilings, chandeliers and no pillars, and it can be divided into two sections. The Logan’s wedding pages say The Ballroom can host up to 265 guests for a seated dinner reception, so confirm your count against your floor plan with the hotel. It opens onto a terrace over the courtyard, and there are rigging points in the ceiling for hanging specialty lighting.

The Courtyard

The hotel’s private outdoor courtyard is 4,000 square feet, with twinkling trees and terraces. It is available for ceremonies and cocktail hours, and it can open up into the Grand Ballroom when you want more room.

The Stenton

The hotel recommends The Stenton for a more intimate wedding. It is 3,240 square feet, with reclaimed wood tables, a fireplace, a built-in marble bar and big views of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

The Peacefield Boardroom

This 416 square foot room sits steps from the Ballroom. The hotel offers it as a hideaway for your first minutes of being married, with a private display of the cocktail hour menu before you join your guests.

Assembly Rooftop Lounge

Assembly is the hotel’s rooftop lounge, nine floors up. Its West Deck overlooks Logan Square, the Swann Fountain and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the photograph at the top of this guide was taken from the rooftop terrace. Assembly is open to the public and also hosts private events, on the West Deck or as a full buyout, and from April to October its own site guarantees a weather backup space for those events.

One rule to plan around, straight from Assembly’s site: every guest at a private event must be 21+ with a valid physical ID. Bring yours, even if nobody has carded you in years.

At one December wedding here, guests had drinks out on the terrace as the sun went down, with the dome of the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul lit up behind them.

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Getting Ready at The Logan

The hotel keeps this part simple. On the morning of your wedding, you get ready in your own guest room or suite, and your wedding party and family can book rooms in the same hotel.

The Logan has special menus for the wedding party while you get ready, and its on-site spa offers makeup, nail services, facials and body treatments. If you get a choice of rooms, take the one with the most window light. Window light does more for getting ready photographs than anything else in the room.

Two things to ask about when you sign with the hotel. One is the wedding-night suite, which the hotel’s FAQ says is part of that conversation. The other is your room block. Once you have signed and you are about eleven months out, the hotel sends you a dedicated link your guests use to book.

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Ceremony Options at The Logan

The Logan says it has several indoor and outdoor ceremony options, depending on the size of your wedding and the season, and that a backup space is always confirmed for any outdoor ceremony. That last part is your rain plan, and it is the sentence I would circle.

According to the hotel, ceremonies typically start at 6pm for Friday and Saturday evening weddings, with flexibility for other days and daytime weddings.

The Courtyard

This is the outdoor option, with twinkling trees and terraces around you. The hotel provides chairs and staging for an indoor ceremony, but a ceremony out in the courtyard needs outdoor chairs brought in, so put that on your list.

Inside the hotel

The ceremonies in this guide were indoors, in event rooms with gray drapes and a patterned carpet. The hotel’s floor plans even include a layout for a ceremony and the wedding together in the Ballroom.

At one, the rings went on next to a lit Christmas tree.

At another, the couple stepped out from under a gold chuppah lined with candles, with guests cheering on both sides as the glass broke.

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Cocktail Hour and Reception at The Logan

Cocktail hour

The Courtyard is available for cocktail hour as well as ceremonies, so your guests can take their drinks outside. While they do, you two can slip into the Peacefield Boardroom. Take that time. It may be the only quiet stretch you get all night.

The Ballroom

The reception photographs in this guide are from the ballroom, with crystal chandeliers, a coffered ceiling and a wood dance floor in front of the band’s stage.

For the toasts, the couple sat at the head table with the cake behind them against the paneled wall.

And a first dance under one of those chandeliers looks great in black and white.

If you want the night to keep going, the hotel’s wedding weekend page mentions lounges and possible rooftop experiences for your first night as newlyweds, so ask what is available for your date.

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Best Spots for Photographs at The Logan

You do not have to go far for portraits here. Along with the LOGAN letter wall and the fireplace lounge, these are the spots I like.

The courtyard steps

Wide stone steps, string lights overhead and a tree wrapped in lights behind you. It is one of the prettiest corners of the hotel.

The courtyard lawn

The courtyard also has a lawn under string lights hung along the granite building, which is a good excuse to dance a little.

The Parkway, right outside

Walk out onto the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and you get flags down the street and City Hall’s tower at the end of it.

A string-lit patio at night

The night can end outside, too. The sparkler send off in this guide was on a patio under string lights, next to a heater.

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Winter Weddings at The Logan

The photographs in this guide come from December weddings, which is why you see a Christmas tree at the ceremony and garland over the fireplace.

Winter works well here. On one of those December days, the outdoor portraits came first, in daylight, on the Parkway and in the courtyard, and the ceremony came after dark. With ceremonies typically at 6pm on Fridays and Saturdays, I would plan a winter day the same way.

One rooftop note for the colder months. Assembly’s site says that from November through the end of March, it only books the rooftop for private events. If the weather turns, it can bring groups of up to 50 inside, and larger groups can reserve another space in the hotel.

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Planning Tips for a Logan Hotel Wedding

• Ask about photographs in the public spaces early. The Logan’s FAQ says the hotel does not allow photography in its public spaces, to protect guest privacy, and special requests go to its Marketing department. The private space booked for your wedding is not covered by that rule.
• Check your guest list against the rooftop rules. Every guest at a private event on Assembly must be 21+ with a valid physical ID, per its site.
• Planning a courtyard ceremony? Line up outdoor chairs. The hotel provides chairs and staging for indoor ceremonies, and outdoor chairs are required in the courtyard.
• Ask the hotel before you plan a sparkler send off. It permits some fire features, but every candle has to be enclosed in a vessel or have a base.
• Make sure every vendor has their paperwork in. The hotel requires outside professionals to sign its Vendor Code of Conduct and provide a certificate of insurance, and your bakery needs a certificate of insurance as well.
• Put the tasting on the calendar two to five months out. The hotel offers it for up to four guests, and it needs your final guest count three business days before the wedding.
• Hire a planner. The Logan does not require one, but it highly recommends it.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Logan Hotel Weddings

Where is The Logan Hotel in Philadelphia?

The Logan is at One Logan Square, Philadelphia, PA 19103, on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Its rooftop lounge, nine floors up, looks out over Logan Square, the Swann Fountain and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

How many guests can The Logan hold for a wedding?

The Logan’s wedding pages say The Ballroom can host up to 265 guests for a seated dinner reception, and the hotel recommends The Stenton for a more intimate wedding. Confirm your count with the hotel for your floor plan.

Can you have your wedding ceremony at The Logan?

Yes. The Logan offers several indoor and outdoor ceremony options, including The Courtyard, and the hotel says a backup space is always confirmed for any outdoor ceremony.

What time do weddings start at The Logan?

The Logan says its wedding ceremonies typically start at 6pm for Friday and Saturday evening weddings, with flexibility for other days and daytime weddings.

Can you use the rooftop at The Logan for a wedding?

The Logan’s wedding page lists a rooftop lounge and bar among its event spaces, and Assembly Rooftop Lounge hosts private events, with a weather backup space guaranteed from April to October. Every guest at a private event there must be 21+ with a valid physical ID.

Where do you get ready for a wedding at The Logan?

At The Logan, you get ready in your own guest room or suite. The hotel has special menus for the wedding party and an on-site spa with makeup, nail services, facials and body treatments.

Can you bring an outside caterer to The Logan?

The Logan’s own culinary team handles the food and drinks, but the hotel says it will work with a preferred outside caterer, such as a kosher or halal caterer, when there is a religious or cultural reason.

Can you bring your own vendors to The Logan?

Yes. The Logan lets you bring in the event professionals you choose, as long as each one signs the hotel’s Vendor Code of Conduct and provides a certificate of insurance.

Are there rules about photography at The Logan?

Yes. The Logan does not allow photography in the hotel’s public spaces, to protect guest privacy, and special requests go to its Marketing department. The private space booked for your wedding is not covered by that rule.

Does The Logan have a room block for wedding guests?

Yes. Once you have signed with The Logan and you are about eleven months out, the hotel sends a dedicated link your guests use to book their rooms. The hotel has 391 guest rooms and suites.

Where are the best spots for wedding photographs at The Logan?

The rooftop by the bar at Assembly, Logan Square across the street, the etched black metal backdrop by the main entrance, the bridge in the back courtyard, and the spots across from the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul.

Can you take wedding photographs outside at The Logan in winter?

Yes. The spots are so close that we use them all year. We shoot about fifteen minutes at Logan Square, then warm up under the heat lamps at the front drop-off.

Have you photographed weddings at The Logan?

Yes. I have photographed weddings at The Logan. The rooftop views of the city are amazing, and the courtyard and the Parkway right outside are two of my favorite spots for portraits.

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