440 Elm: Long Beach’s Newest Wedding Venue
Unveiling the Charm of 440 Elm: Long Beach’s Newest Wedding Venue. 440 Elm is a historic landmark building in the Renaissance Revival style.
The venue was in 1913 as the First Church of Christ Scientist by architect Elmer Grey, this once religious sanctuary, has been restored to its original charm, and is now Long Beach’s newest wedding jewel, 440 Elm. Grey designed many other landmarks in Southern California including The Beverly Hills Hotel, Pasadena Playhouse, and Wattles Mansion.
It is known as a monumental building because of the size/ scale it is meant to convey relative to the surrounding neighborhood at the time. It was created as the First Church of Christ Scientist in Long Beach and held 1200 worshippers and 1000 Sunday school participants at its peak.
Photos by Soda Fountain Photography.
440 Elm is operated by high-end caterer, Bite Catering Couture, and leans into Chef Elizabeth Goel’s focus on serving clients with highly personalized and thematic menus and beautiful presentations.
440 Elm offers one of the largest non-hotel ballrooms in Southern California with a guest capacity of 500, seated. She is big, beautiful, and ready to serve the Long Beach wedding community! Walkable to many hotels in the Long Beach area, 440 Elm is centrally located at 440 Elm Avenue.
Two, equal size and gender non-specific getting ready rooms on either side of the sanctuary are flooded with natural light and beautifully styled.
The grand, outdoor courtyard within our classic columns is surrounded by a beautiful chef’s garden filled with flower-covered arbors and a passionfruit vine. Bring on the passion!
The garden space is perfect for picturesque spots for photos and, because of its size, allows for several configurations of ceremony space or activations.
The black and white tile, seen throughout the hallways of 440 Elm, adds a classic yet whimsical flair to this historical Long Beach Wedding venue.
One of the most beautiful features of The Sanctuary, the largest space in 440 Elm, is a large ballroom with 30′ ceilings and light streaming through three stories of stained glass and vintage chandeliers. The stained glass windows, surrounding the room, cascade the walls in a warm, ethereal-like, yellow and light blue glow.
If you look closely at the stained glass design, you will notice the columns within the glass, which means the design of the building’s exterior and interior of the ballroom. Those small but important details make a historical property very special.
The Parlor, with an exposed brick lounge and performance platform/stage, is well suited for a band, panel, or other event highlights.
The foyers allow for additional spaces for cultural ceremonies, a more relaxed lounge setting, or a post-wedding DJ setup for dancing into the night. The possibilities are endless in this space!
Beautifully renovated, ADA- accessible restrooms with full-length mirrors, decorative wallpaper, and marble vanities bring a luxurious touch to the charming space.
What to see more churches turned wedding venues?
Check out our blog post on The York Manor and Ruby Street in Highland Park, California.