CEREMONY/RECEPTION

Bellevue Club

Tell a Friend
Add to MyGuide

Oakland Wedding Venue
525 Bellevue Avenue
Oakland, CA 94610
View Map

Contact: Catering
Phone: 510/451-1000
www.bellevueclub.org

Request more information from Bellevue Club

if you would mention that you found Bellevue Club on the Here Comes The Guide website.

Why We Like This Place

A romantic, Old World setting in Oakland? We found one! It’s the Bellevue Club, a gem from a bygone era located on the edge of Lake Merritt. Opened as the Women’s Athletic Club in 1929, today it’s a private coed club, available for nonmember functions with member sponsorship.

Designed by architects Roeth and Bangs, this six-story building is more of a grand, Louis XIV-style French manor than a clubhouse. You enter a spacious, elegantly furnished lobby and take an elevator to the fourth floor for your celebration. You have your choice of four lovely rooms which, depending on the size of your party and budget, may be used in a number of combinations.

The Mural Lounge and the Main Dining Room (the two largest rooms) have billowing draperies, gilded moldings, marble fireplaces and two-story-high ceilings, all reminiscent of a European castle. In fact, a 1949 book about the Club’s history describes the interior decoration as “inspired by Marie Antoinette’s Petit Trianon.” The Mural Lounge, a picturesque place for a ceremony, is named for the pastoral scenes painted over the fireplace and entryway. Other treasures fill the room: a whimsically hand-painted Mason Hamlin grand piano (that works), delicate porcelain figurines and a pair of bronze cherubs who sit atop a marble mantle clock. Rose-colored walls are punctuated with gilded moldings and decorative flower baskets done in gold relief. An additional benefit is that both the Main Dining Room and Mural Lounge have sweeping views of Lake Merritt.

Newly refurbished in February 2010, the Main Dining Room is the Bellevue Club’s pièce de résistance. Hand-carved ornamentations, including small reliefs of women’s faces, grace the walls between enormous arched windows framed by flowering draperies. A crystal chandelier and wall sconces cast a soft glow over evening parties. And if you want to give your wedding a truly regal flair, conduct your toasting or bouquet-throwing from the fifth floor interior balcony, a lofty perch from which to survey your “kingdom” below. It’s also a wonderful vantage point for a photographer to capture aerial photos of your event.

Two smaller spaces, connected by a sunny enclosed terrace, are also highly detailed. The Wisteria Room is named for the flowered pattern on the hand-blocked linen drapery that frames two large brass windows with lake views; the Terrace Room is distinguished by a hand-painted mural above a black marble fireplace. And if you and some of your guests want to extend your stay, five guestrooms with full baths and some with private lakeside balconies provide pleasant and convenient overnight accommodations.

Capacity

Ceremony

Reception/Special Events

Meetings

Max. Seated Indoors: 165
Max. Seated Outdoors: 0

Max. Seated Indoors: 150
Max. Seated Outdoors: 0
Max. Standing Indoors: 200
Max. Standing Outdoors: 0

Max. Seated: 150

CEREMONY CAPACITY: The Mural Lounge seats 100 guests theater-style, and the Main Dining Room 150 with a dance floor.

EVENT/RECEPTION & MEETING CAPACITY: The club can accommodate from 16–150 seated with dance floor or 90–200 standing guests indoors.

Fees & Deposits

A nonrefundable room rental deposit is due when reservations are confirmed. The estimated food and beverage total is payable 60 days prior to the event. Room rental fees range $150–1,500 depending on space selected. Meals range $25–65/person. Alcohol, tax and a 20% service charge are extra. For ceremonies, there’s a $250 setup fee. There is also a beverage sales minimum and a bartender fee applies. For events with more than 50 guests, there’s an additional parking and security fee.

Availability

Year-round, daily, 11am–11pm. Saturday events are in 5-hour blocks.

Catering

Provided

Alcohol

Provided
BYO w/ Corkage Fee

Location Uses

Ceremonies
Wedding Receptions
Special Events, Parties
Business Functions/Meetings
Rehearsal Dinners
On-Site Accommodations

Services/Amenities

Catering: provided
Kitchen Facilities: n/a
Tables & Chairs: provided
Linens, Silver, etc.: provided
Restroom: wheelchair accessible
Dance Floor: wood floor in Main Dining Room
Bride’s & Groom’s Dressing Area: yes
Meeting Equipment: AV and other CBA, extra charge
Parking: Club lot with attendant and on street
Accommodations: 10 guestrooms
Telephone: office phone
Outdoor Night Lighting: access only
Outdoor Cooking Facilities: no
Cleanup: provided
View: Lake Merritt and Oakland city skyline
Other: event coordination, grand pianos

Amplified Music

Indoors
w/ Restrictions

Wheelchair Access

Wheelchair Accessible

Site Views

Cityscape
Lake
Panoramic
Park

Venue Type

Ballroom
Banquet Hall/Events Facility
Historic/Landmark Building
Private Club

Restrictions

Alcohol: provided, or BYO with corkage fee
Smoking: outside building only
Music: amplified OK until 11pm
Wheelchair Access: yes
Insurance: not required
Other: no rice, birdseed or flower petals

Wedding Venues > Northern California Wedding Venues > East Bay Wedding Venues

Want to search again?

Wedding Vendors You Might Like

Mandy Scott Flowers, Flowers

Silvana Di Franco Photography, Photographer

erica rose design, Flowers

Encore Events Rentals, Party Rentals and Linens

Denon and Doyle’s San Francisco Photo Booth, Photo Booth

(What's this?)

The vendors listed above work in the East Bay region and are displayed randomly. They may or may not be preferred vendors at Bellevue Club.

Search for more wedding vendors who work in East Bay or all of Northern California.

Register for your MyGuide account

Wishing you could save a list of the places and services that interest you? You can. Register for MyGuide and save your favorite locations and services. You can even share your list with family or friends or post to your Facebook account.

Just getting started?

Know what questions to ask when evaluating a wedding venue and what questions to ask wedding vendors:

Where will your wedding guests stay?

6–9 months before your wedding: Arrange hotel room blocks for out-of-town guests and book your own suite for the wedding night. Find your guest accommodations here! Northern California Wedding Venues With Guest Accommodations

Beach Weddings

Love the idea of a beach wedding in California? We provide detailed information on dozens and dozens of beachfront wedding venues in California.

HELP

Help Introduction
First Time Visitors
Search Tips
Key to Terms
Frequently Asked Questions
Understanding Our Information