About this vendor
Our Vision
The IATSE Ballroom is a luxury banquet wedding venue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Owned and operated by Anthony’s Caterers, this venue space offers everything a couple needs for a romantic night of food and fun. Luxury interiors, dedicated culinary staff, and flexible packages make weddings at The IATSE Ballroom is truly one of a kind. Anthony’s Caterers work with you to create a custom menu suited to your tastes and guests’ needs. They create authentic Italian dishes made fresh and beautifully presented. Anthony’s Caterers turns an ordinary event at The IATSE Ballroom into an extraordinary experience. Whether you’re planning an intimate dining experience or a theatrical wedding celebration, The IATSE Ballroom will make it a night to remember.
Facilities and Capacity
The IATSE Ballroom offers a beautiful ballroom space to host wedding receptions. The entrance features a bright marquee to welcome your guests to the party. Inside, they’ll feel instantly comforted by the ballroom’s warm lighting and elegant yet relaxed ambiance. The ballroom is adjacent to an onsite catering kitchen and get-ready rooms for the wedding party. The IATSE Ballroom can accommodate up to 300 seated guests or 500 guests for a cocktail-style reception.
Services Offered
The IATSE Ballroom offers tailored wedding packages to suit your own budget and style. Their production team will work with you throughout the planning process to prepare your decor, florals, lighting, and everything that makes your wedding shine. Some of their services include:
Full stage and theatre lighting
Large dance floor
PA system and other audiovisual equipment
Free on-site parking
Cuisine
The IATSE Ballroom is owned, operated, and catered by Anthony's Caterers. This locally-renown culinary team creates classic Italian cuisine with modern flair. Anthony’s Caterers has over 30 years of experience in the wedding industry, and will deliver above-and-beyond service to you and your guests. Some of their menu items include:
Antipasti stations and hors d'oeuvres
Raw bars
Homemade gnocchi
Veal chops and filets
Anthony's award-winning Red Gravy
Homemade gelato sorbet, and Viennese pastries
Location
The IATSE Ballroom is located in central Philadelphia off of I-95, and the Walt Whitman bridge. There are several hotels in the nearby area for your out of town guests’ convenience.
Amenities + details
Covered Outdoors Space
Handicap Accessible
Indoor Event Space
Liability Insurance
Reception Area
Wireless Internet
Dressing Room
On-Site Accommodations
Outdoor Event Space
Ceremony Types
- Civil Union
- Commitment Ceremony
- Elopement
- Interfaith Ceremony
- Non-Religious Ceremony
- Religious Ceremony
Settings
- Ballroom
Venue Service Offerings
- Bar & Drinks
- Cakes & Desserts
- Food & Catering
- Planning
- Rentals & Equipment
- Service Staff
Popular with couples like you
Check out our featured vendors.
Reviews
Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help
you make those big decisions with ease.
5
out of 5.014 reviews
Where do we even start? Choosing the IATSE Ballroom for our reception was hands down the best decision we made and was the highlight of our wedding day. The space is very nice and ...
tastefully decorated. All of our guests were blown away by the decor, the food, and the staff. What really transformed our experience from great to exceptional was the unparalleled efforts of Giovanni and Michael. Their commitment to excellence, combined with their warm and personable natures, elevated every aspect of our reception. Giovanni never hesitated to answer all of our questions, be extremely accommodating, and was truly invested in the success of our reception. Giovanni's meticulous approach ensured that no stone was left unturned. He guided us through each step, offering invaluable insights that stemmed from his vast experience. His proactive approach and problem-solving skills meant we were always one step ahead, making our planning journey smooth and stress free. Michael was an amazing maitre d’ and made sure everyone was taken care of. He worked with our vision, timeline, and also helped influence our decisions with his years of experience. Michael truly played a critical role in the success of the night and it wouldn’t have been perfect without his guidance. The food was AMAZING! Our guests are still talking about how good the food was and are blown away by the vast variety that was offered. We opted to go with the station style menu and it was a hit! This allowed for everyone to try various dishes and eat as much as they wanted. The hors d’oeuvres during cocktail hour were so good and our guests could not believe the quality and quantity. Everyone at IATSE went above and beyond their roles to ensure our day was nothing short of amazing. This made us feel not just like clients, but like family. If you’re looking for a reception venue is South Philly, choose IATSE. We can’t recommend them enough. Thank you so much for everything!
Best venue around!! The ballroom is beautiful and spacious, with upscale lighting and décor. The staff was so friendly and accommodating. Nothing was too hard for them. From our fi...
rst visit there, Giovanni was the best to work with!! Anthony's catering is the fabulous, you will not get better food.
Onsite parking is a huge plus in the city. We will use this venue again!! The pricing was so affordable.
My wife and I knew as soon as we walked in and saw the venue, and spoke with Giovanni, that this was the place for our wedding. The venue is gorgeous, the food is incredible, and ...
Giovanni is such a great person to deal with. From the very beginning, Giovanni was extremely responsive, always getting right back to us, and then when we had to change a major detail in our wedding, he was very understanding, and made the change very easy for us. Communication was never an issue. He always responded to our needs, and made everything much less stressful for a couple planning a wedding on their own.
As far as the food goes, it was incredible. Anthony's Caterers is amazing at what they do. From the food tasting, to the actual event, everything we ate was wonderful. Our guests still talk about the food, stating it was the best food they have eaten at a wedding. The only issue we have is we did not get to sit down for hours eating, because of how busy a bride and groom will be during their ceremony.
The venue is gorgeous inside. The lighting, the space of the room, they way it is set up, all of it is beautiful. Everyone calls it a diamond in the rough, and it most certainly is! We are still so happy we picked this venue for our wedding. If we could do it over again, we absolutely would, and would pick the IATSE Ballroom again, without question, with 100% certainty.
Lastly, I want to review the staff Giovanni and the IATSE have in place. Besides the chefs, that are amazing, and Giovanni, who was wonderful to work with, I have to review the event staff as well. They were all so responsive, and worked so hard to make this event work. Their hard work was definitely recognized, and we thank everyone there that night that went above and beyond for our wedding. A few of our guests, those that have a hard time with mobility, mentioned that there were event staff that specifically catered to them the entire evening! Absolutely incredible.
We loved the IATSE!
I.A.T.S.E Ballroom was AMAZING! We could not have asked for a more perfect venue for our wedding reception. From the first time we spoke to Giovanni we knew that this was the plac...
e that we needed to have our wedding. Every single detail was perfect. Giovanni was extremely prompt with answering calls and emails from us when we needed anything. When we dropped off all of our things the night before the wedding, we knew that we were in good hands. That was an understatement! The room was perfect, the food was perfect, the way they added all of the special touches throughout the night were PERFECT! I can honestly say that was the best night of my life. My family and friends rave about everything from that night. We would 100% use them for other events.
Thank you Giovanni and your staff for making our night, one to remember forever!
Iatse Ballroom is phenomenal from beginning to end! Everything was perfect from the food, to the linen and especially the service! Giovanni is hands down the best! We went for our ...
first visit to check out the venue and Giovanni sold us right there. He was very accommodating from food for children to dealing the pregnant bride! He made sure our day was flawless and unforgettable. Giovanni also has a great staff! The Chef, Maître d’ and servers were wonderful. They made sure the food, drinks and desserts were flowing all night. We cannot thank the Iatse team enough from making our dream wedding come true!
The food was the bomb, they catered to my every need to make sure me and my husband was good the whole night, they made sure we ate. The staff was also excellent
I don't even know how to express how truly grateful I am for the service at the IATSE Ballroom by Anthony's Caterers. Giaovanni (owner), Anthony (chef), Patrick (maitre d) and the ...
rest of the staff at this venue, completely exceeded my expectations. I wanted the night to feel like a big party, but still in an elegant way and they hit the nail right on the head. The best part is that it felt effortless. They met every need or request that my husband and I had, and I was truly able to enjoy the night and know that my guests were taken care of. The food was absolutely delicious (I only wish I had more, as a bride when it is your day you will understand lol) and the room was stunning. I would recommend this place to anyone.
My husband and I recently had our wedding reception at ITASE Ballroom and we are so happy we picked this venue.
Giovanni was so accommodating and made planning so easy. Not only...
Giovanni was great to work with but the whole staff was amazing!!
Venue is beautiful and the food is amazing!!! Everyone can't stop talking about how great the reception was. I am sad it is over :(
If you are looking for a place with great service, great food, great venue then you must book IATSE Ballroom!!!!!
Our wedding was on 10/10/15 and it was the best day ever. From the beginning planning process to the wedding day Giovanni was always helpful to any questions or concerns we had. Th...
e day of the wedding the maitre d Paul and Giovanni made sure everything went smoothly and made sure we were okay the whole night. They not only catered to us but made sure all 175 guests were having a great time and were enjoying themselves. Our family and friends had nothing but great things to say about the staff, service, and outstanding food. If you want a great venue, honest people, and awesome food this is the place to have your wedding! After your wedding you will want to book Iatse again for upcoming events because you will know everything will be awesome! Check this place out I promise you will have nothing but great things to say when it's all over. Thank you again to everyone at Iatse ballroom I wish we could do it all over again :)
Our day was better than I could have imagined ! My guests raved about the food, atmosphere, and the ballroom looked absolutely beautiful. My favorite part is that Giovanni and chef...
Dan were flexible enough to customize our cocktail hour. My new husband is Vietnamese and chef Dan created lemongrass skewers, banh mi sliders, and spring rolls to represent his side of the family as well. They were also kind enough to let our photographer bring in a drone to capture the event. Great value for our money! I wish I could rewind the day. It was fabulous!
Choosing a venue was probably the most challenging part of wedding planning for me. I had high expectations and a certain vision. When we first met with Giovanni at the IATSE Ballr...
oom, I didn't know what to expect. I just knew I trusted him and I had a pretty good feeling the food was going to be amazing.
Well, here we are, one month after my wedding and people are still talking about how it was one of the most fun wedding they ever attended AND how good the food was. I mean I have never heard people talk about the food at a wedding like they did about IATSE. The veal parm was top notch and the antipasto bar fell straight from heaven.
When I say that the folks at IATSE know what they are doing, I'm not exaggerating. Every single person did their job so well. They were attentive, nice, professional. The chef created a foodie heaven for our guests. Giovanni was patient and made everything work seamlessly.
I still get all giddy when I think about that night. It was one of the most perfect moments and so much of it was due to the staff of IATSE. Do not hesitate to have your event here. You will be so happy you did!
I recently had my son's baptism luncheon at Anthony's Caterers at the IATSE Ballroom and had such an amazing experience. During the same time there was a baby shower and I think t...
his would be the perfect place for a Bridal Shower as well as an elegant evening wedding.
First off, this place is a hidden gem in South Philadelphia and the perfect place for an event. I will say that the venue was a bit nicer than I would have planned for a baptism and definitely more in line for an elegant wedding. However they had a wonderfully priced brunch menu that was equal to places half as nice.
We had a brunch that included an omelet station and a buffet with french toast, bacon, sausage and potatoes, as well as, chicken piccata and penne a la vodka. I also added on a cheesesteak station as many of my guests were from out of town and would (and did) appreciate the "philly-experience".
The food was great and the service was even better. We had young children at the event that were a little on the hyper side and the place was fine with me bringing in some games etc to keep them occupied and the staff even managed to continue smiling as my 3 year old son went around and blew out every candle that was lit in the place.
We had an open bar for our guests in which we paid the final bill and the prices on that were reasonable as well (considering many places completely overcharge you for drinks etc).
This place was wonderful and my husband and I will continue to tell everyone we know about what a great event they planned and delivered for us.
I highly recommend you check them out for your next event.
We had our reception at the IATSE Ballroom. I was pretty apprehensive about choosing a venue, but when we met with Giovanni to give our deposit and talk about our day, I was convin...
ced. He was so laid back, yet comforting and confident in making our day perfect and meeting all of our expectations. He was all about making it our day and making sure it was what we wanted;he was NOT about up selling and trying to "add on" extras just to make more money, like many of the other venues we looked at. Giovanni was very responsive and put up with all of my crazy weird questions, but completely reassuring that everything would run smoothly. We did a lot of DIY type stuff and had a family member do all of the flower arrangements and centerpieces, meaning the staff at IATSE were in charge of executing a lot of our decor. Not only were they incredibly flexible and generous in helping, but they did an amazing job. I went back and forth about booking a day of coordinator and I can say that I'm happy that I did not. Giovanni and his team of people were amazing on our wedding day. On the day of our wedding, I could not even believe how perfect everything went. I never went without a drink, during cocktail hour, the staff very gently pressured me into eating (which I cannot say how thankful I am for). If I needed something I had it. It was so smooth and easy. Even our guests are still raving about how amazing IATSE was. Several people were so impressed that they never had to even order a drink, the bartenders just remembered and got it for them. Guests are still raving about the food as well. One of my friends, who is a very picky foodie, even said that of all the wedding she's been to, ours was the best food she's ever had. From the hor d'oeuvres to the entrees, everything was perfect. All in all I could not be happier with our choice and if I had to do it over, I would choose them again.
Our wedding was held at IATSE Ballroom on May 31st of this year. And I can honestly say it was way beyond any expectations we ever imagined our wedding reception to be. It was real...
ly our dream wedding all thanks to Giovanni, the coordinator who was a pleasure to work with, and the entire staff. IATSE is a hidden gem, and it's only going to become more known as the years come & go. The Venue itself is amazingly modern & gorgeous, the updates are extraordinary. The food was absolutely amazing, and aside from the bartenders being beautiful, they were the nicest people to ever serve drinks. It's been weeks and people are still raving about the place & staff and how perfect our wedding reception was. You guys are awesome and I only wish for more success for Anthony Caterer's & IATSE Ballroom.
Contact
2401 South Swanson St., Philadelphia, PA
IATSE Ballroom by Anthony's Caterers