Eight-story fireproof hotel opened September 12, 1915 on a corner at Second and Main that has held an inn since 1839, restored in a $30 million 2007-2009 renovation by the Pfohl family, standing in the Old Main District two blocks from the Mississippi riverfront and Port of Dubuque.
VIDART is a Madison, Wisconsin wedding photography and videography company covering downtown Dubuque and the rest of the Midwest with no travel fee. This page is our planning guide for a wedding at Hotel Julien Dubuque: the spaces and how they photograph, where the light is, the portrait spots on site and nearby, and the logistics that affect your timeline. Photo or video coverage is $1,500 for a half day and $3,000 for a full day, with no travel fee.
The spaces at Hotel Julien Dubuque
| Space | Use | Capacity | Setting | For the camera |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grande Ballroom and Atrium | both | 320 | indoor | 6,250 sq ft ballroom with 17-foot ceilings and chandeliers that opens into the Fleur de Lis room, seating 75 to 320 or 450 standing; the adjacent Atrium is the pre-function space; windowless-style ballroom light so plan for flash or ambient-balanced coverage. |
| River Room | both | 100 | indoor | 2,760 sq ft room seating 30 to 100 or 180 standing, adjacent to the Riverboat Lounge with private access to the River Terrace; reviewers used it for receptions of about 100. |
| River Terrace | both | n/a | outdoor | Outdoor patio off the River Room overlooking the Mississippi River and the Port of Dubuque; used for terrace ceremonies with floral arches and for cocktail hour, open water and bridge in the background. |
| Harbor Gallery | both | 80 | indoor | 2,400 sq ft lobby-level room with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Port of Dubuque, seating 20 to 80 or 120 standing; the best daylight room in the hotel for small ceremonies and dinners. |
| Riverboat Lounge | cocktail | n/a | indoor | Hotel bar adjacent to the River Room and terrace, used as the cocktail-hour spillover for River Room weddings. |
| Capone Suite | getting-ready | n/a | indoor | Second-floor suite added in 2009 with a built-in vault, named for the hotel’s Al Capone lore; reviewers favor it for getting ready but note it must be booked Friday and Saturday and that nighttime trains are audible. |
Capacities are the venue’s published figures and change with layout; confirm current numbers with the venue.
How we photograph and film a wedding at Hotel Julien Dubuque
Our approach is the same at every venue: two of us (or more for photo and video together), documentary coverage of the ceremony, toasts and dance floor, directed portraits only when the light is worth it, and a timeline built backwards from sunset. What changes is the plan for the building.
- Light. The River Terrace and Harbor Gallery face east over the Mississippi, so the water is lit at sunrise and the terrace falls into bluff shade before sunset; sunset itself is best from the Fenelon Place Elevator overlook a few blocks west. We schedule couple portraits for the last hour before sunset and tell you in advance where we will take you.
- Rain plan. Terrace ceremonies have the River Room or Grande Ballroom as indoor backups; the venue is categorized as indoor-only on WeddingWire. We photograph the backup space during our walkthrough so the plan B images are as considered as plan A.
- Policies. No published photography or drone policy; decor rules ban loose glitter, metallic confetti, sand and confetti poppers, require enclosed candles and protected petals, with a $1,000 cleaning fee for violations. We confirm the venue’s photography, drone and vendor requirements in writing before the wedding and provide a certificate of insurance when one is required.
- Timing. Reception space is available 8 am to midnight with six hours of staffing included ($500 per extra hour) and all events must end by 12:30 am. Coverage is planned to end with the last dances rather than the venue’s closing time.
For video we run two camera angles plus a locked-off wide on the ceremony, lavalier microphones on the officiant and groom, and a direct feed from the DJ for toasts. Aerials are included where the venue and airspace allow; see our guide to drone video at Wisconsin weddings.
Portrait spots
On site
- Lobby grand staircase and Ziegfeld mirror — Restored lobby with a decorative fireplace, grand staircase and a large mirror salvaged from New York’s Ziegfeld Theatre; warm interior tones and window light from Main Street, ideal for first-look and descending-staircase frames.
- River Terrace at the Mississippi — East-facing terrace over the Port of Dubuque; front-lit at sunrise and in soft shade by late afternoon when the sun drops behind the bluffs to the west, so plan golden-hour couple frames at blue hour with the port lights.
- Main Street facade and Old Main District — Brick and terra cotta hotel facade at Second and Main with the historic Old Main District storefronts for walkable urban portraits.
- Caroline’s Restaurant stained glass — Restaurant with stained glass from the 1962-1970 remodel and views toward the Ice Harbor; a color-rich interior detail spot.
Within a short drive
- Fenelon Place Elevator (Dubuque) — About 5 blocks west on Fourth Street; 1882 funicular with a bluff-top overlook of the river and three states, strong sunset light from the top.
- Port of Dubuque riverwalk and Ice Harbor (Dubuque) — A few minutes’ walk east; riverwalk, the Shot Tower, the National Mississippi River Museum and the Diamond Jo frontage for water and industrial-heritage frames.
- Eagle Point Park (Dubuque) — About 10 minutes north; 164-acre bluff park with Prairie School pavilions overlooking Lock and Dam No. 11 and the Wisconsin shore.
- Mines of Spain and Julien Dubuque Monument (Dubuque) — About 10 minutes south; limestone monument on a bluff above the river with prairie and woodland trails.
Thirty to forty-five minutes of portrait time across the day is enough; we split it between a longer session before or after the ceremony and ten minutes at golden hour.
Logistics and planning notes
- Vendor policy: All food and beverage is by the hotel with no outside catering except wedding cakes from licensed vendors; the hotel lists “outside vendors” as allowed for other services and publishes no preferred-photographer list or certificate-of-insurance requirement.
- Permit or photo policy: No published photography or drone policy; decor rules ban loose glitter, metallic confetti, sand and confetti poppers, require enclosed candles and protected petals, with a $1,000 cleaning fee for violations.
- Noise/curfew: Reception space is available 8 am to midnight with six hours of staffing included ($500 per extra hour) and all events must end by 12:30 am.
- Parking: Free self-parking is listed and parking is included in the site fee; the hotel is on a downtown corner so confirm vendor load-in and dock access with the wedding manager.
- Rain plan: Terrace ceremonies have the River Room or Grande Ballroom as indoor backups; the venue is categorized as indoor-only on WeddingWire.
- Sunset/orientation: The River Terrace and Harbor Gallery face east over the Mississippi, so the water is lit at sunrise and the terrace falls into bluff shade before sunset; sunset itself is best from the Fenelon Place Elevator overlook a few blocks west.
- Lodging: Full-service hotel with suites, a honeymoon suite and the Capone Suite; up to 20 guest rooms can be discounted for a wedding block and are released 30 days out.
- Accessibility: Listed as wheelchair accessible; Friday and Sunday weddings receive 50% off room rental and food-and-beverage minimums outside holiday weekends.
Hotel Julien Dubuque, 200 Main St, Dubuque, IA. Venue website.
About the venue. A hotel has stood at Second and Main since 1839; the Waples House of 1843 became the Julien House in 1854, burned in 1913, and was rebuilt in concrete and steel to open as the Hotel Julien Dubuque on September 12, 1915. Local lore and letters suggest Al Capone stayed at the hotel and may have taken over the eighth floor, which inspired the 2009 Capone Suite with its built-in vault, though no records confirm he owned the property. The Pfohl family, owners since 1962, invested $30 million in a 2007-2009 restoration that reopened the hotel in September 2009 with a lobby mirror salvaged from New York’s Ziegfeld Theatre. Zola lists the Grande Ballroom and Atrium at 6,250 sq ft seating up to 320 with 17-foot ceilings and chandeliers, the River Room at 2,760 sq ft for 100 seated and the Harbor Gallery at 2,400 sq ft for 80 seated. WeddingWire lists reception site fees from $2,000 and ceremony fees from $750 with up to 350 guests, while Zola lists full weddings from $3,500 off-peak and $4,500 peak with menus of $55 to $125 per guest.
Pricing
Same rates for photography and videography; book one or add the second for the same price. No travel fee anywhere in our service area.
| Coverage | Photography | Videography | Both |
|---|---|---|---|
| Half day — up to 5 hours | $1,500 | $1,500 | $3,000 |
| Full day — up to 10 hours | $3,000 | $3,000 | $6,000 |
Every booking includes professional editing, an online gallery, a USB drive with the high-resolution JPGs or finished films, and a print release with full usage rights (we do not retain copyright over your photos or films). Videography includes an edited highlight film plus the full ceremony and toasts. Albums, prints and RAW archive drives are add-ons on the pricing page. A $300 deposit holds the date.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need to be on Hotel Julien Dubuque’s preferred vendor list?
Most venues, including resorts and hotels, allow outside photographers and videographers; some require a certificate of insurance or a short vendor form. We provide event liability coverage and a certificate of insurance whenever a venue requires it, and handle any vendor paperwork before the day.
How much does wedding photography at Hotel Julien Dubuque cost?
Photography or videography is $1,500 for a half day (up to 5 hours) or $3,000 for a full day (up to 10 hours); both together are $3,000 and $6,000. There is no travel fee.
How many hours of coverage do we need at Hotel Julien Dubuque?
A full day (10 hours) covers getting ready through the dances. A half day (5 hours) works for a ceremony and reception in one place when coverage starts shortly before the ceremony. See our guide to how many hours of wedding photography you need.
Can you fly a drone at Hotel Julien Dubuque?
Only where the venue permits it and the airspace allows; we check both before the wedding and include aerials at no extra charge when they are possible.
When will we get our photos and films?
Edited photos are delivered in an online gallery in two to six weeks; wedding films in four to twelve weeks depending on season.
Do you photograph engagement sessions near Hotel Julien Dubuque?
Yes. An engagement session can be added to any wedding photography or videography package; the portrait spots listed above work well for it.
Planning a wedding at Hotel Julien Dubuque?
Send us the date and we will confirm availability within a day, walk through the timeline for Hotel Julien Dubuque with you, and hold the date with a $300 deposit.
Nearby and related
More on weddings in the area: our Dubuque wedding photographer and Dubuque wedding videographer pages, the wedding-day timeline guide, the best months to marry in Wisconsin and what wedding photography costs in Wisconsin.
Other venue guides: The Edgewater, Monona Terrace, Garver Feed Mill, Olbrich Botanical Gardens, The American Club, The Pfister Hotel, Milwaukee Art Museum, Grand Geneva Resort, The Abbey Resort.