GoggleWorks Center for the ArtsReception in Studio 238Reception in Studio 238Just Married in Studio 420Cocktail Hour in Cohen GalleryRenting decor adds to the vibeCeremony in Studio 420Reception in Studio 238First DanceCeremony in Studio 420Little touches at the receptioRental chairs in Studio 238Love this ceremony in 420!Photos in Cohen Gallery!Let's Dance!Love this decor!Disco Balls ForeverLove the natural lightSparkler Send-OffThat just married feelingThis flower arch though!Newlyweds!Night-time photos!Love this set-up so much!Rentals make things amazing!Lounge furniture for the win!Cocktail Hour in CohenLove how happy they are!Flowers by The Rustic BunchCohen GalleryIndustrial photo backdropsWedding guests in Studio 238So in loveWedding CakeThe spreadParty time!Ceremony/Studio 420Reception in Studio 238Cutting the cakeCeremony properTable cardNewlyweds and their guests by the brick wallNewlyweds going down the stairsWedding dressesNewlyweds and their guestsEscorting the brideFlower girlReception hall and cocktail areaTable setting and decorAisle setup and decorHead table setupTable setting and wedding favorsBride and the flower girlsCocktail hour in Cohen GalleryFloral arch decorWedding kissBride and groomNewlywedsBride and her guestsGoggleWorks Center for the ArtsGoggleWorks Center for the ArtsGoggleWorks Center for the ArtsGoggleWorks Center for the ArtsGoggleWorks Center for the ArtsGoggleWorks Center for the ArtsGoggleWorks Center for the ArtsGoggleWorks Center for the ArtsGoggleWorks Center for the ArtsGoggleWorks Center for the ArtsGoggleWorks Center for the ArtsGoggleWorks Center for the Arts
Interested in this vendor?
About
GoggleWorks Center for the Arts is an artistic event venue located in Reading, Pennsylvania. With a rich history since 1871, this venue was a previous Willson Goggle Factory building. Since then, they have worked hard to redevelop this modern and stunning venue so clients can enjoy their wedding day, large or small. With an artistic background, plenty of space to dance, attentive and genuine service, it makes it hard to pass this venue up!
Facilities and Capacity
GoggleWorks Center for the Arts can accommodate up to 215 wedding guests. With their five gorgeous and modernized spaces, clients have plenty of options to wed at and host their reception. With tall windows, natural lighting and lovely historic brick walls, this venue is fresh, hip and serves as the perfect backdrop for wedding photos. Not to mention, each space features industrial details that provide a blank slate for any wedding style or theme. These details simply add to the overall historical feel clients love and rave about. They can accommodate more intimate weddings along with large, extravagant parties. You will find all of the spaces perfect for your styled wedding. Event spaces include:
Cohen Gallery
Studio 238
Studio 411
Studio 420
Services Offered
GoggleWorks Center for the Arts offers premier service and catering to happy couples for their special day. They even offer their loading docks and carts to make transportation easier for your preferred vendors. They also offer wedding rentals to accommodate all of your wedding needs. They will attend to every detail to make your special day the wedding of your wildest dreams. Their services include:
Bridal/Groom suites
On-site catering and bar options
Pet friendly (pets must be leashed with a copy of up-to-date vaccinations)
Cuisine
This venue allows to work with vendors from Accepted Caterers List. Linens, plateware/glassware, are not included.
Other Services
The venue also offers their artistic and industrial event spaces for various wedding-related events, as well as other parties and events. They work to accommodate their clients’ desires from start to finish, so don’t hesitate to reach out to them! They service the following events:
Corporate
Parties
Galas
Movie screenings
Artists’ showings
Arts Festivals
Readings
Gallery
Bridal shower
Ceremony
Elopements
Engagement party
Reception
Rehearsal dinner
Venues you may like
See other venues that are popular with couples right now
I cannot say enough about how WONDERFUL it was to have our wedding at GoggleWorks!! The space is so beautiful (if you're looking for industrial chic, look no further - exposed brick, natural light everywhere, and art galleries as a bonus!) and everyone there is fantastic. We could not have found a better spot for our big day.
While everything about GoggleWorks is wonderful, the thing that makes it truly special, is the events director, Margaret. She is the most attentive, enthusiastic, and organized person I've ever met. She TRULY cared about us and our wedding and went out of her way time and time again (over the course of 4 years due to the pandemic!) to make our day amazing. She made sure that everything was perfect, beyond our wildest dreams. Do yourself a favor and book this venue!! I promise you will not regret it!!
+3photos
Helen Sent on 11/29/2020
5 out of 5 rating
5.0
Beautiful, unique venue with an amazing team
Booking the GoggleWorks as our venue was the best choice we made for our wedding! We booked in 2019 for our November 2020 date. We loved the raw beauty of the space and were so excited it fit into our budget. From the beginning, Margaret was amazing to work with - responsive, patient, and genuinely excited for us! We found most of our vendors from her preferred vendors list, and they were all wonderful to work with. When 2020 changed our plans, Margaret was with us every step of the way, and was extremely patient with all our questions and ideas. We were able to postpone our reception to 2021 while still holding a 20-person wedding ceremony there on our original date. Margaret coordinated our vendors and helped us maintain the safety standards in place for our day. We are so grateful to Margaret and the GoggleWorks, and we can't wait to work with them again for our reception. If you are looking for a unique venue with a team that will truly be on your side, I highly recommend the GoggleWorks!
Paxton Sent on 11/22/2019
5 out of 5 rating
5.0
Simply Incredible
Margaret is a dreamboat of a human being. I read these reviews too before I booked and thought- no way is anyone that great- but she IS. Every question received a prompt answer, and the answers usually included accompanying answers to questions I didn’t know I had! Margaret has a passion for her career, and it’s beautifully evident in the way she carries herself and cares for her couples.
The venue itself is a work of art, lovingly restored but with a solid amount of grit that you can play into or juxtapose. We approached the venue as a blank slate, a foundation upon which we could build layers of visual interest and intentional décor that provided softness to the room.
A few recommendations:
Bringing ‘up lighting’ for the entrance into the reception hall. If you don’t bring lighting, you’re left with the overhead lights that are a bit harsh, particularly if your reception is beginning at/around sunset. For lighting- there are vendors that can come in and take care of it all, but you can also get a similar effect with some free-standing spotlights for back lighting and highlighting some brick areas. Clamp them onto the I beams.
Take advantage of the freight elevator in the room, in terms of using décor in the ceremony that you can easily relocate to the reception.
Bring a bunch of c-clamps. 2” and 3” worked for us, depending on what we were trying to hang.
Set your visual impact pieces before setting up the room. It’s a special kind of hell having to move 15 tables by 4 inches because of the positioning of an I beam. Applies to ceremony backdrop which informs aisle placement, sweetheart table placement, and Buffett/bar placement. Benefit from our trial and error😂
For ceremony, take into consideration the placement of the poles when setting up chairs. We made rounded rows, and ensured a clear line of vision from each seat to the couple.
Ask for early entrance into the space. If there’s nothing scheduled in that space before your wedding day, it’s possible you can get in a day or two early to get some prep done to not have to work the day of the wedding.
+6photos
Kathryn Sent on 07/26/2019
5 out of 5 rating
5.0
Best people ever
We love GoggleWorks! They offer multiple spaces for events of different sizes and needs, and they’re very reasonably priced. While events are going on, the rest of the building is open with their normal hours, which our guests loved! We had a few people take a break from the party and go walk around the galleries and studios. Margaret Pendleton was so responsive, helpful, and understanding, which I was so grateful for as the day got closer. She really made sure we thought of and remembered everything we needed, and made us feel so at ease.
We also just can’t say enough about Tess, who was helping with the reception for the second half of the day. Everyone we worked with was incredible, but especially Tess when we found that my parents’ car was broken into and my purse was stolen from it. Unfortunately they had parked under trees for shade, which prevented cameras from picking up clear images, but Tess was so comforting and professional. She stood outside and made conversation with us while we waiting for the police to arrive and really advocated for us to the department, which was very slow to arrive. Her handling of the situation really helped us leave feeling like it was a great experience.
Jennifer Sent on 01/02/2019
5 out of 5 rating
5.0
Goggleworks was an amazing venue!! Great value for you money, everyone kept saying how beautiful it was!!!
The venue was amazing & so beautiful!! Margaret went above and beyond everything we could have asked and she made my wedding day so much less stressful and was just so pleasant. The Goggleworks staff was great with my guests and I really appreciated. 10/10 all around I highly recommend this venue!
Veronica Sent on 09/21/2018
5 out of 5 rating
5.0
We looked at many places before we stumbled upon Goggleworks for our wedding venue. From the moment we saw the photos we fell in love with the space and knew right away that this was the perfect place for both our wedding ceremony and reception. Not only is Goggleworks such a unique venue it has an INCREDIBLE team! Margaret was absolutely perfect from when we first booked the place up until the day of our wedding. The level of attention and hard work during the wedding and through the entire process beforehand was exceptional. There is not one single thing I would've changed about my wedding day and the Goggleworks team played a huge role in that. When my husband and I came back in from taking photos around the building, I had unfortunately collected a bunch of twigs around my dress. Fiona, the young woman working reception (who had no obligation to help us in any way), quickly rushed over to help remove the twigs in a way that would not rip my dress. It's little moments like that throughout the rehearsal and day-of that left us feeling that having had our wedding at Goggleworks was the first best decision we made. A huge thank you to Margaret, Fiona and the entire Goggleworks team!
+5photos
Jan Sent on 06/04/2018
5 out of 5 rating
5.0
The staff at Goggleworks are amazing! Margaret is wonderful, kind, organized, responsive, and her staff during both the set up and wedding were so wonderful. Everyone was friendly and went out of their way to be helpful to accommodate any need we had. I really can't say enough good things about the experience.
The space itself was exactly what we wanted, and it really gave me the opportunity to do the wedding that I had pictured in my mind. So many of our guests complimented us on choosing such a fun, interesting space and enjoyed looking around in the galleries. I would recommend it to anyone!
Natalie Sent on 02/21/2018
5 out of 5 rating
5.0
I had my ceremony in reception in studio 238 and it could not have been more perfect. Margaret, the event coordinator, was always available to answer questions, suggest local vendors, and was so helpful in greeting guests the day of the wedding. She was organized, efficient, and has seen it all so no problem can stress her out. The room itself is gorgeous, with market lights and exposed brick and an attached kitchen. The room is really a blank canvas that you can turn into whatever you want. The day before setup that you can choose to make use of turned out to be perfect for us as we had almost nothing to setup the day of. We got so many compliments on the venue and guests enjoyed walking around the gallery before dinner. There's also private parking, a plus in Reading! Overall our day was magical and I can't believe a room that beautiful was in our budget. I wish I could do it all over again!
Laura Sent on 01/24/2018
5 out of 5 rating
5.0
Cannot say enough about our wedding experience at GoggleWorks!! We had our reception in studio 238. The space itself is beautiful (loved the hardword floors, exposed brick and ceiling and overall industrial feel), affordable (!!) and so unique. We loved that it was a total blank slate and we could completely make the space and wedding our own by bringing in all of our own vendors and decor. It was difficult to adequately explain our non-traditional venue to guests prior to the wedding and could tell many didn't "get" it, but we got so so many compliments after our guests experienced it all.
Beyond the venue, the GoggleWorks staff was incredible. Working with Margaret (the events director) was an amazing experience. She was so sweet, responsive and patient (answering every small question we had!) throughout the entire planning process. And on set-up day, she was a huge help; she was readily available all day, checked in on us and made sure we had everything we needed (she even saved the day when she found my lost keys!). Jennie was on-site with us on our wedding day and was an invaluable resource for us. From the start of our reception through clean up, she worked with all of our vendors to ensure everything ran smoothly and we didn't need to think or worry about anything.
Highly recommend!!!
+8photos
Alyssa Sent on 01/02/2018
5 out of 5 rating
5.0
Cheap but gorgeous industrial rooms that made my wedding so classy. The coordinator replied to every email and little questions so fast. They supplied all tables, chairs, lighting.
We're all about trust. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.
I worked with Margaret Murphy, the Events Coordinator, at the Goggleworks for two recent events. The first was the "Art of the Wedding Show" in which I, through Stellar Art and Design, LLC, was an invitation vendor. The second was my daughter's birthday party, held in a rented studio space. Margaret was a pleasure to work with for each event. She was very organized, helpful and promptly answered all of the questions I had for her.
GoggleWorks Center for the Arts frequently asked questions
GoggleWorks Center for the Arts includes the following items and services for wedding events in its starting site fee:
Bridal Suite
Chairs
Lighting/Sound
Parking
Tables
The space offered by GoggleWorks Center for the Arts for wedding events is known for:
Art Gallery
Historic Building
Museum
GoggleWorks Center for the Arts offers the following indoor/outdoor options for weddings:
Indoor
GoggleWorks Center for the Arts offers the following types of wedding events:
Ceremony
Reception
Bridal Shower
Engagement Party
Elopements
Rehearsal Dinner
GoggleWorks Center for the Arts offers the following services for wedding events:
Bar Services
Get Ready Rooms
Outside Vendors
Pet Friendly
Wifi
GoggleWorks Center for the Arts offers the following furniture and decor items for weddings:
Altar/Arch
Chairs
Dance Floor
Lighting
Tables
GoggleWorks Center for the Arts is recommended by 100% of couples who have used their services. Their overall rating is 5.0, with the same score awarded for quality of service, flexibility, value, professionalism and average response time.
