Some good friends of mine recently had their wedding reception at the Peabody Library in downtown Baltimore. The setting is quite unique and lovely. Guests are surrounded by austere elegance - multiple floors of old books, marble floors and a towering ceiling. There is also a foyer area with special displays in glass cases that is perfect for the cocktail hour. The lighting is very "romantic" in the main room, so you may find that photos come out very dark (a pro photographer may not have trouble with this, but I did as a guest.)
Despite the loveliness of the setting, there are some difficulties with holding an event at the Peabody Library. It seems that there are communication problems between the staff who co-ordinate the rentals, and the security guards. We were originally told that we could load in equipment at 2:30PM, but ultimately we were not allowed in the building until 3PM (a serious problem, since the ceremony started at 4PM and the groom was helping with the load-in). Then, at the end of the reception the library staff told us we needed to leave at 10PM, however the reception was scheduled to last until 10:30PM. Some of the staff members were difficult and unpleasant to the groom, which I thought was unnecessary. Parking was problematic in the loading area, and the underground garage locks up at 11PM. Overall the customer service and co-ordination left a great deal to be desired, but it is still a beautiful location.
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