Boston Public Library

This is mostly a review for The Catered Affair, because they run all events at the library. The Catered Affair team could not have been more amazing. We began planning our wedding a month before COVID hit, and we feel so lucky to have been partners with TCA through the global pandemic - because "partners" is what they are. They -- specifically Bryanne -- worked with us on planning, re-planning, and at one point even reimagining the wedding at a different TCA venue. After all of this, we were able to move our wedding a few months and still have it a the BPL, and it was pure magic. We were so grateful for their flexibility, understanding, patience, and kindness. The pandemic devastated their industry, and they had every right to be more difficult, but we could not have had a better experience. Thank you, TCA! The food delicious, the service fantastic, and the venue truly unmatched. Day of the wedding, Faith and Amanda joined Bryanne as our guardian angels. These three were fantastic and made sure that we were taken care of throughout the night (such as helping through a bustling struggle and making sure our hands were never empty of our favorite drinks!). A huge thank you to TCA. I hope we have more opportunities to plan events with your team. As far as the BPL itself, it is a dream wedding venue, and we were so lucky and thankful to make that dream a reality. The Courtyard is gorgeous in the evening light, and the Bates Room (green lamp room) is so unique. We danced in the Abbey Room, which was so neat and perfect for dancing. Each room has its own awesome personality - guarantee your guests will be enthralled.

We could not have our large wedding here due to Covid restrictions. The original planning and lovely tasting party were well organized, and they were supportive and professional and refunded our deposit without any drama. We had a small back yard ceremony, but I would still recommend the Catered Affair and their team.

My husband and I had our wedding in the Courtyard at BPL! We did the Picnic Package that was made available to couples who had to cancel their original wedding plans due to COVID. And I am so happy this happened!! We got the last time slot on our original day and were able to have our parents, photographer, and videographer attend. Alyssa at The Catered Affair was our contact at the beginning for logistics and food and was super helpful! We had the Mezze lunchboxes and it was delicious. Ken was our day-of contact and was so amazing!! He allowed us to come in a few minutes early to capture the lighting on the Grand Staircase. Without him, we wouldn’t have captured such gorgeous pictures!! He was super responsive, sweet, and helpful. He was in charge of the music and his playlist was perfect. We’re so happy with the staff, venue, and everything in between. Thank you for turning our last minute wedding into one we couldn’t have ever dreamed of. Thank you!

The Catered Affair team at the BPL team made our September wedding seamless from start to finish. Working with Bryanne, our coordinator, and the entire Catered Affair team really made our wedding day so enjoyable – we didn’t have to stress about anything. Throughout the year-long planning process, Bryanne was incredibly responsive, informative, and professional; she helped us coordinate with each one of our vendors to create the perfect day. Day of, Bryanne and Emily orchestrated a completely seamless day from the photos prior to our ceremony through the very end of our reception. My favorite part of working with The Catered Affair was the breadth and depth of their knowledge around wedding planning and their high attention to detail – and the amazing food! I honestly cannot think of a more beautiful place to get married in Boston!

I can't say enough about working with the staff at the Boston Public Library and the Catered Affair. They were always prompt in answering my questions, flexible during the planning process and ensured a smooth and perfect wedding day. It could not have gone better. In addition, the food was delicious and the venue beyond compare. Our wedding was truly a magical event and the guests were in awe of how lovely everything was. I can't thank Meghan Crump, Samantha and Erin enough. They were amazing. It was complete and utter perfection!

The BPL is a dream venue. The Catered Affair staff made everything so easy and beautiful. We had a vegetarian wedding and everyone loved the food!

Boston Public Library was an absolute dream venue for me well before I got engaged. Catered Affair at BPL was an absolute dream to work with every step of the way, from the initial conversations with my event producer, Erin Davies, to an absolutely flawless wedding. BPL made sure that all of my questions were answered and my vision came to life. The night of, they made sure my husband and I were able to mingle with our guests, but also enjoy ourselves by keeping us fed and with drinks in hand. Throughout the whole process I felt like a valued member of the family, which showed through in every detail of my wedding vision being realized. BPL is on the pricier side, as venues go, but both my husband and I feel that the service we received throughout our whole wedding planning process was worth every penny. Thank you BPL and TCA!

So many great things about this venue and the team, but not enough space to say it all! The venue sells itself, but don’t think that means their caterer just coasts on by. The Catered Affair was an amazing team to work with and goes above and beyond to make their clients happy. Erin was phenomenal. Just so organized and on top of every last detail. She really made sure all the day of details were taken care of so I felt like there was nothing to worry about. My mother can be difficult to work with, but she did such a great job handling that. The rest of the team was great too. I was having a problem getting the bustle on my dress to work and one of the coordinators had actually worked for a seamstress and got the bustle done in just a couple minutes. I highly recommend both the venue and the catered affair. Made the day so great!

My daughter and her husband enjoyed a flawless wedding celebration at the Boston Public Library.. So many guests complimented us on the reception and made reference to the high level of service by The Catered Affair. The whole team was phenomenal! It was a pleasure to work with Faith Larsen! She was a steadying, calm presence during the entire planning effort (even when we weren’t so calm)—this is invaluable for anyone planning a wedding. She accommodated our requests for changes and gave us sound advice throughout the entire process. She served as our wedding planner extraordinaire (at a time when we really needed one) without blinking an eye. Faith kept all our details straight (amazing!), coordinated the vendors, created a detailed timeline, and handled all the details of our reception gracefully and with aplomb. If you want a unique, beautiful venue with a caterer extraordinaire, I cannot thing of a more special place than the Boston Public Library! It was like being in a fairy tale!!!

Catered Affair and BPL are absolutely amazing! I cannot recommend them enough. BPL itself is so beautiful and such a romantic unique and historic venue to have a wedding. Perfect for out of town guests and for locals. Catered Affair was absolutely phenomenal. Very professional and very prompt about replying to any and all of my many questions. They think of everything and are very accommodating. There are so many little things involved in planning that I would never have realized except with their help and have heard nothing but rave reviews from my guests regarding deliciousness of food, professionalism of waitstaff, and unbelievably well organized. My event organizer Bryanne was absolutely amazing, going above and beyond by calling all the vendors involved and making sure everything was as it should be and her enthusiasm cannot be beat! There was even a bridal attendant day of who unobtrusively brought my groom and I drinks and food throughout the night. It was such a wonderful night and I cannot wait to look at the pictures in years to come.

Having our reception at the BPL was a dream come true. The building was most important to us, and the service from the catered affair exceeded our expectations. TCA was able to accommodate all of our requests and coordinated all of our vendors so I knew we had nothing to worry about on our big day. Everything came together beautifully and effortlessly. We received many compliments on the evening, the food was delicious and our entire experience from the first meeting through the follow up was exceptional.

We booked the Catered Affair and Boston Public Library two years out from our wedding, and received nothing but wonderful advice and suggestions throughout the process! From the initial walk through, to the tasting to the design meetings, Faith and Erica were wonderful help along the way. They were invaluable in answering some of our more confusing questions. The team was also key in coordinating with many of our vendors, and acted as the point person for some of the more technical questions leading up to the day of, leaving my fiance and I more time to enjoy the wedding weekend and not worry about logistical questions! The entire venue and evening was absolutely beautiful, and in addition to helping us create our dream event, Catered Affair was able to do some quick readjustments when a May cold snap threatened to derail some of our outdoor activities. I would highly recommend this company and venue for your wedding!!

Eliza and her team at The Catered Affair at the BPL are incredible. I can't possibly say enough to convey how important they were to making our wedding day everything that we had hoped for. We live and work in Boston and wanted to stay local for our wedding, having our families (none of whom live here) experience the city at its best. The BPL over-delivered in every way possible. Eliza and team were responsive, organized, gave great advice (and were honest in recommending vendors), met with us throughout our 18 month planning period, and were SO helpful on the day of, from the moment we walked through the door to the time we had to leave. Our guests raved about every aspect of our wedding from the beautiful courtyard set-up for our ceremony, to the quality of the food, to how helpful the TCA/BPL staff were throughout the evening. It was truly the wedding of our dreams and we give so much credit to them for being such true professionals and for executing perfectly. They are amazing at what they do. You can't go wrong at the BPL!

What an absolutely amazing place to have a wedding!! Wow! That is what our guests kept saying over and over again. We had our reception in The Courtyard and the dinner/dancing in the Abbey Room. The details were absolutely perfect. The Catered Affairs is their sole caterer and they were terrific. We worked closely with Faith and her assistant Erica. From beginning to end, it was impeccable. They allowed up to delve deep into the menu details and we had a great tasting six months before our wedding. They are clearly well versed in managing complex weddings with multiple moving parts. If I could, I would do it over again, again and again!

We had our ceremony and reception at the BPL (courtyard, Bates Hall, Abbey room). For us, getting married in a library made perfect sense, given that we are both academics and we met in Boston. From the first time we visited the BPL, it was clear that the venue was gorgeous and The Catered Affair knew exactly what they were doing. We worked with Michele, who guided us through the whole process and handled everything on the BPL side. Almost everything throughout the planning was very clear - the timeline, the action items, etc. The BPL listened to any out-of-the-ordinary requests we had and worked to make them happen. On the day-of, we didn’t have to worry about any set-up or organizational logistics throughout the night; we were free to focus on our wedding. We even had an attendant making sure that we were able to try the food and drinks we wanted. A few downsides: the person contacting the vendors did so without always communicating with us - although this gave less to worry about, it led to a couple of moments of confusion; and it’s definitely not cheap. Overall, we are thrilled to have gotten married at the BPL - it's a beautiful venue and TCA has the wedding planning down to a science.

We got married in February at the BPL, and I am still in awe of what an extraordinary experience it was. We were completely and utterly thrilled with the entire experience, and we are so happy that we chose to marry at the BPL. The Library itself is unsurpassed in history, beauty, and location, and there are a variety of spaces within the building where you can hold different events during the evening. Our guests loved having the run of the Library and seeing different rooms on different floors. The food was delicious (and we were able to totally customize our menu based on our preferences and, after the very extensive tasting, what flavors we liked. We are still getting compliments on it! The waiter and bartender service was impeccable. But the most important thing to making our special day so perfect was the staff of the Catered Affair, who went above and beyond in terms of providing the utmost in attention to us. They had an answer for every question, a suggestion for every uncertainty, and a willingness to deal very kindly and pleasantly with a slightly harried bride who was planning her wedding by herself. When we received more snow than Boston ever had in the month leading up to our wedding, the staff went above and beyond to help restructure the different events and the flow of the evening in order to accommodate our unprecedented weather. They are, without exception, the best of the best. Thanks to Alyssa, Eliza, Michele, and the rest of the TCA@BPL personnel who made everything simply magical.

Erin, Alyssa, and the rest of the Catered Affair team truly put together a storybook wedding for us this past June at the BPL. The venue is gorgeous, and the team was outstanding. They were incredibly professional and helpful from the early planning stages through the wedding day itself. I knew that I didn't have to worry about anything because they had it all under control, and I got a ton of compliments afterwards on how beautiful and perfect everything was. I would recommend them very, very highly.

I can't even put into words how amazing The Catered Affair at the Boston Public Library is. Their detail and level of service is incomparable to any other wedding venue in Boston. Our event planner Annie was AMAZING. Her attention to detail, flexibility, and focus on personalization made our wedding absolutely perfect. On the day of, our attendant Meghan was an angel sent from heaven. We worried about NOTHING all day. We had food / drink in our hand at all times and never had to walk away from dancing or conversations. BPL is truely top notch. I would recommend them to anyone who wants to have an extraordinary wedding. Our guests can't stop talking about it...

The BPL is the perfect location for a Boston wedding! It is a hidden gem. Each room you pick is unique. We worked with Eliza and she was so helpful! She listened to each and every question and helped us plan the perfect day. On the day everything went so smoothly, we had such a wonderful time! It was perfect! I couldn't recommend this venue more!

I couldn't have asked for a more perfect wedding. Eliza, Alyssa and staff were so attentive during the year of planning our wedding. They made sure that I had nothing to worry about on the day of the wedding, which completely de-stressed me and my groom. The food was so delicious and we received rave reviews from all the guests. There is not one thing I asked of the catered affair that they said they couldn't do. They also took care of our favors (doughnuts - cronuts and chocolate covered candied bacon - highly recommend!) and cake. They also spoke with all the outside vendors to make sure everything was timed perfectly, a huge help! I would recommend the catered affair to anyone who asks and wish I could relive the day over and over again!

My daughter's wedding at the BPL was perfection from start to finish. Our wedding coordinators, Eliza and Alyssa were absolutely a delight to work with and amazing at their jobs. The food and service were incredible. Even if I tried I could not find one thing wrong with anything that night. Thank you to the whole staff at BPL for making my daughter's wedding a night to remember.

I cannot say enough good things about the BPL for a wedding venue. It is beautiful all by itself - grand ceilings, marble staircases, balconies, a courtyard with fountain, just perfect. You can absolutely enhance the space with beautiful florals, uplighting, linens, etc. However, if you are looking for a venue that doesn't need much added in order to look great, this is your space. Also, love, love, love the Copley Square location - all of our out-of-town guests were wowed, and really got a true Boston experience.

Everything about the BPL is perfect and you cannot pick a more unique and special backdrop for your wedding in Boston. The library will take your guests' breath away when they walk into the foyer and see the grand staircase. We did our ceremony in the Abbey Room on the second floor and it was absolutely stunning. The rich colored murals and dark wood in this room give it a church-like vibe. Many of our guests said it was the most beautiful ceremony they had ever seen (in large part because of the space). Our cocktail hour flowed between the Chevannes Gallery and the Abbey Room. Then guests went to the Popular Reading Room on the first floor for the reception. It was nice to use so many different spaces within this beautiful building and they have many more that we did not even use. Beyond the beauty of the building itself, the BPL is within a block or two of dozens of nice hotels and restaurants making it extremely convenient for guests. We found the rental fee to use the space very reasonable (it was comparable to many of the large estates outside the city we looked into). They also offer a discount if you get married in the off-season or on off-nights.

Catered Affair at the BPL cannot be matched. They are beyond professional and made sure that the entire evening was perfection (200+ guests with no coordinator or planner and they handled everything). Truly cannot say enough about the entire process.

The BPL was fabulous. They were very accommodating the day of when our plans had to change and while expensive were willing to do some things to work with my budget.

I had my ceremony and reception at the BPL this May and it was perfect. They got every detail right and I wouldn't have changed a thing. They were a breeze to work with!

The moment I set foot into the Library, I knew it was a must. From the courtyard and the grand staircase, to the sky-high ceilings and impressive stacks, it was just breathtaking. I chose this venue for what it is; no real "transformation" required. They were very cool about letting us remove the lobby items, such as the metal detector (!) and circulation desk. I had flowers and potted palms brought in, uplighting, and of course cocktail tables, etc. Little else in the way of decorating was needed to enhance this building's natural beauty.

My daughter and her husband wanted a uniques venue for their wedding. The Library fit the bill beautifully. My guests commented they felt like they were in Europe! The staff at the Library was extremely competent and helpful in planning the event. The Catered Affair was terrific as well. Food was great. The Courtyard was perfect for the ceremony and so inviting for guests to catch some air in the soft light of the fountain.The Popular Reading Room was warm and inviting for the evening festivities. The location is great for (out of town) guests as there are so many hotels in the area. I recommend this venue without reservation.