Brooklyn Art Library

erent.... and since we're writers, we kept hearing, "This venue is SO you guys," which was nice. While there's nothing wrong with traditional banquet halls, having our wedding at Brooklyn Art Library definitely made it more memorable - "cool" was used a lot. Additionally, since the room is filled with books, there's very little need for decoration: some string lights (provided) and flowers and you're good to go! We had a few hiccups early on with communication and things we hadn't expected, but I will definitely say that the venue was willing to work with us when those problems arose. So while it was definitely a little extra work to get things how we wanted them, working with BAL didn't become difficult. Just know you might need to put in a little extra work and be clear about your vision, since the staff at the space is very hands-off when it comes to event planning. This venue requires you to use a day-of planner, which I think is the right call. Their staff is very friendly but they're not event coordinators, which means you'll want someone who knows what they're doing around day-of. Hiring a strong catering team also helped us fill this gap. Again, if you and your other hires fill in some of the event-planing gaps, everything will work out beautifully, as it did for me and my partner. One thing I will say is that we were told the venue had a capacity of 100 people and that's not really true. We ended up with 80 people day of, and it was tight. Fortunately, it was a nice night and we were able to have people hang around outside, but bad weather would've been catastrophic. It also got warm inside, despite the a/c. I'd say aim for a 50-60 person wedding if using this venue, no bigger!

ception at the BAL, and with 40 people it worked really well. For our reception, we sat along a long central table, and it felt very feast-like. The space was cozy and vibrant with plenty of space to talk and move around - a really magical environment. (Bonus - it was affordable!) Our package included photography, staffing, and rentals, and I’m so glad we did it that way. The staff at the library were incredible to work with. During the planning stages, as well as at the wedding itself, they were knowledgeable, hardworking, and responsive. They did a great job using their expertise while respecting our vision - we really appreciated all that they did to keep things running smoothly while maintaining the laid-back atmosphere we were looking for. We also had the owner, Steven Peterman, do our photography, and he did an amazing job. The photos were gorgeous, he was super relaxed and pleasant to work with, his rate was very reasonable, and he got the photos back to us within a week of the wedding. He also really knew the space and the neighborhood - we got lots of great outdoor portraits in the surrounding area, and his familiarity with the Library really shone through in his lovely photos of our reception. I’m so glad to have such wonderful photos of our loved ones celebrating with us, and I highly recommend using Steven as your photographer for anyone planning a wedding at the BAL. Overall, holding our wedding at the Brooklyn Art Library was a phenomenal experience. I can’t recommend it highly enough!

nded up handling our big day and I must say her and her team were fantastic. The venue turned out exactly as we imagined and thankfully everything ran smoothly from start to finish! All of our guests were impressed with the location and the originality of the whole event. We had both a private ceremony and the reception here and the speed in which they transformed the venue was amazing. I would highly recommend anyone looking to have an event or their wedding here. We will never forget our day. Thank you!

reception would look like in such an open-to-interpretation space, and I would get nervous. However, Steven and his team made this an amazing experience! They met with us as often as we liked, were incredibly flexible, and hung beautiful string lights to bring the space to a warm, inviting atmosphere. I wish I could have more events here (maybe I will!). Definitely book this space if you want somewhere easygoing, unique, and beautiful!

for a seated dinner and then dancing. I wouldn't have wanted too many more people for that setup out of comfort sake. They're only about a year into having events so the curve from when we booked until our event was steep! They're definitely getting the hang of things. Make sure your catering company or event planner check out their space- they'll have to bring in almost everything including refrigeration. If that doesn't scare you, then go for it! Want a cool vibe that will pleasantly surprise your guests? This is your place.

sional, nice and easy to work with for our vendors. Our guests loved it too and we got tons of compliments on the choice of venue after the wedding. It was perfect and so much fun, we wish we could do it again!

a was an amazing help and very professional from the day we booked the venue to the last minute of the night. We couldn't have enjoyed our wedding without her help every step of the way. All of our guest had a great time, and raved about the location. They worked with us with every vendor we had and accommodated everything we needed and wanted. They worked with us on everything and we were able to have the wedding we always wanted,. The venue met all of our expectations and more! We will definitely be coming back for another event in the near future! THANK YOU SO MUCH!