George Peabody Library

JHU has canceled all weddings until June 2022 and will most likely cancel until the end of the year. Until the University can separate private events from their absurd policies recommended is to not waste your time. A huge shame as the venue is amazing, but politics is ruining it.

Avoid at all costs What this venue has been doing during the pandemic is cruel. I highly recommend avoiding at all costs. What they will not tell you when booking them for a wedding are their very strict guidelines around covid (they are the most extreme venue or even organization in the state). So, they will take your money and you'll spend months planning your wedding only to have them cancel your big day eventually. I highly recommend everyone avoid this venue until Covid is 100% a thing of the past. Our wedding planner even stopped taking on clients that had booked this venue because it ultimately has meant double the work for her over the last year. She plans the first one at the peabody and then after delivering the bad news to every couple, plans a 2nd wedding for no cost. The way they are handling Covid is completely fair and their choice. However, the way they are stringing couples along is unethical.

If you are looking for the wow factor, this is the place! I've been wanting to get married here since forever and all my wedding dreams came true last weekend. It was just beautiful and so magical. There's no other way to describe it. Everyone will be blown away by your venue choice and just be in awe of the place. Sam, one of the day time special event coordinators at the Peabody, is just fantastic to work with throughout the process. On the night of, I was happy with their people as well. I would recommend getting a planner/coordinator and hire other vendors that know the venue because there are certain rules to be followed. However, when you have an experienced planner... following the rules isn't too difficult. The hanging lights are worth the extra expense!

The George Peabody Library is one of the most beautiful venues in the country and it is SO special to be able to host a wedding there. The whole process was seamless and everyone on their team was professional and offered a personal touch. We loved working with Laura and Sam and are so grateful for their quick responses, and help bringing our vision to life. We will cherish these memories forever!

This venue was recommended to me by my wedding planner. While we looked at a few other venues in DC and Maryland, nothing could compare to the elegance and beauty that is the George Peabody Library. The beauty of the venue is unparalleled. It felt like a fairy tale. It felt like something out of a dream. I had multiple guests mention to me that they felt like they were in some otherworldly place during the night – it all felt so magical. We booked a little over a year in advance – although I will note that by that time, they had already started booking dates for May and June 2019. (We were looking at a limited window in late May/early June, booking around other family events – graduations etc – during that time frame) They were pretty accommodating about holding our date open for us while we looked at a few other venues. Once we booked, we were able to make minor adjustments, for example, we initially booked the venue only until 10pm thinking we’d have an afterparty…then I realized I didn’t want to have to plan that so we were able to extend the reservation until midnight. The events staff were extremely responsive, getting back to me and my planner with answers to our questions in a very timely manner. This was definitely the most expensive venue that we looked at and there were some other costs built in that I hadn’t necessarily expected. You can only use their 3 catering vendors – we went with Classic Catering, which was far less pricy than Occasions but still not inexpensive (they were, by the way, fabulous – well worth the money!). And, you have to do your alcohol through the caterer (so no saving $$ by getting it from Costco!). The plus side is that most of the vendors are all extremely experienced working with the Peabody and they know exactly how to do it, what is allowed, where to set things up, who to contact with questions, etc—the relationships are already in place. So what we spent in extra money we probably saved in the convenience of the caterer already having familiarity with the space. They are pretty strict about times for when you can come do a final walk through, when vendors are allowed to load in, when guests are allowed to access the space, etc. The restrictions on visiting were sort of annoying, the load-in restrictions didn’t really affect me because I had a planner who was handling those logistics but just FYI because it wasn’t something I thought about on the front end. Also, they bizarrely charge an extra fee to take photos in a staircase that is part of the building. All that said, because the venue was SO beautiful and magical, it was well worth the extra cost and restrictions. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a beautiful, special, elegant and magical day. I am really, really happy with our choice and would not have done it any other way!

We visited - and only truly considered - one venue for our wedding: The George Peabody Library. If the wedding vibes you are seeking include words like - magical, romantic, and awe-inspiring, the Peabody is for you. We worked mostly with Judy at the Peabody and she was an absolute joy. She responded so quickly and so thoroughly every time we contacted her. The Peabody has weddings basically every weekend (plus Fridays), so Judy has seen every kind of setup and timeline. This was very comforting. Yes, there are rules, but most venues have rules. The only rule that may bother people is no open flame, but we had fake votives and you absolutely cannot tell the difference- real flame was not missed in any way. Keep in mind the venue is a real library and music school, so it is not open on New Year’s Eve and some other holidays, but no rule can take away from the grandeur of the reading room where ceremonies and receptions take place. If the Peabody is in your budget, do not hesitate to book it. It will wow your guests and guarantee a truly grand wedding. It rained on our wedding day and I could not have cared less because our venue (ceremony and reception) was the Peabody.

This venue is wonderful. The staff are fantastic! However, it is pricey and there are a lot of restrictions. It was totally worth it and I wouldn’t want to be married anywhere else. Great for a wedding with 120 to 150 guests.

One visit to the George Peabody Library and it speaks for itself. The venue was so gorgeous we needed little else to decorate for the wedding. The Peabody staff were wonderful to work with and quick to respond to questions. While leading up the wedding, they were well organized and helpful with planning related issues. They were fantastic the week and especially the day of the wedding. While there are some rules and regulations to the venue, it didn't hinder our ability to celebrate the way we wanted to. We used the exhibit hall for cocktail hour and the library for the ceremony and reception. We loved the change of space between the ceremony and reception. Many of our guests commented that they enjoyed reading more about the venue during the cocktail hour through the exhibit. The accommodations of the bridal suite to get ready was a wonderful extra addition for us to use and relax on the day.

As a writer and lover of books, I was proud and excited to be married in this historic venue. While it is certainly not a "budget" venue, the cost was actually comparable to many venues I was looking at within a certain aesthetic, including harder-to-reach venues in Pennsylvania. I'm very glad we splurged a bit on this venue (note: I also took advantage of an alumni discount as well as a deal related to summer weekends that were not yet booked). I didn't have a wedding planner or coordinator, but between my caterer (Bobby Pressman of The Classic Catering People) and the Peabody staff, we stayed on schedule and I was always where I needed to be. The photos, of course, are stunning!

The George Peabody Library is one of the best if not the best venue available not just in Baltimore but in all of Maryland. It is absolutely beautiful. All of my guests kept telling me all night what a beautiful venue it is and I lost count of how many people told me it reminded them of Hogwarts (which to me is a sign that they thought the place was magical). All of the staff was very nice and very helpful. They do have a lot of rules and are strict in enforcing them but as long as you are okay with following them it does not hamper the opportunity to have a truly amazing wedding. I also recommend using their list of recommended vendors. They have 3 caterers you can choose from and then a list of recommended vendors. Everyone except for our photographer was from that list and they were all wonderful. It is especially helpful because they are all very familiar with all of the rules so you know you will be in good hands.

My husband and I never really had any doubt we would be married here. We knew we wanted a library, we knew we wanted to get married somewhere that was already dressed up enough and had an elegance of its own. When we saw the George Peabody Library's website we had to get married here. From the day I emailed Judy at the Private Events office, to the night of the wedding after we walked down the steps as husband and wife, we were thrilled with the experience. Professional, courteous, knowledgeable, patient, kind and caring, the Private Events staff was marvelous. It made it so easy that there were only a few caterers to choose from, and even better that there was a preferred vendors list for us to choose from to naturally narrow decisions down. My husband and I have no connection to Baltimore, and so when guests asked why we chose that to be the location of our wedding, we would say "wait until you walk in the room". Several guests came up to me that evening and the day after the wedding and said "we get it". The evening couldn't have been more magical, thank you!

Amazing service in a truly stunning venue!

First, the venue is absolutely STUNNING. If I could rate the appearance and ambiance alone, it would get 5 stars. We are giving a lower rating because of our experience in booking and using of the space. We were very fortunate in that our other vendors made us feel as though we were not "just another wedding". While I can certainly respect the professionalism needed to run the operation, many times I was made to feel as if my wedding was just another contract in a file folder. Everything was very regimented with no flexibility in any of their rules, regulations, or guidelines. Again, I understand the formality of the space, and what is contained in it, but surely there are ways to appeal to each of their clients' individual desires. After all the rules and guidelines, we were given a liaison on our wedding day who was NOT one of the main event managers, and who was NOT knowledgeable or versed in our timeline or the general function of the space. If you choose this venue, you will have the most beautiful, picturesque setting. We couldn't have imagined our reception taking place anywhere else...just know that your wedding is no more important than a business lunch or awards dinner to the coordinators and managers of the venue.

The George Peabody Library was the only venue my husband and I looked at when planning. It was absolutely perfect. We were looking for a place that did not require much additional decorating and had an elegant and classic feel and the Library fit that requirement. We held our ceremony and reception here. From initially booking the venue through our wedding day the staff was wonderful to work with. I had no issues. They were timely in addressing all of my questions throughout the planning process and someone was onsite the day of the wedding if we needed assistance. I can't put into words how amazing it felt to see the venue the day of. It gave our wedding such a classic feel. And our guests could not stop raving about it, even calling it Hogwarts and Beauty and the Beast-like. Since we held our ceremony at the Library it was still light out. Once we got into the reception it got darker out. It gave the venue a whole new feel once it did because of the large skylights. I couldn't have asked for a better venue to get married at.

Linda and Judy at the Peabody were always super responsive to all of my email requests. They even reached out to me a few times to see if I had any questions or needed anything without me asking. Some may disagree about the value rating, but come on...there is no other venue in Baltimore that compares to the ambiance here. Our guests are still talking about how stunning everything was! It felt like a dream to have our reception here and the service was top notch.

The George Peabody Library is absolutely breathtaking!!! The first time we walked in, our mouths just dropped and we knew this was it. Judy Moskowitz was our events coordinator, and was just great to work with! She was very responsive and helpful with any questions we had throughout the planning process! All of her tips and preferred vendor list also made choosing the rest of our vendors so easy! We had such an amazing team of qualified, professional and friendly vendors that worked together to make our dream wedding come true. One the wedding day, the Peabody staff helped make sure everything ran so smoothly. Judy even took a moment to bring my new husband and I into the reception area from a back way to see everything set up before the guests entered. It was such a special moment for us to be able to take everything in together! The Peabody provided the perfect backdrop for a romantic winter ceremony and reception. We were able to dim the lights for a more intimate reception, and then have a brighter, more dramatic atmosphere for the reception. Our guests could not stop raving about what a perfect venue it was! If you are looking for a venue with the “WOW” factor, this is it. The Peabody is so unique and definitely made our dream wedding come true.

it was breathtaking, five stries of books that were beautifully lit, a black and white marble floor, and a beautiful glass ceiling;absolutely nothing- i had a perfect experience

The most unique venue in Baltimore. Just spectacular!!!;1. Many, many rules (including no candles, sparklers, flower petals, rice, bird seed, etc.) 2. Site coordinator only available 1 day per week/ hard to track down. 3. Acess to the space (before the event) is limited b/c it's a working library as part of Johns Hopkins University