Indianapolis Public Library

Our wedding was two months ago, and we are STILL hearing from friends raving about how beautiful both the Simon Reading Room and Atrium were to host our ceremony and reception, respectively. We were truly in awe of how stunning the venue is, even prior to adding a few wedding day touches like our candles and flowers. The Simon Reading Room was absolutely statuesque and romantic, while also being timeless and classic. The Atrium was simulataneously stunning and inviting. Janelle was an absolute joy to work with and truly my MVP in navigating through planning and executing a wedding amid a pandemic in navigating and adapting to ensure we could safely host our wedding in our dream venue. It truly was the only venue we toured and considered, and it was the most spectacular setting for our ceremony and celebration.

The Central Library was the perfect backdrop for our wedding day. We were originally supposed to be married in April, but due to COVID we rescheduled to August. Janelle and her team were incredible to work with and went above and beyond to ensure we still had the most magical day. We hosted both our ceremony and reception in the Garden space and it was a dream. I cannot recommend this venue enough! Thank you Janelle and team for everything.

EXCEPTIONAL and MAGNIFICENT! The library was the perfect location for our November wedding. Our cocktail hour began in the Simon Reading room and it's mezzanine. The marble steps, beautifully painted ceiling, and chandeliers created a historic and elegant backdrop to our wedding. The space is beautiful on its own, and we only needed a few cocktail tables and candles to fill the space. It was the perfect setting to kickoff our reception. For dinner and dancing, we moved into the atrium. This space has an instant wow factor with this is high ceilings, unique architecture and ambient lighting. We choose the amber lighting for our reception, which I highly recommend. The atrium can accommodate larger weddings with plenty of space for large head tables, guest seating and large dance floors. Additionally, they were able to accommodate a stage for our band. Finally, the team at the library, specifically Janelle, was wonderful to work with. They were communicative, easy to get along with, and made sure every detail was taken care of. They were quick in their response and follow ups, and I really enjoyed working them. With Janelle, you are in excellent hands. Overall, the library is beautiful and stunning. Our guests loved the space, and most importantly, so did we.

Outstanding venue! I couldn't have asked for a better team of people to work with or a more perfect and unique place to get married. The main library contact, Janelle, is super organized and responsive during the planning phase and was amazing throughout the actual wedding weekend. I didn't feel the need to have a day-of coordinator because I trusted her so much. We knew we wanted to get married in the library from the moment we walked in. It has the perfect mix of old & grand in the Simon Reading Room for the ceremony, and modern & elegant in the Atrium for the reception. Ritz Charles is the exclusive caterer, and they are like a well-oiled machine. Every detail was thought through and there was literally not a single decision or stressor that came to me on my wedding day. Because the architecture is so beautiful, we skipped the costs of a florist and opted for simple centerpieces instead. Trust me.... no one is going to be looking at your dinner tables once the sun sets and the uplighting is turned on in the Atrium! All of our guests raved about the Library and said it was one of the most memorable wedding they have ever attended. I obviously agree :) . It also photographs extremely well! I wouldn't change a thing! Thanks for being a part of our special day!

The Indianapolis Public Library was perfect for our wedding ceremony! The Simon Reading Room was so gorgeous and Janelle was wonderful to work with. She was easy to communicate with and did a great job with making sure that everything was in place.

The central library was a perfect venue for us, a pair of university academics. All of the planners were helpful, even with things like putting together the processional. Paperwork wasn't too complicated. The space itself was gorgeous and everything we could have hoped for. Note: the usual bridal prep room was unavailable on the day of our wedding, but that caused no problems whatsoever.

This is one of the coolest venues in Indy! Your guests will be so surprised what a "library" can turn into!

One of the most unique and beautiful venues in Indianapolis! My husband and I got married in the Simon Reading room and had our reception in the Atrium. Our guests couldn’t stop commenting how the library was such a unique venue. Janelle and her assistants were so easy to work with and made our big day run smoothly. Although the library is handicap accessible, make sure to know the special routes for those who need assistance. Janelle was very helpful in guiding our handicap guests on the day of the wedding. If you are looking for a unique venue with both a classic and modern design, the library is your venue!

The Indianapolis Public Library was a spectacular venue for our wedding! I only had about 3 months to put together everything for our wedding, and I cannot speak highly enough about Janelle, our event coordinator, for her help and support during the entire process. From start to finish it was as though we were her only clients (though this is far from the truth) and she was always available to answer questions or guide me with advice from other weddings/brides and grooms. My event ended up better than I could have expected and because of her support I did not have to hire a wedding planner and spend the extra money. The library includes parking with the event, overnight, which is AMAZING in the city, and all of our guests were very happy with that arrangement. We decided to do a cocktail hour, ceremony and dinner all at the library, but we used the Reading Room for the cocktail hour and main atrium for the ceremony and dinner. It turned out beautifully and it was great that our guests didn't have to leave the venue, but the two pieces felt separate as well. The staff at the library does an amazing job at setting up the space -- it doesn't even look like the day-to-day library--it is transformed into such a romantic space and it gives your guests lots of room to move around and enjoy the night. Also, there is security there to watch gifts and keep an eye out. If you want an amazing experience with no worries, choose the library. It is familiar to most vendors and I imagine they have very few issues setting up there. The only con is that you must choose from two catering vendors if you choose to serve food or beverages. This turned out to also be excellent for us as the catering service we chose was amazing and our guests raved about the food, however it may not be within everyone's budget to go with this as an option.

AMAZING! The Central Library is the absolutely perfect location for a beautiful wedding! We had our wedding and cocktail hour in the historic and classically beautiful Simon Reading room and it's mezzanine. The beautiful built in bookshelves, marble steps and paintings and chandeliers on the ceiling created an incredibly unique and beautiful backdrop for our fall wedding. All of our guests commented on the incredibly unique architecture and setting and how beautiful it all was. Our reception was in the atrium which was a beautiful contrast to the classical architecture in the Simon Reading room. This beautiful, open, modern space was beautifully uplit and highlighted the high ceilings and columns in this room. Our guests couldn't stop raving over how beautiful the entire wedding was and having the entire celebration in one unique and beautiful place was so convenient for us and our guests. I could not have imagined a more perfect spot for our beautiful October wedding and am incredibly grateful to the library and its staff for helping to create the perfect day for us!

Overall, we are thrilled that we chose to get married at the library. The spaces are absolutely stunning and the staff is very helpful. Our only problem with the library is related to a past wedding planner, who no longer works with them. While problems arose as a result of this former employee, the current employees worked to right the wrongs. Overall, we are very happy with our experience and would recommend it!

I held my wedding at the Central Public Library on September 6, 2014. The space is gorgeous and elegant - it was more than I had hoped for! The Indiana limestone in the Simon Reading Room has somber and sacred feel that made it perfect for our ceremony with very little added decoration - which made planning from out of town much simpler. We held the reception in the Atrium. I was afraid it would feel too big for our 100 guests, but the table and atrium layout both encouraged our guests to gravitate towards each other and the dance floor. Eric, the coordinator from the library, is incredibly knowledgable and very helpful. He made things come together behind the scenes, and from my guests point-of-view everything was smooth and organized. Be aware that because the library closes to the public at 5pm, the ceremony and reception will be on the later side. I felt a little rushed to get through everything and offer dinner to the children of our guests. If you don't have a lot of children among your guests, then its not a big deal. Otherwise make sure they eat before they come

We just had our wedding at the library and it was everything I hoped it would be. The ceremony was in the West Reading Room and the reception in the Simon Reading Room, both gorgeous settings for the event. The staff was so helpful in getting everything and everyone organized, and I had a wonderful experience.

I could not have asked for a better wedding venue. The location was wonderful, it has a WOW factor that all of the guest couldn't stop talking about and the staff was terrific!

It's beautiful venue. It's stunning, impressive, and will make the day easily remembered by friends and family. I really enjoyed working with the catering side. Tati is warm and impressive. The only thing that left a bad taste in my mouth was the planning side. During the tasting, we were told that the coordinator bends over backwards for her bride. A whole spiel from the planner about taking the wedding dress out overnight and keeping it in her office as well as taking cell phones away from planning mothers. That's great, but I want people to have a work life balance… and more importantly, I had questions that needed to be answered about the way the day normally works. It didn't become a big deal until the week of the wedding, when I received an email that I was not able to have candles in glass containers down the aisle. I was also informed that the room that we were shown and told we could get ready in wouldn't be open until 2PM (because she had paperwork to do). After an unreturned call, I sent an email that was later confirmed that everything would be okay candle wise and we could get into the room at noon (but nothing valuable could be left in it overnight). These things had been communicated 6 months out, and it threw a large amount of stress into the mix the week of the wedding. I didn’t need things to be changed that close to the wedding, especially since items were communicated to the photographers, makeup and hair professionals about the area for their services. We had nowhere else to go since I was travelling from the west coast. The icing on the cake was when the florist called while I was on my way to the rehearsal dinner to say that the planner called and cancelled the aisle candles part of the order. This is something that we had already paid for, and had already been confirmed as okay by the library. I cannot understand why the planner from the library would cancel something a day before the wedding that she did not pay for. At the rehearsal she had a few passive aggressive comments to make, and I was trying to figure out why we were paying so much for this location and a planner that was cancelling orders, not fulfilling the promises she had made, and someone who was fighting with my wedding planner (it was an uncomfortable night). During the wedding I saw a few people at the top of the stairs. I thought it was a little odd that they would bring another bride and groom to our wedding without even telling us. I honestly don't mind, but it is a personal day. I actually got excited because I thought it was a friend from Seattle that decided to fly in and surprise me. A heads up would have been appreciated. At the end of the day: Pros- Beautiful and stunning venue. Cons- A wedding planner that causes stress. My best advice- put an “out of town and will not be checking emails” message up on your email the week of the wedding. Make sure every conversation is confirmed with a (yes/no) and in writing.