Free Library on the Parkway Reviews

I had no idea this beautiful building was even a wedding venue option - it's INCREDIBLE! The library partners exclusively with Brulee Catering and the site coordinator is Alysha. She is FANTASTIC! I didn't need a wedding planner because Alysha and Brulee met all of my needs. Alysha has a carefully cultivated list of preferred vendors that were the most reliable, responsive, accommodating, and talented vendors I could have hoped for. Any advice Alysha gives you, follow it, she is a BOSS! You have access to 3 different areas of the library for your wedding. Our ceremony was in the lobby facing the art deco glass doors which allowed me to have a grand entrance down the stairs. Cocktail hour is at the top landing up the stairs right in front of the entrance to the stacks. It's stunning. Then we had dinner and dancing on the astounding roof top terrace. The views are breathtaking - Philly has never looked better. Brulee's catering was second-to-none. I cannot tell you all of the compliments I received on the quality of the food and the service. This venue is a dream come true - I highly recommend it!

My husband and I got married here on April 27, 2024 and we couldn’t be happier with our experience here! Alysha Torres was amazing to work with as the venue coordinator. We loved the views on the roof, as well as the “classic” marble in the lobby for the ceremony. So many of our guests told us how amazing the catering and venue was! I honestly think it’s such a unique venue that really is so memorable for your special day! We truly would rate this 10/10!!!!

We loved the Parkway Library as the venue for our wedding. The venue was beautiful; we used the entry for the ceremony, the upstairs for our cocktail hour, and the roof for our reception and dinner. Brulee did a great job as our caterer; they made our tasting really fun and our guests said that they loved the food. Finally, we particularly appreciated all of the help that Alysha provided as the venue coordinator / representative that worked with us from Brulee. She really went above and beyond to make sure everything went off without a hitch on our wedding day..

The Philadelphia Library and Brulee Catering are wonderful! We had our daughter's wedding reception recently and couldn't be happier with the venue, the service, and the food. Everything was so delicious! The staff was very professional, friendly, and accommodating and the library was a beautiful place to celebrate. We enjoyed every minute! Thank you!

The Library is an amazing place for a wedding and the team there (espcially Alex) did a great job!!!

We were on the rooftop, and it was a very special palce for our wedding. Guests loved the city buildings and sights around at night and the view down on to Logan Circle was great. The facilities are first rate with a modern space indoors, and an open area (we had a tent setup) on the rooftop for outdoor dining./dancing.

Alex is fantastic and helped make our day very special!!

Beautiful venue and everybody was impressed with the locations. Brooke Rogers was amazing to work with. The guard on duty was amazing and the lobby was so beautiful and fit perfectly with our wedding style!!

I can't say enough about the spaces the Free Library offers. They are so magnificent, unique and surprisingly affordable that I am shocked I hadn't heard of the venue before. The venue has 3 different, equally beautiful, spaces to rent.

The library lobby is the first space, with greco-roman columns and a set of grand staircases that was be perfect for a ceremony. We chose to have our ceremony in this space and it was amazing walking into the library and seeing the architecture, the stairs etc. The space feels intimate but very historical.

The second space is the rooftop terrace and this is SHOWSTOPPER. We chose to have our cocktail hour here immediately after the ceremony and I can't even explain how stunning the views are. You get a massive city skyline view, as well as views of the art museum, Franklin Institute and the Logan circle fountain below. During our cocktail hour, we had a light breeze and the sun was setting towards the middle of it. There were lines forming because people wanted to take pictures on the terrace edge! At night, you get wonderful city lights as your view and our guests couldn't get enough.

The third space is called the skyline room and it is adjacent to the terrace (so guests can move freely between the two areas during the reception). Both areas are newly renovated as well. The skyline room looks like an upscale hotel or lounge; The room's colors play PERFECTLY for lighting as well. The bonus is the wall between the terrace and skyline room is all windows, so looking into the skyline room from the terrace is equally beautiful. We had people sitting on the terrace just staring into the skyline room because it just looked so darn cool! The only negative is that the library has no equipment (tables, chairs etc,) so that can be expensive. However, the total cost is still less then renting other venues in the city.

Our guests were absolutely in love with the venue as were we! I highly recommend this space!

Brûlée Catering was able to give us the wedding of our dreams with the space at the Free Library. Any great wedding starts with good wedding food, and we were pleasantly surprised with everything that Brûlée was able to provide. From the hors d’revers, to the bartenders, to dinner service, everything was elegantly presented and tasted delicious. We personally ordered the short rib and coq au vin for our wedding dinner and all of our guests were floored with both our choices. They have an incredible system in which each table has their plates passed out and collected in under an hour. I would say if dinner started at 8, by 8:45 everyone at 14 tables had completed their meals and plates were all cleared. Impressive, considering at other Philadelphia weddings we have attended, you may not eat for hours or the food is not cooked correctly. The amount of food provided was exactly that was required. There were not thousands of appetizers where no one ate their dinner but there was also enough where everyone after cocktail hour, dinner and dessert, left extremely satisfied. With Brûlée the food was perfect from beginning to end is the main choice of why we chose the location of our wedding.

As for the planning process, we worked with Alysha. Sadly, she is leaving the company but Brûlée should be kicking themselves for it! Alysha is incredibly hard working, had a lot of knowledge, great attention to detail and a lot of recommendations. Brûlée as a whole was incredibly accommodating with being flexible with their payment schedule, ensuring all our details were executed and modifying menu options. They had a beautiful tasting process where we got to meet and greet with all of the chefs developing the recipes. They provided us with ample choices with all of our linens. Lastly, they created an in-depth presentation with everything about our day, and scheduled multiple meetings with us to make sure every last detail was reviewed.

We only had a few complaints from our wedding planning process. One would be the speed in which some of our inquiries were answered. However, as we got closer to our date, those issues vastly improved. Secondly, was the wedding rehearsal. It seemed as though Brûlée’s relationship with the public library had some issues. It made scheduling the rehearsal somewhat stressful. Ultimately, we just told the library and Brulee when we were having it and they obliged, but it was not without some push back. Lastly, would be the exclusivity of the tent vendor with Brûlée. Luckily, we rolled the dice and had a clear day, but the exorbitant price of the tent’s deposit would be a hard one to swallow.

In all, we would definitely recommend The Free Library of Philadelphia to anyone. The staff, food and views alone is enough to take your breath away, and Brûlée’s involvement only enhanced for what was an unforgettable evening and wedding day. Don't stop having weddings here!!!

Due to Covid restrictions we had several date changes and made several last minute revisions to our original plans. Our Brulee coordinator, Allison Fugate was extremely helpful and responsive even with changes made just days before the event. Every little detail was covered. The service and food were exceptional. The server to guest ratio is great & they do an amazing job “sweeping the room” to make sure that the venue looks great from start to finish.

The Free Library of Philadelphia was the perfect venue for my wedding - unique, beautiful, and romantic. We were very happy with the experience and the final result on the day!

Beautiful venue amazing service food was beyond delicious.
All a dream