Arlington Public Library is many things, but for the first time ever, it recently served as a wedding venue. On July 12, the library building in Ballston became the setting of a free wedding for Arlington residents Katie Lettie and Vincent Bauer, winners of a competition that APL hosted earlier this year. More than 50 couples applied, and the decision was fittingly announced on Valentine’s Day by Bridgerton author Julia Quinn. The contest was part of this year’s theme—”Share the Love“—for the annual Arlington Reads series.
“The library is the perfect place to bring everybody in the community together,” says APL Director Diane Kresh. “My question is…not why the library [for a wedding], but why not the library? It was really perfect.”
The happy ceremony was attended by 50 family members and friends, along with 300-plus members of the public. Here’s a look:
Katie Lettie and Vincent Bauer have been together for more than a decade, sometimes on opposite coasts or even an ocean apart. In Arlington, they found a home—and a wedding venue.
They’d thought about getting married for a while, but no venue felt quite right. When they saw APL’s offer to host nuptials for free, everything clicked for these two avid readers and library supporters. “For us, the idea of bringing people together for our wedding at the library was a really cool idea because it broadened the definition of community…not just the people who are directly around us, like our family and friends, but the broader Arlington community, which is also this place that finally enabled us to be together,” Lettie said in an Instagram video.
In the weeks leading up to the wedding, the community rallied around the happy couple. The Friends of Arlington Public Library sponsored the event with contributions from Ray of Sunshine Weddings, Main Event Caterers, Alex Sakes Photography, Bakeshop, Arlington Philharmonic, Arlington Parks and Recreation, Mill Creek Florals, Old Town Flower Gal, Bride and Joy Weddings, Julian Perez Photography, Social Spark by Betsy, and Arlington Adult Day Center.
“It became a fully inclusive event. Not only were people invited to attend, but they were also included in the preparation,” Kresh says. “They were part of the event in ways that they probably couldn’t have imagined, and I think it made it that more rich…. I couldn’t have been more touched and humbled by the outpouring of goodwill for Katie and Vincent and their families and also the library.”
APL hosted a drop-in paper crafts session on July 10, during which volunteers learned to make wedding decorations out of recycled pages.
Lettie’s father, Tim Lettie, joined in the wedding preparations, sitting with community members to make the on-theme works of art.
Lettie and Bauer took advantage of the 3D printing capabilities of The Shop at Central Library to design and print their wedding bands. The Shop is a makerspace that offers classes and events in sewing techniques and 3D printing. It also hosts social crafting events such as Collage Club.
On the big day, Kresh, in her role as officiant, waited for the happy couple to make their way down the aisle.
She worked with Arlington County Clerk of the Court Paul Ferguson to ensure that she was authorized to fulfill the role. “There was a little bit of paperwork, and beyond that, it was just thinking through what the couple wanted,” Kresh says. “There are elements of most wedding rituals. There’s the speaking, the vows, and then the exchange of rings. This couple wanted to do each of those things. We developed a script and they wrote their own vows.”
Kresh drew on her own personal experiences to write her remarks. She encouraged the couple to verbalize their promises aloud before family and friends to solidify their commitment to each other. “The story of us is more precious and fulfilling than the story of [one person],” Kresh said, adding that “nothing epitomizes the idea of us more than the public library, a shared communal space where everyone belongs.”
After the ceremony, members of the public who bore witness blew bubbles and were offered flowers from library staff as they exited the building. The 50 or so family and friends in attendance stayed to enjoy dinner and a celebration. Bakeshop provided cupcakes for dessert.
A big hit with everyone was the Digital Photobooth provided by DPR, says Anneliesa Alprin, APL’s communications director.
Can we expect to see more weddings at the library? “I would like to do it again,” Kresh says. The requests have already started rolling in from others who want to get married amid the books, too.