If you’ve been searching for a venue for a 2025 wedding, the Arlington Public Library may a spot you didn’t think of. APL announced that it will pick one lucky couple to give a free wedding — ceremony and reception included — in the library next summer.
The contest is part of the library’s 2025 Arlington Reads theme of romance; the Friends of the Arlington Public Library will sponsor the wedding.
Here’s how it works. Couples can submit an application online, answering the question “Why would you love to get married at the library?” Applicants can get creative and submit their answers in either a video or a visual format. The deadline to apply is January 24.
Applicants must live in the DMV area (with preference given to those in Arlington), must be APL cardholders, and must be over 18. They should be willing to do media interviews, be comfortable with having the public view their ceremony, and be comfortable appearing on the library’s social media pages.
And of course, the library notes that it’s looking for couples who “love books, love libraries, and love love!”
The free wedding will be from 4 to 8 p.m. on July 12, 2025, with a ceremony and reception of up to 50 guests. The prize includes the venue, catered food for the reception, a cake, a DJ, photography, party favors, wedding bouquets and boutonnieres, and more. It can even include an officiant for the ceremony if the winners so choose (none other than Diane Kresh, library director.)
Note that the library will not supply alcohol, marriage license fees, invitations, wedding party gifts, hair or makeup, wedding attire (like dresses, tuxes, rings, etc.), or any activities other than the ceremony and reception.
The library will contact the top three couples for an interview the week of February 3 and notify the winner by February 13 — just in time for Valentine’s Day.
Feature image, stock.adobe.com
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