Live Typewriter Poetry for Your Event
Weddings · Corporate Events · Private Parties · Galas
Check Availability2,000+ custom poems at 100+ events
What we do
Weddings and private events
Wedding guests sit down at our typewriter during cocktail hour or the reception and leave with a poem typed for them. We write at private parties, too.
Corporate and cultural events
Galas, conference receptions, board dinners and museum evenings. Each guest leaves with a poem written about them, and we handle setup and coordination ourselves.
VIP poem commissions
Poems written ahead of your event for board members, keynote speakers or the wedding party. We research each person, type the poem on archival paper, then frame and ship it.
Personal commissions
A single custom poem for you or someone close to you, typed on vintage paper and mailed by USPS Priority Mail. A personal commission is $100.
Live Typewriter Poetry at Events
A custom poem for each guest, composed on the spot and typed on a manual typewriter. Paper, ink, and a few minutes of real conversation.
Step 1
Your guest sits down at our table and gives us a topic: a word, a memory, a person they want to recognize. We talk for three to five minutes.
Step 2
As they speak, an image forms, and we begin typing while they watch. We use a manual typewriter, archival ink and vintage paper.
Step 3
We read the finished poem aloud, sign it or stamp it, slide it into a clear envelope and hand it to your guest. Custom words typed on vintage paper with archival ink; a deeply personal, unique event souvenir made just for each guest.
Meet the poet
I’m Laura Frantz, Poet-in-Chief. I started Charlottesville Poem Store in 2022, after ten years of consideration and one year of actual planning, to bring together my love of poetry and my love of vintage typewriters. I’ve been writing poems since childhood, and I’ve owned vintage typewriters about as long.
I write on a Royal Quiet De Luxe. Often another poet joins me at the table, and each of us writes 10 to 20 poems an hour.
We’re based in Charlottesville, Virginia, and we write at weddings, galas, conferences and private parties across Virginia, in Washington, D.C., and anywhere else we’re asked to travel. Wedding venues where we have typed poems for guests include Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards, Boar’s Head Resort and Eastern Market.
Past Client Reviews
“Of all the things we planned for our wedding guests, I still receive comments from friends and family about how special and unique our live poem activation was. This is the hidden gem activation to level up guest experience and connection.”
Suzanne Thibeault
Wedding client
“Laura is a fantastic poet-for-hire! We have used her at multiple events, where she is able to connect with each individual that sits in her chair, and personalize poetry for them. I can’t recommend Laura enough!”
Lauren Thomas
Common House Charlottesville, Charlottesville, VA
“Laura worked closely with me with a joyful, empathetic, creative, and intuitive ear. The result is a beautiful, heartfelt, insightful, and loving commissioned piece of art. I can’t recommend Laura and her team enough!”
Laura Orfanedes
Private poem commission