Six decidedly perfect venues for a DC micro wedding

INSIGHTS AND ADVICEELOPEMENTS
Written By Aimee Custis

You’re engaged: congratulations! Rather than throwing a big, traditional wedding here in Washington DC, you’ve decided on a micro wedding. The appeal for most people behind micro weddings—and elopements, which are similar enough that the line between the two is often blurry—is that they are smaller and often simpler than traditional weddings.

The benefits? Easier planning, lower costs, fewer eyeballs, and hopefully, less stress for the couple. 

As a team particularly known for our knowledge and love of the District of Columbia, we’re sharing seven of our favorite venues for elopements and micro weddings in DC. While we could write a whole other list focused on spots that have that classic, white marble feel to them, this list focuses on spots away from the bustle of tourists around the National Mall—instead, micro wedding spots in the neighborhoods of DC, including some hidden gems. 

 

1. Dumbarton House 

Dumbarton House is an 1800s Federal-style historic estate nestled in the neighborhood streets of Georgetown. The house was built by Samuel Jackson, a Philadelphia merchant, just before the federal government moved from Philadelphia to Washington DC. Today, like many historic District of Columbia properties, the house serves as both a museum and rentable space, and the headquarters for an organization, The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America (NSCDA).  

The two principal floors were originally opened to the public as a house museum in 1932, on the 200th anniversary of the birth of George Washington. Later, in the 1950s, the Colonial Dames acquired the adjacent property to the east, which today makes up the property’s East Garden. 

NSCDA offers rentals of Dumbarton House for all sorts of private events, and it has become a popular wedding destination—especially during the pandemic, when the venue’s outdoor gardens allowed for well-ventilated and socially-distanced elopement and micro wedding celebrations.

Spaces

When renting the space for a wedding or other private function, Dumbarton House has several spaces available:

  • The North Garden is the most common location for ceremonies, with a capacity of up to 200. The north wall has an iconic garden niche bounded on either side by two large urns, that make for a lovely ceremony backdrop, with or without florals or other wedding decor.

  • The Upper Terrace is adjacent to the North Garden, sitting directly atop the Belle Vue Room. While in larger weddings, this slate terrace on the east side of the house is often used for cocktail hour, for smaller micro weddings, it works beautifully for a ceremony, cocktails, or anything you need—with a capacity of up to 60 standing.

  • The East Garden allows for gorgeous photography, or can also be used as an alternative space for cocktails—it has a capacity of 60 people standing.

  • The Belle Vue Room and Lower Courtyard are the reception space for larger weddings—with a combined capacity of 150 guests for a seated reception, i.e., dinner and dancing. The Belle Vue Room has pale yellow walls, 10-foot ceilings, and french doors opening onto the slate-paved courtyard. Tenting the courtyard is required for wedding guest counts over 80. While these spaces can feel a bit cramped at times for larger weddings, they are bright and airy for micro weddings and elopements. 

We love Dumbarton House as an elopement venue because the many different backdrops and spaces offer myriad photo opportunities—and the indoor Belle Vue Room and covered front entrance allow options in case of rain. Importantly for accessibility, the venue is also ADA compliant.

Logistics & More Information

 

2. DC War Memorial 

Are you dreaming of white marble columns to evoke DC’s splendor for your micro wedding? Our hands-down favorite location that fits the bill for a micro wedding is the DC War Memorial. Located on the south side of the National Mall, directly south of the reflecting pool, the small monument is often called a “mini Jefferson Memorial” by non-locals, and ties to local DC history as it memorializes those from the District of Columbia who were lost fighting in World War I.

As it happens, the DC War Memorial is one of three locations available for wedding ceremonies on the National Mall. (The others are the Jefferson Memorial lawn and the George Mason Memorial.) Just like the National Arboretum—and almost any space managed by the federal government—a permit is required, but this one is both relatively easy to obtain and relatively affordable for a micro wedding or elopement. 

We love the DC War Memorial for its beautiful setting, ties to DC, lovely shade provided by the surrounding trees, and the option to share your vows in front of or inside the monument. Inside the monument is my personal favorite, and a great option for smaller celebrations or rain.

Logistics

Wedding reservations (including micro weddings and elopements) are made in two-hour time blocks, through the Permit Office of the National Park Service. The permit application is available online (called a Special Use Permit), and requires a processing fee of $90. While permits are issued for almost every day of the year, some restrictions may apply when there are other happenings on the Mall, or when other people have already booked a permit, so we recommend calling the Permit Office at 202-245-4715 (8am-4pm Monday through Friday) to inquire about your preferred date and time, and current turnaround times (which can take a few weeks).

While a more expensive paid photography permit is typically required for wedding photography on the National Mall, wedding Special Use Permits include the allowance of wedding photography during your reservation time at the site.

As with most spaces on the National Mall, DC War Memorial is dog-friendly as long as your dog is leashed.

If you’re hoping for seating for guests, the lawns directly to the north and south of the monument have an official capacity of 200. Inside the monument, personal experience with micro weddings I’ve photographed there suggests that you can comfortably fit 10-15 chairs with room for the couple, officiant, and an aisle.

Challenges to the site include no ADA accessibility to the inside of the monument (steps only), and very limited parking that requires a significant walk for most guests. We recommend being dropped off by taxi or rideshare on Independence Avenue. On the plus side, however, restrooms maintained by the Park Service are available nearby!

More information

 

3. Patterson Mansion

I lived in Washington, DC’s Dupont Circle neighborhood for nearly a decade, and loved walking past the beautiful then-home to the private Washington Club: Patterson Mansion. Patterson Mansion is one of just two remaining mansions situated directly on Dupont Circle.

In 2017, after approximately three years of renovations, the historic private mansion opened to the public as a short- and extended-stay hotel (operated by Placemakr) and private events venue. We adore the private events venue spaces, located on the second floor of the main mansion.

Spaces

Four event spaces are available to rent, all adjacent to one another, which makes it easy to combine them for flexibility, depending on the size, scope, and elements of your micro wedding:

  • The Library is our favorite space at Patterson House. It is an elegant room anchored by a fireplace and large windows along two sides. The room is painted a dramatic black that looks beautiful and striking, both in person and in photos. The fireplace makes a beautiful backdrop for exchanging vows. This space has a capacity of 23 guests.

  • The Ballroom is large enough for small traditional weddings, hosting up to 60 guests. In Patterson Mansion’s current incarnation as an events and hotel space, it’s typically set up as a lounge space, but the venue provides flexibility in moving and arranging the furnishings. The ballroom is anchored on one end by a fireplace topped by a dramatic full-height mirror, and on the other end by a wet bar with a small balcony above. This space has the least natural light of Patterson Mansion’s event rooms, but the two dramatic geometric chandeliers add adequate soft light for flattering photos, even during evenings.

  • The Social Kitchen has less utility for micro weddings, typically, but has a capacity of 23 guests, and the space’s long farmhouse-style table could lend itself to an intimate, catered dinner for 10 or so guests after your micro wedding vows.

  • The second-floor Foyer connects the other three rentable event spaces, with beautiful light pouring in through the full-length windows and doors out onto the attached balcony. The windows, the adjacent stairwell, and the modern art installations all make for beautiful backdrops to exchange micro wedding vows.

We love that Patterson House’s decor is a blend of both modern furnishings and historic Neoclassical style fixtures, lending a flexibility that suits so many couple’s tastes.

Logistics

As of the writing of this post, all of the spaces are rentable for an hourly rate (minimums apply) with furniture included. 

The hotel has been pet-friendly in the past; inquire about current rules.

More Information


4. Tudor Place

Nestled deep within Georgetown on 31st Street NW, the historic, 5.5-acre Tudor Place provides so many different options for those looking for the venue for their DC micro wedding:

  • Looking for a sweeping, sunny lawn with a lovely portico backdrop? Try the South Lawn.

  • A cozy wooded glade with a charming fountain? The Bowling Green.

  • A cottage garden feel? The East Lawn.

  • A charming Victorian-style house with two picturesque porches and an equally-lovely indoor space? Dower House, within the Tudor Place compound.

And no matter where within Tudor Place you choose, it feels like an escape from the hustle and bustle of the rest of Washington DC. 

Logistics

What we love most about micro weddings at Tudor Place is they have multiple ready-to-go packages (their “boutique wedding packages”) that range between 30 minutes and 2 hours on-site, up to 30 people. Those packages range from $150 to $1000, depending on the scope of what you choose. 

For larger weddings, Tudor Place also offers more standard wedding packages, ranging from a no-catering 3-hour option for up to 50 guests ($2000), to a full tented event with 10 hours on property for up to 70 guests.

Each time we’ve been to Tudor Place, we’ve been wowed by the beautiful grounds, the kind staff, and just how many options are available for such reasonable rental fees—which help maintain the historic property and museum, including its efforts to interpret the site’s history of enslaved labor. 

More Information

 

5. Crispus Attucks Park

When we decided to write this post, we promised ourselves we wouldn’t gatekeep one of our favorite — but least-known — micro wedding venues in DC. Crispus Attucks Park is a private park hidden fully within a city block of rowhouses, just off North Capitol Street in the city’s Bloomingdale neighborhood.

Also colloquially known as “the secret park” and “the cave yard,” it’s a hidden 1.06 acre space, managed and controlled by the non-profit Crispus Attucks Development Corporation (CADC). For over 60 years, the space was a telephone switching station and cable yard belonging to the Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone Company. C&P closed down operations at the site in the late 1960s, and after a campaign by neighbors, the property was transferred to what would become CADC. Due to DC Government funding constraints, it remained vacant and neglected until the late 1990s when renovations, cleanup, and improvements began shaping the space into the beloved DC community gem it is today.

Spaces

The park is a long space anchored by the “Great Lawn”, but also includes a Memory Garden (which is particularly pretty in the spring and fall), benches, and ample trees and other landscaping, including arbors, around the perimeter. The surrounding streets and alleyways make a beautiful, cozy contrast to the park, allowing for some wonderful variety when it comes to wedding photos.

Logistics

The park is accessed by two public alleys. No parking is available - rideshare, bicycling, walking, etc. is highly recommended. The space is dog-friendly within park rules, which require all dogs must be leashed.

For any group use with 20 or more people, you must request use of the park via a straightforward online form, and be pre-approved by the park managers prior to the event. A $200 donation is typically required, and all event attendees must follow the general park rules.

Many couples opt to pair their ceremony at Crispus Attucks with a dinner or celebration afterward at the nearby (walking distance) Big Bear Cafe.

More Information

 

6. Spanish Steps

Built in 1911 at the height of the City Beautiful movement in a Beaux-Arts style, the Decatur Terrace Steps and Fountain—known today as DC’s Spanish Steps—are on 22nd Street NW, connecting Decatur Place NW and S Street NW at the point of an escarpment too steep for a street. Lined with a mix of magnolias, eastern red cedars, oaks, and other flowering trees, the picturesque spot is a favorite for micro weddings, engagement sessions, marriage proposals, and wedding photos. 

Logistics & More Information

Built by the Washington DC Municipal Office of Public Works and Grounds, today the public site is managed by the DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR). According to DPR, a permit is required for any organized picnic or activity of 10 or more participants at any DPR site (including the Spanish Steps). Practically speaking, this requirement is largely ignored and most people have no idea it even exists.  As a public space, it is dog-friendly.

 

Only in our dreams: National Arboretum 

The US National Arboretum is in northeast DC, and in the decade-plus of our time calling DC home, we’ve come to think of it as DC residents’ communal backyard.  The 446-acre site, managed by the US Department of Agriculture, is perhaps best-known for being the home of the Capitol Columns, a set of 22 columns that were originally a part of the US Capitol Building from 1828 to 1958. The columns are located on a rise amid 20 acres of open meadow, and feature a picturesque reflecting pool with a small water feature draining into it.   

Logistics

Update as of January 23, 2024: After the publishing of this post, MTG Hospitality, which subcontracts wedding management for the National Arboretum, reached out to let us know that rental and permit policies have changed coming out of the pandemic, and micro weddings are no longer available in the same way they have been during the past several years of the pandemic. The options today are:

  • Photo permit: Photo permits are issued directly through the Arboretum, and allow photos ONLY—no vows can be exchanged.

  • Paid wedding rental: Any event including the exchange of vows must take place as an event rental, which has a 4-hour minimum, and full catering may be required. These rentals are managed through MTG Hospitality, though you begin the inquiry process through the Arboretum website.

Take these requirements seriously—while enjoying the park with friends, I have first-hand seen park security interrupt a pop-up wedding and escort the participants out of the park. Permits are possible both during regular operating hours, and for a small additional fee, after hours. Absolutely no pop-up weddings are allowed at any time. Dogs are welcome, as long as they follow park rules.

Spaces

While the Capitol Columns are undoubtedly the most popular spot in the National Arboretum for weddings, micro weddings, and elopements, there are myriad other beautiful locations throughout the Arboretum for a small ceremony or couple’s portraits, including the Azalea Collections and the Dogwood Collection.

More information

Aimee Custis
Aimee Custis is a Washington, DC lifestyle wedding and portrait photographer.
http://aimeecustis.com
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