Most venues aren’t doing walk-throughs right now, but that doesn’t mean you can’t check them out online!
We asked Chris Ferenzi, CEO of Chris Ferenzi Photography, to share some of his favorite DMV wedding and event venues. Here’s what he had to say…
Let’s get right to it.
You’re planning your wedding, need to find a venue, have a limited budget, and want to know the pricing of various AWESOME DC wedding venues.
Well, here it is!
District Winery
District Winery is one of the most sought after wedding venues in DC. That’s probably why it’s booked so far in advance.
This modern and sophisticated winery is located along the Anacostia River and its proximity to the Yards Park also offers many opportunities to create stunning portraits for you and your partner.
The venue rental fee starts at $1,000, and you can see the complete pricing information here.
The Line Hotel DC
The Line Hotel is hosts a mélange of the new and old (I just really wanted to work in the word “mélange”) and that contrast provides a…cornucopia…of creative opportunities for your wedding photos.
Located in Washington DC’s Adams Morgan neighborhood, it occupies a repurposed 1912 church.
It’s also home to Full Service Radio and The Wedding Dish podcast.
This chic, modern venue continually surprises me with its wide variety of event spaces.
There are 14 separate spaces that you can rent for your wedding or event. They range from the capacious Brothers and Sisters with 5,000 square feet and a maximum capacity of 450 people, to the Pavo room, with 275 square feet and a maximum capacity of 12 people (for a more intimate post-elopement dinner or other small gathering).
Venue rentals start at $2,500. There’s some more detailed pricing information here.
Josephine Butler Parks Center
This venue. THIS VENUE. I love it. I’d marry it if I could.
The Josephine Butler Parks Center is described as a “Renaissance-revival style mansion.”
In other words, it looks like a building transplanted from the Italian countryside. There’s a lot of beautiful natural light, as well as a charming balcony for guests to enjoy the warm weather on (avoid it if it’s there’s another polar vortex).
It used to be an embassy, but now functions as “a nonprofit Center for Shared Space, Parks & People,” supporting its mission to advance the parks and public spaces of Washington, DC.
Plus, it sits across the street from Meridian Hill Park, which is a beautiful, walled park that is perfect for newlywed photographs or even a first look.
Rentals start at $2,000 in January and February, and $4,200 during peak wedding season. Again, I’ve put together a more detailed breakdown here for your wedding planning convenience.
Anderson House
The Anderson House, also known as the Larz Anderson House, or the Society of the Cincinnati, is a historic mansion located along Washington DC’s Embassy Row.
Starting at $12,000, you can see an easy-to-read pricing breakdown here (as well as learn about what a city in Ohio has to do with it).
Also, trust me, this chart is super useful (the pricing on their website was stunningly confusing).
Woodend Sanctuary
Over the hill and through the woods, to…Woodend Sanctuary we go!
That was cheesy, but I’m a cheesy guy (also, gruyere is my favorite cheese).
Woodend Sanctuary is a private, historic estate located in Chevy Chase, MD. The interior is lovely and provides that elegant (yet not-too-elegant) vibe that won’t leave you questioning whether or not you’re allowed to sit on a particular priceless antique couch like some venues I won’t name.
I’ve legitimately worked at historic venues with forbidden couches (no sitting, so touching, don’t even look at it).
I recommend Woodend Sanctuary (obviously) and it’s the only become-one-with-nature venue on this list.
Rentals start at $3,900 and you can (surprise!) see more in-depth pricing information (as well as some wonderfully witty commentary) here.
National Union Building
The National Union Building was recognized by The National Register of Historic Places in 1990. It is also recognized by me as a wonderful wedding venue.
It’s located in the heart of downtown DC and has a variety of spaces throughout the building’s multiple floors (which make for amazing photo locations), one of which might be perfect for your wedding.
Here’s some more precise architectural terminology from their website because that’s really not my area of expertise…
The cast stone Romanesque facade has many beautiful details of this classical style: rustication, hierarchy of order in arches, and fluted pendants framing the building’s core where the original owners proudly displayed their name: National Union Building.
Saturday wedding packages start at $8,500.
Carnegie Institution for Science
The best for last? No, the nerdiest for last.
The institution is located in a historic building straddling the line between the Dupont Circle and Logan Circle neighborhoods of Washington DC.
Construction was completed in 1908 and it served as the administrative building for Andrew Carnegie’s institution dedicated to scientific advancement.
Scientists at this institution helped enable the mass production of penicillin. Yay penicillin (but antibiotic resistance is a BIG PROBLEM and you should immediately stop using antibacterial hand soaps).
It’s pronounced “kahr-ney-gee” and opportunities for beautiful wedding portraits are endless. The library is definitely one of my favorites, but the huge doors and epic front stairs also warm my photographer heart.
2020 “High Season” rental rates begin at $7,200. You can see the Low Season rates as well as the 2021 and 2020 rates (they’re very proactive with this) here.
There you have it! I hope this one-stop collection of pricing information is helpful to you on your wedding planning journey.
I’ve photographed weddings at all these venues (because, of course!), so if you’d like to chat about having me photograph yours, please send me a message here.
