The 15 Best Wedding Venues in Washington DC

There's no shortage of beautiful places to marry in Washington DC — but as a wedding photographer and videographer who shoots here year-round, I look at venues a little differently than most planning lists do. I'm thinking about light, where guests will gather, and the rooms that photograph and film well when the sun drops. Here are 15 I'd happily send any couple to — most in the heart of the District, a few worth the short drive into the DMV.

Historic homes & mansions

The District's historic houses are hard to beat for a light-and-airy, editorial look.

• Meridian House — my perennial favorite; a John Russell Pope mansion with a linden allée and long windows that glow well into the evening.
• Dumbarton House — intimate Federal-era charm in Georgetown, garden-forward and timeless.
• Larz Anderson House — a grand 1902 Beaux-Arts mansion off Embassy Row; marble, oil paintings, and a glass conservatory that films beautifully.
• Carnegie Institution for Science — columned, classic, and full of natural light; a blank-canvas landmark near Dupont.

Iconic & grand

For couples who want unmistakably-DC gravitas.

• The Willard InterContinental — Beaux-Arts opulence steps from the White House, gilded ballrooms and all.
• The Hay-Adams — refined, understated luxury with Lafayette Square and White House views.
• Union Station — soaring Beaux-Arts architecture for a truly grand entrance.
• National Museum of Women in the Arts — a marble grand staircase and gallery drama in the middle of downtown.

Modern & waterfront

Cleaner lines and skyline light that reads especially cinematic on film.

• District Winery — DC's first winery, floor-to-ceiling glass and Anacostia River views in Navy Yard.
• The LINE DC — a converted Adams Morgan church turned design-forward hotel.
• Top of the Town — panoramic monument-and-skyline views from just across the river in Arlington.

Countryside & vineyard (a short drive out)

When you want room to breathe and golden fields at sunset.

• Great Marsh Estate — a stately Georgian manor on rolling Virginia acreage.
• Foxchase Manor — a versatile Manassas favorite with manicured grounds (we've filmed here).
• Bluemont Vineyard — Blue Ridge foothill views and long, dreamy light.
• The Mansion at Strathmore — a Gilded-Age mansion and gardens in North Bethesda, MD.

A note on light and timeline

Wherever you land, build your timeline around the light — not the other way around. A ten-minute buffer before sunset is the single best gift you can give your photos and your film. Planning a DC wedding? Tell me about your day and I'll share which of these fits the day you're picturing.