When you’re planning your event and it’s go BIG or stay home time… well we have a few suggestions for the perfect DC wedding venue for a large guest count to share! Looking for the perfect wedding venue is an exciting but challenging and sometimes overwhelming process. Many factors go into finding the perfect space, not the least of which is the size of your guest list. We’ve listed five of our favorite DC wedding venues perfect for a large guest count.
Union Station
While many of us know this iconic Beaux Arts building at 50 Massachusetts Ave., NE as Washington, DC’s main railway station, it’s also a top choice for inaugural balls, galas and other notable events. Designed by Daniel Burnham as part of a city beautification plan, Union Station was redeveloped in 1981-1988 to preserve the historic treasure and create versatile special event spaces. The East Hall, in particular, is our favorite spaces with its dramatically raised ceiling, glamorous lighting and incredible architecture which make for an incredible guest experience. The East Hall can host up to 800 guests for cocktails and seat up to 350 guests with a dance floor, while the main hall can accommodate even more people, with 1,800-2,200 seated guests. Here are some of our favorite weddings that’s we’ve designed at Union Station. Spring Union Station Wedding | Winter Union Station wedding | Romantic Union Station Wedding
Dock5
Industrial spaces are seemingly a rare find in DC – but look no further than the more than 12,000 square feet of warehouse space that is Dock5! The Washington, DC wedding venue is located directly above, Union Market at 5th Street, NE in Washington, DC, the unique space can accommodate an extensive guest list of 400 seated guests with room for cocktails. We love the high ceilings and outdoor event space that can be transformed into your dream ceremony and reception. See how we created an urban garden for this wedding, bringing the outdoors in.
Mayflower
The Mayflower Hotel is located at 127 Connecticut Ave., NW in Washington, DC. Centrally located in the city, the hotel is a perfect DC wedding venue with tons of space also for guest accommodations. The hotel is steeped in history, and has brought timeless elegance to DC since 1925. The recently restored Grand Ballroom provides seating for as many as 500 guests. Check out this gallery from a recent wedding in the Grand Ballroom. Quite stunning!
Ronald Reagan International Trade Center
The Ronald Reagan Building is located at 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue. There are a range of medium to small spaces within the venue where you can host your wedding, but for a larger guest count we are specifically focusing on the Atrium. Some of the more striking features of this contemporary space include the dramatic staircase, soaring skylight ceiling, terrazzo marble floor and all that natural light! This modern space can seat over 800 guests, and is an impressive blank canvas that you can customize to your chosen look and design. We do recommend adding some extra tall floral arrangements to help fill the space.
Salamander
Former the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, the Salamander is prominently located at 1330 Maryland Ave, SW in Washington, DC, along the revitalized southwest waterfront. As a hotel, the DC wedding venue offers contemporary amenities in a picturesque setting, with the exceptional service one expects from a Mandarin Oriental hotel. On the lobby level, the Event Lawn offers a 4,000 square foot outdoor space overlooking the Washington Marina, Tidal Basin and Jefferson Memorial. It’s an especially dreamy outdoor ceremony space! The hotel also has extensive ballroom spaces. Two of the largest – the Grand Ballroom and the Oriental Ballroom – can seat 700 and 400 guests respectively. There are so many spaces at this hotel that you could even have all your wedding-related festivities for the weekend in one place, and never been in the same room twice!
We hope you’ve enjoyed our take on the hottest DC venues for large weddings! This list is far from exhaustive, and there are many more great venues to accommodate large guest counts. If you are looking for a venue in the DC area, be sure to check out our venue spotlights for ongoing ideas and inspiration!
