Old Mansion in Washington DC Hosts Luxury Wedding
Choosing where to get married is one of the most significant factors in guiding how your day will go. The decision can determine the menu, decor, portrait locations, and how many guests may attend. That’s why selecting your venue (along with your wedding photographer) is one of the first steps I recommend in the wedding planning process. This couple selected a historic mansion in Washington DC to host a classy and luxurious wedding day in the city.
Anderson House: A Mansion in Washington DC Fit For Your Day
Anderson House was built in 1905 near Dupont Circle. The home’s architecture boasts of English and Italian influences which includes “carved wood walls, gilded papier-mâché ceilings, ornate iron staircases, and intricate marble floors.”
The bride described what originally drew them to the site: “I loved how much character it had! It felt like I was walking into a ballroom from Bridgerton. The practical side of me also appreciated that we wouldn’t need to do much to decorate it!”
From the start, I could tell that these two appreciated the more classy, elegant side of Washington, DC. It was these tastes that prompted my suggestion of going to the National Portrait Gallery for their engagement photo session. It was the perfect precursor to their stylish wedding day.
Even after capturing various Anderson House weddings, it’s the elegance of this Washington, DC mansion that continues to leave an impression. It is truly one of the most beautiful venues in DC! I love the fact that it feels both grand and intimate at the same time. There are a variety of indoor and outdoor options for the ceremony, reception and wedding portraits.
Pro Tips for Your Anderson House DC Wedding
For a mansion in Washington DC, the venue can accommodate up to 130 guests which includes a ceremony, seated dinner and dancing. Discounts are offered for weddings with 50 guests or fewer, when alcohol or dancing are excluded, and dates during the slower season or in the daytime.
Your nine-hour rental of the venue covers all vendor load-in and load-out with arrival times starting between 3:00 and 4:00 PM. In light of these specific timeframes, coordinating between the venue and your wedding vendors is key! The wedding day timeline is particularly strict because the Anderson House functions as a museum open daily to the public until 4:00 PM. These limitations make the typical wedding day timeline tricky in the winter when the sun sets early.
That’s why I always advise hiring a DC wedding planner for this venue. We staggered the wedding photography timeline so that we could take all photos pre-ceremony at the venue. I often additionally take the couple to capture some off-site photos elsewhere. Emily and Daniel really trusted their venue team and just had a great time celebrating. The dance floor was amazing!
How A Couple’s Dream Day Comes to Life
It was a heart for their people combined with an assortment of carefully-planned details that comprehensively personalized this elegant day. The intimate wedding hit a 72-guest count that rightly fit the space of this mansion in Washington, DC.
The couple’s wedding color palette was primarily expressed in shades of dark blue and cream, with some amber, copper and gold accents. The bride noted that she “felt like the few touches of copper and amber made it feel more fall” pairing well with the wedding’s early November date. These two even did a wedding reception room reveal during cocktail hour to take it all in first!
Other wedding details and decor that made their day included:
- DIY wedding table numbers decorated with beautiful paintings of specific streets that tied to their love story.
- Signature cocktails named after their dog Bramble and their cat Ember. Their pets also took the form of unique wedding cake toppers adorning their white wedding cake with flowers.
- Memory table with framed photos of parents and grandparents on their wedding days.
- For dessert: mini apple cider donut holes, milk and cookie shooters, and soft pretzels.
Emily and Daniel stated that they wanted to simply “remember all of the little details that we might overlook in the moment.” That included prioritizing time with their people enjoying candid moments throughout the day and particularly on the dance floor. As Emily noted, “I love looking at all the dance floor pictures from other weddings!” We made sure that all of this happened for them!
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