Dumbarton House

Dumbarton House Weddings in Washington, DC are Nothing Short of Dreamy!

Washington DC loves when bright-eyed couples, gushing with hope come here after they’ve found someone who makes them so happy that they have decided to spend the rest of their lives together. And the Capital of America with all its might makes their wedding days even more wonderful than they could have imagined. The secret of this amazing yet weird city’s bushy-tail nature is hidden in its weirdness only. From secret subways to the monuments that move when it's windy to empty crypts, everything you know or you might not know will sweep you off your feet. Whether it’s Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, or the Tidal Basin, the city has its own charm that attracts hundreds of thousands of couples every year to tie the knot. While the city amazingly pleases your senses, one of many reasons you would want to choose this city is that Washington DC is incredibly photogenic. The city is rich in history. After over two centuries as the nation’s capital, Washington has developed as a complex and layered city, with a distinctive character. Amidst gorgeous cityscapes, your wedding can’t get more DC.

This city of contrasts is home to all different types of people and places that make getting married in DC an exciting and incomparable experience. Whether you are visiting Washington, DC for the first time for your Washington, DC wedding or you've been putting up in the District your whole life, you'll find new and exciting ways to enjoy this city. The Washington DC skyline remains low and sprawling, keeping with Thomas Jefferson's wishes to make Washington an "American Paris" with "low and convenient" buildings on "light and airy" streets. Although, the city has no skyscrapers like Boston or other cities of the United States. D.C., however a collection of squat boxes gives it a unique look. It is a place where stately old houses stand not far from sparkling post-modern skyscrapers. The sight of all those glass boxes around Washington will clue couples to the flush times here in the early 21st century. These awe-inspiring buildings will give you a glimpse of the breathtaking cityscapes that the nation’s capital is home to. The nation’s capital houses spectacular rooftop bars and restaurants including some especially iconic cityscapes with marble landmarks and striking National Mall vistas. You would love to see these bird’s-eye views of the DC skyline at these high-above-the-city hot spots.

History unfolds!

Finding a perfect DC wedding venue that fits all your wedding dreams is the first step you take after preparing your wedding checklist. Following your wedding checklist is the best way to make sure that your wedding planning goes smoothly. If your heart is set on the Washington DC wedding, good for you. While Washington DC is a town for locals, an international center of power, and an amazing place to visit, it is home to myriads of stunning all-inclusive wedding venues to start your happily ever after. One such wedding venue lies in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, DC, about 10 minutes from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. It was completed around 1800. Its first occupant was Joseph Nourse, the first Register of the Treasury. Dumbarton House, a Federal period historic house museum, stands on approximately an acre of gardens on the northern edge of Georgetown, District of Columbia. The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Displaying a fine collection of period decorative arts (furniture, silver, ceramics, etc.), it will give you and your wedding up to 200 guests a concrete sense of a substantial private residence in the early 1800s. Constructed in 1798-99, the house was a private residence until The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America (NSCDA) purchased it for its headquarters in 1928 and gave it the name it has today. In addition to meeting its administrative needs, the NSCDA wanted to illustrate domestic life in Georgetown in the early federal period. To achieve this, its two principal floors were opened to the public as a house museum in 1932, on the 200th anniversary of the birth of George Washington. 

Here is what makes Dumbarton House newly-engaged couples’ fave!

There is no equivalent of this gorgeous Museum wedding venue in Washington DC, boasting a large two-story brick house with a passage through the center, four rooms on a floor, and good cellars. While the rooms located in front are about 17 by 18 feet, the rear rooms are about 22 by 17 feet and are semicircular. The building also has a 9 feet wide and 38 feet long passage and two brick offices (wings) that are two stories high 17 feet 6 inches square and connect with the House by covered ways.

Dumbarton House is one of the finest examples of Federal period architecture in the U.S. You would believe it the moment you’ll walk into this building. Besides architectural beauty, the Dumbarton House wedding venue also houses magnificent furniture and decorative arts collections. Nestled just steps from the Rock Creek Park trails and only a few minutes from the Potomac River, Dumbarton House gives you an unparalleled setting for stunning wedding celebrations away from the city’s hustle and bustle. The elegant brick building greets you and your nearest and dearest with wide white columns. Featuring a variety of event spaces, this venue offers its gorgeous courtyard for your vow exchange ceremony. The green vines climbing the walls of the courtyard create a romantic ambiance for your ‘I do’ moment. As the sun dawdles over the horizon the evening brings ethereal settings for your wedding festivities. The twinkling lights strung above the courtyard set the tone for the evening by transforming the event space into a dreamy cocktail hour area for your up to 200 guests to enjoy their favorite drinks while appreciating the historic house and mingling over hors d'oeuvres and other scrumptious appetizers.

This hidden gem of Georgetown House offers a setting that is stately, breathtaking, and sophisticated for your wedding and wedding-related events like engagements, cocktail receptions, and rehearsal dinners. Your outdoor wedding ceremonies and garden receptions at Dumbarton House would for sure get etched in the memories of your guests. This DC museum wedding venue‘s view of period rooms will make your guests swoon as they hit its first floor.

Their gorgeous 40 by 26-foot Belle Vue Room could be the ideal space to start your elegant reception. This classic and modern banquet space boasts blond wood floors, walls painted a neutral Federal period-style yellow with accent panels of gold fabric and 13-foot white coffered ceilings. The House also has a large ballroom that opens onto a courtyard paved with slate, where a tent can be erected to accommodate your large guest lists with more than 80 seated guests and over 140 standing guests. No matter what your wedding dreams are made of, Dumbarton House has it all to host your dream wedding in Washington DC, the way you’ve always wanted. 

Photo ops at Dumbarton House

This historic mansion in the Washington, D.C. area comes with a bucket full of photo opportunities for our Washington DC wedding photographers to give you your most precious moments in the form of visuals. The grand entrance of this House with brick walkway and rose bushes behind could be the perfect place for wedding family portraits and group photography. You can plan your first look here and allow our photo experts to seize these special moments into their camera lenses. Like everything else that goes into a wedding, there are different ways you can approach it based on your style and what you want that moment to be. We’ve got wedding photography inspiration for every style to help you choose which first look approach is right for you.

Our photographers are all set for your golden hour photography as the sun sets over the sky trading its orange, pink, and violet hues for all light and dark shades of blue. As the night replaces day, the string lights hung over you, will make for a dreamy ambiance to have your first dance and flaunt those thoughtfully choreographed moves and spins to all the happy faces around. As you dance the night away with your brand new spouse, our wedding photographers in and around Washington DC make sure that all your expressions and your spouse’s gestures are captured in the best of frames to cherish forever. 

The brick wall that encloses the property for privacy could play the perfect backdrop for some playful wedding photography of bride and groom with their bridesmaids and groomsmen. Click here to have some idea of making your photoshoot with the bridal party a super hit. Flowers and shrubbery surrounding the place is a sight to behold! After your garden wedding ceremony and outdoor wedding photography with your wedding party, your guests can head to the first-floor banquet space at the house to bask in the celebratory waves of your reception. The light walls and golden chandeliers featured by this room lend a perfect glow to your in-the-moment indoor wedding photos. You could choose their lovely courtyard for some mother-daughter wedding photography. Our wedding photographer is there to capture all the priceless, magic moments on your wedding day at Dumbarton House in DC.

Your wedding photography in DC blooms all year round!

Washington DC is a great blend of iconic history, vibrant culture, and romantic contemporary flair, which makes it a gorgeous place for weddings. We at George Street Photo & Video also cater to the newly engaged couples residing in the neighborhoods and suburbs of Washington DC like Stone Ridge, South Kensington, Arlington, Cascades, and Silver Spring, Alexandria, Lansdowne. Along with covering weddings and other wedding-related events like engagements and rehearsal dinners, GSPV also does day-after sessions, trash-the-dress sessions, and bridal portraits.

While the spring brings with it the glory of cherry blossoms, mild winters sing a fall-hued song. Spring is the best time to plan your wedding photography in D.C., as high temperatures usually average around 67 degrees Fahrenheit (19 degrees Celsius). The cherry blossoms erupt in April, which draws large crowds of newlywed couples to the National Mall for the romantic couple photography. However, weather during this season can be unpredictable, so despite the spring blooms and sunny days, you should also be prepared for cool nights and occasional wind and rain. Our artistic wedding photographers in Washington DC know how to make the best use of rain for romantic couple photography, though! While it can be tempting to fully embrace spring, you should still generally pack warmer clothing. We advise you to bring a jacket for the evening or night photography.

We would not suggest you go for outdoor wedding photography in D.C. during the summer months as Washington DC is built atop a swamp. However, if your post-wedding photography has to happen between June-July then this is the right time to make the most of the city's wonderful museums with our wedding photographers in DC as summer is an excellent season for staying indoors in DC and thunderstorms can pop up quickly, especially in the late afternoons of July, the wettest month of Washington DC. For summer wedding photography sessions you would want to pack clothing that keeps you cool, such as lightweight fabrics like cotton and linen that will wick moisture away and dry quickly. Avoid polyester or synthetics.

Our wedding photographers in DC and its suburbs love Falls for engagement photoshoots or post-wedding photoshoots in DC, as the temperatures remain similar to the spring. This is also the driest season of the year, so you don't have to worry about rain spoiling your post-wedding photo sessions. Unlike summer, D.C. is also less crowded during the fall as kids head back to school. Plan your wardrobe for temperatures ranging from the mid-30s Fahrenheit in late fall all the way up to the 80s Fahrenheit in September. Do not forget to pack your winter coat and jacket along with a pair of comfy shoes if your wedding falls in November!

If you have your heart set on snowy wedding photo sessions then only dare to visit this city as D.C. winters can be freezing and unpredictable, with snow and ice storms occurring throughout the season. January is usually the coldest month and is often gray, with rain or snow. On average, Washington, D.C., accumulates around 17 inches of snow per season, with most of it falling in January or February. January is also the coldest month with average low temperatures regularly below freezing. You would need warm winter clothes such as heavy sweaters, as well as boots and a waterproof coat that will keep you dry in your wedding wardrobe. Winters can be damp, so staying both dry and warm is crucial.

We hope this piece of information will not only help you choose the right wedding venue in DC but also the month or time for your engagement photo shoot, pre-wedding photoshoot, and post-wedding photography session in Washington DC. Not only our DC wedding photographers are equipped with years of experience in shooting couples’ weddings in DC in every season, but also they are cognizant of almost every photography spot in DC to accentuate your DC wedding photography experience. With our team of wedding photographers by your side, your Washington DC wedding photography in any season would be spectacular. 

Last but not least!

The more you delay nailing down a perfect venue the more you feel stressed. So before your meter passes a thousand choose a Dumbarton House wedding venue. The intimate, historic, and elegant Dumbarton House is the perfect beginning to your happily ever after. Lush gardens at Dumbarton House provide the perfect backdrop for your outdoor ceremony, while their Belle Vue Room and beautiful courtyards are a perfect setting for wedding receptions. The best part is- during events, museum rooms are open, providing your wedding guests with a unique opportunity for casual touring. The dedicated team of specialists here strives to ensure that private events hosted at Dumbarton House are enjoyable and memorable for every couple and their bridal party.

Make the most use of this stunning venue by utilizing the various levels of gardens and courtyards for the ceremony, cocktail hour, and then both the courtyard as well as inside the house for the reception! With beautiful blooms and heaps of wild greenery surrounding the entire ceremony place, you would love to have your hands full designing this place top to bottom! To reserve this beautiful venue for your dream DC wedding, you just need to visit Dumbarton House. Before you visit, we suggest you review the materials available on their website to help you in planning your event. You would forever be thankful to have played a small part in the magic of this special day!