The Wedding: A Work of Art

A wedding is a momentous occasion where couples celebrate their love in a grand fashion, at the venue and in the clothes of their choosing, surrounded by friends and family with music, flowers, gifts, style and other niceties. The celebration requires extensive planning, not to mention forethought and creativity. A wedding acts as a personal expression of the couple, so why not curate your wedding into what it could be, a work of art?

As modern weddings are increasingly incorporating the arts through dress, flowers, setting and photography, art galleries and museums are becoming popular venues that frame beautiful works alongside your marriage festivities.

Charlotte Jarrett, a D.C.-based wedding planner, says couples should pick personalized venues for their marriage ceremony. “The Newseum at 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, is great venue for a journalist or lover of modern architecture. For the history buff, consider the elegant City Tavern Club at 3206 M St. NW, in Georgetown, a favorite hot spot of our Founding Fathers.”

Local wedding consultant Andre Wells weighed in with some venue recommendations of his own.

“Andrew Mellon is one of my favorites,” he said. “It is so representative of Washington in many ways with the columns and steps, it’s very grand, its stature has a lovely outdoor terrace, and great views of the monument.”

“For a little less traditional and more rustic or artsy, Long View Gallery is a great industrial space to work with outdoor options and works well for weddings,” Wells added.

The Long View Gallery at 1234 Ninth St. NW, boasts 15-foot ceilings and an abundance of natural light. A 2,500 square foot gated outdoor patio is also available for events. The view opens to the historic Blagden Alley.

Other inventive venues include the Belle Vue Room at the Dumbarton House at 2715 Q St. NW, with 13-foot white coffered ceilings and tented outdoor space, or the Meridian House with an welcoming limestone façade with two large oak doors and a stone wall that provides intimacy.

The Heurich House Museum at 1307 New Hampshire Ave. NW, is another, intimate local venue, with a conservatory and gardens that are perfect for receptions. In addition, guests can explore all three floors of the museum with a docent as guides come with event rentals.

Tudor Place at 1644 31st St. NW, would make for an elegant wedding setting with the potential for couples to get married in a living “garden room” or in the manor’s historic interior. But the Newseum, with its massive glass windows and sweeping views of D.C.’s towering architectural monuments (pictured in this feature) would be better for a more modern-themed wedding.

On general trends of the day, Jarrett says, “Weddings took on a very DIY and shabby chic approach after the recession. We are finally seeing a return to formal, glamorous weddings, sparkle, bling, glamour and black tie are back in vogue.” Nothing brings glamour to a wedding like an original, elegant and personalized setting that reflects a couple’s tastes and creativity.