As I mentioned in my first post, I wasted no time in starting the wedding planning once we became engaged (okay, so MAYBE I had been browsing venues in the months leading up to the engagement).  When Paul and I first started seriously considering venue options, I searched magazines and the internet for HOURS looking for the perfect spot.  We started in DC where we found a number of venues that tempted me to put down a deposit then and there.  Some of my favorite venues in DC included:

The Newseum

The Newseum is the perfect balance between the modern feel that I love, and the historic nature of the city.  In fact, if you get married on the rooftop of the museum, the Capitol Dome is the backdrop for your wedding.  If you want a wedding that shows off the city for your out-of-town guests, it doesn’t get much better than that.

Source

Source

Additionally, if you hold your wedding at the Newseum, your guests are also in for quite the treat at the reception.  Not only is the venue space beautiful, but the catering for all events held at the museum is done by Wolfgang Puck catering!  The restaurant The Source by Wolfgang Puck is located within the Newseum, and for those of you that haven’t been there yet, you are missing out.  The food is wonderful, and I’m sure the presentation and experience is something that your guests will always remember.

Source

While I loved the Newseum, it was too modern for Paul.  Paul wanted a more traditional/historic space, so I begrudgingly crossed the Newseum off the list and we continued our search.

Daughters of the American Revolution Constitution Hall

Next, we visited the DAR Constitution Hall which is another beautiful venue that offers amazing views of the city.  It is only a few blocks from both the Washington Memorial and the White House, which is great both for your guests and for pictures.  DAR has a number of options for spaces depending on the size of your event, and it has that grand and historic feel that would make any bride feel special on her wedding day.

Source

Source

While we both loved the location and the history of DAR, we were worried that it seemed too grand for us.  From the start, Paul and I have wanted a smaller wedding with most of our guests being family.  We were worried that DAR did not match our vision, and that it would seem overpowering for such an intimate ceremony.  While DAR might have been the perfect setting for us if we were having a bigger ceremony, we decided to cross it off the list and look for the same feel on a much smaller scale.

After looking at a number of other options within the city, we kept coming back to the same concerns for all of them:  Where will our guests be able to stay at various price points – is this affordable for our guests?  What are our plans regarding traffic and parking?  What are we going to do about transportation options? What do you mean we can’t have our dog at the wedding if it is held here?  I am admittedly high-strung, and the thought of dealing with traffic on my wedding day was enough to already give me anxiety attacks.  On the other hand, Paul dotes on Lexi like she was our first-born child and the thought of not having our dog present was one point he wasn’t willing to negotiate on.  While some people would be happy to find solutions to all of these problems, Paul and I decided that moving the wedding out of the city might be less stressful for all involved.

Up next, I’ll tell you all about expanding our search to the Virginia suburbs, and reveal our perfect venue!

Note: For those of you still looking for that perfect DC venue, other great venue options in DC include: Union Station, the Halycon House, the Carnagie Institute, the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, and the National Museum of Woman in the Arts.  I also recommend looking into a number of the hotels in the area for those of you looking for that extra convenience, and there are a number of wonderful restaurants with private rooms for those of you looking for a more intimate feel!