If you can get the guest list down to 80 max, I would suggest Elizabeth’s on L. You get the whole townhouse to yourself, food is excellent, and there is no venue fee. I had my reception there and everyone loved it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:National Press Club
The Willard Room

Too institutional, not really a wedding vibe.

I went to an amazing wedding at the Willard. It was the first wedding that I attended where the bride's parents were rich.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Elite would require membership. Like Chevy chase club or Cosmos Club. But there are hundreds of really expensive and lavishly decorated places to get married here. It’s easy to spend $300,000 on a wedding “elite” or not.

Yes, indeed. "It seems you mean " expensive" not "elite". If you are not already a member of a country club and/or own a large estate, you are not elite-- you just have some extra money to throw around. Maybe join a club before planning the wedding.

I’m pretty sure you can just rent the Cosmos Club for weddings. It’s a nice venue, especially for bad weather. The staff is really nice.

Nope, unless you know a member who'll sponsor you.

That’s why you hire a wedding planner.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Elite would require membership. Like Chevy chase club or Cosmos Club. But there are hundreds of really expensive and lavishly decorated places to get married here. It’s easy to spend $300,000 on a wedding “elite” or not.

Yes, indeed. "It seems you mean " expensive" not "elite". If you are not already a member of a country club and/or own a large estate, you are not elite-- you just have some extra money to throw around. Maybe join a club before planning the wedding.

I’m pretty sure you can just rent the Cosmos Club for weddings. It’s a nice venue, especially for bad weather. The staff is really nice.

Nope, unless you know a member who'll sponsor you.

300 people? Indian wedding. 4 events.

Anonymous wrote:NOT a hotel ballroom wedding.

I think there’s some leeway here though. In DC, we have places like The Willard and the old post office- whatever that is now- that are not your standard hotel. Willard is an incredible place for a small wedding if you want to keep it all indoors.

National Building Museum

NOT a hotel ballroom wedding.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Truly nice venues, 150-200k minimum. You’re looking at around 500pp for reception, plus venue booking + decor costs. Costs for other events (rehearsal dinner, welcome drinks, brunch) not included.

Ok, That would be for 400 guests.

$500*125 guests = $62,500 + tax and gratuity = 80k
Flowers can easily run $20-100k depending on how crazy you get.
Other decor (dance floor, lighting, chairs, place settings, invitations, etc.) = 20-50k
Photographer (at least 5-10k)/videographer (at least 5-10k) costs.


There you go. Clearly you haven’t paid for a wedding recently.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Elite would require membership. Like Chevy chase club or Cosmos Club. But there are hundreds of really expensive and lavishly decorated places to get married here. It’s easy to spend $300,000 on a wedding “elite” or not.

Yes, indeed. "It seems you mean " expensive" not "elite". If you are not already a member of a country club and/or own a large estate, you are not elite-- you just have some extra money to throw around. Maybe join a club before planning the wedding.

I’m pretty sure you can just rent the Cosmos Club for weddings. It’s a nice venue, especially for bad weather. The staff is really nice.

Anonymous wrote:Elite would require membership. Like Chevy chase club or Cosmos Club. But there are hundreds of really expensive and lavishly decorated places to get married here. It’s easy to spend $300,000 on a wedding “elite” or not.

Yes, indeed. "It seems you mean " expensive" not "elite". If you are not already a member of a country club and/or own a large estate, you are not elite-- you just have some extra money to throw around. Maybe join a club before planning the wedding.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Mayflower throws great weddings- is it still there?

It’s there but the smaller ballroom sucks. Take care when booking.

No the weddings I have been to there were huge! I am sure it could not have been the small ballroom.

Other PP who was a large event planner, who mentioned no hotels - I happen to agree, but am curious why you say no hotels?

Places like L'Academie de Hiver, 121 Mambo, and Luigi's are overpriced. Very nice, but priced too high. Jazzbeaux may be better alternative.

Anonymous wrote:The Corcoran Gallery of Art, Kennedy Center rooftop or reception hall upstairs, Top Of The Town for the views of DC, Ronald Reagan building, Jones Day rooftop deck by the Capitol, private clubs in Georgetown and on Capitol Hill. I would stay away from hotels.

-former large events planner and designer

This list seems both too exclusive (private clubs) and too generic (RR building, Kennedy Center — unless you need space for 250 ++).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I got married at a steak house and have no dog in this fight.

That said, it seems to me that any place that can be rented by anyone with enough money is, by definition, not "elite." So, to answer OP's question, I would think private homes, members-only organizations, and place where you have to have connections (like the WH).

Not for us. We'll have up to 4 weddings and budget is not a concern for them. We have the money but zero of the properties or connections you mention. So I appreciate the suggestions on this thread.

Right, and I hope you have a truly lovely wedding(s), but if you were truly "elite" (whatever that means) you would have the properties/connections. That is not a bad thing, in my opinion, just a fact.

Our $100k soft budget per wedding wound not make a dent in that definition of elite. Can we just say”expensive”?

Having a wedding on your own estate is the most expensive way to do it. $100k might pay for the tent/floor. That’s it.

No one disagrees with you. Everyone else is talking about venues.