Places to Hold Engagement Parties in DC

Engagement parties occur at venues throughout Washington, D.C.

Once a wedding engagement has been announced, the parents of the bride usually throw a party in order for guests of the bride and groom to meet one another and to celebrate the upcoming nuptials. The nation's capital, Washington, D.C., provides venues for engagement parties. The city's hotels and universities have lavish ballrooms for large parties or intimate spaces for smaller groups. Many of Washington's cultural institutes -- museums and historic sites -- also accommodate engagement parties.

Hotels

Meeting rooms are available in many of Washington's hotels for engagement parties; ballrooms are also available for larger engagement parties. Most hotels provide catering and event coordination. The Dupont Circle Hotel (doylecollection.com), located on Dupont Circle, accommodates 350 in the Dupont Ballroom. The W Washington, D.C., (starwoodhotels.com) offers the Altitude Room, a top-level ballroom with sweeping views of the Washington Mall and the White House; the venue seats 100 in a banquet setting. Located within walking distance of the Washington Mall, the Willard Intercontinental Hotel's (washington.intercontinental.com) largest room, the Willard Room, allows 350 guests to attend a cocktail reception-style event.

Museums

Engagement party guests may view art galleries and exhibits while attending a party at one of Washington's museums. The National Aquarium (nationalaquarium.org) is at the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and 14th Street. This museum hosts indoor parties of up to 350 in its ballroom, which features aquariums with marine wildlife. Up to 900 guests may attend a cocktail reception in the Corcoran Gallery of Art's (corcoran.org) Atrium Room; this room also seats 400 guests in banquet setting. The Newseum (newseum.org), right off Pennsylvania Avenue, provides fine dining for engagement parties at the Private Dining Room and Capital Terrace. Located on the Newseum's second floor, this Terrace offers views of the Washington Mall and both spaces have a combined seating capacity of 70.

Mansions

Washington, D.C., features several historic 19th century homes that offer rental spaces for engagement parties. The Dumbarton House (dumbartonhouse.org), built in 1800, hosts outdoor events in the Lower Courtyard and indoor parties in the Belle Vue Room. Both venues accommodate 80 guests for banquets and 140 for stand-up receptions. Completed in the 1890s, the Toutorsky Mansion (toutorskymansion.com) can host an intimate engagement party in its dining room -- which seats 12 -- and the front parlor, a venue that only allows stand-up receptions. Both the Dumbarton House and Toutorsky Mansion cater private events, including engagement parties.

Universities

Some universities in Washington provide venues for engagement parties in their conference or recreation centers. Georgetown University Hotel and Conference Center (acc-guhotelandconferencecenter.com) has 14 meeting rooms for on-site events; the largest space, the Grand Ballroom, seats 870 guests in a banquet setting. The Grand Ballroom may be split into eight rooms for smaller events. At George Washington University (gwu.edu), engagement parties have access to the Cafritz Conference Center; this facility provides the Continental Ballroom, which accommodates 400 guests in a cocktail reception setting. Cafritz's Grand Ballroom seats 320 guests for banquet parties.

References

• The Dupont Circle Hotel: Meetings and Events at The Dupont Circle Hotel
• W Washington, D.C.: Venues with Verve
• The Willard Washington, D.C.: Floor Plans and Capacities
• National Aquarium: Catered Events
• Corcoran Gallery of Art: Event Rentals
• Newseum: Private Dining and Capitol Terrace

Resources

• Dumbarton House: Dumbarton House Rentals
• Toutorsky Mansion: Dining Room
• Georgtown University Hotel and Conference Center: Corporate Events
• George Washington University: Cafritz Conference Center