Smithsonian American Art Museum/National Portrait Gallery

The Courtyard is dedicated to welcoming wedding receptions. If you are planning a big party, this is your spot: it can welcome up to a thousand people (standing) and 850 seated. However, wedding planners recommend inviting around 250 to 500 guests to have enough space for the dance floor. If you ever walked into this courtyard, you can imagine how creative you can get with your wedding decor. 

The portrait gallery is also a great location for… well, portraits! After your wedding, let’s get to the museum and get some beautiful candid shots of you inside the museum. There are so many ways to get creative in this building. 

Note that these two distinct museums share the venue space. The Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery, part of the Donald W. Reynolds Center, are housed in a gloriously renovated National Historic Landmark building. Neoclassicism meets 21st-century exuberance in our museums’ unique event spaces

Smithsonian American Art Museum/National Portrait Gallery: 8th and F Streets NW. Phone: (202) 633-7980. Indoor and outdoor options. Max capacity: 50-1.200 standing, 40-850 seated in both spaces combined.

Anacostia Community Museum

This is the perfect venue for an intimate wedding. With a variety of spaces to choose from, the museum can accommodate 20–150 guests with a community program room, lobby, galleries, and an outdoor terrace. Upon request, the museum will provide a list of caterers and other resources that work closely with the Smithsonian and are familiar with institutional procedures and guidelines!

Anacostia Community Museum: 1901 Fort Place SE. The ACM will close for renovations soon and will reopen for special events in the fall. Currently, the main gallery allows for up to 300 guests standing, 200 seated, the patio/terrace allows for 70 standing and 50 seated, and the grounds outside allow for tented events of up to 350 guests.

Freer | Sackler Galleries

It took me a long time before visiting this place! But I was not disappointed. This museum celebrates Asian art and culture, which always get crazy during the Cherry Blossom festival. The art is sublime and the architecture of the building is stunning. Note that weddings are limited to four per calendar year and no more than once per month!

Freer | Sackler Galleries: Jefferson Drive at 12th Street SW (Freer), 1050 Independence Ave SW (Sackler). Send an email: fsevents@si.edu. Indoor. Capacity at Freer: 200-250 standing and 150 seated. Capacity at Sackler: 200-300 standing and 80-100 seated.

Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden

This is one of my favorite museums in DC! This distinctive circular building (the architecture is weird but I kind of like it!) is the perfect setting for a unique wedding: you can choose to host a reception on the Plaza near the lighted fountain or in the Sculpture Garden. Stroll through the exhibition galleries or invite your guests to view the spectacular Washington skyline from the third-level Lerner Room! So, this is pretty unique!

Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden: Independence Ave and 7th St. SW. (212) 916-1338 or email at hirshhornevents@si.edu. Indoor and outdoor. Max capacity: 1.000. Sculpture Garden: 350 standing, 250 seated.

National Air and Space Museum

If you ever scrolled on the National Mall, you can’t miss it. It’s probably one of the most known museums in the city. The National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC boasts the most dazzling array of flight icons ever assembled in one place. Artifacts throughout the Museum span the history of flight, documenting major historical and technical achievements. If you are a big fan of space technology, this is your wedding venue. Your wedding theme is kind of define by the place!

National Air and Space Museum Independence Ave at 6th St. SW; 202-633-2345.Indoor. Max capacity for weddings: 500-2.500 standing and 230-700 seated.

National Museum of African Art

Maybe this museum that showcases the diverse, rich, and artistic dynamism of Africa represent your heritage, or maybe you love the space and the art gallery, either way, the museum of African art could be the perfect place for your wedding. Guests will feast their eyes on stunning works of traditional and contemporary art from across African and the diaspora in a warm and inviting atmosphere.

National Museum of African Art: 950 Independence Avenue, SW. (202) 633-4649. Indoor. Max capacity for weddings: 100-700 standing and 80-180 seated.

National Museum of American History

If you are a history lover, this wedding venue is perfect for you and your guests to explore America's heritage at a very special event, before or after hours. The Museum's 5th-floor rooftop terrace with fabulous views of the National Mall is also available for wedding receptions.

National Museum of American History: Constitution Avenue, NW Between 12th and 14th streets; 202-633-3306. Indoor, outdoor, and rooftop. Max capacity for weddings: 80-500 standing; 70-350 seated.

National Museum of the American Indian

National Museum of the American Indian: Fourth Street & Independence Ave., SW. (202) 633-7020. Indoor, outdoor, and rooftop. Max capacity: 100- 3,500 standing; 80-350 seated

National Museum of Natural History 

National Museum of Natural History: 10th St. & Constitution Ave. NW. Phone : (202) 633-1650. Indoor. Max Capacity for weddings: 300-3500 standing and 50-350 seated.

National Zoo

National Zoo: 3001 Connecticut Ave., NW. Phone: (202) 633-3067. Indoor and outdoor. Max capacity for weddings: 250 seated (200 seated with a dance floor.) Indoor: 50 standing; 125 seated (100 seated with dance floor). Outside/tented: 125 seated (100 seated with dance floor). 

OTHER GREAT LOCATIONS TO CHECK OUT

Postal Museum

Postal Museum: 2 Massachusetts Ave., NE. Phone : (202) 633-1667. Indoor. Max capacity for weddings: 300-900 standing and 100-350 seated.

Renwick Gallery

Renwick Gallery: 1661 Pennsylvania Ave NW. Phone : (202) 633-8534. Indoor. Max capacity for weddings: 450.

Arts and Industries Building

The Arts and Industries Building has reopened in 2021. The space is impressive and the perfect blank canvas for any creative wedding designer.

Arts and Industries Building: 900 Jefferson Drive, SW. Phone: (202) 633-2020. Indoor and outdoor. Max capacity for weddings: 200-2.000 standing, 120-1.200 seated. Outdoor capacity (Enid A. Haupt Garden): 150 standing, 130 seated.