Venue Tour
The Dumbarton House is a perfect getaway location for private wedding ceremony’s – located in the heart of residential Georgetown and dripping with history!
Booking Dumbarton House includes a gracious entry through the front door and first floor of the Museum, typically during guest arrival or cocktail hour. All events with seated dining must take place in the Belle Vue Room. Along with the entry through the historic portion of the Museum, guests have access to the following locations on the property.
The Spaces
The North Garden | The North Garden provides an exquisite outdoor site, in season, for cocktail events or wedding ceremonies. The wall and garden niche, extending the length of the garden, was designed by architectural historical Fiske Kimball in 1932 during Dumbarton House’s restoration. The garden incorporates elements of traditional Federal-period gardening and , at slightly less than a quarter of an acre, contains a variety of historically appropriate trees and plantings, including crape myrtle and tulip poplar trees.
The Upper Terrace & Inside the Manor| The Upper Terrace, adjacent to the North Garden, serves as an additional venue for cocktails. Two grand staircases, located on opposite sides of the Upper Terrace, lead down to the lower courtyard and the Belle Vue Room. This terrace offers a lovely view of the East Park, designed by prominent Virginia landscape architect M. Meade Palmer, that seasonally features magnolia, Japanese snowbell, and dogwood trees, daffodils, and peonies, among other flowers. The East Park provides and exceptional background for photographs.
The East Park | The East Park provides a beautiful backdrop for photography of your event or alternative space for a cocktail hour. Designed by landscape architect M. Meade Palmer, the East Park features a plethora of plant species native to the region in addition to a nineteenth-century inspired Herb Garden. The Georgetown Garden Club graciously funded the plant material, the planting itself, as well as the landscape design of the park.
The Belle Vue Room | For dinner receptions and dancing, guests descend to the Belle Vue Room and adjoining outdoor courtyard terrace. The Belle Vue Room is an elegant, modern, 40-by-26-foot banquet space with light hardwood floors, walls painted a neutral Federal period-style yellow with accent panels of rich gold moiré fabric, and 13-foot-high white coffered ceilings. It features expansive Palladian-style windows, opening onto a courtyard paved with slate. The lower courtyard may be tented to provide additional room for events, increasing the seating capacity. Directly connected to each other by three sets of graceful French doors, the Belle Vue Room and the courtyard become a single harmonious space. Event hosts who expect more than 80 guests for a seated event or more than 140 guests for a standing reception are required to arrange for the addition of tenting the Lower Terrace.
Some quick facts
(Note: For information pertaining to max capacities during DC Phased ReOpening plan, contact the rental events coordinator.)
- The capacity is 200 guests on the entire property
- 75 persons inside the historic portion of the Museum at one time
- The North Garden may be tented
- The Upper Terrace may be tented
- The capacity for the Belle Vue Room & Courtyard is 150 seated at round tables with band and dance floor
- The capacity for the Belle Vue Room only is 70 seated at round tables with a band
Pricing
The best part about the Dumbarton House is how flexible with are with pricing. They have elopement packages all the way up to the wedding of your dreams with prices ranging from $250 to $10,000 and include tenting! To be married in one of the most historic homes in Georgetown? It’s honestly a steal.
FAQs
Do you have other questions about The Dumbarton House? Feel free to visit their FAQ page on their website HERE, or set up a venue visit with their incredible staff!
To inquire with us about wedding photography, please visit our website contact form. We would love to learn more about you and your wedding day!
