Venue Recap: District Winery
After years of photographing some of the most amazing weddings in the DMV, our team has decided to look back at some of our favorite images from our favorite venues. Next up in this series is one of Washington, DC’s newer and more unique venues: District Winery.
District Winery is Washington, DC’s first commercial winery, opened in 2017 by Brian Leventhal and John Stires, who also founded Brooklyn Winery in 2010. Located in the heart of The Yards, this urban winery is fast becoming one of DC’s most popular wedding venues and one of our favorite venues to photograph weddings. With floor to ceiling windows, guests are treated to views of both the Anacostia River and the city.
The wine production facility and a restaurant, Ana, are on the first floor. A mezzanine and top floor- with a large, wraparound terrace- are reserved for private events and can host up to 200 guests. The location also has a private wedding suite that is perfect for a bride to put on her gown, or do final touch-ups before saying I do.
Each wedding couple is assigned an event manager to help in the planning process and be sure everything is executed seamlessly on the wedding day. “All District Winery weddings are turnkey and include the use of custom walnut tables, chairs, high top tables, bar stools, marble-topped bars, china, glassware, flatware, linen napkins, printed menus, and small tabletop items to enhance your decor.” With modern, sophisticated architecture, the winery can be as dressed up as you desire, or you can let the design of the space shine on its own.
Another great thing about this venue is the options available for hosting each portion of your wedding. With both indoor and outdoor space, you can make full use of the entire venue, and it’s easy to implement your plan B in the case of rain. You can choose to host your ceremony on the outdoor terrace or inside with floor to ceiling windows. The terrace is equipped with a retractable canopy and sidewalls, so you can have an outdoor ceremony even when the weather is not at its best. Cocktail hour can be hosted on the terrace, as well or on the mezzanine level overlooking the barrel room.
A tip from our team for indoor ceremonies: keep in mind the time of day your ceremony will be happening, as the windows let in a lot of light, and your photographer may need to plan ahead for this so your photos are not washed out.
We love this venue most for the almost endless photo opportunities it offers! Director of Event Operations, Rebecca Chuvalas agrees with us: “For wedding photo locations, I would recommend the winery production space, outdoor boardwalk, in front of the building at night, or the walking paths through the park next door.”
The barrel room makes a great location for a first look, and in that space are both wooden wine barrels as well as stainless steel production tanks so there are multiple backdrops to explore.
The terrace is a great place to utilize during sunset for portraits, as well as give your photos a unique perspective during a sparkler exit.
The main staircase gets nice, even light from the surrounding windows and has a fun, hanging light fixture above, so this is another great spot for portraits or even a first look.
We love to take our couples outside to explore the area around the winery as well. The wooden plank walls of the winery itself make a great background for family photos. And being in the heart of Yards Park, the winery is just a short walk in a park from the waterfront and pedestrian bridge too.
If you are searching for a Washington, DC wedding venue, be sure to reach out to their team today to get more information and start planning your dream wedding!
