DAR Wedding with a Modern, Romantic, Fall Design

red and taupe flowers at fall DAR wedding

DAR Wedding Highlights

This modern, fall, DAR wedding featured a sophisticated, romantic palette of reds, taupes, and black. Against the classic columns and arched ceilings at DAR, Sara and John created a chic, seamless, and fun black-tie wedding experience for their guests in the heart of Washington D.C.

Getting Ready and Photos at DAR

DAR has many beautiful spots for wedding photos. So, Sara and John arrived early for wedding portraits with Adam Barnes Photography. While John relaxed on the terrace, Sara slipped into her wedding gown in the Connecticut Boardroom with her mother, grandmother, and attendants assisting her.

After a first look with her father, Sara descended to the DAR Portico to meet John for their first look on the terrace. With the Washington Monument as the backdrop, their epic first-look photos are the epitome of a D.C. wedding.

The Best Wedding Photo Locations at DAR

Sara and John scheduled extra time for couple’s portraits with their photographer Adam Barnes at three of the best DAR locations for photos: the Portico and Terrace (see above images), the front stairs, and the library. Take a look and save these when planning photos at your DAR wedding.

Wedding Photos on the Front Stairs of DAR

Wedding Photos in the DAR Library

Ceremony on the Portico and Terrace at DAR

Wedding guests entered DAR along a tree-lined street filled with golden fall leaves. At the top of the stone steps to the Portico at DAR, they were immediately welcomed with wine, cocktails, and a flower-adorned welcome sign. Even though it was an unseasonably warm fall day, our planning team offered blankets to the guests for the ceremony.

As a black-tie wedding, Sara selected formal, floor-length black gowns in a variety of styles for her wedding party. Accenting her crimson and white bouquet, her bridesmaids carried a variety of red and taupe bouquets by Love Blooms Floral Design.

As the sun set, bistro lights over the ceremony on the terrace and candles along the ceremony aisle twinkled beneath the glowing Washington Monument, increasing the romantic ambiance. Sara and John exchanged handwritten vows to one another with the support of their family and friends.

Fall DAR Wedding Ceremony on the Portico Terrace

Bistro Lights Fall DAR Wedding Ceremony on the Portico Terrace

Cocktail Hour in the Library at DAR 

After the ceremony, guests and the wedding party moved to the library for cocktails and passed hors d’oeuvres. A custom crossword puzzle with fun facts about the newlyweds kept guests chatting as they solved it. A few minutes into cocktail hour, Sara and John were introduced from the balcony of the DAR library for a dramatic entrance.

Dinner in the O’Byrne Gallery at DAR

Following cocktail hour, the wedding moved to the O’Byrne gallery where its beautifully barreled ceilings and hardwood floors served as the canvas for the red, taupe, black and white hues of their flowers and tables. An hombre floral arrangement on the mantle framed the sweetheart table at the front of the room.

red black and taupe fall DAR wedding reception

DAR Fall Wedding Reception O'Byrne Gallery with Red Flowers

Dancing on the Portico and Terrace at DAR

After dinner and toasts, everyone headed back out to the tented portion of the Portico terrace where Spectrum, a Washington Talent band, kicked off the reception with Sara and John’s first dance. A photobooth in the corner provided guests with an alternative to dancing. A delicious array of desserts were also beautifully displayed under the Portico.