Overview

Friends Meeting of Washington DC is a "unique and peaceful oasis removed from the bustle of Washington DC." Located in the Dupont Circle neighborhood, it was constructed in 1930 and renovated in 2019, and was built "to serve as a house of worship and a gathering place for those wanting to seek peace and pursue it." Simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality, and stewardship are their guiding principles.

If you've read some of my other venue articles, you know that I have a fondness for venues who also take pride in serving a higher purpose, culturally, socially, or spiritually.

I was also happy to learn that they've been celebrating same-sex weddings for decades, and they are welcoming and open to all.

There are ten or so different spaces available at Friends of Washington, both for weddings and smaller events. Since this is an article about weddings, I'll focus on the spaces used exclusively (or at least mostly) for weddings : )

Available Spaces

Meeting Room

This is the largest indoor space with 2,275 sq. ft and it can seat around 300 guests. It's a great space for ceremonies as it has an abundance of natural light. The comfortably padded bench seating can be arranged in any way you'd like, but I think U-shaped is way to go.

Quaker House Living Room

If you're having a smaller, more intimate wedding, the Quaker House Living Room is definitely a space to consider. The vaulted ceiling and white walls really open the space up.

Library and Parlor

This space is a great getting ready spot. It can also serve as a pre-ceremony holding room. The walls are book-lined and it's furnished with antique furniture. I've mentioned this in a few other articles, but the majority of historic venues I've worked at have oddly aggressive signs on their antique furniture warning you not to sit on them unless you want to experience the wrath of the staff.

Assembly Room

The Assembly Room is the recently renovated reception space and features a wide-open area (with no column dividers!) I'm not a fan of columns because they, without fail, block my view for speeches. There's a full kitchen available for your caterer and the space allows for easy access to the beautiful west terrace and gardens.

West Gardens and Terraces

The West (upper and lower) Terrace and Garden form a courtyard in between the original structure and the newly constructed annex building. It's super quiet and allows you to forget about the noisy traffic on the adjacent Florida Ave. Please have your wedding on the Terrace. Do it for me. Wait, no, don't do it for me - do it for you, because it's gorgeous : )

East Gardens and Terraces

The East Gardens and Terraces are also located on Florida Ave NW, as well the much quieter Decatur Place NW and Phelps Place NW. They're just as stunning as the West Gardens and make an excellent spot for smaller receptions.

Foyer

This wide open space with amazing natural light and beautiful staircase is great for both portraits or an indoor cocktail hour.

You can read much more about these spaces on the Friends Meeting of Washington site.

Pricing

Rental fees for Friends Meeting of Washington are very reasonable for a venue in Dupont, leaving you plenty of budget available for delicious food and a live band : )

  • Elopement / Micro Wedding Ceremony (Venue Only)
    • $500 for one hour on-site
    • $1000 for two hours on-site
  • Elopements
    • $2350 for two hours on-site
    • $2850 for three hours on-site
    • Both packages include setup and cleanup, as well as a wedding planner and choice of one space. More details on their website.
  • Micro Weddings
    • $3350 for three hours on-site
    • $4100 for four hours on-site
    • Both packages include setup and cleanup
    • These packages include a planner as well as a choice of up to two ceremony and reception spaces. Again, there's a lot more included, so check out the website for detailed info!
  • Additional packages for a combined ceremony and reception range from $2500 to $6500.
  • As an aside, micro is the new mini, and soon there will be nano, and pico, and femto-weddings. Nano would be when just the couple shows up and pico would be when only the bride or groom show up. I haven't fully defined femto yet, but this should be a reminder to learn your metric prefixes.

Here you can read more detailed information about their wedding packages.

Location

Friends Meeting of Washington is located at 2111 Florida Avenue, NW | Washington, DC 20008. You can view a map below.

It's also located right down the street from the Spanish Steps where I've photographed some other weddings.

If you choose to have your ceremony at the Spanish Steps, you can hold your reception at Friends Meeting of Washington, which provides an excellent and super-close reception space to make it easy for your guests to get to.

You can also get married and have your reception at Friends Meeting of Washington, and we'll be able to walk down to the steps for some awesome portraits.

Proximity is key when it comes to efficient wedding planning!

Contact Information

You can reach out to their event and rental manager, Brian Lutenegger, via email at eventspace@quakersdc.org, using their contact form, or by phone at 202-483-3310. Zoom and FaceTime tours are also available!

If you found this helpful, here are some more venue articles.


I'm Chris and my mission is to capture bold, modern, and distinctive photos for unconventional couples. I want to make you look epic, awesome, amazing, beautiful, and dapper – all the things you like and none of the things you don’t. Most importantly, I want to capture what makes you you.

If this sounds like you and your partner, I’d love to hear more about your dream wedding! Please reach out to me regarding availably and pricing. You can also e-mail me at chris@chrisferenzi.com.