The United States National Arboretum

Arboretum requires a lot of coordination which Natalie and team helped make happen seamlessly.

tos turned out so beautifully. Natalie was extremely helpful in making sure we understood the cost breakdown and was very helpful on our initial tour as well as during the week of the event. One note to keep in mind about booking this venue - you do have to rent/bring absolutely everything in because it's an arboretum, so it does make planning more complicated. In our mind, it was completely worth it!

wering Tree Pad. Thanks to glorious weather and the wonderful support we received from Natalie and her great vendors, our special day at the National Arboretum was perfect!

d was super responsive to everything that we needed, as was her staff on wedding day. We live in Northeast and had about 130 guests, and, for us, the scene there with the columns and the flowers created the perfect outdoor Washington wedding that wasn't bash-you-over-the-head Washington. We had the same experience as many other reviewers who reported effusive compliments from their guests. Many of ours (most importantly, my mom) raved about the scene, the green rolling meadow, the golden sunset and the flowering gardens. We targeted late-April because with climate change, sadly, we suspected even May might be way too hot. We got a mild sunny day with a high of about 70 degrees. It was perfect for ceremony guests to sit in and for us to march around for photos during the day, and still warm enough that we didn't have to pay for heaters to keep reception guests warm under the tent after dark. It turned out to be peak bloom for the arboretum's azaleas (which didn't last more than a couple weeks) so it was just the right time to catch the most vibrant colors and stunning photos. A couple things to be mindful of. The arboretum is on a bit of a hill, which can draw a slight wind, so make sure you have a DJ who can handle that for the ceremony audio and that your stylists use enough hair spray for a good hold. Best to bring a little bottle with you to be sure you can refresh if necessary. And on the whole it can be a little more expensive than it seems for larger weddings. Once you have a few dozen people, you're required to have a tent if you want a dance floor. The sit managers do explain that in advance, but, for us anyway, the estimated costs ended up being less than half of the final total. Tenting is the only vendor that you don't have a choice for, and costs can escalate once you have to cover the caterer's operations, do extra safeguards for the wind, etc. etc. No complaints though -- it was still worth it for us -- just something to be mindful of for the cost-conscious because it was the hardest cost for us to keep within our budget.

vendors and every other question you might have along the way. Her guidance for our 260-person wedding in July 2023 was invaluable. Unfortunately, it rained on our big day (stressful to say the least!) and Natalie was beyond prepared with a poncho and a smile, ensuring that the day went off without a hitch despite the weather. The venue itself is incredible and we are still getting comments about how breathtaking our Meadow ceremony and pics at the columns were. Not to mention how unforgettable it was to dance under a beautiful tent all night. A truly magical experience ✨ We cannot recommend the Arboretum enough as a wedding venue. It was the backdrop for the wedding of our dreams and we are so grateful to Natalie and her team for making it happen!

so you have the whole place to just yourselves and your guests. The event coordinator, Natalie, was also very courteous, professional, helpful, and accommodating. There are some basic rules (no open flames, etc) that you have to follow, as at the end of the day it is a national park. Be assured, though, that because of how FONA manages the Arboretum a Government shutdown will not threaten your wedding! We were fortunate that our wedding was on a clear day, but do be aware that if you need a rain plan you have to either reserve a tent (the tent vendor requires a 50% nonrefundable deposit in advance) or utilize the auditorium at the Visitor Center. Weather permitting, we honestly think you cannot find a more beautiful outdoor venue!

at what they do. She was very communicative and helped ensure everything ran smoothly.

— a lush outdoor enclave just a short drive from downtown DC — it was the perfect canvas for all of my wedding ideas, aesthetic and otherwise. There’s no place like this in DC. The vendors they work with are also fabulous—we loved our planner (Cheers Darling), our caterer (Spilled Milk), and our florist (Ash to Oak) so so much. Our wedding was as beautiful as I’d hoped it would be. And now we go back to the Arboretum as often as we can, for annual family photos and special occasion family picnics—our wedding venue is part of our lives. If they have an open date—take it!!!

able to have all of our wedding day events in one place, moving from the Meadow (ceremony), to the Herb Garden (cocktail hour), to the al fresco Water Garden (reception). Working with MTG Hospitality made the process super smooth and Natalie was such a pleasure to work with, always very responsive and helpful, from our initial venue visit, to the walkthrough, and the big day. The Arboretum is truly a gem of an outdoor space, with the convenience of being right in Washington, DC. We would pick this venue again in a heartbeat!

from start to finish, Natalie was a patient, helpful, thoughtful and highly communicative guide in helping plan our June wedding. The day went off without a hitch due to the smoothness of her and her teams help with planning and execution. They accommodated special requests (like a private last dance in the columns ), answered a million questions (sometimes more than once) and just generally made sure we were happy, taken care of, and as stress free as they could make us on the day and in the many months of planning beforehand. I’d recommend an Arboretum wedding to anyone and Natalie and the MTG hospitality team to everyone. Thank you, Natalie!

ision for our wedding day. We had our ceremony in the meadow, cocktail hour in the herb garden, and reception in the Flowering Tree Pad and it was all stunning. For couples considering the Arboretum, I would recommend considering a few things - none of which hindered our experience: - Make sure you are really, really comfortable with your rain plan since the venue is primarily outdoors and DC weather is... DC weather! - The Arboretum is a great 'blank slate' venue -- but that also means you have to bring in everything - Understand the considerations & costs with the various locations on the property you can have your wedding. We had our reception in the Flowering Tree Pad and there were a few things that snuck up on us (bathroom trailer, lighting the columns), but we are very happy we invested in them

ddings we have done at the Arboretum have run smoothly.

ony and cocktail hour -- based on the size of your party. We had almost 200 guests so we held our ceremony in the 'meadow'... a field overlooking the Capital Columns. You reach the meadow by walking through the Knot Garden and adjacent herb garden. Our cocktail hour was then at the 'water pond', a deck outside the main building wrapped with a coy pond and water fountains. Our ceremony was held under a tent in the Northern Terrace, located just on the other side of the main building in a clearing. Weather is definitely a factor but we lucked out and had one of the most gorgeous days an October has ever seen, and given the season we had nice bright pops of yellow and red as the tree colors had begun changing. Everything looked incredible and we (and our guests) were just in awe of the natural beauty around us. The downsides with the Arboretum is the tent requirement, including generator, some lighting, etc.. but the tent was absolutely stunning with lights underneath. We did rent heaters but didn't need them since it was such a beautiful day. Natalie is the event coordinator who worked with us the entire time, helping to recommend vendors and make other great suggestions along the way. She was super fun and easy to communicate with, incredibly responsive, and was there to make the magic happen on our wedding night. She saved the groom's shirt from a permanent stain with a timely tide pen during the reception as well! 10/10 want to get married again so we can do it all over at the Arboretum.

dditional space for us so we could fit all the guests, catering, and band. Definitely more than value for money.

ion in the city. It was beautiful and so nice to have the ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception all at the same venue, but in three different locations. Highly recommend it!

little breeze and our guests were totally mesmerized by the beauty of it all. And Natalie! What an amazing person to work with -- I knew we were in great hands from the moment we met her for our first venue tour. She was so helpful in recommending vendors to help bring our vision to life. If you want the perfect outdoor venue to wow your guests and have the most memorable day, book the Arboretum asap! I would do this again in a heartbeat.

eremony at the Capitol Columns and dinner at the Koi Pond (near the Visitors Center). One thing to be aware of--you will have additional costs for tent placement (prices vary by location on the grounds).

e flexible layouts for our ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception and 2) NATALIE! Natalie was everything we could have hoped for from a vendor perspective -- she was honest with us about what worked well (or didn't) at the venue, she was responsive, she was excited and helpful on the actual day, and she certainly helped make sure everything went off without a hitch -- including helping our guests navigate with ubers/lyfts at the end of the night.

in the Capitol. Covid was an ongoing and constant concern for us and safety + comfort levels of our guests. The outdoor space gave us peace of mind with the added benefit of not having to worry about the perpetual mask on/mask off mandates du jour. That being said, for intimate and safety sake we opted for a small family ceremony in the herb garden followed by a tented reception in the meadow to include our best of friends. A perfect indoor/outdoor option. I'd usually subscribe to more being more but the space is already so plush and gorgeous you don't need to kill yourself over added decor. It would be like bringing sand to the beach. (I'll note: Sidra Forman did our flowers. Bouquets, installations around catering, centerpieces etc. - They were beyond stunning - and you can NEVER have too many flowers) With our wedding being in the fall- the sun starts to set a little earlier so we paid a lighting company to have the columns lit up - it was worth every penny. They glowed in the distance and set a dreamy / historical mood. Made for the most romantic and special photos too!! Natalie and her team are responsive, professional, offered creative solutions at every turn - provided great vendor suggestions and all around were a delight to work with. My excitement and concerns were always mirrored by Natalie and team. I felt as though we were mutually invested in the wedding and the outcome was equally important to them. I could not recommend this venue any more. I feel so very lucky to have had the opportunity to get married at The National Arboretum and start our lives together surrounded by such beauty. A sincere thank you to all.

to find it... until we visited the National Arboretum. DC is a bustling place, which is why we live here and love it. But for our wedding, we wanted to feel transported to some place truly special, unique, and connected with nature. The Arboretum IS that place. People often choose venues hours outside the city because they want that connection with nature, but then guests have to drive back or find lodging in far away places because the infrastructure isn't there to support large events. The Arboretum represents the best of both worlds. It encompasses the natural untamed beauty you want to lose yourself in, but is within the city and conveniently co-located among top wedding vendors and services. You really can have it all. Furthermore, top notch ratings go to Natalie and her team for running a tight ship. Highly responsive, highly professional, and will do whatever they can to make sure your special day is exactly that. The National Arboretum exceeded our expectations. We couldn't have asked for a better day.

lanning process, especially when we moved our dates from 2020 to 2021. We had our ceremony in the meadow, cocktail hour in the herb garden, and then had our tent in the tent pad which had a beautiful view of the columns in the background. We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful venue in Washington, D.C. In addition to the ceremony and reception we were able to take our wedding party photos in various different parts of the arboretum. Each area is as stunning as the next! Late October was perfect timing for the leaves changing. I couldn't recommend the National Arboretum and Natalie enough!!

. In Fall 2021, we had a classic and beautiful ceremony in the herb garden with 45 of our closest loved ones and it was followed by a cocktail hour reception to include all the sweet traditions of a wedding (first dance, toasts, ceremonial cake cutting, etc.). There were so many things we loved about this venue. For instance, the natural beauty of the herb garden was breathtaking. We barely had to decorate because the greenery was already built in. Secondly, this venue was not like a hotel where it could be torn down 20 years from now - it is federal land and will be here for the years to come. Lastly, Natalie was excellent to work with from start to finish. She answered all of our questions along the way and was extremely kind, helpful, and professional. All in all, our wedding was everything we could have wished for and more and we are so happy we went with our first choice to get married at the National Arboretum. The golf cart was also a huge bonus in getting around the grounds. Highly recommend to all!

orable and one-of-a-kind event venue.

f all of the changes that happened throughout our planning due to COVID, etc.

any decor; the majesty of the columns and beauty of the surrounding nature was perfect on its own. Highly recommend it if you're looking for a ceremony location that is natural and outdoors but still has some of the grandeur and focus of a more traditional venue.

nk you FONA!

ent vendor suggestions, as well!

y and a champagne toast in the Herb Garden and it was perfect for our micro wedding. The arboretum is a magical place, and Natalie and her team made our wedding day go so smoothly. We’re so thankful!

ctual event. She worked with us when we were able to invite more guests, provided vendor recommendations, and even helped clear the chairs at the end of the ceremony. The location was wonderful, and Natalie made sure everything went smoothly.

to schedule yet a third date. However, after stumbling across that the Arboretum does weddings (one of our favorite spots in DC), we couldn't resist and it was a great decision. If you haven't been to the Arboretum, don't wait any longer. It's a hidden (or not so hidden anymore) gem of DC perfect for weddings. The grounds are gorgeous, and there are so many romantic, stunning spots for your first-look, ceremony, and reception. The Arboretum offers multiple wedding options that accommodate different needs and budgets. Leading up to our anniversary party and at the event, Natalie (runs private events for the Arboretum) was a dream to work with. She's friendly, genuine, super responsive, accommodating, and a problem solver. She made our day stress-free and helped us to enjoy every moment of it. We cannot recommend the Arboretum enough to newly engaged couples - you'd be lucky to get married there!

of local venues and perspectives! Super host. She was responsive and flexible and very accommodating. The arboretum was a dream location to hold our wedding at and we’d recommend it to anyone and everyone! Built in florals and endless picture opportunities that are so unique to you! Also, the money goes to supporting research at the Arboretum. Our signature cocktail was made from honey harvested at the Arboretum. What’s not to love?

commend this place for your special day.

on would be ideal and beautiful for hosting our wedding celebration. You will not be disappointed with your selection of the Arboretum as your outdoor venue! There are many locations for a first look, beauty everywhere, and the beauty of the park greeting you throughout the day. Natalie was fantastic and we couldn't thank her enough for making the day easy for us.

so far from our early October wedding have blown us away so much that we can't wait to go back and reminisce. In fact, our biggest regret is how quick our micro-wedding was. We would have loved to spend even more of our day at the Arboretum - it was just perfect location and it felt special to start our life together while supporting a (USDA) National Park! And, a BIG shout out to our wonderful venue coordinator, Natalie! I got my veil caught in a bush right before walking up to the altar and Natalie rushed over to help me. I will never forget that and her helpfulness! We also forgot our flower petals for our ceremony exit and Natalie rushed my fiance over to the guest center and back before we could blink to help us fix the problem! She is great. For couples considering the Arboretum, we say go for it! It will be so special and you will love the location. One last tip, I'd also suggest coordinating through your photographer for a professional videographer. We regret not having done that, but everything else was great.

s always responsive and had our best interests at heart. I can't rave enough about her. I am pretty sure I've thanked her a million times. The National Arboretum is a beautiful venue!! You can not go wrong by choosing this for your wedding.

e National Arboretum was available for weddings and reached out to Natalie in December 2019, toured the venue in January 2020, and were ready to commit on the spot. Planning a May 2021 wedding amidst the uncertainty of the pandemic has felt stressful, but having Natalie in our corner has helped us keep moving forward. She has been responsive from the moment we met, answering all of our questions (big and small) with kindness and timeliness, and has provided us with so many vendor connections along the way. The conversations I’ve had with vendors thus far indicate that Natalie is held in high regard by her industry colleagues -- “I love working with Natalie” is something I’ve heard multiple times now! And it’s true. It’s been a pleasure to work with her and I highly, highly, highly recommend reaching out to her!

bo-- they were of course going to charge us full amount if WE cancelled, and refund the full amount if THEY cancelled, but the third option was to augment our venue rental to something more suited to these times: cancel the cocktail hour and reception rental and rent only the ceremony time and space. Natalie was flexible in this regard and I think that should be recognized. Many friends have lost thousands because of rigid contracts to venue sites, and this venue vendor was not one of those types. The tent company however is another story! We basically had to argue with them for 1/6 of our money back. (A Grand Event Tents). AND, Something Vintage has locked us into rescheduling and paying the rest of our order for some future event...except we are moving ... so, yeah no thanks. I am not the person asking for all our money back, We donated our flowers to staff at GW Hospital, we asked for nothing back from our small vendors (hair, makeup, coordinator, photog, dj...) and they in-turn, released us from paying the rest of the balance. So, instead of paying for and hosting a ceremony, cocktail reception and wedding reception, we only hosted a "ceremony" and instead of marrying during this time that we rented, we held a Forest Bathing ceremony in honor of the Summer Solstice. Natalie was flexible with us and will be refunding our money for the cocktail and event reception time that we were obviously not able to host. We, therefore, wound up paying for the ceremony time only. PROs: The obvious: the vistas and flora and fauna are breathtaking and spiritually and healthfully rejuvenating. Natalie is friendly and easy to communicate with. Free parking on site. Many options for event locations within the space itself. Bathrooms onsite. CONs: you are forced to use one tent company. We were almost about to spend $30K...YES! $30K for just the tent. Basically half of our budget. A dance floor, sub floor (because after thinking it over, I didn't want to force folx into digging heels into the ground or changing their footwear to flats bc I've been that person that was perturbed when my outfit has to be adjusted for flats), lighting, the vendor road, coverings over the poles and rigging, & install. We could not shop around. And we were not told about how expensive the tent features including the road YOU ARE FORCED TO PURCHASE. SO, sure, you could order a tent for from this co. for about 12-15K but it is the BAREST OF BONES. That and the no fire ... so no candles and you have to provide ground lighting for guests to navigate to the main building for the bathrooms which is fine but something you should consider as a part of your DIY time. Finally, please I encourage everyone to provide non-toxic bug repellent for your guests because the chemicals may be microscopic, but they are systemic and potent...they kill. And this beautiful haven houses many living beings small and large. So please please be loving toward them and ourselves by supplying Badger bug spray or some other great brand. Thanks for listening. https://www.badgerbalm.com/c-46-natural-bug-repellents.aspx

e with her and highly recommend this phenomenal venue

d be. The setting is so gorgeous with both planted and wild flowers as well as open fields. The vendors we had to choose from were wonderful. We chose to have our reception in the tent included in the June wedding package and it was perfect. DC doesn’t have a whole lot of options for outdoor venues so if you get the chance to book here, do it! You will not be disappointed.

would recommend this place and the event company to anyone!

pitol columns were a beautiful backdrop for our ceremony and are where we took all of our pre-ceremony photos including our first look. Natalie and her team were extremely helpful and responsive and listened to all of our requests. The day ran extremely smoothly.

the ability to create a personal and classic wedding. We couldn't have asked for anything more!

tudes, and busy schedules. We had a beautiful, seamless, scenic, but somehow laid-back wedding at the National Arboretum. We had confused out-of-town family, drunk guests, drunk family, confused out-of-town guests, the whole show. Because of Natalie and her team at NcNeese Thomas it went perfectly. She not only handled the location and day-of logistics, but put us in touch with our world class - search "Spilled Milk Catering" - caterer, who just nailed it. On the day of we didn't have to lift a finger, somehow it all just worked out, right down to helping the old folks with Uber and making sure we walked off with some much-needed leftovers. The "somehow" was Natalie and the McNeese Thomas Group.