Long Wedding Tables at Meridian House
Today I’m writing about how to set up long wedding tables in the Linden Grove for your wedding reception dinner. But I have written about all the facets of Meridian House weddings over at The Ultimate Guide to Meridian House Weddings.
Why do I love planning weddings at Meridian House? It is a special DC event venue that wows wedding guests with its beauty and history. Each room inside this French-architecture-inspired mansion is well-appointed but also unique from each of the others. There are two lovely outdoor spaces, the Garden and the Linden Grove, that offer two distinct outdoor experiences for wedding guests.
Meridian House is a very popular wedding venue in DC, with Saturdays fully selling out more than a year in advance. This means that the on-site staff and DC vendors get a lot of reps, resulting in a smooth process for the couple and their wedding guests. The rules and regulations are clear, concise, and experienced wedding pros can navigate them with ease.
All photos, unless otherwise noted, were made by Jasmine Yab, who was a delight to work with.
Meridian House Room Names
What ceremony and reception spaces are available at Meridian House? First, let’s get on the same page. Here is a blank floor plan of Meridian House with the names of the different rooms.
There are a few different wedding day flows available to you at Meridian House. Today we are talking about hosting your wedding dinner at long tables in the Linden Grove. This reception set-up defaults us to a “Plan A” ceremony in the garden with a “Plan B” ceremony in the Loggia. Your “Plan B” for dinner is in the Library and Drawing Room. And the space at Meridian House designated for dancing is the Dining Room.
A Garden Wedding Ceremony:
In the garden, you can either tuck your wedding ceremony all the way back in the left corner, or you can set up more adjacent to the large tree. Being closer to the large tree requires a smaller guest list because the tree roots upset the ceremony chairs.
Top photo by Jasmine Yab. Above photo by MK McKenna.
Wedding Ceremony Indoors at Meridian House: Floor Plan
The point of this blog post is to show you how to do long wedding tables at Meridian House. But I wanted to also share with you the default set-up for a wedding ceremony in the Loggia. Consider this your bonus floor plan. Note that in this case, you wouldn’t want the large, in-house oval table set up in the Gallery.
Long Wedding Tables in the Linden Grove
If you have fewer than about 125 guests (double-check that head count with the venue manager!), you can set up long tables in the Linden Grove and have an al fresco wedding reception. The long tables you use need to be narrow. Three feet (36 inches) wide is perfect for place settings on each side and a little decor in the middle. Each table should be 8 feet (96 inches) long if you are looking to max out chairs at long wedding tables.
The above floor plan is for 122 seats. Incorporating a sweetheart table will likely leave fewer possible seats for your wedding guests at the long tables.
What kind of couple will love Meridian House? Almost all couples! I have worked with many different couples on their Meridian House weddings. A&N had a traditional and elegant aesthetic. L&P had a more contemporary and colorful design. Most recently, B&D had a crafty, whimsical wedding at Meridian House. This DC venue has a strong aesthetic; it is by no means a blank slate, but couples with a clear design POV can work with Meridian House instead of working against it.
Long Wedding Tables: Insider Tips
My insider tips for doing long wedding tables in the Linden Grove at Meridian House are as follows:
- You have to leave space for your wedding guests to walk from the Loggia to the Garden for the ceremony (and back inside for the cocktail hour.)
- Someone might try to tell you that you can technically seat 4 people on each side of a 96-inch-long table, But you cannot do that in the Linden Grove. You need leeway to place the chairs among the Linden trees. This means you will be seating at most three people on each side of each table.
- You need a comprehensive Rain Plan that will likely differ significantly from the long wedding tables at the Linden Grove. The Drawing Room and the Library cannot accommodate 125 guests at rectangular tables only. You will want to have round tables on reserve and a Plan B seating chart ready if weather forces you indoors. Oftentimes, I have found that when you are fully prepared for Plan B, you don’t have to enact it.
- A 36-inch wide table will accommodate a place setting on each side and a bit of decor down the middle. A dinner plate is 10 inches, and you need 3-4 inches for your tabletop glassware. Your floral designer needs to know the lack of space for decor on these long wedding tables.
- We got these awesome farm tables from Barnes!
If you are interested in more expert advice on tables and seating, please read How Many Wedding Guests Fit at a Table.
What is the cost to rent Meridian House? Based on the most recent information I have access to, the cost to rent Meridian House is in the $18,000 range. They do offer lower rates on off-peak dates.
What is on our bucket list for Meridian House weddings? We have done ceremonies in the Garden, the Linden Grove, and the Loggia. Could we consider a ceremony in front of the stunning Meridian House front doors, with guests seated in the driveway? I estimate that 100 guests could be seated comfortably there. I would love to try this option out!
Above photos: Spring Wedding at Meridian House byTerri Baskin (left). The Winter Wedding at Meridian House by Procopio Photo (right).
Meridian House Facts
- Address: 1630 Crescent Place NW, Washington D.C., 20009
- Phone: 202-667-6800
- Website: https://meridian.org/rental/
- Capacity: 150 for a seated dinner
- What’s Included: white folding chairs for outdoor use; light wood chivari chairs for indoor use, and a large inventory of various event tables
- Catering Options: Meridian House has a list of exclusive caterers that you will pick from for your wedding
If you are looking for help planning your Meridian House wedding, or have additional questions about using long wedding tables in the Linden Grove, please reach out to us!
Photo by Procopio Photo.
