Mellon Auditorium is Reopening!
Ridgewells Catering has been awarded the contract to manage (and presumably cater) events at the Mellon Auditorium. Yay!
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In December 2021, the Andrew Mellon Auditorium abruptly canceled all of its event contracts beyond February 2022 in order to close for renovations. At this time, no reopening date has been posted. Mellon Auditorium was one of the largest venues in the DC area, so if you were looking at a 250+ guest list, Mellon was likely on your list. It was also a very ornate venue, a historic building in the Neoclassical style, which also would put it on a list for couples looking for a certain style.
This is wild because we just wrote about how the National Museum for Women in the Arts closed for two years for their renovations in Fall 2021.
If Mellon Auditorium was at the top of your venue search list, what venues should now be considered instead? Here are some ideas.
Large, Elegant DC Wedding Venues:
If you are looking for a similar style and size to the Mellon Auditorium:
The Willard Intercontinental Hotel – has in-house catering
National Portrait Gallery (it’s worth looking at several of the Smithsonians, actually)
Union Station – has exclusive catering by Design Cuisine
National Museum for Women in the Arts (if you like NMWA, you can also check out these similar venues)
Large, Contemporary DC Wedding Venues:
If you just need a big venue like the closed Mellon Auditorium but are flexible on the style:
Dock 5 – industrial and loft-style
The International Spy Museum – a contemporary ballroom with floor to ceiling windows, plus a rooftop overlooking Hains Point
The Ronald Reagan Building Atrium – has in-house catering, contemporary in style
The Schuyler – contemporary in style
Intercontinental at the Wharf – has in-house catering – a contemporary ballroom with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the Wharf
