7 Beautiful Budget-Friendly DMV Wedding Venues Under 80 Guests

3 art galleries

1. The Athenaeum Gallery - Alexandria, Virginia

If you imagine your wedding surrounded by contemporary art in Old Town Alexandria, The Athenaeum is worth a look. The rental includes its galleries and courtyard, giving a smaller wedding distinct spaces for the ceremony, drinks, and dinner.

Published rental rate: $275 per hour Monday–Thursday, $445 per hour Friday or Sunday, and $545 per hour Saturday. Renters also need a $100 Northern Virginia Fine Arts Association membership; the venue requires a refundable security deposit.

Best fit: Up to 60 seated guests with a dance floor, or up to 80 seated without one. The courtyard seats up to 50 for a ceremony. For 60–79 guests who want both an outdoor ceremony and dancing, ask the venue to show you a workable layout before falling in love with the photos.

2. Principle Gallery - Alexandria, Virginia

Set inside a historic building on King Street, Principle Gallery offers an art-filled setting for a small wedding in Old Town Alexandria. The gallery welcomes both ceremonies and receptions.

Published rental rate: The second floor starts at $250 per hour Monday–Thursday, with a four-hour minimum. Friday and Saturday rentals are $500 per hour, with a five-hour minimum. A $175 cleaning fee applies per floor. Confirm the full quote for your date and setup with the gallery.

Best fit: Up to 50 guests for a seated dinner on the second floor. For a larger intimate wedding, ask about renting both floors and request a layout for your exact guest count. The historic building is not wheelchair accessible, so check whether it works for everyone you plan to invite.

3. Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington - Arlington, Virginia

MoCA Arlington offers rotating contemporary art exhibitions and a main event space with Tiffany stained-glass windows. The museum explicitly welcomes wedding ceremonies and receptions. It allows you to choose a caterer and stock your own bar, subject to its event rules.

Published starting rate: $3,250 for a three-hour event. The venue includes 75 chairs and some tables; longer coverage, additional chairs, and vendor services need to be priced into your quote.

Best fit: Couples looking for a creative, flexible space close to DC. Although the venue can accommodate up to 150, ask what a dinner and dance floor for fewer than 80 would look like.

Five historic, garden, and waterfront venues

4. Point of View — Lorton, Virginia

For a quieter celebration by the water, Point of View is designed for small weddings of up to 80 guests. Its setting offers indoor and outdoor space with views over Belmont Bay.

Published limited-setup option: $2,000 for exclusive use of the rental facility for eight hours. Setup and teardown must fit within those eight hours. Full-day and weekend wedding options are available by quote.

Best fit: A streamlined wedding with a manageable setup. If your ceremony, dinner, and vendor load-out need more time, ask for the full wedding package price instead of planning around the $2,000 rate.

5. Hendry House — Arlington, Virginia

Set within Fort C.F. Smith Park, Hendry House has porches, historic character, and a leafy setting. Its tables and chairs are included, and the house has a kitchen for caterers.

Published wedding rental rate: The county lists a five-hour Friday–Sunday rental at $3,000 for Arlington residents or $6,000 for out-of-county renters, plus a security deposit. Do not use the lower weekday event rate to budget a wedding: the venue explicitly says weekday day/evening rates do not apply to weddings or receptions.

Best fit: Up to 65 guests seated inside or 80 standing. The venue says it is accepting 2027 rentals and holds weddings April–November. Larger seated groups need to discuss tenting and its additional cost.

6. Carlyle House - Alexandria, Virginia

The gardens and Magnolia Terrace at Carlyle House bring historic Old Town charm close to King Street and the waterfront. It is particularly appealing if you want a garden ceremony and a neighborhood your guests can explore.

Published starting price: Rental options begin at $950. That is a starting figure for some options, not a confirmed price for a full ceremony and reception for 80. Ask for the wedding rental FAQ and a proposal for your exact format.

Best fit: A garden-forward celebration, especially if you are open to comparing ceremony-only and full-event options. Confirm guest capacity, rain plans, and the applicable package before treating the starting figure as your venue budge

7. Hollin Hall — Alexandria, Virginia

Hollin Hall is a Colonial Revival mansion set among landscaped grounds and a walled boxwood garden, about four miles south of Old Town Alexandria. Couples can hold a garden ceremony and celebrate inside the house. Visit Alexandria

Published wedding rate: The venue lists a seven-hour ceremony and reception rental at $4,000 from April through November, or $2,600 from December through March. Caterer setup and breakdown must fit within the rental period; food and other services are additional. Confirm current rates and what your chosen rooms include before booking. Hollin Hall Weddings & Events

Best fit: Couples who want a garden ceremony and a seated reception for fewer than 80 guests. Hollin Hall says the house seats approximately 80–90, depending on the setup, so request a floor plan for your guest count.

How to compare these venues fairly

Before booking tours, send the same short brief to each venue: your date or season, estimated guest count, whether you want ceremony and reception in one location, seated dinner or cocktail format, dancing, and the number of hours you need including vendor setup and cleanup. Then request an itemized quote and a floor plan for that exact setup.

An intimate wedding still has moving parts. Once you have chosen the venue and planned the celebration, Dream Out Loud Studio can step in before the big day to bring the details together. We provide boutique day-of coordination for weddings of up to 80 guests in Washington, DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia.