Hotel Heron: The Cool Factor the Old Town Wedding Scene So Desperately Needed
For as long as I can remember I’ve been talking about (or maybe manifesting?) how Old Town desperately needed a “cool” wedding venue. For years we’ve watched as our neighbors across the river have opened trendy hotel after trendy hotel perfectly poised to book brides who want vibrant, fresh, aesthetic weddings. While we love the history and tradition of Old Town, I think everyone in the wedding community has wanted a venue that could compete with the D.C. cool factor. Enter Hotel Heron.
Up until very recently I had visited Hotel Heron only for an event on the rooftop and dinner at Kiln with girlfriends. The hotel has a vibe, and if you’ve been there you know it. History meets modern meets eclectic meets warm is how I’d describe the furnishings and finishes. Every detail has been selected with care and thought. When I was invited back to the hotel in my official florist capacity to collaborate on a wedding styled shoot, I hoped I would find the same feel carried through to the events space.
The ballroom is what I’d call an intimate size – it caters to weddings of around 120 guests and under. It comfortably fits round dinner tables, a bar, and a dance floor. Where it really shines: it’s the perfect blank canvas. No horrible hotel carpeting, no tacky light fixtures. The room has soaring ceilings, is flooded with natural light, and has the wood floors of every bride’s dreams. Little details that most don’t consider – like cool guest restrooms and cool bar furniture – are all a signature of the hotel. (Seriously though, the bathrooms are all out of a magazine with interesting tilework and finishes)
It took little to no arm twisting to rope in a few equally excited vendor friends to help pull off a beautiful styled shoot at the Hotel Heron just a few weeks later. DC Rental supplied us with gorgeous olive colored velvet linens and trendy black chairs that brought life into the room. Our fellow Stylebook member, Penny Post, supplied us with a gorgeous suite of printed invitations and menu cards. And new friend, Global Bridal, provided us with an amazing wedding gown for the bridal suite. For flowers, Helen Olivia dreamed up a modern palette of neutrals with touches of caramel.
My favorite part of the shoot: watching people walking by stick their heads in to see the new space all dressed up. The common theme: everyone is so excited to see a new hotel open its doors, and especially one that puts Alexandria on the map for “cool” weddings!
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