It’s pretty well known that Washington, DC is home to Our Nation’s Capital, The White House, endless museums, and oh, about a dozen or so infamous monuments. Those facts alone mean that nearly every weekend in DC you can find yourself in a swarm of tourists. I love something about the hustle and bustle of a wedding day in the city and clearly so do many brides and grooms. It’s truly such a unique and iconic place to hold your big day — you may just want to hire transportation to save you a headache! 

While, generally, the city is more than manageable on weekends even during the busiest times of year, there are a few weekends you may want to avoid planning your wedding! 

INAUGURATION WEEKEND
Yes, it only comes every four years, but when it does, the city is essentially shut down by the events, parades, and influx of tourists here to see the next president. It’s important to note that the inauguration is always held on January 20th, so while it may fall mid-week, it still can leave early arrivers or late departers in it’s wake.  

CHERRY BLOSSOM PARADE
Oh those pesky little blossoms! They are so incredibly beautiful (see this cherry blossom engagement session!) but also so finicky based on the temperatures that year. One thing is for certain, the Cherry Blossom Parade goes on as scheduled whether or not they have yet to bloom. This causes many road closures which could make getting to your wedding impossible for out of town guests. 

GRADUATION WEEKEND
This one often gets overlooked, but DC is home to Georgetown University, American University, and George Washington University — and those are just some of the major ones, there are at least 10 more! Many of these school’s graduation weekends fall on the same date in May and GWU actually holds theirs on the National Mall! All of those proud parents head into the city, creating a traffic nightmare. Check the locations and schedules ahead of time to know which areas, in particular, to avoid in May. 

PATRIOTIC HOLIDAYS
I’m looking at you, Memorial Day and Fourth of July. With so many memorials and monuments in the city, there are numerous events, parades, and ceremonies held to commemorate what these holidays mean for our country. 

NATIONAL TREE LIGHTING 
Many tourists visit DC in December to see the city under holiday lights — and believe me, it’s beautiful! It doesn’t tend to bring in any more tourist, however, than we are typically used to, except for the weekend of the National Tree Lighting ceremony. 

If your wedding ends up falling on one of these weekends, don’t stress! You’ve hired an amazing set of professionals who will be able to handle any given situation; it may just be best to give them a heads up so everyone knows to plan around any road closures and book room blocks far in advance. Your planner or photographer will help you find alternate locations off the beaten path for beautiful portraits in this wonderful city!