An Intimate Garden Micro Wedding at Tudor Place & 1789 in Washington DC
A (RARE) MICRO WEDDING AT TUDOR PLACE. See why:
There's something about a spring micro wedding in Georgetown: the gardens in full bloom and the light soft and golden. This April, we had the joy of helping a couple marry in one of DC's most storied gardens, surrounded by the people who raised them, before celebrating with forty of their favorite people at an iconic Georgetown restaurant. It was tender, it was elegant, and yes, there were happy tears at every turn.
The ceremony took place at Tudor Place, a National Historic Landmark tucked into the heart of Georgetown. If you've never wandered its grounds, picture five and a half acres of formal gardens - clipped boxwood, heirloom roses, winding gravel paths - surrounding a graceful Federal-period mansion. The house was designed by Dr. William Thornton, the architect of the U.S. Capitol, and completed in 1816. It was built by Thomas Peter and Martha Custis Peter, a granddaughter of Martha Washington, and stayed in the same family for six generations before opening to the public. In other words: history, beauty, and quiet all in one place.
Here's the part worth noting if you're dreaming of a garden wedding of your own: Tudor Place no longer hosts weddings. But thanks to our long-standing relationship with the venue, they'll occasionally welcome a Tiny Wedding Co. couple to marry on site with a very small guest list. It's one of those quiet perks of working with us - access to spaces that simply aren't available to most couples. For this pair, that meant an exquisite, deeply private ceremony in a garden very few people ever get to say "I do" in.
a micro wedding surrounded by only their closest family
True to the spirit of the day, the guest list for the ceremony was the most intimate it gets: only the couple's parents and siblings. The bride walked toward her future escorted by her parents, radiant in a sleek, modern gown finished with an elegant neck shawl that draped down her back. In her hands was a loose, romantic springtime bouquet: mostly soft white blooms with the gentlest pops of pastel pink and buttery yellow. The groom waited at the end of the aisle in a classic black tuxedo, a boutonniere at his lapel.
What followed was about as romantic as a ceremony can be. Hand in hand beneath the trees, the couple exchanged their vows as their officiant looked on and their closest family watched from just a few feet away. There were tears - the good kind - and a palpable sense that this was exactly as it should be: small, sacred, and overflowing with love.
And then, the finale: a dramatic dip kiss right at the end of the aisle. Cue the cheers.
a fun dance with the people who started it all
After the ceremony, the couple shared one of our favorite moments of the entire day: a sweet, spontaneous celebration with their parents, swaying together to Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered." It was joyful and a little silly and exactly the kind of memory you hope to give the people who've loved you the longest. Family portraits followed, capturing the small circle who witnessed the vows up close.
micro wedding portraits in the garden: just the couple
With a setting like Tudor Place, portrait time was effortless. The couple wandered the grounds, pausing among the roses and the boxwood parterres for photos that look like they belong in a storybook. The bride had a request for a motion blur shot of them running through a field and our photographer was more than happy to deliver!
a bigger but still micro celebration at 1789 in georgetown
From there, the couple headed to 1789, the iconic Georgetown restaurant set inside a charming Federal-era townhouse, where forty of their nearest and dearest were waiting to celebrate. With its exposed wood-beamed ceilings, framed art, and warm, candlelit rooms, 1789 is the kind of place that feels both refined and intimate - a perfect match for the day.
The newlyweds made an entrance to applause and cheers, hands raised, faces lit up with pure joy.
After hugging their way through the room, the couple stood up at their table and exchanged personal, heartfelt vows once more - this time in front of their whole gathering. It was their way of letting everyone in on the promises they'd made privately that afternoon. Suffice to say, there wasn't a dry eye in the room.
Then came the toasts. The couple's two best friends each stood to speak and didn’t hold back. They spoke about friendships that had grown and deepened over the years, about how perfectly matched the two are, and about the way this couple consistently shows up - for their families, for their friends, for everyone lucky enough to be in their orbit. Heartfelt, funny, and full of love, the toasts had the whole room reaching for tissues all over again.
From there, the night settled into exactly the kind of celebration you'd want: a delicious dinner, the couple's favorite songs playing in the background, and easy conversation among people who love them. To cap off the evening, they cut a petite single-tier cake adorned with blush and butter-yellow garden roses - a sweet, simple finish to a day brimming with meaning.
why we loved this intimate dc micro wedding
This wedding is everything we believe a micro wedding can be: a ceremony in a garden most couples never get to access, a guest list pared down to the people who matter most, and a celebration that traded scale for sheer meaning. The private vows at Tudor Place, the second vows at 1789, the dance with their parents, the toasts that wrecked everyone in the best way — none of it required a big production. It just required heart.
Tiny wedding. Big love. Right in the heart of Georgetown.
Dreaming of an intimate garden wedding in DC — maybe even at a venue you didn't think was possible? Inquire about your date and what we can make happen together.
