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The American Institute of Architects Reviews

The American Institute of Architects

The American Institute of Architects

Washington, DC
5.0 out of 5 rating, 34 Reviews
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Reviews

5.0 out of 5 rating
34 Reviews
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100% Recommended by couples

Awards

34
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2023 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2022 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2017 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2015 Winner
  • Madeline
    Madeline Sent on 11/10/2022
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    Perfect Team and Perfect Venue

    Amy and her team at AIA made our special day awesome. Amy was always responsive to our many questions and was very accommodating of requests for early vendor access - even allowing us to leave all of our items overnight from the rehearsal. We highly recommend the beautiful venue, Amy, and the ever friendly Rick in security too!
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    Eleni Sent on 09/25/2022
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    Amazing experience at AIA

    Our wedding at The American Institute of the Architects could not have gone any better! They were very responsive and flexible with meeting with us and our caterer. It is a beautiful location with both an indoor and outdoor space. We had such a magical day and can't thank AIA and Amy enough!
    **Photos in this review were taken by Morgan Elizabeth Photography**
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    Dan Sent on 11/15/2021
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    Great venue!

    The AIA worked out terrifically for us. There's a very cute courtyard that you can hold your ceremony (and probably your cocktail hour) in, weather permitting, and then the space inside is interesting and fun. Amy, the events coordinator, is terrific to work with. And it's a great value compared to other venues in the area (especially considering that it's right off the Mall and near the White House and downtown).
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    Megan Sent on 12/19/2021
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    The perfect downtown venue!

    AIA is such a special gem in the heart of downtown Washington, DC, and I am so grateful we were able to get married there! Amy made everything so easy, and we so appreciated her flexibility as we planned during COVID, her amazing communication throughout the process, and her excellent recommendations. The space itself is incredible- we loved the juxtaposition of the historical Octagon building and courtyard with the modern Architect's Institute. It provided the perfect setting for our "modern romantic urban" styled wedding. We wound up having both the ceremony and reception outside, but so appreciated having the option of being able to move it all inside if needed! Having access to the entire site was a real bonus, and the location of the venue was unbeatable. We cannot recommend this place enough for a unique, beautiful, and unforgettable wedding venue!
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    Pdub Sent on 10/25/2021
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    Beautiful Wedding

    Beautiful indoor and outdoor space. The venue was very responsive and communicative.
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    Mike B. Sent on 10/01/2021
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    Wedding Reception

    AIA review
    AIA was a pleasure to work with in planning our wedding reception. We booked the venue at the very start of the pandemic, and they were very accommodating with postponing our day. We hosted 100 guests in their outdoor courtyard and the weather turned out to be amazing in the late afternoon and evening. The location is in a great spot near the White House and hotels half a mile away. We were given the whole day of our reception to access and get everything set up with the vendors. Amy and her team at AIA helped make event coordination a very smooth process.
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    Cory M. Sent on 10/17/2021
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    Hidden Gem in D.C.

    AIA is nestled behind a brick wall just blocks from the White House. Inside the brick walls is a gorgeous outdoor courtyard with a well-manicured lawn and beautiful trees. The best thing about the venue is that you don't need need to do a lot to make it feel special. Amy (the manager) is excellent, responsive, and flexible. We used a bunch of different less traditional vendors and she helped us make sure that everything went smoothly.
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    Matthew S. Sent on 10/05/2021
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    A perfect 10

    Our wedding was originally scheduled back in May of 2020--a date we chose long before COVID. Over the course of multiple postponements and needing to change some vendors, the AIA folks were unfailingly flexible and helpful. The space is beautiful and especially perfect now, with a huge picturesque courtyard. Would recommend with zero hesitation.
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    Brittany S. Sent on 05/27/2022
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    Hidden Gem!

    This venue is hands down amazing! It's a beautifully situated venue gem in the middle of D.C. I love that the venue has historical and modern elements all in the same space! Also, Amy, Isabel, and Ricky will make sure your wedding goes off without a hitch! I just performed a wedding there last week and they were AMAZING! You won't be disappointed!
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    Shannon M. Sent on 11/02/2019
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    Amazing Venue!

    This is such an amazing and unique venue right downtown in DC! The weather was perfect and we were able to take advantage of the courtyard area. There are so many opportunities with how you use this space, which was a great perk! Amy was so wonderful to work with and very flexible. We absolutely loved AIA and highly recommend it!
  • Emily
    Emily O. Sent on 02/02/2020
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    Perfect alternative wedding venue!

    Absolutely splendid and lovely
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    Hana H. Sent on 11/13/2018
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    Beautiful Venue !

    The venue is beautiful - they have a large outdoor space and beautiful tall glass windows.

    We had a second day wedding party here and everything went seamlessly. It's sometimes hard to get a feel for the venue with a walk thru because it is a functioning work place, but the day of our event when we walked in our breath was taken away. The design of the building is gorgeous, so add some flowers and decor and the place is truly a stunner. It's also a great deal as the venue helps to provide tables and chairs & you have indoor and outdoor space for your use. Not to mention, Amy is super sweet and easy to work with.

    Definitely recommend for a wedding or special event !
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    Emilia Sent on 06/25/2018
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    The AIA was the prefect reception venue for us. We loved that it had a large outdoor space as well as space inside, just in case a rain plan was needed. We ended up not needing one and had cocktail hour and dancing outside and dinner inside. There were 130 guests and it never felt cramped. It was also so helpful having access to their tables and chairs.

    Amy was amazing to work with. We live in NC so couldn't make it to DC too often for wedding planning, but Amy was always willing to meet with our vendors and show them the space in our absence. She also allowed us to drop items off earlier in the week which was a huge help.

    Everything was so beautiful and we would select this venue again in a heartbeat!
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    Christi Sent on 01/20/2020
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    Wonderful event venue to hold your event

    As a special events planner, I have recommended this venue for weddings, corporate meetings and workshops, and non-profit signature events. The staff at the AIA is second to none. The events team is fantastic, so ready to help in any way they can. The security team is extremely helpful in giving direction and support. The rental rates are really competitive. The space is truly a hidden gem!
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    Nikki Sent on 09/06/2017
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    The AIA building in DC was the only venue we toured and we knew right away that it was made for us. The outdoor courtyard in front of the Octagon was amazing for our ceremony. We had initially hoped to have the cocktail hour and dancing outside as well, but we had to move those inside because of rain earlier in the day. Luckily, we were still able to keep the ceremony outside and it was truly magical.

    There's plenty of room indoors to fit at least 13 tables and a dance floor. The massive glass windows provided the most amazing natural light for photographs. And even though we couldn't have the dance floor outside, the windows made the space feel so open.

    Amy, who is the venue coordinator, was a pleasure to work with. She was so responsive and accommodating to all our needs. If you're looking for DC-area venues, please check out the AIA. We couldn't have asked for a better location for us.
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    Anna Sent on 07/19/2017
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    AIA and Amy Medawar are the absolute best! We had our ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception there in June 2017, and from the beginning Amy was a dream to work with. She met with us twice before we settled on the venue, and from there she was completely accommodating to all of our requests, big and small, and worked really well with all of our other vendors (Purple Onion is an awesome caterer for the space, as well!). All of our guests commented on how perfect the whole space was, mixing both modern and historic, and having the dance floor outside on the patio meant that pretty much everyone ended up dancing at some point.

    We were concerned that when we decided we really wanted to have our wedding in DC that we wouldn't be able to find a venue that fit what we wanted within our price range. AIA and Amy not only proved us wrong, but exceeded all of our expectations.
  • Emily
    Emily Sent on 08/24/2016
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    We cannot say enough good things about Amy and the American Institute of Architects where we held our wedding this (super hot) August. We wanted a venue that had indoor and outdoor space – the AIA has a beautiful brick and grass courtyard, plus multiple spaces inside. We were also delighted that the building is modern but has the brick wall and Octagon building visible, a sort of modern/historical contrast that we find to be cool.

    Because we knew the weather was going to be bad, we had everything inside with just a few cocktail tables set up outside. Inside on the first floor, we had the band in the corner behind the front desk with seating scattered about and a bar under the stairs; plus the card table (which turned into a dessert table) by the bottom of the stairs. We strung lights across the second floor balcony for added drama. We actually had our short ceremony on the stairs with our guests standing on the first floor - it worked! Upstairs, we had tables set for dinner and buffet. There is only a bathroom upstairs but that really wasn’t a big deal for us with this set up.

    One thing that turned out to be super convenient and a cost saver was that the venue actually had a certain number of tables and chairs that we could use! Renting tables is a pain in the butt and expensive, too. I was worried that the venue chairs would be too office-y, as this is an office building, but they ended up being totally fine. The venue also was very flexible on when things could be dropped off and picked up which makes it much easier for vendors and décor set up stuff.

    Amy was a dream to work with from our very first contact through getting us out the door at the end of the night. The venue was excellent, but her help really made it a breeze. We also really liked the AIA security and dock staff – they were fantastic!
  • Dawn
    Dawn Sent on 07/14/2016
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    Anyone longing to have a DC wedding but not the DC budget should definitely book this venue. It was an AMAZING value for the price. Amy is the Planning Manager and she was extremely helpful with everything we needed from the venue for our June 18, 2016 wedding. Oh and by the way you get the ENTIRE venue!!! We were able to have our ceremony, cocktail hour and reception all at the one location, mind you it's literally around the corner from the White House. I just could not have picked a better place. I recommend this venue to anyone!!
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    Ben Sent on 11/01/2015
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    The AIA is an absolute hidden gem for DC weddings, and we had a great time working with Amy and the rest of the crew there. The space is absolutely beautiful indoors and out, convenient to several affordable hotels and the Metro, and offers a lot of flexibility. We had originally planned to hold our ceremony outdoors in the courtyard, along with cocktails and dancing, with dinner served indoors in the spacious lobby. The weather didn’t quite cooperate and we ended up moving everything inside, but it still looked great -- no one would have known that wasn’t the plan all along. With 140 guests, we had plenty of elbow room and everyone had a wonderful time.
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    Stephanie Sent on 11/25/2015
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    The AIA was a dream wedding venue, and totally unique--right in the middle of the city so it has an unmistakable urban vibe, but with a beautiful and flexible outdoor space and a clean, modern indoor space. Amy is a gem to work with and the facility itself is an amazing canvas for creative event planning. I was a bit nervous about making the indoor area work for a rain plan as we had a huge guest list, but we settled on a plan I didn't mind and in the end we didn't need to use it. Instead, we hosted 270 wedding guests (!) in a ceremony on the Octagon House lawn, cocktail hour in the social gallery, and buffet dinner + dancing in the courtyard. It was a lot of people, but didn't feel cramped at all. Our guests raved about the venue and we're so glad we discovered it. The AIA gave us the space to have a memorable, one-of-a-kind wedding, and we can't imagine having gotten married anywhere else!
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    Briton Sent on 09/28/2015
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    My husband and I searched far and wide for the perfect venue. We looked at everything from wineries to manors to hotels to yoga studios but nothing quite worked for our taste and the size of the wedding. When we walked into the lovely courtyard between AIA and The Octagon Museum, we immediately knew we found the perfect venue. It is a special, secluded courtyard in the middle of DC with the perfect blend of old world with modern, metro vibes. We were warmly greeted by Amy and her professionalism and welcoming nature never wavered through out this whole process! She answered any and all questions quickly and was available for visits as often as she could be! Leading up to the wedding, there was a chance for rain and she gave me every bit of confidence that the rain plan would be perfect inside, if need be, making me feel much calmer about the whole rain plan. The day of, the weather held and we had our wedding of our dreams out in the courtyard/grass in front of the historic Octagon House and then celebrated with in the striking, glass facade AIA building. We danced the night away and will always be grateful for the perfect venue! We had 174 guests and it felt warm and welcoming and not cramped at all! Thank you to Amy and her team! Also well worth noting, the security guards both the day of and the day after were amazing. They were so friendly and extremely helpful throughout the night and the next day to pick up everything!
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    Andy Sent on 08/28/2014
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    We looked at several different venues for our wedding but we really liked AIA because you have a great mix of the historic Octagon House (great backdrop for the ceremony), an expansive courtyard (we used this for cocktails and dancing) and modern interior spaces that you can easily transform with good lighting. We took a chance in scheduling a wedding with mostly outdoor activities (only dinner was schedule for indoors) in DC in the middle of August but the weather was great. It was nice to know, however, that we could have easily shifted events indoors into the additional spaces that AIA offers. Everyone there was friendly and helpful and our guests were impressed by the venue.
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    Katherine Sent on 05/17/2014
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    The American Institute of Architects is the perfect venue for a city wedding! It is a beautifully structured building inside and out. Outside is a gorgeous paved courtyard with a step-down grassy area in front of the old octagon building, perfect for an outdoor wedding. The inside has large windows showcasing its grand staircase leading to its social gallery upstairs great for cocktail hour or reception or ceremony. What's so great about the aia is its flexibility in creating you're own wedding style using the variety of rooms since you rent the entire building! It gets better. You can also use its parking garage for your guests and pay a fair fee for a parking attendant. Youre probably not going to find a better deal in Washington dc for your urban wedding. Amy, the event coordinator at the aia was incredibly accommodating and so easy to work with. We had a large wedding party and we got through the rehearsal and wedding without a hitch. It even rained on our wedding day but we utilized the lobby for the ceremony which turned out great! The Aia is perfectly located near the Farragut west or North metro. It is a perfect location for pictures as well. Great views of the monument and just blocks from the white house. We recommend guests staying at the courtyard Marriott or the state plaza nearby. If you have a wedding book it!! You won't regret it!!
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    Jeff Sent on 11/08/2013
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    Amy, at the venue (AIA) was just so sweet, accomodating and extremely easy to work with. There wasn't anything that she didn't provide that we wanted and even things you may not have thought of she was there with help and suggestions. There are several rooms to choose from and you can even have a wedding outside in their courtyard area. You can decorate both the inside and outside area depending on what you want. Another fantastic find about this venue is that they have on-site parking which is very difficult to find in DC. AIA is a little gem inside DC and in a quiet area of DC. We never heard any traffic at all, which there isn't a lot of anyway. You won't go wrong with this venue or the chance to work with Amy.
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