National Cathedral School
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"We could not have asked for a more perfect wedding experience at National Cathedral School. From the..."
"I got married here December 2025 and it could not have been better. Everything ran smoothly and our..."
About this venue
National Cathedral School (NCS) is a beautiful wedding venue located on the grounds of the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, DC. Our campus offers delightful indoor and outdoor options for both your ceremony and reception. The venue is conveniently located in the heart of the US capital and has stunning views of the surrounding gardens and city landscape. Our facilities are equipped to provide everything you need for your celebration, including catering, on-site parking, and a dedicated, friendly staff.
Facilities and Capacity
NCS offers a number of diverse options for ceremonies and receptions, from intimate outdoor terraces to the elegant Grace Chapel. The chapel's modern architecture and stunning stained glass make it a distinctive and beautiful place to exchange vows, and it can accommodate up to 250 guests. Nestled beside the Cathedral is Hearst Hall, a historic building that has hosted ceremonies and receptions alike. Our campus also features several outdoor venues, all of which offer breathtaking views of the Washington National Cathedral and its surrounding landscape.
Services Offered
NCS offers all-inclusive service for weddings, from catering to facility setup and unparalleled commitment from the staff. On-site security and custodial services are available to help you prepare for the ceremony and reception, as well as assist with tear-down after the evening is over. We also offer our own in-house catering service, FLIK, for your consideration. Please feel free to reach out and schedule a time for you and your partner to stop by and tour all that we have to offer!
What You'll Love About National Cathedral School
Couples who celebrate their big day at this venue love the stunning and elegant setting, providing abundant bespoke photoshoot opportunities. Additionally, they rave about the event team, who work in tandem with each couple to ensure their wedding vision is brought to life. Check out the Reviews section to learn more about this gorgeous property.
Experience
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126 years in business
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We speak English and Spanish
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Reviews of National Cathedral School
Review summary
National Cathedral School is a beautiful, elegant venue with a stunning chapel, lovely grounds for photos, and adaptable indoor/outdoor reception spaces ideal for ~50–100 guests. The event team is repeatedly praised as organized, responsive, and calming, ensuring smooth planning and execution. Catering, AV, and officiants also received high marks, and couples highly recommend the venue.
Our Unforgettable Spring Wedding at NCS
Grace Chapel itself was absolutely stunning, the balance of simplicity and elegance made the need for excessive decorations unnecessary to make it feel beautiful. We opted to use Hearst Hall for our reception, while it was incredibly spacious Carly and team arranged it in such a thoughtful way that it still felt intimate and personal for us and our guests. It created exactly the atmosphere we had hoped for on our wedding day.
We are also so grateful to Reverend Cavaleri, who made our ceremony feel meaningful, warm, and personal. She took time in the months leading up to our wedding day to truly get to know us while planning the ceremony, her presence brought such a calming and heartfelt energy to the day, and the ceremony truly reflected who we are as a couple.
The entire experience at National Cathedral School exceeded our expectations. The professionalism, communication, and genuine care from everyone involved made such a difference, and we are so thankful to have celebrated one of the most important days of our lives there. We would wholeheartedly recommend this venue and team to any couple looking for a wedding experience that is both elegant and deeply personal.
Beautiful Ceremony
Grace Chapel
NCS, our dream wedding day!
Perfection
Carly was SO awesome to work with. She was so patient, responsive, knowledgeable and upbeat. I only have great things to say about her. She was very open to and helped execute our ideas with different floor plan setups and new activities for the reception. The staff during the event was so sweet. They helped us feel very special by genuinely saying to me and my husband congratulations multiple times. I'm so happy we had our wedding at NCS and I could not recommend it more!
Photography credit: Emily Carl Photography
Hidden Gem of Wedding Venues in DC
Hidden Gem of Wedding Venues in DC!
Incredible experience for my wedding ceremony!!
First, working with Carly was a dream, especially for someone as detail-oriented as I am. She was one step ahead always, asking all the right questions and ensuring that we were aware and aligned to any updates. She even took extra care in putting up Christmas decorations for the chapel in consideration of our December wedding! I can't say enough positive things about working with her.
Second, our experience in the space was fantastic. We had a "green room" off to the side for the bridal party, which worked well. The chapel itself was beautiful, decorated so beautifully for Christmas, and just naturally very gorgeous with its wood pews and windows. Coming down the aisle there was everything I could have dreamed!
Truly it was such a perfectly planned and coordinated ceremony by Carly and the NCS team. I recommend anyone considering it to book their wedding or special event here!
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