This is a wedding at Kimpton Hotel Monaco in downtown Washington, DC: a spiral marble staircase, long hallways, a ballroom of arches and chandeliers, and a few blocks of stone steps and tree-lined sidewalks outside the door. Below are the photographs I chose from the day, followed by what I would think about if you are planning a Kimpton Hotel Monaco wedding of your own.

If you are searching for a Kimpton Hotel Monaco wedding photographer in Washington, DC, you can see the full set in the Kimpton Hotel Monaco wedding gallery.

A staircase worth building the portraits around

The hotel is in a historic building at 700 F Street NW, and the staircase is the first thing I wanted to use. It curves in a tight spiral with a dark handrail and white marble steps, so a photograph taken from above turns the two of you into part of a drawing. I like to take one frame from high up and one up close, so there is a sense of place and a sense of her face in the same sequence.

View from above of a bride and groom descending a spiral marble staircase hand in hand
From above, hand in hand down the spiral staircase.
Bride in an off-the-shoulder lace gown glancing over her shoulder on a curved marble staircase with a dark wood handrail
A glance back over her shoulder, the train spilling down the steps.

A long train needs a helper on stairs. Ask a bridesmaid or your mother to stay close, and tell me before we start so we can move slowly and keep the lace clean.

Portraits on the streets around the hotel

You do not have to go far for variety. Close to the hotel there is a wide downtown street, a sidewalk shaded by trees and the stone steps of the Smithsonian American Art Museum. The low, warm light in these photographs gives them their golden cast.

Bride in a strapless lace gown and groom in a black tuxedo standing forehead to forehead in a downtown Washington DC street, an orange taxi and a classical building behind them
Forehead to forehead in the middle of the street.
Bride laughing as the groom looks down at her in front of the Smithsonian American Art Museum sign on stone steps in Washington DC
Laughing on the museum steps.
Groom dipping the bride for a kiss in the middle of a downtown Washington DC street, a columned classical building at the end of the road
A dip with a columned building at the end of the road.

City streets are public, and traffic does not stop for photographs. I choose quiet moments, keep the two of you moving and watch the lights, and it is worth leaving a little extra time in the schedule for that.

The wedding party on stone steps

Black dresses, white bouquets and black tuxedos are a simple palette, and warm stone behind them keeps it from feeling stark. I group everyone tightly on the steps and add a few frames of the bride and bridesmaids walking, because those usually end in laughter.

Wedding party of bridesmaids in black gowns with white bouquets and groomsmen in tuxedos on stone steps, the couple kissing at the center
The whole wedding party on the steps, the couple kissing in the middle.
Bride and bridesmaids in black gowns walking toward the camera down a sunlit downtown Washington DC street, each holding white bouquets
The bride and her bridesmaids walking toward the camera.
Bride in a voluminous lace gown twirling on a sunlit downtown Washington DC street, her skirt swept out as nine bridesmaids in black dresses with white bouquets stand behind her.
The bride twirling her gown with her bridesmaids behind her.

The ceremony and the ring

Indoors the light is lower, so I lean on the window light where I can and keep my attention on faces and hands. I take a close frame of the ring exchange at every wedding, because it is the quietest part of the day and the easiest to miss.

Black and white photo of a bride with a trailing bouquet walking arm in arm with a man in a tuxedo as guests look on
Walking in, guests turning to watch.
Close view of a ring exchange, his white cuff and black sleeve beside her hand and lace sleeve
The ring.

The ballroom reception

The ballroom has arched ceilings, round chandeliers and a patterned carpet, and it photographs well in black and white because the architecture stays graphic while the faces carry the feeling. I stay near the edges, move often and wait for the moments between the scheduled ones.

Black and white photo of the bride and groom cutting a tall white tiered wedding cake as guests watch
Cutting a tall white cake under the chandeliers.
Black and white photo of the groom twirling the bride, her arm raised, as they dance in the ballroom
A twirl on the dance floor.
Black and white photo of the bride dancing and laughing with a smiling man in black tie
Dancing and laughing.

One more minute on the steps

Seated on the stone steps beside a dark railing, her train spread out behind her: this is the frame from the day I come back to most.

Bride and groom kissing on sunlit stone steps beside a dark metal handrail, her long lace gown and train spread across the stairs.
A kiss on the steps, the lace train spread behind her.

Planning your Kimpton Hotel Monaco wedding photography

  • Ask the hotel which spaces, including the staircase and hallways, are available for photographs and at what times. Other guests use them too, so agree on a window in advance.
  • Plan about 30 minutes for portraits inside the building and a separate block for the streets and steps nearby. Rushing is what costs you the staircase.
  • Check the sunset time for your date and schedule outdoor portraits for the hour before it. Low light on stone is the look in these photographs.
  • Tell me about the train, the veil and the shoes you will wear. Stairs and cobblestones ask different things of a dress.
  • Ask your florist for bouquets that read clearly against black dresses. White and green worked well here.
  • Leave room in the timeline for the reception. The best dance floor photographs come after the schedule has loosened.

Getting to the hotel and around downtown

The hotel is at 700 F Street NW, in the heart of downtown Washington. Gallery Place–Chinatown is the nearest Metro station, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the streets of downtown DC are within walking distance. Street parking is limited and rules change from block to block, so check the signs, or ask the hotel about parking for your guests.

Booking a wedding photographer for Kimpton Hotel Monaco

I have been photographing for over 12 years, and I photograph weddings in Washington, DC, Northern Virginia and Maryland. If you are planning a wedding at Kimpton Hotel Monaco, send an inquiry with your date and the feeling you want the photographs to have. You can also browse the wedding portfolio.

Kimpton Hotel Monaco wedding photography: common questions

Do you photograph weddings at Kimpton Hotel Monaco in Washington, DC?

Yes. This wedding is one I photographed there, and I am happy to talk about your date. I also photograph across Washington, DC, Northern Virginia and Maryland.

Can we take portraits outside the hotel?

Yes, and I would encourage it. The stone steps, wide streets and tree-lined sidewalks near the hotel gave this wedding many of its portraits. Allow time for walking and for traffic.

What is the best time of day for photographs in downtown DC?

The hour before sunset is usually the most flattering for outdoor portraits. Check the sunset time for your date and we will build the timeline around it.

Do you photograph in black and white?

Yes. I deliver color and black and white, and I choose the black and white frames after the day, usually the ones where expression matters more than color.