Woman’s National Democratic Club, WNDC

Repeat business is the highest compliment. We are the local chapter of the Labor & Employment Relations Association, a national professional organization. The Whittemore House, home of the Woman’s National Democratic Club, has been the venue for our monthly luncheon speaker events and conferences for over two decades. We keep coming back because the house has a singularly attractive ambiance and the staff are great hosts. Plus the kitchen never fails to please our taste buds.
Officers of the Washington, D.C. Chapter of the Labor & Employment Relations Association highly recommend the WNDC for organizational events.

The stars aligned for our fall gay wedding…
PERFECT weekend (Veteran’s Day weekend)
PERFECT weather (sunny with cool fall temps)
and
PERFECT venue with the Whittemore House, home to the Women’s National Democratic Club.
Our wedding was on Sat 9 Nov 2013 and I am still euphoric at how well it went. Picking the Whittemore House was THE best first decision we made for our wedding. For any couple, gay or straight, who are looking for a DC-​esque venue that has relevance historically and provides for an intimate feeling, this is a venue you should HIGHLY consider.
I am not a fan of a hotel reception room and although grand halls like the Carnegie Institute or National Press club are great for large scale weddings, if you are expecting a small group of 20 to a medium sized group of 100 – 150 like we did, the Whittemore House and its reception room will meet your needs.
Lyn Stout, the house manager (And for additional cost, can be hired as your wedding planner via Bond Events) was OUTSTANDING and we have nothing but praise and accolades for her and the work she did to make sure everything went off without a hitch.
The location of it is right at the heart of Dupont Circle and having blocked rooms at the Dupont Circle Hotel next door and the Carlyle Suites a few blocks down, guests were noting how super convenient it was having everything so close together.
Lyn also provides a list of recommended vendors who have worked at the Whittemore House before and so it was easy to start somewhere rather than getting lost in a million blogs and websites finding what or who will work best for your wedding.
We are forever grateful to the WNDC… for many guests, this was their first gay wedding, and to witness the love and joy of family and friends in their support of us surrounded by the beauty of the Whittemore House was honestly more than we could ask for. Truly a dream come true.

We got married here in August.
The Whittemore House is an amazing wedding venue. It’s location, history, charm, and size is really unparalleled in DC. Our guests LOVED it.
They are pretty flexible but it’s also nice to know that they are very experienced doing weddings and will make sure everything goes smoothly.
Lyn, their wedding contact, is awesome and very encouraging and laid back.
We had good access to the venue before the wedding and also on the day of.
Unlike most venues, they provide all beverages while you are free to book your own caterer (we used Occasions and they were great and familiar with the house). They also recommend, but do not require, other vendors, which is nice.
We had 170 people which is the upper limits of what I would recommend there but that is still bigger than most comparable DC venues.

We got married here in May and there’s no other place I would have picked for our wedding. Weddings in DC are EXPENSIVE, but like many of the other reviews mention, the Whittemore House ended up being one of the most affordable options. It had the added benefit of being the venue we loved most anyway. The space is gorgeous and so rich with history — all the guests loved that it had such a «DC» feel. The location can’t be beat and is walking distance/​easy cab distance from many area hotels. The staff were also great at responding to our requests and even making some last-​minute fixes when details needed to be attended to.
I would absolutely recommend the Whittemore House as an event space, and especially as a wedding venue. We don’t regret our choice one bit.

My husband and I were married at the WNDC this past December, and I cannot say enough good things about the venue. It’s a super charming space — comfortable and classic in terms of style. The staff is great! Lyn was super easy going and responsive — she gave us advice on vendors and also was helpful in terms of small requests we had etc… The house management equally great.
In terms of price — we did our fair share of shopping and this was by far and away the best deal out there in terms of quality venue and location. We had approximately 150 guest — did the ceremony in the ballroom and moved to the front rooms downstairs and front rooms upstairs for cocktails. It was the perfect size. I’d definitely be worried about much more than 150 in that ballroom with a dance floor, but you could also move some tables out.
Also, all our guest stayed at the DuPont Circle Hotel next door, which also was great and made the logistical stuff super easy!

We had our wedding here, and loved the Whittmore House. The property is gorgeous, and the value is tremendous. We rented the entire house, and our guests loved walking around upstairs during cocktails. The location is convenient enough that my husband and I dropped in often during the months beforehand to check on things. The staff are very nice, and Lyn is very honest and responsive. I would recommend this classy and historic venue to anyone who wants a unique, affordable DC wedding.

We held our wedding reception at the Whittemore in Sept ’12. It was a great location — all the out of town guests loved staying in Dupont with all that it has to offer, and Whittemore is right in the middle of that! We had guests stay at the Dupont Circle Hotel, right next door, so it was super-​convenient for them.
It’s a beautiful, historic mansion with tons of history and detail that are easy to get sucked into. All the woodwork, ceiling detail, and antiques throughout the home are beautiful and add to a sense of elegance the home has.
The staff are fabulous — they made everything go seamlessly and we had easy access to the space in advance of the wedding, which helped us a lot. Lyn, the point person for weddings, is very relaxed and easy going. Burak and Brad were also super-​professional and a pleasure to work with. It is also one of the best value sites we looked at.
It was the perfect site for us, and if I had to do this all over again (hopefully not!) I would pick Whittemore again!

We recently hosted an evening awards reception here and we were thoroughly impressed. Everything was done to perfection and the price was right. I have hosted many events in DC and these was the best yet. The Whittemore House KNOWS how to run an event. In our case it was a professional reception for my organization with about 120 guests (it could have accommodated many more) and everything was done exactly how we expected and right on time. I highly recommend the Whittemore House for both professional and personal events.
Historical Eloquence
The Whittemore House is a place of class and humility. It is absolutely beautiful and very versatile. It worked perfectly for our event.
Convenience
The building is located right off of Dupont Circle, you can’t get more convenient than that for
Service
The food was outstanding, we did an assortment of hot appetizers, fruit, and cheese. It was beautifully laid out and delicious. The service of the staff was also excellent, they were very friendly, professional, and on top of EVERYTHING. I couldn’t have asked for better.
Value
I am thoroughly impressed by the quality and cost. We are small non-​profit with a very lean budget and the Whittemore House was still very affordable without compromising quality. This is a rare gem of a place (and organization) in Washington, DC.

The Lovely Tara L. set up Sip and Twit for us back on January 20^th from 5:30pm — 8:00pm at the Women’s National Democratic Club. It was a very dignified, polite event. Lofty wine discussions. Elegant cheeses. All the while in the midst of powerful Democratic women (pictures thereof) past and present.
I’d like to return someday for a tour of the mansion or maybe even to join.

I came to Woman’s National Democratic Club for the Sip and Twit. Very nice stone building right by Q and New Hampshire I had a hard time finding parking around the area and couldn’t find the building. There was an elderly man who answered the phone and he helped guide me to the building and he stood by the door waiting for me, so sweet! The inside of the building is old but elegant.
The wine tasting had already gone on for 1 hour but it wasn’t too big of a place so I knew I could get to all of them. I saw Kelly G and Tara L there — made it an even more fun event. The first distributor I started off had wines from Argentina and Chile — I liked the Xumek Syrah and the Malbec the rest were ok. They had a Carmenere it was noted for its spiciness but the one I tried from Chile it wasn’t too flavorful almost tasted like water. The Italian distributor had wines from sicily they were fantastic esp the red were very good. I chatted with the importer of Solterra and a wine named after the Michigan coach named Bo Schembechler. $ 2 of the wine goes to the Cardiovascular center of Uof M. The sauvignon blanc was mixed with chenin blanc and another varital to cut down the acidity — it wasnt too dry and had a light fruity note. I prefer bolder Sauvignon Blanc. The Solterra Chardonnay however was very good, it’s not too oaky.
There was also a georgian winery their simply red and white were leaning towards classical red and white (cab and sauvi blanc) They also had a sweet one which was also dry that was interesting. There was also the Keswick and Horton vineyards from Charlottesville, VA — Keswick’s Cab Franc and Heritage blend were fantastic! I was impressed. The winemaker is from South Africa! The pinotage from Horton — not so great, funny after taste. The winner of the up coming showed called The Winemaker –think Top Chef of winemaking showcased the winning blend and all the varietals that went into it it was the prize for the Sip and Twit. That blend was fantastic! One of the best was the Pulente Estate La Flor Malbec it was the most delicious Malbec at the event! The other two wines I liked were one a Château Du Coing Muscadet absolutely amazing and the red — which I cannot remember after the 10^th glasses of wine. This event was awesome, I really enjoyed it and I learnt about a few new varietals and brands.

This 1894 mansion, the Whitmore House is so elegant and stately. I was in awe as I stepped inside. It is filled with antiques, beautiful art and political memorabilia and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
I was here for a wine tasting event, but the WNDC Museum and Archives are open to the public by appointment. They also hold speaking events and luncheons not just for members. Based on the other reviews, you can hold your wedding reception here too. I wandered into a room set up for luncheon service and it was so beautiful and elegant.
It definitely is a reminder of what 19^th century DC used to be like.

My husband and I held our ceremony and reception at the WNDC in 2006, and I can’t say enough good things about the venue.
Historical Eloquence
Each room was more beautiful than the next, and our guests enjoyed touring the different exhibits during the cocktail hour. The ballroom held our 180 guests perfectly with enough room for a good sized dance floor.
Convenience
The building is located right next to the Jury’s hotel, so our guests were able to simply walk from their rooms to the wedding. With its dupont circle location, there was also plenty of sightseeing.
Service
The food was excellent (we decided on the filet mignon, salmon, and a vegetarian option), and the staff were extremely accommodating.
Value
I was happily surprised at the affordability of the WNDC. We were on a tight budget, and it ended up being much lower than other venues in the area. The staff worked with us every step of the way to make sure that we received exactly what we wanted within our range.
I could not think of a more perfect place for my husband and I to start our lives together, and I remain a member of the Club to this day.