Intimate Wedding Reception for 8 - Also, A Private Party for 50-100 Sometime Afterwards

[arleneivana]

I hesitate to post anything like this because I'm quite convinced my mother tracks all my social networking activities for any hint on this matter but here goes: we're getting married. Yay! It will be very small (8 total including us) and our biggest concern is high quality food in an intimate setting. We thought about having it at an inn like Ashby Inn or Inn at Little Washington because we like the idea of everyone staying the night so we can all relax after over some drinks. Are there any other inns in about a 2ish hour drive that pay attention to the quality of their food? Another thought was the Mandarin Oriental or Park Hyatt in DC to take advantage of hotel rooms and wonderful dining experiences all under the same roof. I've also considered private rooms at Corduroy and Fiola but wouldn't know what to do after dinner if we did that...drinks at Poste and stay at Hotel Monaco? Thanks for any help, tips. suggestions, concerns, comments, prayers you have because I feel rather lost when considering all of these options.

We're also hosting our friends at an open bar sometime after and if anyone has had a good experience renting a private room for 50-100 people in a DC bar I'd love to hear about it. Our only preferences are that my beau cares VERY DEEPLY about high quality beer and I care that they have something else besides beer (a good cocktail makes my heart flutter almost as much as my beau does.) Thanks everyone!

[DonRocks]

You may want to check out Antrim 1844 and L'Auberge Provení§ale - I've been to both, but have been to neither in over ten years. If Michael Gettier is still the chef at Antrim 1844, it may work very well for you; I know that L'Auberge Provení§ale has changed chefs, but that may or may not be a bad thing.

But how can you *not* rent out the entire four-room schoolhouse at The Ashby Inn? It would be perfect for eight people - essentially your own private villa. Okay, okay, it may not be the most soundproof place on earth, and there's always that place in the Poconos with a bathtub shaped like a Champagne glass (which would be fine if you were *the* very first person in history to use it; otherwise, eeee-yeew-weee!), but there's a lot to be said about a bottle of Thibaut-Janisson waiting for you on ice when you check in.

And, by the way ... CON-GRAT-U-LA-TIONS !!!!!           

P.S. I've contacted several potential leads and told them to write you directly about the 50-100 person party.

P.P.S. I, too, hope your mom isn't reading these.

[adjen]

What about Clifton Inn in Charlottesville? Haven't been in at least five years but had tasty dinners there previously. But I do love Ashby Inn.