Getting to Washington

We recommend that you fly in to National Airport. It's the closest airport, and easier to navigate than Washington Dulles Airport. In addition, there is a hotel shuttle from the airport to the Westin Alexandria, so you don't have to rent a car.

Lodging

We have reserved blocks of rooms at both the Westin Alexandria (across the street from th reception) and at the Residence Inn Alexandria (two blocks away). At each hotel we have a discounted rate on Friday and Saturday nights for wedding guests, with rooms available on a first-come first-served basis. You will need to reserve through the dedicated web-links for for each hotel (below).

The hotel addresses are:

The Westin Alexandria
400 Courthouse Square
Alexandria, Virginia, 22314-5700
Tel: (703) 253-8600
To book rooms, visit the Ferrara & Grove reservations page, specifically for our wedding.

Residence Inn Alexandria - Old Town South at Carlyle
2345 Mill Road
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
Tel: 703-549-1155
To book rooms, visit the Grove & Ferrara reservations page, specifically for our wedding. We have a block of studio suite rooms, and one-bedroom suites. We do not have any 2-bedroom suites in our reserved block. If you're interested in one, you should book soon using the main reservation page to get the most reasonable rate.

Getting to the ceremony

Option 1: Take the trolley
We have arranged for two street cars to provide transportation from the Westin Alexandria to the Thomas Jefferson Memorial. If you want to take the bus, please be ready in the Westin hotel lobby at 3:15 pm. The trolleys will return to the hotel at two different times. The first return will be at 4:40 pm (immediately following the ceremony). The second will be at 5:15 pm, for those who wish to take a few minutes to visit the memorial before they return. The pick up location will be the same as the drop-off location.

Option 2: Take the metro
There are two DC metro stations near the ceremony location. The Smithsonian station serves the Orange, Blue and Silver lines, and is about a 15 minute walk to the Jefferson Memorial. The L'Enfant Plaza station serves the Green and Yellow lines, and is about a 20 minute walk. If you are staying at the Westin, the King Street metro station is a ten minute walk from the hotel, and serves the Blue and Yellow lines.

Option 3: Take a taxi
A cab will drop you right at the memorial, and is easy to hail from either the hotel or from the ceremony location. It's about a 20 minute ride, and will cost about $30.

Option 4: Drive and park
You can always drive yourself to the venue and park. Parking for the memorial is available along Ohio Drive, and in several nearby parking lots (labeled A, B, and C) on the ceremony map. But be aware! Summertime weekends are prime times for tourists visiting the memorials. You may have difficulty finding a parking spot near the ceremony.

Getting to the reception

From the hotel:
For guests staying at the Westin Alexandria, the Carlyle Club is on the left end of the park across from the hotel.
From the Residence Inn, take a left onto Mill Rd. when you exit the hotel. Walk one block until you see small park in front of the courthouse. Walk to the far side of the park and the club will be across the street.

From the East:
Take the Capital Beltway to exit 176B (Telegraph Rd.) and stay to the right. The ramp will dump you on Pershing Ave. Take your first right onto Stovall Ave., and then turn left onto Eisenhower Ave. At the fourth light, turn left onto Elizabeth Ln. The parking garage is halfway up the block on the right. The club is also on the right, at the end of the block. (You will cross an alleyway right before the club.)

From the West:
Take the Capital Beltway to exit 176B (Telegraph Rd.) and stay to the right, following the signs to Eisenhower Ave. At the stoplight, turn right on Eisenhower Ave. At the fourth light, turn left onto Elizabeth Ln. The parking garage is halfway up the block on the right. The club is also on the right, at the end of the block. (You will cross an alleyway right before the club.)