The pandemic has brought many challenges for those of us planning events. When COVID-19 hit, we had to scramble to identify a new location for our wedding events. Luckily, we found the Sequoia and Lila Dougly, the Catering Sales Manager. From the minute we called, Lila to control. It was a Friday afternoon and within 24-hours, we had a plan in place and could breathe. The outside space gives the feeling that you are on a luxury liner. It's perfect for mingling and cocktails. The interior is sleek and modern, but not ultra-modern. Coming from Florida, I loved the light fixtures! The food is delicious and what really impressed me is that the soup was actually hot and so was our main dish. This doesn't happen often!  All-in-all, if you're looking for a lovely venue with many entertainment options and a person to help guide you through the entire process, head to the Sequoia! 

Review 1 of 2: Pre-Wedding. Let me start by saying that their customer service is amazing! We worked with Tatum and she’s totally awesome, super professional, nice, has answers to absolutely everything... I really can’t say enough about working with her! We really wanted our wedding here so we decided to bite the bullet and shell out the $$$ (cause I’ll be honest, this place is NOT cheap!) This made us super nervous when COVID happened and it was clear we would have to reschedule our wedding. Ugh! what about fees?... would we get the same rate?... should we just cancel and see how things go?... WELL LET ME TELL YOU THEY WERE AWESOME! They are extremely flexible! There was no change of date fee, they made their cancellation policies more flexible, and they even kept our contract price the same! No extra fees of any kind, no revisiting of price due to inflation or change of day or time or anything (even though we shifted it out almost a whole year so normally the prices would have ... Read moreincreased naturally due to inflation... but there was none of that!) It was REALLY AMAZING! So while we are still in the midst of being nervous at the idea of having a big wedding and everything that it will mean given the current state of the country, we do NOT regret reserving Sequoia, not for one second. We were met with “no problem” and “we can work with you on that”... and them honoring the contract and certain agreements we had despite the changes really solidified their credibility in our book and made us feel comfortable and safe at the choice we made of reserving The Sequoia. They really make you feel like they care about your big day in every way... kind of like you are VIP for them (at least until your wedding. Hahahaha). I will write another review once the wedding happens to give feedback on their performance and final thoughts but for now: BRAVO in every way!

There are a million venues in DC--and we looked at a lot of them!--but the second we toured Sequoia I knew it was perfect. We had the BEST experience with the events team, led by Tatum, planning our wedding. They went above-and-beyond for us in so many ways, including giving us a free dinner when my mom was in town so she could try all the food and wine after not being able to make the tasting. I joked that wedding planning was more fun than I expected and "too easy"... and then COVID happened. I heard horror stories about venues being difficult and I was nervous about the process when we decided to postpone our wedding. But, Sequoia could not have been more wonderful. Before we made our decision, they proactively communicated how things were going (and they kept their events staff employed so they were always available to communicate with!) and they let us reserve a free "backup" date should we need it. They also sent us the most amazing treats to lift our spirits during a difficult a... Read morend stressful time! Once we decided to postpone, they immediately replied to my email and made us feel so at-ease. They locked in our new date (no extra charges, stipulations, or anything different than our original plan besides the year) and it could not have been easier. I was glad we chose Sequoia before COVID, but going through this experience of uncertainty and postponement with them made me even more sure it is the perfect place for us. Thanks to their easy communication, kindness, and flexibility I know our new wedding date at Sequoia will be better than ever. 

My daughter got married at Sequoia on 10/26/19. The venue was perfect, the food delicious, service was spectacular and the views were amazing. The light fixture across the dance floor is spectacular in photos. The caterer Tatum J was unbelievable. She is so easy to work with and accommodating. I don't think I heard her say no to anything. Chris our concierge for the night made sure every need or wish was taken care of. Our guests were blown away. You cant go wrong having your wedding here.

I'm originally from the DC area, so I had always associated Sequoia with amazing food and atmosphere. When I first got engaged, I started researching venues and Sequoia came up - I hadn't been there since their recent remodel, and I was so excited to find that the modern, but still elegant vibe was 100% what I was looking for. The glass light installation is incredible and so unique- I didn't find any other venues with anything like it. I knew that my wedding would stand out and be extremely memorable for all my guests. I also cannot say enough good things about Lila Dougly - she went so above and beyond to make sure we had the smoothest, most comfortable experience. Lila and Sequoia have stood out, among all my vendors, as the absolute best to work with. Lila has been so warm, welcoming and responsive to all my questions. And what sealed the deal is the incredible food! Every single thing we tried was incredible, especially the Chilean sea bass and the crab cakes which were the b... Read moreest I've ever eaten! The scarlet fog with dry ice is also a really cool and delicious drink. I'm also a big dessert person and Sequoia really delivered with that too - the chocolate chip skillet cookie is unreal! Sequoia really took care of me and my entire family throughout the whole process. I rarely write reviews but I felt compelled to share my experience with Sequoia because it was just that great. Every step of the way I have been so impressed with Sequoia and give them the highest rating possible- they are an incredible place. Thank you Lila and Sequoia!

I love this venue and the team that works there! My fiancé and I were supposed to get married in July; however, due to COVID-19, we had to postpone. Before we made that decision, I spoke with Sequoia to see what the process would be like to rebook. They let us put a soft hold on a date in the fall. A few weeks later, we made the decision to move the wedding from July to the fall date. Everything simply lifted and shifted to the new date--no extra charges or re-booking fees! Sequoia, and Tatum in particular, have been amazing throughout this entire process. Realizing and coming to terms with the fact that we needed to move our wedding was upsetting and stressful, but Tatum and her team could not have been more accommodating, flexible, and kind. She has worked with us each step of the way. They even sent us some sweet treats to lift our spirits! We did our tasting a few weeks ago, and we discussed the safety precautions Sequoia is taking during this time. I feel confident that o... Read moreur guests will be safe and taken care of during our wedding weekend. Tatum and her team at Sequoia have gone above and beyond for us. I am continually impressed with their responsiveness, professionalism, flexibility, and kindness. I am so grateful for and so appreciative of Tatum and her team. They are SO wonderful, and I am so happy Sequoia is our venue!

Words cannot express how thankful we are for Tatum and Sequoia. Tatum was BEYOND helpful in what should have been a much more stressful time with planning, replanning, replanning and more replanning. We were originally supposed to have our wedding in early June, but decided to postpone it to September... and even then we had to reduce our original party size multiple times from 100+ to 50 to 30 to 20 people. Tatum was so patient and helpful while we tried to figure out our plans, worked through every single detail with us and was in constant communication with us (answering 100s of my emails, phone calls...etc!!). My husband and my family told me that they were amazed at how relaxed I was throughout our whole wedding day and I remarked that it was because I knew Tatum was taking care of everything at Sequoia and I knew I had nothing to worry about!  Sequoia did such a wonderful job putting our families/guests and our worries about a group gathering at ease with their safety precauti... Read moreons and measures (this was essentially the first time anyone in our families had eaten out or been in any sort of group gathering since the beginning of covid).  The views at Sequoia are absolutely stunning, you can enjoy a delicious meal & drinks while taking in the beautiful sunset right on the waterfront. Our guests all raved about the food at Sequoia... and I even risked potential self-harm due to the constricting nature of my wedding dress but the food was so delicious I couldn't put my fork down!!  We highly highly recommend this venue for anyone who is looking to host a gathering of any sort!! The food, drinks, views were all wonderful but nothing can beat their customer service! 

We had one of the best experiences with the team at Sequoia that I could have wished for. We decided to do a small wedding dinner instead of the bigger reception we had planned for Thanksgiving 2020 due to COVID. I reached out to the team at Sequoia, headed by Tatum Jelinek (director of catering), to talk to her about a possible event for Labor Day weekend. She told us the availability and held the spaces for us for a few days until we were able to decide what would work better for us. She worked with us on every detail of the menu and setup. She even did a group video call with my wife and I so we could see the spaces and decide which one was best for us. Tatum was really amazing and went above and beyond expectations. She even saved us at the last minute on the day of our dinner when the Bluetooth speakers we brought failed us, she swooped in with an extra set. We couldn't say enough good things about Tatum and the team at the Sequoia.

Sequoia is a beautiful venue for any kind of celebration with its waterfront views, high ceilings, delicious food, and impeccable staff. We booked Sequoia for our April 25, 2020 wedding, but unfortunately had to cancel the event due to COVID-19. Lila, the catering sales manager, was by our sides every step of the way and she was truly a joy to work with. From the second we reached out to inquire about our wedding date, to touring the venue, to signing the contract, to our food tasting, and our eventual cancellation, Lila was there for us. She handled our frantic emails and emotions with grace and care, and we always felt taken care of. We did have the option to rebook for a later date or receive a refund of our deposits and we chose the refund. We were so relieved to have been given the option to receive a refund because we have many non-refundable deposits with other vendors that we are unsure how we will be able to use. Sequoia’s accommodating policy and the absolutely delightful L... Read moreila has been the light in the dark time of trying to re-plan/postpone and eventually cancel our dream wedding. We are definitely considering Sequoia for a future event (vow renewal) and would feel so lucky to work with Lila again. If you want to feel taken care of, talk to Lila at Sequoia- you will be glad you did!

We have not had the wedding yet but we have had the tasting and several calls and questions. Tatum always responds promptly and has been extremely accommodating to our requests. Much better than the other vendors we considered.

Quaid and his team at Sequoia were top notch! The view, the food, and the space were perfect. We were so lucky to find this gem of a spot as well a a gem of an event manager in Quaid. We truly had the best day of our lives and in large part it was due to Sequoia.

Choosing Sequoia as our wedding venue was the best decision my husband and I could have possibly made. Sequoia is absolutely STUNNING- our guests were blown away by the unbelievable waterfront views and twinkling city lights. They couldn’t stop exclaiming over it! The service was also IMPECCABLE. It was the quickest I have ever seen a large dinner served and our guests were NEVER waiting for a drink at the bar. Important to note, the speed did NOT diminish the quality. The food was absolutely incredible. Our guests were raving about it, saying it was the best food they’d ever had at a wedding!! The staff was incredibly professional, as well. I also cannot say enough about the Event Planner/Catering Sales Manager that we had the pleasure of working with- Quaid Coxsey. From the moment my family and I met Quaid, we knew we were in good hands. He was there, every step of the way, to answer questions, communicate with vendors, and SO MUCH MORE. He truly put my husband an... Read mored I at such great ease from the get go. Our wedding day was stress free, seamless, GORGEOUS, fun, and all around perfect and I attribute MUCH of that to Quaid. His attention to detail, quick responsive time, and positive demeanor made working with him a true joy. I cannot give Sequoia, and Quaid, a more glowing recommendation!!!

Sequoia is the perfect choice if you are looking for unbeatable views, white glove service, and top-notch professionalism. It is absolutely one of the best wedding venues in Washington, DC. I worked with Tatum, who from the very beginning was extremely knowledgeable about all the necessary details, engaged, responsive, and personable. She was so organized and on top of everything that it allowed me to relax and not stress about cocktail hour or the wedding reception. Tatum is phenomenal to work with and her expertise truly puts you at ease. The execution of all the details by her team on the big day made Sequoia the perfect choice! The level of service is top-notch. Even our guests were giving praises to the service throughout the night and even days after the event. We were even given a personal server, Chris, for the bride/groom. He was outstanding! Chris was extremely attentive, made sure we were enjoying each aspect of the evening, was there if we needed anything, and even ... Read moremade a to-go bag with food served throughout the night for us to bring back to our hotel room. Sequoia’s staff definitely goes above-and-beyond to ensure you have an unforgettable evening. All of our guests are still raving about the outstanding food! We are still being told how delicious, warm, and timely the food/service was. During cocktail hour we had passed hors d’oeuvres, then a seated dinner service, and later in the evening late night snacks. Everyone left stuffed and people jokingly complained that they likely gained 5lbs that night. You even get a specialty cocktail that night for you and your guests, which we all loved. Sequoia is so stunning on its own that you don’t need a lot of decorations. There are floor to ceiling windows that overlook the Potomac with views of the Kennedy Center, hardwood floors, and modern décor. Our cocktail hour was on the second floor balcony that overlooked the main dinning room and then we moved downstairs for dinner and dancing. Our guests are still raving about the views from both floors. Sequoia as a venue and the team provide an unforgettable experience from start to finish that will leave you and your guests in awe. To this day, we are still being told by our guests that our wedding reception was the best event they have ever been to. Thank you Sequoia, Tatum, Chris, & Team for making such a memorable evening! Nick & Laurel

We booked Sequoia for our wedding and were amazed by the result. The weather cooperated and we had our ceremony outdoors overlooking the river for an amazing view. The food was amazing, and the staff took excellent care of our guests, including a few with severe allergies (meals were customized for their needs). All of the guests were happy, and we were too!