Rust Manor House Wedding Venue | Southern Elegance in NoVa

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Closeup black and white image of a groom leaning in to kiss his bride at their Rust Manor House wedding.

An estate wedding transports you and your guests to a golden era of natural beauty, opulence, and romance. Located just outside of Leesburg, Virginia, the Rust Manor House wedding venue exemplifies these qualities. With over 60 acres of preserved land and a spectacular Manor House richly decorated with style and sophistication, it’s an ideal venue for anyone pining for a dreamy estate wedding. Sarah and Luke used the suites to get ready, then said their vows in front of their family and friends on the ceremony lawn of the estate. Later on in the day they enjoyed dinner and threw an epic party in the reception tent.

About the Rust Manor House Wedding Venue

Rust Manor House is a part of NOVA Parks, an organization dedicated to conserving the natural Virginia countryside for all Virginians to enjoy. The Manor House itself is a beautiful venue option for elegant affairs, with its stucco exterior, grand Palladian windows, black shutters, and rustic stone chimneys. It’s a picturesque location with a beloved family history, surrounded by expansive acreage, including gardens, woodlands, and rolling hills.

Like many estates in this area, Rust Manor House has a rich history reflected in its elegance and charm. Henry and Anne Harrison purchased the land and built the house in 1909. But twenty years later, it was sold to William and Mary Rust, whose family had quite a presence in the Leesburg area. They renovated the Manor House and added some magnificent gardens that remain today. Eventually, the house sold but returned to the family when William Rust Jr. saw the property for auction and repurchased his boyhood home.

It stayed in the Rust family until 1995, when William and his wife passed away. Their children donated the property and home to the Audubon Naturalist Society so it could be preserved and shared with the public. Today, Rust Sanctuary totals 68 acres of land. NOVA Parks took over managing the property to focus on environmental education. Hosting weddings and other events allows NOVA to care for the Manor House and it’s preserved land. This ensures that future generations enjoy it for years to come.

Details of the Grounds

Rust Manor House offers plenty of space for an elegant wedding with timeless beauty and historic charm. There are several ways you can use their spaces to create your perfect event. Rust Manor House offers both indoor and outdoor options, depending on your guest list.

The grounds are an ideal option for your ceremony, with beautiful trees and native Virginia flora surrounding the premises. Set up an archway at the end of an elegant stone pathway with a backdrop of meticulously landscaped shrubbery and rugged forestry. The grounds are also a lovely scenic option for cocktail hour before inviting your guests to your reception space.

Reception and More

There are several options when it comes to hosting your reception. Inside Rust Manor House, you can take advantage of their vintage-inspired decor in the large foyer, parlor, dining room, and library. The house’s interior can accommodate up to 65 people, split between the parlor and the dining room. It is a lovely, intimate place to host your first meal as a married couple surrounded by your closest friends and family.

An alternative to a seated dinner indoors is Rust Manor House’s sizeable outdoor tent that seats up to 200 guests, making it a perfect space for a larger wedding. The white tent comes with Chiavari chairs, tables, and lighting (including chandeliers). It is also equipped with air conditioning and heating so you and your guests will celebrate comfortably regardless of the season. There is also a fire pit outdoors where guests can gather after the sun sets.

Rust Manor House offers the option to rent their styled hospitality suites to prepare for your wedding day. While they don’t include these in the initial venue fees, I highly recommend adding them to your package. The are absolutely worth the additional cost. The bridal suite specifically is a beautiful, bright room perfect for intimate getting-ready portraits surrounded by your wedding parties and family.

Photography Opportunities

Rust Manor House’s inherent natural beauty makes it a wonderful space for taking memorable, timeless wedding photos. Indoors, we will use the gorgeous vintage-inspired interior design with rich colors and bold wallpapers for stylized portraits full of character and charm. There are also plenty of ways to incorporate the hardwood floors, stairs, and ornate fireplaces that represent Rust Manor House’s beauty.

Outdoors, we’ll wander the grounds to find the perfect spots to incorporate the property’s beautiful trees, rolling green lawns, and lush gardens. Depending on the season, we may even be able to catch some blooming magnolia trees. The back steps of Rust Manor House are also perfect for elegant photos. Surrounded by lots of rich greenery, they inherent the charm of the house itself.

Wedding Details

Rust Manor House is all about weddings and events, so you can rest assured that they know what they’re doing! Their experienced staff will help you plan your wedding, so no detail goes overlooked. To host your wedding here, you must hire a professional coordinator for the day of your wedding. Rust Manor House staff will be onsite to help ensure the venue is ready for you. Still, they do not fill the role of a coordinator.

Great Blue Heron Catering is their required vendor when it comes to food. They are wonderful and will work with you to put together the perfect menu for your wedding. They know it’s more than just picking items from a list. It’s about curating a menu representing the most important people of the day – you and your partner!

Your wedding day at Rust Manor House is an 8-hour venue rental, including the Manor House, Gardens, and Tent. It also includes chairs, tables, and set-up and breakdown of all tables and chairs before and after your wedding. They have plenty of in-house décor for you to use, including decorative cake stands, floor easels, card boxes, and more. Depending on availability, a short morning rehearsal is available the day before your event to ensure everything runs as smoothly as possible the following day.

Another great perk is that they allow dogs on the premises. Hence, you can include your furbaby in your big day! They can join you for your ceremony or a photo shoot if they are leashed and supervised.

Rust Manor House Wedding

An Rust Manor House wedding exudes romance, charm, history, and elegance. Be sure to check out their website. If you love what you see, arrange an appointment to see the venue in person!

Are you looking to have your intimate wedding day captured on film only? Be sure to reach out to me for more information!

The back of Rust Manor House's main building with it's stone pack and shrubs. Flatlay image of a wedding invitation suite in greens, pinks, and creams with stamps, rings, and flowers on a pink and cream damask background. Wedding flatlay image of sage green matchboxes arranged in rows with gold lettering of the couple's names, initials, and wedding date on a pink background. Closeup black and white image of a groom in a tux standing and leaning against a bookshelf in a library. Closeup image of a bride wearing white linen pajamas and holding her bouquet while smiling to the side in front of a blue and white toile background at her Rust Manor House wedding. A white wedding gown handing on a blue door in a toile wallpapered room at a Rust Manor House wedding with the bridal shoes and bouquet sitting on the floor nearby. Black and white image of a bride sitting on the window seat with her bouquet next to her at a Rust Manor House wedding. A bride and her bridesmaids in pink walking down the steps at a Rust Manor House wedding. A bride and her bridesmaids wearing pink and holding their bouquets standing close and smiling at the camera at a Rust Manor House wedding. A full wedding party in black tuxes and pink gowns standing with the bride and groom on the patio steps at a Rust Manor House wedding. Black and white image of a bride walking ahead on a stone path while her groom in a tux is carrying the train of her wedding dress. The back of Rust Manor House with white ceremony chairs set up on a sunny afternoon. Closeup of greenery and white florals at a Rust Manor House wedding. A bride and groom holding hands during their ceremony on the back patio of Rust Manor House while their guests are watching. Closeup of a bride and groom holding hands on the back patio of Rust Manor House during their wedding ceremony. The groom dipping the bride and kissing her at the end of the aisle while guests are standing, smiling, and clapping at a Rust Manor House wedding. Closeup image of a groom holding a bride's hand showing off her rings with greenery in the background. Closeup of a dark haired groom in a tux leaning in and kissing a blonde bride wearing veil and holding her bouquet. Image of the tent set up for a wedding reception at Rust Manor House in Leesburg, Virginia. Closeup image of a wedding guest's hand wearing pastel pink holding a yellow drink with a lemon and cocktail napkin featuring a dog. Closeup image of a cake featuring layers of yellow cake separated by white frosting and decorated with blueberries and small flower sprigs at a Rust Manor House wedding in Leesburg, Virginia. Direct flash image of a blonde bride in a cream lace and satin jumpsuit holding a drink in front of a teal and wallpapered background at Rust Manor House. Full length image of a bride and groom arm in arm smiling at the camera during sunset at their Rust Manor House wedding.