The John Marshall Ballrooms

The John Marshall Ballrooms occupies the historic Hotel John Marshall, which opened in downtown Richmond in 1929 as the largest hotel in Virginia and once welcomed guests including Elizabeth Taylor, Mary Tyler Moore, Elvis Presley, and Presidents Nixon, Ford, and Carter. After sitting vacant for more than twenty years, the building underwent an $80 million, two-year renovation that restored its original 1920s grandeur, and it now operates as a full-service wedding and event venue. The Marshall Ballroom features nine vintage crystal chandeliers, three walls of thirty-foot windows, and hand-crafted molding, seating up to 150 guests with a dance floor. The Virginia Ballroom is anchored by a grand split staircase leading to a wraparound balcony that adds extra seating or mingling space above its 27-by-27-foot dance floor, accommodating seated dinners of up to 360 guests or cocktail receptions of up to 650. A grand lobby serves as an entry point and cocktail-hour space. Homemades by Suzanne serves as the venue's exclusive in-house caterer, handling catering, chairs, linens, china, setup, and cleanup for events held in the ballrooms.