Josephine Brasserie and Bar
Engagement Sessions in Washington, D.C.
109 South Saint Asaph Street, Alexandria, VA 22314Best Time of Year: Year-round, since the session is indoors and rain cannot cancel it
Ideal For: Couples who want a night out rather than a landscape, whatever the weather
Josephine is a French brasserie in the 1883 firehouse that once housed Alexandria's Columbia No. 4 company, off King Street in Old Town. A long carved bar runs under an arched mirror and a wall of bottles, with leaded glass either side and fluted pendants throwing warm light down the room. The dining rooms behind it run to botanical wallpaper and deep leather seating, and an atrium under a vaulted skylight gives you daylight when you want it. That offers a register most engagement locations cannot: a dinner date rather than a landscape, enclosed and lamplit, with drinks in hand and the bar itself as the set, down to the shakers and coupes. It is a working restaurant, though, so a session here is arranged with the staff, usually outside service hours.
Gallery photography by Refract Photography LLC
Why Shoot Here
- A long carved bar with an arched back mirror and a full bottle wall
- The 1883 firehouse shell, built for the Columbia No. 4 company
- Leaded glass panels and fluted pendants through the bar room
- An atrium under a vaulted skylight when you want daylight frames
- Botanical wallpaper and deep leather seating in the dining rooms
- Bar props that give you something to do: shakers, coupes, garnishes
- Old Town outside the door, with King Street and the waterfront close by
- Fully indoors, so the session holds up in any weather
Session Tips
- Arrange the session with the restaurant before you plan anything else. It is a working brasserie, so shooting normally means booking outside service hours.
- Expect warm, low, artificial light. Your photographer will bring flash or fast lenses rather than rely on the windows.
- Ask whether you can get behind the bar. Some of the strongest frames from this session are the two of them making drinks.
- The atrium under the skylight is the daylight room. Ask about it if you want brighter, softer frames alongside the bar.
- Add a short walk outside. King Street and the Potomac waterfront are close enough to pick up exteriors in the same session.
- Dress the way you would to actually eat there. The room is dressy and the frames read better for it.
- Old Town street parking is metered and busy after work. Allow extra time or use one of the nearby garages.
Getting There
Josephine is at 109 South Saint Asaph Street in Old Town Alexandria, in the 1883 Romanesque firehouse that housed the Columbia No. 4 company. It sits a few blocks from King Street, walkable from the King Street Metro on the Blue and Yellow lines, and close to the Potomac waterfront. Street parking is metered and fills up in the evenings, so leave time or use a nearby garage. Because the room is a working restaurant, your photographer will arrange access and confirm the hour with the staff once your session is booked.
Gallery
Gallery photography by Refract Photography LLC
Photographers Who've Shot Here
See how a few of our photographers have captured Josephine Brasserie and Bar - each with their own style and take on the location.
More Photographers in the Area
Other vetted Washington, D.C. photographers who shoot near here - explore their profiles, or let us match you with the right fit.
Trusted by Real Couples
“From the very beginning Jeff along with his studio manager Frankie were both very good at communicating and chose the most beautiful place, Huntington Beach State Park.”
Ella & Zach
