Garden Wedding Venues

Garden Wedding Venues:

There's something extra-special about saying "I do" in a beautiful outdoor setting, and garden wedding venues provide an ideal and romantic backdrop for ceremonies and receptions. Many hotels have areas that can be used as garden wedding venues, and restaurants with outdoor patios can also serve as garden wedding venues. If engaged couples own their own home or know someone with a big enough yard, private homes can be transformed into terrific garden wedding venues with an added personal touch.

Private home as a garden wedding venue:

When private homes are used as garden wedding venues, if there's enough advance time, special landscaping can be planted to be in full bloom when the big day arrives. If that can't be done, already-existing landscaping can be enhanced with potted plants and floral arrangements brought in for the occasion. If possible, install a gazebo or flower-lined wedding arch for the ceremony. For weddings being held in late afternoon or evening, stringing white lights can add an elegant touch to garden wedding venues.

In addition to "official" garden wedding venues and private homes, many other settings can be adapted into wonderful wedding environments. University grounds can often easily be converted to garden wedding venues, and look into public spaces such as state or local parks as well. Private country clubs often have lovely garden wedding venues, and many can be rented for wedding celebrations by members and non-members alike.

Garden wedding venues provide a built-in theme for the event - even if part of the celebration is being held indoors, natural elements can be incorporated into the décor with floral centerpieces and other nature-inspired accents. Have the wedding cake decorated with flowers, and draw small blooms on guest seating cards. For weddings taking place where there's a temperate climate, outdoor garden wedding venues can be used well into autumn or maybe even early winter months. At that time of year, dried flowers, wreaths and scented herbs and candles can be used to turn garden wedding venues into a seasonal showcase.

When considering garden wedding venues, it's important to include arrangements for inclement weather in your planning, especially if the wedding is being scheduled months in advance. If there's no indoor alternative to the garden wedding venue, seriously consider renting a tent that's large enough to accommodate all the wedding guests.

Botanical (or botanic) gardens, professionally-tended parks with a wide range of plants, often from different parts of the world, can be found in many cities and towns, and these can be outstanding garden wedding venues. One of the best-known botanical gardens in the US is the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens in New York City. The Palm House, the Gardens' Victorian-style conservatory, is open all year and features both indoor and outdoor garden wedding venues.

Couples getting married at garden wedding venues can give guests a unique and lasting keepsake by preparing small ceramic pots with plants, seedlings or flowering bulbs as favors to take home with them. These lovely - and eco-friendly! - reminders of the garden wedding venues will bring smiles and happy memories to guests and celebrants and are symbolic of the roots being planted by the newlyweds.

Image courtesy: Geoff White Photography