Jamie and Jason Klein met at a high school leadership camp and love the outdoors, so they were adamant about giving Mother Nature a big role in their July 3, 2011, wedding. They chose the lush foliage and vibrant flowers of the Fragrance Garden, an oval and grassy part of Boerner Botanical Gardens in Hales Corners, a Milwaukee suburb. “It was a pretty warm day, but perfect,” Jamie recalls.
The word “perfect” is often used to describe garden weddings, which are becoming more and more popular as brides discover the venues’ breathtaking built-in backdrops. “The landscape serves as décor that you don’t have to rent,” says wedding planner Sarah Sarbacker of Cherry Blossom Events in Madison. “You often don’t need to add many arrangements from a florist.”
Sarbacker and business partner Andrea VandeBerg like to “amp up the setting with little details,” such as wildflower bouquets in mason jars hanging from shepherd hooks or monochromatic paper lanterns accented with butterfly cutouts. Some couples also complement the surroundings by affixing simple bouquets to chairs along the aisle.
For her Boerner Botanical Gardens wedding, Klein designed programs that doubled as hand-held fans, which guests used as the ceremony unfolded. Meanwhile, she and Jason sat under a canopy, as close friends expressed heartfelt wishes through poems, readings and an original song.
Klein describes the serene location as calming. Had the weather been unwelcoming, the event would have moved into a rented garden atrium, but there was no need. The crowd of 190 lingered outdoors for cocktails before moving inside for a meal prepared by Bartolotta Catering Company, the site’s exclusive caterer.
The scenic route
Some public gardens offer more than one option for ceremony and reception sites. And while many brides will choose a spot based on the size of their guest list, they should also keep in mind the personality of a particular garden.
Consider the three alternatives at Janesville’s Rotary Botanical Gardens: In the sunny French Formal Rose Garden, the bride walks down the aisle past a bubbling koi pond. In the Sunken Garden, she enters under a hydrangea-covered arch that adds architectural interest. The shady, forested Gazebo Garden is nearly surrounded by water and overlooks a pretty bridge in the Japanese garden.
Facility and events manager Polly Schluter-Punzel describes the Rotary’s reception hall as “pretty much a blank canvas,” which means couples can decorate “to set whatever mood they want.” The hall’s adjoining terrace overlooks the newly renovated garden spaces.
Changing seasons
“Try to imagine the ceremony space in the season when you’ll marry,” advises Aubrey Brennan of Green Bay Botanical Garden. That can help coordinate other wedding elements, from bridesmaid bouquets to program designs.
“None of our gardens are the same,” Brennan says. “With each site, you get such a different feel—from earthy to formal. It’s fun to see how the site is used as an inspiration for wedding colors and style. Most unique are the colors people use to blend with the garden, like purples, pinks, yellows.”
At Madison’s Olbrich Botanical Gardens, decorating the venue’s indoor reception space is simplified because the walls or the ceiling indoors stay unadorned. “Centerpieces are about all brides need, and we’ve seen them made with candles, flowers, origami birds—many things,” says Olbrich’s rental coordinator Patti Jorenby.
Having a smooth day means “knowing what’s allowed and not, or asking if you’re unsure,” she adds. At many publicly owned botanical gardens, showing up with alcohol or food not prepared by an approved caterer is prohibited. Also discouraged is “showing up before you’re supposed to,” says Jorenby.
If a garden site allows outdoor dining, Cherry Blossom Events’ Sarbacker recommends renting a tent “with all four sides”—not just a canopy—and a separate tent for caterer cleanup, “so they’re not scraping plates right in front of your guests.”
Weather or not
Mother Nature may provide the beautiful foliage, but that doesn’t mean she won’t rain on your parade. If rain is in the forecast, Sarbacker advises the bride and her attendants to bring flats so their heels don’t sink into the lawn. And adding an aisle runner might prove more annoying than fitting, she says, especially when laid over grass and easily pierced by high heels. She also suggests buying matching and complementary umbrellas for bridesmaids to hold, which add pops of color to the photography and provide a unique detail.
The rule at Olbrich Botanical Gardens, which typically hosts two or three ceremonies on a Saturday, is to rent an indoor space along with the preferred outdoor venue. With Wisconsin’s unpredictable weather, being able to wed outdoors is considered a bonus. “Only if the weather is good can a ceremony take place outside,” explains Jorenby.
Planning a back-up site in case of uncooperative weather is always a concern, says Brennan of Green Bay Botanical Garden. New to her facility is an indoor reception hall with an upper level that accommodates up to 212 guests, with huge windows and a balcony overlooking the garden.
“We have a kitchen and approved list of caterers that cover a wide variety of options, from budget to extravagant,” she says. The addition also enhances the bridal party dressing area; now, instead of being merely functional it’s “a pleasant place to hang out before the ceremony.”
Green Bay Botanical Garden has five outdoor spaces for wedding ceremonies. The most intimate is Stumpf Belvedere, a gazebo where up to 10 people can stand; elsewhere, two gardens can be tented separately to seat up to 150.
Sage advice
Though the idea of having an outdoor garden wedding may sound like a gamble—hello, rain—and may require some extra planning—think chairs, tables and catering—it’s worth it to the brides who’ve been there, done that.
“I wasn’t too concerned about how everything would turn out,” says bride Brier Roukema, who, along with hubby Matt, was among the first to marry at Mystical Rose Gardens in Baldwin, which opened in 2011. “I just felt like it was supposed to be a fun day, and that’s how it turned out. That’s my best advice when having a garden wedding—have fun with it and relax.”
Frequently asked questions
Don’t make assumptions when booking a public garden for all or part of your wedding celebration. Ask these questions before signing on the dotted line.
- What does the rental rate include? Consider every detail—chairs, lighting, sound equipment, podiums, altar, stage—and make arrangements for whatever the garden doesn’t provide.
- Are there restrictions on which businesses, from rental companies to caterers, can be hired?
- What are the event hours? Keep in mind the effect timing will have on lighting.
- How private is the space? Can the public wander in or near the ceremony or reception site?
- If the garden charges admission, must guests pay to attend a wedding?
- If a photography permit is required, what is the price, who pays for it and how much time does it cover? (Answers can vary widely. Some gardens charge an annual fee to those who sell their photography. Others charge by the hour or event.)
- Does the garden allow food and beverages, including alcohol?
- Are there any nearby prepping rooms for the bridal party?
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