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Beauty and Versatility | Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden Wedding

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is one of the highlights of Richmond, in my humble opinion. I am, of course, a plant lady and nature lover, so take that how you will. In any case, if you hope to have your wedding at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, read on. I was recently able to interview Kristine from the facility events team there, and she provided me with a lot of insight as to what a wedding there would look like! Let’s get started.

If you could only tell couples ONE thing about your venue, what would it be?
It is versitile and unique (I know that’s two)

Do couples using your venue have exclusive use? If not, how do you handle that?
We can have simultaneous weddings but not of course in the same location we have many outdoor ceremony sites and receptions sites so not completely exclusive use. The garden is so vast with many buildings locations, gardens etc.

Are couples able to host an entire weekend of festivities at your venue (ex. Welcome Party, Rehearsal, Wedding, Day-After Brunch)
Yes of course, and there are discounts for multiple day multiple use clients!

Is there a noise policy/reception cut off time?
No live music acoustic music after 10 pm (county sound ordinance) Reception cut off is 10pm.

Do you have spaces for getting ready?
Yes separate spaces for both sides of the wedding party. Some spaces require additional rental fees some are included in the space they are renting…

Can couples/guests stay overnight? Is that included in any of your wedding packages?
No we have no lodging on site.

Do couples have to use in-house catering, or can they bring their own? If they bring their own, is a kitchen available?
We have an on site catering company that is required.

If the couple has an outdoor ceremony, do you have contingency plans for bad weather?
Yes each of our outdoor ceremony sites are coupled with an indoor ceremony spot. Bloemendaal House is for our largest weddings 100+ has two large top sail tents 9 months out of the year which can convert into ceremony space if needed.

Beautiful Bloemendaal House

What is the guest capacity?
Up to 250 guests

Do you have staff for set-up/breakdown and/or security staff included?
Yes, excluding decorations , centerpieces etc. other theme décor is done by the client.

Are there restrictions for outdoor decor/exit props?
No glitter, must be real petals(ceremony), no hot air balloons arrivals or exits.

Do you have any elopement packages?
No we don’t allow Ceremony Only options at this time, Micro and Elopement parties must be at least 25 people but we no longer offer micro wedding packages.

Anything else you’d like to add?
While we are currently scheduling limited on-site tours, we want to ensure we’re providing our clients the best photos or videos moving forward so that they’re able to make an educated decision about their future events with us at the Garden. Feel free to virtually visit our beautiful outdoor ceremony spaces and wedding venues in the videos below:

(These videos work best on Google Chrome, Safari, and Firefox)

Step Into the Garden!

The Garden Virtual 360 Tour showing:
Grace Arents Garden (pairs with our Bloemendaal House)
Flagler Garden (pairs with our Robins Tea House)
Rose Garden (pairs with our Robins Visitors Center, including Robins room and Garden Cafe)

Here are our tour options:
Self-Guided Tour: With no appointment necessary, visit during the Garden’s regular operating hours of Monday – Sunday between 9 AM and 5 PM. (Please note: the last Self-Guided tour time is available at 2:30 PM.) Simply scan the Self-Guided Wedding Tour QR Code located at the Admissions desk in the Robins Visitors Center. No admission fee is required and you will be free to tour the venues on your own. (Please know that access to some areas may be limited due to previously scheduled events. The interior of the Bloemendaal House and Robins Tea House are closed to the public.) Please note: we do not allow Self-Guided wedding tours during our GardenFest of Lights event, which runs 4 PM – 10 PM each evening.)

Guided Tour: You can also schedule a guided tour with an Events Coordinator using the link below. (Please note: Our guided tour availability is currently limited due to changes in staffing and daily events scheduled in our venues. If you need to schedule a tour outside of these available hours, please email us directly. Our weekend tours are very limited due to scheduled events at the Garden.)

So there you have it! I find it a little funny that they have had to specify no hot air balloon arrivals or departures. What a way to arrive in style, though- can you imagine? It makes me wonder if someone has tried! If you are hoping to host your wedding at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, I invite you to visit their website, or schedule a guided tour. Everyone I’ve ever come in contact with there has always been incredibly accommodating and a joy to work with. This would be a lovely place to host your wedding, and I think an easy decision to make.

If you are planning your wedding are searching for a photographer, we would love to be there for you on your big day. Reach out, and let’s make it happen!

Thank you for reading! If you’d like more information on other Richmond area wedding venues, browse these posts.

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