Denver Botanic Gardens Wedding Venue Guide
A Stunning Garden wedding venue in the middle of denver
Every time I step foot in the gardens, I feel like I find something new and different. Not only are there dozens of beautiful winding paths through the different sections of the botanic gardens, but there are greenhouses, conservatories, and water features galore! You can get lost in the gardens for hours and not see everything it has to offer. If you’re shopping for Denver wedding venues, you NEED to tour this one.
Tucked between all the amazing paths and seasonal flowers are several different wedding sites that hold various group sizes, and offer different amenities. Each site is incredibly unique, but you honestly can’t go wrong with any of them. Whether you want to say your vows in a stunning mini greenhouse or host a large group against a backdrop of blooming tulips, the Denver Botanic Gardens has a spot for you!!
Location Details
1007 York Street, Denver, CO 80206
The Denver Botanic Gardens are just west of central Denver near the Congress Park neighborhood, City Park, and Cheesman Park. The area surrounding the garden is full of stunning homes built in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and showcases some of the coolest architecture in the city. Am I biased because I live in that neighborhood? Yes. But, trust me, it’s a stunning area. It’s easily accessible from all the central Denver exits off of I-25. If you’re looking for food or lodging nearby, check out the Cherry Creek area! There are a few large hotels, and tons of shopping and restaurants.
When you’re googling the name of the venue, or your wedding guests are, make sure you warn them not to go to the Chatfield location of Denver Botanic Gardens. The name on maps looks the same apart from the specification for Chatfield or York Street. I think someone has gone to the wrong venue almost every time I’ve worked there!
There is a parking garage at the venue, and lots of street parking available for guests. It does get very crowded on summer weekends, so make sure to mention to guests to leave extra time for parking. When your guests enter the venue, there will be staff and signs to help direct people where they need to go.
Getting Married at Denver Botanic Gardens
The Denver Botanic Gardens is unique in the number of spaces they offer for you to host your wedding. You can choose from any combination of indoor and outdoor spaces for your guests! It’s such a unique way to cultivate an experience for your guests that they’ll be talking about for years, plus your guests get access to the gardens during the day! Here’s an overview of the indoor and outdoor spaces that the gardens offers.
Outdoor Sites at Denver Botanic Gardens
Annuals Garden & Pavilion
The Annuals Garden is tucked right in the middle of the property, and (as the name suggests) features the best annual plants that the gardens plants each year. If you’ve dreamed of getting married surrounded by tulips or peonies, this is the garden for you! The green pavilion offers shade and cover from light drizzles, but be aware, it still feels pretty exposed if there is a real downpour! There is a garden area behind the ceremony site with a beautiful white terrace, and two lily ponds to the north of the ceremony site.
Indoor Sites at Denver Botanic Gardens
Marnie’s Pavilion
Marnie’s is the most popular reception space at the gardens since it is one of the few that allows amplified music. Plus, what a cool environment for your guests! They get to dance around a waterfall covered in tropical plants, with a balcony above to take a breather when the dance floor gets too full. It pairs perfectly with dinner in the Orangery, as guests can move freely between the two spaces for the remainder of the evening after dinner.
Water Garden Gazebo
The Annuals Garden is tucked right in the middle of the property, and (as the name suggests) features the best annual plants that the gardens plants each year. If you’ve dreamed of getting married surrounded by tulips or peonies, this is the garden for you! The green pavilion offers shade and cover from light drizzles, but be aware, it still feels pretty exposed if there is a real downpour!
Mitchell Hall
Mitchell Hall is located inside the Visitor’s Center of the gardens, and is the closest to a ballroom style venue that the gardens offers. The ceiling is gorgeous and domed, mirroring the architecture inside the tropical conservatory, and looks stunning with colorful uplighting after dark. It’s a striking and moody space! There is also a stage on the south side of the room that could be used for a live band.
Romantic Gardens
The Romantic Garden is the most iconic and popular Botanic Gardens ceremony space. The ceremony is staged with a backdrop of tall sculpted bushes that bring to mind Lake Como in Italy or Beverly Hills. On each side of the site are small closed pavilions that work well for musicians or DJs, or for any guests who aren’t able to sit in the sun for longer periods of time. The symmetry of the site is stunning with the view down the topiary towards the pond by the Science Pyramid. It’s also one of the easiest sites to access from the main entrance of the gardens, and has the fastest access to facilities.
Gates Hall
Gates Hall is an excellent indoor option for a smaller group than the Mitchell Hall. It comes with some unique architectural elements like concrete butressed walls, wood elements, and floor to ceiling windows. Like Mitchell Hall, and the Conservatory, it has a drop ceiling with concrete accents. It has a lot of character, and I could see it working well for a speakeasy vibe (hello gold art deco accents), or for a number of unique themed events! It also features a projector screen and A/V access in case you want to show a slideshow, or any video content during your reception.
Other Indoor Sites
There are a couple additional sites that are mentioned on the website as event spaces, but not reiterated as rental options for weddings in their PDF. They are the Schlessman Family Atrium and the Sturm Family Auditorium. Contact the gardens for more information on using those sites specifically for weddings or other events.
In 2025, the Gardens announced the Waring House will be open as a venue for holiday parties during the blossoms of light. It is unclear whether weddings are included in the events allowed in the Waring House — but it would be SO pretty to have a cozy winter wedding inside such a unique home!
Welcome Garden
The Annuals Garden is tucked right in the middle of the property, and (as the name suggests) features the best annual plants that the gardens plants each year. If you’ve dreamed of getting married surrounded by tulips or peonies, this is the garden for you! The green pavilion offers shade and cover from light drizzles, but be aware, it still feels pretty exposed if there is a real downpour!
West Terrace
The West Terrace is a tented space to the west of the Orangery and just east of the Monet Pond. It makes a great addition to your spaces in combination with the Orangery. It gives you incredible views over the gardens at sunset, and your guests can easily walk to the Monet Pond for an even better view. As with most permanently installed tents, the sides can be raised or lowered depending on the weather. It’s also attractively decorated with twinkle lights in the ceiling, and large pots in the corners of the tent.
Indoor/Outdoor Sites at Denver Botanic Gardens
Woodland Mosaic Garden Solarium
The Annuals Garden is tucked right in the middle of the property, and (as the name suggests) features the best annual plants that the gardens plants each year. If you’ve dreamed of getting married surrounded by tulips or peonies, this is the garden for you! The green pavilion offers shade and cover from light drizzles, but be aware, it still feels pretty exposed if there is a real downpour!
UMB Bank AmphiTheater
One of the largest and most versatile spaces in the gardens, the UMB tent can hold a ceremony and reception for a midsize wedding, or an absolutely massive reception with a large dance floor and room for a large band. It’s one of the few spaces in the gardens that can hold the ceremony and reception in the same space without moving guests to a secondary space for a “room flip.” Your guests can wander in the grass amphitheater to the east of the tent, and have easy access to the restrooms inside Marnie’s Pavilion.
Orangery
The Orangery…SWOON. I’m obsessed with this long greenhouse-like space packed with tropical plants. The outside walls can be closed or open depending on the weather, and the outside area is dotted with citrus trees. In the summer, it smells like lemons when the trees are fruiting! Banquet tables work great in this space, but it also works great for a collection of cocktail rounds or a dinner smaller round dining tables.
Map of the Denver Botanic Gardens Ceremony Sites
How much does it cost to get married at Denver Botanic Gardens?
There’s not an easy answer to this question, as there are so many wedding sites available at the gardens. You can do anything from a short ceremony rental to a full day wedding throughout the garden locations. Because they are fairly flexible, there are spaces that can fit a variety of budgets (even hourly rentals!!), but typically if you are planning a typical 75-100 person wedding with a ceremony and reception, the price point is fairly consistent with other large venues in the area.
What’s included With All Denver Botanic Gardens Site Rentals?
Denver Botanic Gardens Rules and Requirements
The one downside to working with the Botanic Gardens for your weddings is the… rather long list of rules. But, they are understandable since the goal of the gardens is to prioritize caring for their diverse plant life. In order to keep the space as beautiful as it is, we have to all play along so we have it for years to come. Some, however, find the rules around amplified music, etc. too restrictive to work around. And, that is perfectly understandable. Here’s a summary of the most important rules to pay attention to!
Photography at Denver Botanic Gardens
I absolutely LOVE photographing at the Denver Botanic Gardens!! I could photograph another 100 weddings there, and never get tired of all the locations there are to explore, and never take the same photo twice.
As a photographer at the gardens for a wedding, you’ll need to fill out their indemnification form, and provide proof of your liability insurance. But, once you do that, you can access the gardens anytime the day of the wedding. If you’re photographing a session, the gardens charges a $100 fee to use the gardens for your session. It’s well worth it!! You request your date and time on their website, and the photography team will get back to you within a few days. Make sure to check the dates with early closures, and I find it’s best to photograph on weekdays or during the off season since much of the gardens is inaccessible if there are multiple events going on.
Denver Botanic Gardens Wedding Tips & Tricks
You learn things photographing at venues that usually aren’t listed on a website or shown on an Instagram page. Here’s some things I’ve picked up when working at the Denver Botanic Gardens that might be helpful as you plan your wedding!
#1 Footwear
While many of the paths into and out of the garden are paved, some of the sites are a significant walk from the front entrance of the gardens (the Water Garden is the farthest site). Some of the paths through different areas of the garden are gravel as well. It’s best to communicate to guests that comfortable footwear is suggested, and encourage those wearing heels to wear something without a narrow heel if they plan to enjoy the gardens.
#2 Kids
There are lots of areas of the garden with ponds and water features without protective railings. If you have kids at the wedding, keep a close eye on them (especially at the Water Garden or Annuals Pavilion) to make sure no one gets wet!
#3 Weather
Many of the Botanic Gardens rental sites are exposed to the elements and don’t have a great weather backup plan. If you’re concerned about rain or cold, it’s best to choose a fully indoor space, or one of the indoor/outdoor spaces for your event.
#4 Sun & Heat
During peak summer, the Botanic Gardens can get HOT. With lots of the garden being concrete, exposed ceremony sites like the Romantic Garden can be very warm for guests. Consider providing fans or parasols to ease the burden for guests sitting in the sun waiting for your ceremony to start! The only air conditioned spaces on the property are the Visitor’s Center, Marnie’s Pavilion, and the Science Pyramid. Make sure to inform elderly or heat sensitive guests where they can go to cool down if needed.
#5 Restroom Access
Most of the sites are quite far away from restrooms. The main restrooms are located in Marnie’s Pavilion and the Visitor’s Center. Sites like Mitchell Hall and the Orangery are very close, but guests at Annuals and Woodland Mosaic will have much further to go! This can be challenging for people with little kids, anyone mobility impaired, or the elderly. Make sure people know where restrooms are so they can plan accordingly for their needs.
#6 Accessibility
Most of the gardens is incredibly accessible for wheelchairs and walkers. While the distances can be challenging, all areas of the gardens can be accessed via concrete paths, and there are ramps for accessing higher elevations. The Tropical Conservatory is accessible via elevators in Marnie’s Pavilion.
For guests who may need to step away from the action for a while, the gardens is ideal! Guests can walk through the gardens away from your rented site at any time, and come back freely. As long as they don’t leave the garden grounds, they can take a breather then head back into the action when they’re ready.
The directions for guests around the gardens are written on signs, however there are always staff nearby to help direct guests to different wedding sites as needed.
Example Weddings at Denver Botanic Gardens
At this point, you might be thinking “ACKK…I love this venue, but there are too many options. How do I choose??” There’s definitely so many sites to choose from, and picking which ones pair together best can be a challenge. I’ve got some example weddings that show different spaces here for you, and I’m always happy to help you brainstorm as well if you shoot me a message.
Wedding in the Romantic Garden, Orangery, and Marnie’s Pavilion
This couple opted to use the Romantic Garden for their afternoon ceremony, set up the Orangery for their dinner (with GORGEOUS banquet tables), then move the guests through to Marnie’s Pavilion for their dancing. The DJ set up on the balcony of Marnie’s to give them more room on the dance floor, and they partied all night!! The guests loved using the indoor/outdoor space at the Orangery during cocktail hour, then many of the guests watched the sunset from outside after speeches finished up. The view was incredible!!
Ceremony and Portraits in the Annuals Garden at Denver Botanic Gardens
These two lovebirds just used the Botanic Gardens for their ceremony and cocktail hour, then moved to Tamayo (a restaurant on Larimer Square) for their dinner and reception. Since the ceremony sites can be rented hourly, many couples opt for their ceremony (plus, all their photos!! Bonus!) then choose a local Denver restaurant or brewery for the reception. It can be a great option if you want a little more flexibility with your catering, AV, and beverage vendors — and to avoid any noise restrictions.
Wedding in the Bank Amphitheater Tent at Denver Botanic Gardens
This multicultural wedding started with an Indian ceremony in the morning at a temple, then an american ceremony and reception under the UMB tent at the gardens. This was a large wedding, but they were still able to keep the ceremony, cocktail hour, and the dinner under the tent all day. It was absolutely stunning!!
Fall Wedding at Denver Botanic Gardens in the Woodland Mosaic Garden
The Woodland Mosaic Garden is an amazing venue for a smaller wedding. You can do the ceremony and dinner inside the solarium, you’ll just need to move your guests to the patio while your catering team “flips” the inside of the solarium from the ceremony setup to the dinner setup. This was a really cozy and magical fall evening, and I just love the solarium!!
Wedding Portraits at my favorite spots in Denver Botanic Gardens
I can’t wax poetic enough about how much I love doing portraits in the gardens. I feel like every time I photograph here, I find a new magical spot that I’d never seen before, or line up a new view along a neat path. It changes so much with the seasons as well!! One week looks totally different as they rotate the plants through seasonally during the year. Here’s some of my favorite photos from all around the gardens.
Wrap Up!
Well, I hope this guide gave you MORE than enough stuff to think about if you’re looking at the Denver Botanic Gardens for your wedding. If you have any other questions that I didn’t answer, just hit me up! I’d be happy to answer them! If you’re looking at hiring a photographer for your wedding, like I said, I live in the neighborhood and have a ton of experience at the gardens.