A Lush San Francisco Botanical Garden Wedding

Many couples dream of a lush garden wedding but aren’t sure where to find the perfect venue. Or, if they’re having a smaller wedding, golf course or country club fees don’t fit their more petite events budget. This is where public parks come in. San Francisco has over 220 parks, playgrounds, and open spaces, and many are wedding-friendly. Permit fees begin at $350 per hour for a two-hour rental and go up to $643 per hour, depending on which venue in the park system you choose.

Juanita and Moises decided to get married on their tenth anniversary and chose the San Francisco Botanical Garden in Golden Gate Park as their wedding venue. This park boasts 55 acres of landscaping and specialized gardens from all over the world. What kind of weddings can you have there?

A One Hour Micro Wedding Ceremony

If you have a guest count of twenty or less, this is the perfect and affordable way to have a beautiful outdoor intimate wedding or elopement. You are allowed one hour for a standing-room-only wedding. No chairs or setups are permitted, but since you won’t be there long, it’s not a problem. The views for photography are stunning. You may have string instruments, and they choose a violinist to serenade their guests.

A Two-Hour Rental-Ceremony Only

You can invite up to fifty guests for your small pop-up wedding (standing room only). You’ll have plenty of time for your wedding ceremony and pictures with your guests. The beloved Redwood Grove is one of the locations that you can choose from with a two-hour rental. For couples who want redwood trees but don’t want to drive across the Golden Gate Bridge to Muir Woods, the Redwood Grove in the SF Botanical Garden is an excellent option.

The Four Hour Rental

If you’re going with a “bigger wedding vibe” but still only want four hours, you can choose to hold your ceremony in the Celebrations Garden. You can have chairs for a seated ceremony, which you can order through the SF Botanical Gardens’ preferred vendor list, and a cocktail reception to pop a little bubbly! You may also choose from several other garden settings within the massive SF Botanical Garden. Your options are The Garden Of Fragrance, Zellerback Garden, and Redwood Grove. Events must end by 5 pm, and that’s perfect because you can head to your dinner venue.

Juanita and Moises were blessed with a rainy day (it’s Good Luck, we Promise!) that just made their dream garden wedding even more vibrant. They came prepared with umbrellas and had a wonderful time with their friends and families. Their wedding was in the Moon Viewing Garden, a partially covered platform on legs above a lagoon. It sits in a forest and is easily accessible for all. The view of the trees with gentle branches about to burst into flower is lovely from the Moon Viewing Garden.

They booked Rachel Levine Photography for their wedding photography and videography for our two-hour “Anything For Love Package”. The endless variety of plants (over 8,000 thousand different kinds live in the park) was a spectacular backdrop for their sweet and flirty wedding pictures. The bride wore an off-the-shoulder ballgown, and the groom looked dashing in a traditional bow tie and tuxedo. As they moved through the paths that wend through the acres, they encountered varieties of palms that looked pre-historic in size. There were bridges and steps, which also made for an excellent photo studio in the wild.

The event team at the SF Botanical Garden is very professional and experienced in helping our couples choose which garden is right for their wedding and order chairs and microphones if needed. We can supply hair and makeup, bridal bouquets and boutonnieres, wedding officiant, small wedding photography, and videography. It’s a perfect combination. You two have to set the date and invite your guests. Please reach out if you’d like us to help plan your elopement, intimate, or mid-sized wedding.