The Bronx

Weddings at the New York Botanical Garden

The New York Botanical Garden holds two hundred and fifty acres of gardens and a Victorian glasshouse, half an hour from Midtown. A wedding here is a garden wedding in the city, with all the beauty and all the weather that brings. We have planned weddings at the garden, and we plan every one of them twice: once for sun, once for rain. The wedding we tell here began with portraits on Fifth Avenue and ended beneath the chandeliers at the garden, with the glasshouse in between.

The Enid A. Haupt Conservatory at the New York Botanical Garden, its glass dome white against the sky. — The conservatory at the New York Botanical Garden.

Few places in New York give a couple real gardens, old trees and a glasshouse in one day. The seasons change the place completely, so the date shapes the design more here than almost anywhere: blossom in spring, roses in early summer, color on the old trees in autumn, and the glasshouse warm whatever the weather outside.

A room with arched windowsCeremony: For the wedding we planned here, the ceremony was held indoors, in a room with tall arched windows, the chairs in rows facing an arch of white and blush flowers. An indoor ceremony at a garden venue takes the weather out of the most important half hour of the day.
The dining roomDinner and dancing: Dinner followed in a room beneath a crystal chandelier, set with round tables, tall white arrangements and candles, the windows turning deep blue at dusk. The couple danced into the room, and the dance floor stayed full.
The conservatoryPortraits: The Enid A. Haupt Conservatory is the garden’s landmark, a Victorian glasshouse full of palms. The couple were photographed on the lawn before its white dome and beneath the palms inside. The garden sets the hours and the rules for photographs, so we agree them in advance.

The rain plan is a second design

At a garden venue the rain plan is not a tent in reserve. It is a full second version of the day, designed as carefully as the first and decided on a schedule, with the portraits moved to covered places and the timeline adjusted rather than squeezed. Our rain plan guide explains how we work.

Distances inside the garden

The garden is large, and the walk between spaces is longer than guests expect. We plan the route, the shoes and the pace for older guests, and time each move so the evening never stalls while people find their way.

Two New Yorks in one day

Many couples want Manhattan in their photographs too. For this wedding the portraits were made on the steps of the New York Public Library and on Fifth Avenue before the drive to the Bronx, with the timing of the drive built into the day.

Transport from Manhattan

The garden is in the Bronx, and most guests come from Manhattan hotels. We plan coaches for the hour of the day and the traffic, so guests arrive together and leave when they are ready.

Garden rules

A botanical garden protects its collections, so it sets its own rules on flowers, candles, confetti, sound and end times. We read them with you before the design is drawn.

Our wedding at The New York Botanical Garden

Joyce & Daniel’s New York Botanical Garden wedding

Portraits at the Public Library, then a celebration among the palms. The New York Botanical Garden, the Bronx.

Read the story: Joyce & Daniel's New York Botanical Garden wedding

The bride and groom touch foreheads among tall palms and ferns inside the Victorian glasshouse, her veil falling behind her.

The bride and groom stand on the wide stone steps of the New York Public Library on Fifth Avenue, between its great columns. — Portraits on the steps of the Public Library.

The bride crosses Fifth Avenue among New Yorkers, her veil lifting behind her. Black and white. — Crossing Fifth Avenue.

The couple stand smiling among tall palms and ferns inside the Victorian glasshouse. — Beneath the palms of the conservatory.

A room with arched windows, rows of wooden chairs facing an arch of white and blush flowers and greenery. — The room, set for the ceremony.

Beneath the arch of flowers, the couple hold hands before their officiant, a bridesmaid in blush beside them. — The vows, beneath the arch.

The reception room at the garden, round tables with candles and blush flowers beneath a sparkling chandelier. — The room for dinner.

The couple dance into the room with their arms raised, guests clapping around them. Black and white. — Into the room, dancing.

A dinner table with tall candles, blush roses and glassware, deep blue dusk in the windows behind. — A table at dusk.

The bride and her bridesmaids in matching white pajamas, laughing together on a sofa. Black and white. — The morning, with the bridesmaids.

The bride fastens an earring by the window, smiling, in a strapless white gown. — The earrings, last.

Bridesmaids in shades of pink and lilac see the bride in her gown and veil for the first time, hands to their faces. — The bridesmaids see the gown.

Do you plan weddings at the New York Botanical Garden?

Yes. We have planned weddings at the garden. One is told on our New York Botanical Garden wedding page.

What happens if it rains at an NYBG wedding?

We design the rain plan as a full second version of the day and decide on a set schedule before the wedding. An indoor ceremony, as at the wedding we tell here, removes the question for the most important part of the day.

Which spaces at the garden can hold a wedding?

The garden has indoor rooms and outdoor lawns for ceremonies and dinners, and the conservatory for portraits. The garden’s events team confirms current spaces and capacities, and we plan the day around the ones that suit your guest count and season.

How do guests get to the garden?

Most guests travel by coach from Manhattan hotels, which keeps everyone together and on time. We plan the departures around traffic at that hour.

Planning a wedding at The New York Botanical Garden? Tell us about it.

Tell us about your wedding, and we will take it from there.