12 Butterfly Garden Wedding Venues That Are Sure to Impress
When planning for the big day, some couples consider choosing a butterfly garden wedding venue because of the unique experience it provides both them and their guests. With both indoor and outdoor options, these types of wedding venues pair natural beauty with top-notch service to provide people with everything they need for their wedding ceremony, wedding reception or both.
Couples hoping to host an outdoor butterfly garden wedding should typically plan on getting married in late summer to optimize the number of winged visitors, although indoor butterfly houses provide the same experience year-round. Most enclosed butterfly pavilions are only able to host small wedding ceremonies of around 50 people, so for larger celebrations, couples should pick a venue with a bigger event space that allows attendees to enjoy the butterfly garden at their leisure during the reception. Many butterfly garden wedding venues also allow couples to add in a butterfly release during their ceremony to symbolize the new, beautiful life the pair will be creating together. All in all, these amazing wedding venues are a mix of the best event spaces that incorporate butterflies into your special day. And if, by the end of this list, you still need more inspiration, head over to The Knot Vendor Marketplace for all kinds of venues and wedding pros for your big day.
Hershey Gardens in Hershey, Pennsylvania
While Hersey, Pennsylvania is best known for its chocolate factory, the bustling city is also home to Hershey Gardens, a 23-acre venue with a year-round Butterfly Atrium. This indoor garden pavilion creates a tropical experience for the hundreds of butterflies inside with unique plants such as a cacao tree, plumeria tree and the Hawaiian Ti plant. The Butterfly Atrium is housed within the Conservatory's Educational & Horticultural Wing, which can hold 120 seated guests or 200 for a standing-room-only event. While couples can get married indoors, this venue's multiple outdoor gardens provide beautiful natural backdrops for the big day too with the option to add on a butterfly experience for photos and guests' enjoyment.
- Guest Capacity: Up to 200 standing, 120 seated
Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory & Gardens in South Deerfield, Massachusetts
The Francis R. Redmond Conservatory at the Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory & Gardens is home to almost 4,000 native and tropical butterflies 365 days a year. The 8,000-square-foot indoor butterfly house can seat up to 100 people for a ceremony by a gazebo or altar. Many couples choose to perform a butterfly release in the conservatory too. Afterward, the party can move to the Art Gallery Cafe or Atrium for a budget-conscious reception. For those hoping to get married during the warmer months, this venue's outdoor gardens provide one acre of greenery for strolling through. Accessible for all, this butterfly pavilion wedding venue is a unique opportunity for guests to see native butterflies in their natural habitat.
- Guest Capacity: Up to 100
Indianapolis Zoo in Indianapolis, Ohio
While the Indianapolis Zoo is home to animals from all over the globe, many couples choose to get married in the Hilbert Conservatory, complete with tropical palm trees, a fish pond and blown glass created by artist Dave McLary. Within this building is the Hulman Riverhouse, a large reception venue that holds up to 160 seated guests. It also has a full wall of windows that overlook the city and zoo. The Conservatory, which is set within the greater White River Gardens, houses hundreds of butterflies that flutter throughout the building from May to November. Both inside and out, this butterfly garden venue provides a camera-ready aesthetic and a staff committed to creating an environmentally friendly event.
- Guest Capacity: Up to 160
Pismo Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove in Pismo Beach, California
There are few things as beautiful as a California sunset, and when you add in hundreds of migrating Monarch butterflies to that, such a view cannot get any better. That is why many couples choose to tie the knot at the Pismo Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove. This space is open to the public, so nearlyweds must apply for a city permit to use the beach. However, receiving approval from the city does not grant exclusive use of the space. In addition, the beach cannot be roped off or reserved, and vehicles are not allowed on the beach. If couples are willing to abide by these rules, they can hold their wedding ceremony on the gorgeous California beach that is full of Monarch butterflies from November to February.
- Guest Capacity: Up to 100
The Holden Arboretum in Kirtland, Ohio
Less than a half hour from Cleveland, Ohio lies The Holden Arboretum, a gorgeous event space with over 3,500 acres of gardens and paths to explore. This venue's outdoor butterfly garden has bees, hummingbirds and butterflies to accent your ceremony and reception. Alongside two ponds, this area is at the peak of its beauty in July and August when the flowers are in full bloom and attracting pollinators.
Ceremony spots at The Holden Arboretum include the Butterfly Garden and Rhododendron Discovery Garden, each able to hold around 120 guests. This venue also has multiple indoor event spaces and partners with Epic Elopements to pull off budget-friendly yet elegant micro weddings on the property.
- Guest Capacity: Up to 120
The Butterfly House in St. Louis, Missouri
Tucked within the Missouri Botanical Gardens is the Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House, which contains a butterfly conservatory. This enclosed pavilion space is home to over 1,000 butterflies and dozens of tropical, blooming plants. For the safety of the butterflies, no real flowers are allowed inside this intimate venue that can hold up to 25 people.
The Missouri Botanical Garden also has an outdoor Native Butterfly Garden that can hold more guests when it is open between May and October. Newlyweds can host a reception at the Emerside Lakeside Terrace nearby that holds between 80 and 120 people. Couples that choose not to get married within the Butterfly Conservatory can also add on access to the unique exhibit during the reception.
- Guest Capacity: 80 to 120
The Butterfly Pavilion in Westminster, Colorado
Tucked between Boulder and Denver, Colorado lies The Butterfly Pavilion, a large venue with numerous ceremony and reception spaces, including a 7,200-square-foot butterfly garden home to over 1,600 fluttering bugs and 200 different types of plants. The tropical climate makes it a warm and intimate spot for a wedding ceremony that can include a butterfly release. This particular butterfly garden does allow fresh flower bouquets as long as they have been sprayed for pesticides by a florist.
The Butterfly Pavilion has multiple reception and alternative ceremony areas, including the neutral event space known as Monarch Hall, the stunning English-inspired Discovery Gardens, an open-air terrace and multiple gazebos. Whether you're hoping for an intimate butterfly garden ceremony or a major outdoor celebration with guest access to the butterfly pavilion during the reception, The Butterfly Pavilion can make any of your garden wedding dreams come true.
- Guest Capacity: Up to 65
Texas Discovery Gardens in Dallas, Texas
Just a short drive from downtown Dallas lies the Texas Discovery Gardens in Fair Park. While there are plenty of ceremony and reception areas here, the two-story Rosine Smith Sammons Butterfly House and Insectarium is perhaps the most unique spot to tie the knot. The serene enclosure is home to more than 500 butterflies and holds up to 50 people for a standing-room-only ceremony. For larger weddings, couples can get married elsewhere on the property and simply add three hours of access for guests to the butterfly house during the reception.
The Texas Discovery Gardens have multiple lawns for events, the largest being the Grand Allee and Fountain which can hold up to 600 guests. With an on-site manager provided by the venue and a myriad of other amenities, nuptial celebrations here are truly splendid.
- Guest Capacity: Up to 600
The Walled Garden at the Biltmore in Asheville, North Carolina
Over 30 years ago, the famous Biltmore estate in Asheville, North Carolina added a stunning butterfly garden within its Walled Garden. This space holds between 45 and 100 guests for a ceremony and reception, but the entire venue can hold up to 600. The garden's border provides a sanctuary for the native insects to enjoy, while a plethora of plants creates a beautiful background for photos. In addition, the estate's Conservatory is a dramatic backdrop to the party. The Butterfly Garden's peak bloom occurs between July and early September, making later summer the best chance to see an abundance of butterflies.
- Guest Capacity: Up to 100 in the butterfly garden, up to 600 in total
The Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Miami, Florida
The Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens are a tropical dreamland for couples to enjoy on their wedding day. From secluded gardens to stunning vistas and, of course, the Clinton Family Conservatory that houses hundreds of butterflies every day of the year, there are many beautiful spots to get married here. This venue's Glasshouse Cafe & Patio allows up to 50 guests to enjoy a panoramic view of the butterflies underneath a Chihuly glass chandelier. It also connects directly to outdoor gardens, including a one-of-a-kind rainforest exhibit.
- Guest Capacity: Up to 50
The Key West Butterfly & Nature Conservatory in Key West, Florida
After the last visitor is escorted out of The Key West Butterfly & Nature Conservatory at 5 pm, staff at this magical venue begin preparing for weddings. While it can only hold between 10 and 20 guests, those invited to a special day here can enjoy the beauties of the glass-enclosed and climate-controlled butterfly house, including Rhett and Scarlett, the local flamingos. Included in the small wedding package are butterfly-embossed champagne glasses, and couples can add a unique butterfly release to their ceremony if they would like for their butterfly pavilion wedding.
- Guest Capacity: Up to 20
The Detroit Zoo in Royal Oak, Michigan
The Detroit Zoo's Butterfly Garden in its Wildlife Interpretive Gallery is home to around 25 different species of butterflies that enjoy the structure's 75-degree warmth all year round. With an abundance of flowers and fruit for the winged creatures to snack on, this venue is a marvelous spot for a wedding ceremony of up to 150 seated guests or 250 standing. The Detroit Zoo can handle the reception as well, providing couples with numerous spaces that take full advantage of the zoo's diverse animal population.
- Guest Capacity: Up to 250 standing, 150 seated