Hillside Gardens & Event Center

Mother of the Bride here: This is such an excellent venue. Lovely setting! Many of our guests commented on the natural beauty and quirky displays that are throughout the area. If you want beautiful wedding photos, this is the place! The staff made sure that everything was in order (trash emptied, paths cleared using a leaf blower, bride's cottage all clean and ready with A/C running) and Erika is the most amazing wedding planner - cool-headed, kind, efficient, and organized. She saved the day when our photographer didn't show (despite Erika sending a detailed "when to arrive" email a few days before the event to all vendors and the wedding party) by finding an excellent local photographer who could step in at the last minute.

We just had our daughter’s wedding at Hillside Gardens and Event Center in Colorado Springs, CO. It was the most beautiful venue we could have ever found! This venue is so unique and gorgeous! But, most of all, the staff and Hillside Garden’s new wedding coordinator, Erika Weeks, made the wedding come off perfect! I highly recommend to anyone who books a wedding at Hillside hire Ms. Weeks to coordinate their wedding. Ms. Weeks was instrumental in making my daughter’s wedding the wedding of her dreams! Thank you Hillside Gardens and Erika Weeks!

Spectacular location, gardens, view and vibe! What I would HIGHLY recommend are the services of the wedding coordinator - Erika Weeks - with Hillside. She did a masterful job of supporting the Bride - the Groom - all the family - really all the guests! She is sharp, reads people well and tends to needs without you even realizing she is doing it. She is subtle, in the background while being active in ways you didn't even know we're needed. She brought a thoughtful and supportive set of questions in the planning and the execution. It was a great experience and offered us a beautiful and memorable evening.

We had our wedding here on May 26, 2018 and it was the most magical venue ever. We got so many compliments on how beautiful, open, and great for guests to get up and move around the garden! I would definitely recommend it to anyone!

Really beautiful venue! It basically decorates itself with the trees a d flowers. Owners are easy to work with. Also affordable too!

Larry is very rude and was rude to me and my guest on my wedding day. He charged my husband a set up fee of $200 which he did not do my family and friends had to set everything up and break everything down. I would not recommend this place to anyone for a wedding.

The venue was exactly what we had hoped for! Larry and the team we very accommodating regarding rehearsal times. Ceremony moved flawlessly to the reception area, having the different areas in close proximity allowed for family to not miss out but also go to a different space to talk. The venue was ideal for a Colorado summer wedding!

9/21/16: Stars are for the setting only, which is a beautiful place for a wedding, but the owner, Larry, and his staff are extremely difficult to work with. Multiple conversations and written agreements did not alter the fact that they refused follow through on some very basic requests, affecting our ability to relax and enjoy our daughter's wedding event. There was no indication prior to the wedding that they would not proceed as had been planned, so it felt deceptive and dishonest. As a result, we do not recommend use of this venue for such an important event.

Hillside was a gorgeous setting for our daughter's June wedding. Having Pike's Peak in the background is something we particularly loved. We loved that it was spread out so that our guests could explore. The pavilion was perfect for the reception, especially for our elderly guests who did not have to travel to a separate location. Communication could have been better. Larry - the owner - contacted my new son-in-law during their honeymoon about the bar tab.It would have been nice if he had sent a paper invoice or an email with the final amount, we could have taken care of the bill immediately. We had an afternoon/evening slot, which meant that the venue was available at 4:30 pm. This created a very tight schedule for a 6 pm wedding, reception, and photos. If possible, I would recommend trying to book the place for the entire day to take away some of the day's stress. I definitely recommend Hillside Gardens for a gorgeous wedding day venue.

This was such a beautiful, unique place to have a wedding. It is a gorgeous setting, with Pikes Peak as a back drop, lovely gardens all around, and all kinds of quirky, fun sculpture. The pavillion was perfect for the reception, the owner and manager were friendly and helpful, if perhaps a little reserved. But lovely people. I loved that we could bring in our own food--whatever we wanted. But, we couldn't bring alcohol, due to their liquor license.

Having my wedding at Hillside was the best decision for my wedding I could have made. When I first saw the property I feel in love. And when we changed our date and moved it up a year, I decided I still had to have Hillside even if I had to have my wedding on Friday. The grounds are uniquely beautiful. And even through the drought we had over the summer everything was green and beautiful. I love everything about the location, the ceremony sight has a backdrop of Pikes Peak, the grounds have all these unique statues and knick knacks including a giant chicken (which made for awesome pics) made of branches, a gazebo, and huge cheese set among other fun things. The weather was perfect. I love being in the cottage peaking out of the window while my guest arrived. They also have an area for the groom and his men to get dressed. The service was amazing. We had several grandparents at the even and my mother has knee brace and someone was there to escort them around on the golf cart. Terri is amazing. You may have to remind her of a couple of things but she is easy to work with and came through on everything they said they would provide and more. She even stuck around to hold my train as I walked from the cabin to the aisle. She even let us come to the venue 6 hours earlier than our contract stated to begin decorating. At the end of the night some of her staff even helped us (my bridal party) clean up even though it was our responsibility to do. I couldn't happier that my wedding was there. Everything was perfect.

Great Venue. We are very pleased with the people and facility. The pavilion saved the evening as there was quite the rainstorm that evening.

I was a bridesmaid at my cousins wedding, the garden was beautiful, and well-kept. I loved the great view of pikes peak. The staff was very friendly and accomidating. I will consider this venue for my wedding!

This venue is goregous as all the guests raved to be about it. It is outside with the mountains in the background for the ceremony than there is a covered pavilion for the reception. It is very Colorado feeling. It is not run that well and is a bit disorganized but I just met with the venue many times and kept emailing to get confirmation on decisions we had made.

The Gardens were gorgeous for a wedding and reception. I loved having the mountains in the background and all the gardens open for the guests. It was sometimes hard to get a hold of the venue and they were not especially warm up front. Also no bathroom in the bridal cottage. But I'm so glad I used them!

This venue is gorgeous, the wedding was just how I pictured it. This venue also acted as my florist. I didn't even mind the family of skunks that walked right by the reception pavillian. They didn't unleash and looked cute. My cake melted from heat because the venue lady was no where to be found to put the cake in the refrigerator. In fact she was MIA the whole night after giving me the bouquets! The golf cart promised to drive the elderly up the hill to the bathroom was never seen. I believe they just held it. She also sold my date to someone else as she never penciled it in. You would think she would give me the date and cancel the other couples but she didn't. I must have great patience to put up with all this as I really loved my wedding, she's just a mess. Good luck with her if you choose this awesome venue!

I did not actually end up being able to have my ceremony here, but we took our pictures at this venue. It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen! The gardens all throughout are well-tended and lush, and they are interspersed with really cool old memorabilia and buildings. I heard someone describe it as "looking dirty and run down." But if you like an older, vintage look, you will love this place. They can host your ceremony and reception in the same place and the staff is fantastic to work with.

After seeing Hillside for the first time, I knew that it was the perfect place for my husband and I to have our wedding ceremony! Working with Teri was wonderful! She is such a great person with an incredible heart and she is wonderful to work with! Having our wedding ceremony at Hillside was magical! Everything went so smoothly and beautifully! I can't imagine a better place to have a wedding! All of the flowers were blooming, the sun was shining and love was in the air! There is a cute little bridal cottage for the girls to get ready in and there is room at the main house (gift shop) for the boys to get ready! If you are thinking about having an outdoor wedding you HAVE TO check out Hillside Gardens and Nursery! You won't want to get married anywhere else once you see the beautiful scenery and flowers, their unique decor and the mountain view!

Hillside Gardens is a beautiful place for a wedding. The weather was perfect. The mountain views make this the perfect location. Wasn't overly impressed with the customer service though.

I had my wedding at Hillside Gardens and it turned out perfect! Working with the site coordinator was so much fun, she really had great ideas and made sure my wedding was exactly how I envisioned it! And you can't beat the setting. I would highly recommend this venue.

I had my September wedding at Hillside Gardens, I was very happy to have it there. It was beautiful and very easy to have both ceremony and reception site all in one. The only cons were set up and clean up are not provided and the time slots to chose from are tight.

Hillside Gardens is an absolute gem. I had my wedding there this past Saturday, and it was fabulous. We got so many compliments from our guests; I cannot say enough great things about the location. The sweeping mountain views, the greenery, the unusual vibe of the place are all fantastic elements. My husband and I really wanted to have a sophisticated, but not completely traditional event, and this place perfectly fit the bill. It is also a fantastic location if you want an outdoor event, but also feel you need the security of having shelter from the elements for your guests. I am so surprised to see all these reviews about Larry; to me, he came off as a bit cold at first, but knowing that he has had trouble with rowdy guests at events in the past, I figured he would be a bit apprehensive. Once we assured him that we wanted to hold a sophisticated, beautiful event and not a wild party, he immediately softened. Our guests were so happy that he was there tending to the bar on the day of our event! They thought he was so friendly and had some great conversations with him. He even came to me when I was sitting in the bridal cottage just before the ceremony (crippled with nerves, mind you) and asked if he could get me a drink of water or anything else that I might need. He even let one of our vendors who was worried about their time frame in early before the slot of time we had purchased. The event went off without a hitch, all of our guests said it was their favorite wedding they had ever been to, and I will always remember it as the best night of my life.

Hillside Gardens is a reclaimed junkyard in Colorado Springs, and it truly is a hidden gem! With the quirky decorations and well cared for plants, it has a simple charm. Both the ceremony and reception can be held there for an affordable price. The ceremony site is situated at the bottom of a hill so your guests are watching the ceremony against the background of the Rocky Mountains. Next to the ceremony is a pavilion for the ceremony. Chairs and tables are provided; you have to do the setup and breakdown. There is also a bridal cottage on site. I couldn't have been happier with my choice!

Hillside Gardens was absolutely amazing. It was beautiful and our guests had such a wonderful time walking aroung and exploring our venue. The price was good for everything that was included and the owners of the garden are fabulous!

I loved this venue when we visited it - very eclectic, romantic and fun! But nothing is included besides the venue and some tables and chairs. If you are on a budget and want to do a lot yourself, this is an excellent place, but be prepared that you will have to do more work finding caterers and such. A big plus, though - because it's in a garden, you need hardly any decorations!

We loved our wedding venue. It is a diamond in the rough! The venue is awesome for wedding and reception. We were able to quickly transition from the wedding to the reception without skipping a beat. You have the mountains of Colorado in the background with nothing to block the view when you get married either. Couldn't have been a better spot.