Memphis Botanic Garden

on for the ceremony and the Goldsmith Room & Sculpture Garden for the reception. It’s quite a walk from one place to the other. There were trams to rent. That was a big help. I loved the quiet, secluded area that Blecken provided. I saw another wedding being set up in the Rose Garden and it was quite lovely. I think any area of the Botanic Garden will work for an outdoor wedding.

Unfortunately my worries became a reality right from the start. We had issues getting in touch with Jennifer Savage, the event coordinator. Emails and phone calls were not returned in a timely manner. I have been in customer service for over 25 years and know how important it is to communicate with clients. I guess the Botanic does not have that on their list of priorties. We had issues getting questions answered and even getting a contract to book the wedding. When it came time to get the deposit, they finally initiated contact. Of course they were expecting it immediately. When we finally had our "in person" meeting with Jennifer it went well. She was nice and knowledgeable. We booked the outdoor pavilion for the ceremony and Goldsmith room for reception. Be aware chairs are mot part of your $750 ceremony site charge. You also have to ask for the brides room. We went over everything we wanted as far as tables, bar, linens etc. Everything goes thru Botanic so outside vendors are not allowed without prior approval. You also have to use their bartender..We toured the sites and were very pleased. Of course the lack of communication continued until it came time for payments. We received an invoice that included stuff we didnt even request so go over it very thoroughly. The grooms parents were paying for the bar bill and they did not have any better experience communicating with Jennifer until it came time to pay the bill. The day of the wedding was beautiful. We were able to get into the reception area and brides room nice and early. We rented a golf cart to transport guests and bridal party to ceremony site. On a positive note, our driver Aleta (?) Was very pleasant. She went over the top to take care of the bride. On the negative side, we had issues with the bar. It was not ready when the guests arrived. The bartender was rude and told them to wait. When they went back up after seeing supplies arrive, they were greeted with still a partially stocked bar. I dont understand how this happened. They were given a timeframe, bar list and payment for a fully stocked bar. When I finally went to the bar, I experienced the rudeness of the bartender first hand. I asked for a margarita for myself and the bride. Simple. Tequila and mix. Nothing complicated. She told me that they didnt do margaritas. We were not ever told this. Fortunately someone from Botanic was standing at the bar and heard my request. Obviously I was the MOB, so that probably prompted the special atrention I received. He said he would take care of it and make it happen. About 20 minutes later, me and the bride got our drinks. Nice customer service finally! Dont understand why the bartender was rude. It was a Sunday afternoon wedding so it wasnt a heavy drinker event. Tea and lemonade were offered at a self serve drink station. She wasnt overwhelmed with long lines. The only reason I was generous with 3 stars was because the venue itself was gorgeous. The outdoor gardens make for beautiful pictures. Fortunately you cant see poor customer service in the pictures. If you do choose the Botanic as your wedding site be forwarned that you have to stay on top of every detail.

plans with her. We were about to finish our pictures and pay, and she came up to me, my husband, and my wedding party multiple times saying that she had no idea that we were coming because I never responded to her, when the whole time I had the emails confirming it. She was totally clueless about everything. One of our ushers attended the picture session and she made multiple remarks about how it was rude that he was only an usher and not a groomsman and made it completely uncomfortable for everyone around. I've been to weddings at the Gardens and it is beyond fabulous. I would just recommend that you avoid working with Mary for any reason.

ding was absolutely beautiful. However. The rental department is impossible to get in touch with. If you are looking into MBG for your wedding, write down and ask EVERY QUESTION IMAGINABLE. I would say email them so everything is in writing but you won't receive an answer. For example, you have to specifically ask to reserve the brides room otherwise that's not a part of your rental. What? We also got the surprise on the morning of the wedding that we didn't get the groom's room for all the guys to get dressed in. Well we did but they didn't have it down. So on my wedding day, I'm having to go back through all my papers to find PROOF that we reserved this room. I found that a little ridiculous. Overall, the place is beautiful. But be careful in using them and keep every piece of paper they give you, especially if it has pricing on it!

y far the best value and the prettiest space. The staff who work in the events office are always very friendly and try to be as helpful as possible. Two complaints about Botanic- if someone is paying such a large fee to rent the space, they should be able to use the grounds freely for pictures (engagement shots). If anything, include it in the fee. Second, and the biggest problem in my eyes is the rudeness (on multiple occasions) of the staff that work at the front entrance desk. Not only were they very short and not very helpful on multiple occasions when we visited (both to view the space for wedding details and just to visit the gardens) but they were downright rude on the day we did come to take our engagement photos.

the Hardin Hall rental is very spacious and perfect for "day of" set-up. We had a very smooth process in working with the Botanic Gardens with our wedding. You will have to hire an outside coordinator to work your event, as they do not offer one for the day of the wedding. It helps to be organized when meeting and planning with the event coordinators at the Botanic Gardens. All questions I had got answered in a timely manner. They were willing to meet with me multiple times to ensure all details were clearly understood. I would suggests getting married at 5:00-5:30. Our ceremony was at 6:00, and in Sept, we were pushed for daylight to complete our photos.

s of affecting your parking or rehearsals, other than that it was perfect!!

lped me achieve what I had in mind. Highly recommend!

ried in early March. See where this is going? Despite all of my prayers that is would not rain it was cold, windy, and overcast with clouds that threatened to downpour. The gardens let me set up inside in their lobby which held 125+ quite comfortable. It was GORGEOUS! you might not think it when you walk into the lobby but with all of the large windows, natural lighting, and greenery, it was lovely! Positively Perfect. Also, Jennifer who is in charge of rentals, was very helpful during the entire process!