Rip Van Winkle Gardens

amt of and more!!!! Highly recommend them as your wedding spot;)

Overall wonderful venue!!

ise it was perfect. Also, it is extremely pricy but it's worth it!

s is certainly one of the most beautiful, if not the most beautiful one in the state. My fiance loved the exotic feel of the gardens and that it also had peacocks, and we didn't mind the rather loud screeches of the beautiful birds even in the background of our ceremony. It also had restroom and kitchen facilities for our guests and vendors to use, whereas my other garden choice did not. On the whole the lady who handles the wedding planning, Jamie, was very helpful and easy to work with. There were some initial frustrations with getting the contract signed (it took over two months), but I felt it was worth it. There was also some confusion on the day of, as my reception was set up to be outside and a photo shoot was also planned that day, but it was all sorted out and didn't really cause any major problems. Overall, my guests were also overwhelming in love with the venue and it seemed to be a hit with everyone. My best advice is, if you want beauty, go with this place, it is worth it. Just be aware that lots of weddings take place here and that there may be some confusion along the way. I was treated a little rudely by another employee not associated with the wedding planning aspects, and I did witness the same employee telling a bride on the day of her bridal shoot to avoid being seen by the wedding guests that were there for that day's wedding. The photoshoot bride was upset, but the employee explained that she didn't want to upset the bride whose wedding was actually that day because they didn't want a second bride on the premises to upset her special day. I understood the logic, I guess, but I thought the employee could have been a little nicer and more tactful with her comments and that they could have been more upfront with her about that procedure before the shoot was scheduled. I do want to end on a positive note though, by saying that the honeymoon suite cottage was very lovely and included in the package. The gardens were absolutely gorgeous and it was a perfect day and place for us. (We were really lucky with the weather.) Also, if you are willing to hold your wedding on any day besides a Friday or Saturday and keep your guest list small, you may be able to secure it for half price like we did.

to the lack of service we received on the wedding day. My coordinators had difficulty communicating with the people on the grounds who were unsure what to do at times. Also, I expected to be the only ones on the grounds however, be aware that the Cafe is open to the public until 3pm as well as the tour buses. And another FYI, be prepared to have a tent due to inclement weather, as RVW does not provide one :) Other than this few bumps, the wedding was beautiful and their coordinator was easy to work with--although sometimes forgetful to return phone calls.

limo, saves travel costs). The outdoor setting on the lake was gorgeous and the guests kept telling me that as well. The Bayless Center for the reception is pretty and you can really make it your own with the decor.

ave changed about my experience is that there was a stray cat on the porch that bit my new grandmother-in-law, which put a damper on some of the guests experience. Also, the staff is nice but very hands-off. If you are a bride that needs the staff involved in every step, I would not recommend this venue. I planned everything myself and had no problems; it's more of a personal preference.

randas, and the old world charm of southern Louisiana. We were married at sunset and the setting could not have been more spectacular. Included in the rental price is all day access to the gardens and facilities, all day use of the bridal/honeymoon cottage, lodging for the night, and tables, tablecloths, and chairs for the reception. There were a couple of drawbacks. You must get beverage service through RVW and it is expensive. If you need more than a certain amount of tables and chairs, they charge you for them. We had to pay to rent chairs from them for a 20-minute wedding ceremony, but were not allowed to bring the chairs inside the reception hall. As I mentioned, the cost of chairs for the reception is included in the rental price, but they were black plastic conference room chairs. If you want the really nice white or chivari chairs, you have to pay to rent them. Also, we had to pay a hefty fee for the caterers to use the kitchen to store food. In spite of the additional costs, it was well worth it and my wedding was more spectacular than I could have dreamed it would be.