The Gardens Wedding Center

stion, they were very responsive and helpful. On the wedding day, they really helped everything go smoothly. We received so many compliments on the venue and food from guests. The way The Gardens transformed at night was just beautiful! You can tell they put a lot of time and love into the venue. We could not have imagined having our wedding anywhere else.

ontract. He behaved like a bully and demanded negative attention while creating unnecessary drama. The buildings are charming and well maintained. The gardens were gorgeous and provided a beautiful backdrop for photos and the ceremony. We used the church for the reception and meal. It is a clever use of space. The wait staff was courteous and the food was very good. They made extra efforts to accommodate menu requests. Although pre-planning with Amanda was effortless, our first sign of trouble in The Gardens came during rehearsal in 90-degree heat. Johan created a scene by yelling disrespectfully in the face of one of our guests in front of the entire party saying that the guest had disregarded the rules and was not welcome on the property for the wedding. Johan then pulled the bride aside and disrupted rehearsal again to tell her that the guest, a family member, was not allowed on his property for disobeying the rules. The rule that had been broken was that this guest had brought water to several people attending rehearsal on an extremely warm day. According to Johan, the guest showed disrespect by not taking Johan’s warning seriously the first time, and brought another bottle of water to an elderly grandmother after he had been told of the venue’s strict “no carry in” policy. There was an implication that the guest had been disrespectful in his response. While I did not hear the guest’s response, I did hear the loud and disrespectful manner that Johan intentionally addressed our guest in front of the entire rehearsal party. I did see how he singled out this individual and caused quite a scene in the middle of what was supposed to be a happy event. I believe that Johan had several other options in how to respectfully address this situation, instead he chose rudeness and intimidation. After learning the details that caused the scene, myself and another family member spoke to Amanda and offered a sincere apology. The rules were clarified and we assured her that we were looking forward to making wonderful memories the following day. She agreed, saying they were looking forward to a good day with our entire guest list. While I was talking to Amanda, Johan spoke to the bride and groom in an escalated and intentionally intimidating manner regarding “the contract expectations”. The manner which he spoke was disrespectful and brought the bride to tears. The day of the wedding came and things were running smoothly until family began arriving for photos. The “water offender” guest arrived and Johan demanded he leave the venue. I shared that I had spoken to Amanda and felt we had come to an agreement that he was cleared to attend. Myself and a few other family members including the “water offender” offered another sincere apology and the “water offender” extended his hand to Johan. Johan refused to shake his hand initially, then begrudgingly accepted the handshake and allowed the guest to attend the wedding. Meanwhile a different guest was standing by a waste can when Johan tossed his soda can from across the room. The can splattered soda all down the front of the guest’s dress, permanently staining it. When the guest looked at him in distress, he casually said “oops”. During photos, I was surprised when Amanda pulled me aside and privately but assertively denied having given permission for our “water offender” guest to attend the wedding. I apologized again for any misunderstanding or miscommunication and asked if I would simply attend my daughter’s wedding. At this point the continued confrontations felt like bullying and harassment from our hosts. Some of our guests commented on signage that they felt was offensive and unwelcoming. One sign indicated that all children should be within arms’ reach of their parents. If the child was found to be in violation of this rule, the child and the parents would be asked to leave the venue. Several guests told me that Johan made them feel uncomfortable. They described him as “the lurking hippie” and felt that he was eavesdropping on conversations. They felt he was especially targeting the “water offender” throughout the event. So, is the venue beautiful? Absolutely! I have no complaints about the food, service, pre-event coordination or pricing. It would be a perfect place for a small event with no children and docile, well hydrated adults. I find it rude and disrespectful that Johan would burden the bride and groom with such trivial grievances and add drama to an otherwise happy event. Continued confrontations over a single, minor issue was harassment on a special day that had been paid for in advance. I have a big problem inviting guests to a celebration where the host lacks communication skills, is intimidating, dramatic, rude and a bully. Apologies have been a one-way street. We are still waiting for ours.

out of rehearsal because we had gone past our time. During the rehearsal, as a brother of the bride handed out soda and water he had in his vehicle because it was extremely HOT, to the grandparents he was immediately reprimanded by “owner”, Ivan, and was told he was not allowed to bring any drink on the property. Not offering refreshments at the rehearsal, Ivan confronted the bride and groom telling them that this brother was NOT allowed to attend the wedding the next day. Apologies from everyone were directed to Ivan to ridiculousness. This was truly unnecessary behavior! The bride was in tears! Weddings can be stressful events, especially for the bride & groom. It is the task and responsibility of those who help to organize what is to be a happy event to be calm, purposeful and help create joy. This is true for those who own and operate a wedding venue. The Gardens was a beautiful setting. If the bill wasn’t already paid, I would have suggested a more welcoming, less inhospitable venue.

ine. We continue to have guests rave about the venue and the food. Their italian mac and cheese is out of this world!! We have already recommended the Gardens to others and could not be happier. Still in wedding bliss:)

th ease. I would recommend them! Our favorites were the Mac N Cheese balls, smashed potatoes, and Pork Chops with Cherry Glaze!

e hard work, compassion, and pure dedication Amanda, Johan, and The Gardens team put towards making our day seamless, personal, and God-honoring was truly a gift. The Garden’s made our wedding day the best day of our lives, but it was the year-long wedding planning process that gave me such peace of mind leading up to our special day. I have no hesitation when I say that Amanda was the hands and feet behind our day. She was approachable, quick-to respond, gentle, kind, and thoughtful every single time that I communicated with her. Amanda, please know that you made me the happiest, most serene bride on my wedding day and I hope that you know how cherished your work is for The Gardens and every bride-to-be that you work with. If Amanda was the hands and feets, Johan was the muscle. If we had an idea, Johan found a way, made it happen, and made it happen with purpose. Johan welcomed my family with open arms and shared his absolutely BEAUTIFUL venue with us on multiple visits. Thank you Johan for creating such a special gem of a space that truly felt like home to us. The venue was timeless, beautiful, welcoming - every one of our cottagecore chic dreams came true at The Garden’s Wedding Center. I left not only as a wife welcomed into my husband’s family, but feeling as if I was a part of The Garden’s Wedding Center family - even if for just a day. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you! With abounding love, The Murrays

eir beautiful space. This is truly a one of a kind venue and you should book with them!

! The property was stunning in May! The sanctuary was so warm and so inviting! It was pure joy and and happiness and beauty!

The Gardens. Our journey with The Gardens began with a tour in October 2020, when we booked a date for our September 2022 wedding then and there. It was truly love at first sight - it was the only venue we saw but it checked all of our boxes so we had no doubts in our mind! Over the course of the two years we spent planning our wedding, Amanda and The Gardens staff were always easy to reach and happy to answer all questions. We appreciated the "can do" attitude of everyone at The Gardens, and their help with making all of our requests seem like no big deal. From our mobile photobooth inside of a VW Microbus, to our 6-piece jazz band during cocktail hour, to our cigar bar and lawn games - the staff let us utilize what felt like every inch of the property and were happy to make all the arrangements needed to accommodate us. They literally landscaped an entire area we had our eyes on for our band's set up in time for our wedding - seriously! That's just one example of how committed The Gardens family is to making their couples happy! You can tell that the maintenance of The Gardens is a labor of love for Johan and all involved - the restored 1800s Cream City chapel and schoolhouse as well as the garden space bursting with colorful flowers are a testament to the love and effort that goes into keeping this historical property beautiful. We got endless compliments on our venue selection. Our guests could not stop raving about how stunning of a setting it was. The Gardens takes care of both catering and bar, and boy, do they do it well! We got lots of compliments on the food, some even saying it was the best wedding food they ever had! The Gardens staff helped create a menu for us that included gluten free and vegan entrees, which was much appreciated by our guests with dietary restrictions. The bar staff (especially Julian!) were accommodating to our ideas for super boujie signature drinks and mocktails, which were happily consumed by our guests. We will forever be singing the praises of this venue and every wonderful person who makes The Gardens what it is. THANK YOU to The Gardens for making our wedding "the perfect day"!

hef and everyone raved about the food as well. We came back for our first anniversary to have a lovely meal prepared and set up in our own little private area of the garden. Also- I don’t know HOW but they keep things so budget friendly. Yea, I suppose if you have an exact taste you’re looking to match precisely it could cost extra to rent things from them. But anyone who has actually checked prices of renting things knows that the Gardens charges very minimally compared to other vendors. My entire wedding (venue, food, dj, dress, makeup, hair, decorations, etc) was 10k. That’s impossible these days, but it was stunning thanks to the Gardens. Highly recommend to every bride.

. All of my other vendors were appalled by her actions. I was wondering when they would stop and just be polite but they never did. My father even caught them double charging guests for drinks at my wedding after he said he had the tab covered. Steer clear of this place, they have become so money hungry. They were clearly upset that I “cancelled” a bunch of extra things that I didn’t know where extra. They never made me aware and tried to charge me thousands before my wedding day. For example, just to turn on string lights at the gardens is $500. Absolutely crazy.

bride. The food was outstanding- our guests were raving about how good it was. Just amazing.

t was. The venue is run by a family and they are the kindest people and were immensely helpful in the planning process. I felt like I was bombarding Amanda with questions and thoughts but she kindly helped me with everything and quickly made adjustments when needed. They were so efficient day of and left nothing to worry about. They were able to coordinate just a small amount of vegetarian and gluten free meals in addition to our main meals and everyone raved about the food. I truly can't say enough good things about this place. Book this venue. Your wedding will seriously feel magical!

make your dream wedding come true! Such a beautiful garden to walk down the isle in, the school house for the bridal party to get ready rocked and the gentleman’s room was wonderful! We had a rainy day and it was just incredible how they transformed the old church for our delicious (on site catering) meal (caprese watermelon salad was to die for!!!) then out under the tent for dancing and photo booth fun. Late nite food truck for a build your own French fry bar was a huge hit! Such a special place to be married and have reception right there.

and knowledgeable. They helped everything go so smoothly the day of which helped everyone be able to enjoy the moment and not stress. The food is AMAZING and we got so many compliments on it. We got so many compliments on the venue as well. Everyone loved being able to walk throughout the gardens and explore the stunning venue. Picking The Gardens as our venue was the best decision we made when it came to planning our wedding.

d amazing gardens gave many photo opportunities. All of my guests were more than pleased with the whole experience. It was as I envisioned the whole day. The only thing that disappointed is that this marriage is for keeps and we can't do it again there.

e pulled it off without them. And the grounds are beautiful! They take such pride in their work, and I'm constantly amazed at how they continue to improve such a fabulous location! Every guest we had was raving about the location and the food! The BEST wedding food (especially the mashed potatoes)! My husband and I are even planning to continue visiting annually during their Tuesdays in the Gardens because we loved it so much. I honestly don't have one bad word to say about this venue. It was all a dream! Check them out!

d make your ideal vision happen. Food excellent!!!!!!!! Overall atmosphere phenomenal. Best way to describe the whole day…… simply elegant. Able to adjust to weather without missing a step. Perfect! Quietly remote with beauty, grace, and historical pride. You can tell this family loves what the do and the special qualities of the property. They definitely know what works and all the different ways the facilities can be changed or utilized to make your wedding special for you. No two weddings are the same. Each unique based on what you want. Could not have wanted anything different. Our sons wedding was simply elegant and perfect! Highly recommend The Gardens Wedding Center as a place to make your dreams of a perfect wedding come true,

t anything!! From the picture perfect backdrops to the amazing staff…nothing but fabulous!!

to earth professionalism. They truly understand how to bring your vision to life in a way you and your guests will remember for a life time. 10/10 would recommend to anyone and everyone.

taff goes many steps beyond to ensure you and your guests have an incredible event. I've been to multiple weddings here now, and the food and service is always outstanding!

was in full bloom with the most lush and gorgeous flowers and landscape, something our guests (and our photographers!) still rave about. The gardens team went above and beyond for us from day one - they were extremely responsive and easy to work with. We know our guests provided a challenge and they truly stepped up to the plate and met all our needs. Our guests also had rave reviews n the food choices - chef Kent worked wonders. We can’t wait to go back to this stunning venue sometime soon to reminisce!