Lewis Ginter Wedding | A Dreamy Garden Venue
Are you a fan of exotic plants, and a garden-like scape? If so, a Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens Wedding is the perfect fit for you! This venue is popular in the area for the wide variety of outdoor plants, and they even keep a greenhouse specifically for the tropicals.
Having a Lewis Ginter Wedding gives you several venue options so that you can plan your perfect day!
The Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens is so roomy that you have not one, but three different venue options for your big day set up. The first of these is the Bloemendaal House with your ceremony in the Grace Arents Garden. Secondly is the Robins Visitor Center with your ceremony in the Rose Garden. The last option is the Robins Tea House with your ceremony in the Flagler Garden.The Bloemendaal House is a beautiful, historic building that can hold up to 48 people. 250 people can be accommodated for a cocktail reception, or 144 seated dinner guests under the tent. If you’re interested in an outdoor ceremony, the Grace Arents Garden is the perfect place. Obviously, if you have your heart set on a tented affair, this is the venue for you. The rental includes:
- Access to the first floor of historic Bloemendaal House
- Two 30 x 60 foot party tents with cathedral window style sidewalls and bistro lighting
- Up to 300 white folding chairs, 22. 60″round tables
- 16 6-ft rectangle tables
- 14 40″rounds/squares
- 48 indoor chairs
- Access to the Grace Arents Garden
The Robins Visitor Center is the perfect place to host your wedding! With three different reception options, there is sure to be something that will fit your needs. The first option is ideal for groups up to 250 people and includes a reception in the Robins Visitor Center. The second option is perfect for groups of 80 or less and includes a reception in the Robins Room. The third option is ideal for groups of 60 or less and includes a reception in the Garden Café. Additionally, you will receive access to the Rose garden for your ceremony- so dreamy! Regardless of which option you choose, you and your guests are sure to have a wonderful time!
Lastly, the Robins Tea House is the perfect spot for more intimate weddings. This particular venue can easily host 40 guests for a plated meal, and 40 for the cocktail reception! When you rent this space for the ceremony and reception, you will receive:
- Use of the Flagler Garden
- 40 white folding chairs
- Access to the Tea House restrooms two hours prior to the ceremony for dressing
- Access to Robins Tea House and surrounding deck
- Built-in audio equipment includes a 5-disc CD player, auxiliary connection, and a microphone
The History about the place will make you fall deeper in love.
Lewis Ginter (1824-1897) was a prominent businessman and philanthropist in the area. He had a number of business careers, making and losing fortunes several times over. He finally found great wealth in the tobacco industry. His generosity and vision helped develop many civic and business interests throughout Richmond, including the Jefferson Hotel! Ginter bought this property in 1884 and built the Lakeside Wheel Club here as a destination for Richmond bicyclists.
Sixteen years after his death, Ginter’s niece Grace Arents purchased the abandoned clubhouse from her uncle’s estate. She remodeled the structure, added a second floor and opened a convalescent home for sick children. When no longer needed for that use, Ms. Arents moved into the house with her friend and companion, Mary Garland Smith. As can be seen, Ms. Arents developed gardens on the grounds, and named the property Bloemendaal (“Valley of Flowers”) to honor her Dutch ancestors.
When Ms. Arents died in 1926, she bequeathed life-rights to Ms. Smith, with the stipulation that upon Ms. Smith’s death, Bloemendaal would become the property of the City to form a botanical garden named after her late uncle. Smith died in 1968 at the age of 102. The property, located in Henrico County, transferred to the City of Richmond and languished for over a decade, despite being of some use to various City Departments. In 1981, a committed group of interested citizens, horticulturists and botanists formed to ensure that the garden imagined by Ms. Arents became a reality. After that, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden formed in 1984, opening its doors to the public in 1987.
You can’t forget- no matter where you host your Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens Wedding- it will have the best photo locations!
There are so many great locations at Lewis Ginter to choose from! The Garden in Front of Conservatory, is the perfect place to start, and one of my personal favorites! The Grace Arents Garden or Louise Cochrane Rose Garden will have you surrounded by flowers and plants everywhere you turn! Some other great options with unique features are the bridge in the Asian Valley, in Front of the Bloemendaal House, or the Fountain Garden- your guests will be wowed by the beauty at every turn.
In conclusion, Your Lewis Ginter Wedding will cover all of the details.
Planning a wedding is busy enough, there is no need for you to sweat the details! When you host your wedding here, not only is there space for acoustic music during the ceremony, but your reception has space for a DJ set up! Additionally, A bar set up is easily addable with their very own in-house caterer. Since outside catering is not allowed, but the venue strongly supports choosing your own deserts.
Are you ready to start dreaming about your Lewis Ginter Wedding? Perfect! Reach out to the venue by phone (804.262.9887) or by email. The venue takes about 100+ weddings every year, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t reach out to them asap to secure your date! Once you have done that, send me a message- not only am I a fellow plant lover, but I would love to be your Richmond wedding photographer.
Read these blogs next:
- A Quirk Hotel Wedding | The Most Unique Hotel Venue
- Jefferson Hotel Wedding | The Most Royal Hotel Venue
- Dover Hall Wedding | A Stunning Luxury Wedding Venue