Garden Weddings in Northeast Wisconsin

By Shawn Dobbins

Wisconsin residents know as well as anyone how harsh the winter months can be. They know what it’s like to scrape an icy windshield with frozen hands and the backbreaking work of shoveling a long driveway. They also know that as bitter as the winters can be the warmer months are their great reward for a season of freezing temperatures. Hidden under the feet of snow and ice are gardens filled flowers in every color of the rainbow, outlined with fields of lush, green grass. Many couples are turning to those beautiful gardens to hold amazing weddings that feature scenery and ambiance that simply can’t be found indoors.

Garden weddings can be as varied as the Wisconsin weather depending on the season of your event. Spring can feature the first blossoming flowers and trees, summer can provide countless hours of sunshine and warm weather, and fall can provide a backdrop of changing leaves that will take your breath away. A garden wedding venue can vary significantly based on the month of your event so it’s best to think about what the vegetation will look like on your wedding day and how you want it to fit into your wedding. The garden’s staff and wedding consultant will be able to answer any questions you may have about what will be blooming and where your event is best served. Be prepared with questions about what specific foliage that will be present and ask for pictures of what to expect on the big day. Knowing what color foliage will be on-site can be used to your advantage in choosing dresses, flowers, and programs.

While a garden wedding may be beautiful it doesn’t come without its costs, specifically in the amount of planning and preparation that goes into them. By taking your event outdoors you are now required to account for many things that an indoor venue would handle without question. Decisions about tent rental, electrical hookups, lighting, food and drink transportation, and appropriate outdoor attire are just a few of the many things that will need to be discussed when having a garden wedding. Another large decision for a garden wedding is how you want to incorporate the grounds into your photography. When choosing a wedding photographer be sure to mention that your wedding will be outdoors and ask how he or she would use the location to your advantage. Ask to see photographs from a similar wedding that the photographer has already done to get an idea of what they are capable of in an outdoor setting. Finally, as much as you may hope and pray that it doesn’t happen your garden wedding could be dampened by rain so make sure that your venue has a Plan B in case a passing love shower turns into a thunderstorm. Several contingency plans need to be discussed far in advance so nothing is up in the air if the worst should happen weather-wise.

Couples don’t need to look far for a garden wedding site as there are many locations in Northeast Wisconsin that have both the scenery and the experience to make for a flawless day. The Paine Art Center in Oshkosh, the Green Bay Botanical Gardens and John Michael Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan all are beautiful settings that can help make your dreams become a reality. In addition to private organizations local cities and municipalities often offer their parks and facilities for rental, Smith Park in Menasha being one of the most popular.

Garden weddings can provide for a truly memorable day, one that the bride, groom, and guests can look back on with fond memories when the mercury begins to drop and green grass gives way to snow flurries. Lush gardens, beautiful flowers, and rivers of sunshine are an amazing backdrop to getting married but they also come with added planning and discussions regarding contingency plans should the weather sour. If a couple is willing to put in the extra time and energy into planning and preparation a garden wedding can provide them with a lifetime of love and memories.

Please click here for a list of ceremony sites in the Fox Valley , Green Bay, Sheboygan, and surrounding Northeast Wisconsin locales.