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Weddings

About

Fernwood Botanical Garden is an enchanting venue for outdoor wedding ceremonies and receptions in Southwestern Michigan. Guests enjoy free admission to the expansive 105 acre property. Your wedding will be an unforgettable experience with picturesque grounds for engagement or wedding party photographs, and attentive customer service throughout the wedding process.

Use of indoor ceremony venue is included in case of inclement weather.

Less than 30 minutes from South Bend, St. Joseph, and the lovely Harbor Country region along the coast of Lake Michigan.

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Frequently asked questions

Do you have a site fee for wedding receptions at your venue?

Yes

What is the starting site fee for wedding receptions during peak season?

$3,000

What is the starting site fee for wedding receptions during off-peak season?

$3,000

Do you have a site fee for wedding ceremonies at your venue?

Yes

What is the starting site fee for wedding ceremonies during peak season?

$1,000

What is the starting site fee for wedding ceremonies during off-peak season?

$1,000

Which of the following are included in the starting site fee?

Bridal Suite
Clean Up
Parking
Set Up

What is the minimum number of guests required to book your venue?

2

How many event spaces or rooms does your venue offer?

7

Describe your venue:

Art Gallery
Garden

What kind of settings are available?

Indoor
Covered Outdoor
Uncovered Outdoor

Which of the following wedding events does your venue service?

Ceremony
Reception
Bridal Shower
Engagement Party
Elopements
Rehearsal Dinner

What event services do you offer?

Clean Up
Event Rentals
Get Ready Rooms
Outside Vendors
Pet Friendly
Wifi

What event items are available?

Altar/Arch
Audio Equipment

What transportation and access is available?

Parking
Wheelchair Access

What months are included in your peak season?

May
June
July
August
September
October

What months are included in your off-peak season?

January
February
March
April

Reviews of Fernwood Botanical Gardens

J
Janna Sent on 07/14/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Dream Wedding Venue

We LOVED getting married at Fernwood. Linda was so helpful with all of my questions, and it was such a beautiful place. Our guests enjoyed walking the trails - especially those that weren't dancing inclined. No regrets, Fernwood was a perfect venue.
D
Diane Sent on 03/26/2022
5 out of 5 rating

Best wedding venue ever!

We had never been to Fernwood before and we fell in love with it at first sight! I had to do my planning from across the country, and Linda (the wedding coordinator) was wonderful to work with. She answered all of my questions (and there were a lot!), and she was gracious and accommodating. She made sure everything was perfect, right down to the last detail. The rest of the staff was great. Everyone was friendly and went out of their way to make sure we had everything we needed. We used their golf cart service, which was an awesome addition! It made getting around the property a breeze. I can't say enough nice things about this venue and its amazing staff. If you're thinking of having your wedding here, do it! It's gorgeous!
A
Amanda Sent on 09/21/2021
5 out of 5 rating

Amazing and magical

My husband and I were married at Fernwood and we couldn't be happier with our decision. The staff were accommodating, and the wedding coordinator made planning at a distance easy and stress-free. So happy we chose Fernwood for our big day!
Kelly
Kelly Sent on 01/18/2021
5 out of 5 rating

Amazing Venue

If you're thinking about using Fernwood as a venue, DO IT! You won't be disappointed. My husband and I had planned on getting married there originally, but then COVID happened. They were MORE than patient and accommodating for us and we were able to change to a micro wedding which was more amazing than I ever could have imagined. It took so much of the planning off of our hands. It came with a photographer, cake, officiant, music, and flowers all in one sweet bundle. They really did their research to hire the BEST for those too. We were lucky enough to have the most amazing photographer around and gorgeous flowers that I couldn't have picked out myself. We got married on the most gorgeous fall day and were even able to live stream it for our friends and family.
C
Chelsea Sent on 01/15/2021
5 out of 5 rating

High value, low stress, efficient

We absolutely loved our pop-wedding in September. The garden was beautiful. Our ceremony was in the boxwood garden which I recommend to anyone wanting a smaller ceremony.

The vendors included in the package were fantastic and Heidi with Fernwood was so nice.
Kristian
Kristian Sent on 12/02/2019
5 out of 5 rating

Fernwood is Fantastic!

I absolutely loved having my wedding at Fernwood. Leading up to the wedding it was incredibly easy and pleasant to work with Heidi (the wedding coordinator at Fernwood), and it was such a relief for have such a great venue for my wedding. Fernwood also was incredibly flexible with seating arrangements and creating our 'back-up weather' plan. The food portions at Fernwood are also large, the food is tasty, and the staff was great. I would recommend anyone wanting to get married in 'refined nature' to get married at Fernwood. Also since you have to order food and alcohol with Fernwood then you have one easy bill to pay for the venue and food - we got our cake elsewhere though.
D
Dori Sent on 01/08/2019
5 out of 5 rating

Beautiful venue, best customer service ever!

Wonderful venue. A beautiful garden, but the shining gem here is the people who work there. Heidi and Nikki are so kind and helpful. Heidi always emailed me back quickly and did everything she could to answer all of my questions. Even though my wedding day fell on her day off, she was there to make sure everything went well. I cannot express how thankful I am for their help. If you want a reasonably priced garden wedding with catering in-house, check Fernwood out!
Caitlin
Caitlin Sent on 12/06/2018
5 out of 5 rating

Fernwood Is The Best Wedding Venue

As a same-sex couple, my new wife and I had a wonderful experience at Fernwood Botanical Gardens. We were greeted as any other couple, but the staff went out of their way to make sure that we had everything we needed and worked with us to pay for the wedding as well as stay consistant in their communications with us. We were so lucky to have found Fernwood Botanical Gardens and we had the most beautiful wedding we could have asked for. I am so happy with the service and the kindness from all of the staff, and they made our day so special. Thank you, Fernwood!
Dailinyu
Dailinyu Sent on 03/19/2020
4.8 out of 5 rating

Beautiful and Accomidating Ceremony Location

We loved Fernwood as our ceremony location. Heidi from Fernwood was especially helpful. She met with us several times before our wedding to help us plan, and she was very receptive to our ideas. For example, we wanted chocolates for guests as the wedding party went for pictures. Heidi arranged someone from Fernwood to guard the chocolates even though she didn't have to.
Heidi was also very flexible for us. For instance, our reception was at a different location and it started much later than our ceremony. Heidi allowed our guests to stay on the grounds past 4PM so they wouldn't have to wait for the reception venue to open its doors.
Our favorite thing about Fernwood was the free photo opportunity on the grounds. The garden is so large and diverse; it's a perfect location for pictures. One thing we didn't like about Fernwood was the limitations with catering. We didn't have our reception there because the meals were expensive with limited drink options. If you're having a small wedding and can afford the upgrades, it would be a great reception venue too.
We received so many compliments on how beautiful our ceremony was. Many people said it was like stepping into a fairy tale. Everyone at Fernwood made sure our day went as smooth as possible.
A
Andrea Sent on 09/19/2019
4.8 out of 5 rating

Lovely location

Fernwood was beautiful. There are many places in the gardens to hold your ceremony. The staff was very professional and flexible during the planning process. Planning from a distance went easily.
We're all about trust. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.

Awards

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Map

Fernwood Botanical Gardens frequently asked questions

Fernwood Botanical Gardens includes the following items and services for wedding events in its starting site fee:
  • Bridal Suite
  • Clean Up
  • Parking
  • Set Up
The space offered by Fernwood Botanical Gardens for wedding events is known for:
  • Art Gallery
  • Garden
Fernwood Botanical Gardens offers the following indoor/outdoor options for weddings:
  • Indoor
  • Covered Outdoor
  • Uncovered Outdoor
Fernwood Botanical Gardens offers the following types of wedding events:
  • Ceremony
  • Reception
  • Bridal Shower
  • Engagement Party
  • Elopements
  • Rehearsal Dinner
Fernwood Botanical Gardens offers the following services for wedding events:
  • Clean Up
  • Event Rentals
  • Get Ready Rooms
  • Outside Vendors
  • Pet Friendly
  • Wifi
Fernwood Botanical Gardens offers the following furniture and decor items for weddings:
  • Altar/Arch
  • Audio Equipment
Fernwood Botanical Gardens is recommended by 90% of couples who have used their services. Their overall rating is 4.5 out of 5 with the following breakdown: 4.7 in flexibility, 4.5 in quality of service, 4.5 in professionalism, 4.5 in value and 4.4 in average response time.
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