Kanapaha Botanical Gardens, located in Gainesville, Florida, is a picturesque wedding venue. A 62 acre space, it has both indoor and outdoor spaces available for events. The gardens feature a large, idyllic body of water, beside which you are welcomed to exchange your vows. Meticulously landscaped grounds offer a beautiful backdrop for wedding photos at every turn. The gardens have welcomed hundreds of events, from corporate gatherings to private parties.
Facilities and Capacity
With over 25 distinct sections, Kanapaha Botanical Gardens contains plants from all over the world. For an indoor celebration, the visitor’s center and Summer House are both available to host weddings. Outdoor sites are scattered across the gardens, welcoming celebrations with up to 150 guests. As part of the rental fee, you are granted access to a certain area of the grounds for your rehearsal. You also have exclusive use of your chosen event space for a certain period of time, creating a haven just for you. Golf carts can be rented to hep transport your guests to your wedding’s site.
Services Offered
The colors of the plants in Kanapaha Botanical Gardens truly shine between June and September, offering an unforgettable setting for your magical day. The team have gained invaluable experience in hosting events, and have a carefully curated set of guidelines to support you in using their venue. They are happy to set up tables and chairs before your event, so you can focus on preparing for the day ahead. The picturesque gazebos dotted around the grounds can be delicately decorated for a whimsical, fairytale appearance. A projection screen can be supplied for use inside the reception hall, if you would like to display photos or messages throughout your celebration.
Location
The gardens sit just a 15 minute drive from the center of Gainesville city. For guests arriving from out of town, they are spoiled for choice when it comes to hotels and overnight accommodations near your wedding venue. Gainesville Regional Airport is also close at hand, with Ocala International Airport taking less than an hour to reach for those making longer journeys.
Idyllic ceremony setupKanapaha Botanical GardensThe happy coupleClassic portraitNatural beautyWide open spacesKanapaha Botanical GardensIndoor settingCeremony in the bamboo gardenStudio gazeboBalenoff lawnMarried under the treesSimple table setupPlaying with anglesCouple's portraitBamboo gardenReception hallWedding oakPosing on the bridgeIdyllic ceremony setupKanapaha Botanical GardensThe happy couple
When we started the planning process we knew we wanted an outdoor wedding and Kanapaha Botanical Gardens immediately caught our eyes. The gardens themselves are gorgeous, and there are numerous options for a ceremony space. We chose to have ours in the Bamboo Garden and we couldn't have been happier. The weather in April was perfect. There are also two options for an indoor reception area. While only one is included in the base rental price, you can opt to rent the second for an additional fee. We rented both and used one to get ready in. They also have a golf cart you can rent, which was super helpful when we were going around with our photographers.
The event coordinator, Mischella, was super helpful and very prompt in her email responses. She made sure that the tables and chairs that were included in the rental were set up exactly as we wanted them to be. She also made sure we had several options for a backup ceremony space just incase of inclement weather. They are also very flexible on which vendors you use, but I would recommend asking for their preferred vendor list. These vendors, most of which we used, are excellent and all of them offer some sort of discount. Overall, I highly recommend them.
Sent on 05/13/2019
Audrey
· Married on 03/16/2018
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
I loved having our wedding at Kanapaha! There were several options for outdoor ceremony locations, and plenty of room in the main building for the reception. Our guests loved exploring the grounds before the ceremony, and kept commenting on how beautiful it was. The only minor issue we had was the reception rooms got a little warm after hours, but phone calls were made and it was quickly fixed. I would highly suggest this venue for anyone looking for a beautiful setting at a reasonable price!
Sent on 03/23/2018
Jennifer
· Married on 11/18/2017
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
We just got married at Kanapaha Botanical Gardens in November and they were wonderful to work with. Adam (the former event manager) was responsive to my million emails about different date availability. He took us on a nice tour around the gardens to find the perfect spot. When he left, Michelle checked in to make sure we turned in our layouts on time.
As far as location goes, it was beautiful and amazing. We really wanted to be out in nature for our ceremony and this offered the best option in Gainesville. We didn't even need flowers on the rows of chairs at our site. We chose the wedding oak. The weather in November was perfect. We had the reception inside in the room with all the windows. We loved having the kitchen for our cocktail hour and people were able to hang on the porch. Overall, I would highly recommend Kanapaha Botanical Gardens!
