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Dallas Arboretum Reviews

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Reviews

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    Tracy Sent on 05/14/2025
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    The Perfectly Imperfect Wedding Day

    The top priority for our bride/groom was to have their wedding in Dallas, as the ability for guests to easily get Ubers & many hotel choices was extremely important to them. We went to the Arboretum first and never looked further! We booked the ceremony in the Lay Family Garden, cocktail hour in the Tres Amigos Garden, and reception at the Camp House lawn for 04.04.25.

    Included in the Camp House package was the day of bridal suite/living room area where the girls celebrated, relaxed, dressed, got hair/makeup done from mid-morning on. Looking back, the time spent that day relaxing and celebrating with my daughter, the groom's mother, and all the girls in the bridal party was an unexpected treasure. Also, being onsite the entire day allowed me to keep tabs on what was going on with setup.

    The ceremony began at 5:30 in the Lay Family Garden. During planning, the bride considered several options for the wedding setup in that garden, and the Arboretum staff graciously spent much time walking through several different wedding scenarios for her. They truly tried to ensure her day was exactly what she wanted. In the end, the weather dictated that they go with the traditional wedding by the water walls under the wisteria arbor.

    It rained lightly off and on during the day, but honestly, all the greenery and flowers in the garden just took on a "high definition" look. It was gorgeous....absolutely stunning. There was enough "not raining time" during the day that pictures, first looks, and wedding party frolicking in the gardens were all captured. Again, having the Camp House as a home base, made going in and out to work around the weather possible.

    Fortunately, we had a 90 X 40 clear tent already planned for the reception (rain or shine). In addition, the Camp House Patio was also tented (due to the Dallas Blooms festival). So, the entire reception including band, dancefloor, photo booths, bars, tables was under cover. Food service was in the Camp House dining room. We did need to order an additional 20X20 tent for the string quartet the week of due to the forecast, and we purchased clear umbrellas and small white towels for the ceremony attendees.

    Through it all the Arboretum staff, headed up by Kerrie Smith, was easy to work with, was very responsive to our questions....not only in the weeks leading up to the wedding, but to our many (somewhat panicky) calls the week of. They were supportive of what we wanted to do and were encouraging that things would all work out. And they were correct! I am not going to say it did not sprinkle some during the ceremony (the clear umbrellas came out) but only for a few minutes. We were so thankful the Arboretum let us decide what we needed and did not mandate we move the ceremony under the tent (rain plan B).

    So, no bride dreams of a garden wedding day that is overcast and rainy. I thought my daughter would be hysterical most of the day. But honestly, she was calm, beautiful, excited, happy, and both she and the groom exuded joy and love when they looked at each other. So, that being said, I thank the staff and all the vendors that went into making what was on paper an imperfect wedding day...absolutely perfect!

    I highly recommend the Arboretum for your event. The staff is professional, knowledgeable, and accommodating. All the gardens are breathtaking and the Camp House is wonderful. They have many wedding options in terms of indoor or outdoor, large or small, complex or simple, extravagant or budget conscious. There is no question why the Arboretum is tops on wedding venues in the DFW area.

    (note: pictures attached were taken by family)
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    4982290B956113Afdb08Bacc333Fb5D18F8Dab08 Sent on 06/30/2024
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    Gorgeous Venue

    The most beautiful venue year round! We had such a wonderful experience working with our planner there and cannot recommend enough!!
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    Shalimar Sent on 03/17/2021
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    Perfect Day!

    We chose to get married at A-Tasteful-Place at the Dallas Arboretum. It was absolutely perfect! All of the event coordinators are lovely to work with and so helpful. They bent over backwards to make our wedding day special!! I can’t recommend the Dallas Arboretum enough!! Thank you to the entire event team!
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    Are you interested?

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    James Sent on 06/24/2019
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    Absolutely Amazing!!

    Amazing Venue!! Amazing Staff!!
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    Dara Sent on 05/21/2018
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    I’m so please with the Dallas Arboretum! We used the Camp House for our wedding venue, using the Secret Garden as our ceremony site. All our guests commented at the beautiful location. We really lucked out on weather too. It was great that they give you a rain continency plan, so we could quickly move our ceremony and reception inside of the Camp House if it rained. My only regret is that we couldn’t serve red wine at the historic venue but I also understand that it’s to protect the beautiful venue. Our wedding events manager was Wallace Ann. I cannot say enough amazing things about her. She really took the lead at the wedding and worked hand in hand with our wedding coordinator to ensure everything went perfectly. Wallace Ann is a rock star and you’re lucky if she’s your events manager! Photos below are by Lily Hayes.
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    Anastasiya Sent on 10/05/2017
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    Since day ONE I knew I wanted to have my ceremony at Dallas Arboretum. After a long debate with my husband and with the help of my MAID OF honor we decided on SUNKEN GARDEN. It's incredible beauty and open location , was perfect for us to enjoy every second of our wedding . Rachel Leo was so kind and helped through every step . With my last choice of music , she coordinated everyone in timely manner, the evening before, soI walked to my future husband and got there before the music ended, without a rush thrpugh. (We had a whole bridal group, flower Girls, ring bearer and sign bearer walk to one song). Thank you for all ur help.
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    Sarah Sent on 06/26/2017
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    We had both our ceremony and reception at the Dallas Arboretum, and could not have asked for a better experience! The ceremony was in the Jonsson Color Garden, and the reception was in Rosine Hall. We chose Rosine since it was the only venue with a rain back-up plan that didn't involve putting up a tent (super expensive) and because it was the only one that could hold our ideal guest count (around 200). From beginning to end, the Arboretum staff was great to work with! Our coordinator was Sammy and she made the planning process so easy and stress-free. She was also quick to respond to questions and offer advice based on what she had seen in her experience. I would recommend the Arboretum to anyone looking for a venue!
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    User2920760 Sent on 12/21/2016
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    Love Rosine Hall and how it opens to the outside. The event staff is super organized and on top of things! Would recommend them to anyone!
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    Myda Sent on 10/18/2015
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    This was a Stunning venue! We had a wedding coordinator that was so helpful. She made sure everything was in order the day of and made the day of perfect. It was wonderful to have someone there to ease my nerves.
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    Gina Sent on 06/29/2015
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    Rosine Hall - GORGEOUS!!!! The courtyard area for cocktails is fabulous
    in the spring! Picturesque! Moving into Rosine was spectacular. Guests were in awe.
    Angela was wonderful to work with on obtaining linens, lighting, and everything! Very sweet and professional. I cannot recommend this venue enough, anytime of year.
    Gina Hansen, Roses & More Florist
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    Ginger Sent on 06/06/2015
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    We love love LOVE this venue! We had such a wonderful experience from the very beginning. The grounds are breathtakingly beautiful, and our main contact there, Constance Crouch, was so attentive and detail oriented that I felt fully confident that our wedding would be beautiful and run smoothly. I was right. We held our wedding at Rosine Hall, with the ceremony taking place in one of their beautiful gardens. Everything was beautiful and timely, and Constance and her time seamlessly adjusted timelines based on our needs. They made our big day so much more enjoyable and stress free. I highly recommend the Dallas Arboretum & Botanical Garden. Hire them. You won't be disappointed!
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    Olesya Sent on 05/11/2015
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    Kyle and I had our wedding ceremony at the Lay Family Gardens and couldn't say enough about how beautiful the location was! The reception was on the lawn at the Alexander Camp House overlooking the lake and was gorgeous. Even though this spring was super rainy we got away with no rain at the wedding and had a beautiful clear tent put up along with the large white tent that is set up all spring long. Constance was who we worked with directly through out the entire process and she was always quick to answer any of our questions and to accommodate our requests. I would definitely recommend this location for any wedding.

    Kyle & Olesya
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    Kim Sent on 03/30/2015
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    The Dallas Arboretum was gorgeous and a perfect venue for my daughter's wedding reception. Constance was excellent to work with and no detail was over looked that we requested. 5 stars are not enough to rate them. They were excellent!
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    Melissa Sent on 02/24/2015
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    They were wonderful even though it rained they found a secondary location inside and it was still beautiful. Our coordinator really helped get everything ready and keep us calm.
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    Dana Sent on 12/18/2014
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    Perfect place for a ceremony and wedding reception! Loved working with our Event Manager. She was lovely and so helpful. She walked us through the process and helped with even the little details that were important to my husband and I. Built in décor at the Arboretum-- it is truly a no brainer, they are the bomb!
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    User1921477 Sent on 11/14/2014
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    The Dallas Arboretum is a beautiful place to have a wedding and reception and it depends on what season my son got married in the fall and it was the most beautiful wedding ever!
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    Brendan Sent on 01/22/2014
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    An all out perfect place for an outdoor wedding. It is pricey but you get what you pay for and that is pure beauty. Made my wedding photos perfect.
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    Nicole Sent on 04/05/2013
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    While I had heard the Arboretum was somewhat inflexible, I knew I had to have my wedding ceremony there. I was wonderfully surprised to see that what I had heard was untrue. Angela was very responsive and helped make my wedding absolutely fantastic.
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    Nancy Sent on 03/27/2013
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    We chose the Aroboretum as we live close by, wanted an outdoor wedding that was near water and love the surroundings. My event planner at the Arboretum was Sheila Legget and in my opinion, she is both an Angel and a Saint! Sheila was amazing through the entire process, making it very easy and calming any worries as the date approached with uncertainty on weather. As it turns out, it was a beautiful day and we felt like God shown down on us to provide the perfect day and support.

    Sheila answered all the crazy questions I had along the way and greeted me with a warm hug the afternoon of the rehearsal when I was a very typical stressed out bride! I can't say enough about Sheila ..therefore also the Arboretum. I did make a conscious decision to choose vendors (DJ, Photographer etc) who had done weddings at the Arboretum previously - and therefore were familiar with their standards.

    It was a beautiful wedding and I wish everyone could have the experience I had with the Arboretum - it was perfect! Greg & Nancy
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    Jennie Sent on 03/12/2012
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    Tara is the best! We had the most wonderful wedding thanks to such a beautiful location!
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    Leann Sent on 05/01/2011
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    We took our engagement photos here!! The staff was so sweet to us. It was fun having people look on and wish us well. They are closed every year for Dallas Blooms. If you are having a spring wedding, check the date.
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    Eleanor Sent on 04/14/2010
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    I love the arboretum - it is so beautiful & the perfect spot for a wedding and reception! Only problem was that it monsooooned on the night of my wedding so we had to move it indoors, but our coordinator was amazing and so helpful and they pulled it off like champs. It was still beautiful and Rosine Hall is the best place for a reception! Gil's one of their preferred caterers made the whole place beautiful too... loved everything about it!
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    Esther Sent on 09/17/2009
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    The great thing about the Dallas Arboretum is that they have so many options depending on what your budget is and what you are looking for in regards to your ceremony. And no matter where you are in the Arboretum, it is absolutely beautiful rain or sunshine. Sheila and everyone at the Arboretum were beyond wonderful! They were very understanding and willing to work with us in regards to scheduling, planning, etc. and very responsive via email/phone. They have facilitators there for the rehearsal and on the big day to ensure that everything goes smoothly and, boy, did it! Even with all the rain on our wedding day. Couldn't be happier with the way things went. I highly recommend the Arboretum!
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    Sydney Sent on 06/26/2009
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    The Arboretum was BEAUTIFUL!!!!!! It was absolutely breath-taking! And all of the staff were so kind and helpful!
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    Ashley Sent on 11/11/2008
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    We had our wedding at the Gazebo! Perfect for a small intimate wedding!! The back drop of the lake was beautiful!! Sheila and Kathey are wonderful to work with. We were late and they still let us in the VIP room!!! Gorgeous venue! Amazing service!!!
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    Mary Sent on 11/09/2008
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    I had a great experience having my reception here. Everything was perfect!
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    Molly Sent on 04/27/2008
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    They were amazing. They helped us with all of our needs and wants. I would reccomend them to anyone.
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    Kyle Sent on 03/27/2018
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    I could not have asked for better service. The attention we got for the price we paid was outstanding. Rachel and her team gave us a Plan A, B and C in case there was rain on our wedding day. It did rain on our wedding day and the Arboretum adjusted their plans to provide us with a beautiful venue for our ceremony that was everything we could have ever wanted. The grounds are gorgeous and the set up could not have looked better for our photos. I would recommend The Arboretum for all Weddings. We are still getting compliments from our guests on the location. Thanks Again!
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    Cole Sent on 09/21/2010
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    I personally do not think there is a more gorgeous place in Dallas to get married then the arboretum. I had countless guests comment on how magnificent my venue was and how they had not been to a more beautiful wedding. There are many different ceremony cites at the arboretum to choose from and the professional staff really helps you invision how everything will look on your big day. No ceremony décor is really required because just about anything you could bring would take away from or be over shadowed by the existing beauty that is already there. I actually have a few friends from out of town who recently got married or are about to get married and they all commented on how they loved their venue but it was nowhere near as pretty as the arboretum. I would highly recommend this venue to anyone.
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    Sarah Sent on 06/25/2024
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    Dallas Arboretum

    Arboretum review:
    Having our daughter’s wedding at the Dallas arboretum was a dream come true. The venue is gorgeous; there are many options for ceremony and reception, and the process was seamless. We coordinated with Kerrie, the wedding sales manager, and she was so helpful with information, suggestions and responsiveness. The arboretum provides lists of suggested vendors who are all excellent. We had the ceremony at the Bigham Scenic Overlook with the reception at the Tasteful Place. This location is very convenient for guests, as they are allowed to park right outside the gate. There is an outdoor stone bar that is perfect for cocktail hour, and the glass front of the tasteful place allows the guests to still view the gardens while being in the air conditioning. The view of the lake, downtown Dallas and the sunset was beautiful. I cannot recommend the Dallas Arboretum highly enough as the perfect venue for both the wedding ceremony and reception.

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    Kevin Sent on 04/26/2019
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    Accommodating

    We initially booked our ceremony and reception all together at the Arboretum. After determining that that might have been a little out of our budget along with the understandable restrictions (approved caterers only, limited decoration abilities), we opted to only have the ceremony. The Arboretum was very accommodating in allowing this change. As the date came closer, the forecast was looking worse each day. Our only rain plan was to use whatever was available at the Arboretum. Fortunately they did have a tent set up already. We enacted the rain plan the day before and were set up under a beautiful tent that worked well as a substitute to the Sunken Garden. The rain held off right after we walked off the aisle, and we were allowed to use the rest our our booked time chilling in the Alex Camp House to see if the rain let up.

    Pros: The Arboretum knows how to handle weddings, and are willing to accommodate most reasonable requests and work with you.
    Cons: A few times I tried reaching out to the coordinators and didn't receive a response, or when told they'd call me back or email me soon, didn't receive a response. But most of the time they could be reached well enough.
    Tips: Either have the full ceremony and reception there together, or have an actual rain plan in place if only doing the ceremony. Was pretty nerve-wracking to not know if there would be anything decent available come the day of the event as the forecast looked worse and worse.
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    Taylor Sent on 05/16/2014
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    This place is crazy busy, and for good reason. Our venue was so perfect and Kaley (our coordinator at the Arboretum) handled everything like a true professional.

    Our ceremony was at Crape Myrtle Alley...which takes seeing to believe how amazing it is. One note about this venue, the sun can be a problem at certain times of the year so take that into consideration. Our reception was at The Alex Camp House.

    Kaley and the other coordinator put everything together like it was the easiest thing they've ever done. The caterer, the florist, the lighting, the dj, all set up and good to go. They communicated via walkie-talkies to have me and the guys walk out at the perfect moment, and then to have my wife and the procession start at the perfect moment. I was blown away at how perfect everything went. You guys are awesome. Thank you so much.
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    Yenyi Sent on 08/20/2012
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    Dallas Arboretum is a really beautiful place and our guests really enjoy the view there.
    Tara discusses with us about the wedding day timeline -- when our guests arrive, when our ceremony begins, and so on. She is really professional and helpful.

    The only disadvantage is that they only allow some approved vendors.
    And they do not allow red wine.
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    Nancy Sent on 06/07/2011
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    Had our wedding ceremony at Nancy's Garden it was small & private only 50 guest. What i loved is that other people can not look into your ceremony. It was beautiful.
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    Katie Sent on 10/19/2010
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    The Dallas Arboretum was a wonderful place to get married! The staff was so helpful! They took care of the set up and provided beautiful white garden chairs at no extra cost! It was a stress-free venue!
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    Natalie Sent on 09/26/2010
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    If you are looking for an outdoor wedding venue in DFW, stop your search. The Arboretum is absolutely beautiful. You won't be disappointed! I worked with Kathryn and she was super sweet and flexible with all of my last minute changes. The only reason I rated the Arboretum a 4/5 stars on responsiveness is that it took quite a while after my initial inquiry to receive a call back and book them. After that though, no problems!
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    Jodie Sent on 05/20/2010
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    We loved the Arboretum! Once we decided on Dallas for our wedding, there was no question we would have it at the Arboretum (assuming they had a date available for us). Check in early with them on dates, they book quickly! There aren't many outdoor venue locations in Dallas and rental fees are high, but worth it for the view/pictures (and you can save on decorations/flowers). We worked with Sheila who was absolutely amazing (and completely available) throughout the entire planning process. Her flow diagrams and floor plans were exactly what I needed! We had our ceremony at The Women’s Garden and our reception at DeGolyer. We lucked out with the weather, but had to add the tent for the reception a few days before the wedding as the backup plan just in case (for our size group we couldn’t fit inside the DeGolyer house Tea Room)… but we ended up loving the tent so it worked out (and think about lighting – the tent added lighting for us, but it’s a little dark otherwise). Two Sisters was our caterer and did a fabulous job on the food – we continue to get compliments on the menu! The only problem with the Arboretum is the timing of everything… If you’re using their outdoor site, the Dallas noise ordinance laws require the music to end pretty early (but that’s what an after party is for!). The other timing issue is that since it’s a public garden, your vendors can’t arrive prior to 5:00pm (when it’s closed to the public). It’s all manageable, and was a concern of ours originally, but it wasn’t an issue the day of.
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    Briana Sent on 03/05/2008
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    The staff at the Dallas Arboretum were very helpful and professional for our wedding day. They made sure that the wedding went smoothly and were in constant communication with me, the guests, and other staff. The wedding ended up starting 2 hours late due to several complications, and the staff were very accommodating to our guests and very helpful to us. Everyone was pleased with the location and staff support.

    The venue itself was gorgeous and it seemed as if any of the several ceremony locations would be perfect (really, having a wedding on one of the grassy areas would have been fantastic)!

    I was really impressed with the high quality level of service we received.
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    Rachel Sent on 09/30/2014
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    Great venue full of beautiful sprawling plants. Overall I loved this place and would choose it again in a heartbeat. That being said there are a few things that were a small hassle. The parking was a little weird and far from the actual site. Not really that big of a deal though. Again overall loved the experience.
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    User1203993 Sent on 06/17/2013
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    Aside from one minor hiccup, my experience with the Arboretum was great. I liked that my guests didn't have to pay for parking and our event manager, Sara, was fantastic.
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    Leslie Sent on 04/01/2008
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    I had an amzing wedding here. I could not have dreamed it any better. If I had to do all over again I would do it the same and change nothing.
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    Heidi Sent on 03/24/2023
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    Most Beautiful Garden Ceremony!

    We recently held my daughter's daytime wedding ceremony in the Sunken Garden (with a local off-site restaurant reception following). The Arboretum was alive with color and blooms everywhere!! They have so many beautiful locations to choose from depending on budget and size. You truly need to bring nothing else, though I can't recommend a string quartet enough - the Dallas Asian Strings made it perfection with their music! The Arboretum rental rates include admission and parking for wedding guests. Our POC Elizabeth had vendor suggestions and was very responsive to my questions during the entire planning process. The initial tour and rehearsal are all independent and self-guided, and we were required by contract to hire an outside day-of coordinator. We had two wonderful Arboretum staff members assigned to our garden to help direct our guests in and to keep non-wedding guests from entering during the ceremony. It was, however, a very busy morning at the gardens, and there were a couple of Arboretum guests that still got close to photograph and video the wedding...while I wish there had been a better way to communicate etiquette and restrict that, I view it as a compliment and trust the photographer can edit them out of the professional photos! It should also be noted that for daytime ceremonies there are no changing facilities and wedding parties are required to arrive already dressed in wedding attire. It was a beautiful ceremony and I feel like for the guest experience, ease of planning, and minimal additions needed, that it is a very affordable option in Dallas!
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    Naomi Sent on 10/25/2015
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    The venue is so picture perfect what else can you say. I felt like I was a princess in my very own story book, it was so beautiful.
    We had our wedding and reception here. The wedding was outside and reception in Rosine Hall. Planning was great, everything was where it should be. I recommend hiring your own coordinator or having a very detailed list of what is going on for the girls at the Arboretum as they are working so hard making sure your venue is perfect it was hard to find them when I had questions. Apart from that, perfect venue. I loved every minute.
  • Kristina
    Kristina Sent on 09/24/2012
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    Oh how I love The Woman’s Garden, within The Arboretum. It was the perfect place for my husband and I to exchange vows. Our ceremony was breathtaking and we didn’t have to add any decorations. The Chihuly exhibit was an added benefit as the sun set on our ceremony. Angela Rollins was great as well. She was very attentive from the start and she was a huge help on the day of the event. She reminded me of small, very important details even before I walked down the aisle. She made sure the day went on without a hitch and was very helpful and visible from the time we showed up until we drove off as husband and wife.
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    Michelle Sent on 03/26/2012
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    The Arboretum has a special meaning for us so we were excited to be able to hold our ceremony and reception at the Arboretum during the Dallas Blooms event. Our out of town guests were especially amazed by the beauty of the location. While basic chairs/tables etc are included in the venue rental price, other items can quickly add up. As I suppose is expected for a place that must be careful with its grounds, the Arboretum is strict about vendors, load in times and details.
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    Brianne Sent on 08/24/2010
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    The price was amazing. It was so beautiful outside, no need for extra flowers or decorations because everything is already there! The staff is also very helpful and sweet, Sheila is great!
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    Cynthia Sent on 01/12/2010
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    Oh, this place is so beautiful. We did both our Engagement shoot, Wedding and Reception here. Every corner was breath taking. Great staff. A little difficult getting the desired time for the rehearsal dinner, but we were able to work it out for early in the day. Oh so beautiful and very affordable.
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    Rosemarie Sent on 12/29/2015
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    Thanks to the Dallas Arboretum for making my daughters wedding truly remarkable. The reception was at Rosine Hall and what an amazing venue it was. The hall was exquisite and the outdoor bar, lighted terrace, and view of the lake was breathtaking. How can you beat the Dallas Arboretum for the most beautiful setting in the Dallas Metroplex. Constance Crouch at the Dallas Arboretum was truly terrific to work with. Everything was perfectly organized and she could not have been more helpful - from vendor recommendations to cost saving tips. I cannot imagine a more perfect wedding venue than the Dallas Arboretum, or a more wonderful staff with which to work.
  • K
    Katie Sent on 09/04/2013
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    I was looking for a venue that could accommodate a small brunch wedding (about 50 people) and had an indoor reception area and outdoor ceremony area. This turned out to be a very hard thing to find in the DFW area, but the Dallas Arboretum had everything I was looking for. The Arboretum is absolutely beautiful, and the dining room at the Camp House was the perfect size for a small wedding. I was able to have my ceremony in the Camp House’s backyard, which had great views of White Rock Lake. The Camp House’s proximity to the ceremony spot was also great because we got married in August, and our guests were able to stay inside until immediately before our ceremony and could return to the air conditioning immediately after. Our guests only had to spend about 15 minutes outside. The Arboretum does limit which caterers you could use, but I actually saw this as a plus because it prevented me from getting overwhelmed with catering options. I have only two complaints about the Arboretum. First, their communication wasn’t great, especially before I was assigned my event coordinator. In the beginning stages, I had to contact them multiple times before getting answers to my questions. Second, they didn’t inform me at the outset that they don’t allow rehearsals on the weekend (I found out when I e-mailed them to schedule the rehearsal), which was problematic because my wedding was on a Sunday. Although these things were annoying in the planning stages, they ended up being insignificant compared to how well everything ran the day of the wedding and how absolutely beautiful the venue was.
  • Sharron
    Sharron Sent on 10/15/2012
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    We had our wedding at the Dallas Arboretum and it was a good choice by us. It is spacious and peaceful. The staff did not interact with us much but not in a rude way. They were very courteous and polite when we did talk with them. I think they just wanted to stay out of the way and quietly make sure that everything was going smoothly. I am very pleased with this venue. Thank you!
  • S
    Sandra Sent on 06/06/2011
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    The Dallas Arboretum was the perfect place for our ceremony. When we were looking for places to have it, none gave us the "take your breath away" feeling as the Arboretum did. We decided to have our ceremony at the Lower Meadow, a garden that was just being built when we originally went. Sheila helped us out tremendously and was very responsive to emails, voicemails and in person visits. A note to brides wanting to book the Arboretum: 1. note that if you want to have the reception there they want you to be out by 11pm which is why we chose to do our reception at an alternate location. 2. They are SUPER strict on a lot of things- we really wanted an isle to walk on to the alter and that was not allowed, just check the very long contract. For us it ended up being ok since we did our ceremony there. 3. If you do not do the reception there is no changing room or place alloted for you if your just doing the ceremony. Overall we had the sunset over the lake in a beautiful garden for our ceremony so I'm very happy we decided to get married there!
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    Kristan Sent on 08/18/2008
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    Great place! The woman we ended up working with on our wedding was fabulous! I was a completely flustered bride but they calmed me down assuring me every bride runs late.
  • Lise
    Lise Sent on 06/07/2019
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    Intimate Ceremony

    We had a very small wedding planned May 19th, 2019, for the Poetry Garden. But it rained torrentially the day before, so when we got to the Garden, the Poetry Garden was too muddy to use. There was no one there to direct us. My family had to run all over to find someone to tell us what to do instead. There was much confusion and it cut into our picture time with our photographer, Stephanie Ray Photography.
    In the end though, we were guided to the Orchid Hollow, which is absolutely stunning! The sun was out, the birds were singing and it was a wonderful place to get married!!
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    Chandra Sent on 07/03/2008
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    A bit on the pricey side but well worth it! WE had a bit of trouble finding a date that would work since it books fast and we were very specific on which garden we wanted. The set up was amazing and since they have weedings all the time, they were right on target and made suggestions that we would have never though of by ourselves.
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    Gus Sent on 07/25/2017
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    The arboretum was a wonderful venue and was a pleasure to work with. It is expensive, so that is a point to keep in mind. However it is well worth the cost.
  • S
    Susan Sent on 11/13/2014
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    We used the Women's Garden and it was beautiful. When the wedding planner tells you at rehearsal you need to start lining up 10 minutes early it is not enough time. The wedding was suppose to start at 7 pm and it did not start till 7:20. That 20 minutes was huge for us since our reception was held there and we had to be out by 11:00 pm.
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    Racquel Sent on 04/15/2012
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    I am so happy my husband and I chose The Dallas Arboretum as our wedding venue. It was absolutely perfect. We did have both our ceremony and reception there so it made it much easier for us and our guests. I definitely recommend The Dallas Arboretum as a wedding venue to anyone who wants an outdoor ceremony. The staff is great and the arboretum is just stunningly beautiful.
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    User2186695 Sent on 06/18/2015
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    Responsiveness in emails and phone calls was not ideal
    Venue was amazing.
  • Monica
    Monica Sent on 07/16/2014
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    Could not have had a more stunning venue for my wedding, it was an absolute fairytale! The events team is extremely busy, so they have very demanding schedules, but with the help of my wedding planner the day was flawless. Just make sure you have a little extra help if you're having a huge wedding that is extremely detail oriented like mine!
  • E
    Emilie Sent on 04/17/2012
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    We had our wedding recently at the Arboretum and despite some glitches on the administrative end, it was the most beautiful site I could ask for for our wedding. We were in a Woman's Garden for the ceremony and then at DeGoyler for the reception. Everything looked absolutely beautiful. We do wish we had a little more help from the wedding team there but all in all, it was wonderful.
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    Lisa Sent on 04/10/2008
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    Wonderful setting for a wedding. Initially ambiguous but ultimately flexible regarding tenting/alternate location in case of rain (which it did). Coordinator changed more than once in 9 months, making continuity of plan difficult - were told by one coordinator we could arrive at one time, then told another time days before wedding.

    A beautiful site and a great value.
  • C
    Courtney Sent on 08/18/2015
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    As soon as my fiance proposed I KNEW I was getting married at the Dallas Arboretum. The outdoor venue with lush flowers and plants and views of White Rock Lake (I was married in the Lower Meadow) was perfect for us. I love how the DA provides you with your own wedding coordinator for the venue, they arrange all the chairs and any additional tables needed and make sure everything runs on time. My coordinator, Morgan, was exceptional. Unfortunately, I had to go through 5 wedding coordinators prior to that with no explanation. I'm not sure if it was staff turnover or scheduling differences, but the multiple changes led to having to start from square 1 with each new coordinator and delays in our payments being received and in receiving responses from staff at the DA. They are not very flexible regarding which gardens are available during what times, how much time you have in the garden, and adding additional seating. However, if you book there they do allow you to come in anytime for your bridal or engagement portraits which makes for a beautiful setting. All in all I would book the venue again for a wedding, having a coordinator takes a lot of work out of your hands, you don't have to deal with vendors for chairs and tables and parking and all that as they handle everything, and the location is beyond beautiful.
  • User1414290
    User1414290 Sent on 10/31/2013
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    Obviously a gorgeous venue. Everything worked out as planned so I cannot complain, however, the arboretum is very stingy on their contract and lacked flexibility to accommodate us. They are EXTREMELY picky as to what you can hang from the trees for lighting (weight limitations and wiring limitations) , you can't stick anything in the grass (shepherds hooks or arches), no open flames (candles had to be enclosed somehow and no sparklers for sendoff), no beer, and also you have to choose vendors based off of their approved vendor list. Luckily we loved their options and like I said, things worked out beautifully in the end.... planning details was a tad difficult.
  • O
    Kelly Sent on 08/26/2008
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    The staff was always very professional, but until it was about two month before my wedding they were not very responsive. This was not a problem for me because it everything was taken care of by a month in advance. The only real issue was that there is not flexibility for the start time it was 7 or later, but you had to be out of the hall by midnight. I loved this, and I have been told that it was the best wedding and reception most of my guest had ever been to. We used Rosine Hall, and it was fantastic.
  • B
    Betty Sent on 08/16/2008
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    The arboretum was a great venue - we had our ceremony in the smallest garden available, Nancy's Garden. The dealing with the sales/services staff was generally OK, but there were times when they were fairly non-responsive. On several different occasions, I would send emails or leave phone messages and never get a reply, which was very frustrating.
  • D
    Danielle Sent on 10/10/2008
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    I loved my wedding at the Dallas Arboretum and would not have chosed another venue if given the chance. The people were, for the most part, pretty nice and helpful. The only thing that upset me was that I was supposed to have the Gazebo Garden for 2 hours (1 hour for the ceremony and one for pictures after) and the dressing room for 1 hour before my garden rental. They screwed up the times though and gave my dressing room reservation to someone else so I lost an hour of my garden rental. They were very appologetic and refunded part of our money. Other then that, the facilities were beautiful, they provided little golf carts to get us around to the different areas we needed to be at, and they accepted the delivery from my florist which was a great help. All-in-all, I was very pleased with this location.
  • Kathleen
    Kathleen Sent on 11/19/2019
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    Amazing Location not great Staff

    We loved working with Wallace Ann at the Dallas Arboretum. She was laid back but professional and walked us through our rehearsal and big day. Unfortunately the front staff were unprofessional. One of our guests tripped on the property, skinned her knee and was bleeding. She asked for a shuttle service to our location. Someone at the front stated "No, we can't do that." Our injured guest had to hobble down the cobblestone path to our location. We also were unable to have access to a shuttle and had to walk to our location. This incident and other outside factors prevented us from starting our wedding on time. If it wasn't for Wallace Ann I would not recommend this venue. She was a star through out our entire event.
  • A
    Amy Sent on 11/04/2008
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    My wedding was beautiful at the Dallas Arboretum. The only negative was my wedding coordinator which you are assigned to at the Arboretum. There was a mis-understanding of the wedding coordinator's duties. If I were to do it all over again, I would have hired a wedding planner. That is my only complaint but the Arboretum is a beautiful place to have a wedding. I was very happy with the Arboretum itself but I would hire your own wedding planner.
  • M
    Mary Sent on 12/20/2016
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    We were very happy on our wedding day- the ceremony (color garden) and reception site (Rosine Hall) were beautiful. We loved that we could stock our own bar, and vendor lists were provided. We also rented our linens, chairs, and tables through the venue (in addition to the ones provided with the original payment), which was nice to do that all in one spot.

    While our wedding day went off wonderfully, the planning process with the Arboretum's staff was stressful. About 3 months before our wedding, the Arboretum told us would be closing off about 1/3 of our reception site for a future garden, including one of our ceremony site options (the gazebo). There was no discount or support when we asked because in the contract it covers the Arboretum making any changes to the sites they want to. Our first coordinator- Jacy- was wonderful but sometimes was hard to get a hold of. Our second coordinator that took over for Jacy about two months before the wedding was difficult to work, rude, and we had to send the quote back several times because it had multiple incorrect counts for chairs/etc on it. Luckily, we had a wedding planner, so we did not have to worry about issues on the day of the wedding, but it was stressful for a site that was so expensive.

    Some additional notes- the ceremonies cannot start until 630, so if your wedding is later in the fall, plan to light your ceremony. Also, Rosine is the only reception site that you can play music until midnight- the other two sites you have to close down by 1030. Lastly, there is a strict vendor list for carters, so if you have your heart set on a certain cater just make sure they approve it before booking. We did not have a cater we were set on, and ended up loving the one we chose they suggested (Tejano Brothers). Another big plus was that since this list is small, the Arboretum works with the vendors they suggest all the time so it runs smoothly.
  • A
    Amy Sent on 06/16/2009
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    We got married in the Lay Ornamental Garden with a reception in the Camp House, and our wedding was absolutely gorgeous. The Arboretum is a very busy place with lots of weddings and a large staff. It's not really the venue to go to if you want to get a lot of personal attention. However, I knew their various restrictions (no red wine, only having access at specific times, a few last-minute rentals in the form of fans and lights, issues if it rains) when I picked the historical site, so I went into it with my eyes open and planned accordingly as best I could. As far as the weather goes, at least, we just got really lucky.

    We were able to have full access to the site for about 5.5 hours, leaving an hour for vendor clean-up, and that gave us plenty of time to take pre-ceremony photos before we got married at 7 p.m. The contact that I worked with there, Kathryn Thomas, was very friendly and helpful and responsive to my emails and phone calls (moreso than the previous person who had been there -- they have pretty high turnover rates, I think). However, when it came down to the nitty gritty details, I was very happy to have a day-of coordinator familiar with the site to help me out, because Kathryn's job was more to coordinate the overall rental, not my specific event. I definitely recommend having some outside help when it comes to coordinating the reception and your vendors. Like I said, our wedding was ridiculously beautiful and Kathryn was very personable, but don't depend on the Arboretum for a lot of extras. Treat it more like a blank canvas. Also, start trying to book it very far in advance. We tentatively put our names down 18 months out and were able to book at about the 13 month mark, but barely managed to get our date.
  • U
    User1432852 Sent on 11/11/2013
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    DABS was wonderful in the fact that the wedding coordinator I used, Angela Rollins, was highly professional and I felt like she really dedicated her time to me. The venue was gorgeous and the event went well. My only complaint was how unprofessional the staff treated myself and my guests. As a frequent visitor of DABS I was surprised that they treated us so poorly. When my sister-in-law and I drove up to the venue we asked if there was any place we could park to unload our things, (i.e. wedding dress) and we were told no, we would have to park far out in which we were fine with, but we additionally asked if there was anyone who could help us carry dresses and materials for the wedding. We were rudely told no, and then we asked if we could get a cart to help us. The woman at the front was exceptionally rude and said that she could let me "borrow" a wagon and she "guessed I could use it without renting it". I was appalled that I was paying good money to rent this venue and couldn't even get my wedding dress, flowers etc to the front without risking them getting ruined. Then, the "VIP" room I rented for extra money was right next to the bathroom and couldn't even fit my bridal party, makeup artist and hairdresser; not to mention people kept coming in thinking it was the restroom. My photographer was literally standing up on the toilet to take pictures. And on top of all of that, 5 minutes before the event was to start, we were told to get all of our things out of the room when we were under the impression we could leave our things there since we were given a key. So here I am with my bridal party stuffing our belongings every which place to move it. In the end, several people lost items. Would I visit DABS again? Yes, but only for the beautiful scenery, but I would DEFINITELY never have an event there again. It was too expensive for the poor treatment.
  • D
    Deann Sent on 08/14/2008
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    Our wedding was during Dallas Bloom in Lays Ornamental Garden with our reception at the Camp House. The location was amazing and our wedding was absolutely beautiful! However, the staff at the Arboretum was easy to work with until about 3 weeks before the wedding! They all of a sudden had multiple items (tent, lighting, heaters) that I had to have. I never agreed to have any of these items nor did I want them! They don?t give me a choice about having them in the end! I agree with Kristen?s review about Shelly and all their extra charges!!
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    User1649678 Sent on 06/06/2014
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    We had our Wedding here about a month ago. The weather was just as beautiful as the Arboretum. Its the most beautiful place and I could not imagine getting married anywhere else. Our ceremony was at the Jonsson Color Garden and our reception was held at Rosine Hall. Everything about that day was amazing minus our "day of" coordinator. We booked the venue in February of 2013 and in the 15 months leading up to our big day we went through four different coordinators. All of them were not that great at communicating or returning any of my emails or phone calls. Once one would quit, nobody at the Arboretum would inform us until we called and demanded to speak with someone. I understand that they are very busy and deal with so many weddings through out the year, but I still would have like to know what was going on especially considering how much money we paid. Now back to our "day of" coordinator. I had never met this lady prior to the big day and she was never introduced to me. Towards the end of the evening, a few guests heard her in the back screaming that, "she hated her job and she was quitting" along with a few more choice words. Overall the wedding staff was not as professional as I had hoped, but if I had to choose the venue again I would still choose to have it at the Dallas Arboretum, there is no other place like it.
  • L
    Leah Sent on 01/01/2009
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    The Arboretum is beautiful-- we had our ceremony there. There's really no equivalent in Dallas (in my opinion) for a gorgeous outdoor ceremony/reception. However, their primary business is not weddings, which can lead to some issues. For example, they are very inflexible about arrival and departure times, decorations, etc. Also, the sales-people are different from the event-coordinators, which can lead to communication gaps. For example, the arrival and set up times that the sales-person discussed with us were different from what the event-coordinator later told us we were allowed. We had to go through some panic/hassle to work things out so that we would be able to arrive with our wedding party to take photos prior to the ceremony. In the end they worked things out for us and it was fine, but I really did not need that kind of last minute panic. Also, I agree with previous reviewers that they kind of nickel-and-dime you by telling you, late in the game, about details you need (such as a P.A. system and lighting) that they will charge you for.
  • K
    Katharine Sent on 07/16/2008
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    The Dallas Arboretum provided an excellent on-site wedding coordinator, Michelle, to work with my chosen wedding coordinator. She helped us pick out a garden and was very knowledgable about pricing, scheduling, and restrictions. For this person's services, I would give the Arboretum a big thumbs up. However, problems which arose made it very clear that, although the on-site coodinator was very dedicated and helpful, the actual Arboretum was quite unconcerned with weddings.
    The day before my wedding, the horitculturalists dug up the garden where the ceremony was to be held, rendering it a muddy, usless swamp. We were forced to rehearse in a completely different garden, for which we were unprepared. Moreover, we had to do this in exactly an hour.
    Things ended up going down without a hitch because of Michelle's help, but we were on pins and needles as to whether the horticulturalists would decide to dig up the alternative garden, too!
    The setting was extremely romantic, but almost not worth the stress.
  • J
    Jane Sent on 06/07/2019
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    Would not recommend

    I was really looking forward to having my wedding at the Dallas Arboretum, especially since I had seen how beautiful the venue was from my frequent visits there. However, I was sorely disappointed with the overall experience of having my wedding at the Dallas Arboretum. The downfall of using this venue included the lack of responsiveness to questions (I would have to send emails multiple times to get a response, and my contact was not always available via phone), not being given enough information to prepare for the day of, and receiving misleading information from the get-go (from the multiple different people I had been shuffled between via email, before an official contact person was assigned to me; but then, even my contact person gave me incorrect information up to the week of the wedding). Because I was planning everything on my own without a planner, communication was very important for me, and the above factors made wedding preparation a nightmare. It was very stressful to have to try to handle last minute changes up to the day of the wedding, due to the incorrect information I received and also the lack of guidance and lack of preparation by my contact person (despite setting up meetings in advance to try to smooth out the details). I suspect that one's experience with the Dallas Arboretum is largely dependent on the person who is assigned as your contact. Of note, I was not given a choice as to who my assigned contact person would be. I would highly recommend a wedding planner or at least a coordinator if you were to choose this venue. One of my bigger mistakes was not hiring one and trusting my contact to give me the information I needed.
    I also felt the staff ladies at the Camp House were exceptionally unfriendly. While I understand that the Camp House is a restricted area, we were usually left waiting outside the door in the heat whenever we came to meet our contact person there (to decide on placement of signs, tables, and to test out the audio system); we usually had to wait at least 10 to 15 minutes after our scheduled meeting time, because the only effective communication I had to let my contact person know we had arrived was via email. On the day of the wedding rehearsal, we were (again) trying to fix the kinks to the audio system at the Camp House, and when I stepped toward the patio to make sure the planned table placement/chairs per table would be sufficient for the wedding, I was quickly shooed away by a staff member until my contact person spoke up on my behalf that I was supposed to be in the Camp House for my wedding rehearsal. We later went outside to the Secret Garden to do a run-through of the wedding ceremony with the bridal party; when one of my groomsmen stepped into the Camp House to use the restroom, he was scolded by a staff member for using the restroom inside until he explained that he was there for the wedding rehearsal. While I understand the need to protect the more private areas of the Arboretum, I felt that the staff was unnecessarily rude to me and my wedding party.
    I was trying to wait about a week or more after my wedding to let my feelings cool down and to try to avoid writing an overly negative review, but even now, I cannot recommend this venue to anyone. Despite the beautiful scenery, I do think there are other venues that would have been equally (if not more) aesthetically pleasing, without the tears, frustration, and stress of having my wedding at the Dallas Arboretum. I had been too enamored with the idea of the Arboretum, and I now I am only filled with regret.
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    User1740519 Sent on 07/30/2014
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    The Dallas Arboretum was a beautiful venue for a wedding reception. We did have a little trouble communicating with our assigned wedding coordinator. When we were able to talk to her or she answered an email she was helpful.
  • B
    Brandi Sent on 05/27/2017
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    The first time I visited the Dallas Arboretum in 2011, I knew I wanted to get married there one day. When it came down to our time to book a venue, this was a no-brainer! Cathy (who is now retired) was AMAZING showing us around, giving us the details and securing our date. That's when our experience went down hill.

    We started with numerous invoicing and over payment issues, went through 4... yes FOUR different wedding coordinators during our planning time and nothing was communicated between these employee turnovers, so we'd have to get the new coordinator up-to-speed after they went dark on us for weeks at a time. One even moved to Europe and we had no idea!

    You pay a lot for this venue and nothing, besides garden chairs and a few bare tables (should they be available) come with your reservation. You will need to plan to bring in every vendor and their coordinators do not help with that process or during your wedding day-of. I don't even recall seeing an Arboretum wedding planner on our wedding day. It's a BEAUTIFUL venue, but if you choose to get married here my advice is to hire a full wedding planner to help from start-to-finish. We had to increase our budget drastically to make everything come together. Plus side? It's tax deductible :)
  • LaToya
    Latoya Sent on 07/01/2014
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    cont...The guest transitioned in the cocktail area (which I never got to see), and then into the reception area where everything began to fall apart. She did not know what happend to our champagne for our toast or the toasting flutes and implied that I the bride should go into the Tea Room and look for them myself. She kicked my bridal party out of the bridal suite even though we were told they could lock there things up in there and put them in the Tea Room. Then she would not let them into Tea Room to get their change of shoes or my change of shoes. In the middle of dinner our guests were attacked by swarms of gnats. So guests were swatting while trying to eat. We were told by our coordinator that there was nothing she could do when actually there was...they were supposed to rake the ground and vacuum the grass prior to our event but did not. She also told the best man that do not spray because it's the "Arboretum" even though just the day before they sprayed twice for wasps for another bride in the Gazebo. We were forced to turn off the additional lighting that we paid for to provided our guests with some relief so that they could eat in peace. Though they danced, ate and still enjoyed themselves, all I can say is, how embarrassing! Our coordinator left at 9pm without a goodbye and left us in the hands of two other coordinators who had no schedule and did not know what was going on and proceeded to shut our wedding down around 9:45pm even though our send off was not until 10:15pm. We almost missed the opportunity to do the bouquet and garter toss. The new coordinator then handed the mic to my father and told him that he could announce the bouquet toss.The straw that broke the camels back was that I found out later that the three coordinators had the nerve to fix a plate with the rest of my guest though they had not even done their initial job.
  • M
    Melissa Sent on 04/07/2009
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    I had my heart set on being married in the Lay Ornamental Gardens (also called Mimi's Gardens) at the Dallas Arboretum with a reception at the nearby historical Camp House, also at the Arboretum. However, I found the employees to be disorganized, irresponsible and downright rude. Of course, this is AFTER I signed the contract.

    The rules are very strict, leaving no room for uniqueness. The employees see brides as a number rather than a yound woman embarking on the most important day of her life. In fact, my appointed "coordinator" didn't even come to the rehearsal until the last 10 minutes of our designated time slot.

    My other vendors were rushed in and out and the photographer wasn't even allowed to set up early to snap "getting ready" photos. Furthermore, we paid for heaters that didn't work. On my wedding day, I was stressed out while trying to do the job of the Arboretum, as they failed miserably.

    For the high price we paid to use the Arboretum for a TOTAL of 4 hours, we got nothing. My wedding was still beautiful though ... no thanks to the employees at the Arboretum.

    This is a beautiful place, but do look around before signing a contract ... and ensure that your "day of" coordinator is better than mine.
  • C
    Candice Sent on 03/20/2018
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    Be warned!!! We're almost a month out from our wedding (which ended up being lovely - at another location), so I'm not writing this email in an emotional fit, but I do believe brides need to be warned. My experience with the event-side of the Arboretum was a nightmare & the more I talked to Dallas wedding professionals, the more I realized my story wasn't unusual & some professionals aren't even willing to work with them after their clients' experiences. There were multiple issues, but I'll begin with my "nightmare" issue. We communicated from day one (verbally on our tour & in writing on several other separate occasions) that we would need a tent for our wedding reception, as there was no appropriate rain-plan. Even though the arboretum has been working with one tent company for over 10 years, we were told we'd get information on tent pricing after we signed a contract and were assigned a coordinator. After we were assigned a coordinator, it took her 3 weeks to get us an answer on a proposed tent cost (over $6,000 for a tent with no walls, no lighting, no heating, no draping & no flooring). When my wedding planner asked why the arboretum didn't let brides know upfront that a tent could easily cost more than booking the venue itself, she was told that they didn't want to "overwhelm brides early in the process." I believe they intentionally withheld information so we would book with them. Let me say it was pretty overwhelming to have to re-plan my entire wedding in 5 weeks, because the arboretum didn't shoot straight with us. Unfortunately there were many smaller things that were poorly done as well, such as giving us the wrong address for the wedding invites & our coordinator not even knowing where the bridal suite for our event was located (yes, seriously). But the fact they don't tell you that the cost of a tent is likely as much as, if not more than, the cost of booking your wedding there is pretty unforgivable from a professional standpoint.
  • Mrs
    Mrs Sent on 05/01/2011
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    In short, the Arboretum is absolutely beautiful but they really really need to work on their customer service and professionalism.
  • K
    Kristen Sent on 06/18/2007
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    We got married on the back lawn of the Camp House and then had our reception at the Camp House. The wedding was absolutely beautiful. Several guests said it was the prettiest wedding they had ever seen.

    However, the lady in charge of weddings at the Arboretum, Shelly, is a total disaster of a woman. She is rude, snotty, and I felt like were were being a huge inconvenience everytime we had to contact her. Shelly is totally unwilling to work with your ideas or suggestions. Everything has to be her way. She is bossy and overbearing. She also has no tact and was very rude to me several times. Our wedding was right in the middle of the spring-wedding-craziness at the Arboretum. I understand that she was swamped with work at the time, but come on... this is her job. My wedding planner would email Shelly with a question, or call her and leave a message. It would be weeks before Shelly would respond.

    Also, the huge chunk of cash that you pay for having your wedding at the Arboretum covers the actual facility, white chairs, tables, and valet service. That is it. Period the end. ANYTHING else has to be rented for lots of money. For example: a tent over the patio at the Camp House in case it rains: $900 (and this price was divided among all the springtime brides, I have no idea how much it'd be if you were to rent it by yourself). Fans for the tent $350. Flap roll-down walls for the tent in case it rains $250. Basically, anything else (that most facilities would just have on hand) is extra.

    Oh and another thing-- back to Shelly the Monster. At our finalization meeting, she threatened me that if any of my guests spilled food or drink on the carpets or furniture, I would be personally responsible for having them cleaned. She explained that it costs $4000 to have the rugs cleaned, and if the stains weren't removed, the rugs would have to be replaced at $75000. All this being mentioned 6 months after we'd signed our contract with them, paid our deposit. I was already a nervous wreck because I was getting married in two weeks and I just broke down and started crying. It's funny now, but that woman is in the WRONG business.

    Okay one more thing. The arboretum has all sorts of neat little rules. For instance, all outdoor music must end at 10:30 pm. The band is not allowed to come inside because they might scratch the floors. No red wine is allowed. Only white rose petals are allowed to be tossed at your send off. You aren't allowed upstairs. You have only one hour for your rehearsal, which is destined to happen at some random time the day before. Ours was at 3pm because the venue had a party there that night. For the rehearsal, you are not allowed to congregate in the Camp House parkinglot. "The Camp House is where the admin offices for the Arboretum are, and the rehearsal guests might disturb the people working in their offices"--- Or so Shelly explained. The Arboretum has a list of specific vendors that you are allowed to choose from. If you want someone new, you'll have to get an act of Congress.

    Basically, to sum it up, The Arboretum was a GORGEOUS wedding site, but a humongous hassle. And Shelly is the devil.
  • Mrs. J
    Haley Sent on 10/16/2018
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    Horrible, nightmare

    We excitingly booked the Arboretum for our wedding as we love this place and got engaged here. Everything was exciting, aside for some restrictions, up until the week of. It’s storming this entire week. When we booked our wedding coordinator with the Arboretum ensured that we would be able to work out a rain back up plan since it’s extremely unlikely those buildings would be all booked on a weekday morning. Well, they were booked and now they cannot accommodate my wedding or guests. They said we’re welcome to still have the wedding in the thunderstorm! So we ended up having to cancel, plan my entire wedding somewhere else in FOUR days, and out of the thousands that were paid they only agreed to return 25% and also wouldn’t return the security deposit placed for damages. So we lost thousands, my dream venue, and I didn’t get to enjoy the week of my wedding trying to plan a whole new one in a week. AVOID this location, you may get lucky if the weather cooperates but it’s a major risk and you may lose EVERYTHING. Btw - the staffing, Angela especially, are nice until something is wrong. Then your phone calls won’t be returned and if they are they will be incredibly rude. Avoid at all costs!!!
  • U
    User1529381 Sent on 02/07/2014
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    Yes, this is a gorgeous venue in Dallas! It's stunning... and it met my garden dreams! It was beautiful at sunset on the water. Perfect weather in the evening... and yes, it is lovely in every way. Our ceremony was gorgeous.

    However, I truly would not recommend having your wedding here. You can find other beautiful outdoor venues in Dallas.. .you just need to look and book early. There were some tears involved while working with the Arboretum. It's just not worth the stress. The arboretum is very stingy on their contract and lacked flexibility to accommodate us. We had more guests attending than we had originally planned for the Lower Meadow garden (10 extra), and they were going to charge us a lot of money to add a few additional rows of chairs. Upsetting. I also did not realize that people standing during your ceremony *your bridal party, groom, bride, Pastor* still count as chairs in the garden. I did not anticipate that the people standing were included in the number of "chairs" allowed in the garden. I still don't understand that.

    My event coordinator at the Arboretum left her job 6 weeks before our wedding. So... that was exciting. Our new event coordinator did not know to take our bridal party to the bridal suite room before the ceremony... everyone was hot and did not know where to go... and I was taking pictures so I did not know this was happening. :( Bummer.

    Overall, I was disappointed. Great location. Not great service. You're paying a lot of money for your venue. Select somewhere that will cater to your needs for your wedding!
  • J
    Jenna Sent on 11/05/2012
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    Wow. This venue almost completely ruined my wedding.They promised things that never happened such as our bus of guests being able to pull up to the ceremony. The security guard yelled at my dad the day of his daughters wedding and said "there is no way in hell that bus is going up there. I don't give a damn what they told you". Fairy tale moment huh? Safe to say he never got in trouble. So my father and ushers in their tuxedos had to move 32 cases of beer and 36 bottles of wine from one bus to another in 80 degree weather and no one helped them from the arboretum even though the whole situation was their fault!! This happened 2 hours before the ceremony. Horrible service and treatment. Also you will pay a ridiculous amount of money there to have nothing included. It's ridiculous. They told us at the rehearsal that a microphone for the pastor wasn't included and it would be $400!!! Also the only option for wedding time is evening wedding at 7:00 yet lighting isn't included so you will spend another $2,000 for that on top of the $10,000 plus they charge you for their "amazing customer service". My coordinator left halfway through my wedding and just didn't do the send off so my amazing DJ (Jim Weisz discovery djs) took it on himself to do that for me. Also they didn't send gold carts for our physically impaired grandparents like they promised they would. They were about to make my bridesmaids walk miles to the ceremony sight in heels and dresses. Great treatment huh? Also you have to turn off your music at 10:30 even though you pay the ridiculous amount of money to have the place until 11 and they make sure not to tell you that until after you've signed the contract as well. The arboretum caused so much stress and chaos to not only my engagement but my wedding day. Please save yourself the tears and stress and do NOT choose this venue.
  • U
    User2630560 Sent on 06/01/2016
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    Sure, the scenery is fantastic but the rest leaves less to be desired. As a guest of a wedding at this venue, at minimum I'd expect the staff to be able to direct me to the garden the wedding is at. I (among other wedding guests) received entirely wrong directions and was walking all over the gardens. With all the wrong directions, I was hot and late to the ceremony. The guest experience at this venue is pitiful. Put a sign up or better yet, train your staff!!!
  • S
    Linda Sent on 03/17/2008
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    It was just a disaster from the word go. I spoke with Rani (no longer there), she got us an agreement, told us the terms. I signed it, sent a check for the deposit and then waited. And waited. I call, and they have misplaced the contract and the reservation. "Let me check to make sure it is still available." Three weeks after I booked the location. Thankfully it was still available, seeing that I had already signed a contract with them. A week after they finally deposited the check, after ordering my invitations at this point, stating that we are marrying on the Camp House Lawn of the Dallas Arboretum, I get a call from Rani, saying the terms she originally gave me were incorrect and that we actually didn't have access to the entire Camp House, or the Bride's Room. JUST THE LAWN. At this point, I am so far beyond hostile and annoyed. We agree to not have all access, but that I do have use of the Bride's Room. So we are set. Then I get moved over from Rani to Shelly, the "day of" coordinator. What a JERK!

    It is a beautiful location. However, the service was terrible. The people treated us like dirt. And were so incredibly rude. I showed up on Saturday afternoon at 4:00 for my rehearsal, and the coordinator did not even know that we had an appointment. Even though we had exchanged several emails regarding the time and date of my rehearsal.

    It was raining on the morning of the wedding, (We got married at 10:00 am on the Camp House Lawn) and Shelly wouldn't let anyone but the bride be brought up to the house which was covered. Everyone else was expected to trample through the gravel parking lot.

    It rained the entire weekend of my wedding, so that is stressful enough. However, she, being Shelly, wouldn't let us take pictures in any room but the brides room. And at exactly 11:00 am, she kicked us all out, even though it was pouring rain outside, so the beautiful pictures my husband and I thought we were going to get were not to be. Just go take your bridal pictures there. It is not worth it at all to have to deal with the incompetent Arboretum staff. There is zero flexibility, and they do not care if they ruin your day. They don't need your money, and they treat you like that!
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