Dixon Gallery & Gardens Reviews

When my daughter got engaged, we only had 6 months to plan. I immediately called the Dixon and asked what day they had available in March(2024). I booked it. I chose the Dixon because of the location, the gardens and the covered space incase of inclement weather. I loved that they had their own Chef. Chef Phillip and his staff were amazing and the food was delicious. We were able to use our own vendors for alcohol, flowers, rentals and cakes. Juliana and Mackenzie went out of their way to make this the most memorable, easy and smooth experience. I cannot say enough wonderful things about the Dixon and all of their staff.

The Dixon is the most beautiful and romantic wedding venue in Memphis. The grounds are gorgeous and well-kept, and all our guests commented on how amazing the venue itself was. We also loved the indoor/outdoor aspect of the venue.
My original wedding was planned for June 2020 and the coordinator at the Dixon kept us updated with COVID, gave us options, and made the rescheduling process easy. She is very helpful and responsive to all messages and questions. They also provide so much information in their information packets and can give examples of layouts, etc.
I would 1,000% recommend and 1,000% have another event at the Dixon!

Could not have been a more perfect location and night for our reception! Staff was great too!

We wanted an private, intimate formal garden wedding. Dixon was all of that and some. The venue is naturally beautiful. The grounds are well kept and the staff is absolutely the best. Sarah Catmur does a masterful job as event manager. The cost of venue rental also includes membership for 1 year to the Dixon. WELL worth it. Awesome events throughout the year and networking. Love, Love, Love. Not so hidden gem that is fabulous for weddings!

I can't imagine having my wedding at any other venue in Memphis. The Dixon is SO beautiful, we hardly did any decorating -- it wasn't needed. Sarah Catmur was incredibly thorough and professional. I don't have any complaints. If we could do it all over again, we'd pick the Dixon every time. It really made our wedding special.

Sarah Catmur rocks! We walked in and fell in love with the entire atmosphere and staff! We cannot wait to have our wedding here and share the secret beauty of Memphis with all our loved ones.

The Dixon was very accommodating from the first time we went to see the venue. They are open to catering from anyone (with proper paperwork), set up and take down, music (11pm city noise ordinance), do it all yourself or having someone else do it for you. They were prompt with responding and always willing to let us come and see the venue for certain questions and concerns we had. They kept the grounds looking amazing and of course the mosquitos came out during our rehearsal so they were quick to tell us they were putting down special repellant for the wedding to help keep the mosquitos down. They gave us adequate time and space to carry out all that we needed for our special day. I would highly recommend them to anyone who is looking for a beautiful and pain free, easy to work with venue and staff.

We absolutely loved having our reception at the Dixon. Sarah was so sweet, patient, and helpful and got us all the information we needed to create the perfect night! We had a night time reception at The Hughes Pavilion and it was the perfect setting, I loved being able to have lots of space and indoor/ outdoor options!

Our daughter's reception was held at the Dixon Gallery and Gardens on November 11, 2017. Our experience was wonderful from our first meeting through the reception. The Hughes Pavilion was lovely surrounded by the beautiful plants and trees. The Venue Rental Coordinator, Sarah Catmur, is extraordinary. She was informative, responsive, knowledgeable, and kind. We were in the best of hands for our daughter's special day.

Sara at the Dixon was so easy to work with. She was extremely responsive to all of my calls and messages. We did a vow exchange package because we just had a small ceremony with our family. The ceremony was during museum hours on a Sunday afternoon, but we had the whole place to ourselves. The South Lawn Stage was the perfect setting for our ceremony and we took pictures in multiple places around the gardens. Part of our fee also covered a free one year membership to the Dixon so we can visit the place it all began as often as we want. Highly recommend!

Stunning, picturesque, classy, elegant... the list goes on! THE wedding reception venue of Memphis! All of our guests were in awe from the indoor pavilion to the outdoor terrace! As if this venue could not get any better, the coordinator, Sarah Catmur, offers the most valuable insights and advice! I HIGHLY recommend this venue!

I absolutely LOVE the Dixon. My husband and I knew right away that we wanted to host our wedding reception in the Hughes Pavilion. The price was very affordable, they let us bring in our own alcohol, they were flexible with their approved catering list, the grounds were immaculate, the staff was responsive to ALL of my many questions throughout the planning process...the list of reasons why this is one of the best wedding venues in Memphis goes on and on!

We had our wedding reception at Hughes Pavilion on 8/22/15 and I could not recommend Dixon enough. Sarah was an absolute dream to work with from the very start. She was always so nice and always available to answer every little question I had. If you're thinking about an indoor/outdoor reception in Memphis, please just go look at Dixon Gallery & Gardens. You'll probably fall in love immediately like I did!

had my rehearsal dinner here. Dream Come True!!!

Loved Loved Loved!! It was amazing everyone was so friendly and helpful. The venue turned out amazing and our guest were extremely impressed. I wouldlove to use this venue again in the future.

The Dixon is a beautiful backdrop for any wedding. It is already so lovely that you don't have to use a lot of decor. The staff are very communicative and friendly.

I highly recommend booking the Dixon for your garden wedding. Sarah and team were SO helpful during the entire process. They took the time to show me how other brides had used the space which really helped me while I was planning our layout and everything else.
The space itself is absolutely stunning and made all my garden wedding dreams come true. If you're looking for a garden venue in Memphis, look no further and book the Dixon! You'll be so happy you did :)

I attended a wedding here two years before my own and I made a decision that day that I absolutely had to get married at the Dixon. In my opinion, this is the most beautiful venue in Memphis. The gardens are pristine. The South Lawn was redone last year, and it looks magnificent! The Hughes Pavilion in small and simple and can be transformed into anything depending on your style. It is full of huge windows that line the entire building. Sarah is very helpful and responsive to all questions and emails. She got married at the Dixon herself so you know she loves it! She is so helpful when it comes to seating plans, vendor selection, etc. I got married in April when many of the plants were in bloom. We used very simple greenery and candles as centerpieces since the beauty of the gardens doesn't need any help. I have attended October weddings here, and it was just as beautiful! The venue has tables and chairs that you can use for free, so we only needed to rent one extra table. There are so many places for pictures around the grounds. They don't have a bridal suite, but Sarah was able to get us a room in the main building to have snacks while we waited for the ceremony to start. People tell me all the time how beautiful my wedding was. If I could go back and do it again, I would not change anything!

My wife and I saw The Dixon on a gloomy, rainy January day and had to envision our big day. I will be the first to say we were absolutely stunned with how green and beautiful The Dixon was for our wedding in late May. It was absolutely perfect and we did not have to add very many decorations because of how beatiful it was. The staff was very professional and easy to work with.

I had my ceremony and reception at the Dixon in September 2015. It was absolutely beautiful and everyone at the Dixon was so courteous and easy to work with. For future brides looking at the Dixon, please make sure you have a back up plan for rain! It did not rain on my wedding day, the weather was absolutely perfect; however, if it was raining it would have made the ceremony and aspects of the reception more complicated. I have also listed out some things that future brides should consider while looking at the Dixon for a ceremony and reception:
- There are no rooms dedicated for the bridesmaids and groomsmen. Luckily on my wedding day we were able to hang out in the office area, but it would have been nice to have dedicated rooms for the bridesmaids and groomsmen
- If you want a sparkler exit, you can not do that here. You are only allowed to have guests shower you with rose petals (which also make for pretty pictures)
- Your reception will have to end by 10:30ish in order to ensure the vendors have enough time to come back and pack everything up that night
- Only tables and some banquet style chairs are included in the price, you will have to rent everything else (this is a good way to make your wedding more personalized and customized - but it is more work coordinating with more vendors)
- You will not find a better place in Memphis to have your pictures taken - they will be gorgeous!

As soon as my fiance and I visited the Dixon, we knew right away that it was where we wanted to start our marriage together. The backdrop of the gorgeous gardens, along with the convenient reception space on site, was exactly what we hoped for and more. Our wedding was in early June, just as the hydrangeas were blooming. We couldn't have asked for a better summer wedding setting (and, thankfully, we lucked out with no rain!).

We did have a couple of last-minute hiccups in the ceremony set up, due to an exhibition in the gardens; however, it turned out even better than we had planned. If you choose the Dixon, I recommend having a wedding planner who can manage the logistics of set-up and break-down for you. The Dixon has a very tight turn-around time, and it helps to have someone there who can handle this - it allows you to enjoy your day to the fullest! Also, there isn't really a spot at the Dixon for you to get ready with your bridesmaids (at least that was the case for me, since the museum was undergoing renovations). Be sure to check with them first so you have a back-up plan!

Dixon Gallery and Gardens is absolutely breath taking in the summer. My husband and I had our wedding there in July and the garden was the perfect backdrop to our dream wedding. However, if you are the kind of people who want to decorate without hiring someone then it is a little difficult. I wanted to stream lights, but couldn't do this on my own. So I opted for no lights. Also, if you are having a summer wedding I would suggest getting the tent to cover the patio, we didn't have a tent and it was so hot.Other then that the venue was naturally beautiful, it does not need to many decorations. In addition to that make sure you have signs to lead guest to the Hughes Pavilion, it can be kind of confusing!
When it came to the staff they were amazing Sarah Catmur was so helpful. She helped set up and made my wedding perfect by allowing us to use a guest book table that we didn't previously have. My wedding was kind of a mad dash because my husband is in the military and had to drive from Augusta,GA to get there, so the rehearsal was the day of. Then of course things went wrong with table clothes where we needed to borrow some from the venue last minute. There also was a gentleman who helped tear down the decorations after the wedding and he told me I was the most beautiful bride he had ever seen :). I would recommend this venue above all others!

The Dixon is delightful to work with, offers tons of flexible indoor and outdoor space, includes a tent, and is overall just such a beautiful place. All our interactions with the venue coordinator were easy and helpful, and they made the process smooth and clear throughout. The Hughes Pavilion is not a budget venue, but we were so glad we invested in the space and cut corners elsewhere. It was so worth it to have the perfect setting and, especially, the comfortable, beautiful, covered outdoor space attached to the pavilion.

This place is absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!! Perfect for an outside wedding! We had our ceremony on the south lawn , which is large enough for any size wedding and perfect for a grand entrance:) There are accommodations for handicap guests and the staff there was very responsive and helpful. The only complaint I had was that the gallery(containing the bride's room) closed at 5pm and they were unwilling to keep it open 30minutes while I awaited my entrance. Had I realized that I would've moved my ceremony up 30 min. Our reception was in the Hughes pavilion which turned out gorgeous. I originally had concerns about the size of our wedding(200) not fitting but it turned out to be plenty of space and the entire event flowed so nicely. I would recommend this venue to any bride wanting an outdoor ceremony and a great place for ANY reception!

The Dixon Gallery and Gardens was a beautiful venue to have my wedding! I got married on June 13, 2015. The scenery itself was gorgeous, and the natural beauty added so much to the atmosphere and our pictures. We had to do very little decorating of our own (outside of tenting the Terrace, which I highly recommend - it rained briefly during the reception and the tent kept it from being a problem) because the space is already so pretty. We comfortably sat 90 people on the Terrace with room for a dance floor and DJ. Sarah Schiavoni went above and beyond to help us. She arranged for me to drop by the Gardens whenever I needed to for planning purposes, and even met with my caterer and me on the grounds to help design our layout. She always replied promptly, provided documents and receipts whenever I needed them, and remembered details about our wedding even when it had been months since we'd spoken. There were restrictions on what we could and could not bring, and the price tag was a bit higher because they did not provide chairs, but it was worth it for us because the venue was so beautiful and the office was so organized. I had a great experience!