Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens Reviews

Franklin Park is one of the most beautiful wedding venues. We got married in early November in the Palm House and our friends and family are still raving about how beautiful the space is. From the very beginning Taylor was SO responsive and sweet, answering my 100s of questions throughout the planning process. Sarah kept up the same level of customer service as we neared wedding day. We truly appreciate how helpful the whole team was in the planning process. Even though there was an event at the conservatory at the same time, the team did a great job keeping the public out of our reserved spaces. I know they have renovations planned for the Palm House so I can't speak to the future of the space, but it was the best decision I made in the wedding planning process. Highly recommend. 

Franklin Park was an absolute dream location for our wedding! We rented the Palm House for a morning and evening ceremony as well as an evening reception. Everyone at FPC was so organized, attentive to detail and in sync with the other vendors. Allison in sales was wonderful to work with as she helped us book the Palm House. Our venue coordinators, Brooklyn and Lauren, in particular helped make the wedding day smooth and seamless. The Conservatory was breathtaking and our guests loved being able to explore the biomes at FPC during our cocktail hour. We can’t recommend it enough!

I wish I could give this venue a thousand stars. We love the Franklin Park Conservatory and have always enjoyed coming here. We had our ceremony and reception in the Palm House and Wolfe Terrace and I cannot recommend it enough. It was absolutely stunning. Guests kept commenting on how breathtaking it was. You barely even need decor and we were able to go light on the flowers (which created a lot of extra room in our budget) since the Palm House is so beautiful by itself. The venue is incredibly affordable considering how beautiful and friendly the event space is. We worked with 3 different wedding coordinators there throughout my time (not due to turnover, just different staff assisting with our wedding) and each one was so helpful and extremely quick to respond. To be fair, we had a small wedding (35-40 guests) so I am not sure how things would scale up; if you are having a large wedding, you would probably still want a wedding planner and not just to rely on the coordinators here. But if you are having a small wedding like we did and are an organized person, they will take care of you just fine, no planner necessary!

Very pretty and accommodaty. Great for pictures

We had our December 2021 wedding ceremony and reception in the Palm House with our cocktail hour in the Veridian. It was absolutely spectacular and beautiful. We couldn’t have picked a better venue for a winter wedding, allowing our tropical dreams to come together with holiday festivity. The coordination team was fantastic, and we can’t thank Allyson enough for making sure that our day was perfect from start to finish! She helped us along every step of the way to make sure that every detail was covered. There is no better venue or team out there!

We had our ceremony in the Wolfe Terrace and reception in the Palm House. Our coordinator through FPC was Sarah. She was fantastic, upbeat and made sure our wedding and rehearsal flowed at a great pace. She was involved when necessary and behind the scenes the rest of the time communicating with our team of vendors. Her communication and organization leading up to the wedding was perfect and she was open to helping make all our wishes come true, or find replacements, even when COVID caused Columbus to implement a mask mandate again just a few weeks before our date. We would recommend them to anyone!

Looking back on our wedding (just one week ago!), my husband and I are so overjoyed we booked the Palm House at the Franklin Park Conservatory for our Wedding Reception. The space is so beautiful and our guests loved it. Our guests had access to the entire conservatory from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm; and our reception finished around 11:30. There was a small fee (~$150.00) to have the butterfly exhibit open as well and it was absolutely worth it. Unfortunately it was cold and raining on the day of our wedding reception and we couldn't use the outdoor terrace space attached to the Palm House. Thankfully, we were able to use the enclosed bonsai-tree garden space instead of the terrace, which is just as lovely. We decided to have our reception catered by the Franklin Park Conservatory and I'm very happy and grateful we did. We threw a "heavy hors d'oeuvres and cocktails" style reception. We primarily worked with Lauren Miller in deciding our reception menu, flow of the evening, what we were going have as passed hors d'oeuvres, what was going to be served as stations, how much to order etc. Lauren was extremely knowledgeable and clearly very experienced in what she does. Lauren was excellent to work with and helped us tremendously in planning our reception. We received many compliments on the food we served and Lauren made sure to set some food aside for my husband and I to ensure we got something to eat. Maria, our wedding co-ordinator, was also very accommodating, easy to communicate and work with and was a tremendous help! I can't say enough good things about our experiencing planning our wedding reception at Franklin Park as well as the actual main event itself. Everything went so smoothly and we are very pleased with the end result!

Franklin Park conservatory did an outstanding job for both our ceremony and reception. They were incredibly organized and efficient and really helped me in the planning process. They set up all my decor just as I asked and it looked so beautiful. They were easy to work with and very insightful. They made my vision come to life and I couldn't have asked better people to work with and I fully trusted them to make my day everything I had dreamed of. The day went so smooth because of their guidance and organization, I still have guests talking about how fun and beautiful the day was. Specifically, Lauren Miller and Caitlin Mashhadian made my planning process a breeze and kept the day running smooth. The food was absolutely delicious and everyone was so impressed. I highly recommend this venue not only for the beauty of it but the AMAZING staff.

We had visited a couple other venues for our wedding but as soon as we walked through the doors of the Wells Barn we knew this is where we would hold our wedding. Air conditioning was a requirement for our June 16 wedding and we are so glad the Wells Barn is air conditioned because we certainly needed it that day. Sarah was our event coordinator and Molly was our catering coordinator and they were quick to communicate any changes and always wanted to confirm details to ensure our event ran smoothly. The space was everything we were looking for with the lawn for our ceremony and transitioning to the barn for the reception. The lights we added to the barn made the event feel even more intimate and enhanced the old beams throughout the barn. The space was perfect for our 180 guests and we received numerous compliments about the space and how beautiful it was for our wedding.

I had a great experience with FPC! They were very helpful through the planning portions, and wonderful to work with as changes or adjustments had to be made. I also used them for my catering, the food was delicious and personalized.

Franklin Park Conservatory and the wedding/event team made our wedding extra special! We got married and had our reception in the Palm House. We worked very closely with Emily. She's an amazing onsite wedding coordinator. She was able to keep us organized and on schedule. A special thank you to her for being so accommodating and helpful the days leading up to the wedding and the day of. This place is really made for weddings. So beautiful. And the Palm House looked amazing in the evening with all the color lights. We had 130 guest come and the area was just the right size to accommodate our family and friends. We had an amazing and unforgettable wedding.

Overall the support we had from our coordinator was amazing. We had some rain in the morning the day of our wedding but thankfully the sky cleared up and we were able to move the wedding outside. The location was beautiful and it made for a perfect day that my wife and I will not forget.

My husband and I got married in late June and had the most amazing experience on our big day, as well as throughout the entire wedding planning process with FPC! When you book the venue (and catering) through FPC, the contract also comes with amazing coordinators that help you from beginning to end (not just the day of). Our coordinators included Diana, Mary, Caitie (catering side) and Colleen (catering side), who were all fabulous. They were available whenever I had a question, and honestly cared about us. We had our wedding ceremony outside in the evening in the Bride's Garden, and couldn't have had more compliments from our guests. The venue is absolutely stunning and little to no decorations are needed. Following the ceremony, our cocktail hour and reception took place in The Grove outside (which overlooks the Bride's Garden). The space was beautiful, intimate and lovely. Our guests, family and friends had fantastic things to say about the wonderful service, location and overall atmosphere of the venue and wedding. Thank you so much for being accommodating and amazing throughout this process - I would definitely host another event at Franklin Park and recommend to others! Wonderful, intimate and beautiful experience!!!! And the food was fantastic!!! Thank you ladies!

The most beautiful venue to have a wedding and a reception. They are very willing to work with the family and I was very impressed and appreciative for making my daughters wedding her "dream wedding come true" We used the Palm room for both wedding and reception. All I can say is Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. Thank you for everything!!

Franklin Park really doesn't need another glowing review because they are the best hands down. We picked the venue over a year out because it was so naturally gorgeous, no decorations were needed, and all the staff members were courteous, professional, and really the best of the best. Throughout the year of planning, the coordinators were very responsive and helpful as we planned our rather non-traditional wedding. On the day of, our coordinator was so calm and helpful even as small snafus popped up. The day was perfect, and it ran so smoothly because of the FPC staff.

Couldn't have asked for a better venue! Lauren Mach is an AMAZING coordinator to work with! She answered all of my questions before I even asked them, and she made me feel at ease on the day of the ceremony! For the price of the venue, it's such a great value because you have the choice of an outdoor venue or an indoor! I loved the idea that they offered an inclement weather backup plan! Thanks again to Lauren and everyone else I have communicated with at FPC! You made our wedding day very special!

Franklin park conservatory offers so much flexibility as a wedding venue. From the various locations to the expansive catering menu, I felt like we were able to have everything we wanted and stay within budget.

The Franklin Park Conservatory was my dream venue. The Events staff was highly knowledgeable and did everything possible to make my day exactly what I wanted. They answered all of my questions and worked with me every step of the way. Our wedding coordinator for the day, Mary, made sure everything went smoothly and on time for our big day! We highly recommend the Conservatory...It was the perfect venue!

Franklin Park helped to make my special day even better than imaginable. The venue was perfect and the staff was supper friendly. Megan was a huge help and moved things along on the appropriate time. Everyone loved it and had a great time!
Thank you.

Franklin Park Conservatory is such a beautiful venue. We received so many compliments about our ceremony and reception site. The staff was great to work with and made planning so easy.

I was married outside on the Lower West Terrace and had our reception in the Palm House. FPC is an amazing venue and whether rain or shine it still feels like you are outside. You need minimal decorations for this place. Our coordinators were very responsive and helpful. I would definitely recommend to use FPC as your venue!

We love the location. We couldn't ask for a better place or day!

we got married in the garden it was beautiful

The Franklin Park Conservatory was an amazing venue for both my daughter's ceremony and reception! The ceremony was in the Grand Atrium in front of the chihuly exhibit, which made for an amazing back-drop. Our caterer then flipped the room so that we could have the reception there as well. All of the bridal consultants were very easy to get ahold of and very responsive to my many questions throughout the process. Unfortunately it rained the day of and we had to switch gears for the cocktail hour, since the original plan was to be outside on the Zen Terrace. The FPC team pitched in to make this happen in the Veridian room instead. Eliza was our bridal consultant for the day - she had lots of great suggestions at our walk through and she did a nice job keeping us on schedule throughout the day. I would highly recommend the Franklin Park Conservatory, you will not be disappointed!

Amazing location, great event coordinators. Made my wedding so special

This venue speaks for itself. Just visit FPC and you will know its a magical place. What isnt obvious is the quality of the staff at FPC. These folks took our wedding and made it into a perfect day. Calm, organized, wonderful staff makes all the difference on wedding day. A special thanks to Brandon, Colleen and Eliza for making our dreams come true. Highly highly recommend!

I LOVED IT!!! This is a must do if you are planning on having a wedding in the Columbus, Ohio area. The scenery and establishment screams class and sophistication. If this is what you are wanting, you would definitely love this place. Family and friends were in AWE. Thank you Franklin Park Conservatory.

Great Place to get married! You have your own wedding cordinator that works with you one month before the wedding. They also do a great job the day of the wedding to make sure you stay on track, and they work with the caterer,dj and photographer to make sure everything goes smoothly. Natalie Wolf helped me with my wedding, she is awesome!
I had my wedding August 21, The Palm House is not air conditioned so if you don't want to risk the heat then I would get married October-April. Otherwise they have air conditioning units you can rent for 100$ ea. they help a little bit. Me and all my guests still had a blast dancing even though it was a little stuffy.
If you get married in the Palm House you feel like you are getting married in the rainforest! It's beautiful! =)

We got married in the Garden Pavilion and it was gorgeous. We received so many compliments about how great everything was. Everyone also loved the free tour during cocktail hour.

Franklin Park is a beautiful venue! All of my guests were raving about how wonderful it was to tour the Conservatory and how unique it was! Our wedding coordinator, Brooke, was very responsive and flexible with the several changes we made leading up to the wedding, and was on top of everything on the day of! We also used Franklin Park's catering which was delicious! Lauren was great to work with and very willing to have lots of email threads and meetings to determine what we wanted. Overall it was a fantastic experience!!

What a breathtaking and beautiful place!! They were very flexible with letting us use different areas for different cultural events for our wedding. It was a beautiful, but warm, day in the Palm House, and they helped keep our guests comfortable and happy. You barely have to even decorate because this venue is so gorgeous!!

Guests said this was the best wedding food ever- enough said.

My coordinators were the dream team! Anyone who can handle all of my crazy and the crazy that is my mother deserves a medal. We got married around the corner at Holy Cross Church, had our cocktail hour in the palm house, dinner out on the terrace, and then dancing back in the palm house. The team accommodated every crazy request, kept me from losing my mind worrying about the weather, and ultimately made what could have been super stressful an incredibly pleasant planning experience. The day was absolutely perfect and we wouldn't have changed a thing!

Our wedding was in the Palm House, which I thought was absolutely perfect because it feels like you're outdoors without actually being outdoors (aka in the rain). It is also a stunning venue. The palms make the atmosphere breathtaking. It does not need a ton of decorations because it is already gorgeous. I thought Franklin Park was very easy to work with as well. There were times when I hoped they would've responded sooner, but for the most part they were very prompt and professional. Our coordinator from the Franklin Park was also very nice and helpful. She answered all my questions before the wedding and brought up things I hadn't even thought about. When it came to the ceremony and reception, though, I did not see her as often as I thought. This left us wondering at times what to do next. However, I still thought she was very good. They set up the ceremony and reception extremely well. It was exactly as I would've hoped for! They also dealt with the rain on our wedding day very well. They moved our ceremony inside quickly before guests arrived and made it look like it was supposed to be there all along. I was also pleasantly surprised that it was not hot in the Palm House at all. That was my biggest fear with our June wedding. However, I thought the fans kept it very pleasant. I was very happy with our wedding venue and wouldn't have gone elsewhere in a heartbeat!

What can I say besides beautiful place, well manage and the scenery to enjoy. I am really happy with my decision to go here. Was really happy.

When my husband and I were in the very early stages of our wedding planning, we both knew how important it was to us to get married in a unique, outdoor setting. We're wedding photographers, so through experience, we knew an outdoor wedding was the best possible option. Franklin Park Conservatory was truly everything we needed in our wedding venue!

They were super responsive to emails and my questions - in fact, they were the first and ONLY venue to respond to my initial "I want to tour your venue, can you send me pricing" emails. We booked them exactly a year out from our wedding date and in that 12 month time period, there were only a few months that we went without hearing from them (our assigned coordinator was on maternity leave during that time and it was during the slower, winter months).

We worked with Carrie (day-of coordinator), Lauren (catering manager) and Diana (assistant catering manager) and all three ladies were marvelous! Carrie has this I-mean-business attitude and will keep you on schedule, which is really hard on wedding days! Lauren and Diana were wonderful in helping me select the food we wanted to serve - my husband is vegan and they went above and beyond to help cater to his needs. Side note: we served breakfast and FPC Catering knocked it out of the park! The breakfast sausage links were the talk of the reception and the vegan pancakes were delicious!

My only complaint would be that during the speeches, a woman from the catering staff attempted to release tables for the buffet line. DURING SPEECHES!

If you're looking for a venue that can do it all (ceremony, reception, and catering) while having a unique, artsy atmosphere, look no further.

The Franklin Park Conservatory was the perfect venue for our wedding. We had the ceremony in the Palm House and the reception on the West Terrace. It couldn't have been more beautiful. We picked the FPC for two main reasons: it fit our California theme and we were able to minimize the amount of additional decoration needed which eased some of the planning from out of town. The Palm House was a little warm even with the coolers they have, but lucky for us it was a beautiful evening and the reception on the West Terrace was perfect. Everyone I worked with at the FPC was very helpful in answering my questions and making sure everything was planned out well. Their experience with weddings really showed. I found them to be accommodating to special requests within reason (e.g. ladybug release and using a liquor not on their regular list for the specialty drink). Overall, the venue was perfect for us and the staff was wonderful!

FPC was a beautiful venue and the staff has the wedding routine down to a fine art. Eliza in sales answered all of our questions before signing a contract and emails with questions and details later on too. She was always quick to answer back.

Megan, our event coordinator for everything leading up to and on the big day was AWESOME!!!!!!!! If there were hassles, we never heard about it. If we needed anything, she was able to get it. She had everything on schedule, made sure everyone was in their place at the proper time, and our entire day went off without a glitch. Our day was smooth and easy because of her help and her happiness to be a part of our big day.

Our only complaint was that we spent the money to rent 4 way cools (their large fans/AC units) but they never moved them so only certain people got relief while others sweltered in the hot August evening. Also they didn't cool the room nearly as much as they implied they would when we rented them. It was still very hot in the Palm House.

We were very happy with our choice of Franklin Park for our recent wedding. We had our ceremony on the West terrace and reception in the palm house. The location was beautiful. Everyone at Franklin park was great to work with and our day of coordinator Diana was wonderful and made sure everything ran smoothly on the day of the wedding.

It is so beautiful here. It was out of our price range but we fell in love with it and made cuts elsewhere because I could not picture getting married anywhere else after going to the conservatory. It is a unique place and we are unique people. The Palm House is where we had both our ceremony and reception. All areas of the convervatory are beautiful though. You can not possibly have more great photo ops than there are here. It is costly, but we feel it was worth every single penny. We got married on a Sunday to save money and forgo the bar minimum.

We got married at the Wells Barn and Community Gardens at Franklin Park and it was such a beautiful venue! We planned to have our ceremony in the gardens, however it rained our entire day so we had to move inside, but the barn was absolutely stunning. We've had so many of our guests comment on how warm and intimate it was, and we just had an overall amazing experience. We loved that the venue was slightly separate from the other venues in the main conservatory, and our day of coordinator Angel was wonderful. She worked with our planner and the rest of our vendor team and was so helpful with all of the questions I had for her before the big day!

The venue was so beautiful & the staff was wonderful. We booked the Grand Atrium & it was very hot but they weren't able to adjust the AC so I would be careful about booking on hot days. I do not recommend investing in the luminaries. Overall it was very expensive but very nice!

Amazing! They were wonderful people to work with! They were very helpful and knew exactly what worked best and what looked good! My only complaint is that we were required to have our ceremony at a certain time that could not be adjusted which caused my reception to seem very short (this could have also just been me having so much fun and being very busy talking to everyone!). But everyone said that it was the best wedding they'd ever been to (yay!!!) and that they had a blast! Everything ran perfectly and if I could do it again, I would have it there in a heartbeat! No other venue even can compare to FPC. Great job!

The Palm House at Franklin Park is an amazing place to hold a dream wedding. Our theme was a "garden party" wedding, and the plants/palms/flowers made a beautiful backdrop for the reception. The service was great too - everyone we worked with was so helpful in helping us to have the perfect wedding day.

Our wedding was held Memorial Day weekend on the West Terrace, with the Palm House as the indoor back-up location. Despite the long winter, the gardens were absolutely gorgeous! We had a fusion Hindu/American wedding and the events staff was extremely flexible during the planning process, even when our plans kept changing. Our coordinator, Nicole, was fantastic on the day of the wedding and the rehearsal in terms of getting everybody on the same page and keeping things running. The staff was professional and the set-up and tear-down went smoothly and quickly.

The one downside is that the rental price was at the higher end of our budget ($3000 for a 10-3 rental on Sunday) and the beverage minimum was out of our price range. However, they allowed us to bring in bottled water for our guests and we had no complaints about the venue or the staff.

We appreciated that guests could have free use of the conservatory, and the various halls provided beautiful photos during our first look and after pictures. We were also allowed access to the conservatory at 8 AM on the day of the ceremony, and the extra time was definitely needed.

I have to say that I am so happy that we got married and had out reception here. Everything was absolutely beautiful and OMG, the food was amazing! I tried other caterers and they had nothing on their in-house chef. We has beef tenderloin filets that were perfection! Restaurant quality for sure. The staff was wonderful to work with, very nice and helpful. I wouldn't have changed a thing!

We were married in gardens behind the Wells Barn. They were so beautiful in May! Staff were helpful and professional. The venue was a bit pricey.

Loved the venue's look. Was absolutely satisfied with the picture places all over the venue. Really too expensive of a venue for just having only a ceremony though. Would recommend to others.

We chose Franklin Park Conservatory for my daughter's wedding because it is such a beautiful epic location. We reserved the Veridian to be sure we had an air conditioned indoor space in case of August heat or thunderstorms, but we were lucky to have perfect weather. The ceremony was held outside in the Bride's Garden, cocktail hour in the Veridian, and the reception outside in The Grove. The space was perfect for our 115 guests. Bride's Garden creates an intimate ceremony venue. The Grove was lovely with the cake in the gazebo area. The only issue was the lighting. We paid for votives and some uplighting and brought in fairy lights and DJ lights, but when the sun goes down it is very dark. FPC should have better lighting included for safety reasons (it's $2k extra to have bistro lights hung which we didn't do).

The venue cost is definitely high, but the photos will be worth it! We wanted The Palm House, but it is just too hot to have a summer wedding indoors and Palm has no associated air conditioned space. So we chose Veridian and it was the best of both worlds. We had the Bride's Garden with the beauty of the Palm House in the background and an air conditioned room at a lower cost. FPC should consider offering a Palm outside/Atrium inside summer option.

We used FPC catering and the food and service were fantastic. Diana was a pleasure to work with from the time we reserved the space until the actual event. She was flexible and offered honest opinions and ideas.

While the event was wonderful, there were quite a few issues in the details which were frustrating given our high level of preparation. We started with one "event" person who then turned us over to an "event" manager until 1 month before when you get your actual "event planner". They did a good job of handing off, but it would be better to connect to your actual day planner 2-3 months in advance. The separation of "event" and "catering" contacts can be confusing.

Absolutely beautiful location, expensive but so worth it. My only issue was our day-of coordinator who was assigned to us by the venue... she was nowhere to be found when it was time for things to be set up leaving my dad to do all the work, and she also set up the ceremony chairs in a different configuration than we had discussed (more rows= didn't have enough decor for each as planned). Besides that, everyone else we worked with at the venue was awesome and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a picturesque venue.

This was the most beautiful wedding venue I could've ever imagined. Our wedding day was perfect. Of course it is a pricey venue but to me it was worth it. Diana was our day-of coordinator and throughout all of my long-distance planning from Louisiana she was great about answering any questions I had and providing updated price estimates. She made sure I was comfortable with all the plans and day-of schedule. The only warning I have is to be careful about potential hidden charges. I had heard that there is a tendency with FPC to get charged for little things, like bringing confetti to the venue or needing to rent a microphone. (Of course all of these things are in the contract, so just be sure to read the contract thoroughly and clarify on any issues.) We paid the final catering balance the day of the rehearsal, and we were told that it was the final charge. But about 10 days after the wedding we had a $1200 charge on our credit card. When I called to inquire I was told that this was the final catering charge. I reviewed it with our previous paperwork and it does seem correct, but it was still a little frustrating to have been told on the day of the rehearsal that we were all paid up. Nonetheless, it was a day we will never forget!

This venue is so beautiful and the staff is so friendly and helpful. The only negative is how expensive it is to rent. We had our ceremony on a Thursday evening on the West Terrace with the reception in the Palm House. It was perfect. They say that the palm house can hold 170 guests- we had about 120 and it was the perfect amount of space. We didn't have to break any tables down after dinner to make a dance floor.

Great venue with wonderful staff who did everything they could to make our day perfect. A little pricey and restrictive on caterers, but for such a unique venue it was definitely worth it for me. The palm house was warm, but not overly so in early April and provided an amazing tropical feel.

FPC was so helpful in planning our wedding. Russell was the first person we came across in this adventure and he gave us a lot to think about and was so over the top easy to work with and communicate with. Jamia and Teresa were also so wonderful. Addison made sure our food was exactly as imagined (we did a brunch reception) and she went all in making sure the meal was ok for me and my husband since we are vegetarian and i am lactose intolerant as well. Jamia did great at executing the order of things for the ceremony and was so friendly and easy to talk to. Teresa was awesome at getting back to every email and concern I had especially in the 24 hours before the event. I would totally recommend this for your venue because the people are great and as we know, the grounds (we used the wolfe terrace and palm house) are gorgeous! Thanks for helping make our day!:)

Franklin Park Conservatory was wonderful to work with; we booked their new venue, Wells Barn, for our ceremony back in September 2015 before it was even built. They were good about sending renderings and inviting us to an open house when it was finally built. As with most places, the person you work with on booking is not who you end up working with on the actual event - so keep that in mind. My advice would be keep all the information you share in e-mails to the booking partner so you can easily forward to the Franklin Park Conservatory team member that actually works on your event. I found I had to repeat myself on things simply because the pass off of information was not as smooth (or just didn't happen). Overall, it was a great experience and I would definitely book with them again for future events.

Beautiful venue! We absolutely loved the palm house and had nothing but great reviews from our family about the place. They were fairly flexible with us- the coordinator just didn't quite do the job that was expected for the money we paid. We wouldn't change a thing though- we'd get married here time and time again.

The Franklin Park Conservatory was a good choice for our wedding. It was absolutely gorgeous, and people enjoyed how the whole place was laid out. We didn't need to do a lot of extra decorating because the site was already so pretty. Our choice of table clothes and centerpieces add the flair that the Palm House needed.

The biggest problem I had with the service at the Conservatory was a substandard sound system. My guests had a very, very difficult time hearing what the pastor, the groom, I, and other speakers had to say. The music was even a little difficult to make out. I'm not sure what the deal was, but the sound system was substandard.

Franklin Park Conservatory is one of the most gorgeous spaces in Columbus. It is costly, but for the most part, is worth every penny. Also, money can be saved by having an afternoon or Sunday wedding, which is one of the reasons we had our wedding on a Sunday. Also, the staff at FPC are very knowledgeable and since they are basically a wedding factory, they know what they are doing. Our wedding was absolutely gorgeous and memorable for our guests, and we couldn't recieve more compliments. The weather even cooperated for our outdoor ceremony on the West Terrace, and our reception in the Palm House. There are two things the FPC staff do need to work on: flexibility and communication. There are many, many rules at FPC and the staff are very unwilling to budge on them. They are many fees, many excessive, should you break any of the rules. I will say there were a couple of issues we had that they were flexible on, but it took much convincing to get there. Also, we were miscommunicated to regarding the price (they wanted to charge us a Saturday night rental rate even though we were on a Sunday, just because it was during Labor Day weekend, without telling us before) - they ended up adjusting the room rental but never the beverage minimum. Overall, I would recommend FPC to others because the day of the wedding, everything was absolutely beautiful and our day went very smoothly.

Franklin Park, in and of itself, is a beautiful venue. And my daughter's wedding there turned out beautifully. But the venue is expensive, and every time you turn around there is an additional fee. The other negative aspect is that their staff turnover is fairly high. I think we had 3 people assigned and re-assigned to us. Going over the detail forms over and over with new people was a little stressful. I will say, however, that at the end of the day, the on-site staff did what they needed to do, and everything turned out really well. Our guests were incredibly impressed with Franklin Park and everyone had a great time. This is a great place if you don't mind paying for it. It is especially nice if you want to have both a ceremony and reception at the same place and/or if you want the option of indoor and outdoor space.

If you are looking for a picturesque venue with Chihuly's glass art, rooms exploding with flowers and butterflies, then Franklin Park is the obvious answer. This historic venue preserves class with the Palm House, tradition with the Bride's garden and modern appeal with the Atrium, and each space smells fantastic too! We catered with FPC and so glad we had Diane shepard our decisions. Her response rate is incredible. However, I removed one star for the antiquated process of the amount of people and overly complicated process of sales rep to coordinator to planner. The game of telephone really ruined my chances at a few good event options and ultimately ended up in a miscommunication about A/V... and so after being told I didn't need microphones, I did, and none of the ones they supplied us worked or had full battery. So, upon choosing this venue know you will have to dot your i's and cross your t's going into the planning process. Otherwise, net: a Fantastic, solid option and I have the very best photos of a wedding any bride could ever dream up!

Although I did not care for many of the people that worked there, I did really enjoy my personal coordinator.

She was wonderful, helpful and calm the day of my wedding.

The venue was beautiful and it made for some great pictures.

My only complaint is that they do a lot of weddings, so you aren't really a priority until it gets closer to your wedding. We didn't do a lot of the planning until about a week before the wedding. It made me very nervous.

Overall, there were many issues with my wedding and different vendors, but not with Franklin Park.

Our wedding turned out okay. Franklin Park is absolutely beautiful we just unfortunately got married on a 93 degree day in the Palm House with it raining outside so there was no escape from the heat. We rented all four cooling units for the Palm House and despite what the coordinators tell you, they do almost nothing for the heat. I realize the weather is beyond anyone's control and that's not why I rated them as I have. The lower rating comes from 1). you don't get assigned a coordinator until 30 days before the wedding (I wish we had more time to go over details beforehand), 2). the first coordinator I had Nicole quit or something happened so they assigned me Diana and it was a little frustrating starting over again with details, 3). some of the things I conveyed to Diana didn't happen (the officiant had a microphone but no one could hear him so they probably should have tested this first; also when our plan A was rained out and we went with plan B she forgot to tell the musicians to change locations for the cocktail hour and we asked for a microphone to hear them better which didn't happen; we also paid to keep the butterfly room open during cocktail hour and no one could get into it because the doors were locked), and 4) the venue is overpriced with such a high beverage minimum that I'm sure few weddings meet (we had a 120 people and an open bar with all the reserve alcohol and still didn't meet it with people drinking a TON from the heat). I feel bad giving it the lower rating as this really was my dream wedding spot but some things feel short of my expectations from such a high priced venue.

The venue is beautiful and everything went just like i wanted. My wedding was great!
Colleen, Client Services Manager, is great! Didn't like our wedding coordinator though, it seems that she hates her job or she is just not a happy person, her name is Eliza. She was kinda impatient during the rehearsal and everyone noticed it. My brides-made told me she wasn't willing to help at all during the wedding. Good thing I didn't rely much on her.

Beautiful venue. Had a little difficulty with our coordinator not really stepping up when needed, but overall would definitely use FPC again.

Beautiful venue and setting in Bride's Garden was perfect. Not really flexible on event logistics, but made it work.

Be careful when you book with the conservatory. Because it is a public venue, they can change things on you at the last minute (bridal suites, entrances, etc). We were also told (Luckily after the fact!) that there are sometimes huge flying bugs in the palm house that have come out during people's weddings. Thankfully, they did not come out at our wedding. This venue is beautiful, but overpriced. If I had to do it again, I would not book with them. Their staff is friendly until something goes wrong and then they are completely rigid and difficult to work with.

My wedding at Franklin Park Conservatory was beautiful, however there are some things that need to be tweaked for future brides. First, when I booked my space they offered me the bridal suite, no one told me that if other weddings booked that we would be kicked out of the wedding suite. I was notified 24 hours before my wedding that we wouldnt have the suite and we were placed in classrooms on the lower level. Second, they are not flexible at all with alcohol. They dont provide you with a running tab so you will NOT know how much you are over or under at the end of the evening so this can be annoying when planning a budget. Lastly, I wanted pictures in Bride's Garden area of the Conservatory and we were forbidden to take pictures there because it was rented out for the evening.The Bride's Garden was empty at the time and we still were not able to get a quick photo. Prepare to spend alot and be hit with rigid rules at the last minute. Wont be recommending FPC to anyone.

This venue is beautiful. There is no question of that. If you have an unlimited budget and don't mind a lot of rules and restrictions, then I would recommend FPC. I was really frustrated by their rigid rules and regulations and their beverage service policies ticked me off. FPC is very expensive for what they deliver, which is why I rated "Value" lower than I would have. It is truly beautiful and I liked my event coordinator. However, you aren't assigned one until a month before your event and it's quite nerve wracking when you're trying to plan a wedding.

All I can say is that the atmosphere and scenery of our ceremony and reception area was the only reason why we stuck through it all with Franklin Park. We rented the Palm House and in the sunlight, it was absolutely beautiful. But we did run into a few snags along the way. There was a marathon event going on that morning and we made sure when we booked that date that there was nothing else going on - wouldn't you believe it, we didn't find out about the marathon until a couple days before. We also had planned out for the dressing rooms to be in a certain area way in advance. Well about a week before the wedding, they moved us to these small bathrooms - which wasn't a huge deal, but it was just the fact that they seem unorganized and not very knowledgeable about certain things until the last minute. All in all, it was a great place to have our wedding and I would choose that place again if I had to do it all over again.

I was really disappointed with the quality of service. If i had not fallen in love with the venue I would have had my wedding somewhere else. The wedding spaces they offer are breathtaking. The service, not so much. They were not accomodating, our coordinator disappeared when we needed her most and we had to send our photographer on a search mission. Luckily the quality of my wedding did not suffer but I would not recommend this venue to another bride.

Honestly, the place is beautiful. However, they will tell you one thing and then do another thing. They will charge you for anything they can. They will say one policy for one bride and another policy for another bride- caught them in their lies several times. Not sure if this was my caterer fault or theirs but they started tearing down their tables in chairs mid reception (I'm talking 10pm) and we had the place till midnight. Very distracting. It wasn't like the party was over, most of my guests were still there. There wasn't an option to make your event earlier due to wanting the possibility to have an am and pm west terrace wedding.....unless you wanted to pay for the morning too at full price...which means per their policy even if your time starts at 6pm, your wedding cannot take place until 6:30.....making cocktail hr usually around 7-8 and then your guests are not eating until later....they should really consider changing that to being able to start at 4:30 or 5 IMO. I could go on forever. Basically, I probably wouldn't consider a reception there if I had to do over again. I would have just had the wedding there or go for pictures there prior to a wedding somewhere else. Also, one of my big pet peeves is that with the lights outside, palm house lighting and rail lights with my tea lights I shouldn't need any extra lighting. Yeah....that wasn't right we were eating in the dark. It was fine for everything else because my dj put on his lighting but still....you need extra lighting out there.

Although the venue and my actual ceremony was beautiful, dealing with the staff of FPC was a nightmare. Particularly Sarah M. who was my day-of-coordinator. I had my ceremony and reception in the Palm House, and it rained really hard during my reception. As the ceiling was leaking and drenching my DJ and equipment (no venue staff in sight) Sarah was called only to state she was "sitting in her office and someone would be bringing an umbrella." She also lost and misplaced some of my wedding items and decorations despite being given very clear directions on what should be set out and where. She was extremely unhelpful throughout rehearsal, wedding, reception, and after.

Not to mention, FPC furloughed all their catering staff after we rescheduled our new covid wedding date with them. We had already moved out of state, and our families had to scramble to find new catering. The toilet was also broken in the grooms' suite. With all the beautiful wedding venues in Columbus and surrounding areas, stay away from Franklin Park Conservatory, or at least ask for a decent day-of coordinator.

Let me clearly state first that this company is simply the worst when it comes to scheduling a wedding. My then-fiancé and I decided on Franklin Park Conservatory as our dream wedding venue due to our love of plants. Because of COVID-19, we unfortunately had to postpone our wedding. Thankfully, FPC promised us a full refund if we decided to either cancel or postpone. Thinking COVID-19 wasn’t going to be a problem for long, we held FPC accountable for their full refund statement, thinking if things continue to go south, we can always cancel and receive our money back.
Now, seeing that COVID-19 is not going away anytime soon, we decided to cancel our wedding. To our surprise, FPC stated they won’t give us our money back. After reviewing our contract, which was signed back in 2019, we have argued with FPC, saying we agreed on a wedding day full of joy and no surprises (and thus no COVID-19 restrictions). FPC has stated they cannot provide this service to us, so they are, by definition, in breach of contract. Much to our chagrin, they do not believe they are in breach of contract, stating we can have our wedding still, and that we should just accept the COVID-19 restrictions put in place. Beyond baffling! Again, this is not what we agreed upon in our original contract. My husband and I do not want our wedding to include any signs or remembrance of COVID-19.
We strongly discourage anyone to do business with this company for they are in it solely for the money. For them to use our money, that is not rightfully theirs, is beyond ludicrous. I have even spoken to the Vice President of Events, Jim Butch, who was unreasonable and blatantly rude to me, a client who put his faith in a company to hold true to their words. Needless to say, we are beyond irate at making the mistake of scheduling our wedding through FPC. I hope no one has to experience the pain and suffering we have had to endure while working with FPC. Take care everyone and God bless!