Richmonders are lucky to have a large variety of outdoor spaces to hold a wedding. Some of the popular gardens are listed below, but the numbers are not intended to indicate any kind of ranking. Every wedding is personal and tailored to the choices of the bride and groom so I’ve included a sampling of the great gardens we have in Richmond.

1. Maymont’s Italian Garden or Japanese Garden
According to the park’s website, Maymont was voted “Most Romantic Wedding Venue” and “Best Outdoor Wedding Venue” by the readers of Richmond magazine in August of last year. The formal Italian Garden and the intimate Japanese Garden are both available for weddings and you can’t go wrong with either one. Volunteers keep the Italian Garden blooming year round but the elegant colonnade is especially beautiful in the spring when it is covered in purple wisteria. The Japanese Garden is at its best in the fall when the vibrant red Japanese maples are reflected in the lake but like the rest of the Maymont grounds, it’s gorgeous throughout the year.

2. Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden
Three different locations within the garden are available for wedding ceremonies, including the elegant rose garden, and you have a variety of options for the reception. They have pre-determined back up plans in case of rain which helps take the worry out of an planning an outdoor wedding. This is another one of Richmond’s most popular gardens.

3. Edgar Allan Poe Museum Enchanted Garden
The word that best describes this garden space is intimate. The elegant enclosed garden can accommodate 125 people but it feels like a gathering of close friends and loved ones. Although the museum is in the middle of the city, the courtyard garden is completely enclosed so it’s very private.

4. Valentine Richmond History Center
With brick walls and magnolia trees, the garden space at the Valentine Richmond History Center has just the formal elegance you’d expect out of a garden wedding in a southern city.

5. Berkeley Plantation
The Berkeley Plantation is a short drive outside the city, but I believe it’s worth it. The drive east on Route 5 is a lovely trip under a canopy of trees the whole way, and when you arrive at Berkeley, you step into the historical elegance that is Virginia’s history. The Plantation has several different ceremony locations on the grounds, including the rose garden and the ladies winter garden, each of which has views of the James River.

6. Virginia House
The wedding I saw here was a beautiful one enhanced by lush, colorful flower beds, floating candles in the reflecting pool and a distant view of the James River. The bride came down the stairs from the historic house into a simple, symmetrical garden space where her guests sat comfortably in the warmth of a mild afternoon. To me, this location suggests a more formal outdoor wedding than some of the other choices.

7. Bryan Park
Renowned for the collection of azaleas, Bryan Park is a great location for a wedding on a tight budget because you could have a small ceremony amidst the spring blooms for free.

8. Tuckahoe Plantation
Tuckahoe Plantation is another historic location with several gardens for wedding ceremonies on the grounds so each bride can chose the spot that best speaks to her. This boyhood home of Thomas Jefferson is just west of Richmond and also offers views of the river.

9. Historic Mankin Mansion
This place calls itself a wedding resort and would be a great place to hold a wedding weekend celebration. Formal brick hardscape, wide open lawn areas and plenty of flowers make this a location worth checking out when considering an outdoor wedding.

10. The Manor House
This elegant home in Ashland has 2 garden spaces behind the house that offer lovely settings for a garden wedding. A fountain in the brick courtyard is a pretty focal point and the gardens are filled with color throughout the year.