Roger Williams Park Botanical Center Weddings
Horticulture is the practice garden cultivation. Plants and weddings have gone hand in hand for centuries.
If you’re a plant lover (or just want something unique) and planning to get married in Rhode Island, then a Roger Williams Botanical Garden wedding is probably what you need.
Read on for more Roger Williams Botanical Center wedding details and photos.
This post contains some images taken by me while working with my friend Jessica Hosey Imagery.
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Vibe and Features |
Botanical garden within a greenhouse, surrounded by a huge park |
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Guest Capacity |
80 |
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Location |
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Similar Venues |
Pond House Café, Eolia Mansion at Harkness Memorial State Park, Stone Acres Farm, Graduate Providence / The Biltmore, Providence Athenaeum |
Why It’s Awesome
As a wedding photographer, here’s why I think you should consider having your wedding at Roger Williams Botanical Center:
Roger Williams Park Botanical Center Overview
At 12,000 square feet and 40 feet tall, the Roger Williams Park Botanical Center’s (RWPBC) main building, called the Conservatory, was built in 2007 and designed by Torrado Architects.
It’s open all year and maintained at a temperature of about 70 degrees. While it’s open to the public, a small admission fee is required (unlike Boston Public Garden).
To be accurate, RWPBC is actually 23,000 square feet in size in its entirety. This Providence botanical garden is home to plants both inside and out, spanning multiple buildings.
Outside, the plant life is arranged in sort of a terraced manner, with a winding path leading up from the welcome center to the greenhouses. The main inside areas are wheelchair accessible; the property has both stairs and smooth walkways.
Roger Williams Botanical Center is actually the largest public indoor garden in all of New England.
If you’re looking for a unique and affordable wedding venue, a Roger Williams Park garden wedding is definitely a great bet. Adding to the awesomeness is the fact that in addition to the plant life, there are also animals around: you’ll find birds, fish, and goats.
Roger Williams Botanical Center Spaces
Roger Williams Botanical Center Map
Here’s a map of this Rhode Island wedding venue, as provided by the City of Providence (click to enlarge):
While outdoor festivities are possible, my experience as a wedding photographer has been indoors at Roger Williams Botanical Center. So the rest of this post will focus on the indoor amenities.
The Conservatory
As a wedding venue, Roger Williams Park Botanical Center is stunning because of its endless, year-round plant life. This is immediately evident in the first greenhouse, known as The Conservatory.
Your wedding ceremony will take place in the Conservatory, which is a large square with some water features built into the floor as well as plant beds all around.
The Mediterranean Room
After your ceremony, you’ll have to have chairs transferred to the botanical center’s Mediterranean Room for your wedding reception. This is the second greenhouse. You’ll love it here! The room is large and rectangular with plant life from corner to corner.
(Cocktail hour begins in the same location as your ceremony; your hired bar and catering vendors can serve guests right there.)
Just as beautiful as The Conservatory, The Mediterranean Room is also filled with artful features. At the beginning, sort of between the two greenhouses, is an open area that’s ideal for group portraits.
In the main area of The Mediterranean Room, you’ll find the dancefloor and reception tables. This room can seat up to about 80 guests for a meal during your Roger Williams Park garden wedding.
Truthfully, you’ll have this space echoing with laughter during speeches and bumpin’ with dancing. And what’s more, the unique backdrop of the greenhouse will have your guests remembering your wedding for years to come.
Other Areas at Roger Williams Botanical Center
Nice and simple, most of your wedding day will take place in The Conservatory and Mediterranean Room. Other interesting areas, however, include the following:
- Classroom (19): Good for finishing touches after getting ready off site.
- Flavor Lab, Indoor Play Area, and Seasonal Cut Flower Garden (11, 12, 13): Great cinematic portrait and first look locations.
- Various outdoor spots (2, 3, 4, 6, 17, etc.): The scenery is good outside, too.
Roger Williams Botanical Center Wedding Costs
Here’s some pricing info:
- From January through March, the base fee is $3500 Monday through Thursday and $4000 Friday through Sunday. For April through December, the base fees are $6500 and $7000, respectively.
- One extra hour can be added on for $750 (weddings here can only run up to six hours total). A holiday wedding at Roger Williams Botanical Center costs an extra $1500.
- The venue is open to the public until 4:00 PM. Technically, your Providence botanical garden wedding isn’t allowed to start until 5:00 PM.
- RWPBC provides no catering or bar service, so you’ll have to book these vendors separately and get them approved (there’s also a catering tent fee of $500). There’s a small parking lot right next to the main greenhouse, perfect for a wedding food truck if you go that route.
- RWPBC also provides no furniture. But, a wedding planner can easily help you with rentals.
- For $300, a photography permit can be purchased that allows you to take photos between 2:00 and 3:00 PM. Engagement sessions are allowed with the purchase of a permit for $150.
Other Considerations for Your Roger Williams Botanical Center Wedding
Here are some more things to consider about your potential Roger Williams Park garden wedding:
High-Level Factors
- Weddings here can either by five or six hours long. Your caterer will be afforded extra time for setup and break down.
- For your ceremony in The Conservatory, there’s room for 150 people. For dinner in The Mediterranean Room, however, apparently only a maximum of 80 can fit.
- There are no dedicated getting ready areas here for either partner. So when planning your wedding, definitely account for rentals and travel time.
Wedding photography that’s equal parts cinematic, imaginative, and supportive.
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Consider Hiring a Wedding Planner
As it’s part of a park owned by the City of Providence, RWPBC doesn’t have dedicated wedding staff.
You’re going to have to separately book the following vendors and services, in addition to the normal things like a DJ and wedding photographer:
- Caterer and bar service
- Chair and table rentals
- People to set up decorations, move furniture around, etc.
Therefore, I strongly recommend hiring a wedding planner or day-of coordinator to help ensure that things run smoothly.
The Temple to Music at Roger Williams Park
Also located at Roger Williams Park is the Temple to Music. During your wedding at Roger Williams Botanical Center, you could easily jump into a car and head to this part of the park for photos. Remember to talk to the city about a permit for professional photography.
Hotels Near Roger Williams Park Botanical Center
Again, there is no dedicated getting ready location on site. But because it’s located in Providence, there are plenty of hotels near Roger Williams Park Botanical Center.
They include Hilton Garden Inn Providence, Dye House, Edgewood Manor Inn Bed and Breakfast, and Courtyard by Marriott Providence Warwick.
A Real Wedding at Roger Williams Botanical Center
Chelsea and Curtis are the lovely couple from this Providence engagement session here on my website. With an interest in science and all things unique, these two were really excited to tie the knot at RWBC.
Their wedding day was perfect; everything from the weather to the guests to the vendors made for a wonderful time. This made telling their wedding story really easy.
Wedding Vendor Team
- Venue: Roger Williams Park Botanical Center (Providence, Rhode Island)
- Wedding Planner: Charlene of Just a Girl Events
- Beauty Artists: Aruverde and Kristin Greene
- Florist: Flowers by Roland
- Caterer: Sophia’s Tuscan Grill
- Bakery: Wildflour Vegan Bakery
Their RWBC Wedding Photos
In addition to many of images you’ve already seen throughout this post, here are some more of my favorite photos from Chelsea and Curtis’s wedding day.
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