A Very Special Wedding & Special Event Showcase

With all of the date changes, updates, and safety procedures put in place over the last few months, it hasn’t been easy putting together Celebrations Abloom: Wedding & Special Event Showcase at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

Vogue Flowers had a gorgeous display at the Ian Robertson Pavilion in Flagler Garden for our guests to see.

We were definitely curious to see how this would go. First and foremost, our number one concern was the safety of all of our guests, vendors and staff. The Garden has implemented additional safety measures to keep our patrons safe while visiting since we reopened, and we’ve been continuing to follow the guidance of the Center for Disease Control (CDC), and Virginia Department of Health (VDH) in regards to updated safety protocols and best practices to keep everyone’s health in mind. What did this mean for our Showcase? Lots of changes to our special event, and plenty of additional information for guests to keep them informed!

Safety First for Our Special Event

We updated our venues’ signage to encourage social distancing and remind guests to wear their face coverings while indoors. We also had frequent, deep cleanings of all our high-touch areas and plenty of new hand-sanitizing stations at all of the wedding venues we were showcasing. We positioned staff and volunteers on-hand to help answer our guests’ questions regarding the event, and to assist with our new safety features, as well.

Now onto the Fun

We loved meeting such amazing couples, friends, and family members at Celebrations Abloom: Wedding & Special Event Showcase! It was fun learning everyone’s love stories, answering their questions, and showing them around our gardens.

A delectable delight from Louisa’s Homemades on display in the Central Garden. Image by Revel Photo Co.

Guests were also able to enjoy some delicious beverages and bites from our exclusive caterer, Meriwether Godsey, while on-site. From signature cocktails (like our Garden Gimlet), and watermelon infused water, to pre-packaged hors d’oeuvres and sweet shortbread cookies, our patrons raved about the decadent dishes they sampled throughout the night.

Shout Out!

We can’t forget to mention our preferred vendors. We had over 20 “Friendors” set up around the four venues to showcase their amazing work and talk to our guests about their services for their wedding day and other special events. It’s always wonderful seeing our vendors here at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, but after a challenging year for our industry, it was delightful to be able to have them at Celebrations Abloom: Wedding & Special Event Showcase and work together in such a fun environment.

We truly had a great turnout! Over 100 people made their way through our four unique wedding venues and had a chance to speak with our preferred vendors while envisioning their big day or special event at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. With the current pandemic, we’re very grateful that people decided not to “Stay At Home” for once and were able to enjoy a safe, socially-distanced evening in our Garden.

A stunning tablescape provided by Classic Party Rentals, on display outside under the tent at Bloemendaal House.

Winner! Winner!

At the end of the night, we announced our Grand Giveaway winners. We were especially honored to give away three outstanding prizes to three very special people this year: Melina Hernandez, Rachel Rhodes, and the grand prize winner, Octavia Perrin! All went home with a unique gift, including packages, discounts and gifts from our preferred vendors.  Our grand prize winner, Octavia, won those gifts plus a free facility rental of a ceremony in the Cochrane Rose Garden and a reception in the Robins Visitors Center for August 2021! Again, we want to wish our grand prize winner a huge congratulations. We also want to personally thank everyone who attended our Showcase this year and made it such a magical event!

Our Grand Giveaway winner Octavia Perrin and her fiance in front of the RVA on Wheels Trolley.

If you’re interested in hosting your wedding or special event at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden and would like to learn more about our venues and available packages, visit the Facility Rental webpage, or email us at [email protected].

Here’s to next year’s Showcase – we can’t wait to see you all in the Garden again soon!