Public Service Info: Outdoor Oklahoma Wedding Venues
I know that I *just* said I wasn’t going to be posting much (and I still mean that), but I know that these things come up on Google and I personally did not find much there when I tried it. This is more of a public service announcement, for anyone else who does a search for: Outdoor Central Oklahoma Wedding Venues.
After going through Google, the wedding planner advertisement guides, and following up on referrals from work and family, I came up with a list of 20 places. I did not personally go to all of these because I am looking for things that fit my OWN needs, which is thus: 50-75 guest wedding, some flexibility in the package price, rental of more than the space, in June of 2008. I did all of this within the last two weeks and here is the information I have found.
>Ashland Gardens
www.myweddingchapel.net
This place is in an area that looks uninviting, with barbed wire around the wedding garden. However once you get inside, it looks pretty nice and you forget all that. The price is 2500-2750 for 50-75 people; downpayment 500. The ONLY thing flexible in the package deal is the cake, and if you bring your own you may deduct 50 from the price. If it rains you can move inside a chapel, which is simple but pretty. There are changing rooms for bride and groom that are of decent sizes. The wedding garden is simple but pretty; basically a pond and a tall rocky waterfall in a green lawn. You get 4 hours total but may purchase extra hours at 250/hour. They only allow finger-food in the reception area (which is indoors) and if you bring your own food it must be pre-approved and supplied by a professional. You must provide your own servers or pay 50 for them to supply them.
>Boulevard Chapel
www.boulevardchapel.com
Someone told us this place had an outdoor area so we went there. It does NOT! But it is a nice place run by experienced people. I’ve been to a wedding here previously and they operate very smoothly. This is also a full-service place that requires booking far ahead of time. 3 hour rental with extra hours available for purchasel. They do not do Sundays. Downpayment is 500. Rates for wedding and reception begin at 2450 and go up; they accommodate up to 165 guests. If you twist their arm you can bring your own cake.
>Carriage Hill Farm
(405) 899-7720
Sounds pretty neat. Package includes carriage rides and the reception is in a barn. We aren’t so much into the barn thing, so we stayed away. The place is in Noble, OK.
>Castle Falls
http://castlefalls.com/flash/main.html
This is a really cool looking place right in OKC. You really should check out the website for this one because that's all the info I've got. There's price information and photos, etc. We didn't check it out because it appeared that there was too big a stick up their... um, well, they had some strict and interesting policies. For example, if you have a wedding, and you bring your own decorations or flowers, and if they find one piece of the flowers on the lawn, they charge you a high clean up fee. I'm sorry, but my family has a lot of children, and *something* is going to fall in the grass. I don't want to give them over two hundred dollars to pick up one flower my 3-year old cousin threw down that had been overlooked. But. You should check out the website at least... I dare you to try to find another Normandy castle in central Oklahoma.
>Coles Garden
www.colesgarden.net
This is the second most expensive place. Wedding and reception is 5000-15000 and they accommodate up to 325 people. There are three different wedding gardens and two reception halls, and a chapel where they will move the wedding in case of bad weather. The gardens are pretty but simple; they are mostly lawn areas surrounded by fancy greenery with platforms or arches under which to hold the ceremony. The deposit is 500 dollars and this is one of the more popular outdoor venues with a good reputation. They are full service. They do not do weddings on Sundays. The rental is 5 hours and you may come 1.5 hours early. Rehearsal is included. Everyone has changing rooms and they are nice. Deductions if you bring your own cake: 300. If you bring DJ: 300. If you decline limo service: 95. Additional charge for alcohol.
>Creekside Chapel
www.mycreeksidewedding.com
a potential venue that we did not check out.
>Dominion House
www.dominionhouseguthrie.com
This is by far the most expensive place we visited. Friday and Saturdays have a maximum of 8,000 spending, but Sunday weddings can be cheaper. It was incredibly beautiful; large venue, fabulous gardens and architecture, all very fancy. Guests would have quite a bit of walking, but handicapped guests can be driven in a golf cart. Their wedding packages are all services provided; their cake maker is a phenomenal artist. Their informational material is excellent; it may be that all you need to do is call and ask for them to mail you their package information. They sent us home with a folder full of details. The downpayment is 750. If you bring your own cake you get a $2 discount per guest. There is no smoking indoors. You get 2 hours to prepare and 4 hours for the ceremony and reception. You may need to book almost a year ahead of schedule for this place. Like everything else in Guthrie, this place has an interesting history and is rumored to be haunted (though our guide denied it!).
>Gaillardia
http://www.gaillardia.com/event-planning/weddings-receptions.asp
was already booked up for the whole month we wanted, a whole year ahead of time. That’s all I know.
>Lexington Wedding Gardens
These look very pretty, but they allow no outside baking, so I didn’t check into them. I lost the website for it, sadly enough…
>Harn Homestead
http://www.harnhomestead.com/
Weren’t interested; not into the barn thing, and that is where they have the reception. We wanted outdoors, not country themed. I had a friend who got married here however (ho-down theme) and was pretty neat.
>Myriad Gardens
http://www.myriadgardens.com/rental.html
Place rental only (the only reason we didn’t visit). Multiple places to hold the ceremony. You may not hold a wedding in the summer that interferes with Shakespeare in the Park, which is (I think) on Saturday evenings.
>Oklahoma Heritage Center
www.oklahomaheritage.com
Has an outdoor concrete/planter garden that they rent for weddings and in case of rain or extreme heat they pitch a tent. Because it was concrete, and in the summer, I did not care to find out more.
>Orr Family Farm
www.orrfamilyfarm.com
Package price is 2175.00 and includes seating, set up, clean up, music, reception area, and train rides. There is a non-refundable 350.00 downpayment. The ceremony is in a lovely wedding lawn near a pond, with fountains and gazebo, that is accessible only by train ride. The groom rides with the conductor and the bride in the caboose. The reception is in a barn, and that is where you go if it rains. Both men and women have a changing area; the men do not have a restroom. You get four hours. This is for up to 200 guests. No smoking, drinking, or cussing allowed. (I did not ask if the swearing police would be present!) The owners are very cheerful.
>Overholser Mansion
www.stlukesokc.org
Is being remodeled on the inside is now owned by St. Luke’s United Methodist Church and you must call the church for information. They are still hosting outdoor weddings and can move the weddings indoors to the first floor in case of rain, but the rental is for the space only. We wanted a package deal so I did not find out more. I had multiple people suggest this place, so it must be great.
>Rosewood Inn
http://www.rosewoodinnbb.com/weddings___events.htm
This is a cute bed and breakfast in Bethany. I don’t have full information for outdoor weddings because the knowledgable staff member was on medical leave when I went by. Price is 1299 and I am not sure what that includes; downpayment is half of that price. If it rains you may move the wedding indoors, but there is only enough room for 20-30 people inside. Outside can accommodate 75. There is no alcohol allowed. Rental of one of the rooms is included the night of the wedding, I think… the rooms are nice and one has a hot tub for two. The place is very homey. The garden is very nice (with actual flowers even!) with a waterfall and a trickling pond. The waterfall was pretty noisy. There’s a gazebo and some benches, as well as a platform with an arbor. There are two ways that the outdoor wedding can be set up. The place is landscaped with romance in mind. I think this might be a very nice place for a wedding, but only if you had a small one.
>Silver Pitcher
www.thesilverpitcher.net
Is reasonably priced for 50-250 guests, cost ranges from 1375-2875 for outdoor wedding and reception based on day and guest numbers. They do Fridays through Sundays, with Sunday discounts. This is full service, with the owner as the wedding coordinator (required). The downpayment is 400. The rental is for 4 hours, with 1 hour for preparation. Only the bride has a changing area. If you bring your own cake, you may deduct $1 per guest. If you use your own caterer, there are many special rules you must follow and catering may not be allowed in the near future. The wedding lawn is pretty, but nothing too elaborate. No water, just a nice walk with archways and shrubberies. You may bring a DJ. They seemed that they had their own specific ways to do most everything. The reception area had a neat little gazebo-looking thing to cut your cake under and an interesting checkered dance floor. You may move in the chapel if it rains.
>Something Beautiful
http://www.myspace.com/somethingbeautifulgarden
This is a very unique venue- it is the most flexible and cost-effective one we found. It is intimate and special-very pretty. It’s a home in SW OKC that was converted for garden weddings, with a large open catering kitchen as a walk-through reception area and restrooms for dressing areas. The garden is amazing and ornate… neat gates and benches, multiple water gardens and waterfalls, winding pathways, a bridge over water, a large and fully leafed out grape arbor, tasteful lawn ornaments, nice flowers, large deck, and an archway on a platform on which the ceremony is performed. The area accommodates up to 150, but the seating arrangements for larger weddings may be awkward due to the location of the platform. If it rains, it would be cramped moving more than 50 people indoors. To the reception area. Parking is 2 blocks away and a shuttle service is provided with a security guard to watch the cars. No alcohol because this is a residential area, however, the couple is allowed a champagne toast. You can tell that the owner really loves what she does and is eager to work with you and please you; she is very good natured. Although this is not a full service facility, the package is very flexibile. You may use their catering or not; use their cake maker or not; etc. Just about anything can be changed or negotiated. They outsource most services. Cost begins at 1500. They are flexible on time. You may rent only the location for 650. The downpayment is 300. You pay for guests by the number of chairs, however, you do not have to help with setup or breakdown. Rehearsal is included. They do Sundays. They had lots of friendly fish in the ponds… you’d have to see the fish to understand!
>Tres Suenos Winery
www.tressuenos.com
This looks like a lovely place… wedding appears to be in the middle of a forest and can be moved inside to the reception area if it rains. The reception area has large glass windows and painted murals. They do not Sundays. They provide place rental only. The road to get there is dirt. If you want to talk to them, you have to call Thursday, Fri, or Sat, and they don’t open until noon.
>Whispering Pines
http://www.bbonline.com/ok/whisperingpines/
This is a bed and breakfast in Norman that also operates a fancy high-end restaurant on site. The cost for the wedding and reception for 50-75 people is 1850. Downpayment is 880. The base price is for the place, rehearsal, set up, clean up, servers, drinks, chairs and tables etc, sound system, and two rooms with Jacuzzis. In-house catering is 12.99 per person. Other catering that you bring in is 2.00 per person, plus the price of the catering. Alcohol is flexible in the tab/cash bar area. The wedding is outdoors in the gazebo, and the reception is in the lawn between the gazebo and the rented rooms. The place is lit up at night. The food for the reception is in a walk-through indoor room. There is a lily pond in the back and it is in a wooded area outside of town. The person we talked to is very laid back and easy going. If it rains, they move all the tables and chairs under the large covered porch and gazebo. No time limit. DJs allowed.
>Will Rogers Garden
http://www.okc.gov/parks/will_rogers/rental.html
Place rental only. Inexpensive (I forget the price) and rents by the hour. Rental includes use of the senior center, so if it rains I suppose you can go inside the center.
After going through Google, the wedding planner advertisement guides, and following up on referrals from work and family, I came up with a list of 20 places. I did not personally go to all of these because I am looking for things that fit my OWN needs, which is thus: 50-75 guest wedding, some flexibility in the package price, rental of more than the space, in June of 2008. I did all of this within the last two weeks and here is the information I have found.
>Ashland Gardens
www.myweddingchapel.net
This place is in an area that looks uninviting, with barbed wire around the wedding garden. However once you get inside, it looks pretty nice and you forget all that. The price is 2500-2750 for 50-75 people; downpayment 500. The ONLY thing flexible in the package deal is the cake, and if you bring your own you may deduct 50 from the price. If it rains you can move inside a chapel, which is simple but pretty. There are changing rooms for bride and groom that are of decent sizes. The wedding garden is simple but pretty; basically a pond and a tall rocky waterfall in a green lawn. You get 4 hours total but may purchase extra hours at 250/hour. They only allow finger-food in the reception area (which is indoors) and if you bring your own food it must be pre-approved and supplied by a professional. You must provide your own servers or pay 50 for them to supply them.
>Boulevard Chapel
www.boulevardchapel.com
Someone told us this place had an outdoor area so we went there. It does NOT! But it is a nice place run by experienced people. I’ve been to a wedding here previously and they operate very smoothly. This is also a full-service place that requires booking far ahead of time. 3 hour rental with extra hours available for purchasel. They do not do Sundays. Downpayment is 500. Rates for wedding and reception begin at 2450 and go up; they accommodate up to 165 guests. If you twist their arm you can bring your own cake.
>Carriage Hill Farm
(405) 899-7720
Sounds pretty neat. Package includes carriage rides and the reception is in a barn. We aren’t so much into the barn thing, so we stayed away. The place is in Noble, OK.
>Castle Falls
http://castlefalls.com/flash/main.html
This is a really cool looking place right in OKC. You really should check out the website for this one because that's all the info I've got. There's price information and photos, etc. We didn't check it out because it appeared that there was too big a stick up their... um, well, they had some strict and interesting policies. For example, if you have a wedding, and you bring your own decorations or flowers, and if they find one piece of the flowers on the lawn, they charge you a high clean up fee. I'm sorry, but my family has a lot of children, and *something* is going to fall in the grass. I don't want to give them over two hundred dollars to pick up one flower my 3-year old cousin threw down that had been overlooked. But. You should check out the website at least... I dare you to try to find another Normandy castle in central Oklahoma.
>Coles Garden
www.colesgarden.net
This is the second most expensive place. Wedding and reception is 5000-15000 and they accommodate up to 325 people. There are three different wedding gardens and two reception halls, and a chapel where they will move the wedding in case of bad weather. The gardens are pretty but simple; they are mostly lawn areas surrounded by fancy greenery with platforms or arches under which to hold the ceremony. The deposit is 500 dollars and this is one of the more popular outdoor venues with a good reputation. They are full service. They do not do weddings on Sundays. The rental is 5 hours and you may come 1.5 hours early. Rehearsal is included. Everyone has changing rooms and they are nice. Deductions if you bring your own cake: 300. If you bring DJ: 300. If you decline limo service: 95. Additional charge for alcohol.
>Creekside Chapel
www.mycreeksidewedding.com
a potential venue that we did not check out.
>Dominion House
www.dominionhouseguthrie.com
This is by far the most expensive place we visited. Friday and Saturdays have a maximum of 8,000 spending, but Sunday weddings can be cheaper. It was incredibly beautiful; large venue, fabulous gardens and architecture, all very fancy. Guests would have quite a bit of walking, but handicapped guests can be driven in a golf cart. Their wedding packages are all services provided; their cake maker is a phenomenal artist. Their informational material is excellent; it may be that all you need to do is call and ask for them to mail you their package information. They sent us home with a folder full of details. The downpayment is 750. If you bring your own cake you get a $2 discount per guest. There is no smoking indoors. You get 2 hours to prepare and 4 hours for the ceremony and reception. You may need to book almost a year ahead of schedule for this place. Like everything else in Guthrie, this place has an interesting history and is rumored to be haunted (though our guide denied it!).
>Gaillardia
http://www.gaillardia.com/event-planning/weddings-receptions.asp
was already booked up for the whole month we wanted, a whole year ahead of time. That’s all I know.
>Lexington Wedding Gardens
These look very pretty, but they allow no outside baking, so I didn’t check into them. I lost the website for it, sadly enough…
>Harn Homestead
http://www.harnhomestead.com/
Weren’t interested; not into the barn thing, and that is where they have the reception. We wanted outdoors, not country themed. I had a friend who got married here however (ho-down theme) and was pretty neat.
>Myriad Gardens
http://www.myriadgardens.com/rental.html
Place rental only (the only reason we didn’t visit). Multiple places to hold the ceremony. You may not hold a wedding in the summer that interferes with Shakespeare in the Park, which is (I think) on Saturday evenings.
>Oklahoma Heritage Center
www.oklahomaheritage.com
Has an outdoor concrete/planter garden that they rent for weddings and in case of rain or extreme heat they pitch a tent. Because it was concrete, and in the summer, I did not care to find out more.
>Orr Family Farm
www.orrfamilyfarm.com
Package price is 2175.00 and includes seating, set up, clean up, music, reception area, and train rides. There is a non-refundable 350.00 downpayment. The ceremony is in a lovely wedding lawn near a pond, with fountains and gazebo, that is accessible only by train ride. The groom rides with the conductor and the bride in the caboose. The reception is in a barn, and that is where you go if it rains. Both men and women have a changing area; the men do not have a restroom. You get four hours. This is for up to 200 guests. No smoking, drinking, or cussing allowed. (I did not ask if the swearing police would be present!) The owners are very cheerful.
>Overholser Mansion
www.stlukesokc.org
Is being remodeled on the inside is now owned by St. Luke’s United Methodist Church and you must call the church for information. They are still hosting outdoor weddings and can move the weddings indoors to the first floor in case of rain, but the rental is for the space only. We wanted a package deal so I did not find out more. I had multiple people suggest this place, so it must be great.
>Rosewood Inn
http://www.rosewoodinnbb.com/weddings___events.htm
This is a cute bed and breakfast in Bethany. I don’t have full information for outdoor weddings because the knowledgable staff member was on medical leave when I went by. Price is 1299 and I am not sure what that includes; downpayment is half of that price. If it rains you may move the wedding indoors, but there is only enough room for 20-30 people inside. Outside can accommodate 75. There is no alcohol allowed. Rental of one of the rooms is included the night of the wedding, I think… the rooms are nice and one has a hot tub for two. The place is very homey. The garden is very nice (with actual flowers even!) with a waterfall and a trickling pond. The waterfall was pretty noisy. There’s a gazebo and some benches, as well as a platform with an arbor. There are two ways that the outdoor wedding can be set up. The place is landscaped with romance in mind. I think this might be a very nice place for a wedding, but only if you had a small one.
>Silver Pitcher
www.thesilverpitcher.net
Is reasonably priced for 50-250 guests, cost ranges from 1375-2875 for outdoor wedding and reception based on day and guest numbers. They do Fridays through Sundays, with Sunday discounts. This is full service, with the owner as the wedding coordinator (required). The downpayment is 400. The rental is for 4 hours, with 1 hour for preparation. Only the bride has a changing area. If you bring your own cake, you may deduct $1 per guest. If you use your own caterer, there are many special rules you must follow and catering may not be allowed in the near future. The wedding lawn is pretty, but nothing too elaborate. No water, just a nice walk with archways and shrubberies. You may bring a DJ. They seemed that they had their own specific ways to do most everything. The reception area had a neat little gazebo-looking thing to cut your cake under and an interesting checkered dance floor. You may move in the chapel if it rains.
>Something Beautiful
http://www.myspace.com/somethingbeautifulgarden
This is a very unique venue- it is the most flexible and cost-effective one we found. It is intimate and special-very pretty. It’s a home in SW OKC that was converted for garden weddings, with a large open catering kitchen as a walk-through reception area and restrooms for dressing areas. The garden is amazing and ornate… neat gates and benches, multiple water gardens and waterfalls, winding pathways, a bridge over water, a large and fully leafed out grape arbor, tasteful lawn ornaments, nice flowers, large deck, and an archway on a platform on which the ceremony is performed. The area accommodates up to 150, but the seating arrangements for larger weddings may be awkward due to the location of the platform. If it rains, it would be cramped moving more than 50 people indoors. To the reception area. Parking is 2 blocks away and a shuttle service is provided with a security guard to watch the cars. No alcohol because this is a residential area, however, the couple is allowed a champagne toast. You can tell that the owner really loves what she does and is eager to work with you and please you; she is very good natured. Although this is not a full service facility, the package is very flexibile. You may use their catering or not; use their cake maker or not; etc. Just about anything can be changed or negotiated. They outsource most services. Cost begins at 1500. They are flexible on time. You may rent only the location for 650. The downpayment is 300. You pay for guests by the number of chairs, however, you do not have to help with setup or breakdown. Rehearsal is included. They do Sundays. They had lots of friendly fish in the ponds… you’d have to see the fish to understand!
>Tres Suenos Winery
www.tressuenos.com
This looks like a lovely place… wedding appears to be in the middle of a forest and can be moved inside to the reception area if it rains. The reception area has large glass windows and painted murals. They do not Sundays. They provide place rental only. The road to get there is dirt. If you want to talk to them, you have to call Thursday, Fri, or Sat, and they don’t open until noon.
>Whispering Pines
http://www.bbonline.com/ok/whisperingpines/
This is a bed and breakfast in Norman that also operates a fancy high-end restaurant on site. The cost for the wedding and reception for 50-75 people is 1850. Downpayment is 880. The base price is for the place, rehearsal, set up, clean up, servers, drinks, chairs and tables etc, sound system, and two rooms with Jacuzzis. In-house catering is 12.99 per person. Other catering that you bring in is 2.00 per person, plus the price of the catering. Alcohol is flexible in the tab/cash bar area. The wedding is outdoors in the gazebo, and the reception is in the lawn between the gazebo and the rented rooms. The place is lit up at night. The food for the reception is in a walk-through indoor room. There is a lily pond in the back and it is in a wooded area outside of town. The person we talked to is very laid back and easy going. If it rains, they move all the tables and chairs under the large covered porch and gazebo. No time limit. DJs allowed.
>Will Rogers Garden
http://www.okc.gov/parks/will_rogers/rental.html
Place rental only. Inexpensive (I forget the price) and rents by the hour. Rental includes use of the senior center, so if it rains I suppose you can go inside the center.