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About
On WeddingWire since 2018
Last update: April 2026
WELCOME TO ROYAL BOTANICAL GARDENS, WHERE NATURE MEETS CELEBRATION!
New for 2027 weddings, the Royal Botanical Gardens has thoughtfully curated a more intimate wedding experience at the Rock Garden, focusing on smaller, personalized celebrations within this stunning natural landscape and architectural space. As part of this vision, weddings at the Rock Garden are designed for a maximum of 100 guests.
As the largest botanical garden in Canada, RBG offers an unforgettable setting for your wedding day; nestled between Burlington and Hamilton, and just 45 minutes from Toronto.
Imagine exchanging vows surrounded by lush greenery and vibrant blooms, with the beauty of Royal Botanical Gardens as your backdrop.
Beyond the stunning setting, there’s an undeniable convenience in having everything in one place - from ceremony to celebration. No need to coordinate multiple locations or manage complex logistics. At RBG, your entire day unfolds seamlessly in one extraordinary space.
Your love story deserves nothing less than a private, unforgettable setting—and our evening weddings make that possible.
SOUGHT AFTER VENUE
1. The Rock Garden; up to 100 seated
Address: 1185 York Blvd, Hamilton
Ceremony | Courtyard or Upper Lawn
- The Courtyard is an outdoor setting where stonework, plantings and tranquil water features create a scene of timeless romance. With nature’s beauty as your backdrop, every moment feels effortless, elegant, and unforgettable.
- The Upper Lawn is more than just picturesque - surrounded by a landscape featuring bold, season-long perennial displays highlighting texture and colour it will truly feel like a garden wedding.
Cocktail | Courtyard or Upper Lawn
Reception | The Great Room; up to 100 seated
- The Great Room is an award winning architectural space with floor-to-ceiling windows and panoramic views of lush gardens. This modern, light-filled space offers a seamless connection to the outdoors while providing all the comfort of an indoor venue all within steps from your ceremony and cocktail location
** Please note that the Royal Botanical Gardens does not offer ceremony only bookings. **
FEES AND INCLUSIONS
2027 Standard Rate: $7,500 | 2027 Saturday & Holiday Weekends: $8,500
Rates include:
- Use of Courtyard, Upper Lawn and Great Room
- Eleven hours (11) of venue access time for all patrons and vendors from 3:00pm - 2:00am
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- 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM | Setup & Guest Arrival
- 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM | Ceremony
- 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM | Cocktail Hour
- 7:00 PM – 1:00 AM | Reception
- 1:00 AM – 2:00 AM | Teardown & Cleanup
- Set-up and tear down of house ceremony chairs and reception tables, chairs and linen
- A photography permit (valued at $500)
- Complimentary parking
- Day of complimentary garden access for guests
- Dedicated Customer Service Representative
** Please note: Royal Botanical Gardens does not provide wedding coordination services. Each wedding will have a dedicated Wedding Customer Service Representative who serves as the primary contact between the client and RBG. Their main responsibility is managing final event logistics and creation of floor plans, and communicating these details internally to the relevant teams. The Wedding Customer Service Representative is not responsible for managing or executing your wedding timeline or day-of coordination. **
CATERING
To maintain the highest standards of quality and service, Royal Botanical Gardens discourages the use of external catering at our facility. We work exclusively with the preferred caterers listed below, who are familiar with our venues and committed to delivering exceptional dining experiences that align with our standards. This policy helps ensure a seamless and stress-free event for you and your guests.
Please liaise with the listed caterers to obtain information regarding their food selections and associated costs.
- Aunty's Kitchen
- City Farm Catering
- Equal Parts Hospitality
- fig&lemon
EXTERNAL VENDORS
Apart from the caterer, we offer flexibility to bring in external vendors pertaining to other event necessities such as décor, floral, photography, entertainment, day of wedding coordination, etc.
VENUE TOURS
We’d love to invite you for a personal tour - our venues are absolutely breathtaking, and seeing them in person is the best way to envision your wedding day. Please reach out to Wedding Sales Team at sales@rbg.ca.
** Please note that we accept tour bookings up to three weeks in advance and a minimum of 48-hrs prior.**
We look forward to the possibility of hosting your special day and creating unforgettable memories with you.
Bundle and save time!
Contact Royal Botanical Gardens and their preferred vendors
-
Royal Botanical Gardens -
Fig & Lemon -
Aunty’s Kitchen - South Asian Full Service Events Caterer -
Gareth Bush - Singer Guitarist
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Reviews for Royal Botanical Gardens
Wedding at Royal Botanical Gardens
We really had the best wedding day, and all the staff members were really great and professional (especially the bartenders). Sophie at RBG was truly amazing and our highlight for RBG! She really went to bat for us, was super responsive, and tried her best to accommodate the requests we had.
Just a heads up, the venue only allows 2 hours for both set-up and take-down of any decor you have, which actually became very difficult for us with our DIY decor (even with a wedding coordinator and her assistant setting up and taking down). Our coordinators continued to set up throughout cocktail hour in order to get it done. Might not be an issue if you have a florist coming and doing the tables, but just an FYI to any DIY couples!
Their pricing is A La Carte, which can be really great for choosing what you want/need vs. what you don't. We found great options from their preferred lists for the DJ (loved Chris!) and catering (Fig & Lemon).
Beautiful wedding venue!
Due to some staff changes during our planning process, communications were sometimes difficult or delayed. We also had some issues with garden guests entering the wedding space but overall it was not too disruptive to the day. Everything ended up working out well and it truly is a stunning venue to host your wedding!
Married at the Rock Garden in July 2025!
Beautiful Venue!
A fairytale wedding - my childhood dreams come true!!
Beautiful, but maybe not for a wedding
One of the big selling points for us was the flexibility they emphasized in planning your own event there. However, in practice, that flexibility came with a lot of hidden fees and logistical challenges. We were passed between three different coordinators throughout the planning process, which was frustrating. Thankfully, Sophie took over near the end and was an absolute saving grace — we’re so grateful for her support and responsiveness.
That said, working with RBG caused a fair amount of stress. They struggled to follow their own planning timelines and milestones, which made coordinating with other vendors more difficult. Since RBG requires you coordinate all other vendors, delays on their end had a ripple effect. Their surcharge for using non-preferred vendors was steep (e.g., a plug-in fee for an outside DJ), and their preferred vendors were often significantly more expensive — one quote we received was $3,400 just for a reception DJ...
We also encountered a few disappointing surprises:
A $400 fee just to use the in-room TV for a short same day edit video (3-4 Minutes in length)
Initial bar pricing that increased dramatically from the time we signed the 2024 contract to the 2025 prices, which was eventually adjusted after other feedback and complaints
Important package details (like bar options) shared in unpolished Word docs that felt more like internal notes than client-ready info
Logistically, it’s also worth noting that there’s no on-site drop-off space available the day before the event, so everything must be brought in and taken out the day of, which added to the day-of stress.
Finally, the photography permit window was shorter than ideal for a full-day event — something to consider if you're hoping to take full advantage of the venue's natural beauty.
All in all — is it a gorgeous venue? Absolutely. But for couples who are focused on a smooth planning process and seamless logistics, I would approach with caution or come very prepared to manage those details yourself.
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