VanDusen Botanical Garden
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About
On WeddingWire since 2017
Last update: October 2022
VanDusen Botanical Garden is a park wedding venue located in Vancouver, British Columbia. Boasting several indoor and outdoor options, this charming property has a great deal of spaces available for hosting ceremonies, receptions, and other special events. With 55 acres to avail of, plus numerous elegant interiors, this truly is a magnificent venue. Defined by green areas, a serene pond, and elegant features, various celebrations can be given a worthy stage here.
Facilities and Capacity
The overall capacity of this venue can range between 10 and 200 guests. Its versatility means that it would suit either low-key or opulent occasions. So, those planning an intimate occasion ought to feel as comfortable here as a wedding party of several hundred would. Indeed, each event can be matched with a space that suits the theme and scope of the festivities. For the ceremony, three different sites are available among nature’s warm embrace. The Great Lawn is the most versatile area of this trio as it can welcome between 40 and 200 invitees. When chairs are laid out for people to sit on, everyone can get comfortable with their chosen vantage point. Heron Lake has the second-largest capacity available as it can accommodate up to 120 people. As for Meadow Pond, as many as 30 guests can watch on as the couple of honor say “I do” and commit themselves to one another. Alternatively, an indoor ceremony can take place at the Visitor Centre or the Floral Hall. After the big moment has taken place, VanDusen Botanical Garden can be toured as the newlyweds and their guests seek out the ideal photo session location. Unsurprisingly, considering the nature-inspired theme, there are many.
For the reception, several areas are available for the happy couple and their guests to appreciate. At the Visitor Centre, couples can enjoy the BMO Great Hall as well as Peggy Gunn Woodland Hall (which consists of two rooms). Elsewhere, Floral Hall Pavilion includes a main hall area as well as Cedar Room. These spaces each have their own distinctive appeal, and they are contemporary, eye-catching, and distinctive. Depending on the room and layout selected, between 20 and 120 guests can be seated for the all-important reception meal.
Services Offered
Couples considering to host their wedding at VanDusen Botanical Garden will delight at the features offered to them. For starters, clients’ preferred vendors are welcome to come on site to add extra character and functionality where needed. A list of suggested vendors can be provided for couples to peruse, particularly caterers who can provide culinary delights. Other features of this venue include:
- Parking
- Outside alcohol
- Various catering styles
- Wheelchair-accessibility
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Request pricing9 reviews
Write a review5 User photos
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![Claire]()
Claire D. Married on 25/07/2020Beautiful but Too Hot
We booked our wedding at VanDusen back in 2019 and had to postpone it twice due to COVID. They were very responsive and helpful and ensured that our new date in 2022 was available. They were helpful throughout and allowed us to go to site before the wedding to have everything sorted out. We had our ceremony on Heron Lake which was stunning and we highly recommend. We had our reception in the visitors centre with cocktail hour outside and while the venue was beautiful it seriously needs cooling. We were not aware that the facility was built without AC and despite the VanDusen coordinator assuring us that it was built to not need it, oh boy did it need it. Our wedding occurred on a day when the temperature was above 30 degrees (which seems to be the norm now) and it was almost unbearable inside. Very little circulation of any air, so even once it cooled down outside, it was just as hot inside. Due to the heat we had a lot of our guests leave early and very few people drinking alcohol. We had to hold our cake up with sticks because it was melting in the heat. Overall, I would recommend the venue but I would highly, highly recommend if you're having a summer wedding to hire some temporary cooling. -
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Kristina J. Married on 28/12/2019Walk, do not run from Van Dusen Botanical Garden
Where do I even start with how awful this venue was. Thank god all my other vendors were as great as they were or my day would have been a total disaster.
Van Dusen's staff insulted my taste in decor for my wedding, refused to answer basic questions, were completely inflexible in decor removal - even though they had nothing booked for the next day. They forgot to leave tickets for all my guests for the garden (tickets we were required to buy with the venue booking) - leaving my coordinator to scramble to find someone on the venue's staff to get our tickets. Ultimately they never came to fruition, guests just had to tell the ticketing agent they were a guest.
When a couple of items were accidentally left behind, the staff threatened to throw them out - even though our contract stated any items left behind you had 10 days to retrieve.
It was awful from start to finish. I absolutely do not recommend using Van Dusen as your venue.VanDusen Botanical Garden's reply:
Hi Kristina,
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. It is disappointing to hear that you feel this way and we wish to take a moment to address your concerns.
Our recommendations regarding décor were shared as the additional lighting you were requesting would have surpassed electrical capacity for the space. As previously discussed, our décor during the Festival of Lights is installed by a company that comes in once at the start of the season, and takes down at the very end so there is no option to remove midway. When renting during this time, removing the décor is unfortunately not permitted.
The issue regarding pick up the next day is clearly stated in your signed agreement and was also discussed with you prior to your event. As is with any rental venue; you must remove your items within your rental timeframe. If you had wished to pick up the next day, you were given the opportunity to rent the space the next day, but you did not do this and left many of your items behind. Please note as well, that we did not threaten to throw out your items. If you are referring to our lost and found policy, this states: All items must be off site within your scheduled booking timeframe. Should an item be missed or forgotten and is collected by our team; please arrange for pick up within 10 days of your event or we reserve the right to dispose of any items after the 10 day period. On occasion people will forget an item or two and we will hang on to them until someone is able to pick up, but we do not have storage facilities available, and it is unreasonable to consider the amount of items left behind after your event as a couple of items.
In regard to the tickets it looks like there was some confusion. They were set and ready for you for pick up, but no one approached the liaison during their time on site, so they were not handed over. We apologize that they were not given to your planner without prompt, but we are glad to hear that the front of house staff were able to let your group in despite not having the hard copy ticket.
We are saddened to hear that you did not enjoy your event here at the garden, but we wish you and Parker the best for a happy and healthy future together. Should you have any additional comments, we invite you to send us an email to help discuss matters further if you would like. -
![Kali]()
Kali Married on 07/09/2019Perfect Setting
We had an absolutely perfect day at VanDusen for our wedding in September 2019. Right from the beginning, the staff were super responsive and easy to communicate with. They were able to provide everything we needed, and checked in with our planners to be sure everything was set as it was meant to be. The room looked simple and elegant - the sweeping ceiling in the great hall made for gorgeous photos without needing too much extra decor. We hired Truffles catering on site, and many of our wedding guests commented that it was the best wedding food they'd ever had! Highly recommend the venue and the catering.VanDusen Botanical Garden's reply:
Thank you for your kind words Kali! September is a beautiful month at the garden and we are so happy to hear that your day went perfectly. Truffles food is absolutely delicious and we will be sure to pass on your words to them as well. Thank you for choosing to make VanDusen a part of your special day, we hope to see you and Mitch around the garden in the future! -
![Shirley]()
Shirley Married on 25/08/2019Loved VanDusen as our wedding venue!
We had our wedding in the BMO Great Hall and Peggy Gunn Hall A in VanDusen. The indoor venue price was very reasonable and really suited our purposes because we were having a Chinese style ceremony and a Western style reception. All the VanDusen staffs were very friendly and helpful. Between the ceremony and the reception, we were able to take some beautiful photos around the garden, which was another perk of the place. I know that the outdoor space in VanDusen is probably more popular, but the BMO Great Hall, with its huge windows and high ceilings, was quite great as a wedding venue.VanDusen Botanical Garden's reply:
Thank you so much Shirley! It was such a pleasure getting to know you both. We are so glad that our venue was able to accommodate the mixed Western & Chinese wedding that you had envisioned. The décor you had for both your ceremony and reception were beautiful. We wish you & William all the best and hope that you will come and visit us at VanDusen the next time you come to Vancouver! -
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![Shirley]()
Shirley Married on 20/07/2019Great experience
The garden was gorgeous for a summer wedding. We had both our ceremony and dinner reception at VanDusen. The venue is spacious and flexible to fit various floor plan designs. The staff there were very responsive and professional.VanDusen Botanical Garden's reply:
Thank you so much Shirley!
We are so happy to hear that you enjoyed the beauty of the garden and the halls for your summer wedding. It is a such a magical time of year at the garden! We must say as well that the décor choices you made for the reception space were so beautiful! Best wishes to you and David! Thank you again for choosing to make VanDusen a part of your wedding story. -
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Carmen G. Married on 29/06/2019
A Dream Garden Wedding
Van Dusen holds a special place in our hearts, as my husband's grandfather has a poetry rock in the Korean pavilion. The garden is so magical and beautiful on it's own, that we didn't have to bring in a ton of decor. We held our ceremony in The Great Lawn, and hosted our reception inside the hall. The Great Lawn was perfect, set against the west cost mountains, and tucked away into a quiet spot away from the garden foot-traffic -- it was everything we wanted and more. The team at VanDusen had great insight, having done so many weddings and events in the past. This is definitely a space for an outdoor garden wedding!VanDusen Botanical Garden's reply:
Hi Carmen,
It is always so special when people have a pre-existing relationship with the garden, and now with your wedding, there is an even stronger connection. We are so happy to hear that you loved the Great Lawn and that you were able to take in all the beauty and magic of your surroundings. Thank you so much for choosing to host your wedding here with us, and we wish you and Kenneth the very best for the future! -
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VanDusen Botanical Garden Real Weddings
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Request a visit5251 Oak Street V6M 4H1 Vancouver (British Columbia)
