Reviews for VanDusen Botanical Garden
Reviews
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![Caitlin]()
Caitlin Sent on 21/09/2025Beautiful Venue!
VanDusen was the perfect venue for my husband and I! We couldn't have gotten married anywhere else! We got married at Heron Lake, and it was such a wonderful day! Apart from the obviously gorgeous venue, I recommend VanDusen because it allowed for beautiful wedding photos for my husband and I, and we didn't have to stress about our guests in between our ceremony and our reception while taking pictures as they could be entertained walking through the garden while we took our time without rushing!
Lindsey was always a pleasure to work with!!!! Throughout the whole process, the team was responsive and followed up when needed. We had no hiccups on our day and all of our needs were met, and our rental vendors had no issues setting up, nor did my man of honour!
We originally booked our ceremony and our reception at VanDusen, but had to change our reception venue due to personal logistics (we didn't work with a coordinator). The visitor centre is absolutely GORGEOUS, and if you are someone looking for a beautiful reception venue with a specific vision in mind or a savvy wedding planner, I would highly recommend having your reception at the Visitors centre!
(Pictures by Dëmin Photography!)VanDusen Botanical Garden's reply:
Hi Caitlin,
Thank you so much for your kind words! We're so happy to hear that Heron Lake was the perfect setting for your ceremony, and that your guests could enjoy the garden’s natural beauty while you took your time capturing wedding photos. It’s wonderful to know the day felt relaxed and that you were able to fully enjoy your time in the Garden.
We're especially grateful for your kind words about Lindsey and our team. Your recommendation means a lot, and we're so glad we were able to help.
Thank you again. We wish you and Alejandro all the best in your new chapter together!
Warmest regards,
The VanDusen Rentals Team -
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![Kaitlyn]()
Kaitlyn Sent on 12/07/2025Perfect for an intimate garden wedding!
We held our wedding (about 50 people) at Heron Lake followed by a reception in their main hall. It was such a beautiful space! My husband and I have always loved visiting the gardens (their festival of lights being our favourite) so we were so excited to get married here. And what a beautiful location to do our wedding photos as well!
Since we wanted to do family desserts and a coffee cart for our reception, we appreciated the flexibility with vendors
Communication was great, and they were quick to answer any questions I had about the space (I planned my wedding from Ontario, so I needed the help!).
We couldn’t be happier with how beautiful it all was, and how easy they made the process. They were great at keeping an eye on things day of, and answering any last minute questions (and yes, they clean any goose poop at the lake before the ceremony!)
Highly recommend this venue for a smaller, garden wedding!VanDusen Botanical Garden's reply:
Hi Kaitlyn,
Thank you so much for your kind words and for sharing some of your beautiful photos. It was truly a pleasure working with you both, and we're so happy to hear that you enjoyed your wedding day at the garden.
Your family was incredibly warm and welcoming—it was wonderful to see how involved and excited everyone was to celebrate with you.
It’s always especially meaningful when a couple already has a connection to the garden, and we’re so grateful that it holds a special place in your hearts as well.
Thank you again for choosing to celebrate your wedding with us. We wish you both all the very best in this next chapter together.
- The VanDusen Team -
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![Justine]()
Justine Sent on 03/11/2023Beautiful garden and altar
The Meadow Pond ceremony space was a beautiful little garden area tucked in and mostly private. Small, but perfectly fit our group of 20 for our short wedding ceremony.
As beautiful as the garden is, I felt that this venue location was a bit overpriced. Rental fees at other gardens and parks were lower, the difference being the liaison person. With that I didn’t expect that our photographer would have to be running around trying to keep people away from our photo space, and waiting for strangers to wander by so we could snap a picture. -
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![Claire]()
Claire Sent on 18/09/2022Beautiful 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. -
![Kristina]()
Kristina Sent on 04/01/2020Walk, 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. -
![Shirley]()
Shirley Sent on 15/10/2019Loved 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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![Kali]()
Kali Sent on 08/10/2019Perfect 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 Sent on 09/09/2019Great 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 Sent on 20/07/2019
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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