151-200 guest capacity
This venue can host up to 200 guests
About this vendor
50-acre botanical garden located minutes from downtown Orlando.
Amenities + details
Ceremony Area
Dressing Room
Handicap Accessible
Indoor Event Space
Liability Insurance
Outdoor Event Space
Reception Area
Wireless Internet
Covered Outdoors Space
On-Site Accommodations
Ceremony Types
- Civil Union
- Commitment Ceremony
- Elopement
- Interfaith Ceremony
- Non-Religious Ceremony
- Religious Ceremony
Guest Capacity
- Up to 200
Settings
- Ballroom
- Garden
- Historic Venue
Venue Service Offerings
- Service Staff
Reviews
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4.1
out of 5.050 reviews
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We chose Harry P. Leu Gardens for our daughter’s wedding and reception and are extremely happy with our choice. The wedding and brunch reception were both held indoors with photography in the gardens. The venue exceeded our expectations. The Camellia Room and the attached veranda are beautiful and spacious. Everything we needed was available and included and the facility also provides a catering kitchen. The gardens afforded a magical backdrop for photographs that will be precious memories. Our guests were very impressed and enjoyed strolling through the gardens after the reception. All the staff we encountered were immensely helpful from planning to set up, as well as during the event. We are extremely happy we chose Leu Gardens and highly recommend the venue for any event.
Communication leading up to the wedding went very well and was very prompt. However, on the day of, it was severely lacking. They expressed that the reception room would have a sound system that we could easily hook up to, but they dropped the ball. We had several people chasing down those who worked there and no one could figure the sound system out. Thank god we brought our own portable speakers and were able to somewhat improv. I recommend figuring sound out on your own and investing in a day of coordinator at this venue, as they are not helpful at all.
My guests even complained that they weren’t helpful in directing them to the Rose Garden or even the bride and grooms rooms.
The bride and groom rooms are also sorely lacking. They’re not very aesthetically pleasing at all and the ones for the Rose Garden had a door leading to the public restroom, so we had to air it out and spray perfume…. needless to say.
What I can say is that it’s a great location and they gave us a lot of freedom. We were able to, for the most part, do what we want and what we needed. They also have a good list of caterers. We went with Monica’s comfort foods and she was absolutely incredible!
I dont regret choosing this venue, especially for the price, however I do have to warn others about some of our experiences. I just wish the staff was more prepared/trained and more helpful.
Excellent communication, several spots on site to choose from, and incredible staff! 10/10 would recommend!
We had our ceremony and reception at Leu Gardens. All it all it was beautiful and I would recommend it to any prospective couple. All of our staff interactions were positive. I saw some negative reviews on the communication side, but I think it’s important to keep in mind that this is a city owned garden and one person coordinates all events (not just weddings). So if you can be understanding and not expect the phone to be picked up every time you call - it’s no issue. On that note, I will say Jonathan was extremely punctual with returning emails and I learned that was the best way to communicate.
Ceremony - pros: We had our ceremony in the rose garden. It was absolutely beautiful. The surroundings are peaceful and help set the tone of your ceremony. We didn’t have additional floral for our ceremony because it was all naturally there!! Guests raved about the setting and how romantic it was. Cons: depending on what time your ceremony is, the gardens may still be open to the public. This can make parking busy (though our guests all were able to park) and “onlookers” while you’re setting up and potentially during the ceremony itself. Lastly the prep rooms are a bit small if you have a large bridal party (we had 6 people in a room and it was a bit cramped). The prep rooms lock from the inside but when you leave you can’t lock them, which I feel like is a bit of a safety issue. We had to have friends hold our valuables.
Reception: pros: we had our reception in the Camilia room and the veranda was perfect for cocktail hour with dinner and dancing inside. The staff had all the equipment we requested ready. The views over the water are beautiful. There is a kitchen for the caterers to work out of. A nice touch is there are separate prep rooms off the reception area if you want to change or have a place to put some things. Cons: you do have a short list of caterers to choose from, but the one we used (Arthur’s) was fantastic. Be prepared the chairs are metal with green cushions. They worked out for us, but if they clash with your theme, you may need to rent chairs.
All in all, it was very reasonably priced, a beautiful setting, and guests really enjoyed themselves. The “cons” are relatively minor, we had a beautiful day.
If I could rate zero stars I would. We have been in contact with this location regarding holding our wedding ceremony here for about a month. We were told they do not book until a year in advance. (For example, we were wanting to book for March 2022, but were told no one was allowed to book for anything that month until March 1st, 2021) We even reached out again the week prior to ensure we had all required information to book. On March 1st, we called the moment the clock said 8 am, per their email. It turns out they had a wedding reschedule from last year, and it was scheduled for our date. Now, I am not upset they allowed a wedding from last year to reschedule - that's absolutely the right thing to do. However, they had several opportunities to tell us that due to extenuating circumstances there was one (later we found out several) dates unavailable. We now lost a month of looking into other venues because we were preparing for the gardens. Red flags were raised when we went to go see the venue and despite paying to get in, there was not a soul to walk with us to the different sites and discuss how they handle anything logistically. After speaking with our other selected vendors, we're now learning this is common practice and several vendors prefer not to work with them due to their unorganized manner and awful attitudes.
Brides and grooms to be, be cautious. The grounds are beautiful, but this venue lacks even the most basic of communication skills. A day as expensive and important as your wedding deserves much better.
We held our wedding ceremony at Harry P. Leu Gardens, and we loved it so much that we wish we could get married there all over again! Our event coordinator assistant, Kandace, was an absolute pleasure to work with; she was always quick to respond to any questions, and she kept detailed track of any changes or specific needs we had for our ceremony. She was so professional, communicative, and efficient, which put our minds at ease while planning a wedding during a global pandemic!
The bride and groom both get their own private suites to get ready in, which we thought was so helpful to have on our wedding day. We were married in the rose garden, and we had to move to a little gazebo within the garden once it started raining during the processional. It was such a beautiful, personal, and intimate location to be married, and the roses were in full bloom, so our pictures look GORGEOUS! We 100% recommend this venue for your wedding ceremony – it was the perfect location to celebrate our love story! So dreamy and romantic!
Everyone was extremely understanding when I had 80 million questions about our big day. They put me at ease and made it a night to remember.
We had a destination wedding here and it was absolutely wonderful! Jonathan was so helpful and accommodating! The gardens were so beautiful as well as the reception areas!
We only used this venue for our ceremony space, in the rose garden. Our guests traveled to the Winter Park Farmers' Market for the reception. Unfortunately the fountains did not work that day, but it was a beautiful space, and they were easy to work with. Can't speak to the reception space, but would recommend the rose garden if roses are in bloom and you have a smaller wedding party. We had about 115 people including our bridal party, and it was just enough space to hold us. We loved the photos taken during the ceremony and in the gardens afterwards.
We had a small wedding ceremony in the gardens. First it was difficult to set up communication with Jonathon (the event coordinator) and when we finally set up an in person viewing, we were told we were going to meet with an intern instead who while was very nice - couldn’t answer all of our questions and promised us things we later found out weren’t things she could agree to. After going ahead and booking it because we fell in love with the location, I set up another appointment the week of our wedding to bring along my officiant. Jonathon confirmed the meeting and the day of when we checked in at the front desk in the welcome center they had no record of the meeting. Instead they kept asking us if we were another group looking at ceremony locations. Jonathon finally came down asked us if we were the other group rudely and then left as soon as we said no. Instead we were left alone again (already past our appointment time). Finally he came back and half attempted apology and handed us off to someone else while he took the other group out. We were able to tour and ask our questions with the other employee. After we finished our tour he then tried to act like he was involved by moving us into the rose room and asking questions about things I had emailed him several times about. The day of the wedding our location was set up how we asked- but there was no one anywhere. The brides room in the garden had an a/c issue and we had no one around who could resolve it. My make up had to be reapplied serveral times and my hair was basically destroyed for our photos because of the crazy humidity in the room. We ended up leaving without speaking to anyone- literally no one was there from the gardens the entire time. I will say in the interest of fairness in the review he did allow us to use the bride and grooms room because we got married on a Friday morning and no large ceremonies were taking place (usually small ceremonies don’t have access to those rooms). I would advise brides to stay away, they’re not helpful and added stress to an otherwise lovely day. It is a beautiful area but definitely upset us with how they handled things.
My daughter insisted on this venue for her ceremony and reception. The time restraints were a bit of a challenge but with the help of the new Event Coordinator it seemed to be manageable. Be prepared to either hire an event planner or ask for help from family and friends to help set everything up. There were meetings with the staff to discuss how chairs should be arranged for the ceremony however when my help arrived to put the finishing touches up they had to be re-arraigned. All while the staff sat in the golf cart watching with no offer to help. Meanwhile inside the reception area my great friends were helping set up the many decorations we had for the event. The bathrooms were not clean with paper towels all about the floor and a pill sitting on the towel dispenser. My friend quickly cleaned it up so that our guests would not encounter this. The worst part about the whole evening was being told 10 minutes before the event was over that I had to have everything out in that period of time. This meant they wanted me to throw out my guests, cut short the time I had paid my vendors and gather my many items in 10 minutes. I had a contract that stated my time period was for 4 hours. My vendors had an hour to clean up after that time and I had not been told that I didn't have this time as well to gather my things. I sent an email to the coordinator
after the event but did not receive a response in return. I thought everything was going well until the 11th hour when I felt we were treated very poorly.
From the beginning booking stage to me getting married just a couple of days ago, the Leu Gardens was more than wonderful. I had my ceremony here at the and it was beyond beautiful. The staff was super friendly the whole time and Jonathan was great at getting back to my constant emails with millions of questions. I know they say that your wedding day goes by so fast that you don’t remember a thing until you actually see pictures and in part that is true but I do remember that here at the Leu Gardens they did everything I asked them to for my wedding day and more. Definitely recommend!
We got married in Leu Gardens this month and it was wonderful. I notice a lot of reviews mention lack of communication, which mine would as well if not for a change in contact/employee just a few weeks ago. If the reviews mentioning lack of communication worry you, please know I have had a much better experience with Leu Gardens since Jonathan took over! He is very quick to respond to emails and was very accomodating. Our ceremony site was destroyed by Irma and he was flexible in helping us find the perfect site for us and it made our day perfect!
We used the Camellia room for our reception after getting married out in the Rose Garden. It made for a very easy transition from ceremony to cocktail hour to reception. Great price! The only drawback is the time restraint. We lucked out that we wanted a Sunday wedding, so it made sense for the reception to end a bit on the early side.
DO NOT USE THIS VENUE! Their gardens are beautiful but the staff takes days to get back to any question you have. They REQUIRE you use their caterers, whom they must be getting huge kickbacks from and they just don't seem to care at all about their parties. I have had an easy wedding process but this venue was the most difficult/frustrating thing of all. The caterers and the venue must not understand each other because each was giving me a different answer to the same question and in the long run, the venue said we should have our event elsewhere. I am not bridezilla by any means. I've been super laid back this whole process but we were using their space for a bridal shower brunch and they were crazy unhelpful. I would not suggest using this place if you are organized, want quick answers, and don't want to be completely ripped off. There is no reason that a bride should be forced to pay over $1,000 to one of their required caterers for NO JOKE bagels and orange juice, for 40 people.
We had our wedding reception at Leu Gardens on May 14th from 6-10pm. I would highly recommend this wedding venue. The reception could not have been any more perfect! As long as you have a great team of vendors that are familiar with the venue, your night will run smoothly. I booked the venue a year out and had no issues. Since the gardens would already be closed by the time our reception started, the staff allowed us to come in April and take “engagement” pictures around the gardens free of charge, which was wonderful. I highly recommend taking pics in the gardens at some point if you have a night reception like us because the gardens are just SO beautiful and the pics turn out great! If you do just book an evening reception, I would suggest taking most of your pictures offsite/near your ceremony. We figured we could take some around the back of the building by the lake but there was a ton of mosquitos, so definitely avoid that area! You can get some pretty ones inside by the big window though for the same lakeside effect. Overall, we had a fantastic wedding reception. The space was transformed beautifully with the help of our fantastic vendors (Soundwave, Puff n Stuff, OW&PR, Letz Dance on It, Country Club Flower Shop) and it was just a beautiful, fun night!
My husband and I were married in the rose garden, in November. I have always wanted to get married there. These roses are at their best during this month according to the brochure, and I must agree. My florist completely dropped the ball and I was so thankful that God's work came into play! The flowers in the rose garden were absolutely stunning and no one even paid attention to the arrangements! Thank goodness! We were assigned to a particular person to walk us through the rehearsal and areas a week before the wedding and he couldn't have been a nicer person. They were so accommodating to my guests and my family that the venue turned out better than I thought it would. The only issue we had on the day of, was they forgot one handicapped guest at the front. He made up for it though by driving them back and apologizing several times to them and us. That guest was a little late, and our attendant turned down his radio for the ceremony... I don't really fault him then.
I have read so many reviews on here that make negative comments, and they made me worry quite a bit!
However, I do not know where they are coming from... If you follow the rules and regulations/restrictions of the venue, you will not have a problem. If you aren't willing to do that - I suggest another venue because this venue is in fact particular. I've noticed most of the other brides that have issues must not read or pay attention to the rules and restrictions of the venue when I read most of the particular issues. Not all... but some. This is a city owned park first and foremost - we have to remember that. I am SO happy that I stuck to my gut choice and got married in the rose garden. We have the most beautiful pictures and memories.
Leu Garden is a beautiful garden and location. However, the staff is heartless and unprofessional. We were informed that the gardens close at 5:00pm. We arrive exactly at 4:30pm, to only find out that we are not allowed in. My sister (the bride) and her groom were in their bridal grown and Barbara (the manager) flat out said that she will not let us in, no matter what the case was. We were going to pay and even begged for somewhere near the garden, just to take pictures. But the manager said she did not care. She was heartless and inconsiderate to someone on their wedding day.
This is a nightmare venue. First they tell you to call a year in advance to get your date but be careful if you are the first caller and they can't reach you when they call you, they give your date to someone else. I was the first caller and they told me because I didn't answer my date was already given to another person. I was at work on a conference call and by the time I called back the date was given to another person. I also had a nightmare trying to obtain information to plan the event. They never answered phone calls, always unavailable. My emails questions were never fully answered. They only gave me 1/2 hour to do a rehersal and was not able to schedule the date until a week or two before the event date because they need to make sure the venue was not rented for another event. Otherwise you need to pay 2 hour rental in order to get more time. If you have a detail wedding or event don't even bother to use this venue. I spent 18,000 dollars to have my guess dance for 1/2 hour. They give me 4 hours for my rental, but have less than 1.5 hr to decorate. They supposedly give 2 hours to set up, but it us not true because even though though you pay for the liability insurance you are not allowed in the premises until your catered set up your tables. If you are lucky that there is no event before you you can pay another ridiculous rental fees to get extra time and your catered will charge you also because they need to be there before you to set up. I have 8 people helping me to decorate and we still took needed an extra 2 hours to finished. We ended starting the party 2 hour later. By the time we have the ceremony and dinner the guess dance for only 1/2 hour. My family ran a wedding business for many years and we considered this venue the worst place to have a wedding.
Leu Gardens is a beautiful venue for wedding photos. That is it!! There were two weddings set for the day we got married. We paid to have the venue from 3-9. Our wedding was to start at 4. It started to rain right at 4. My fiancé had to tell them to move the wedding indoors, no one from the venue came to talk to us until 15 minutes prior. They were supposed to speak with us 1.5 hours prior to the wedding start time to make this decision. I'm assuming it was because the other wedding was still in the venue and they didn't want to interrupt them. However, we paid just as much as they did, and we should have had the same amount of respect. As my guests were coming inside, the other guests were leaving....loud and drunk.
We had elderly guests who could not walk sitting in the rain, no one came to get the bride/bridesmaids/mothers, my reception vendors could not set up on time because of the other wedding, the staff was rude, they made several not so nice comments that our guests overheard, and they made the DJ stop playing 20 minutes before 9.
Our wedding started an hour and a half late. We didn't have time for many pictures. As a result, we now have to take them this weekend. My reception ended up being 2.5 HOURS!!!!!
We have emailed Leu Gardens, but have received no response. I'm sure this does not happen all the time, but I would really think about our ordeal before you put all your money in to something you do not get. The scenery is not worth all the pain points of this venue.
As a bride, I cried more than I would have liked on my wedding day because of this venue. As a girl, you always dream of what your wedding will be like. This was not my dream!
However, because all of our other wedding vendors did such an amazing job, it did make up for how horrible this venue treated us.
Extremely disappointed!
After emailing back and forth with the wedding coordinator, Debbie, for weeks, I was finally able to stop by this afternoon and see the space. It was the last on my list of potential venues to check out, but I had heard promising reviews of the ambiance. I was excited! However, my excitement turned to confusion---then to outrage---when I was told I had to pay an admission fee to get in to SEE the space where I would hold my wedding. I tried to patiently explain to the woman at the desk I was looking at venues, and would need to see the space before I booked. She circled greenery on a map and said after I booked, I could come as often as I liked! I was so flustered, I walked away and silently checked it off our list. It wasn't the entrance fee---it was meager, $10---but it was the principle: If you're going to spend 30k on a special day, you should feel a level of caring. Or, at least let me see a photo!
We had our ceremony in the Rose Garden on a Saturday morning in December. The roses were gorgeous and in full bloom. Could not have asked for a better backdrop for our pictures. Our guests enjoyed walking around the gardens before heading to the Camellia Room for the reception. The room was a perfect size for our guest list of around 90 people. We have received so many compliments about what a great venue Leu Gardens was.
We already booked a different venue and was just spending Christmas in Florida when we stumbled upon Leu Gardens. The garden was pretty and there was a wedding going on at the time. We were inspired. I think changing the venue was the best thing we ever did. Because they only allows certain caterers, we were led to get JME which was awesome! Leu Gardens was also so helpful to us, working with us to set it up to the best of their abilities. It was a great backdrop for our photos too!
We had our ceremony and reception at Leu Gardens. Everything was beautiful! My only complaint would be that there wasn't any type of coordinator on site to help our with the little details.
The beautiful Leu Gardens was perfect for what we wanted for our wedding. We got married in the Rose Garden, used their reception hall, and everything was truly lovely.
The price was unbeatable, and while it was sometimes frustrating to get ahold of the wedding director, she always did end up getting back to us.
One thing that I was very disappointed in was that at the reception, when our wedding was winding down, the NEXT wedding started walking in to start setting up. I spoke with my caterer about it, and apparently it was that caterer's fault, but I paid for the time, I darn well expected to get every minute, even if every guest had already left.
Leu Gardens was the perfect place for our wedding ceremony. They were easy to work with and very accommodating. The grounds are beautiful and can accommodate various sized groups. Also made a great place to take some amazing pictures.
My husband and I both wanted an outdoor wedding, and both love visiting Leu Garden's on weekends, so this was really the only place we wanted to get married. We were lucky enough to be able to nab a reservation for it, because it gets booked up fast. Especially in the winter. Make sure you book at least 8 months in advance, if not sooner. The gardens are beyond gorgeous at any time of year. There are multiple sites you can have the ceremony, and the Camellia Room is perfect for the reception. My wedding was at 10am, and while from the beginning they had told us that the earliest we could get there was 9:00am, the truth was that they actually will let you in much sooner. We were able to get into the Bride and Groom rooms at 7:30am. They were all very helpful and accommodating. I would recommend this venue to anyone looking for an outdoor ceremony site in Central Florida.
We just had our wedding in the Rose Garden early November and it was absolutely BEAUTIFUL!! The roses were in full bloom and it was just stunning. The reason why we chose Leu Gardens was because of the scenery only. The time restrictions that they have are ridiculous! Two hours is not enough time to have access to the dressing rooms and to take pictures. Luckily, Debbie worked with us and allowed us to enter an additional 30 minutes sooner but there was still not enough time. I will still recommend this venue but just be warned that the time restrictions are very strict! We even had to take our group photos at our reception venue.
Our overall experience was wonderful. There was a tree down on the grounds which blocked the sidewalk so we were not able to use our first choice in locations. We held the ceremony in the Lantern Room. The room felt a bit tight, but looked very pulled together.
Leu Gardens is absolutely beautiful. The setting is gorgous. The price is really good too. Probably the cheapest you'll find for such an amazing backdrop to your special day. The service though leaves much to be desired. They knew we were coming and the wedding cottage wasn't open for us. We were running late and still had to call twice and wait 20 minutes for anyone to come open it for us. And while Debbie always got back to me in a timely manner, I felt like she was annoyed by my questions and always answered them pretty curtly. And once we paid her, it seemed like it took her longer to get back to us. Customer service aside, this is a great place for a ceremony.
It is a great venue for a bride on a budget. I only contracted for the Camellia Room for my reception, so I do not have anything to say about the gardens for a wedding. But the lawn and the garden house are perfect for pictures. The room was plenty big enough for my reception. I would not recommend more than 150 people in that room, even at that number you may feel a little cramped with a dance floor or photo booth, etc. It may be difficult to get into contact with the ladies in the booking office. They are not always available. Also, since Leu Gardens is owned and operated by the City of Orlando, they are not very flexible. The time slots are set in stone. It is either 5-9pm or 6-10pm. Overall, it is a nice place for a wedding reception, just know that there are some very strict rules, so make sure you read over the contract several times before signing!
From the moment I arrived at the gardens on our wedding day, everywhere I turned and looked was so beautiful. The staff was great and helpful. Rides are offered for persons not available to walk to the wedding site which was a plus because both our grandmothers needed assistance. we were wed in the rose garden in front of the fountains. The flowers smelled unbelievable and also served as excellent background for our wedding photos.
Downside: Rehearsal days are Mon thru Thur which didn't work for us because we had wedding party coming from out of town so we were forced to do a mock rehearsal in my moms backyard.
Wedding day time allotment is also a bit tight, we were allowed in the bride and groom rooms at 3, ceremony starting at 4, and packed and cleanup by 5.
All in all, no regrets at all. 100% recommend!
We were very happy with the location- the Rose Garden was a beautiful backdrop for the ceremony and the Camellia Room was perfect for our group (80 people). The wedding contact person (Debbie) was very responsive to our emails and phone calls. We were lucky to book an evening wedding in May less than a year in advance, as there was a cancellation. Call early! The only downside is the lack of flexibility with the timing and length of the reception. So we had an afterparty at the hotel (with snacks/subs and the leftover alcohol) which was well attended.
The staff were very professional and helpful. We had our ceremony outside in the rose garden and it was ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL!!! We used the Camelia Room for our reception and had a lovely time. I didn't particularly care for the carpet but with lighting and decor it wasn't noticeable during the reception. Their chairs are hideous though so be prepared to spring for chair covers or chivari chairs. I went with chivari chairs and it looked fabulous. The grounds are also perfect for pictures before and after the ceremony. Our wedding day and family photos were fantastic! I loved being able to do everything in one location. Oh, and the bride and groom rooms are good for final details but I didn't use it to get ready. I stayed in a hotel nearby and did all the heavy duty preparations there and then traveled to the location to put on the finishing touches.
Everything we ever hoped it could be!!
The location was gorgeous The staff was very accommodating the day of. They listened carefully to how I wanted the chairs set up and the ceremony site. My ceremony was outside in July, I would suggest having some cold water for guests outside. Be aware if you do have your ceremony and reception here, there is a separate cost for each, they will not let you set up early and they are sticklers about time.
I used the Leu Gardens( Rose Garden) for my wedding, and it was BEAUTIFUL! I LOVED it, and the pictures were great with all the flowers! As for the reception, it was great as well in the Camelia Room- plenty of space. My only complaint with the Leu is that their staff is very nit-picky about things, and can be very strict. Can be a little annoying at times, but it was worth it! :)
This was the most beautiful backdrop for our special day! The people here were so welcoming and kind and were willing to work with us and make it just how we wanted it. I have no complaints and am just so pleased with the photos from this venue.
Leu gardens was gorgeous. We held our ceremony outside in the rose garden and our reception inside the Camilla room. The flowers were full in bloom and were beautiful. The Camilla room was huge and was connected to a veranda overlooking the lake that we used for the cocktail hour. Overall, it was perfect and made beautiful pictures. The staff was very accommodating as well and were always available to help answer any questions.
After looking for many outdoor ceremony sites in Brevard County and not finding anything that fit what I envisioned, we looked in Orlando. I never would have guessed this beautiful paradise existed in the middle of downtown Orlando. Our ceremony was in the rose garden and was completely magical. We choose to only have our ceremony at the garden because their reception area was an empty conference room and I wanted something more intimate. My only complaint was that since it is city run they ate very inflexible with time and have a lot of rules, however all of the staff were wonderful.
The gardens are beautiful for outdoor ceremonies. The staff is very nice, but because the park is owned by City of Orlando- there are some strict regulations which is clearly stated on the website. It would have been nice if we could have hung lanterns from the ceilings and leave later than 9pm. Other than that the staff (John) is really helpful and worked with us to make the venue as nice as possible.
Securing the date was a challenge, but coordinators are very helpful. Once the date is secured by the deposit, the coordinators check out.
The chair rehearsal is a big help.
Day of - everything was set up as discussed, no problems arose.
The gardens were beautiful. We had our ceremony in the rose garden. Only downfall is the 2 hour time limit.
The staff at Leu Gardens are very nice and the venue itself for the ceremony is absolutely beautiful. They are strict with their time and they have rules that you must follow to the dot. I hired a wedding coordinator because I honestly did not want to deal with all the rules and keeping everyone on such a strict schedule. In the end, everything turned out absolutely perfect and my photos are beautiful!
Leu Gardens was a great choice for location, price, and availability. The date we wanted was available at a price we were willing to pay. We were also able to have our wedding by the lake on the lawn, which is also something we wanted.
On the other hand, the reception only has the option to be four hours. It was very short in my opinion. That four hours also includes your "cocktail hour", which realistically only lasted for about 30 minutes until we had to make sure all of the guests were ushered in for the first dance. The hardest part realistically is if your actually service runs more than 30 minutes, you will have less than an hour to take photos with your wedding party, families, etc.
The staff as Leu is very nice and accommodating. They made sure that my husband and I could bring in our families to see the venue whenever we would like to, free of charge. Also, my maid of honor and I were able to go in and point out where we wanted chairs, the alter area and so forth.
Two last things, and if you're not a bride who is okay with this, they do NOT have rehearsals on Friday nights or any time after 4:45 p.m. Monday thru Thursday. It wasn't a huge deal for us, yet I can only imagine how that would not work for others. Lastly, there are two ceremonies each day. One at 10 a.m. and one at 4 p.m. If you have the 10 a.m. wedding, your guests and family have to out the door ASAP to make room for the following bride's guests. Now if you have the 4 p.m. wedding, there is a chance that the previous bride and groom will be on the premises taking photos of themselves through your ceremony. That happened to me.
People's number one complaint about weddings at Leu Gardens is that they are difficult to work with. We found that if you just follow the rules (which they tell you up front), they are not difficult at all. They are just consistent. My only complaint is that they would give me a golf cart ride, so I had to carry my dress and everything to the bride room.
Such an amazing place to hold a wedding. We had our reception there, they are nicely priced. We didn't have many problems with them however, we were told we could take pictures in the garden 30 mins before the reception starts. When we got there, all the garden entrances were locked. Other than that, Nice size place to hold a reception.
I've been to a few weddings at the gardens and each one has left me breathless! There are locations that compare.
My wedding on May, 09, 2010 went off without a hitch in part because the staff at the Leu Gardens was fantastic! They were professional and informative and answered all of my questions each time I called. On the day of they aided some of our elderly guests in getting to the wedding site and followed our set up requests to the letter. I would highly recommend Leu Gardens as a place to have both your ceremony and reception. The Gardens are beautiful and we didn't end up spending a lot of money on ceremony decoration simply because it was already beautiful!!!
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1920 N. Forest Ave., Orlando, FL
Harry P. Leu Gardens
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