I have been working with the Franklin Park Conservatory (FPC) in Columbius, Ohio, for over nine years now, collaborating with the talented landscape architect Karen McCoy, one of the principals of MSI Design. Initially, we created a landscape master plan for the 90 acres that form the city’s historic Franklin Park in which the Conservatory sits, and then turned our attention to designing several special garden areas around the Conservatory’s Palm House — one of them a garden built for brides.
FPC, with its elegant Palm House, has long served as a popular location for weddings and other special events. One of our master plan ideas was to encourage more weddings by creating a new event entrance, catering facilities, waiting and dressing areas, and beautiful new event gardens.
Last summer, FPC celebrated the opening of these Palm House additions (architecture by Schooley Caldwell Associates) including our designs for two new rooftop garden spaces and the aptly-named Bride’s Garden — a special gathering garden for wedding parties. Besides being a quiet retreat space to calm pre-wedding nerves, this landscape is also designed to offer a range of attractive photographic opportunities: a tiered stairway that acts as a wedding cake-like stage for the bridal couple and their entourage, and a handsome fountain and a swinging seat on which the bride and groom can pose.
Since so many institutions these days are getting into the wedding business, creating a bride’s garden seems like an idea whose time has come. We’ll be happy to work with you to create a unique design that fits your space and your particular needs. We love making brides happy on their big day!
(all photos courtesy MSI Design)
This would make such a wonderful location for a ceremony or cocktail reception. Stunning!