Frequently Asked Questions

Celebration Gardens is located at 1871 Minnesota Ave, Winter Park, FL 32789. The venue is a botanical garden in the Orlando and Winter Park area of Central Florida, just minutes from downtown Orlando.

Our office location is just around the block at 1836 Crandon Avenue, Winter Park, FL 32789. If you’re coming to visit the Gardens for a tour, please come to the office.

Celebration Gardens accommodates up to 300 guests for cocktail-style events and up to 200 guests for fully seated receptions.

The venue includes the air-conditioned Dahlia Room (accommodates up to 30 guests with staging area, white leather couch set, and bathroom), an entertainment pavilion, musicians gazebo, DJ gazebo, a large fully covered concrete bar, a garden pavilion (accommodates up to 40 with LED lighting), and a main pavilion (accommodates up to 160 with market lights). There is also a dual fire pit area and a ready room house with 4 rooms, porch, and bathroom.

Yes. Celebration Gardens has ample parking including preferred parking areas and designated vendor parking.

Yes! Celebration Gardens welcomes well-behaved pets at your event. Many couples choose to include their dogs in their ceremony or photos. Just let us know during planning so we can help make arrangements.

Yes. The venue has an air-conditioned house with 4 rooms, a porch, and a bathroom that serves as ready rooms for guests. Guests are prohibited from taking food inside the ready room, though the guests may have platter food available while getting ready. Per FL state law, no alcohol is permitted in the getting-ready rooms. All alcohol must be served by licensed/ensured entities.

Absolutely! We brought in the folks from Google Maps to make a virtual walk-through of our event spaces. Take a walk through Orlando Celebrate Gardens by clicking the images below.

The City of Orlando has a 10pm noise ordinance. Amplified music must end promptly at 10pm with no exceptions. The venue has residential neighbors and noise levels must be respectable throughout your event.

Amplified music (audio system or DJ) is designated under the audio gazebo and must face north into the dance area and dance pavilion. Amplified music is not permitted in any other areas, with no exceptions.

Real candles are not encouraged unless they are fully enclosed, as they will blow out in the outdoor setting. Battery-operated candles are recommended instead.

Confetti and similar special effects are strictly prohibited at Celebration Gardens. These items are extremely difficult to clean from a botanical garden setting and will result in forfeiture of your damage deposit. For a fun send-off, we recommend bubbles as a beautiful, garden-friendly alternative.

Guests and clients are prohibited from touching the fire pit. The property attendant will light the fire and replenish it as needed throughout your event.

No penetration of the venue’s wood structures is permitted. Use command hooks, fishing line, floral wire, or pre-existing hooks to hang items. Removal of any client-installed command hooks, fishing line, or floral wire is required at the end of your event.

The main lawn is designated for ceremonies only. No other use is permitted without permission. Guest seating is designated inside the Dahlia Room or outside under the garden or main pavilions only.

The property must be free and clear of all trash and debris before leaving. This includes all vendors hired by the client. Place trash in receptacles or the trash dumpster. Vendors hired by Celebration Gardens will clear their own trash. The venue handles emptying trash cans. Failure to leave the property free of trash and debris will be considered damage.

The property attendant represents Celebration Gardens and ensures the property functions properly, keeps bathrooms stocked, tends the fire pit, and addresses any facility issues. Due to liability, the attendant is not permitted to help clients unload, load, set up, or break down personal items.

Use heavily weighted items for table numbers, decor items, and picture frames to prevent them from blowing over. Make sure items are well attached to a weighted base, such as a picture on an easel with secure anchoring.

Event insurance is not required but is strongly recommended, especially during hurricane season. Contact us and we can provide a recommendation for event insurance providers that cover Central Florida celebrations.

Contact Celebration Gardens by phone at 407-960-2853 or email at [email protected] to schedule a tour. You can also fill out the contact form on our website or book directly through our online scheduling system. A team member will respond within 48 hours.

Arrival time is strictly reserved for the exact time of your rental. Guests and vendors are not permitted to enter or deliver early. Advise your vendors of this policy. You can rent additional time if needed for earlier setup.

Rehearsals can be scheduled 30 days prior to your event date. Available days and times will be offered for you to choose from. Celebration Gardens will not forgo rental bookings to schedule a rehearsal more than 30 days out. Rehearsal time may be added to your package for an additional fee.

Events may not start before 9am and must end by 10pm due to the City of Orlando noise ordinance. Saturday morning rentals end by 3pm, and Saturday evening rentals begin at 3pm.

Yes. The venue provides a plug-and-play projector with large screen for slideshows and images. An audio system with plug-and-play and Bluetooth capability is available. For corporate meetings, additional equipment including a TV monitor on stand, dedicated high-bandwidth WIFI, clear podium, lapel and handheld microphone, and easels can be arranged.

Yes! Clients can hire their own DJ, but they must supply all equipment for sound. Celebration Gardens can also provide an in-house DJ who will us our in-house sound system. If you bring your own DJ, they are responsible for adhering to amplified sound level requirements including bass.

Celebration Gardens welcomes all professional, licensed, and insured vendors. You may bring your own caterer or use our catering partner, John Michael Events. The venue has a preferred vendor list for florists, photographers, videographers, cake bakers, hair and makeup artists, live musicians, ministers, and transportation.

Coordinating services are included with all wedding packages. For event packages or property rental only, Celebration Gardens does not provide coordinating services, but a coordinator may be added for an additional fee.

A la carte services include linens, bartender and bar setups, uplights and pin spots, floral arrangements, photography, live music, cake, cigar rolling services, caricature artist, DJ services, catering upgrades, themed decor and much more! Ask about our extensive a la carte menu. Contact the venue for current pricing.

Yes! Unlike most Orlando venues, Celebration Gardens does not require exclusive catering. You are welcome to provide your own food, hire an outside caterer, or work with our catering partner, John Michael Events. If you bring your own food and would like service support (setup, serving, cleanup), John Michael Events offers a service-only package. This flexibility is rare in the Central Florida venue market.

John Michael Events is the preferred catering partner at Celebration Gardens and has been serving Central Florida celebrations since 1995. They use all-natural and organic foods in their menu preparations and participate in the venue’s green initiative with recycling and composting. They offer group tastings every 8 weeks so couples can sample menu items before their event.

Catering options through John Michael Events include butler-passed hors d’oeuvres, food stations, buffet service, and plated meals. Menus include a variety of chicken, fish, meat, pasta, and vegetarian entrees, multiple salad options, side dishes, and desserts. Vegan meal options are available as an upgrade. All menus are fully customizable.

Garden Eats is a specially curated casual dining menu available exclusively at Celebration Gardens. Using our on-site pizza oven, char grill, flat grill, and deep fryer, this menu features made-to-order flatbread pizzas, grilled sliders, cheesesteaks, chicken tenders, french fries, and an ice cream bar. Garden Eats is perfect for relaxed receptions, birthday parties, or events where you want a fun, casual food experience in the garden setting.

Yes, you may provide your own alcohol. Per Florida state law, all alcoholic beverages must be served by a licensed and insured entity. You may use John Michael Events bar service or any licensed bar company with liquor liability insurance. Client-provided alcohol is boxed up and returned at the end of the event.

Bar setups with a licensed bartender start at $7 per person per hour and include mixers, juices, sodas, water, and all equipment. Beer and wine open bar is an additional $3.5 per person per hour for up to 5 hours. Full liquor open bar is an additional $5 per person per hour for up to 5 hours. A cash bar option is available. Bartender service is also available for only $25 per hour up to 5 hours. Self-serve beverage stations, coffee stations, and champagne toast service are also available.

Yes. The catering menu includes vegetarian pasta and entree options. Vegan meal upgrades are available, including options like “grilled tempeh steaks with quinoa” and “chargrilled eggplant parmigiana with vegan cheese”. Children’s meals are available for young guests. Contact the venue to discuss specific dietary needs.

Buffet service guarantees food for all guests to go through the buffet one time. It is not an all-you-can-eat buffet and food may run out after the first round. The caterer guarantees to-go boxes for any shortages in guest count. After vendors and staff are fed, any remaining leftovers will be boxed up for you to take home.

Venue rental rates vary by day and time. Monday through Thursday is $500 for up to 3 hours, with additional hours at $100 each. Friday and Sunday rentals are $1,500 for up to 6 hours, with additional hours at $200 each. Saturday offers two time blocks: 7am to 3pm for $1,800 or 3pm to 11pm for $2,800. Full-day Saturday rental (both blocks) is $3,800. All rental times must include setup and breakdown. Events may not start before 9am and must end by 10pm.

Property rentals include tables and chairs for up to 120 guests, use of gazebos and pavilions, air-conditioned indoor space and ready room house, fire pit with wood and tending, fruit infused water station, dedicated property attendants, twinkle lights, market lights and landscape lighting, lawn games (corn hole, putting green), Japanese Garden, staging area with sink, fridge/freezer, microwave and shelves, trash cans, smoking urns, recycling cans, on-site compost program, and a plug-and-play projector with large screen. Tables and chairs for guests over 120 are available at additional cost.

Celebration Gardens offers two wedding packages designed to fit different celebration styles. The Sunflower package is an intimate ceremony option, perfect for elopements and small gatherings. The Rose package is an all-inclusive ceremony and reception experience with catering, coordination, and vendor services. Both packages are fully customizable to match your vision and guest count. Contact us for current pricing and package details.

Wedding packages include varying combinations of property rental time, tables and chairs, linens, floral arrangements, minister services, live music, day-of coordination, wedding cake, photography, and catering. Package inclusions can be customized based on your needs. All wedding packages include coordinating services.

Celebration Gardens hosts all types of celebrations including baby showers, celebrations of life, birthday parties, holiday parties, corporate events, rehearsal dinners, and more. In fact, about 40% of our events are non-wedding celebrations. Our botanical garden setting is especially popular for celebrations of life, where the peaceful garden atmosphere provides a meaningful backdrop. We offer a flexible Special Event package that can be customized for any occasion, or you can book a venue rental and bring in your own vendors.

All packages require a 10% deposit to book, an additional 20% due 8 months prior to the event, 20% due 4 months prior, and the remaining balance due 7 days prior. Final guest count is given 10 days prior and the final invoice is adjusted accordingly.

Celebration Gardens maintains an active green initiative that includes energy conservation, recycling stations throughout the property, composting of food waste, eco-friendly disposables, and using locally sourced, all-natural, and organic foods in catering preparations. The venue operates an on-site worm bin that produces nutrient-rich worm tea, which is used to fertilize the gardens, creating a full-circle composting process. The botanical gardens are lovingly maintained by our full-time landscaper, Justin, from Botanical Harmony. When you celebrate here, you’re choosing a venue that cares about what we leave behind.