Daytime Ceremony

The Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden is a beautiful and unique place to have an intimate wedding ceremony or to elope in Des Moines. Surround yourself with up to 20 loved ones in the beauty of our garden spaces while celebrating your love. Make life-long memories by marrying beneath our wedding arbor in the conservatory, in front of the water fall in our celebration lawn, on our boardwalk surrounded by our water garden, or one of the many other special spaces at the Botanical Garden.

The policy of the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden is to ensure all daytime ceremonies are handled the same and that each party is treated fairly in the use of indoor or outdoor areas.

Fees:

Daytime ceremonies scheduled a minimum of two weeks in advance cost $500*. If a walk-in wedding is not scheduled in advance, the cost is $600*. Fees are non-refundable. To book a walk-in wedding, please email rentals@dmbotanicalgarden.com.

Guidelines and Information:

1. Daytime ceremonies are available Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 
2. Events and rentals at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden change daily. As a public facility, the Botanical Garden cannot predict visitation levels, and therefore, private spaces cannot be guaranteed during public hours. 
3. The ceremony location must be approved by the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden staff before the event date. 
4. Everyone who is part of the daytime ceremony party must arrive dressed and ready. No dressing rooms will be available to the ceremony couple or any of their guests attending. Public restrooms may not be used as a dressing area. 
5. The maximum number of guests for a daytime ceremony is 20. This includes the officiant, photographers, wedding party, and guests attending the event. 
6. Ceremony time is limited to 15 minutes, then 45 minutes for photography. 
7. Depending on visitation levels and ceremony location, a ceremony processional cannot be guaranteed. 
8. Daytime ceremonies must start and end within the times outlined in the rental agreement. If the daytime ceremony runs longer than the time in the rental agreement, an additional charge may apply. 
9. No chairs are permitted for daytime ceremonies. Standing room only. 
10. No music or microphones are allowed for daytime ceremonies. 
11. Daytime ceremonies may not bring in or use any décor, including dropped flower petals. Wedding party bouquets and boutonnieres are allowed. 
12. Standing in garden beds or main pathways during a daytime ceremony is prohibited. Plants and displays are not to be moved, removed, changed, or damaged in any way. 
13. The landscape and plant designs cannot be changed, moved, or adjusted to fit rental client’s colors or designs. Many circumstances are beyond our control be it weather related, plant diseases, or other incidences that may occur. Every effort is made to maintain a high-quality experience. 
14. The waterfalls in the conservatory and in the outdoor gardens cannot be turned off for daytime ceremonies. The waterfall located by the Celebration Lawn will turn off automatically if wind gusts exceed 15 miles per hour to control the spray area. Due to this, the outdoor waterfall and fountains are not guaranteed to be running at the time of your event. 

Please contact our event team for more information and to begin scheduling a daytime ceremony. 

*Prices are subject to change without notice. All pricing is valid for rentals occurring on or before December 31, 2024.