Orlando Outdoor Wedding Location: Harry P. Leu Gardens

Harry P. Leu Gardens, located in Orlando, Florida, is a restored plantation home, originally built in the 1880's, sitting on fifty acres of land. It is on the National Register of Historic Places, under the Mizell-Leu Historic District, named for the original owners (David and Angeline Mizell) and for the Harry P. Leu, the property's final owner before it became the property of the city of Orlando.

The main attraction for visitors to Leu Gardens is the variety of camellias growing in the garden. Harry and his wife, Mary Jane, traveled the world, bringing 240 varieties of camellias back to their gardens. This was his legacy left to the people who visit his gardens today and revel in their beauty.

In 1961, Harry P. Leu, having the desire to give something back to the city where he had built his wealth, deeded the property to the city of Orlando, with the stipulation that it remain a non-profit botanical garden and center for enjoyment and education. The city was also forbidden from selling any part of the property.

Today, in addition to serving as a botanical garden, Leu Gardens serves as a popular destination for outdoor weddings in the Orlando area. The beautiful landscaping and variety of foliage make it an attractive choice for couples looking for a scenic outdoor wedding with seemingly unlimited backgrounds for photography.

The low cost of using the gardens for an outdoor wedding contributes to its popularity. Large weddings (180+ guests), can be held on the Leu House Museum Front Lawn, in the Rose Garden, at the Floral Clock, or on the landing. The cost to use any of these locations is $750 (insurance is extra and based on the number of guests), and includes two hours in the gardens, as well as the set up and breakdown of ceremony seating. The bride, groom, and bridal party also get use of the bride and groom cottages on site an hour before the wedding ceremony.

Couples who are having small weddings also have options at Leu Gardens. The smaller wedding options allow for up to 25 guests, and the ceremony can be held at the South Woods Gazebo, the Trellis, the White Garden, or the Courtyard Gazebo. The cost to have the wedding at any of these sites is $175, which includes one hour in the gardens. They will also provide up to five chairs for guests who will be unable to stand for the ceremony.

Weddings can be scheduled any day of the week, either at 10am or 4pm.

In the case of inclement weather, weddings can be moved indoors to the Lantern Room, which can accommodate up to 110 people.

Leu Gardens also has the Camellia room, which can be used for a reception and can seat up to 180 guests. Use of this room also includes a screened veranda. Leu Gardens provides round tables which seat 8-10 people. Receptions are four hours long, and the cost to use the room for a reception is $750.

If you choose to have your reception at Leu Gardens, you must use a caterer off of their list of caterers. This list, with contact numbers for each caterer, is provided on the Leu Gardens website at leugardens.org. The caterers are responsible for setting up the tables with linen, china, chair covers, and any other decorations you wish to have at your reception. (We used Levans catering at our wedding at Leu Gardens and they did a fantastic job.)

Leu Gardens is located at 1920 North Forest Avenue, Orlando, Florida, 32803.

If you would like more information on Leu Gardens, you can visit their website (www.leugardens.org) or call them at (407) 246-3681.(All pricing and historical information retrieved from www.leugardens.org).