An Autumn Wedding at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden

For their wedding celebration, Dahlia + Joshua chose the Palm House at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden for their venue. The Brooklyn Botanic Garden is a venue that I’m very familiar with. Between the various gardens dotted with rainbows of different flowers year round and the winding pathways lined with manicured lawns and towering trees, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden makes a romantic background for both engagement sessions and weddings. In fact, just the year before Dahlia + Joshua’s wedding, I had photographed another autumn wedding at the Palm House. It was this wedding that Dahlia took much of her inspiration from while planning. I was especially honored to hear she had used that event to describe her style to the rest of their vendor team to really bring her own autumn wedding vision to life. 

No matter the season, couples planning their wedding at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden have plenty of wonderful ceremony and reception spaces to choose from. Not only can they choose from a variety of outdoor ceremony areas nestled within the flora and fauna of the gardens, but they also have two indoor venue options as well. 

The Atrium is a stunning, ecologically sustainable event space. It features a living roof of natural grasses and wildflowers and floor-to-ceiling windows all around. Dahlia + Joshua, however, chose the Palm House for both their ceremony and reception. The Palm House is a magnificent greenhouse-like structure beside the tranquil Lily Pool that can accommodate larger weddings of up to 250 guests. 

Weddings at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden are also fully catered by their partner, Union Square Events. Union Square Events provides an unforgettable dining experience from open bar service to a two-course dinner and finally a stunning array of desserts to pair with your wedding cake. Whichever event space you choose from and no matter the time of year, you can be sure that your every need will be fully taken care of at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. 

A Lovely Afternoon Filled with Excitement

Dahlia spent the morning getting ready at one of her bridesmaids’ Brooklyn apartment. The ladies got their hair and make up done and slipped into their dresses for the big day. Dressed in gorgeous shades of deep mulberry, the ladies gathered in the living room for a special bridesmaid first look before leaving to meet Joshua and the rest of the wedding party at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. 

With an evening ceremony ahead, Dahlia + Joshua were very intentional about making the most of the afternoon daylight. When everyone arrived, we moved right into the set up for Dahlia + Joshua’s first look by the Lily Pool where capturing their reflection in the water was high on Dahlia’s must-have photo list. From there, we moved right into bride and groom portraits around the grounds capturing all of the vibrant fall colors and ticking off the rest of their special photo requests. 

Once their couple portraits were finished, we gathered everyone for family and wedding party photos outside of the Palm House. The entire afternoon was fun and relaxed with plenty of joy, laughter, and excited anticipation for the rest of the celebration still to come.

An Evening Ceremony in the Palm House

As evening fell, guests began to fill the Palm House. The ceremony space was set up with elegant white chairs lined up beneath the glass dome of the space giving a clear view of the deep blue sky above. Pops of deep wine-colored flowers interspersed with flickering candles lined the aisle leading up to the area where Dahlia + Joshua would renew their vows. 

When the music began to play, Joshua appeared alongside his mom, guiding her gently down the aisle. They were closely followed by the wedding party and as the bridesmaids and groomsmen took their places, the music swelled and an excited hush fell over the guests. Dahlia appeared with her father and the emotion in the room shifted instantly as she made her way down to where Joshua stood.

Because Joshua’s best friend was officiating, the ceremony felt warm, light-hearted, and perfectly attuned to Dahlia + Joshua. He seamlessly wove both laughter and heartfelt memories into the ceremony making it deeply personal and full of nothing but love for the happy couple. There were more than a few shining eyes as Dahlia + Joshua renewed their vows – including from Joshua himself! It was one of those sweet moments where the love felt almost tangible as the words of Dahlia’s vow rang out to fill the room. 

Once the ceremony ended, guests were ushered into the conservatory for cocktail hour while staff transformed the Palm House into a reception hall and dance floor. Appetizers and small plates made their way through the crowd, and Dahlia and Joshua were able to relax and join their guests without having to worry about slipping away for another photo session.

A Greenhouse Reception at Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s Palm House

Before guests returned, I stepped into the Palm House to photograph the reception setup and all the details Dahlia + Joshua had put so much thought into. Capturing those elements was important to them and having that quiet window of time made it easy to document everything without interruption. With glass walls and ceilings surrounding the space, the panoramic views of the gardens and evening sky above, all together it created a stunning backdrop that elevated every intricate table and floral detail.

Once everyone was welcomed back in, guests settled into their seats as Dahlia + Joshua made their grand entrance and shared their first dance. The night unfolded with heartfelt speeches from Dahlia’s father and Joshua’s mother, sweet parent dances, and their cake cutting before the dance floor opened up for the rest of the evening. To honor Dahlia’s Egyptian heritage, their DJ played a blend of traditional Persian music mixed in with the usual American dance songs. Dahlia’s cousin even performed a Persian knife dance in the middle of the dance floor!

From that point on, it was pure celebration through and through. Between music, laughter, and nonstop dancing, Dahlia + Joshua had the time of their lives celebrating the rest of their anniversary wedding night with all of their loved ones. 

Is the Brooklyn Botanic Garden on your list of potential wedding venues? It’s definitely on my list of favorite NYC venues and I’d love to be there to help you capture it all!

Hey! I’m Rachael Crowe of OkCrowe Photography. I’m a New York City wedding photographer though if you’re planning a destination wedding anywhere in the world, just let me know and I’ll be there too! It’s always an honor to be a small part of such a big day in a couple’s love story and I strive to make sure everything is captured so every little detail can be remembered forever. If you’re still waiting to check off “find a photographer” on your wedding planning to-do list, I’d love to chat! Just fill out my contact form and let’s get started!