Bartram’s Garden, an outdoor wedding venue in Philadelphia, has lush flower beds and tree groves. It’s easy to see why so many people want to have a Bartram’s Garden wedding. Jess and Will made their wedding day unique with unexpected and colorful details, including Jess’s stunning black dress!

Bartram’s Garden

Bartram’s Garden is a large park. It encompasses 50 acres of trees, flowers, and meadows. With a focus on making horticulture accessible, a nonprofit organization runs the park with Philadelphia Parks and Recreation. Something is in bloom all year round. In spring and summer, the rainbow of blooms is especially abundant. The wooded paths give the park a touch of wilderness, too. You can follow the trails all the way to the banks of the Schuylkill River. Plant nerds should keep their eyes out for the oldest Ginkgo biloba tree in North America.

There are a number of ceremony options for a Bartram’s Garden wedding. The property includes renovated buildings, but weddings are typically held outside in the gardens. The different gardens provide opportunities to explore and get romantic portraits before or after the ceremony. Jess and Will were able to get away to enjoy each other’s company amid the flowers. Their pup even joined them! 

After the ceremony, a Bartram’s Garden wedding reception takes place in the Eastwick Pavilion. This spacious pavilion can accommodate over 300 guests.Strings of lights glow over the dance floor. It doesn’t hurt to have a roof in case of rain either.

Bartram’s Garden is a cool wedding venue for couples who want to enjoy the best of Southeastern Pennsylvania’s outdoors without leaving Philadelphia. Located in Southwest Philadelphia, Bartram’s Garden is close to several trolley and bus stops. The nonprofit that operates Bartram’s Garden runs a variety of programs for neighborhood residents.

Unique Wedding Details

Sometimes garden weddings can feel a little cookie cutter, but Jess and Will made their Bartram’s Garden wedding all their own. One way they did this was their use of color, especially purple. Vivid shades of violet were featured everywhere, from the florals to the wedding party’s clothes. Tall purple plumes filled out either side of the arc for the ceremony. Such vibrant colors stood out against the more modest greens of the garden around the ceremony spot. 

The wedding party wore different shades of purple, too. Their clothes created a cohesiveness without dressing everyone exactly the same. The different purples even went well with the flowers in Jess’s bouquet and Will’s boutonniere. 

As great as the purple florals and clothes were, Jess’s black retro dress was the most unique aesthetic choice of the day. Jess actually didn’t tell Will that she was wearing a black dress. She originally tried on the dress in black and loved it. She ordered it in white, though, because it’s what people are expected to do for weddings. When the white one came in, Jess hated it. She felt like herself in the black dress, so she ordered that one instead. Apparently, her decision didn’t actually surprise anyone since she went through a goth phase when she was young.

Jess and Will’s Bartram’s Garden Wedding

Jess and Will’s Bartram’s Garden wedding was filled with fun from beginning to end. Their joy really shows in their portraits. The first look under the arbor feels classic and uniquely them at the same time. Years from now, they’ll be able to look at these photos and remember just how happy they were on their wedding day.

Jess’s retro dress was also so fun to photograph because it had such great shine and movement. Her black veil was the icing on the cake. The dark dress added cool depth to the outdoor portraits that set them apart from your typical wedding photos.

The guests definitely contributed to the fun at the reception! They told funny speeches and broke out some serious moves on the dance floor! Jess and Will radiate with happiness in these photos. 

Would you like me to photograph your Bartram’s Garden wedding? Reach out, and let’s celebrate your love!

Thank you to all the vendors who made this day possible:

Venue: Bartram’s Garden

Dress: Carlyn Zinni

Suit: Indochino

Flowers: Urban Jungle and Cecilia Thurburu

Makeup: Beke Beau

Hair: Juju Salon