Garden

Get Married or Elope Outdoors in the Fuller House Garden

If you dream of having an outdoor wedding in Virginia, the Fuller House garden may be the perfect location.  Located behind the Main House, the English-style, cottage garden is bursting with colorful annuals, perennials and flowering shrubs.  Many of the plants are meant to attract nature, so don’t be surprised if songbirds, butterflies or hummingbirds visit the garden while you say your vows!

Wedding officiant marrying a young couple
Wedding officiant Susan Winkeler marries a young couple in the Fuller House garden.

The outdoor wedding season runs from March through the first frost, usually in late October or early November.  The garden changes throughout the season as it wakes up in the spring, flourishes in the summer and winds down in the fall. Mother Nature ultimately controls the garden!

Spring Weddings

Pink, white and purple hellebores appear in March, followed by yellow daffodils and purple grape hyacinths in early April.  By mid-April, the cherry tree – one of the popular wedding ceremony focal points – is filled with soft pink blossoms. 

Cherry tree in bloom.
The cherry tree is a popular focal point for small weddings and elopements — especially in the spring!

The trees and shrubs begin to green as May approaches.  In mid-May, the garden gains color as yellow irises, lavender sage and pink annuals begin to bloom.

Purple sage and yellow irises in bloom.
May’s purple sage and yellow irises make a gorgeous backdrop to any wedding
Bride holding a sunflower bouquet and groom
During your May wedding, surround yourself with the garden’s lush, green trees and shrubs.
Purple clematis vine along a wrought iron fence.
A purple clematis vine grows along the Fuller House garden’s wrought iron fence.

Summer Weddings

One of the garden highlights, the hydrangeas, flower in mid- to late-June.  They open as white flowers, then gradually turn pink as the season changes.

Chairs arranged in rows for wedding guests.
There’s plenty of space for seating your for wedding guests in the Fuller House garden.
Bride and groom exchanging their first kiss.
Celebrate your new union with your first kiss in front of the hydrangeas!
A white magnolia blossom.
The sweet smell of magnolia blossoms fills the Fuller House garden in early summer.

The traditional summer colors continue throughout July, August and early September.

Small wedding ceremony in the garden.
Late summer is a lovely time to exchange your wedding vows in the Fuller House Garden.

Fall Weddings

By late September, fall is in the air, and the green trees transform into pillars of warm yellow, red and orange leaves.

Shasta daisies in the garden.
In the fall, the garden provides vibrant color for your wedding background.
Bride and groom standing along the garden path.
If you love Halloween, consider getting married outdoors in the Fuller House garden.
Leaves falling from a cherry tree in autumn.
October is one of the most popular months for weddings. It’s a beautiful time of year!

If you want to brave the cold, the dried hydrangea blossoms add winter interest.

One of the major concerns about having a garden wedding is inclement weather.  What happens if it rains on my wedding day?  What if it’s too hot?  Or too cold?  If you’re worried about outdoor conditions, don’t be!   Only one wedding is held at the Fuller House at a time, so if the weather doesn’t cooperate, your wedding simply moves inside to the room of your choice.  Your “Plan B” is already in place!

If you have any questions about outdoor weddings in the garden or indoor weddings in the Main House, please contact us.