Landscaping is an essential part of every wedding venue. As the owner of Montagu Meadows for nearly 10 years, I realize my venue plays a crucial role in creating a magical atmosphere for our couples. Whether you have an outdoor venue, a garden, or a barn setting, thoughtful landscaping can elevate the atmosphere, making the space feel more inviting and picturesque. From scenic views to show off the bride's dress, to the first look photos of the bride walking down the aisle, beautiful landscaping is the perfect backdrop to your unforgettable photos. Here are 16 landscaping tips to transform your wedding space into a breathtaking setting for couples and their guests.
General Landscaping Tips
1. Keep the Space Well-Maintained
Regular maintenance is key to ensuring your wedding venue always looks attractive. This includes trimming overgrown trees and shrubs, weeding flower beds, and keeping pathways clear of debris. Lots of time goes into maintaining the grounds and giving it a clean, fresh look. At Montagu Meadows, we hire professional help like Douglas Lawns and Landscaping and Bartlett Tree Experts along with our staff working on a daily basis. In fact, mulching and planting new trees, perennials, shrubs and annuals will be starting in April.
2. Define Different Areas
Use natural landscaping elements to define different sections of the venue, such as ceremony, reception, cocktail hour, and photo spots. Hedges, planters, retaining walls, or decorative fencing can subtly guide guests through the space. Montagu Meadows was a horse farm over 5 years ago. Horse fencing, hedges, rock retaining walls, and building define our spaces.
3. Use Natural Elements as Decor
Leverage existing trees, shrubs, and flowers as focal points. Instead of adding artificial decorations, enhance the beauty of what’s already present by incorporating twinkle lights, hanging floral arrangements, or soft fabric drapes. Luckily the original structures at Montagu Meadows were built in the late 1800’s and many of the landscaping features were planted many years ago. The large trees provide a lot of shade and beauty to the property. Over the years other trees and gardens were added.
4. Maintain a Cohesive Theme
Choose landscaping elements that align with your venue’s aesthetic. A rustic barn venue may look best with wildflowers and rock and natural wood accents, while a modern space could benefit from sleek planters and symmetrical greenery.
5. Choose Low-Maintenance Plants
Planting perennials, ornamental grasses, evergreens and native plants that
thrive in your climate will add to your landscaping. This ensures your landscaping looks great throughout the wedding season with minimal upkeep. Montagu Meadows has planted several red bud trees, green giants, arborvitaes, hydrangeas, maple trees, roses, wildflowers and lots of perennials like lilies, coneflowers and tulips. We try and plant as many native plants as possible.
6. Use Mulch to Keep Gardens Tidy
Adding mulch every year to flower beds helps retain moisture, prevents weeds, and gives the landscape a polished look. Choose mulch colors that complement your venue’s aesthetic.
7. Incorporate Seating in Landscaping
Benches under large trees, garden swings, or small seating areas surrounded by flowers create intimate spaces for guests to relax while enhancing the overall beauty of the venue.
Maintain Lush Lawns
8. Keep Grass Green and Healthy
A lush, green lawn provides a perfect backdrop for outdoor ceremonies and photos. Regular mowing, fertilizing, and watering are essential for maintaining a picture-perfect lawn. Every year Montagu Meadows overseeds, aerates, fertilizes, and weed treats our lawn and fields.
9. Address Patches and Bare Spots
If your venue sees a lot of foot traffic, bare patches can develop. Reseed these
areas or use turf-friendly ground cover plants that can withstand heavy use. Since Montagu Meadows is a seasonal venue and has a capacity of 100 guests, our lawn area stays looking healthy and green.
Add Pathways
10. Create Elegant Walkways
Defined walkways help guests navigate the venue with ease while adding to the overall aesthetic. Use natural stone, gravel, brick, or wood chips for a rustic feel, or pavers for a more polished look. Montagu Meadows has several brick and bluestone walkways.
11. Line Pathways with Flowers or Lights
Enhance pathways with small flower beds, fairy lights, or lanterns. This makes them not only functional but also visually appealing, especially for evening weddings.
12. Install a Grand Entrance Path
Make the first impression unforgettable by designing a beautifully landscaped entrance path with a floral arch, decorative signage, tree lined, or an aisle lined with lanterns.
Install Outdoor Lighting
13. Use String Lights for a Romantic Glow
String lights draped over trees, pathways, or seating areas create a dreamy ambiance. Warm white lights create a mood of elegance, romantic and inviting feels.
14. Highlight Key Features with Spotlights
Use landscape lighting to accentuate trees, water features, or architectural details of your venue. Soft uplighting on trees can make the space feel enchanting at night. Also, pathway lights are highly recommended for safety plus it adds an additional decorative touch.
Decorate with Potted Plants
15. Use Potted Plants for Flexible Decor
Potted plants are a great way to add greenery or florals to spaces that lack natural landscaping. They can be moved around easily to create the perfect setup for each wedding.
16. Use a Mix of Heights and Sizes
Arrange potted plants in varying heights to create depth and dimension. A combination of small flowers, medium-sized shrubs, and tall ornamental grasses adds visual interest.
Bonus Tip: Plan for Seasonal Blooms
To ensure your venue looks beautiful throughout the wedding season, select flowers that bloom at different times of the wedding season. Spring weddings could feature tulips and daffodils, summer celebrations can showcase roses, zinnias and hydrangeas, while autumn weddings may be enhanced with mums, sedum and ornamental grasses.
By incorporating these landscaping tips, you can create a breathtaking wedding venue that enhances every couple’s special day while leaving a lasting impression on their guests. Thoughtful landscaping not only improves the aesthetic appeal of your space but also provides functional and comfortable areas for everyone to enjoy. Plus, the couples will be surrounded by natural beauty in their wedding photos.
Our History Your Love Story!
Looking for a stunning barn venue? Consider touring Montagu Meadows located in Carroll County, MD. Our venue offers a breathtaking setting with a team dedicated to making your wedding day perfect. If you are looking for an elegant, rustic, and unforgettable wedding near Baltimore or Southern, PA, Montagu Meadows is a must see.
Thank you for reading our blog. We hope you find inspiration and helpful advice in all our blog posts. Contact us today to start planning your dream wedding and discover how Montagu Meadows can transform your special day into a warm, timeless celebration!
Visit our Website: www.montagumeadows.com
Visit our gallery for additional photos: GALLERY | Montagu Meadows
Visit our intimate wedding ceremony page for package options: ELOPEMENT & INTIMATE WEDDINGS | Montagu Meadows
Email us at: crkrone46@gmail.com
Location: Westminster, MD in Carroll County
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