Set your company meeting or social event apart by celebrating at the San Antonio Botanical Garden. Conveniently located minutes from downtown San Antonio, this 38-acre urban oasis offers you and your
guests an escape from the hustle and bustle of city life to a peaceful world of beauty and wonder.
Now featuring its newest state-of-the-art indoor/outdoor venue, The Betty Kelso Center. Its surrounding windows, sliding glass doors and patio overlook the grandeur and uniqueness of the Greehey Lawn.
Book your event now.
rentthegarden@sabot.org | 210.536.1409 | sabot.org
Mary Buchanan(bride)4 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 16-10-2021 TL;DR: it would be difficult to find a more beautiful and unique venue than SABOT, but be aware that it is a more difficult venue than average to plan with. Our wedding took place in the Amphitheater, Conservatory, and Culinary Garden areas. The venue's beautiful setting saved us time and money on decorations, though other aspects, such as catering and equipment were more DIY than dedicated wedding venues. We signed our initial contract pre-covid, and coordination was a bumpy ride after that. We were planning from out of town, so resources such as pictures of the space and floorplans or dimensions were hard to acquire. The Garden also went through some changes to their event coordination staff, which made communication difficult. They also changed the terms of our contract as their events policies were updated, ultimately stripping us of rehearsal time the night before the wedding, as well as the dressing rooms at the venue, all of which were promised in our contract and paid for. They did find us new dressing rooms, but the groomsmen's was quite small and uncomfortable. They also held another event in the Culinary Garden, a space that we had rented, over part of the time we had rented it. We didn’t end up using the Culinary Garden but would have if there had been inclement weather on our wedding day. Note that they have a shortlist of approved caterers and rentals that you are required to choose from, and that your catering company will have to bring or rent you extra equipment if you book a space without a kitchen. Reviewed on 16-12-2021
Faith Byrne(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 23-10-2021 The San Antonio Botanical Gardens was an absolutely amazing place to get married at! The Greehey Lawn was the perfect place for our ceremony, and the Betty Kelso Center was an amazing space for our reception. If you are looking for a modern garden space for your wedding, look no further! Reviewed on 27-10-2021
Dina McIlhenny(other)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 05-06-2021 The new Betty Kelso Center was stunning and the staff were great to work with. I had lots of questions and Cathy was super understanding and informative. I would definitely have another event there. The grounds were clean and well maintained. The staff helped our vendors with everything they needed. This is such a great asset for San Antonio. Reviewed on 17-06-2021
Paulina Cuadrado(other)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 17-04-2021 WOW!!! Best venue ever. Our daughter's wedding was held at the Betty Kelso Center and Grehey lawn. The whole place was stunning. Working with Cathy from the very beginning to the end was wonderful. Even after the deep freeze where most of San Antonio looks brown and plants are dead, the gardens were in full bloom, plants were well kept and we couldn't have asked for a better venue to celebrate this very special day. Reviewed on 26-04-2021
Elizabeth Castillo(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 26-10-2019 When looking for venues. They were quick to answer any questions I had. Reviewed on 05-01-2020
Emilio Moncivaiz(parent)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 03-08-2019 While my Event at the Botanical Garden wasn't a wedding, I still feel I need to share my opinion of the amazing facilities they have to offer! We held a baptism reception in the Discovery Classrooms available to rent and the venue was immaculate! Very Clean space and the included amenities just made it that much more worth it. Shimeyka Olivares, the Special Events Manager, was extremely helpful in getting this event planned and reserved for our special day. Her staff was helpful in the set up of the room as well as any one-off questions we had. We will definitely be looking forward to planning our next event with Shimeyka and the Botanical Garden. Reviewed on 29-08-2019
Jacob Schmelz(groom)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 10-05-2019 The San Antonio Botanical Garden provided us with a fantastic wedding experience, one that our families and guests will never forget! After being stood up by a different vendor for a venue tour, we took to the web looking for alternatives. That's when we found the Botanical Gardens. The very same day, Shimeyka told us to come see the venue, and we were blown away. The location is stunningly beautiful, highly unique, enormous, and affordable. They have so much to offer, the possibilities are limitless. Furthermore, working with Shimeyka was fantastic as she is helpful, professional, and personable. All throughout planning and executing the wedding, this venue delivered on the promise of being LGBT friendly. My husband and I felt so welcome and supported. We are truly thankful to Shimeyka and all the staff for helping to make our dream wedding come true. Reviewed on 25-08-2019
Brianna Luna-Moreno(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 20-04-2019 SA Botanical Garden was one of our top choices for venues and we’re happy we stuck with it. Our coordinator was very helpful every step of the way, including day of the wedding! The location we chose was around the general public, but everyone was very kind and respectful about clearing the area when it was time for the wedding to begin. In the end we were very satisfied with our decision, we would highly recommend it. Reviewed on 25-08-2019
Sylvia Snider(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 29-06-2019 The Botanical Gardens is a beautiful venue for your wedding. It’s natural beauty is picture perfect! Reviewed on 18-07-2019
Jayme McDaniel(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 02-06-2019 We had our wedding ceremony here and it was perfect! Not only was it like 70% cheaper than using a wedding venue, but it was so beautiful. There were already beautiful flowers and greenery everywhere so I did not have to worry about a florist, and we had so many gorgeous built in photo spots between the outdoor spaces and the greenhouses. The event staff were so kind and helpful and made the process painless for us. They even had a event coordinator on site for the event to help with set-up and directions so that we did not have to worry about it day-of. If you are a thrifty bride and are looking for a way to save money without sacrificing location, this is such a great spot! Reviewed on 01-07-2019
Courtney Jamison(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 15-06-2019 I loved visiting SABOT already, so hosting my wedding reception in the conservatory there just made sense. I could not have picked a better venue!! They are so accommodating, and Shimeyka gave me resources that helped me plan the party myself (which I was so nervous to do)! Everyone loved it. All the vendors and all the guests. Even people who weren’t invited have been messaging me asking where we went! Our photos from that night are stunning. In mid June my Mom kept saying it would be too hot, but at night it was just fine. The space accommodated catering, an Airstream Bar, an LED Dance Floor, Photobooth, Video Presentation and all the works! This was in every way the most perfect venue- and will be even more fun for me to visit now! Reviewed on 30-06-2019
Sarah Rivera(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 20-04-2019 Shimeyka the coordinator was great! We got married in April and although a bit warm it worked for a short ceremony. Flowers and greenery were in bloom and it was beautiful. We took a chance against the rain and it was fine- although we provided our guests with fans due to the heat and no shade (in the conservatory). Going through the vendor list provided by botanical was a little tough because you’re limited, but overall proved to be a good experience. Reviewed on 24-04-2019
Kayla Jones(bride)2 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 13-04-2019 So the only reason I'm giving two stars is because it is a lovely venue for pictures and the natural greeny is a perfect romantic setting. That being said it was an aweful experience. The lady who showed me around and helped me book the area I wanted was very sweet and helpful so I really thought it would be a lovely experience. The day off came and they had the misters turned on in the room I rented during my ceremony time. Everything was soaking wet and we had to rush around to find someone to shut them off so we could even enter the room. They told my guest and officiant that the wedding was supposed to be at 11 am when my contract clearly stated 2pm to 3pm. I was told if my ceremony ran late we would be kicked out even though it was their fault it was starting late. The people at the front desk were clueless and unhelpful when my maid of Honor asked them for help with the sprinkler/mister situation. They were all clearly more concerned with the larger ceremony that they were setting up for. So if your looking for a small intimate ceremony or an elopement know that they dont care about your day in the least and will muck things up for you. Only if you're planning a larger ceremony will they take you seriously. If not for my guest stepping up to help reorganize everything then my day would have been a disaster. I would not recommend them. Reviewed on 16-04-2019
Jennifer Garcia(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 30-03-2019 I loved having our ceremony at the Botanical Gardens. Shimeyka (event coordinator) was extremely helpful and responsive. The day of the staff was super helpful and my ceremony was so beautiful. I could have asked for anything more. Reviewed on 03-04-2019
Courtney Bradford(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 23-10-2018 Beautiful scenery and a great location for an intimate affair or even a grand celebration. The staff are extremely helpful and the rental is affordable and accommodating. Reviewed on 12-12-2018
Alexandra Lodge(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 27-10-2018 This is an absolutely gorgeous venue! Shimeyka (venue coordinator) is wonderful to work with -- incredibly responsive, always willing to be super helpful, and very friendly. We loved having full (private) use of the Gardens for our wedding evening. We held the ceremony in the amphitheater followed by cocktail hour in another area and a dinner reception in the conservatory courtyard. Our guests raved about being able to go into the conservatory greenhouses throughout the reception. You do have to bring in all rentals, etc., from outside (only the space is provided), and vendors must be from an approved vendor list, but there are quality vendors on that list (and those vendors are experienced working in the Garden's space, so that's helpful). Rain plans are somewhat limited -- there is an old event tent on-site, and the classroom space can be rented for an additional fee (or you can pay a rental company to set up a nice tent for your event), but we were fortunate to have beautiful weather. The location is very convenient -- easy access to Lyft/Uber for our guests. This is a truly beautiful venue and it was a great place to host our wedding. Reviewed on 07-12-2018
Alexandra Kuxhaus(bride)1 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 06-10-2018 The WORST possible event venue we could have chosen. Shimeyka, the Special Events and Rentals Manager, is a nightmare to work with...I could not get in contact with her, and even the week of my wedding was difficult. She did not contact us after we booked the venue, 9 months in advance, until I begged her to call me. She did not listen to my feedback regarding the way the night went. She was awful and is supposedly the only event coordinator for the SABOT, so I'm telling you... take your money elsewhere. While the gardens are SO beautiful, she made the experience the WORST. Reviewed on 14-11-2018
Brittany Mercer(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 08-09-2018 Beautiful backdrop, wonderful people to work with! Reviewed on 05-11-2018
Adriana Gutierrez(bride)4 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 30-06-2018 Great space, great price! Reviewed on 11-07-2018
Jennifer Bliss(bride)4 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 31-03-2018 The venue is gorgeous for a March Wedding! The only reason I did not give it 5 stars is there is no place for the bride to put on her gown at the site. I had to put it on in a dirty bathroom. There was not any place for me to drop my bag and extra stuff either. It was placed in a locker that was inside an office that I had to chase down a security guard every time I wanted to get something. Otherwise it was a gorgeous location. Reviewed on 03-04-2018
Julia Carter(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 09-12-2017 We loved everything about our experience at the Botanical Gardens. We did our ceremony and reception at this venue, and it all turned out beautifully. They do many weddings a year and are on point, professional, and know what they are doing. Shimeyka was easy to work with and always responded quickly to my many questions. The ceremony, at the Westeria Arbor, was beautiful and easy to get to from the room that we got ready in. The ceremony, at the conservatory, was also beautiful. The venue had a coordinator on site that was easily available. The drawback from the venue is that they did not provide rentals, and we had to pay extra for the rentals. Also, because it is a city owned venue, there were a few extra restrictions such as no extra flower petals or open flames, but it was nothing we couldn't live without. We were very happy with the entire experience at the venue and loved our entire wedding weekend. Reviewed on 12-12-2017
Etzna Gomez(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 25-11-2017 We loved having our ceremony there. It is such a beautiful place and the communication with the San Antonio Botanical Garden's was easy considering I was planning our wedding from Illinois. Our guests enjoyed it and thought it was a beautiful location. Reviewed on 06-12-2017
Priscilla Rodriguez(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 22-04-2017 The San Antonio Botanical Garden is a special hidden treasure in downtown San Antonio. I knew the first time I stepped foot that this was exactly the place I'd been searching for! There were so many locations within the garden to choose for our ceremony and reception. Shimeyka was extremely helpful and pleasant to work with. She helped make my vision a reality! Reviewed on 05-12-2017
Melissa Markgraf(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 30-09-2017 The gardens were a beautiful backdrop for my wedding. There were many options and areas available to explore. The staff was attentive, helpful, and friendly. Could not have picked a better venue. Reviewed on 18-10-2017
Lindsey Browning(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 17-07-2018 Wow! The Gardens were so perfect for our big day! Shimikya was so great, she is honestly one of the reasons we chose the gardens. I have been recommending it to every bride I know! All of our guests could not stop talking about how beautiful everything was the day of! We had plenty of room in the bridal suit with all 11 of my flower girls! (Yes 11). It was the perfect backdrop to our big day and we couldn't be more thankful for everything the staff and Shimikya did! Reviewed on 17-05-2017
Moriah Moreno(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 08-04-2017 Our ceremony was absolutely fantastic. We had so many positive responses from our guests who were able to explore the gardens before and after our short ceremony. Shimeyka is quick to respond and set up all that you may need. Getting married at the Botanical Gardens was perfect for our small/medium (80 guests) morning ceremony, and came at a fantastic/reasonable price. I'd highly recommend this location to any bride/groom-to-be! Reviewed on 11-04-2017
Lisa Kaichen(wedding party)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 15-05-2018 Our daughter's wedding was perfectly beautiful. The spectacular setting of the San Antonio Botanical Garden set the tone that this would be a sophisticated, colorful event surrounded and embraced by nature. We chose the Conservatory area. It is entered by a long, terraced stairway -- perfect for our bridal party being led down the aisle by the majesty of a bagpiper. The altar was set in front of a pond, and the tables (and DJ) were set under a covered walkway that is open to the pond on one side, and to soaring glass architectural 'greenhouses' which contained exotic ferns, orchids and cacti. Shimeyka Olivares, the Special Events Manager, was a delight to work with. In fact, we nicknamed her \"Wonder Woman\"! We were absolutely and perfectly satisfied, and highly recommend this venue. Reviewed on 15-03-2017
Lynn White(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 19-11-2016 SA Botanical Gardens really made our wedding the special day it was! We were planning it from Northern Virginia so you might think that would make things a little frustrating but this was not the case with our beautiful venue! Shimeyka was our go to contact and she made the entire planning process as smooth as butter! She was very quick to respond to any and all of our questions, whether made by phone or email. She was ALWAYS so kind and so happy which was such a comfort to my stressed out wedding brain. She was genuinely interested in us and what our particular hopes and dreams were and she did the best to accommodate our quirky requests. Shimeyka was happy to offer us a list of recommended caterers, officiants, flowers, cake shops, and music options. We had a very small, lovely ceremony at the Amphitheater with a Flamenco guitarist and a wedding arch we made with Fiesta flowers. We arrived in TX a week before the wedding and scheduled a walk through with Shimeyka. She walked us around the entire gardens, so happily, pointing out places she thought would be great for photo ops! November was absolutely beautiful at the Gardens and we recommend the Amphitheater and other locations within to everyone looking for a perfect day to remember always. Thank you again Shimeyka and SABG! We'll never forget you. <3Lynn and Jeff White Reviewed on 30-11-2016
Veronica Romero(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 28-10-2016 When trying to decide where to hold my ceremony I knew I wanted an outdoor venue and a beautiful setting. The SA Botanical Gardens was perfect. With all the blooms and beautiful landscaping there is no need for added decoration. It was absolutely lovely and quiet and just the perfect setting to start our lives together. Reviewed on 03-11-2016
Elizabeth Lyons(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 24-09-2016 The Botanical Garden is a unique and underutilized outdoor event space for a wedding ceremony and reception in central San Antonio. If you are confident in trusting the weather, I could imagine no other place to have your wedding. The garden staff was extremely accommodating and helpful. I would perhaps wait until they finish construction, because it did cause some challenges for load in and set up. Besides that, it was perfect! Reviewed on 03-10-2016
Molly Cisneros(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 24-06-2016 himeyka and Erin at the Gardens were a joy and pleasure to work with. My husband and I had many special memories at the Botanical Gardens so when we got engaged it was top on our list of venues. We decided that venue, budget, and inclusivity of services was important for us and when we learned about the Auld House package at the Bridal Expo my bridesmaids, and the mothers and I knew we had a winner! Upon the first meeting with Shimeyka and Erin we were pleased with how they kindly answered all our questions and concerns. Erin (the Bistro) thought of everything when it came to decor and catering and Shimekya went over and above to make our day special. We will forever remember our day in large part to the hard work of the garden staff. I would highly recommend the San Antonio Botanical Gardens without reservations ! Reviewed on 23-07-2016
Lauren McGath(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 27-03-2014 Let me lead in with...it rained on our wedding day. But the Botanical Gardens were still able to accommodate us and help us find a covered location that was still outdoors, so our guests could enjoy the scenery and not get drenched. We had our wedding the last week of March, and the flowers were absolutely glorious. The formal gardens were the backdrop for our family photos, and we did a first look in the Exhibit Room and all the pictures came out amazing. Marisa was our go-to for event coordination, and she made everything such a breeze. The price was worth every penny spent for us. Reviewed on 14-04-2014
Cali Dill(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 11-05-2013 I chose this location due to its beautiful scenery and its close proximity to our other locations for venue and hotel. It was perfect and absolutely breathtaking for pictures and the summer. Our ceremony was in May and we specifically used the Rose Garden. No other decorations were needed as the garden was enough! Highly recommend for those in search of romantic outdoor wedding. Reviewed on 28-05-2013
Yvette Hernandez(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 30-10-2012 We were looking for a place for an out door wedding and this placed worked perfect. There were many areas to choose from and staff there worked great with us. Only down side to using this place was we had to use their one and only rental company for chairs. I think we could of gotten a better price some where else but had to use them. Reviewed on 06-11-2012
Maggie stoughton(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 06-10-2012 The conservatory made for an excellent backdrop for our ceremony, it was just perfect! Reviewed on 21-10-2012
Roberta Maldonado(bride)2 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 25-08-2012 numerous times I tried to contact the coordinator and I was never able to get hold of one or get a phone call back Reviewed on 13-09-2012
Dinorah Fernandez(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 16-07-2011 We had the ceremony and reception both at the Conservatory, the ceremony in front of the pond, me coming down the stairs that come from the outside of the conservatory and the reception in the covered area, all with the plants, the crystal tower and the sky as background, it was beautiful and everyone enjoyed it.\r\rIt is not a private venue so there are some restrictions to take into consideration, but it is manageable. The venue itself is a decoration so we did not need to get much to make it look as good as it looked, only small bases and little candles on the bar type tables and medium size bases on the dining tables.\r\rGreat place and most of our guest although residents of San Antonio, confessed that have never been there before and loved it. Reviewed on 02-08-2011
Christy Biasiolli(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 04-07-2010 The staff was courteous and responsive, the pricing was affordable ... and you just can't beat the beautiful, natural surrounding for the ceremony and pictures. All of my guests raved, and many stayed afterward to enjoy the garden. Reviewed on 09-08-2010
Jamye Sagan(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 21-10-2006 The conservatory is absolutely picturesque, and has a wide variety of areas to suit different tastes and functions - from the wide-open grassy area for the wedding party, to cozy nooks for guest dining.;You must provide your own catering AND table/chairs. Have a back-up plan in case of rain. Although much of the area is protected, there is enough open area that would warrant a tent in case of rain (luckily our day was a dry one). Also, there is only 'natural' air conditioning (October is a good time of year, but probably not July unless you like it hot or bring in fans) Reviewed on 09-09-2007