FAQs
General Information
Beginning the month after payment of your deposit, your remaining fees will be divided into monthly installments, the last one being due no later than thirty days prior to your event. You may pay by cash, check, or credit card. If you have reserved the CBG within thirty days of your event, all payments are due at the time of booking and all payments made are non-refundable.
Failure to make any of the payments on time may result in the cancellation of your event at the garden. There is a 7 day grace period after receipt of the security deposit allowing either the CBG or the renter to cancel the contract. The full security deposit will be returned less a $50 admin fee.
If you have reserved the Columbus Botanical Garden Farmhouse and surrounding grounds for your wedding and/or wedding reception, there is no fee for having your engagement, save the date, or bridal portraits taken at the garden.
CBG will provide the venue only. You must schedule and pay the photographer and coordinate any other details. The farmhouse is available during normal business hours (9 AM to 4 PM Monday through Friday), and may be used for taking photos and changing clothes. Please make an appointment for your photo session at least one week in advance. NOTE: IF YOU HAVE NOT RESERVED THE GARDEN FOR YOUR EVENT, STANDARD PHOTOGRAPHY FEES APPLY.
If you have reserved the Columbus Botanical Garden Farmhouse and surrounding grounds for your wedding and/or wedding reception, there is no fee for having your engagement, save the date, or bridal portraits taken at the garden.
CBG will provide the venue only. You must schedule and pay the photographer and coordinate any other details. The farmhouse is available during normal business hours (9 AM to 4 PM Monday through Friday), and may be used for taking photos and changing clothes. Please make an appointment for your photo session at least one week in advance. NOTE: IF YOU HAVE NOT RESERVED THE GARDEN FOR YOUR EVENT, STANDARD PHOTOGRAPHY FEES APPLY.
CBG has two lots for parking: the main lot and the upper overflow parking lot. These lots allow parking for around 50 cars. There is reserved parking to the right of the Farmhouse and in the main parking lot for our guests with limited mobility.
Security personnel are included in Full Day/Full Weekend reservations at the garden and they will assist with parking patrol. Beyond 100 guests you may be required to hire additional security from the garden.
Please note that the Free Will Baptist Church property (adjacent to the garden) prohibits parking on its property without prior arrangements. Unauthorized parking in the church’s parking lot may result in towing and a fine. If you would like to use the church parking lot, we recommend contacting the church administration and making arrangements, as they may be willing to offer parking for a fee. The Columbus Botanical Garden is not associated with the Free Will Baptist Church.
Blanchard Elementary School may also be willing to offer parking.
Vendors are asked to deliver to the Farmhouse and then move their vehicles to the main parking area.
Parking in front of the farmhouse is prohibited and against fire code.
You and your vendors are required to take with you what you brought to the garden. This includes all decorations and personal items.
Together, the CBG and your caterer will handle the clean-up of the facility including refuse, tables, and chairs. Under no circumstances may trash and/or food be left outside on the ground along the pathways or in and around planted areas.
All personal items should be removed from the garden by the end of your rented time, which is stated on your contract. See “Site Departure” for information pertaining to late removal.
If you do not have a caterer at your event, you are responsible for trash removal from your rented area. This will be discussed with you prior to your event and noted on your contract.
For Full Day and Full Weekend Rentals, all event participants including vendors, cleaning staff, musicians and wedding participants, must leave the grounds by midnight the day of the event.
Hourly Rate Reservations must stay within the time frame in which they have booked per the contract.
If you and/or your event participants (i.e. vendors, caterers, planners, family, or friends, etc.) have not left by the end of your rented time, a fee of $400 per hour will be charged. If you have not previously reserved an event extension, this fee will be removed from your security deposit.
There is a very small, but important list of items not allowed at the garden. Evidence of these items may result in the loss of your security deposit:
- Smoking
- Rice, confetti or glitter, birdseed
- Silk flower petals
- Fires
- Fireworks – If sparklers are to be used, CBG’s Private Events Team must be advised and approve at least 2 weeks prior to the event.
- Candles in the farmhouse or on porches – If candles are to be used they must be outside of the farmhouse and inside of a container.
- Glass beverages
- Illicit drugs
- Propane heaters – If used, they must 10 ft from the farmhouse and barn and cottage structures surrounding the lawn. Contact Private Events Team for approval.
- Garden plantings, hanging baskets and planted containers shall not be removed
- CBG Inventory – to include but not limited to tables and chairs – must not be moved from the location in which it was originally arranged (ex: from one part of the garden to another).
- If floral or party decorations are desired, they must be installed in such a way to prevent damage to the rented premises. Contact the Private Events Team for any specific questions pertaining to décor.
- Do not staple, tape, tack, glue or nail decorations to any surface or structure.
- No furniture or furnishings may be damaged or moved or removed from the premises without prior permission in order to prevent forfeiture of security deposit.
- The use of any name associated with The Columbus Botanical Gardens, Inc. and/or logo must be pre-approved by the Private Events Team.
Please be advised that any special event must be scheduled with our Rental Director no less than two weeks prior to taking place in The Garden. This includes but is not limited to weddings or wedding events of any type, proposals, showers, reunions, gender reveals, birthday parties, group visits, tours, and photography sessions.
Vendors
lients are responsible for any damage or fees that vendors incur. This excludes any gross negligence on the part of the vendor.
Examples:
- Leaving site after rented time has passed
- Damaging plants in process of putting up décor, tents, etc.
- Damaging structures in process of putting up décor, etc.
- Leaving trash behind
Some vendors must be licensed/insured and able to show CBG proof of such 2 weeks prior to the event. Our Private Events Team will reach out to vendors if this information is required.
We recommend that all vendors not familiar with CBG schedule a walkthrough with our Private Events Team prior to the event.
The Columbus Botanical Garden works with the most elite catering companies in the business who are dedicated to excellent food quality and service. For that reason, only catering companies from our approved list may be used for your event.
Approved Caterers:
Alcohol may be served during events at the garden. Professional bartenders and bartending companies are required. Event organizers are required to ensure that guests are not over-served, that only those of legal drinking age are served alcohol, that inebriated guests do not drive home, and that any irresponsible behavior is prevented. Alcohol may not be brought inside the gates of the Columbus Botanical Garden by anyone without a beverage license.
Security may be required for events that have alcohol being served. Please contact our Private Events Team.
Entertainment, either live or DJ, may be provided during events at the garden. Music outdoors must be lowered by 10:00 PM per city ordinance and it must not be loud or offensive and must be kept at a volume that does not disturb the adjoining neighborhood. If Musicians or DJs intend to put speakers any distance from the farmhouse, they will need to provide their own large-diameter extension cords. The garden does not provide extension cords.
The Columbus Botanical Garden allows for the use of the Bluetooth speaker system which has speakers throughout the Farmhouse and over the brick patio and porches. Renters should advise CBG staff if they intend to use the speaker system for their event prior to the day of their event and at the final walk-through. Music must be provided from the renter’s mobile device and plugged into our speaker system. Examples of mobile devices include the following: a phone, iPad’s, iPods, etc. Please make arrangements to meet with our Private Events Team in order to check your device to ensure it is compatible with our system. A microphone is available for an extra fee.