about Dara’s Garden
Stepping onto the grounds of Dara’s Garden is like stepping into the pages of a storybook. Every detail of the property is designed to create an enchanting atmosphere for a truly magical wedding day.
Dara’s Garden features multiple ceremony sites to select from and a reception pavilion that comfortably seats 200 guests. The pavilion is adorned with cafe lights, an eye-catching chandelier and a dance floor. The pavilion is surrounded by season greenery and flowers and has sides that can be adjusted depending on weather. The historic home on the property includes two separate wedding suites where you will enjoy complimentary refreshments as you prepare for the day, a kitchenette, restrooms, a stone fireplace and multiple common areas. With additional rentals, Dara’s Garden can accommodate weddings of 300+ guests.
Each Dara’s Garden package includes a set inventory of tables, chairs and linens with setup and tear down. Your Dara’s Garden coordinator will happily assist you with selecting your ceremony and reception locations and determining if you have a need for additional rental items.
Dara’s Garden is conveniently located in South Knoxville only 10 minutes from McGhee Tyson Airport, 10 minutes from downtown Knoxville and approximately 30 minutes from the Great Smoky Mountains.

Owner
Dara believes every couple deserves a magical wedding day! This belief led her to create Dara’s Garden as a stunning storybook setting designed to feel like your home away from home.
In her college entrepreneurship class, Dara was faced with an assignment that unexpectedly led her on a career path into the wedding industry. Her professor challenged each student to create a business plan. Although Dara was studying fashion merchandising at the time, she felt compelled to create a business plan for a wedding venue. By the end of the project, Dara knew that she was meant to be in the wedding industry.
After graduating from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in 2003, Dara moved home to Knoxville to search for the perfect location to bring her business plan to fruition. After much planning and preparation, Dara’s Garden opened in May of 2006.
From the beginning, Dara’s mission has been to create a space where everybody feels welcome when they walk through the doors. She wants each couple to feel like the garden is their home for the day.
Outside of the garden, you will often find Dara at any of Knoxville’s best restaurants enjoying a delicious meal or a glass of wine with her husband, Bedros. She also enjoys attending fundraisers to support local nonprofits such as the historic Tennessee Theatre.
Kate Keylon
Venue Director
Kate loves people and parties! She has a strong passion for working with people and helping them create memorable lifetime experiences. Kate started as an intern at Dara’s Garden in 2010 while attending the University of Tennessee. After graduating with a degree in service management, she joined Dara’s Garden full-time assisting couples plan all of their wedding venue details. In 2013, Kate married her now husband, Steven at Dara’s Garden!
When Kate is not spending her time helping couples create magical wedding days, she volunteers as the Children’s Coordinator at Middlesettlements Church.
Kate also owns her own business, Sweet Southern Tans. Whether you’re looking for a wedding day glow or headed off to the beach, make sure to reach out to Kate!


Amber Edgar
Venue Concierge
Amber is passionate about connecting with both people and animals. With a natural ability to build relationships and foster trust, Amber thrives in environments where she can make a positive impact. Whether working with couples or caring for animals, she is dedicated to creating meaningful experiences that benefit both people and the world around her.
Amber discovered her passion for events while working as a catering server at Rothchild Catering. She joined the team at Dara’s Garden in 2023, while pursuing her bachelor’s degree at the University of Tennessee. After graduating with a degree in Animal Science with a minor in Business Administration, Amber decided to fully embrace her love for events and transitioned to a full-time role as the venue concierge at Dara’s Garden.
In her role, Amber is dedicated to helping couples every step of the way, ensuring their wedding day is as magical as they’ve envisioned. Outside of work, you can find Amber exploring Knoxville’s beautiful parks, enjoying downtown with friends, or relaxing at home with her two beloved cats.
testimonials
I got married here 2 days ago and it was the best day of my life!! Dara and her team made our day so effortless. Working with Dara during the planning process was perfect. She was so helpful and responsive for whatever we needed! Her vendor recommendations were amazing. The venue was absolutely perfect! Our guests said it was the most beautiful venue they’ve ever been to. We could not recommend this venue enough!!
Amazing venue! Wonderful staff! My husband and I held our wedding ceremony and reception on the grounds on May 23, 2023. We really wanted to find a great venue that did weekday bookings. Since I work within the entertainment world and weekends are just so hard to get off for that. Dara was ready to help immediately! Getting us the perfect Tuesday date, while she can’t control the weather, it’s like she knew it’d be perfect.
The process of booking with her went so smoothly and everything just fell into place beautifully.
Our wedding at Dara’s Garden was truly a fairytale.
This venue was everything we dreamed of for our big, fun summer wedding! Dara is so sweet and in tune with every detail, ensuring everything is exactly what you want it to be on the big day! This is such a versatile venue as well with lots of space and multiple different ceremony sites, all beautiful!