We offer options for couples wanting to make the most of their wedding budget. The Professional Planning Discount is a $350 Dara’s Garden invoice credit offered to couples that book full or partial planning services with a professional coordinator The Daytime Discount is 15% off the Fairytale or Intimate Affair package for daytime events concluding by 6pm. The discount is available to couples agreeing to 10 hours of wedding day access during the daytime from 8am to 6pm. This option is offered for all seasons; however, it is recommended for springtime & fall event dates as the hottest part of the day for June- August is between 3-6pm. This is the required option & only rate for March weddings.

The Military discount is a 10% discount offered to Dara’s Garden couples that have served or are currently serving our country. Military ID must be shown for this discount. Immediate family members of the couple, paying venue costs, may present their military ID, for a credit of $125. Military discounts cannot be combined with other discounts.

Dara’s Garden is primarily an outdoor venue. Our 4,000 square foot pavilion is surrounded by ravishing roses & lush landscaping. The perfect place to eat, drink & be married; our pavilion hosts a grand chandelier & bistro lighting for dancing the night away with your guests. Equipped with a French drain, concrete flooring & gutters; it is designed to cover guests during the event of mild to moderate rainfall. It offers excellent shading during the summer months. This structure is not insulated or air conditioned. While prepared to accommodate rainfall & keep guests comfortable in the event of rain, the pavilion is NOT waterproof or suited for natural disasters. Our historic home is available for microweddings, luncheons & showers hosting 40 guests or less. Please inquire with Dara’s Garden to reserve the historic home for an event.

150 is the recommended guest count. 200 is the maximum guest count for the tent pavilion. Larger guest counts can be accommodated with special set up requirements. Contact Kate or Dara for specific set up details & options.

We value being a considerate member of the South Knoxville Community. We ask that all receptions conclude by 10:30pm. For ceremonies starting at 7pm or later in the summer months (June, July, or August), exceptions can be made after speaking with Kate or Dara.

For a wedding taking place on a weekend; we offer 2 package options. The Fairytale & Intimate Affair. Both packages include some rentals & two days of access. This allows couples on site the day prior to their wedding to rehearse and 12 hours of access on the event day. For couples open to a wedding during the week; we offer incredible rates for our Fairytale Package.

For couples hosting a smaller wedding of 60 guests or less; yet still desiring to celebrate on a Saturday, we offer our Intimate Affair package which still offers 2 days of access. This package is less than the weekend rate for our Fairytale Package.

Elopements are offered during the week on Mondays & Tuesdays. This simple ceremony option can host up to 20 guests and provides couples with a beautiful backdrop to exchange vows & take wedding photos. Dara’s Garden Elopements are an excellent value and provide couples with 2 hours of private access to the entire property. This 2-hour time frame must be set at the time of booking as we can host more than one elopement in a day.

We are happy to place a complimentary hold a date for your event for 7 days. It is the responsibility of the client to contact Dara’s Garden via email or by calling the office within seven days of requesting the hold.

50% of the Dara’s Garden invoice is due to reserve a wedding date. The remaining invoice balance is due to be paid within 90 days of the first deposit payment. The event date is subject to being released should the Dara’s Garden balance remain unpaid after 90 days. For events taking place within 90 days of reserving the date, the Dara’s garden invoice balance must be paid in full. Deposits are non-refundable non-transferable.

Payment of the Dara’s Garden invoice is non-transferable & non-refundable. We offer a seven-day complementary hold so that you have time to thoroughly research and & think through wedding day venue options prior to reserving the wedding date. We are confident you will find value in our packages, integrity in working with our staff & joy on the wedding day. In the event you need to cancel the date, written notification is required by both parties.

We are very excited to celebrate with the sweet couples that trust Dara’s Garden as their wedding day location. Please know that we can meet as often as you like or need. We schedule all meeting & tours a as our wedding schedule allows, on Mondays, Tuesdays & Thursdays.

Our Fairytale & Intimate affair packages offer 12 hours of access on the wedding day access & access the day prior to rehearse & drop off items. 12 hours on the wedding day is the maximum amount of access we allow. Our labor schedules, for cleaning and setting, must take place outside this 12 hour time window. This set time schedule ensures Dara’s Garden couples enjoy the best wedding experience Dara’s Garden has to offer.

The client is responsible for gathering and taking all personal items they would like to keep. These items can be gathered up once your event has concluded during the 1 hour that the Dara’s Garden staff is on site breaking down your event. This clean up time is NOT deducted from your package hours of property access. Dara’s Garden requires each couple to have a contact person to be sent home with any items left at your event. Dara’s Garden is not responsible for personal decor not gathered by the agreed contract or items left behind after your event. Please note that any items left behind after your event will be discarded if arrangements have not been made.

Wedding insurance is a common policy for most venues. Dara’s Garden does not require a minimum amount of insurance for the wedding day, only that couples have coverage during their rental time at Dara’s Garden. This requirement is in place so that our clients & couples have peace of mind on their wedding day. Dara’s Garden does not benefit from this policy, other than knowing that if anything unexpected were to take place, our couples have options available rather than be held liable. As a company, Dara’s Garden has proper liability insurance in place. This is simply extra protection for the client.

Wedding insurance is typically a minimum expense & dependent on the client’s desired level of coverage. Check with your current insurance provider. Your wedding planner can also offer wedding insurance recommendations.

Dara’s Garden wants you and your guests to celebrate your memorable milestone in a safe and secure setting. We do require that a uniformed security officer be present during every event. This is for the safety and security of your guests. The officer is on the property making sure that guests are able leave the garden safely. They also ensure that the policy of no outside alcohol, is kept. The officer is scheduled and paid directly by Dara’s Garden.

We do not allow transporting of chairs during your event. For the comfort & safety of your guests & to most enjoy your event, it is best to have all chairs in place prior to guest arriving. Dara’s Garden will place all chairs included with your wedding package the day before the wedding.

Our pavilion is 4,000 square feet & can accommodate seating of 150 guests, menu tables, DJ, bar and dance area comfortably. We recommend for guest counts of 175, renting an additional tent to extend your covered reception area in case of rain. You might also prefer to tent your ceremony site if you are concerned with the possibility of rain.

Our sister company Event Rentals is the required rental company for TENT RENTALS at Dara’s Garden.

Dara’s Garden includes rentals in all our event packages. For additional standard rentals NOT included in your Dara’s Garden package, we require you to rent from Event Rentals by Rothchild. We consider standard rentals to be tables, tents, chairs and bistro lighting. We understand that each couple has their own unique style. We do work with specialty rental companies for couples wanting custom linens, arbors, furniture, glassware & lighting for their wedding. Please check with your Dara’s Garden venue coordinator to make sure your specialty rental company is approved at Dara’s Garden.

Dara’s Garden works exclusively with Rothchild Catering. There are no exceptions to allow any other outside catering companies on the property. We partner with our sister company, Rothchild Catering, to guarantee a seamless and excellent Dara’s Garden experience priced at the best value on the day of your special event. Rothchild Catering has been in business for over 35 years. They can offer menu suggestions and can custom create a desired menu based on a variety of individual tastes and cultural backgrounds.

At Dara’s Garden we REQUIRE you to select from our list local, licensed and insured bartending services Please email weddings@darasgarden.com for an approved list of bartending services. Please note that only listed bar services are approved to work at Dara’s Garden.

At Dara’s Garden we REQUIRE you to select from our list local, licensed and insured bartending services Please email weddings@darasgarden.com for an approved list of bartending services. Please note that only listed bar services are approved to work at Dara’s Garden.

Alcohol for your event can be provided by you, the Dara’s Garden client and is to be served ONLY by the approved bartending companies listed above. Guests of the event are not allowed to bring alcohol on the property and all alcoholic beverages consumed on property must be served by approved bartending companies ONLY as they are ABC certified licensed & insured bartenders. Dara’s Garden wants you and your guests to celebrate your memorable milestone in a safe and secure setting. This policy is in place for the safety of your guests and so that Dara’s Garden is keeping compliance with the alcohol laws of Tennessee.

All cake bakers must be licensed and insured. Dara’s Garden is not responsible for the setup and placement of cakes delivered by the approved vendors. We recommend your cake to be set-up and delivered as close to the ceremony time as possible.

Specialty drinks, like coffee, and specialty sweets, like donuts, are allowed at Dara’s Garden from licensed and insured companies. Dara’s Garden is not responsible for the setup and placement of specialty desserts & drinks delivered by approved vendors.

We do allow sparklers at Dara’s Garden. However, for the safety of your guests and preservation of the custom landscaping we ask that sparkler sendoffs take place at the red pagoda.

Dara’s Garden provides heaters for events taking place during the fall and winter months. For summer months cooling fans can be rented from Event Rentals by Rothchild.

There is the chance of rain at any outdoor venue. Rain or shine, an amazing wedding day is always possible. Dara & Kate are experienced with rain on wedding days. If the ceremony is rained out, couples can use the reception set up in the tent pavilion for their ceremony. Guests can sit at the reception seating. This decision must be made 30 minutes prior to the start of your ceremony. Please note that we will NOT move your ceremony chairs. Once your ceremony is set, it is NOT moved. With the 30-minute notice, we tweak your reception set up to accommodate both a ceremony and reception without the chaos of moving rentals between the ceremony and reception. You also have the option to rent a tent to cover your ceremony site from Event Rentals by Rothchild. This tent needs to be on reserved with a deposit prior to the wedding day. Lastly, you can choose to wait for the rain to pass and Dara’s Garden can dry off ceremony chairs with a blower & then wipe them down with towels. If you choose this option, we will extend your reception time.