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Marietta Wedding Venue
Fair Oaks, Marietta Educational Garden Center weddings
A house and garden near Marietta Square run as the Marietta Educational Garden Center. Vows happen at a gazebo, the lawn holds the dance floor, and a banquet hall in the home seats a sit down dinner. Couples bring their own caterer, alcohol is allowed, and published rates are among the lowest in the metro.
Ceremony And Reception Spaces
| Space | Guests | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gazebo | Ask the venue | A garden gazebo the center suggests for vows. |
| Lawn and pavilion | Up to 250 indoor and outdoor | An expansive lawn for dancing and a 20 by 30 foot pavilion. |
| Banquet hall | 80 to 100 seated dinner | Indoor only events are capped at 150 guests. |
How It Photographs
The gazebo, porch and garden beds give a soft garden setting a short walk from the Square.
Venue Details
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Published Price | 2024 full day rates. On season Monday to Friday $2800, Saturday $4,000, Sunday $3,400. Off season Monday to Friday $2000, Saturday $2,500, Sunday $2,200. Holidays $4,500. Plus a $150 to $300 security fee and a $700 refundable damage deposit. Rates were last updated 1/1/2024 and fees published on the booking day govern. (source) |
| Catering | Outside Allowed. The Center Does Not Cater, Lists Suggested Caterers, And Permits Alcohol In The Meeting Room, Porch Or Garden. |
| Phone | 770-427-3494 |
| Website | The venue site |
| Address | 505 Kennesaw Ave, Marietta, GA 30060 |
Facts from mariettagardencenter.com, read November 2026.
What The Venue Publishes
- 70 chairs and 16 round and 4 rectangular tables for use in the house or on the porch
- Access from 7.30 am on the event day
- Guests must leave by 11 pm and outdoor music ends at 11 pm. Security guards are required for receptions. Rehearsal dinners the day before get 15% off that day's rate. Tents and outdoor dance floors must come from Unlimited Party and Event Rentals.
How I Would Photograph A Wedding Here
A garden wedding lives or dies by the time of day. I walk the paths with the venue before the day, note where the shade falls at ceremony time, and save the best beds and the longest view for the last hour of sun.
This venue publishes outdoor space, so I would plan around the sun. A ceremony in full midday sun means squinting guests and hard shadows, so look up the sunset for your month first and work back from it. Even if dinner is inside, twenty quiet minutes outside before sunset make the photographs couples frame.
A smaller wedding outside is a gift. Everyone fits in the frame, the toasts are personal, and there is time to wander the grounds for portraits without leaving guests waiting.
Ask where you will get ready. A bright room with a big window makes the dress, the details and those first quiet minutes look their best, and if it is close to the ceremony spot it saves time on a hot day.
Questions To Ask Fair Oaks, Marietta Educational Garden Center
- If it rains, which indoor room holds the ceremony, and when do we have to decide?
- Is there a suite for getting ready, and does it have a big window?
- Where is the shade at the time of our ceremony, and can the chairs face away from the sun?
- What time does outdoor music have to stop, and is the space private to us all day?
- Which areas of the grounds can we use for portraits, and when is the last call for the rain plan?
Send me the answers and your date, and I will plan the photographs and the film around them. Check your date.
What Fair Oaks, Marietta Educational Garden Center Publishes
More Spaces At Fair Oaks, Marietta Educational Garden Center
| Space | Guests | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| House meeting room | 80 to 100 seated dinner | A banquet hall in the home. Indoor only events hold up to 150 guests |
| Pavilion | Ask the venue | A 20 by 30 foot ceremony pavilion beside a gazebo |
| Lawn | 250 for indoor and outdoor events | Used for dancing and for tents rented from the center's recommended rental company |
What Comes With A Wedding Here
Fair Oaks, Marietta Educational Garden Center lists these with a wedding on its own pages.
- 70 chairs, 12 round 48 inch tables, 4 round 42 inch tables and 4 rectangular 6 foot tables, used in the house or on the porch only
- Table pads for the dining room and back parlor
- Full access to the house and grounds from 7.30 am to 11 pm
- A free ceremony rehearsal a day or two before, subject to availability
Catering, Bar And Vendors
Linens, china, glassware, silverware and setup help are not provided. The center lists suggested caterers Carriage House, Big Girls Catering, Adriane's Delectables, Eatin Fresh, Sweet Auburn and Julianna's, plus bakers and Unlimited Party and Event Rental. Alcohol is permitted in the meeting room, on the porch and in the garden. Dance floors are required for dancing and tents on the lawn must come from Unlimited Party and Event Rental.
Timing, Music And Load In
Guests must leave by 11 pm and caterers may clean until midnight. Outdoor music must end by 11 pm and follow the Marietta noise ordinance. A walk through before receiving a key is usually on a Friday. A security guard is required for weddings, one for 1 to 150 guests and two for 151 to 250.
Decor Rules
Nothing may be placed on walls, columns or chandeliers and helium balloons and moving furniture are not allowed. Drip less candles in candlesticks or candles in holders or hurricane glass are allowed. Rice, sparklers, fireworks, tiki torches, liquid fuel lamps, chimineas and fire pits are banned. Birdseed is allowed in the yard only, fresh petals are allowed, and no doves, butterflies or other animals may be released.
Getting There And Parking
The address is 505 Kennesaw Avenue, Marietta 30060. Driving on the lawn is not allowed, and there is on site parking plus two off site lots for weekend events.
Rehearsals, Welcome Parties And More
A rehearsal dinner can be booked the day before at 15 percent off that day's rate if available.
Touring And Booking
Contact the center at 770 427 3494. The 2024 price list showed Saturday at $4,000 in season and $2,500 off season, Sunday at $3,400 or $2,200, and Monday to Friday at $2,800 or $2,000, with a $700 damage deposit. Half the site fee is due at booking and the balance 60 days out. The center says fees published on the booking day supersede other pricing.
From mariettagardencenter.com, mariettagardencenter.com, read November 2026. Policies change, so confirm each one with the venue.
Plan The Day
A Wedding Day At Fair Oaks, Marietta Educational Garden Center
Fair Oaks, Marietta Educational Garden Center lists outdoor space, so the ceremony time is the one decision that changes every photograph. I like a ceremony that ends a little more than an hour before sunset. The light is softer, guests are not squinting into the sun, and we walk straight from the recessional into portraits while the sky warms up. Fair Oaks, Marietta Educational Garden Center does not publish a rain plan, so ask for it in writing and walk the backup room on your tour.
The times below are worked out from the sunset in Atlanta on the 15th of each month, with daylight saving included. Move everything earlier in winter and later in June.
| Month | Ceremony | Portraits Begin | Sunset | Blue Hour Ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April | 6:25 PM | 7:10 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:40 PM |
| May | 6:45 PM | 7:30 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM |
| June | 7:05 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:20 PM |
| September | 6:00 PM | 6:45 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:15 PM |
| October | 5:20 PM | 6:05 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:35 PM |
| November | 3:50 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:05 PM |
Getting ready photos usually start about two hours before the ceremony, so book hair and makeup to finish thirty minutes before I arrive.
Compare
How Fair Oaks, Marietta Educational Garden Center Compares
At up to 250 guests, Fair Oaks, Marietta Educational Garden Center sits in the middle of the 65 venues here that publish a capacity. It is one of 26 venues in this guide that put a price online. Other museum or garden venues in this guide are Fernbank Museum, High Museum of Art, The Carter Center.
Questions About Fair Oaks, Marietta Educational Garden Center
How many guests fit at Fair Oaks, Marietta Educational Garden Center?
Fair Oaks, Marietta Educational Garden Center publishes up to 250 guests. Ask the venue which space fits your plan.
How much does Fair Oaks, Marietta Educational Garden Center cost for a wedding?
Here is what the venue lists online. 2024 full day rates. On season Monday to Friday $2800, Saturday $4,000, Sunday $3,400. Off season Monday to Friday $2000, Saturday $2,500, Sunday $2,200. Holidays $4,500. Plus a $150 to $300 security fee and a $700 refundable damage deposit. Rates were last updated 1/1/2024 and fees published on the booking day govern.. Prices change, so confirm with the venue.
Can we bring our own caterer or bar to Fair Oaks, Marietta Educational Garden Center?
Linens, china, glassware, silverware and setup help are not provided. The center lists suggested caterers Carriage House, Big Girls Catering, Adriane's Delectables, Eatin Fresh, Sweet Auburn and Julianna's, plus bakers and Unlimited Party and Event Rental. Alcohol is permitted in the meeting room, on the porch and in the garden. Dance floors are required for dancing and tents on the lawn must come from Unlimited Party and Event Rental.
What time does a wedding have to end at Fair Oaks, Marietta Educational Garden Center?
Guests must leave by 11 pm and caterers may clean until midnight. Outdoor music must end by 11 pm and follow the Marietta noise ordinance. A walk through before receiving a key is usually on a Friday. A security guard is required for weddings, one for 1 to 150 guests and two for 151 to 250.
How do guests get to Fair Oaks, Marietta Educational Garden Center and where do they park?
The address is 505 Kennesaw Avenue, Marietta 30060. Driving on the lawn is not allowed, and there is on site parking plus two off site lots for weekend events.
Are candles, sparklers or petals allowed at Fair Oaks, Marietta Educational Garden Center?
Nothing may be placed on walls, columns or chandeliers and helium balloons and moving furniture are not allowed. Drip less candles in candlesticks or candles in holders or hurricane glass are allowed. Rice, sparklers, fireworks, tiki torches, liquid fuel lamps, chimineas and fire pits are banned. Birdseed is allowed in the yard only, fresh petals are allowed, and no doves, butterflies or other animals may be released.
Will you photograph our wedding at Fair Oaks, Marietta Educational Garden Center?
Yes. I photograph and film weddings all over Atlanta. Check your date and tell me about your plans.
Found Your Venue
Tell me where in Atlanta you are getting married and I will tell you how I would photograph it.