Volunteer Park Conservatory Wedding Photographer in Seattle
Two grooms, one in light grey and one in white, married inside the Volunteer Park Conservatory on Capitol Hill in Seattle, on a spring afternoon with the cherry trees in bloom outside. Evaro Studios photographed the ceremony in the glasshouse and the portraits in the park around it.
It was a small wedding. A few rows of white folding chairs between the plant beds, an officiant with his notes on a sheet of paper, the people closest to them, and a very small boy in a tux with an orange bow tie who had his own ideas about where to stand.
If you are planning a wedding at the Conservatory, this is what it looks like.
Why the Conservatory works for a ceremony
The Volunteer Park Conservatory is a Victorian-style glasshouse that opened in 1912. The City bought the design and framework as a kit, shipped it across the country by rail from New York, and put it up at the top of the park. The steel frame came from Carnegie Steel and you can still find the name stamped on it. That is the building you are standing in when you say your vows.
For a photographer it does two things at once. The whole roof is glass, so the light inside is soft and even in every direction, no matter where the sun is. And every background is a plant: ferns, tulips, orchids, a wall of green behind the officiant. You do not need decor. The building is the decor.
How the ceremony ran
Each groom walked in with two people beside him. The officiant stood between the beds at the far end, the grooms faced each other, and the guests sat close enough to hear everything without a microphone. Somewhere in the middle the little boy walked up to see what was going on and both grooms went down to his level. We kept shooting. That is the frame people remember.
Vows, rings, a kiss, and then both arms went up. It took about twenty minutes from the walk in to the cheer.
Out in the park
Volunteer Park is an Olmsted park and a designated Seattle Landmark, and in spring the paths below the Conservatory run under cherry and magnolia in full bloom. The portraits were made on those paths and on the lawn: walking hand in hand, standing under a magnolia with petals on the grass, one wide frame with the two of them small under a whole canopy of cherry blossom.
The grey suit and the white suit were a good call for this. Against pink blossom and green lawn, light suits read clean and the two of them stay separate from the background in every frame. The pair of bow ties did the rest.
One more detail worth copying: the groom in white wore a boutonniere of small white daisies. Simple, and it photographed better than most of the florals we see.
Planning a wedding at the Volunteer Park Conservatory
The Conservatory is a Seattle Parks and Recreation facility. Ceremonies and professional photography inside go through the Parks ceremony application, not through the Conservatory's own staff, and the Parks page asks for applications at least 30 days ahead. A permit holds your time slot; it does not close the building to the public, so expect a few visitors looking at the orchids while you get married. Alcohol is not allowed in Seattle parks, so the toast happens somewhere else. Tripods are not allowed inside, which is fine, we do not use one. At the time of writing the Conservatory is open Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm, and closed Mondays, and parking in the park is free. Check the Conservatory's visitor page and the Seattle Parks ceremony reservations page before you set a date.
A ceremony in the glasshouse with portraits in the park and a small group is a four-hour day. Evaro Studios wedding coverage starts at $2,000 for the Intimate package (4 hours, one photographer, a full edited gallery and print rights). Essentials is $3,000 for six or more hours, and Story at $4,500 adds a second photographer and a highlight film. All of it is on the wedding pricing page, and there is more of our work with queer couples on the LGBTQ+ weddings page.
While you're there
- Volunteer Park - the whole park is worth a walk. Cherry blossom in spring, and from July until the first frost the dahlia beds are in bloom.
- Volunteer Park Conservatory - the visitor page has hours and admission, and the Palm House gift shop inside sells plants grown in the building.
- Espresso Vivace, Brix - on Broadway East, a short walk down the hill. Their flagship cafe, and the right coffee to carry back up to the park.
- Analog Coffee - Summit Avenue East, Capitol Hill. Small, quiet, good for the morning of.
- Altura - Broadway East. The dinner after, if you want it to be a real one.
- Oddfellows Cafe - 10th Avenue, Capitol Hill. Brunch the next day, open from 8am.
Questions couples ask
Can you get married inside the Volunteer Park Conservatory?
Yes. Seattle Parks lists the Conservatory as one of its ceremony sites. You apply through the Parks outdoor ceremony application, at least 30 days ahead, and the permit covers photography during your reserved time. The building stays open to the public during your ceremony.
What is the light like inside the glasshouse?
Soft, even, and the same in every direction, because the roof is glass. It is one of the few indoor venues in Seattle where the time of day barely matters for the ceremony photos. The portraits outside are a different story: late afternoon in spring is best for the blossom paths.
How many guests fit?
This wedding seated a small group on white folding chairs between the plant beds, with room to spare. The Conservatory is a working greenhouse with paved paths, not a hall, so plan for an intimate ceremony rather than a big one, and confirm your guest count with Seattle Parks when you apply.
What does wedding photography at the Conservatory cost?
A ceremony in the glasshouse and portraits in the park fits the Intimate package at $2,000 for four hours. Longer days start at $3,000. Every package includes a full edited gallery with print rights.
Planning a wedding at the Volunteer Park Conservatory? Check your date, or see the wedding pricing.
More Seattle weddings: Kelley Farm in Bonney Lake. More in the park next door: a proposal at the Washington Park Arboretum.
