Conservatory of Flowers Conservatory Access Road • San Francisco • CA 94117

If you’re looking for a symbolic place to begin your marriage, you can’t beat the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park. This seemingly fragile, multi-faceted gem of a building with a thriving, ever-growing, organic heart, has suffered fire, earthquakes and windstorms—and yet, it’s still standing after 140 years.

The Vestibule is the entry to the Conservatory and a lovely entrée to your event. While you’re serving cocktails in this peaked roof section, take a look at the surrounding glass: It’s not all white or clear, but punctuated by jewel-like insets of green, tiger lily orange, ruby and delphinium blue.

From the Vestibule, go through the Lowland Tropics, the large central gallery with the gorgeous pointed cupola housing the enormous century-old philodendron and a dense mix of other tropical plants. The cool Highland Tropics gallery contains a collection of delicate high-altitude orchids. The Aquatic Plants gallery has a water lily pond with little waterfalls and fantastic Victoria amazonica lily pads—the kind that grow so large they’re depicted in fairy-tale books with children sitting on them.

Throughout Potted Plants are hibiscus with showy blooms in yellows, pinks, oranges and reds, and orchids in all the crazy variety of sizes, shapes and colors that orchids exhibit. Huge pots of Dr. Seussian, spiky-stemmed Madagascar Palms sit here, and two banks of plants with a mesmerizing diversity of leaf textures, shapes and patterns run the length of the room.

Just past Potted Plants is West Gallery, dominated by the ethereal, spun-sugar look of the Conservatory’s structure. Ceremonies often take place here against the backdrop of a fern wall.

The Orchid Pavilion is ideal for larger, sit-down dinner functions, events or meetings. Outdoor ceremonies for up to 200 people can be held on the Conservatory’s lawn or platform.

Flower lovers will find no better place for a celebration than this Conservatory. It’s a uniquely beautiful San Francisco landmark.