About this vendor
Anderson Japanese Gardens has been rated one of North America’s highest quality Japanese gardens since 2004. With over 12 acres of exquisite landscape, unique architecture, gentle streams, and plunging waterfalls, Anderson Gardens offers several unique wedding ceremony settings.
Amenities + details
Ceremony Area
Covered Outdoors Space
Dressing Room
Handicap Accessible
Indoor Event Space
Reception Area
Wireless Internet
Liability Insurance
On-Site Accommodations
Outdoor Event Space
Ceremony Types
- Civil Union
- Commitment Ceremony
- Elopement
- Interfaith Ceremony
- Non-Religious Ceremony
- Religious Ceremony
Settings
- Garden
Venue Service Offerings
- Bar & Drinks
- Food & Catering
- Service Staff
Awards and Affiliations
2-Time 'Best of Weddings'
2023.2015.
Best of Weddings
The Knot independently assesses vendors for this award—it’s never self-reported. We base it on firsthand experiences from real couples and guests, and they must have a 4.5-star average across 7+ reviews in the qualifying year.
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Reviews
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4.9
out of 5.051 reviews
Review photos
Showing slide number 1 out of 9
We had the most magical wedding experience we could have dreamed of here! The staff was incredibly helpful and there every step of the way, they had walkie talkies to manage photo...
s and timeframes. They also choreographed the most beautiful processional walk I could have ever asked for. They were the Dream Team of Teams and I am without a doubt beyond pleased to have had both my wedding ceremony and reception there. The guests and family members all kept saying how beautiful and magical it was letting us know this was "The Best Wedding they've been to." If you are looking for a venue, I will nonstop recommend Anderson Japanese Gardens in Rockford IL. Again thank you so much to Warren and his staff of amazing helpers!
Anderson Japanese Gardens was the first and only venue we toured because we fell in love with it immediately. It was an absolutely stunning location and all of the staff were wonde...
rful! The west waterfall was the most amazing spot for our intimate ceremony. We also had our reception on site at Fresco, which made the whole day flow so easily and it’s a lovely space with a great view of the gardens. Carmen was our day of coordinator and went above and beyond, even helping the bridesmaids lace up their dresses! We couldn’t have picked a more stunning, beautiful, and perfect venue.
The Gardens are gorgeous and beautifully maintained! The staff is wonderful and helped our wedding there come off beautifully from helping coordinate down to the last detail and th...
en keeping the day as stress free as possible for my husband and I, along with our families! Grace was wonderful assistant to keep everything flowing and I would definitely recommend having your special events coordinated through Anderson Japanese Gardens!
Words cannot describe how wonderful the staff have been. They helped us throughout everything. From pictures to adjusting my train. To helping with the rehearsal. God they were jus...
t incredible. Fresco's not so much, but they are a separate entity from the gardens. I cannot express the love the staff have givin me and helped us with everything.
This was my dream Rockford ceremony venue. Cannot begin to express how STUNNING every turn is there. I had a fall wedding, and the colors could not have been more perfect. It was a...
n ethereal dream. Warren was quick to respond with any questions I had leading up to the day. The team operated as a well oiled machine the day-of.
My biggest complaint and probably the worst hiccup of the day wan't really their fault. My wedding day happened to be a beautiful sunny 80 degree day in the middle of a cold fall season. So there were HUNDREDS of visitors that day that the garden staff was just not prepared for. This resulted in an absolute disaster of a parking lot situation and no place for the groom and groomsmen to go. The groom and groomsmen ended up being put down with myself and my bridesmaids which was not the plan and super stressful. Thanks to my bridesmaids and father, the groom and I were able to avoid each other before the first look. Another slight hiccup due to the high volume of people was that there were not enough staff members to properly direct guests. This caused many guests to not enter from the correct path, and they missed the welcome table (programs, pictures, tissues, etc). Lastly, due to the parking lot situation, some of my bridal party members ended up in the overflow lot, and because of the crazy winds that day, a tree went down and blocked the main entrance to that lot. So they were late to the reception.
Once the first look was over, everything else was extremely smooth. The garden staff got the entire bridal party lined up and down the aisle on time. They did a great job making sure that garden guests (the gardens were open to the public during the ceremony) did not walk through or disturb our private area. During pictures, a garden staff member stayed with us and our photographer the whole time and helped carry my bouquet, train or whatever was needed. She didn't rush us but helped us keep track of the time. Overall, they did a great job handling the unplanned chaos of the day, and aside from the stress during the getting ready, the day was stress free thanks to the competent and kind staff members.
We knew we wanted a Japanese Garden for our outdoor ceremony, and Anderson Japanese Gardens was exactly what we envisioned. Any questions we had, we got answers from Warren within ...
at least one day via email. Booking with them was easy, the package was straightforward and costs were reasonable. For the wedding rehearsal, Amy walked us through every detail, while also listening to our ideas. She was with us and the photographer the whole time the day of the wedding and even guided the photographer to some popular photo spots, which was very helpful for our photographer who has never been to Anderson’s. Thank you to Warren, Amy, and the staff for a wonderful experience!
We had a beautiful ceremony at Anderson Japanese Gardens! Jacy was our wedding coordinator and she helped us with organizing everything from the rehearsal dinner the night before a...
ll the way through our portraits and pictures at the gardens following the ceremony. She also walked me (the bride) through the entire process and answered all my questions. She made it a fun and relaxing day, as she had everything under control for me. The pavilion was a gorgeous place to have the ceremony and my pictures were stunning with the gardens in the background. Guests loved that they were able to take pictures at the gardens after the ceremony, and so many of them posted their own pictures from the wedding at the gardens. Highly recommend if you want a garden wedding with gorgeous pictures.
Anderson Japanese Gardens is an incredible place to get married! It is so stunningly beautiful that you barely need any decorations. The staff was super attentive the day of the ce...
remony, making sure that we started on time and that everyone was where they needed to be at all time. The even ran interference for us so that we could get pictures done without being interrupted. It rained a little as well that day and they even had umbrellas for us! Our guests thought this was such a unique venue and have been raving about it ever since the day of the wedding! We highly recommend getting married here.
We also had our reception at Frescos at the Garden. The food was incredible and the service was top notch! We were able to leave some decorations with Katelyn and she made sure to put them up for us as well which was really above and beyond what we could have asked for! Katelyn and her whole crew were amazing!
My wife and I got married there on 5-14-22. It was absolutely flawless. Carmen and Erica helped make a our special day perfect. The gardens are
so beautiful and gave our guests...
such a unique experience. đź’ś
From communication to professionalism to going above and beyond, the staff at the gardens took care of us for our wedding day. Special shout out to Warren and Katie from the events...
coordination team - Warren was there to answer every phone call and question we have. The staff made sure we had everything we needed on the wedding day, staying with us while we took photos in a 100 degree day. We couldn't have had a better team or a more beautiful location for our wedding. Minimal to no decorations needed for a ceremony, considering the location takes care of it for you. I can not recommend Anderson Japanese Gardens enough.
Anderson Japanese Gardens has been my dream wedding location my whole life and they lived up to my high expectations!! From their professionalism to the beautiful gardens, literall...
y nothing could have been more perfect for me and my husband. They have an awesome team that goes above and beyond to make your day easy for you. I would recommend AJG to anyone - they are amazing!
Absolutely beautiful venue, amazing staff, couldn't have been more perfect. :) Beth Ann, Katie, and the other staff onsite were so attentive the day-of, and Leah was a pleasure to ...
work with for coordinating everything. Highly recommend!
Very professional and kind and did a great job guiding everything along!
Loved it! Everyone did a fabulous job at communicating with Brent and I! They made sure the ceremony went smoothly!! Couldn’t ask for a better day and can’t wait to see the picture...
s!! Definitely will recommend other brides to look at Anderson!! All the event host did a fabulous job!! Thanks for all your hard work!!
Had an absolutely perfect ceremony! Leah was great at communication prior to the event and Katie did an excellent job coordinating the rehearsal and our ceremony. It could not have...
gone more smoothly and I couldn't be more grateful!
The gardens was absolutely beautiful in the fall time and perfect for our outdoor ceremony. The staff was always there to help us and have us be navigated through the gardens for p...
ictures. This was the least stressful part of my day due to the help of the staff.
The staff at Anderson Japanese Gardens was absolutely fantastic. Whenever we had questions and emailed Sara, we typically heard back with an answer within a day. The staff created ...
a very stress-free day for both our rehearsal as well as our wedding day from the moment we stepped on the grounds to after we finished taking our pictures with our photographers and we received nothing but compliments regarding the grounds as well as organization from our friends and family. Thank you to everyone who participated in making our day special. My husband and I truly appreciate it.
Had an amazing wedding thanks to Anderson Gardens and the entire staff!!! They made it so easy and completely seamless from the beginning of planning all the way through the proces...
sional!
I started my wedding planning knowing I wanted an outdoor wedding. After seeing Anderson Garden it was a no brainer. It is beautiful. Nothing is needed to decorate, let the garden ...
do it for you. Sara (staff) was available to answer questions, and since I live out of town, I had a lot. You get what you pay for with this venue. I had a large wedding 200ish, and they were able to accommodate the large group. I also had 4 friends that were the coordinated the day, and Anderson's staff was there to pitch in and assist as well. If you are looking for a garden wedding, I recommend Anderson!!
The Anderson Japanese Gardens are beautiful with the sun shining and even in the gently falling rain. Our ceremony took place in a gentle rain and the staff was wonderfully ready f...
or it. They left the decision up to us whether to continue with our plans to have the ceremony by the West Waterfall as scheduled or to relocate us under the pavilion. We wanted to proceed with the waterfall and they provided our guests and us with umbrellas. When there is rain at an outdoor wedding, stress tends to be high. Due to the calmness and efficiency of the Garden staff, there was nothing for us to be concerned about.
Absolutely beautiful day! Believe it or not, nothing went wrong, and I have the coordinators at Anderson Gardens to thank for that: they made sure everyone was where we were suppos...
ed to be, and maintained a sense of privacy when appropriate/able to do so. They knew what they were doing, which helped guide the rest of us! The best part about the Gardens-- they're naturally beautiful, so you don't need to waste a bunch of time on your own decorations. Find a good photographer who knows the location well, and you're guaranteed to have amazing pictures capturing your special day!
This venue was beautiful! All the employees were extremely helpful and the rehearsal and ceremony were so organized I didn't have to worry about anything and could just enjoy my da...
y. The photography opportunities are amazing and I would recommend this place to anyone. Is a little pricey but it was worth it!
The staff was amazing, the location beautiful. Everyone just wanted us to be happy and it was the best day of my life. They worked well with all of my other vendors, and made it ju...
st an amazing day. They coordinated with each other very well and everything went well. Thank you for all of your helo making my beautiful bride even happier on our day.
No matter what time of year, the gardens are an absolutely beautiful place to have a wedding ceremony. My fiancee (now husband) and I chose the pavilion for our ceremony because we...
wanted the wedding party and our guests to not have to worry about rain or sun. Despite a very overcast, windy morning, the skies cleared up and it was just a perfect breeze for our 2 o'clock ceremony. The staff at the gardens were very professional and helped us throughout the entire process. My dad has limited mobility, and they even offered to pick him up from the parking lot in a golf cart and deliver him to the pavilion. Before the ceremony there were several staff members available to the bridal party to meet our needs, and during the ceremony they helped with crowd control (as the gardens remain open to the public). They did this again after the ceremony at various prime photography locations. My husband are I are beyond thrilled at how the entire ceremony went and especially at how beautiful all of the photos turned out.
My husband and I knew we wanted to get married outdoors in the fall. We had fallen in love with Anderson in the past and it was the top choice for our wedding. Although it is a bit...
pricey, we compromised with the earlier, slightly cheaper, Saturday afternoon slot which turned out to be perfect in fall as far as lighting and temperature. Sara (and Kara) were incredibly helpful over email answering all of our questions leading up to our wedding. Those who coordinated and helped the day of made sure everything ran smoothly and we were all on time. We were given two hours in the gardens which I was worried wouldn't be enough time but it turned out to be great. We were allowed to show up early before the ceremony to get ready and take pictures and we used the time after the ceremony to run through the gardens with the wedding party to take photos. Our guests were also allowed to roam the gardens after the ceremony for a while and everyone we talked to said they enjoyed it immensely. Although we didn't need them for the ceremony, the heaters in the pavilion were a life-saver during the rehearsal and are a great safety net for anyone considering a wedding at Anderson during potentially cold weather...they really work! Overall we are very please with our ceremony, it couldn't have been better :)
The gardens were so lovely and created the perfect backdrop for our ceremony. Our photographs turned out gorgeous as well! Our guests also loved touring the gardens after our cerem...
ony.
My ceremony was gorgeous, and I am thrilled to say that I was married at such a lovely location! Staff was indeed very helpful, but the thing I didn't like was that people were wal...
king on trails behind the pavilion during my ceremony and they may end up in my pictures... i was told the trail was supposed to be closed, but overall my wedding was perfect, and I want to send a huge shout out to Sara for making everything a smooth process. Our guide for while we took pictures was truly wonderdul as well, so a big thank to him too! Actually all 3 of my helpers were so nice, and just wanted everything to be perfect for me, and I cant thank them enough for that:)
We were so happy we decided to use Anderson Japanese Gardens for our wedding ceremony! The staff is so friendly, helpful, organized, accommodating, and always attentive to emails! ...
The venue is BEAUTIFUL! In fact, it's so beautiful you have no reason to spend money on extra details like accent flowers or decor.
After the ceremony, our guests really enjoyed being able to explore the gardens and take pictures.
Speaking of pictures, our pre and post ceremony pictures are AMAZING! The gardens are the perfect backdrop.
This venue was well worth the money!
I LOVED having my wedding here. I venture to say it was perfect. I got married the last day of May this year. The weather was perfect, so I had it in the Garden of Reflection. The ...
grounds provided all of the flowers and greenery I needed aside from our bouquets and boutonnieres. The staff was very helpful the day of and set up the programs/bubbles/favors. It was simple, it was perfect, it was simply perfect :)
It was an hour and a half away from my home, but well worth the drive. Thank you Anderson Japanese Gardens! I can't wait to come back and visit.
The garden grounds are gorgeous. My complaint is with the staff, as we felt rush the entire weekend. We paid $2500 to use the garden for 2 hours. My ceremony was at most 10 minutes...
. On the day of the Wedding I wanted to take 2 big family photos right outside of the pavilion after the ceremony. After the first one was completed, an attended told me we needed to move along as I was not going to have time to do photos around the garden. We listen to them, as they are suppose to be the "experts". And by the time I was done with the photos around the garden, I still had half an hour to use. I would have had plenty of time to take the family photos like I wanted to. But really I think they wanted us out of the pavilion to set up for the next wedding. I was very disappointed in the staff and they way they were rushing us out of the pavilion area.
Some relevant background information: Our wedding was originally planned on a late Sunday afternoon just after the gardens closed. Due to personal circumstances limiting our option...
s, our wedding also happened to fall on Mother's Day.
The gardens ended up extending their opening hours so the gardens were actually open during our ceremony. At first we were very concerned, as it was a beautiful garden and mothers day we expected a lot of traffic and didn't want pedestrians crossing through our ceremony! They gave us a discount for the trouble but honestly it ended up being no problem at all.
The staff was amazing, courteous and was able to keep our ceremony private and peaceful. Everything ran so smoothly I was able to relax and enjoy it all. (Not to mention the bridal preparation room was beautiful. While I had a very small bridal party the room was large enough to accommodate plenty of girls)
All of our guests commented on how perfect and beautiful the gardens were. I received a lot of praise for "finding the best ceremony location possible" but I think the credit should really go to the staff and caretakers. They really do an amazing job.
My wedding day was absolutely perfect and I credit so much of that to Anderson Gardens. Not only is it the most beautiful location I have ever seen, but the staff is also so helpfu...
l and amazing! I 100% recommend Anderson Gardens to anyone looking for a beautiful outdoor wedding!
I can't say enough about Anderson Japanese Gardens where me and my wife got married on 9/27/14. The location was gorgeous, the staff was very helpful and all of our guests were ama...
zed by how beautiful the gardens we're. Great value for the money as well. Very Pleased!!
Anderson's was perfection. It was worth the cost. It was beautiful and the staff was amazing. I didn't have to worry about a thing and everything went off without a hitch. I co...
uld not have asked for more.
I had my wedding ceremony at Anderson Gardens. The gardens it's self is beautiful and the event coordinator that you work with is wonderful. The only downfall was the night of re...
hearsal and the day of the ceremony we did not get to deal with the event coordinator but 3 other people that work there. These 3 did not know exactly what they were doing and were quite confused. Luckily towards the end of the rehearsal things were getting figured out and everything was coming together. I was a little disappointed on the day of the wedding when we were trying to get ready to get pictures taken the girls did not take initiative and completely disappeared leaving me and my bridesmaids waiting to see where we could take pictures. Although the gardens are beautiful and the ceremony did turn out wonderful, I wish that there would have been more guidance and things would have gone smoother.
The Anderson Japanese Gardens were absolutely beautiful for my wedding! We were able to get fantastic pictures, and the staff that waited on us did an incredible job and were very ...
professional. The gardens is the best place to have an outside wedding, and I would recommend an evening wedding for those who want a more private ceremony. All in all, the Anderson Japanese Gardens exceeded my expectations and gave me the wedding of my dreams.
I absolutely loved everything about my ceremony at Anderson Japanese Gardens under the Pavilion. You can't go wrong if you want an outside wedding. The price is reasonable consider...
ing how beautiful everything is and the amount of time guests get to spend walking around exploring the gardens after the ceremony. You can't go wrong. I am so happy with how everything went and wouldn't change anything about my day!
I met Sara Johnson a few weeks ago but have been working with her several months before our wedding. She was always responsive and helpful with questions that came up along the way...
. We were able to walk through the gardens along the path my guest would walk to get to the waterfall. Everything was explained as to what would happen for the wedding day.
When the wedding day came it was a mad rush to get pictures and see the families. Sara and her staff took care of all the details and made the whole process a lot easier. I can't thank them enough for all the help they provided. The venue was awesome. We had the ceremony at the west waterfall and it was breathtaking. If I had to do it all over again I would not change a thing. This is a picture perfect place to get married. Thanks again for everything.
David and Ginny B.
If you just got engaged, save a little extra money to have your ceremony at Anderson Gardens. It is worth the extra cost (over your church). We got married in October and our pic...
tures are incredible! The scenery is amazing. Pay for a good photographer to capture all the amazing picture opportunities here. Their staff is helpful and very easy to work with. They know what they are doing there!
We had our dream wedding at Anderson Japanese Gardens in Rockford IL! Everyone asked us why we picked Rockford and not Chicago for our venue, but as soon as they arrived they under...
stood immediately. The gardens are absolutely GORGEOUS. We specifically chose an October date so we could have a backdrop of color. We were also able to get a great discount on the fee for choosing a Friday date.
We went through a few different customer service reps as the garden was going through a staff transition around the time we booked, so there was a bit of confusion about some of the things we had asked about as far as what was permitted, but in the end we worked with Sara Johnson through most of the planning and she answered all of our inquiries quickly and provided very good customer service.
The staff was very helpful in organizing the rehearsal and making sure that everyone knew where to go and what to do, and also in keeping everything on schedule. We had a great experience!
Anderson Japanese Gardens is a traditional, Japanese Gardens in Rockford, Illinois. While the venue is absolutely beautiful, it can be pricey. The venue requires that you use their...
catering service so that is what makes the total cost of service so high. Overall, the venue and food were perfect. I could not have asked for a better day and would say the expense was quite worth it.
Excellent service and scenery. Very willing to work with and provide us with what we wanted for our wedding day!
They made us (both grooms) feel like Kings here. They were very thorough and informative. There are SO many options for what can happen if you want it, but for those of us who don'...
t have a perfect vision, they give tons of wonderful advice that was so very helpful. They were very accommodating to every request we made. On the big day, they were always around when we needed it but weren't hovering or being a bother. They took us around after the ceremony and pointed out the good places to get pictures. These pictures all ended up wonderfully, due, in large part, to the advice of the staff. She is a little gruff and matter of fact, but the crocs wearing grannie was spectacular through it all. We were blessed to have each member of their team working with us throughout it all!
I was, personally, very worried that we would step on toes considering how well they take care of their gardens. Not only did they not bother us with any concerns they may or may not have had, they were NOTHING but positive and helpful throughout the process. We were considering another, less expensive, venue. I am SO very glad we went with AJG, and so were all of our guests who were just floored with the beauty.
Wonderful setting, wonderful staff!! I can't say enough how happy we were with our choice to have our ceremony at Anderson Japanese Gardens!
This is an awesome location for a wedding especially if you have out of town guests and need something for them to do between the ceremony and the cocktail hour and dinner. Our gue...
sts raved about the gardens and about feeding the koi fish. The AJG staff was very helpful and professional. I enjoyed working with Sara Johnson at the gardens. I highly recommend having your wedding or any other special event at the Anderson Japanese Gardens.
The venue was gorgeous! I had a difficult time with the amount of staff changes we went through. I'm not sure what was happening, but we made plans with 3 different event planners ...
at the Anderson Gardens before our wedding day and that was a hassle. Other than that, they sorted out all the details for me and were extremely helpful with all the planning!
I could not have wished for a more beautiful place to have a ceremony! The staff were very helpful from the beginning planning to the very day. I love this place and would suggest ...
it to any bride looking to get married and not have a worry at all.
I give this venue five stars because everything turned out BEAUTIFULLY. Our guests were wowed by the gorgeous gardens and the beautiful reception space. However, I will warn you t...
hat if you are a bride with a vision (and you don't simply want to follow the cookie-cutter layout and plans that they suggest to you ...), do not be discouraged if you are initially met with some resistance from the staff.
The food is FANTASTIC and the catering staff (which is the staff you'll deal with on the day of your wedding) is absolutely PHENOMENAL.
The venue is pricey, but this is an absolute gem in Rockford. We are so, so happy to have had our celebration here!
I couldn't have asked for a more beautiful place to get married. The venue was pricy but well worth it. It was a dream come true and everyone at the gardens was very helpful. The f...
ood was amazing as well.
The coordinator, Julie, was very organized and answered every question we had quickly. The venue was clean, modern and the staff made our wedding day a breeze.
Contact
318 Spring Creek Rd., Rockford, IL
Anderson Japanese Gardens