Visiting gardens is one of the things my husband and I enjoy. We both love the plants, flowers, landscape, and ponds. For us it is a great way to relax while enjoying the beauty of nature and it gives my husband the opportunity to add to his photoblog. With my interest in outdoor wedding venues, visiting a third garden this weekend was a great opportunity to blend both of our interests.  

The Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden is located on the Cal State Long Beach campus.  The 1.3 acre garden features lush landscape, a large koi pond and a ceremonial teahouse. While we walked around soft music played and set the mood for a relaxing end to our weekend.

A ceremony could take place on the bridge with guests seated across the pond (photos to the left) or on the lookout with guests seated on the path just in from of the lookout (middle and right photo). There are string lights throughout the garden which would certainly add to the romantic ambiance of a summer evening wedding. The garden also has its own sound system which would allow guests across the pond to clearly hear the bride and groom as they recite their vows.

The garden’s website features a wedding video that brought tears to my eyes as I watched the bride and groom share their vows. More importantly, the featured video demonstrates the creative use of space for a wedding.