Layer light, flowers, and a slow-moving evening to make the Garden Room feel romantic.

• Start with light temperature, not light quantity.

  Swap overhead white light for warm, dimmable sources: string lights, low candles, lanterns at table height. A dim warm room reads as intimate. A bright white room reads as a meeting hall, no matter what's on the tables.

• Let florals follow the architecture instead of fighting it.

  The Garden Room's structure already has clean lines and natural light coming through. Flowers should soften corners, frame the ceremony spot, and trail along tables, not stack up as a wall of arrangements that blocks sightlines across the room.

• Work with the in-house florist early, not the week of.

  Enchanted Design & Floral, our sister company, builds arrangements around the room's own light and layout rather than a generic mood board. Bring color and texture preferences to that conversation, and let them tell you what actually holds up under the Garden Room's light through the evening.

• Slow the reception down on purpose.

  Build in longer dinner courses, a slower first dance, and toasts that aren't rushed between vendor changeovers. Romance shows up in unhurried moments, not extra decor. A slower timeline is free. Extra centerpieces are not.

• Save the boldest lighting for after sunset.

  Natural light carries the ceremony and early reception. Once it fades, that's when string lights, candles, and any uplighting should take over fully. Don't fight daylight with dim lighting earlier in the evening; it just looks underlit.

None of the steps above require an upgrade. Warm lighting, floral placement, and a slower timeline are decisions, not line items. The Garden Room holds up to 150 guests and runs $15,000 to $21,000 all-inclusive, and that range already covers the florist, the chef, the photographer, the DJ, and the coordination team who will actually execute the lighting and pacing choices above on the day. You're not paying more for romantic; you're directing the same budget toward fewer, better-placed things.

Where couples overspend is usually the opposite of romantic: more florals than the room needs, a tighter timeline that rushes every moment, or lighting decisions made the week of instead of during planning. Decide the mood early, tell your coordinator and florist what you're going for, and let the package do what it's built to do. The price you're quoted is the wedding you get, and that includes the atmosphere, not just the guest count.

If you're still deciding between rooms, the Garden Room tends to suit couples who want natural light and an airy feel, where the Manor Barn suits a warmer, more enclosed atmosphere. Both hold up to 150 guests at the same price range. If your guest list is under 55, the BoHo space is worth a look too, and it runs $9,500 to $12,500 all-inclusive.