Rose Garden at Will Rogers Park - Wedding Venue

If you are looking for a beautiful and affordable outdoor venue to host your special Oklahoma wedding consider the Rose Garden at Will Rogers Park. Imagine the view here as the bride and groom say "I do" accompanied by the fragrance of roses and possibly even a serenade from the treetop singers. Sunrise or sunset, this is a gorgeous setting to take your traditional or non-traditional marriage vows in a casual or formal style.

http://www.okc.gov/parks/will_rogers/rental.html

Will Rogers Park

Parks & Recreation

The Charles E. Sparks Rose Garden is the picture-perfect outdoor location to hold your wedding or special event.

The Rose Garden can be rented from May to September. Peak months for roses are May, June, September and October.
Fees for weddings are $75 for the first 2 hours. Each additional hour is $25. In addition, wedding rehearsals may be scheduled from Sunday through Thursday. The rehearsal fee is $75 for two hours. A non-refundable deposit of $20 will be charged for each rental.

The Sparks Rose Garden is available for weddings.
The Senior Activity Center, just a short walk away, can host your reception.

Looking for a close, indoor facility to host your reception? Consider renting Will Rogers Senior Activity Center. This large community center rents for $70 per hour plus a $100 cleaning and security deposit. It has approximately 3600 square feet of activity space and the rental fee includes the use of the kitchen and a limited number of tables and chairs.
To rent the rose garden or senior center for weddings or receptions, call Will Rogers Senior Activity Center at 405 942-4339 or e-mail Patty McDoulett @ misspatty.mcdoulett@okc.gov.
To rent the Garden Exhibition Center for meetings, call 405 943-0827.

An evening with a special couple

Earlier this week I received a phone call from a young woman who after several years in a relationship was ready to get married. The timeline was short because the couple wanted to get married on the anniversary of the date that they had met, an idea that I love! She had called the church where she attended as a child and requested that their minister perform her ceremony. She was denied because the pre-wedding counseling she and her fiance had attended was performed by an organization which was not within that church.

This very sweet young lady was practically in tears when she called me, she felt scolded and belittled which I think is the opposite of how a minister or their office is supposed to make anyone feel. Her wedding date was coming quick and she was fearing that she may not be able to pull it off. I was happy to help by officiating their ceremony. It was a sweet ceremony by the pond at the groom's grandmother's home with parents and grandparents in attendance. The brides' grandfather was happy to give her away, everyone in attendance was armed with a camera one of the grandmothers had made a beautiful wedding cake. Their family was loving and kind and I was so blessed to be a part of their special day.

Oklahoma County - No JOP Weddings

A call to the marriage license department of the local court clerk’s office revealed that Oklahoma County has not had the option for Justice of the Peace weddings in approximately 6 years.  A person without a church home or a person who simply does not want a religious ceremony can no longer modestly go before a judge to be married in the local courthouse.

In my opinion, this is not entirely bad. Who wants such a stuffy setting for such a nice occasion anyway? This does not automatically mean that you cannot get married quickly in Oklahoma or that you must pay the expensive costs of renting a chapel. This gives us the chance to think outside the box.

I can think of many local places that would be beautiful for a small civil ceremony. I personally enjoy outdoor weddings and one of my favorite spots would be near the lighthouse at Lake Hefner. I also think a simple park wedding can be beautiful and intimate.

There are options and I am glad to help.