Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens in Port Orange – Central FL Wedding Venue Spotlight
Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens, Port Orange, FL | Wedding Venue Review | Best Affordable Daytona Beach & Central Florida Wedding Venues
Dreaming of a botanical garden wedding just minutes from the beach? If you’ve never heard of this wedding venue, then we are thrilled to introduce you to the stunning Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens in Port Orange, FL! One of the most picturesque and scenic places to get married near Daytona Beach and New Smyrna Beach in Central Florida, the historic grounds and botanical gardens of Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens are a must-see.
We recently shot our first wedding at this lovely wedding venue and are sharing our full scoop of what it’s like to get married at Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens, including our full wedding venue review. Keep reading for our insider thoughts and photos from a real wedding at Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens!
What it’s like to get married at Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens in Port Orange, FL — Wedding Venue Review
Outdoor botanical historic garden wedding ceremonies at Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens
Nothing says “love is in the air” like an intimate wedding at a lush botanical garden! The stunning grounds at Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens in Port Orange near Daytona Beach, FL are the site of a 19th century sugar factory, the ruins of which can still be seen and visited, and the remains of a mid-20th century amusement park. Featuring native Florida trees, a butterfly garden, numerous gardens and plant collections, plus a “gnome home” (you have to see it to believe it!), these whimsical gardens truly transport guests to a whole other world.
Weddings at Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens are outdoor wedding ceremonies only, which is a popular option for many couples getting married in Central Florida. The gardens are a public space, so the grounds are open to visitors while your wedding ceremony is taking place. However, the dedicated alcove for weddings is set apart from the main pathways, allowing a private spot for exchanging vows in front of your guests.
Unlike many public and affordable outdoor wedding venues, the wedding ceremony space at Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens is already equipped with seating for approximately 50 guests and a beautiful wooden trellis for saying your “I do”s. (I know for our own outdoor wedding, we had to supply our own seating!). You’ll be able to save a significant amount of money on furniture rentals and even decor, as the seating is already included and the natural beauty of the gardens leaves little to be enhanced.
In the main property of the gardens, there are so many unique and picturesque spots to take wedding photos. Honestly, we could probably write a whole separate blog post just on the highlights to be seen at Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens! This 10-acre property includes multiple gardens and scenic features such as its numerous palms, native plants, and floral species; an Asian garden; tropical gardens; a children’s garden; an herb garden; a birdhouse tree; and charming bridges. Oh, and did we mention the life-size stone dinosaurs?!
Can I host my outdoor wedding reception at Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens?
Unfortunately, Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens does not allow wedding receptions or events that involve food. There are numerous incredible restaurants in the Port Orange, Daytona Beach, and New Smyrna Beach area, and since you will have minimal set-up/tear-down at your wedding ceremony at the gardens, it’s incredibly easy to pack up and take the party to another location. (Our previous wedding at Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens hosted their wedding reception at Norwood’s Restaurant & Treehouse Bar in nearby New Smyrna Beach, FL!).
When can I get married at Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens?
According to the Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens website, events are only allowed from September through May to avoid excess heat during the summer months.
You’ll also need to make sure your wedding date matches the venue’s availability: event reservations are only allowed on Wednesdays and Saturdays (excluding Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day) and must take place before 3pm.
You can easily check if your wedding date is available on the Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens website.
What we most love about having a wedding at Port Orange’s Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens
The natural beauty of an outdoor botanical garden wedding venue
There are very few options for outdoor botanical garden wedding venues near Daytona Beach, FL, and Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens surely deserves to be near the top of the list of ones there are. The grounds are truly a sight to behold and feel expansive and scenic. From holding your outdoor wedding ceremony in their secluded outdoor chapel to taking bridal portraits among the greenery and florals, the botanical abundance at Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens is certainly our favorite aspect of this beautiful outdoor wedding venue.
Romantic, intimate feeling perfect for micro weddings
One of the challenges of planning a micro wedding is finding a wedding venue that feels intimate and romantic (without breaking the bank—more on this below). If you’re looking to escape to another world for your romantic, dreamy garden wedding, then Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens may just be the wedding venue for you. With a recommended capacity of 50 guests, the wedding ceremony space is not so big that it feels empty yet so small that smaller weddings are still too big. Plus, your guests will love wandering the grounds before and after your wedding ceremony!
Affordable and inexpensive
Possibly the biggest bonus to this wedding venue is its affordability. We’re sharing the exact cost of how much is a wedding at Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens below, but for now, its affordability is a huge perk. Not to mention guest seating is included, and decorations can be kept to a minimum, so if you’re looking for a budget-friendly outdoor wedding in Central Florida, the gardens are a must-see. Plus, you can take your party offsite to one of the numerous restaurants in the area, which is also an affordable way to host a micro wedding reception without breaking the bank.
Potential setbacks to having a wedding at Port Orange’s Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens
Outdoor only wedding ceremony
One of the drawbacks of planning your wedding at Port Orange’s Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens is that this wedding venue is outdoor only. While outdoor garden weddings are an incredibly popular option, there is always a chance of rain in Central Florida and most outdoor wedding venues provide a back-up option. However, since the gardens are public grounds and a historic site, there is no weather contingency plan. If you’re planning to get married at Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens, you’ll want to consider reserving an alternate location for your wedding ceremony just in case of poor weather.
Another concern for this wedding venue may be its public nature: the grounds are still open to visitors while you are holding your wedding ceremony. However, as stated above, the wedding ceremony location is in a secluded spot so you won’t have many passers-by interrupting your ceremony; plus, the gardens’ staff were incredible in shooing away other guests in order to keep the wedding ceremony as quiet as possible.
Pest control
Your wedding at Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens may come with some unwanted wedding guests: mosquitos. As these are obviously botanical gardens with an abundance of plants, flowers, gardens, and more, bugs are just a part of the experience! This may be less of an issue for morning or mid-day ceremonies as many pests only come out in the evening, and of course winter months will likely be more pleasant than late spring or early fall, but you may want to pack some bug spray in your getting-ready kit just in case.
Limited parking
As to be expected with a publicly-shared wedding venue, the options for parking at Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens are a bit limited. The gardens’ website suggests carpooling for more than 50 guests as the public parking lot is somewhat tight on space. The staff are once again incredibly helpful in this regard, but given the shared nature of this wedding venue, you may want to keep your guest count to a minimum or suggest carpooling as many guests to the wedding venue as possible.
How much does it cost to get married at Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens in Port Orange, FL?
You better believe we saved the best piece of news for last!
It’s surprisingly affordable to get married at Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens in Port Orange, FL. An event reservation at the gardens is just $300, making this an incredibly budget-friendly option for getting married near Daytona Beach, FL. Not to mention seating is included, so you won’t incur furniture rental costs on top of your event reservation pricing (a situation we found ourselves in for our own outdoor wedding many years ago…). If you’re looking to plan an affordable micro wedding in Central Florida, you absolutely will want to put Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens on your list!
Prices taken from Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens website and reflect the venue’s Spring 2024 pricing.
Final thoughts – Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens Wedding Venue Review
The stunning grounds of Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens are truly a gem in Port Orange, FL. From the countless spots to take intimate bridal portraits to the secluded outdoor wedding ceremony site to its incredible value, any couple planning a micro wedding near Daytona Beach certainly must consider this charming wedding venue. There truly is an incredible bang for your buck, not to mention the stunning wedding photos you’ll be able to capture in the expansive grounds! While there are some concerns regarding poor weather, parking, and pests, these concerns may not be an issue for your wedding in particular or may be easily overlooked by the beauty and affordability of this outdoor wedding venue.
Overall, we really loved our recent client wedding at Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens and truly think highly of it as a beautiful, budget-friendly botanical garden wedding venue in the Daytona Beach area. If you’re planning to get married near Port Orange in Central Florida, consider adding the gardens to your must-see list!
Our rating: 4/5
Watch our highlight trailer of a recent wedding at Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens in Port Orange, FL:
Hi, we’re Author Made, a husband & wife wedding photographer / videographer studio based in Orlando, FL specializing in wedding photography and videography packages for small, intimate, micro weddings and elopements throughout Central Florida. If you’re looking for a wedding photographer or wedding videographer near you who understands and values the unique needs of smaller-scale weddings (we had a small wedding, too), we’d love to have the honor of capturing your wedding day.
If you’re interested in capturing your wedding photography or videography with us, please contact us - we would love to help your special day be all it can be!
