Speed Art Museum Wedding

Today I’m sharing a truly beautiful wedding I had the privilege of photographing this fall. Katie (she/her) and Ruben (he/him) curated a celebration that was elegant, artistic, and a whole lot of fun.

As a Louisville, Kentucky wedding photographer, I was beyond thrilled to capture the timeless beauty and romance of this day. The Speed Art Museum’s stunning architecture provided the most picturesque background, further enhancing the “classic meets modern” vibe. The play of light and shadow, the intricate details— everything was gorgeous.

Katie was radiant in her chic gown from Jenny Yoo and Ruben looked extremely dapper in his classic tuxedo.

For their ceremony, Katie and Ruben stood in the exact same spot where Katie's parents and grandparents exchanged their wedding vows. This really added an extra layer of sentimental magic to the whole event.

Katie and Ruben wanted their wedding to have an elegant and timeless feel, while still being true to themselves. The flowers, lovingly crafted by Botanica, were not just beautiful, but almost sculptural— the design added an elevated & artistic touch to their decor.

The festivities continued with a vibrant cocktail hour, where the melodies of a mariachi band filled the air, creating an atmosphere brimming with joy and excitement. During this time, I had the chance to capture candid moments of laughter and heartfelt embraces as family and friends were able to reconnect.

Each guest was greeted at their seat with a Please and Thank you cookie, a sweet gesture that perfectly encapsulated their warm and gracious personalities— while also celebrating a Louisville favorite! 

Best Kept Secret Live filled the reception with energy & excitement and kept the dance floor packed all night long. One of my last photos of the night was Katie & Ruben embracing beneath the shimmering disco ball— surrounded by all their family and friends.

I hope as you scroll through these images, you feel some of the warmth and joy that permeated Katie and Ruben's celebration. If you’re looking for a photographer to document your own wedding day, I would love to help you capture memories that reflect your unique personality and style! Contact me here or check out some of my other favorite Louisville wedding venues here.

These Louisville, Kentucky wedding vendors made the day possible:

Wedding Coordinator: Stephanie MacDonald with Planned Perfection // Reception Band: Best Kept Secret Live // Floral Design: Botanica // Catering: Wiltshire Pantry // Katie’s Wedding Gown: Jenny Yoo // Wedding Party Attire: Men's Warehouse & Birdy Grey // Rings: Donna Jewelry // Katie’s Makeup: Color in the Ville // Wedding Party Makeup: Southern Bridal Styles // Ceremony Location: Anchorage Presbyterian // Photography: Sarah Katherine Davis Photography // Venue: Speed Art Museum // Cookies: Please and Thank You // Videography: Joyce Barbour for Sarah Katherine Davis Photography

Eclectic & Colorful LGBTQ+ Wedding

Rebecca (she/her) & Charlotte (they/them) had a bold, colorful, and eclectic Queer wedding that brought all the vintage garden party vibes— along with lots of laughter and happy tears from their family and friends. I’ve shared some quotes from the couple about their favorite parts of the day, what they wore, and advice for other folks getting married throughout the post!

If you would like to celebrate some more LGBTQ+ joy, check out Jenny & Haley’s intimate wedding at Mellwood or Will & Nate’s pride month wedding at Hazelnut Farm! If you’re on the hunt for the perfect Louisville wedding venue for your wedding, you can also check out my favorite wedding venues here.

“Rebecca's dress was from Couture Closet in LaGrange, KY and by the brand White One (with alterations by Sew Creative Bridal). The dress was originally a floor-length gown, but she wanted tea-length and something more "vintage" inspired. Rebecca's shoes were an emerald green t-strap vintage-style pump for the ceremony and cocktail hour. For dancing, she changed into white low-top all-star Chucks. Rebecca wore vintage pearl earrings that belonged to her best friend's grandmother and a vintage diamond and gold bracelet that was an Asmuth family heirloom.”

“I enjoyed the first look with my dad, Terry. He is a very sentimental man, and I could tell how much joy he felt seeing me so happy.” - Rebecca

“I also loved having my dad tie my bow tie when I was getting ready. He and I have always favored bow ties for formal events and he taught me how to tie them.” - Charlotte

“Charlotte wore a custom deep purple suit and white collared shirt made by Bindle and Keep, a New York company known for their suits for queer folks. It's been Char's dream to own one of these suits. The shoes were brown monk straps, the bow tie was navy blue with paisley (a favorite tie pattern) and the socks were navy to match. They also loved their unusual pocket square of flowers, rather than a traditional boutonniere. Char kept calling it their pocket full of flowers."

The Howard Steamboat Museum is located in a mansion built in 1894! Rebecca & Char used the historic brick facade as the background of their wedding ceremony. They used the carriage house (built in 1883) for their reception dinner, the 2.5 acres of lawn and gardens for cocktail hour, and the patio outside of the carriage house as the dance floor!

“We knew that we wanted our wedding at a historic property, as Rebecca is a historian and archivist. We were also hoping to give our money to a non-profit or smaller business. We also wanted a property that had ample indoor and outdoor space. We booked the venue pre-Covid and it ended up being the perfect venue, as all of our events took place outdoors, except dinner. We loved the gorgeous brick historic mansion on the property, as well as the deep wood and brick in the carriage house.” - Charlotte & Rebecca

When asked about their favorite wedding day moments, Charlotte & Rebecca said, “Both of us agree: OUR CEREMONY! It was something we were least looking forward to, so we wanted to keep it quite short. However, it ended up being the most meaningful, memorable part of the day, I think because we wrote it ourselves with our officiant's guidance. We loved incorporating nods to queer love in our ceremony script and also personalizing our vows to each other.”

“I had the handkerchief on hand to give Rebecca when she inevitably started crying during the vows and handing that to her was symbolic of how well we know one another.”

“Our officiant was our dear friend Abby Glogower! We knew Abby had officiated a few weddings before, including some for couples she had set up (though she didn't set us up!). We wanted our ceremony to be brief so we could get to the fun part: cocktails and dancing. We also wanted a fairly untraditional ceremony. So both of our parents walked each of us down the aisle, Char's siblings stood on their side, and Rebecca's two friends stood on her side. No one wore the exact same colors, either.

We wanted to do a brief reading that spoke to queer love, so after a lot of searching, we landed on a passage from bell hooks read by our dear friend, Avi, who has the most sonorous voice. We noticed many guests tearing up and laughing during our vows, which was perfect!”

I reached out to Charlotte & Rebecca to get a copy of what their officiant Abby read for their ceremony. Theirs is one of a handful that made me get misty-eyed over the years while working — it just really hit in a genuine and intentional way that I wanted to share with you all.

“In her 2000 book, All About Love, Kentucky’s own feminist theorist bell hooks wrote, “The word ‘love’ is most often defined as a noun, yet all the more astute theorists of love acknowledge that we would all love better if we used it as a verb.” 

Like many queer couples, Charlotte and Rebecca have confessed to me that they feel some ambivalence about marriage, a traditional, heteronormative institution. [Insert Abby’s joke about feminist marriages here] Charbecca see themselves not simply participating in the institution of marriage but remaking it anew, every day in small and big acts of queer love. All of us, straight and queer, could benefit from making our marriages and partnerships a little bit queerer. Letting go of traditional gendered roles frees us to love more fully and equitably. For LGBTQ people, marriage isn’t something inevitable, and many have struggled to envision their romantic future in a world where queer couplehood is less represented. Remember, it wasn’t even legal in all 50 states until just seven years ago! Queer marriage is still a young institution that people like Charbecca get to build and remake anew. How amazing is that? Talk about action and choices! 

So we gather here today to celebrate the queer love of Charlotte and Rebecca–our love for them of course, and their love for each other. Remembering again, that love is an ongoing action, a process without end. It has been renewed every day since these two amazing people met and recognized in each other a true friend and companion, a partner for navigating life’s challenges and joys, a complement to soften rough edges and make them whole, a horizon, a vista, a home, a future. And we’re really genuinely happy to be here to celebrate this love because we recognize it as the kind of love that is loving: ongoing, something that appears totally solid, but upon closer inspection is made up of so many endless small acts.”

“I also loved the moments immediately after our ceremony where both of our families were hugging, crying, and celebrating together before we went to the cocktail hour.” - Rebecca

They went for an eclectic & colorful vintage garden party vibe with their decor. Using bold jewel-toned vintage glasses and thrifted books as their centerpieces alongside whimsical spring florals, they created a strikingly unique and personal atmosphere.

“Our cake topper is one of our favorite pieces of decor. Rebecca thrifted it and her dear friend Norman painted the hair on the bride pink to match Rebecca's. Aside from cake, we knew had to have chocolate chip cookies - our favorite dessert! We found a local baker, Flour Trail Bakery, who made all of our desserts. The cookies were miso rye chocolate chip dusted with sea salt. Guests were telling us all night that they were the best cookies they've ever eaten - and we agreed!”

Charlotte and Rebecca had so many thoughtful touches for their guests at the reception! Their sticker bar was filled with *so many* great stickers! My camera bag now has a really cute Queer rainbow sticker as well as one with a custom illustration of Rebecca & Char—which makes me happy every time I open my bag. For their seating chart, each name card had “for richer, for poorer” in script on the back of an envelope. When opened, their guests found a scratch-off ticket inside! This was such a fun idea— all of their friends and family (myself included) really enjoyed these thoughtful touches that also acted as perfect conversation starters.

“Charlotte’s sister Sophia's toast was so perfect and we love the photos of us bent over laughing during her speech.” - C&R

From a photography perspective, I loved that their more intimate guest count allowed me to really get some great candid images of their family and friends as they listened to the toasts and watched the dances!

“Ending the night with "WAP," as I had insisted our DJ do, was a highlight, too.” - Charlotte

“Our advice to other couples: Have a very official exit - we decided to forgo a traditional exit and ended up being at the venue for an hour after the wedding ended. Although we had cleaners, everyone was asking us questions and we just wanted to go to our honeymoon suite!! If you do an official exit, you can make sure you're off-site and leave the clean-up for other people. Be creative with your food choices - no one wants a dry steak anyway! We opted for a casual taco bar from Fistful of Tacos and the guests loved it! Forgo traditional wedding favors - we had a "sticker bar" loaded up with all kinds of stickers: cats, lgbtq+, sweets, books, etc. The guests loved being able to pick and choose and even wore them throughout the night.”

These Kentucky wedding vendors made the day possible:

Wedding Coordinator: Darien Dickerson-Green // Wedding DJ: HAY DJ // Florist: Pure Pollen Flowers // Caterer: Fistful of Tacos // Rebecca’s Wedding Gown: Couture Closet // Char's Wedding Suit: Bindle and Keep // Wedding Bands: Merkley Kendrick Jewelers // Engagement Ring: Boone and Sons // Dessert: Flour Trail Bakery // Hair: Fran Abney, Under the Dryer // Bartender: In the Mix // Invitations: Brouss Art // Photography: Sarah Katherine Davis Photography // Venue: Howard Steamboat Museum

Best Wedding Venues in Louisville, Kentucky

As a wedding photographer, I’ve photographed ceremonies at well over one hundred different locations over the last decade. I’d be lying if I said I’ve seen it all, but I sure have seen a lot. During that time, a few venues have really stood out for being not just wonderful to photograph, but also providing an experience that my couples seem to love.

Jump to Venue Information

• 21c Museum Hotel

• 3rd Turn Oldham Gardens

• 610 Magnolia

• Bernheim Arboretum

• Copper & Kings

• Gheens Foundation Lodge

• Hazelnut Farm

• Hockensmith Barn

• Ice House

• Mellwood Art Center

• MozzaPi

• Patrick O’Shea’s

• The Refinery

• The Speed Art Museum

• Whitehall House & Gardens

• Yew Dell

21c Museum Hotel

Artistic & Modern Downtown Wedding Venue

With ever-changing artwork and a huge variety of spaces to choose from, 21c Louisville is a perfect spot to get married whether you are eloping with just the two of you or having 100 guests. I love the amazing light in the rooftop apartment, the view from the garden terrace, and the drama of the atrium. Their Asleep in the Cyclone room makes you feel like you’ve time-traveled just by stepping inside— and is a fun space for unique photos.

21c is an ADA-compliant, wheelchair-accessible, and LGBTQ+-friendly venue. They do not have public gender-neutral bathrooms, but events in the rooftop apartment would have access to the hotel room’s individual restrooms. A variety of other spaces are available for rent including five galleries, a private dining room, and the atrium. All rentals include an event manager, room planning and set up, assorted tables, chairs, linens, votive candles, custom printed menus, and cleaning services.

Site fees and food and beverage pricing are highly dependent on a variety of factors, but the majority of their wedding events fall in the range of $100 - $150 per person.

View a full wedding from 21c Museum Hotel Louisville here.

3rd Turn Oldham Gardens

Romantic & Botanical Greenhouse wedding venue

3rd Turn Oldham Gardens is one of those spaces where you just want to spend more time. As soon as you step under the wisteria vines you’ll see a long wooden table under dappled light— the focal point of their beer garden. If you keep walking through the venue you’ll find the frames of old greenhouses that break the space up into areas for the ceremony, lawn games, and dinner. I love the celosia and hydrangea throughout the gardens and how it’s easy to find a private spot to slip away without feeling like you’re separate from the group. Protip: if you book the venue on a Sunday they are closed to the public so you can have the full beer garden all to yourself!

3rd Turn is fully wheelchair accessible, however since they are an outdoor venue the terrain can be a mix of grass, gravel, and rock pavers that can cause some trouble for electric chairs and other mobility aids. They are LGBTQ+ friendly and have gender-neutral restrooms. Their rental fee varies depending on the day, space required, and time needed. They have in-house catering, alcohol service, and a majority of in-house rentals. They can seat 200 people in a rain-contingency-controlled space, but have 1.5 acres of space available that can be used for multiple configurations. Since their site is geared towards outdoor offerings, they do not offer cold-weather weddings.

View a full wedding from 3rd Turn Oldham Gardens here.

610 Magnolia

InTIMATE Old Louisville Wedding venue with Courtyard

610 Magnolia is the perfect spot for an intimate wedding. Tucked away in Old Louisville, 610 is wheelchair accessible, LGBTQ+ friendly, and has gender-neutral bathrooms. They do not charge a room rental fee unless the guest count goes below 12— their pricing is per person since they are primarily a restaurant. The maximum number of guests that can be seated in the wine studio for dinner is 30, however, cocktail parties and events that use the outdoor courtyard can accommodate a larger group.

View a full micro-wedding at 610 Magnolia here.

Bernheim Arboretum & Research Forest

Casual & Woodsy Outdoor Wedding Venue

While not technically in Louisville, Bernheim is so close to the city and holds a special place in my heart so I had to include it! There are a variety of locations couples can choose for their ceremony at Bernheim, but the most popular are the Big Prairie Overlook and the Quiet Garden. The Magruder Picnic area is also available for wedding rentals and provides a peaceful wooded setting for those looking for something more intimate. Weddings can be held seven days a week for a 2-hour period anytime between 7 AM until two hours prior to sunset and the rental fee is $1,000. There are also indoor rental options including The Garden Pavilion building which is easily accessible at the edge of Lake Nevin, the Sassafras Room inside the visitor’s center, and the education center. Since Bernheim has 16,137 acres, the accessibility of different locations varies considerably. Luckily, they have an extensive accessibility guide so you can plan your visit. Bernheim is LGBTQ+ friendly, but they do not have gender-neutral restrooms.

Copper & Kings

Unique & Modern Butchertown Wedding Venue

Copper & Kings is one of the most unique venues in Louisville. I love their outdoor space and the variety of ways it can be used! Guests always enjoy getting to go on distillery tours during cocktail hour and I love that they have a monarch butterfly habitat at the front of the property. The light is always fun to play with in their space — plus there are lots of Airbnbs really close by to make your wedding day effortless.

Copper & Kings is wheelchair accessible, LGBTQ+ friendly, and has gender-neutral restrooms. They are also a member of Inclusive Kentucky Weddings! Spaces that are available for rental include their gorgeous courtyard, second-floor gallery, as well as their rooftop bar— or a full facility rental.

Gheens Foundation Lodge

Modern & Romantic Wedding Venue in a Park

With floor-to-ceiling windows surrounded by nature, it’s easy to see why so many couples are drawn to Gheens Foundation Lodge in Beckley Creek Park. 

The main building at Gheens is wheelchair accessible, but there is a bit of uneven ground going from the side lawn to the concrete. They are LGBTQ+ friendly. While they do not have gender-neutral bathrooms, there is a private bathroom in the hospitality suite that could be provided for that purpose if discussed ahead of time.

Their weekend rental fee is $3,750 from January through March and is $4,250 the rest of the year. While their capacity for seated guests is 300, they usually don’t go over 250 for weddings. Clients are required to hire approved vendors for all food and drink services outside of desserts. Caterers charge a 15% facility fee. An added bonus is that all rentals help support The Parklands!

View a full wedding from Gheens Foundation Lodge here.

Hazelnut Farm

Thoughtful Wedding Venue with a view

Melissa Montgomery, the property manager, shared, “We feel our venue is the perfect blend of indoor and outdoor features to incorporate Kentucky's beauty with all the comforts and weather backups the building offers.  With a blend of modern and traditional styles in the architecture & details, Hazelnut Farm perfectly suits a limitless range of event designs and every wedding is completely unique to that couple.  

When you book with Hazelnut Farm, we consider you family!  We want to set you up for success with a full vendor referral booklet as soon as you sign, expert staff to offer quick and thorough answers during your planning journey, and a team to be onsite the day of your event.  We even offer all couples married here complimentary lifetime access to use the property for photo sessions before or after the wedding!  You can make the planning even more seamless and comprehensive with the addition of our in-house planning/coordination services.”

Hazelnut Farm is fully ADA-compliant with a ramp graded for wheelchair access.  Their entry doorways are wheelchair accessible as are the restrooms.  The only spot within the venue not wheelchair accessible are the two upstairs dressing suites, but they can provide a supplemental private dressing suite on the main level when needed. They are LGBTQ+ friendly and have two gender-neutral restrooms. They can host events with up to 350 guests, however, their typical guest size is 150-250 people. 

Hazelnut Farm has a pre-approved list of caterers that clients can choose from — those caterers add a 15% facility fee to the cost of food and beverage for the use of their catering kitchen and dumpster services. The rental fee begins at $4,500 for weekday events and weekend rates range from $7,000 - $12,500 depending on the day and the season. All rentals include tables, chairs, set-up, staff onsite, security, and a variety of furniture and smaller decor items that can be used.

View a full wedding from Hazelnut Farm here.

Hockensmith Barn

Casual & Rustic Barn Wedding Venue in a Park

Hockensmith Barn in Turkey Run Park is the perfect wedding venue if you’re looking for cozy & casual rustic barn vibes at your wedding! The space accommodates up to 225 people, and the rental includes the adjacent lawn that can be tented and used for wedding ceremonies or other events as well! Though the barn was raised in traditional Amish style, it’s ADA accessible and offers restrooms, parking, and a food prep space for approved caterers. The side cocktail area does have some uneven ground, but no steps. Since the wood slats make the space pretty open, it is only available to rent from the middle of May to the middle of October. They are LGBTQ+ friendly and all of the nearby restrooms are gender-neutral bathrooms. Caterers must be approved and charge a 15% fee. Rentals help support the Parklands— the rental fee is $2500 for May - October—except for July and August when it is $2000. Bonus: guests have access to the large yellow silo, which has a great view during the sunset.

Ice House

Industrial & Dramatic Downtown Wedding Venue

I asked Bailey Rose, Ice House’s Brand Manager what couples who are considering their venue should know, she said, “Our team truly cares about our couple's experience from beginning to end. We want to know all about your story, your love, and how you envision your big day! Knowing that every couple is unique and so their celebration should reflect that. We understand that planning a wedding can be overwhelming but we hope to bring more excitement and ease to the process than anything else. With Crushed Ice Catering and The Ice House, you're in good hands.”

Ice House is fully ADA accessible and LGBTQ+ friendly. They do not have gender-neutral bathrooms. They can host events with up to 500 guests for a cocktail-style gathering or up to 300 for a seated event. They work exclusively with Crushed Ice Catering. 

Tables, chairs, event security, housekeeping, reception coordination, event set-up, and event breakdown are included with all of their wedding packages which begin at $4,000 for Saturdays during peak wedding season.

View a wedding reception held at the Ice House here.

Mellwood Art Center

Adaptable & Industrial Factory Wedding Venue

All of Mellwood’s event rooms are wheelchair accessible— accessible parking is farther from some event rooms, but all rooms have an area nearby where guests can be dropped off as well. They are LGBTQ+ friendly and a founding member of Inclusive Kentucky Weddings. The facilities do not have gender-neutral bathrooms, but the Pigment Gallery, Van Gogh, and Da Vinci Rooms all have their own private event restrooms which couples can designate however they like during their event! They have an open vendor policy and their guests may use any vendors they like with no additional fees.

Rental fees vary by room and date. The smallest room, The Pigment Gallery, seats 60-80 guests and is $1000 on Saturday, whereas the largest room, the Da Vinci Room, seats up to 1000 guests and is $7,800 on a Saturday. There are discounted rates for weekdays and off-season rentals, with their smallest rooms priced at $800 for Monday-Thursday rentals.

Marketing & Communication Director Jamie Shepherd added, “We have an 18-hour rental period, the longest in town that we know of, from 8 am on your event date until 2 am the following morning. And above all else, we have tons of free parking so that your guests don’t have to pay to park to attend your wedding!”

You can view a full intimate wedding from Mellwood Art Center here.

MozzaPi

Cozy & Eclectic Pizza Restaurant Venue

With exposed brick, tall windows, and a spacious interior, MozzaPi in Anchorage is an intimate and unique venue choice for your wedding! Their pizzas are delicious and their beignets are heavenly. Guests love it as different types of pizza keep coming out of the oven throughout the reception so they can try all the different types while they are hot!

MozzaPi is wheelchair accessible on their main floor— the loft seating requires about 20 stairs to access. They are LGBTQ+ friendly, but do not have gender-neutral restrooms. Their rental fee is $5000 per day— this price allows up to 100 guests. Their catering begins at $22 a person and a standard menu includes focaccia, fire-roasted olives, varieties of pizza, and homemade marshmallow smores. They also have a full alcohol license and can staff bartenders for events— beverage pricing is by request only and based on event size.

Patrick O'Shea's

Historic Downtown venue with Exposed Brick

Patrick O’Shea’s offers a unique venue right on Main Street. With three separate floors that each contain elements of the original building alongside updated decor, you have lots of beautiful spaces to choose from for your wedding. The Whiskey Cellar accommodates 100 seated or 150 cocktail style and the rental fee starts at $500 with a food & beverage minimum of $1,000. The Grand Loft can host 150 seated or 250 for cocktails. The room rental for weddings starts at $1,900 with a food & beverage minimum of $2,000. The Penthouse & Rooftop Garden seats 80 or can host 200 for cocktails. The room rental starts at $2,000 for weddings and the food & beverage minimum is $2,000 as well. They have also recently added a couple of smaller room options as well with smaller minimums! They are LGBTQ+ friendly and a founding member of Inclusive Kentucky Weddings, but I am waiting to hear back if they have gender-neutral restrooms.

The Refinery

Industrial Wedding Venue with tall Ceilings

My favorite part about the Refinery has to be the tall ceilings and tall windows— the way the light comes in is so pretty! They are not technically a Louisville venue, but since they are just across the river I thought it was only fair to include them on the list. My couples have said they really love how many different options they had for the arrangement of their day in the space— especially with the courtyard!

All of The Refinery’s facilities are wheelchair accessible. They are LGBTQ+ friendly but do not currently have gender-neutral restrooms. Pricing varies, but begins at $2,000 for weekday rentals of either the Refinery North or the Refinery South and goes up to $7,500 for Saturday rentals of the entire facility. Their rentals include tables, linens, chairs, set-up and break-down of Refinery-provided equipment, on-site staff, and the option to update to all-day access to the rented spaces for $500. Guest capacity varies, but the recommended max capacity for a seated dinner in the Refinery South is 410 guests. While they do not offer in-house catering, they allow clients to bring in whatever vendor that they like (with proof of proper licensing and proof of insurance.) Their venues do not charge fees for bringing in outside catering. They are also pet-friendly!

View a full wedding at The Refinery here.

The Speed Art Museum

Classic meets modern Museum Wedding Venue

I still remember the feeling of walking into the renovated Speed for the first time— I was so overwhelmed and excited that this was in *our city!* I have thoroughly enjoyed all of the exhibitions that have come through since then and every time I get to photograph a wedding there I’m over the moon! The huge staircase in the atrium makes for a dramatic entrance and I love that guests can explore the museum during cocktail hour! With Wiltshire catering, the food is always amazing and the Grand Hall is the perfect reception spot with its state-of-the-art acoustics and big windows.

The Speed is ADA compliant and has designated parking for persons with disabilities in the parking garage as well as wheelchair access available in the entrance located near the security office. All restrooms at the Speed are wheelchair accessible, and they have three elevators throughout the galleries for guest use, as well as an elevator within the Speed parking garage, wherein accessible parking is available on every floor. If you need one, wheelchairs are available to borrow at Guest Relations. The Speed is LGBTQ+ friendly and has gender-neutral restrooms available on the second floor of their North Building, right outside the Modern and Contemporary gallery. I am waiting to hear back in regard to rental fees.

View a full wedding at The Speed Art Museum here.

Whitehall House and Gardens

Romantic & Botanical venue on a historic property

The gardens around Whitehall are truly magical— they weave along the side of the property and seem to go on forever! I love the variety of plants and the architectural elements throughout the garden that tie everything together with a classic look. Inside the main house, there are a variety of vintage wallpapers that make for unique backdrops and beautiful photos of getting ready.

Whitehall is wheelchair accessible— they have a ramp into the mansion and all of the gardens can be accessed without changing levels. They are LGBTQ+ friendly and have individual gender-neutral restrooms inside of the main house. Wedding rental fees vary based on the spaces rented, time of the year, and day of the week with weekday off-season rates starting at $1,000 and weekend summer rates for the mansion and gardens at $4,500. 

Tented events have a maximum capacity of 300 guests while events inside the historic home are able to accommodate 100 for a cocktail reception or 75 for a seated dinner. Couples can choose from their preferred catering list and they charge a 15% service fee for use of the commercial kitchen. Outdoor music does have to stop at 10:00 PM on Friday and Saturday nights and 9:00 PM on Sunday nights due to being in a residential neighborhood.

Yew Dell Botanical Gardens

Lush & Modern Garden Wedding Venue

Yew Dell is a venue that immediately had my heart as soon as I saw it. As a horticulture nerd, I love watching how their landscape changes and shifts through the seasons! As a photographer, the hardest part about weddings here is narrowing down what areas to use for photos— there are so many beautiful and unique spaces from the expansive arboretum to the rock garden to the big meadow and the greenhouse.

Yew Dell Botanical Gardens is mostly wheelchair accessible— there is a paved path around the garden, to Gheens Barn, and the Lower Pavilion. With advanced notice, they can also provide gift cart service to the Event Lawn. They are LGBTQ+ friendly and have two gender-neutral restrooms by the Lower Pavillion. Rentals of the grounds with the Rounsavall Pavilion are $7,700 and without the Rounsavall Pavilion, $5,400. Additional fees apply for events with over 350 guests. Their list of approved catering companies is on their website.

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You may notice a few familiar venues left off this list such as Hermitage Farm, Blackacre, Oxmoor Farms, Locust Grove, Farmsley-Moremen Landing, and Farmington Historic Plantation. While these are beautiful locations, many of which I have previously photographed, I personally believe that plantations should not be used for weddings. Many of these sites work to educate the public — for example, Oxmoor Farm, Locust Grove, Farmsley-Moremen, and Farmington formed The Louisville Coalition on the History of the Enslaved to “to interpret and share the stories of the men, women, and children enslaved on our sites, and to find relevance between these stories of the past and the events of the present.” However, other venues such as Hermitage make no mention of their history on their websites. This is not a judgment on anyone who has gotten married in these locations— I just don’t want to further promote weddings where people were enslaved.

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