Callen and Taylor decided to do their bridals/wedding portraits in August at Thanksgiving Point. (You can also see photos from their wedding at the Ogden Temple here!) The garden’s America 250 celebration was going on, so we definitely had to use some creative angles at times to keep their bridals from being completely Americana themed lol, but we had a great time and lots of success!

In August, Thanksgiving Point has lots of zinnias blooming. I loved getting to use those in their portraits! I am also a huge fan of the classical architecture and variety of different landscapes and gardens available. We visited Ashton Gardens for their portraits and explored many of the sections. (My favorite was probably the Secret Garden)

What to know about taking your wedding portraits at Thanksgiving Point:

There is a permit required!

Thanksgiving Point requires a $100 photographer permit, as well as admission for each person. As a member, I get discounted permits ($90 instead of $100) and am able to bring two guests with me on my membership. (essentially bringing costs down from $150+ to $90.)

You will probably get lots of walking in.

The Ashton Gardens portion of Thanksgiving Point is large and on a hill. The entrance to the gardens is at the top of the hill, and most of the garden is down at the bottom. There are golf cart rentals available, though! As of writing this, they were $50 for a 2 hour rental.

Bring water.

Especially in August! This is going to sound super obvious, but Utah is dry, August is hot, and you will be doing lot of walking. The main drinking fountains are at the top of the hill, although there is at least one other one.

The gardens change seasonally.

Not just the plants, either! Thanksgiving point has seasonal events throughout the year that they decorate the gardens for — including their tulip festival, summer festival, and fall festival as well as Luminaria in November/December. This mean there will be additional decor and adjustments to the garden’s aesthetics. It also means that there will be increased traffic and crowds to work around during those events!

Utah has water restrictions.

Sometimes waterfall or fountains have to be turned off, even in the summer. Pools may have debris in them because they are standing water rather than being refilled regularly. These were both true in all the photos below!

None of this is intended to dissuade you from doing your wedding portraits at Thanksgiving Point! The opposite, actually. The more you know what to expect, the easier it will be for you to have a good time! If you’re thinking of doing your wedding or portraits at Thankgiving Point, I would love to join you for them.