Garden Guidelines Wedding Venue

PROTECT THE GARDEN  

Please stay on pathways and lawn. The garden is for all to enjoy for days and years to come. Help us protect the flowers and trees by not picking or climbing. Please, do not dump ice or drinks on the lawns, or in the garden. Further protect the lawn of the site by not using flower petals and cleaning up all trash. For protection of wildlife, drones are not permitted in the garden.

CLEAN UP 

Your site must be left clean. You or your caterer must take out all garbage, fluids and ice. Please designate several people in your party to make sure that clean up is complete. There will be a minimum charge of $75.00 for any garbage that is left on the premises, either in garbage bins or on the event site. Consider bringing recycling cans along with garbage cans.

ALCOHOL

Champagne, wine and beer only. They must be served  by a licensed OLCC server. 

SMOKING 

No smoking or vaping in the garden.  

INSURANCE 

Liability insurance is required for all groups using the garden. Proof of insurance must be submitted to Friends of Crystal Springs 60 days prior to event.

PARKING 

Parking at the garden is very limited. Please consider using a shuttle service and encouraging guests to use rideshare, public transportation, or carpooling. Parking at Reed College is not permitted. There is street parking available in Eastmoreland Neighborhood. Please be respectful of private property and noise levels in the neighborhood.

SECURITY 

Friends of Crystal Springs is not responsible for any items brought in by garden guests, vendors, etc. For groups using The Meadow site, a space is provided for guests to store equipment and personal items in the Exhibit Hall. There is also a small room with a vanity attached to the restroom facility. However, these rooms will not be locked.

PRIVATE EVENT

Crystal Springs is a public/private garden. While your reservation entitles you to use a particular site, other people may also be present in the garden.  In the past, people have been courteous and respectful when an event is occurring.  “Reserved” signs are placed on paths approaching your site to guide non-event guests away from the reserved area. 

Your guests will be greeted by a staff member at the Gatehouse and given directions to your event. You may (and we encourage you to) place your own unique signs along the way guiding your guests. The restrooms at the Meadow site will be used by visiting guests to the garden as well as Woodland site event guests.  We will direct guests to a path that goes around the building to ensure privacy at your event.  

RENTAL TIME

Please arrive and depart within your rental window. Your rental time window includes both the set up and the clean up of the site. The Meadow site rental is for 10 hours from 12:00pm to 10:00pm. The Woodland may be rented for up to 6 hours. The Jane Martin may be rented for up to 2 hours. 

CSRG is prohibited from having events past 10:00pm due to city ordinance and requires you exit the gardens and parking lot prior to 10:00pm. CSRG cannot add time to your event “day of”. CSRG cannot store items before or after your event reservation date/time. You may also hold a 1-hour rehearsal in the days leading up to your event, as the site is available, at no additional cost. If possible, we ask that the rehearsal take place during normal garden operating hours (10:00am - 4:00pm).

ACCESSIBILITY  

Most of the garden is wheelchair accessible. The entrance pathway meets specifications of the Americans with Disabilities Act. If guests are elderly or have special needs, please explore the garden to be sure that the site you select has adequate access for them.  Two wheelchairs are available at the Gatehouse on a first-come, first-served basis. 

EVENT COORDINATOR 

If your event is a wedding, we highly recommend either hiring a professional wedding coordinator from the garden’s Preferred Vendor List or asking the caterer for full service event coordination. 

Friends of Crystal Springs does not offer full event coordination. 

Our Event Coordinator or a supervisor will be there for the beginning of your event, to provide guidance to garden event staff on the logistics, timeline and layout for your event. There will be at least two event staff on site for the duration of your event. Please provide us with a contact person and we will make introductions the day of the event.

OUTSIDE VENDORS AND CATERERS

Vendors may enter at the start of your reservation time and must conclude by the end of your rental period. Site visit is recommended with the Rental Company, DJ (can do over the phone), and caterer prior to the event. Crystal Springs has a list of preferred caterers and vendors. 

We strongly recommend that you use one of the caterers on the preferred vendor  list.

The garden does not have any onsite garbage or recycling services for events. All garbage, fluids, and recycling will need to be removed by you or your vendors after the event.  

TENTS 

The Garden does not provide any tents. You may choose to rent a canopy or tent from an outside vendor for protection from the sun or rain, though most renters opt not to rent a tent. The lawn square footage is approximately 100’ x 100’ for The Meadow and 20’ x 50’ at The Woodland Garden. 

No stakes in the grass for tents or any other equipment. Tents to be erected and dismantled within your rental time.

PATHWAY AND LAWN LIGHTING 

There is no lighting on the garden paths or in any of the event sites. If your group will be in the garden after 8:00pm, please place luminaries in the paths up to the exit. You may want to illuminate your event area too. No flames, including sparklers, just LED lights please. Strobe lights are not permitted.

MUSIC AND DANCING

Please do not exceed a level of 70 decibels. No noise after 10:00pm by City Ordinance. Your DJ and vendors, who need electricity, will have to bring extension cords. The garden has (2) 10 amp circuits with 4 outlets on each at the Meadow site. Please face the speakers towards the water. Dance floors can be rented through your rental company. Although it is an option, most renters do not rent dance floors.

There is no electricity at the Woodland site. 

TABLES/CHAIRS 

Friends of Crystal Springs employees are only responsible for the equipment rented from the garden. Our staff  will set up and break down garden rental items within the timeframe of your rental. 

Included in the rental for the Meadow site are: 

• (15) 6' banquet tables 
• (19) 60" round tables that seat 8 
• (6) 30" cocktail tables: height of either table height (30") or bar height (42") 
• 150 white bistro chairs
• 4 blue plastic adirondack chairs

The Woodland Garden has:

• 80 chairs that rent for $2 each 

The Jane Martin has:

• 10 plastic chairs that rent for $2 each

SITE PREP

Crystal Springs clears the event space of goose droppings and debris prior to your event rental window.  If this is a big concern of yours, please let us know.

RESTROOMS  

The restrooms are adjacent to The Meadow. It is a 5-10 minute walk to these restrooms from The Woodland. You may want to add a soap dispenser to each of the bathrooms. Keep in mind that when the park is open to the public and the bathrooms are shared. The garden also has a portable restroom in the parking lot.

PAYMENT

50% of your site fee, plus applicable refundable deposit, is due to secure your date and space. If paying by credit card, we assess a 3% fee to help cover processing costs. The remaining 50% is due 60 days prior to your event. 

All payments made to Friends of Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden are non-refundable, aside from the refundable deposit, available following your event. Send checks made payable to 

Friends of Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden. Attention:  CSRG Events, PO Box 82787, Portland, Oregon 97282-0787.

REFUNDABLE DEPOSIT

This deposit is included in your proposal and is due to secure your date. This is returned to you if it is not used for additional services. Refundable deposit deductions may be incurred in the event of vendor or guest damage, violations of the garden guidelines,  and/or if additional clean up is needed. 

Your full refundable deposit will be forfeited if vendors or event guests are on park grounds after 10:15pm. For Woodland Site only, your guest count needs to be within 10% of your reserved count or additional fees will be deducted. Any balance in your refundable fee will be returned in the calendar month following your event.

CANCELLATION POLICY  

If you cancel your event, no refund will be made on event fees already submitted. We will do everything possible to find a comparable replacement event for your canceled date and venue. If successful, your refund will be adjusted.

*FORCE MAJEURE*

In the event that Friends of Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden is unable, for reasons beyond its control, to make the Rented Site available to Renter on the Event Date for the purposes as set forth in this Agreement, Renter shall have the option of choosing an alternate date to hold the Event (the “Alternate Event Date”), at no extra charge to Renter. If Renter selects an Alternate Event Date that is reasonably acceptable to Friends of Crystal Springs, then the Alternate Event Date shall replace the Event Date for the purposes of this Agreement, and all obligations, rights, duties and privileges as set forth in this Agreement shall remain binding on the Parties. 

Renter and Friends of Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden will have 30 days to agree on an Alternate Event Date. If no agreement is reached at that time, then Friends of Crystal Springs shall refund to Renter the amount of the Rental Fee minus 20% administrative fees (the entire refundable fee will be refunded). In neither case shall Friends of Crystal Springs be liable for any additional costs or damages suffered by Renter (over and above the Rental Fee) arising out of a rescheduling or cancellation of the Event.