Ashton Gardens is a venue that wants to be photographed. Boxwood parterres, rose beds, a waterfall, the Italian garden, and a central gazebo give you a dozen distinct backdrops inside one walk. Most of our couples here pair a morning temple ceremony with an afternoon-into-evening garden celebration, the way Joe and Holly did.
We shoot the gardens in two passes: a portrait loop through the terraces and rose beds while the light is high, then the ceremony at the gazebo and a tented reception that runs into golden hour and string lights after dark. The gardens are saturated by design, so our edit stays honest and lets the green and the late sun do the work.
The scale is the thing to plan for. Ashton Gardens is large enough that a portrait loop can eat an hour if the timeline is not built for it, so we map the route ahead (the parterres, the rose beds, the waterfall, the Italian garden) and move with intent. Most couples here pair a morning temple ceremony with the garden in the afternoon, which often lands the portrait window in high midday light; we use the deep garden shade and the terrace for it, then save the open beds for the softer evening. The gardens hold from May through October.
Ashton Gardens is part of our Provo and Utah Valley wedding photography coverage. Planning a day here? Our guide to Utah wedding light by season and our honest look at what wedding photography costs in Utah are the best place to start.
