Wedding venues may talk about how they have an outdoor wedding rain plan, but seeing it in action stays hypothetical until you actually have to use it. Nicole and Jack’s gorgeous April day in Honey Brook, PA, proved that the Westwynd Gardens rain plan isn’t just hypothetical — and it’s far from a compromise. I’m so excited to share one of the best executed rain plans I’ve ever witnessed and all the moody magic we captured on their rainy Westwynd Gardens wedding day!
Inside Westwynd Gardens, a Garden Venue in Honey Brook, PA
Westwynd Gardens is one of the newest wedding venues in Honey Brook, PA, just over an hour west of Philadelphia. The architecture of the main building has a modern lodge-type feel with an oversized foyer at the entrance and a spacious ballroom at the back. The added overflow space attached to the ballroom leaves room for a buffet, photobooth, or even an extra lounge area, which is great if you’re planning a larger guest count.
It’s quickly earning a spot on my list of favorite Philadelphia-area wedding venues, and one look at the grounds tells you why.
| Westwynd Gardens at a Glance | |
|---|---|
| Nicole & Jack’s guest count | 144 guests |
| Getting Ready | Spacious his and hers getting ready suites upstairs |
| Foyer | Entryway and/or cocktail hour space |
| Greenhouse | Ceremony or cocktail hour space |
| Ballroom seating | 250 guests seated with a dance floor |
Getting Ready Suites At Westwynd Gardens
One of the things I love most about newer venues is the well-designed getting-ready suites. Your wedding party and hair and makeup team have so much room to spread out in the upstairs suite, thanks to thoughtfully designed lounge areas, lighted mirrors, built-in countertops, and makeup chairs. There’s even a changing room off the bridal suite with full-length lighted mirrors for those essential dress zip photos!
April Showers: The Westwynd Gardens Rain Plan in Action
The garden inspired wedding details and design of this venue were the brainchild of the fabulous mother-daughter duo who operate it. They dreamed of creating a venue where “Plan A” is just as beautiful as “Plan B”. Because of that, hosting a Westwynd Gardens wedding means you get access to the entire property! Couples have the option of hosting their outdoor ceremony by the pond or in the gorgeous, heated greenhouse, which is the true jewel of the venue.
On Nicole and Jack’s wedding day, the April showers did come, which made us all eternally grateful they chose the perfect spot to tie the knot.
The thing is, the Westwynd Gardens rain plan isn’t so much a plan as it is an intentional choice. Choosing to get married in the greenhouse to avoid the rain is just as understandable as choosing to get married there on a regular day! It’s a stunning design choice either way.
I’m already a sucker for moody, rainy wedding photos, but especially when the backdrop is as beautiful as this one.
And when the rain backed off to just an overcast sky, I seized the window and got the drone up. Overcast is sneaky-good for aerials — soft, even light, and no harsh shadows — so those gray skies actually handed us some of my favorite venue shots of the entire property.
Here’s how the day flowed:
| The Day’s Flow | |
|---|---|
| Ceremony | Church ceremony at Our Lady of the Rosary |
| Receiving line | Outside the church, while the rain fell softly in a good luck shower |
| Cocktail hour | Garden-inspired, in the greenhouse — open bar, three signature drinks, a tater tot station, personalized matchbooks, and charcuterie displays |
| Seating chart | A flower pot seating chart guided guests to their tables |
| Reception | Ballroom in the the main building |
To see another rainy wedding I worked with Miss Lyss Planning and Sarah’s Floral Designs, check out Caitlin and Colin’s gorgeous fall wedding at The Willows at Ashcombe! We’re becoming quite the rainy wedding vendor team!
A Pistachio and Pink Palette with Tropical Florals
Nicole’s lush, garden-style hand-tied bouquet by Sarah’s Floral Designs had a deliberate tropical twist. Her bright pink and green wedding flowers were accented with coral and raspberry and built on a chartreuse-green base. The anthurium and trailing amaranthus gave this vibrant wedding color palette a totally unexpected twist, and I loved every color drenched piece of it.
Nicole’s Reception Wedding Dress Outfit Change
Nicole had a second reception dress that was far too good to keep under wraps, so we snuck off for a quick editorial mini session in it before she headed back down. (Worth every minute.) The highlight of my night, though? Jack scooping her up and carrying her in that second dress right back onto the dance floor to the delight of their cheering guests. Some moments you plan for. That one just happened — and it’s still one of my favorites from the whole day!
Westwynd Gardens Wedding Vendors
Venue: Westwynd Gardens
Catering: Serock Catering
Photography: Lindsey Ford Photography
Invitations: Minted
Wedding Planner: Miss Lyss Planning
Florist: Sarah’s Floral Designs
Cake: The Master’s Baker
Hair: MC Bridal Hair
Dress Shop: Van Cleve Bridal
Dress Designer: Essense of Australia
DJ: Klock Entertainment
Content Creator: Keepsakes by Mill
Westwynd Gardens Wedding FAQs
Where is Westwynd Gardens located?
Honey Brook, PA — about an hour west of Philadelphia, set across 26 acres of Chester County countryside. Close enough for your Philly guests, far enough to feel like a little getaway.
Does Westwynd Gardens have a rain plan?
Yes, and it’s the best kind — the one that doesn’t feel like a fallback. The heated greenhouse means your “Plan B” is every bit as gorgeous as your “Plan A.” (Nicole and Jack’s April showers can confirm.)
How many guests can Westwynd Gardens hold?
The reception ballroom comfortably seats up to 250 guests with a dance floor.
Where can you have your ceremony and cocktail hour on the property?
You’ve got options. Two ceremony spots — the pond or the greenhouse — and three cocktail hour locations: the lawn, the greenhouse, or the foyer. Think: choose your own adventure, garden edition.
Is Westwynd Gardens an all-inclusive venue?
Nope — it’s a la carte, which means you handpick your own vendors and build the day around your vision instead of a preset package. Across all 26 acres, the freedom to make every detail yours is kind of the whole point.
Can you fly a drone on the property?
You can! Drone photography is allowed here, and yes, I’m an FAA-certified drone pilot. The second the rain softened to overcast on Nicole and Jack’s day, I had the drone up for sweeping shots of the grounds.
What is included in the Westwynd Gardens Wedding rental package?
Your rental includes tons of essentials like mobile bars, ceremony and reception chairs, high-top tables, and more.
Booking Your Philadelphia Area Wedding Photographer
If you want a venue where the rain plan is a feature instead of a fallback — and a wedding day that photographs like a dream whether the sun shows up or not — Westwynd Gardens belongs on your list. I’d love to be the one behind the camera for it!
And since booking a wedding usually means an engagement session too, here are 25 of my favorite Philadelphia engagement spots to start dreaming up yours.
Lindsey Ford is a Pennsylvania and Delaware wedding photographer capturing weddings all over the East Coast, including Philadelphia, PA, and is ready to help document your special moments. If you’re ready to book your Philly area wedding photography, inquire here to reserve your wedding date!
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