Frequently Asked Questions
Morikami offers Daytime Garden Ceremonies for up to 35 guests during our normal operating hours. There are 5 locations within the Gardens that can accommodate up to 35 guests, and additional locations may be available for smaller group sizes. Private events and receptions for 50 to 150 guests may be held when Morikami is closed to the public. Private event ceremonies take place directly behind the Museum on the lower terrace overlooking the lake. The lobby and terrace areas may be transformed into an elegant reception space.
Morikami can host up to 150 guests for a reception with dinner and dancing in the main lobby or outside on the terraces. A space for a tent to be erected on our grounds is available for group sizes ranging from 160-400 guests.
All catering for private events must be done directly through our on-site restaurant and exclusive catering partner, the Cornell Café. For events that have Kosher requirements or specific cultural needs, the Cornell Café will subcontract a caterer that has already been pre-approved by the Cornell Café and The Morikami, Inc. The Cornell Café is able to provide a Kosher-style event.
Only one event is booked for any given evening. You will have exclusive access to the venue on the date that you reserve and no other events will be scheduled for the same evening.
Since only one evening event can be booked for each date and reservations are made on a first-come first-serve basis, we recommend that you reserve a date (especially a Saturday) at least 1 year in advance. Our most popular months are October, November, March, and April and weekend dates for those months begin to book as early as 1 ½ years in advance.
A $100.00 security deposit is required for a Private Photo Session. A $200.00 security deposit is required for a Daytime Garden Ceremony. A $1,000.00 security deposit is required to reserve a full Private Event. All security deposit fees are separate from the rental fees and may be refunded to the lessee once the event takes place. A Facility Use Agreement must be executed for every event type.
Guaranteed final guest counts must be submitted at least two weeks in advance of the event date.
While the location and catering arrangements will be provided through the renting of the Morikami Museum and contracting of the Cornell Café, other vendors may include a florist, photographer, videographer, entertainment company, officiant, valet company, etc. A full listing of our Preferred Vendors is available. We strongly recommend working with the vendors on our list to ensure the success of your event as our vendors work at the Morikami very frequently and can provide additional helpful information to make the event set-up run smoothly.
