Silver Fox Gardens

Silver Fox Gardens feels as though it began with a love story because, in a very real way, it did. The privately owned property became a wedding setting after the owners' own children wanted to marry there. Today, its 40 acres just east of Sherwood Park offer romantic gardens, lawns, fields and natural woodland where another family's story can begin.

The ceremony garden is filled with small discoveries: an arbor, a stairway, a natural pond, a stone wall with a fountain and a lawn bridge. Beyond it, the Main Lawn opens beneath surrounding trees that offer some shelter from the wind. A 16-by-16-foot gazebo sits on a raised deck, and the lawn has room for a 40-by-60-foot tent or more than 200 chairs. The nearby hay field and aging poplar grove bring a more rustic note to photographs, while the backcountry extends into forest, grassy fields and shoal vegetation.

A two-bedroom, 1,000-square-foot suite is available on the property, with a kitchen, living space and full bathroom. It can add a calm, private place to the wedding day or provide overnight accommodation when separately arranged. Parking is designed for approximately 200 vehicles, with turnaround space near the romantic gardens that can accommodate limousines or coaches.

There is an appealing honesty to Silver Fox. It is not a manufactured garden dropped beside a banquet hall, but family land shaped over decades and opened for celebrations. The romance is in walking through the arbor toward the person you love, hearing water nearby, gathering everyone beneath the trees and knowing the setting has already witnessed other families begin their own forever here.

• Outdoor ceremonies
• Gardens and grounds
• Tented celebrations possible
• Photo spots everywhere