2026-07-05 · Venues · 7 min
Six stories of glass and pine rising out of an Arkansas forest — Anthony Chapel at Garvan Woodland Gardens isn't just the most famous wedding venue in Arkansas; it's one of the most striking ceremony spaces in America. Couples travel from across the country to marry under its soaring wooden trusses.
I've filmed at Anthony Chapel as a Hot Springs wedding videographer, and it deserves both the hype and some honest planning advice. Here's what to know.
Designed in the tradition of E. Fay Jones' Thorncrown Chapel (its architects worked with Jones), Anthony Chapel turns the surrounding forest into the architecture. The glass walls mean your ceremony happens *inside* the woods — dogwoods in spring, deep green in summer, fire-colored leaves in fall, and bare dramatic branches in winter.
Every season films differently, and all of them film beautifully. There is no bad month for an Anthony Chapel wedding.
The chapel is glorious and technically demanding in equal measure:
The light is extreme. Glass walls mean the forest can be in shade while the sky glows above — a dynamic range challenge that punishes auto settings. Your videographer needs to know how to expose for it.
The ceremony moves fast. With structured time blocks, there are no do-overs. Multiple cameras, pre-planned positions, and clean audio on the officiant and vows are essential.
Golden hour in the gardens after the ceremony is where the film earns its keep — the bridges and pavilions of Garvan Gardens at dusk are pure cinema.
If you're planning an Anthony Chapel wedding, my film packages start at $2,700, and I know the chapel's light and timing well. I film across Central Arkansas and Northwest Arkansas year-round.
For peak Saturdays in spring and fall, plan on 12–18 months ahead. Weekday and off-season dates are considerably more available. Book the chapel first, then build your vendor team around your date.
All four seasons are beautiful because the forest is the backdrop: spring dogwoods, lush green summers, blazing fall color (late October–early November is peak), and dramatic bare-branch winters. Fall books heaviest; winter is the hidden gem for availability and moody film aesthetics.
Many couples use event spaces at Garvan Woodland Gardens or head into Hot Springs — the historic Arlington Hotel and lakeside venues on Lake Hamilton are popular. Your videographer can film both locations in one package; just plan travel time into the timeline.