Japanese Garden in Micke Grove Park — Attraction in Lodi

Yes, the Japanese Garden is beautiful, serene, well-maintained, and seemingly ideal for an intimate, private ceremony. That’s what drew us in. But the reality of our experience was far from that, and I would never want another couple to go through what we did on what was supposed to be the happiest day of our lives.

We paid for specific hours, and under contract, the park was responsible for having the chairs set and ready. Our decorator arrived on time to find nothing prepared, especially the 32 chairs outside that were clearly outlined in the agreement. When we asked why the setup wasn’t done, the staff offered a casual, unapologetic excuse: the person in charge of setup had called in sick. That was it. No backup plan, no urgency, no accountability. With the stringent park policies limiting where and how to set up chairs, our decorators were on standby, unable to place the flowers and arches without knowing the exact location of the chairs. This forced them to rush the decorations and ultimately delayed our entire ceremony by 30 minutes — during which our vendors- photographers, officiant, etc. were already on the clock — adding unexpected stress and cost to a day that had been planned down to the minute.

But the most devastating part, and the reason I am writing this, was the music. Just outside the garden, another group was blasting loud, at times vulgar music throughout our ceremony. As I walked down the aisle to the song I had dreamed about for months, the sound of profanity-filled lyrics overpowered everything. My guests couldn’t hear the music we’d chosen. Worse, when it came time to exchange our vows, those emotional, personal promises were completely drowned out by the noise of the party songs next door. It was gut-wrenching. My family couldn’t hear the words we spent so much time writing. We’ll never get that moment back.

We asked the park staff to enforce their own written policy that gives them the right to regulate the content and volume of amplified sound, and they were dismissive. The attendant said there was “nothing he could do” and suggested someone from our wedding go negotiate with the other group. On our wedding day. While the ceremony was happening.

The staff showed zero concern for our experience. It was clear they cared more about packing the park with bookings than they did about honoring the sanctity of a wedding. The garden may cost more than the surrounding spaces, but that doesn’t mean your event will be treated with care or respect. You’re just another time slot and revenue to them.

And to add insult to injury, the planning process was needlessly stressful. Kelly, the park coordinator, threatened to cancel our wedding if we didn’t return documents she had not clearly explained from the beginning, adding unnecessary panic and pressure in the weeks leading up to the big day.

Brides, please don’t make the same mistake we did. You deserve better. You deserve a ceremony where your vows are heard, your music is respected, and the people you’ve paid to help aren’t dismissive and careless. We were drawn in by the beauty and a moderate price point, thinking we’d found a hidden gem. But the cost of saving a few hundred dollars wasn't worth the heartbreak of watching our once-in-a-lifetime moment be hijacked by blaring music, unprepared staff, and broken promises.

Run from this place. No couple should have to feel what we felt on their...

This place is so beautiful. Parking costs $6 - so worth it. The landscape is very well maintained. There are a free of waterfalls, a bridge to take wonderful photos on, and nicely lined walkways. Note: bring bug spray. The mosquitos can be nasty! This is right next to the San Joaquin County Museum so definitely an area to spend hours at, especially if you want to go to the zoo, play some disc golf, or just have a nice...

I'm from SF, so I wanted to compare this Japanese Garden with the one in the city. No comparison. This garden is very VERY small by comparison, spiderwebs EVERYWHERE, plants were not well cared for, there were stray cats (which I actually liked the cute felines), and the parking had feces EVERYWHERE. While it is quiet, I wish this park/garden was better cared for. If you're afraid of spiders,...