How to Find Your Perfect Wedding Reception Venue?

Finding the perfect wedding venue is like hunting for a new home. You’ll instinctively know when you’ve found the right place for your venue.

Start searching long before your wedding date, to give you time to make the right decision without rushing into anything. Approximately one year before the wedding date, good wedding venues book up well in advance.

If you’re searching for a unique wedding venue, you need to think creatively. You may have seen a building or even a private house that you feel would be perfect. Although some places look like they may seem unavailable…don’t give up until you have asked. Have the courage to approach a venue that looks exciting – if you want to do something different, your venue needs to be dramatic. Consider hiring out a museum or art gallery, yacht or a golf/sport club for a themed venue.

If you are looking for a traditional, classical venue, then you will probably be considering either a hotel, reception hall, restaurant or historic building which will offer a formula that works in that particular venue.

Once you know roughly how many guests you will be inviting, you’ll have a good idea for the amount of space that you will need in order to set up tables, chairs, DJ area, and dance floor area. Be careful – a venue which is too big loses its intimacy and a venue which is too small will be uncomfortable and cramped.

Meet the wedding venue management first. This may sound strange…but it’s probably the most important of all. You need to establish early on whether or not the management of your venue is on your side or not. Most wedding venue management are friendly and flexible, however there are certain museums and historic buildings which are run by caretakers/managers who are, deep down, ‘anti-party’ people. They would prefer to see their venues full of art or exhibits instead of wine and music – so get the feel of the wedding venue before you go.

Your wedding venue is the place where you are going to enjoy the company of all of your friends and families – so take time to get it right. That is why we have created a print-out list of questions to help you.  Just print this off, and take it with you when you make your consultation with a wedding venue manager.

Great Canadian places to get married in!

All across the vast Canadian landscape, there are rolling valleys and majestic snow-capped mountains that offer the ideal backdrop for a fairy tale wedding. From Niagara Falls to Whistler B.C., couples can plan the perfect wedding for any season in the Great White North. In many cases you may not even have to venture far from your own home.

ICY WONDERLAND For couples interested in a winter wedding, a unique choice is the Ice Hotel in Quebec, which is open from January 4th until March 29th. Wedding consultants at the hotel will plan the ceremony, including catering, decorations and the music. One thing to consider is that because a wedding at the Ice Hotel is fully arranged by consultants, the bride and groom do not have as much control over their nuptials as they might otherwise. But Quebec is a great location for those who want a taste of Old Europe and don’t have the money to travel across the Atlantic for their wedding.

SPIRIT OF THE ROCKIES Couples aiming to add a little adventure to their wedding date can arrange for a helicopter to drop them in a remote area of Banff, Alberta or in the mountains of Whistler, B.C. to exchange their vows. This service is offered in Banff by Rick Kunelis, who can fly couples to their ceremony site in areas including Mount Whitehorn, Tunnel Mountain and Peyto Lake. Some couples even incorporate a hike into the ceremony, so that they can exchange vows against an ever-changing backdrop.

TALL SHIP WEDDING If the sea is your first love, Nova Scotia might be more your style. In Halifax, couples can get married on Silva, the province’s premier charter tall ship. The couple will wed while sailing through the Halifax harbor, with the lighthouse on Georges Island in the background. The ship can accommodate 150 guests and wedding consultants will plan many aspects of the ceremony, including the catering, bar service and the DJ. It’s the perfect option for a summer wedding.

FALLS ROMANCE For couples looking to get married in Ontario, the Niagara Falls region is a great place to plan your wedding. The “honeymoon capital” of Canada, Niagara is a great destination for wedding ceremonies and receptions, as it is host to many first-class hotels and restaurants. Couples can arrange to exchange their vows with the thundering waterfalls visible in the background, or can even wed in a cave just behind the majestic falls.

The one thing to keep in mind, wherever you are getting married in this vast country, is that marriage is the jurisdiction of the province. If you get married outside of your home province, you may need to prove that you are not currently married and apply for a marriage search letter. This will confirm whether a marriage has been registered for you in your home province. Marriage license laws may also vary from province to province. In Quebec, for example, there are very specific requirements that may even vary by locale. To make sure there are no problems, you should try to get the legal aspect of your wedding out of the way as soon as possible so unexpected problems don’t creep up on you as you are planning last minute details.