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mayling's Chocolate wedding
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07/15/2007
Chocolate Researching Venues in Vancouver & Lower Mainland Frustration!
   

Researching Venues in Vancouver & Lower Mainland
Frustration!

Usually quite a keen reseacher and planner, I didn't think it would be quite so hard finding a venue!

Since the engagement both Edwen & I have been bombarded with "what's the date?" questions, and I can honestly say that the date is very contingent on the venue we are able to get .

We are hoping for an outdoor venue, and since we live in rainy Vancouver that limits us to the short summer months of July/August, and maybe early September.

Reading forum after forum, I have now realized that weddings are a HUGE business, and at the same time a large yet intimate outdoor, non church ceremony in Vancouver is as elusive as finding that last minute christmas gift on the 24th of December.

We have over a year ago, and yet I am starting to feel the frustration creep in because venues either cost way too much for my measly 15k budget, booked up years in advance by eager brides (or rich wannabe brides I suspect), or simply aren't offering the simple or elegant backdrop I am looking for.

Places that I have considered:
Grouse Mountain (both ceremony/reception): beautiful and quite affordable, but doesn't accomodate the 120+ guests Edwen and are planning for.

Cecil Green: highly recommended, and appealing especially since I am a UBC alumni, but I'm not willing to spend the small fortune this venue would require. Also the control freak in me doesn't like the idea that you have to use their caterers.

University Golf Club(both ceremony/reception): Almost perfect if it weren't for the fact they are so booked up, and require a min. $1700 bar tab, and couldn't confirm a 2008 price list until April 2008.

Celebration Pavillion, Queen Elizabeth Park (ceremony) with reception at Sun Sui Wah: The website photos really sold me, but when I got there I had realized what a huge mistake it was. Thank God I didn't put in the $800 booking fee. The place is small AND yellow (as in pee-stained yellow--what were they thinking??).

Westwood Plateau: my friend Lisa is getting married there this September =)

Brock House Gorgeous! Just too expensive for my budget.

Hycroft House/Mansion ditto.

Robson Manor (ceremony) with reception at Sun Sui Wah: Almost perfect as well, except I realized today after some research that the mansion got sold to a private school!

It truly is quite difficult if you are looking for that something different, yet simple, in Vancouver/Burnaby/Richmond. I have been trying to read as many forum posts as I can and I keep getting the same suggestions over and over. It truly is frustrating, yet I haven't given up yet (do I have a choice?).

Personally when it comes to weddings Edwen and I wouldn't mind a simple destination wedding somewhere (Vegas at the Bellagio/Cruise Ship Wedding in Miami), and having a reception at home later. We haven't ruled out that option, but for my family's sake were are trying our best to do it at home if we can.

My latest find: Mayfair Lakes Golf & Country Club in Richmond. : The price seems reasonable, and it truly looks like the pretty outdoor ceremony venue I am looking for. Now I just have to pay them a visit, inquire about 2008 availablity, and figure out if I still want to do the separate chinese banquet reception.

Any feedback would be much appreciated!
vancouver, ceremony, venues, reception, weddings, outdoor weddings, golf courses
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Hi!
 |  Vancouver, BC, Canada  |  10/07/2007
I feel your pain.  We are also getting married next year and as we too want an outdoor ceremony i can absolutely relate to your fustration.   We managed to book Hycroft just for the day time.  The evening (3pm  -11pm rental) is very expensive, but the 9am -1pm is fairly reasonable?  We are also having our dinner at the Sun Sui Wah restarant for our family.  Given the option, my FI and i would have loved to go to the Bahamas and get married on the beach, but the family would have hit the roof.   If you are looking for something small and intimate for a ceremony, the waterfront actually has a suite with a terrace that fits 60 -80 ppl that is very beautiful.   have you looked at the aberthau mansion?  That looks quite beautiful too.    good luck!
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ladida
 |  Calgary, AB, Canada  |  11/26/2007
I am in the same boat as you.... why is it so difficult?!?
Everyone keeps bugging us about when and where but really I want to love our venue!
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Michelle
 |  Vancouver, BC, Canada  |  02/05/2008
I got married Oct 2006 at Swan-e-Set Bay Resort & Country Club in Pitt Meadows, ceremony was outside w/ reception inside afterward.  It is absolutely gorgeous, well worth the drive out there (about and hours from my home) and was very affordable when compared to most golf courses that are not half a s nice.  We did it on a Friday to save $$$.  My photos are amazing with all the fall colors as a back drop.
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christina
 |  Calgary, AB, Canada  |  05/24/2008
Hi i really do understand what you are talking about... try http://vancouver.ca/parks/vandusen/website/weddings/weddings.htm..... Thats the botanical garden outdoor wedding at stanley park i think.....
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tina
 |  Toronto, ON, Canada  |  07/25/2008
hi there,

I just realized that these postings are sooo old, but i thought I would help 'pay it forward' to all the 2009 brides.  I relocated to TO, and I wish my wedding was here, there are sooo many beautiful venues, all throught the greater toronto area. However, I did find a beautiful jewel...UBC boathouse in Richmond. It is gorgeous and so unique.  

Check it out!
jenkuma's wedding
jenkuma
 |  Vancouver, BC, Canada  |  06/20/2009
http://www.ultimatevenues.com has hundreds of wedding venues in Vancouver broken down by price. Maybe try there?
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sleepless
 |  Surrey, BC, Canada  |  12/02/2009
A really great venue would be at the Gizeh Community hall.  If you are looking to save money and do a one stop shop for a place that offers u a discounted wedding deal... I would consider this.  You can look up "The New Manhattan Catering" .  They offer their catering service of wonderful gourmet food (buffet style) and terrific professional service, your table lines and chair coverings, some decor , a DJ and the hall rental with set up and cleanup.  Oh yeah and all of you utensil cutlery, dinner ware/flat ware dishes glasses and all that jazzz.  Plus u can choose a wedding cake too!!!!  And the price starts at 59$ per person.  there is free parking for 300 guests and the hall rental and part of the proceeds go to  childrens charities!!!!!  If you are looking for a salon that does all the wedding prim and primping "Global Salon" in New Westminster does it all.  And they r great cause they will go on site for bridal parties to ease the stress factor!!!!!!


And the best part is you just show up!!!!!

Cheers and Good Luck.
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Distressed Bride - to - Be! Re: Westwood Plateau
 |  Port coquitlam, BC, Canada  |  08/25/2010
Hi all brides to be and already married. HELP! I am getting married at Westwood Plateua this coming October. We are having an open bar/plated dinner. Back in November when we saw the venue for the first time, our contact then and the following week when we went to pay the deposit NEVER mentioned anything about a plated dinner and guests having to pre - select their entrees before the day.

The pre-selection of meals is not the problem. The problem we have is, our invites went out 3 months ago (because we have alot of out of town family on the groom's side we had to send them out early) and I found this out yesterday when I was sending our meal selections. It's 5.5 weeks to our wedding!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Is this standard practice for Westwood Plateau to spring this on the bride and groom within weeks before their wedding?

Do they do this to every bride and groom paying the premium service for a plated dinner only weeks within the day?

If this was communicated to us before hand, we would have either 1. Not booked there or 2. Still booked there but been able to do our invites differently or 3. When I have spoken to/emailed back each attending guest, asked at that time their meal selection and allergies.

The reason we didn't go with Swan-E-Set in Pitt Meadows, which I have to say is wayyyy nicer than Westwood Plateau and we both loved it way more, is because their plated meal service only allows for one entree choice for every guest...No exceptions, and that wasn't good enough for us whatsoever. But AT LEAST they told us that at the appointment when we were at the venue looking at it.

The invites have gone out, the guests have rsvp'd.

I now have to contact 130 people to not only find out their meal choices but their allergies too....explain the story 130 times etc.etc....submit to the venue 10 days before the wedding...and that's not a problem either BUT I would have liked to have known about it at the time of booking/contract signing. BRUTAL and very un professional.

If they told me, or better yet, IF it was in any of their banquet/contract/invoice/terms and conditions information and I overlooked it, that is my issue, BUT IT IS NOT NOTED ANYWHERE AND OUR CONTACT SAID NOTHING TO US...EVER!!!!

Other venues around Vancouver usually do a split (when you have 3 entree choices as we do in this case) 50:30:20...or there abouts anyways and the guests order from the server what they want.

Not only do I have to contact all of the guests and find out their meal info/allergies, I have to come up with a classy way of having be recognizable for the wait staff to see who ordered what without it looking tacky! Good luck with that!

If you have gotten married there or are getting married there and have some words of wisdom or can share your story if similar to ours, I would love your feedback. So far the planning for our wedding has been really smooth...go figure a bomb like this would be dropped on us 5.5 weeks before our wedding! ARGHH!!

Thanks for reading!
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Sporty
 |  Delta, BC, Canada  |  02/12/2011
Hello there, I was wondering where did you end up having your wedding?  I am facing the same difficulty as you so I am wondering what you ended up doing.  Thanks!
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