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| Saying "I Do" in Beautiful British Columbia |  |
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Vancouver | Victoria | Whistler | Vancouver Island | Sunshine Coast | Gulf Islands
From the cosmopolitan cities of Vancouver and Victoria to the quiet coves and beautiful bays of the Sunshine Coast to the snow-capped peaks of the Coast Mountains that rise dramatically out of the Pacific waters, the coast of British Columbia has something to please every happy couple. Whether brides and grooms want a traditional heritage church, a five-star waterfront hotel, a quiet retreat on an island bay or even the ski slopes of Whistler, the following locations and venues are a selection of what the area has to offer. SOMETHING OLD For couples wishing to match the historic occasion with an equally historic venue, choices range from charming one-room chapels to century-old mansions. Heritage Churches
English Castles and Inns Perhaps even more so than in Vancouver, nowhere is history more apparent than in the province’s capital, Victoria. The city oozes with English charm and this is certainly the case at the Hatley Park National Historic Site. The 1908 Edwardian estate, comprised of 229 ha (565 acres) on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, is home to an exquisite English castle as well as Italian, Japanese and rose gardens, all of which make elegant wedding venues. The 1858 Chapel at St. Ann’s Academy is equally enchanting and is possibly Victoria’s ultimate wedding facility. Featuring flattened, hand-carved arches and original art-glass windows, the Baroque chapel is a stunning piece of classic European architecture in the midst of modern-day Victoria. Two of the city's main landmarks, the Fairmont Empress Hotel and the Butchart Gardens–both over a century old–are hugely popular wedding venues and offer spectacular settings. Lesser known but no less grand, the Villa Marco Polo Inn, a 1923 Italian Renaissance-style inn, and Abigail’s Hotel, a five-star Tudor hotel, each feature luxurious interiors suites, colourful English gardens and settings perfect for weddings with olde worlde charm.
For small gatherings on one of BC’s islands, a host of waterfront and private hotels offer romantic settings and cater to weddings. Two such venues that include an old-fashioned flair are Hastings House on the Gulf Islands and Castlebury Cottage on Vancouver Island. Hastings House, located on Salt Spring Island in the southern Gulf Islands is an English Country Hotel on 9 ha (22 acres) with views of the Ganges Harbor, an on-site spa and its own wedding planner. Castlebury Cottage is not so much a cottage as a faux medieval castle on the waterfront of Vancouver Island’s east coast. The property specializes in customized packages for intimate weddings and honeymoons. SOMETHING NEW The BC coastline and its cities are teeming with state of the art facilities that accommodate private functions for all budgets and sizes. The following are a few examples of the impressive selection available throughout the area. Contemporary Spaces Situated at the entrance of Vancouver’s famous waterfront park, the Chapel at Stanley Park is the city’s lone wedding-only chapel and is a welcoming work of glass and light, which is ideal for an intimate ceremony in the city. On a much grander scale, Canada Place is a well-known Vancouver landmark built to resemble a gigantic ship under full sail. The exhibition centre and dock, where many of the cruise ships depart from, offer a multitude of smart and stylish facilities, particularly the outdoor Promenade area. Across the water, the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria melds cultivated chic with ‘happily ever after’ for a sophisticated gathering. The gallery is also home to a 19th century mansion and Japanese Shinto Shrine for a fusion of art, age and Asian culture. The English Inn, also in Victoria, perhaps offers the perfect combination of old and new for those torn between inspiring historic surroundings and deluxe urban amenities. Featuring architecture reminiscent of ages past in Britain, manor houses scattered throughout the estate are actually upscale urban spaces inside. Along with an in-house wedding specialist, the estate's thatched-roof cottage and extensive manicured gardens offer a paradise of photographic backdrops.
Victoria, as it happens, not only has its share of period hotels but also boasts luxurious resorts that can host anything from a handful of those nearest and dearest to hundreds of guests. The Brentwood Bay Lodge and Laurel Point Inn are both premier waterfront facilities overlooking Brentwood Bay and Victoria’s Inner Harbour respectively, and whose amenities include in-house wedding services and spas for some pre or post-nuptial bliss. For a venue closer to nature without compromising comfort, wedding parties can go further afield to Pender Island or the Sunshine Coast. Poets Cove Resort & Spa in the Southern Gulf Islands is an example of executive style meeting wilderness frontier. The resort’s lodge, cottages and villas all enjoy breathtaking ocean views and the peaceful locale of Pender Island. Even more of a natural paradise, the Rockwater Secret Cove Resort is mindful of human footprints in the midst of such natural beauty and features enchanting tent house suites nestled among the rain forest of the Sunshine Coast. Considered the area’s premier wedding destination, the rustling of the treetops and whispering of the waves all conspire to create a star-filled, secret sanctuary perfect for starting a life together. SOMETHING DIFFERENT Some individuals and couples live their lives thinking outside the box and want their special day to be no exception. For weddings, the dramatic scenery of coastal British Columbia not only makes it easy to think outside the “ballroom,” it also encourages it and the choices are really only limited by one’s imagination.
One of Vancouver’s most popular tourist attractions can also provide a truly memorable wedding. Surrounded by the North Shore Mountains and the Capilano Canyon, couples can choose to hold their wedding supported only by love and cables on the spectacular Capilano Suspension Bridge or, for larger parties, not on the bridge itself but overlooking the canyon. If couples want a room with a view, or even a bird’s eye view, and wish to have their marriage be a small, personal affair, they can take to the skies with Vancouver Balloon Rides. Hundreds of metres in the air, newlyweds can literally begin their marriage on cloud nine when exchanging vows high above an expanse of sea, forest and cities. The X-Factor Die-hard Hollywood fans, especially those of sci-fi or kung fu movies, need not feel left out, even when heading to the altar. Pendrell Suites, in central Vancouver, may have an un-extraordinary exterior but attracts its share of extraordinary guests. Its suites are frequently used as filming locations and X-File fans can tie the knot in what used to be Agent Scully’s apartment. Likewise, Romeo fans–not those of the Shakespearian classic but of the kung fu variety–can promise to defend their significant other in the Meditation Garden, just as star Jet Li did in the movie, Romeo Must Die. Ain’t No Mountain High Enough For less standing around and more action, the coastal mountains are just waiting to join in the fun. Winter enthusiasts or adrenaline junkies can get hitched to each other while hitching themselves to a snowboard or a pair of skis at the world famous Whistler Blackcomb Ski Resort or one of the other nearby ski hills. And while a wedding at Whistler can be as fun and free-ridin’ as an informal ceremony on the slopes, it can also be as glamorous as arriving by helicopter to the resort’s mountaintop Roundhouse Lodge. For those wishing to have Whistler as a backdrop while keeping their feet firmly planted on the ground, the imposing Fairmont Chateau Whistler is the area’s premier luxury property and as a wedding venue would almost certainly be as impressive as the mountains that drape it.
SOMETHING BLUE Blue in this case is not limited to an item worn or carried by a bride but includes the beautiful waters of the Pacific and the rivers that flow into it. Nothing quite captures romance like a sunset cruise and, with thousands of kilometres of coastline, stunning harbours and waters teeming with sea life, numerous captains and crews are on hand for a dreamy wedding on the water. All Aboard Paddlewheeler Riverboat Cruises offers wining and dining and, yes, wedding, aboard an authentic paddlewheeler. The M.V. Native leaves from Westminster Quay and tours the historic Fraser River thereby negating a chance of rough seas and a rocky start to a lifelong union. Rolling Out the Red Carpet Venturing out into English Bay, Howe Sound and the Strait of Georgia, several yacht charter companies cater to wedding ceremonies and receptions, among them Harbour Cruises & Events, Hornblower Yacht Charter and Sunset Bay Yacht Charters of Vancouver and 3-Hour Sail of Victoria. A wedding or reception on board Sunset Bay’s chartered yacht would promise to be a sleek, modern affair. With spiral staircases, a hardwood dance floor, three open decks and two heated interior ones, the tri-deck luxury yacht is a floating ballroom perfect for a momentous occasion. And that isn’t even considering the dazzling visions of the Vancouver skyline, the coastal mountains or the enchanting, yet completely possible, opportunity to share the waves with dolphins or whales. A Wedding With Wildlife For an intimate wedding with dazzling scenery rather than city lights in the distance Ocean Adventures is a small custom charter company offering wedding or honeymoon trips to the Great Bear Rainforest. While the Great Bear II ship doesn’t boast a DJ or a dance floor, it entertains with its environs and lucky couples on board can enjoy a private multi-day cruise to isolated sandy beaches, the Princess Louisa Inlet, or even the Inside Passage where guests might witness spirit bears, humpback whales and wolves. THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAIL - A GUIDE TO GETTING STARTED
Much of coastal BC is easily accessed from either Vancouver or Victoria by air, ferry and land. Both cities have major airports, which service national and international commercial flights as well as several small charter companies flying to remote areas of the islands and the north coast. BC Ferries operates passenger and vehicle ferry services from Vancouver to Victoria, Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands and the Sunshine Coast, as well as to further north to the Inside Passage and the Queen Charlotte Islands. Visitors or guests can also get around via rail and roads. VIA Rail runs train services from Vancouver to many of the province’s towns and cities on the mainland, as well as operating the Malahat line on Vancouver Island. The Whistler Mountaineer travels between North Vancouver and Whistler, offering both day trips and adventure packages. Taxis or rental cars are also commonly available, as well as several national and local bus companies. When to Wed The coast of BC is unarguably Canada’s most temperate area and makes the region an attractive destination year-round, although it is also the country’s wettest area so wedding plans should take into account the climate, particularly when hoping for an outdoor wedding. Victoria, Vancouver and the Sunshine Coast all enjoy copious amounts of sunshine during summer but can often be overcast, or in the case of Vancouver downright rainy, in winter. That said, winter weddings are still possible. The coastal mountains protect both Vancouver and Victoria and, as a result, the cities enjoy the warmest temperatures of any in the country. Of course, rain on the coast in winter often means snow in the mountains and those after a winter wonderland will usually not be disappointed. Not only do the ski villages of Whistler and others come alive with energy during the winter months, but regularly receive heaps of the white fluffy stuff. The Finishing Touches As a popular destination for weddings, the area boasts its share of wedding planners, photographers and services to make the day a perfect one. WorldWeb.com includes wedding directories for Victoria, Vancouver, Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands, the Sunshine Coast and Whistler. Getting married in BC is possible both for Canadians and non-Canadians although foreign visitors should check as to what paperwork is required by both British Columbia and their home countries. In 2003, marriage became a legal right for same-sex couples as well as heterosexual ones and most wedding services and facilities cater to both. In addition, marriage commissioners and clergy are common throughout the province and accustomed to performing traditional as well as non-traditional unions. British Columbia is as diverse as it is beautiful, so whatever the perfect day entails, the province is indeed the perfect place to say “I do.” PHOTOS COURTESY OF:
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