Wedding Venues Ottawa

Getting married in Ottawa? Here are some of the key points you need to know;

• Visiting the colourful ByWard Market and have lunch at the nearby restaurants to have a great kick start to your wedding weekend
• Snapping your pre-wedding photos in the springtime carpet of tulips at the famous Canadian Tulip Festival
• Walking along the Rideau Canal and enjoy the soothing atmosphere before your Ottawa wedding
• Photos with your wedding party at the beautiful wedding photography and videography locations such as the beautiful Dominion Arboretum and the vibrant Downtown Ottawa
• Your wedding guests enjoying the historical architectures and great museums like the Parliament Hill, Royal Canadian Mint, Canadian War Museum and National Gallery of Canada
• Spending the day after your wedding in Ottawa canoeing, kayaking and cycling at the stunning Dows Lake Pavilion

What is the best time of year for a wedding in Ottawa?

The most popular time to get married in one of the unique wedding venues in Ottawa changes slightly from year to year, but usually, couples choose to tie the knot in early fall and late summer. September is the most preferred month among these seasons, and it's for a good reason.

First, the weather is neither too cold nor too hot to have a beautiful outdoor wedding. Second, most people come back from vacation. If you want to avoid the competition, you can also consider choosing August and September. This way, you can still benefit from the warm weather and book the venue and vendors you dream about without trouble.

Lush green golf clubs, rustic barn venues, country estates, arboretums and wedding venues on the water are the highly sought-after locations for a perfect celebration at these times. They offer fantastic wedding photography opportunities with abundant light and fun-filled moments with your loved ones. Wouldn’t it be nice to say ‘I do’ while the birds are chirping and the wind gently breezes?

However, as tastes differ, some couples choose to have a winter wedding by creating a cozy atmosphere. Also, getting your dream venue and vendors is so much easier in the off-seasons, and you can find relatively cheap wedding venues in winter.

City Hall, art galleries, rowing clubs, museums, and wedding halls are among the best venues to have your celebration in colder months. Restaurants and wedding chapels are also ideal for couples looking for an intimate and small wedding, and hotels are perfect for big celebrations.

Hotel wedding venues in Ottawa provide all-inclusive wedding packages as well for your every need, from wedding catering to videography. In this way, you can have a complete wedding without too much trouble finding different vendors.

What are the popular wedding themes in Ottawa?

You can find dozens of wedding venues in Ottawa that can accommodate the style in your mind. However, the most popular theme is the country wedding in this beautiful city. Farms, cottages and barns are the highly favoured country wedding venues.

They are full of flavour and overflowing with charm. Embroidered, lace and vintage wedding dresses are perfect for these occasions that usually incorporate rustic wedding decor. Country brides might wear boots as their wedding shoes and use trucks as transportation.

Another popular style is the rustic wedding that can take place in various settings such as vineyards, wineries, breweries and estates. Rustic wedding venues in Ottawa are usually adorned with unstructured wedding flowers and bouquets, reclaimed wood, and romantic string lights.

Some couples even serve their wedding cake on slices of wood! The simplicity of country life inspires this style, and it has references to the outdoors. For their wedding makeup, brides usually choose a mate and nude tones, and they prefer waves that look natural with floral hair clip accessories as their hairstyle.

Also, giving creative wedding favours such as a personalized jar of homemade jam and pine cone fire starters will render your most special day memorable! Up next, ever-popular classic wedding. In this style, ceremonies are often performed in a small wedding chapel or magnificent churches.

Receptions take place in elegant wedding banquet halls in Ottawa, lush green golf courses, wedding venues on the water such as yacht clubs and more. Couples opting for relatively cheaper options consider small venues such as restaurants, museums and art galleries.

As outdoor wedding venues in Ottawa, greenhouses, gardens, and parks might be the other options. Tent rentals are also well-favoured among those looking for a more inexpensive venue to combine indoors with outdoors. In this theme, couples prefer elegant wedding decorations and rent classic wedding cars such as Rolls-Royce or Bentley.

These are not the only themes that you can choose from. Ottawa’s best wedding venues are waiting for you to turn them into the setting you have in mind. Working with a wedding planner might make your job much easier. You can check the annual Ottawa Wedding Awards, Wedding Show and Wedding Magazine to get some inspiration to realize your dream wedding!

Are there any major events in Ottawa that we should consider when planning our wedding?

Ottawa hosts many major events throughout the year that can make wedding planning a challenge, especially if you plan to have an outdoor wedding in one of the beautiful country barns, venues on the water or an elegant golf course.

If you need to reserve hotel room blocks and transportation for your guests from afar, we recommend doing it as soon as possible since, in Summer, the city overflows with tourists and locals. A few Ottawa events to have on your radar when selecting a wedding date are the Tulip Festival in May, Fringe Festival in June, the Ottawa Bluesfest in July.

Should we consider any wedding venue locations near Ottawa?

if you’re considering extending your venue search to nearby Quebec and Ontario wedding venues for various reasons such as climate, budget and style, the following locations may be worth a browse:

• Kingston wedding venues
• Cornwall wedding venues
• Gatineau wedding venues

Kingston and Cornwall are just a few nearby attractions just outside of Ottawa. Each has its stunning landscapes for wedding photography opportunities or a well-rounded mix of venues from waterfront restaurants to lakefront gardens.

The vibrant city Gatineau is just a 15-min drive from Ottawa, and it includes a long list of five-star hotel wedding venues, luxurious wedding halls and estates that may be worth a browse.

What factors affect the prices of Ottawa wedding venues?

It’s hard to give an exact amount on the average cost of a wedding venue in Ottawa since it changes according to several factors. The first one is the number of your guests. Since venues make their pricing with a per-person budget, the more guests you have, the pricier it becomes.

For instance, if you plan to have a small and intimate wedding at one of the restaurant wedding venues in Ottawa, your expenses would be lower than a large wedding at a grand outdoor venue. This per-person budget is determined by the services you want to include in your package, such as wedding videography, photography, on-site planner, catering and flowers.

Some facilities, such as hotel venues, offer all-inclusive wedding packages covering everything you could possibly need for your celebration. While you can choose them, you can also build your wedding from scratch by booking vendors one by one, from wedding decorators and photographers to florists and caterers.

One of the other factors is the season you plan to have your big day. You can find relatively affordable wedding venues in Ottawa and vendors in colder months by having a winter wedding. Since there's little demand for the wedding industry, you can save so much of your budget in the off-seasons.

How far in advance should we plan a wedding in Ottawa?

While some couples plan their wedding in Ottawa in no more than three months, others do it in nearly two years. Every wedding and every couple is completely different. Experts suggest starting wedding planning at least one year ahead.

Start with creating your guest list and deciding on your theme with your partner. Then, determine your wedding budget and set a date for your big day. Book your wedding officiant and vendors for your various needs, from wedding photography to catering.

Send your wedding invitations and reserve hotel blocks for out-of-town guests. Attend to your wedding dress fittings, finalize all the details and smile. To not miss a single thing on your special day, you can use the wedding agenda tool!

What questions should I ask when looking for a wedding venue in Ottawa?

One question many couples overlook is how fast the venue responds to inquiries. If it takes them days to get back to your first message, that's a sign of how communication will go throughout the planning process. The best Ottawa wedding venues reply within minutes, and many now use automated inquiry response for venues to make sure no couple is left waiting, even on weekends and holidays.

Once you’ve shortlisted the possible wedding venues in Ottawa where you can host your wedding, it's time to visit and ask some important questions. Get information about its availability for your preferred date(s), how many guests can be accommodated, and, if you want, options for hosting the ceremony and reception at the same location without using wedding transportation.

If you plan to have an alfresco wedding in an outdoor venue, make sure they have a weather backup plan. You can use the weather tool to take the necessary measurements. Afterwards, find out what wedding packages and payment options are available. Don’t forget to review the copy of the contract before committing to your Ottawa wedding venue.