History in the Making: museums offer exceptional wedding experience

“We will provide the same quality to your event,” Roxanne Crain assures the bride and groom to be, “as we did when we hosted Will and Kate this past summer.” Yes, that Will and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Roxanne is Sales Executive for wedding events at the Canadian Museum of Civilization and the Canadian War Museum. The museums have hosted many state dinners and ceremonial events, and have welcomed presidents, prime ministers and other dignitaries from around the world. They also play host every year to about 40 weddings, including marriage ceremonies, banquets and receptions.

Roxanne says people choose the museums as a wedding venue for the same reason the museums were chosen for Will and Kate’s royal tour: they offer an exceptional experience in surroundings that are world class and uniquely Canadian. These are, after all, Canada’s national museums of human history and two of the country’s architectural gems.

“If you’re looking for something extraordinary,” says Roxanne, “we should definitely be on your short list.”  

Rhiannon Beaubien agrees. She and her husband, Sylvain Pouliot, were married in September 2011 at the Canadian Museum of Civilization. Their reception was in the majestic Grand Hall, the largest of three venues available in the museum. With its six-storey window wall, towering totem poles and unrivalled view of Parliament Hill, the Grand Hall is perhaps the most impressive indoor public space in the country.

Rhiannon says most of their guests were from out of town, including many from the United States and overseas. She and Sylvain wanted to offer them an experience unique to Canada’s capital. “Your regular hall or restaurant could be anywhere,” she says. “We wanted something different and memorable for our guests. The view across the river? That is Ottawa. It’s iconic.”

Sally and Eric Gerestein had the same goal when planning their wedding. They wanted a venue they could proudly share with family and friends, some from as far away as Hong Kong. “We wanted to show them how beautiful our hometown could be,” says Sally.

Their reception was in the Voyageurs Salon, a venue perfectly sized for their 120 guests. Like the Grand Hall, it offers a panoramic view across the Ottawa River. By day, the space serves as the museum’s cafeteria, which made Eric a bit nervous. “I had trouble picturing what it would look like that night,” he admits. But when the wedding party arrived, the space had been transformed. “It took my breath away when I walked in,” says Sally. “It was gorgeous.”

Sally and Eric also had their wedding ceremony at the museum — on the grounds just outside the Voyageurs Salon. It was a perfect summer evening and the Ottawa River and Parliament Hill provided a stunning backdrop, as it did for an outdoor cocktail reception for Rhiannon Beubien and Sylvain Pouliot. 

“Everyone was standing outside with a glass of wine watching the sunset reflecting off the river and the Parliament buildings. It was phenomenal,” says Rhiannon.  

Another couple, Cheryl and Casey, checked out most of the high-end venues in Ottawa, but booked the one that had topped their list from the very start — the Canadian War Museum.  “Because Casey is in the military, it was a no-brainer for us,” says Cheryl. “But honestly, it would be a great venue for any couple.” Casey is a medic with the Canadian Forces. Cheryl is a nurse.

They chose the Lebreton Gallery, one of two wedding spaces available in the museum. The exhibition hall features a colossal wall of windows looking east towards the Peace Tower and the rest of downtown Ottawa. The room is also a stunning showcase for the museum’s collection of vintage vehicles and other large artifacts. “It’s a really interesting place,” says Cheryl, “and it dressed up really nicely. It was amazing.”

She says the artifacts were great conversation starters for their 150 guests during cocktails, and were beautifully illuminated—looking almost like works of art—during the dinner and dance, thanks to the museum’s in-house lighting expert.

“Every single person said it was a great venue, even the ones who aren’t in the military,” Cheryl says, “and several said it was the best wedding they’d ever been to.”

Both Rhiannon and Sally say their weddings were hits as well. “The venue was a huge component of what made the wedding so special,” says Rhiannon. “Everything was perfect. We wouldn’t change a thing.”

Because the venue itself is so spectacular, she adds, “you don’t have to worry about the extra frou-frou stuff” – the balloons and streamers and bells that are needed to doll up most other venues.

Sally agrees, and also mentions the convenience of having the one venue for the wedding photos, the ceremony and the reception. Plus, their guests were able to stay at a hotel right across the street. “It was super convenient,” adds Eric.

All the couples mention one other point: the museums are open to the public and will always be there. “It’s nice to know that the venue will be around for a long, long time, and that we can go back and visit the site of our wedding, and kind of re-live it every so often,” says Sally. “It’s wonderful to have that option.”

Further information about the wedding packages at the Civilization and War museums is available at  http://www.civilization.ca/plan-your-visit/amenities/facility-rentals, or by contacting Roxanne Crain (roxanne.crain@civilization.ca or 819-776-8354).

Are the Civilization and War museums the right choice for your wedding?

Pros:

• you won’t find venues that are more memorable, elegant or prestigious
• the museums symbolize what’s important and enduring
• five indoor venues to choose from
• outdoor spaces available, all with incredible views
• convenient and prominent location
• can accommodate everything from an intimate cocktail reception to a multi-course, customized meal for 800 guests
• fabulous settings for wedding photos, inside and out
• museum theatres are available for ceremonies
• top-quality catering and technical services
• convenient, hassle-free wedding packages
• a commitment to client service from start to finish
• no-pressure sales approach
• prices competitive with other premium venues 

Cons:

• more expensive than an ordinary banquet hall or clubhouse
• private functions cannot begin until 6 p.m. when the museum is closed to the public (set-ups are completed in advance)
• the museums do not allow the use of outside catering or technical services
• as national institutions, the museums cannot haggle over rental fees or offer “special deals” unavailable to other clients