You can visualize yourself walking down the aisle, locking eyes with your partner, saying ‘I Do’ and sharing that first kiss as a married couple. You’re ready to sign on the dotted line to book your wedding ceremony venue! But wait – have you asked all the right questions?!

Not to worry, Team JBW has got your back! Here are 5 important questions to ask when booking your wedding ceremony venue.

1. Are there any décor restrictions? For example, many indoor venues do not allow real flower petals down the aisle. Some churches have restrictions on what (if any) décor can be placed at the altar. It’s important to find out what is and isn’t permitted before booking your wedding ceremony venue.

St.Joseph’s Basilica / Carey Nash Photography

2. What is included with the venue rental and what am I responsible for renting or supplying? Find out what the venue is providing and what you must bring in yourselves or rent. Some examples of items you may require for your wedding ceremony include: chairs or bench seating, a signing table for the registry, a ceremony arch or arbour, a sound system with a wireless or lapel microphone, and easels for directional signage.

Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise / Stoffer Photography

3. When can a rehearsal date and time be confirmed? Some venues will allow you to schedule this upon booking, while others will only confirm your rehearsal a couple weeks in advance. This is important to ask, as it may take some juggling to coordinate the availability of your Officiant, Wedding Party, Wedding Coordinator and rehearsal dinner venue.

The Lake House / Infused Studios

4. Is there an indoor or covered backup space in case of inclement weather? Always have a Plan B! If weather is poor, is there an on site backup space you can move the ceremony into? And when must you make the weather call? Often times this can be done on the day of the event, as late as a few hours prior to your ceremony start time, but some venues require 24 hours notice if utilizing the backup space.

University of Alberta, Botanic Gardens / Kelly Redinger

5. Is only one wedding held per day? Some ceremony venues book multiple weddings on a single day (we’ve seen as many as 4 different timeslots), while others provide exclusivity to a single wedding couple. It’s important to understand if you are restricted to a specific ceremony time, and whether you have to hustle out of there following your nuptials or if you can stick around to take photos.

Fairmont Hotel Macdonald / Romy Young

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We hope this is a helpful resource for you when booking your wedding ceremony venue. Stay tuned for our next blog post outlining 5 Questions to Ask Your Wedding Reception Venue!

Jennifer + Team | Jennifer Bergman Weddings
Edmonton Wedding Planners, Edmonton Wedding Designers

Along with 150 of their favourite people, Grace and Shane travelled to the majestic Rocky Mountains for their winter destination wedding at Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise.

As most guests were visiting the area for the first time from the US, Grace and Shane hosted a welcome reception the evening prior to the wedding. They shuttled their guests from Lake Louise to wine and dine at the The Bison and experience the world-renowned Town of Banff.

The wedding day itself was mild as far as Canadian winters go, and the happy couple were able to exchange vows outdoors in front of the icy blue lake. After dinner and toasts, they danced the night away in the Victoria Ballroom to old and new hits covered by Five on the Side Band!

Credits:

• Wedding Day Management: Jennifer Bergman Weddings (Suzanne)
• Rehearsal Dinner Venue: The Bison Banff
• Ceremony Venue: Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise (Lakefront Terrace)
• Reception Venue: Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise (Victoria Ballroom)
• Photography: Photography
• Officiant: Jason Suydam
• Ceremony + Reception Music: Five on the Side Band
• Wedding Gown: Lilybridal
• Florist: Banff Mountaintop Flowers
• Charter Buses: ABBC Charter Busses
• Rentals: Mountain Event Rentals
• Hair + Makeup: Botega Salon + Gallery

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Suzanne, Lead Planner | Jennifer Bergman Weddings
Lake Louise Wedding Planners
Rocky Mountain Wedding Planners

Living in Alberta, winter is something you must embrace, or you’re in for a long 5 – maybe 6, sometimes 7 – months! Erin and Adam chose to do just that by holding their February wedding in one of Canada’s most spectacular destination wedding locations: Lake Louise. Their two main priorities for the wedding were to extend the festivities over the course of an entire weekend, and to provide guests with a quintessential winter experience in the Canadian Rockies.

The weekend began Friday morning with a chartered motor coach driving Edmonton guests to The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. Following a delicious rehearsal dinner in the Alpine Room, guests gathered for hot chocolate and s’mores by the lakeside fire pits and ice bar. On the morning of the wedding, Adam and his groomsmen hosted a pick-up hockey game on the frozen lake, while the ladies enjoyed a leisurely morning in their suite getting ready for the big day.

After exchanging vows in the Victoria Ballroom, the newlyweds went off for photos with their wedding party while guests departed on horse-drawn sleigh rides! Our team spent the next few hours transforming the ballroom with long wooden tables, lush greenery runners, tons of candlesticks and gold accents. The party continued in the Glacier Saloon where late night snacks including poutine and sliders were served, and dancing in hotel slippers went on until the early hours of the morning.

This truly stunning winter destination wedding is featured in the Spring / Summer 2017 issue of Weddingbells Magazine, so grab a copy and enjoy the images below captured by the very talented Brittany Esther Photography.

Jennifer + Team | Jennifer Bergman Weddings
Lake Louise Wedding Planning + Design
Rocky Mountain Wedding Planners

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Credits:

• Wedding Planning + Design: Jennifer Bergman Weddings
• Photography: Brittany Esther Photography
• Photo Booth: Creative Photo Booth
• Officiant: Robin White
• Florist: faBLOOMosity
• Pie Table: The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise
• Rentals: Special Event Rentals Banff
• Stationery: Pinkpolka Invitations & Stationery
• Ceremony Music: Music Mosaic
• Reception Music: Premiere DJs by Urban Metropolis
• Transportation: Brewster Travel Canada
• Sleigh Rides: Brewster Adventures
• Hair + Makeup: Botega
• Gown: Delica Bridal

While we’re based in Edmonton, Alberta, we’ve had the pleasure of planning and designing weddings in many beautiful destinations – both in Canada and abroad! This series will showcase some of our favourite locations including information for couples considering a wedding away from home.

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Destination ‘I Do’ Wedding Series: Lake Louise, Alberta

Nestled in the Canadian Rockies and just a short 40 min drive from Banff, Lake Louise is truly a unique mountain escape. The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise (CLL) has a rich history dating back as early as 1911 when the General Manager of the Canadian Pacific Railway constructed a one-story log cabin on the shores of Lake Louise – a glacier fed lake with stunning emerald hues. CLL has hosted many famous guests and Royalty including Marilyn Monroe, Christopher Reeve and Queen Elizabeth II, to name a few.

Chateau Lake Louise offers several different event spaces to host your wedding festivities no matter the size – from an intimate gathering of 20 guests in the Lefroy Room, all the way up to 600 guests in Mount Temple Ballroom. One of the most popular wedding spaces is Victoria Ballroom, which has recently completed renovations in September 2016.

You can see from our weddings below that no matter the season, The Chateau’s views will not disappoint!

Here are a few photos we have compiled of our Lake Louise weddings with this gorgeous gown to show you the
The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise at its finest: Real Wedding: Jenny + James // Sharon Litchfield

Real Wedding: Jodie + Chris // NewHairLine

Real Wedding: Shelley + Stewart // katebackdrop

Real Wedding: Zahra + Jordan // Kelsy Nielson Photographer

Real Wedding: Tess + James // Kelly Redinger

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Jennifer + Team | Jennifer Bergman Weddings
Lake Louise Wedding Planning + Design
Rocky Mountain Wedding Planning + Design

Planning an early May wedding in Alberta is always a gamble in terms of weather, but when you’re getting married at one of the most picturesque locations in the country, you really can’t go wrong! Driving to The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, the roads were clear and the sky was blue. As we approached this renowned retreat in the Rockies, the snow began to fall and we woke up the next morning to the most gorgeous view – it felt like we were inside a snow globe peering out!

Tess + James’ vision for their mountain destination wedding was to host an intimate celebration full of warmth and romance. With nods of Tuscan influence, organic greenery and an abundance of lush florals covered the tables, while gold candelabras added formality and elegance to the beautiful Victoria ballroom. A dramatic king’s table set in front of the stone fireplace hosted the 14-person wedding party.

As always, Kelly Redinger did an incredible job capturing the day!

Jennifer + Team | Jennifer Bergman Weddings
Lake Louise Wedding Planning + Design
Rocky Mountain Weddings

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Credits:

• Wedding Planning + Design: Jennifer Bergman Weddings
• Photography: Kelly Redinger
• Officiant: Klaus Ohlhoff
• Ceremony Music: Music Mosaic Trio
• Reception Music: DJ Larrington
• Invitations/Stationery: Pinkpolka Invitations & Stationery
• Florist: faBLOOMosity
• Rentals: Special Event Rentals Banff
• Aisle Runner: The Original Runner Co.
• Macaron Favours: Whippt Desserts & Catering
• Hair/Makeup: Avenue Beauty
• Gown: Pronovias

Tess + James’ vision for their Lake Louise destination wedding was an intimate celebration full of warmth and romance. With nods of Tuscan influence, an abundance of lush, organic florals in tones of blush, pink, peach and crimson covered the tables, while gold candelabras and candlesticks added formality and glamour to the elegant Victoria Ballroom.

The inspiration:
Photo Credits (clockwise from top left): Pink Signature Drink – New Orleans Wedding Planner; Bridal Hairstyle Gold Hair Accessory – Lauren Conrad; Bride and Groom Chair Garland – Martha Stewart Weddings; Pink Peony Bouquet – Green Wedding Shoes; Gold Wedding Shoes – Style Me Pretty; Chalkboard Menu – Laura Hooper Calligraphy; Canopy Over Head Table – Aileen Tran; Floral and Greenery Table Runner – Southern California Bride.

…and the reality!
Photo Credit: Kelly Redinger.

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Stay tuned for more of Tess + James’ Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise wedding!

Jennifer + Team | Jennifer Bergman Weddings
Lake Louise Wedding Planner + Designer
Rocky Mountain Weddings

Living in Alberta we are so lucky to have the Rocky Mountains as our “backyard.” More and more Edmonton couples are opting to take advantage of this local splendor by having a Rocky Mountain destination wedding.

I worked with Jodie + Chris for just over a year to plan their fall-inspired wedding weekend at Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise – one of the most breathtaking locations in Canada. Jodie + Chris are very detail-oriented and thought carefully about each component of their day. It was this consideration and their personal touches that made guests feel so taken care of throughout the weekend. By planning a welcome reception the night everyone arrived to a “Sunday Hugs” breakfast the morning after the wedding, Jodie + Chris were able to spend a lot of time with their family and friends who had travelled from across the country to celebrate with them.

The ceremony took place on the Victoria Terrace at Chateau Lake Louise. We lucked out with a beautiful, clear day and unseasonably warm weather for late October! The reception followed in the Fairview Dining Room, and after an extraordinary gourmet meal the party went into full-swing with some unique entertainment. Two highly talented duelling pianists – Lindsey Nagy and Jesse Peters – performed a variety of hits (including the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air rap!) and kept the dance floor full all night.

Eric Daigle Photography did an amazing job capturing the day! Check out the beautiful images of Jodie + Chris’ wedding below, and pop over to Eric’s blog to see all his recent work.

Special thanks to Ewa for assisting!

Jodie’s beautiful fall wedding bouquet by Willow Haven Flower Shop featured a variety of textured flowers, berries and feathers.

The glistening turquoise water at Chateau Lake Louise – not a bad place to take wedding photos!

Jodie wore a pair of stunning white Cole Haan weddings shoes with mini rosettes.

The fall boutonnieres were custom made by Etsy vendor, Erica Cavanagh.

Jodie + Chris opted to give functional “his and hers”  favours to their guests. The ladies received warm pashmina shawls in the wedding colours to wear during the outdoor ceremony, and the guys were given Swiss Army Knives etched with the wedding date!

Jodie was a GORGEOUS bride! Her gown is Allure 8705 from Bridal Début.

The tables were dressed with rich burgundy pintuck linens, gold charger plates and chocolate brown satin napkins. Tall cylinder vases with curly willow and burnt orange cymbidium orchids helped complete the look while adding a subtle touch of  “fall” to the reception décor.

The save-the-date cards, invitations and reception stationary were designed and printed by The Paper Tree.

Instead of a traditional seating chart, Jodie + Chris used picture frames to display guest table arrangements.

Congratulations on your marriage, Jodie + Chris. All the best in the future!

Jennifer

Photo Credit: Eric Daigle Photography.