Seeking: Vancouver wedding venue

Hello ESB,

My fiancé and I have just moved to Vancouver from Australia and are trying to plan a wedding in a city we don't know. We have the reception venue locked in, I have the dress, but have no idea where we can have the ceremony. 

The wedding is this January, so it will be stupidly cold and most certainly raining (we're from Perth, rain and cold are novel concepts). We have been looking for an awesome industrial or art gallery space around the Gastown/downtown area but the search has been less than successful.

Can any of your amazing Vancouver readers recommend a great ceremony venue/space for about 35 people? We have been looking for over two months now and badly need some advice from a local or at least someone who has been here longer than one month.

Slightly freaking out about sending this!!

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I put out an APB on twitter, and the sweet Ashley Moore offered to write up a few suggestions for you. (When I saw her Vancouver photo series, I knew she was the right lady for the job.)

Here's Ashley:

First off, kudos to you on your work planning a wedding in a new city! It’s tough, and Vancouver is a city with so many choices for wedding venues! I lived there for 10 years and got married there in 2011, so I’m happy to share some local knowledge with you!

For a January wedding, inside is definitely the way to go. I won't bother listing the many gardens that are available for weddings, such as Van Dusen Gardens or the UBC botanical gardens, (which is where I got married). And since you said you already had a reception venue, I’m not going to list any of the multitudes of hotels/restaurants downtown.

Vancouver Art Gallery - You might be surprised to know that you can rent space at the biggest gallery in town. They have a few different rooms of varying sizes and prices. I’ve seen photos from wedding in their courtroom that are beautiful! (here are the photos that made me fall in love with it. Full disclosure, these ladies were my photographers, they were pretty awesome.)

Steamworks Brewing Company – More than just a great place for lunch! They have some lovely looking back rooms that would be beautiful, right by the harbor and Waterfront station.

Shebeen Whisky House – Owned by a group called the Heather Hospitality Group that owns a lot of other restaurants/cafes in Gastown (which are totally worth going to even if not for your wedding). Not sure if you’re a whisky person (or if your groom is), but this place is pretty cool looking. At the bottom of the page they say “Shebeen opens at 6pm from Tuesday-Saturday, but can open other hours for private events.” Note: If you are inviting kids to your wedding, this place may not work.

Scotia Bank Dance Centre – They have a few studios you can rent and they all have SO many windows, so even if it’s grey and rainy you will get lots of light inside.

Roundhouse Community Centre – The Exhibition Hall at the Roundhouse is very industrial feeling, with lots of iron, wood and such. It’s pretty big, so definitely bigger than what you’re looking for, but I would feel remiss if I didn’t mention it.

If none of these work out, I would suggest taking a walk through Gastown and downtown and popping in to places that look like they might fit. Many of the restaurants have private space for events.

I hope this helps and all the best with the wedding planning!

[Thank you thank you, Ashley! And many thanks to the ladies of Gucio Photography for lending their photos.]

wrap sweater weather

I've got a hella 70's wrap sweater I bought at Wasteland last spring (ONE HUNDRED PERCENT ACRYLIC!) that I can't seem to work up the nerve to wear out of the house.

Doesn't prevent me from admiring the terrif selection of wrap sweaters from Salvage Life Vintage.

In related news, I saw more than one Vancouver girl rocking the hell out of a Lebowski sweater.

What To Wear In Vancouver?

Let's switch the conversation over to RAINGEAR, yes? Yes.

Hi ESB, 

When I got engaged last year and became suddenly interested in the wedding industry, I found your blog and have been reading it regularly every morning since. I neeeeed my morning snark.

Anyways, no real wedding drama to report, just wanted to ask you for some wardrobe advice. I am getting married on October 1st, and guess where we are going for the honeymoon afterwards: VAN-FREAKING-COUVER! Since we will be in the area, and you happened to post about it, the hubs and I are going to come to your film screening on October 7th.

Here's the deets: we are outdoorsy people and are looking forward to exploring Vancouver. Since I planned the wedding I let (begged) my man plan the honeymoon. I think we are going to go kayaking, hiking, skydiving if the weather cooperates, and now also seeing All Ages. Other than that, I am happily oblivious to his plans.

Here's a general breakdown of where we are going:
Flying into Seattle and spending the first night there
Vancouver Island for 3 days
Vancouver city for 3 days
Drive back to Seattle and fly out after exploring the city some

So... since you're obviously going to be there at the same time, what kind of stuff are you going to be wearing? More to the point, what should I pack for the trip? I know the weather will be a bit chilly, so I'd really like to get a sweet pair of flat boots to walk around in but my large calf muscles always seem to crush my dreams of that. That's as far as I have gotten as of now. Clothing and any other Vancouver related advice would be much appreciated (restaurants to check out?)

I'll hold up a No Crying banner for you,
Vancouver Bound

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Here's what my friend L had to say about Vancouver fashion:

The thing with Vancouver, is that if you're outdoorsy and you like fashion you kind of have to have a split personality because it's hard to marry the two. A lot of people ride their bikes etc. and it rains all the time. Although I will say that in my neighborhood the hipsters manage to still look fashionable on their bikes (maybe not in the pouring rain though), and they couldn't just hop off their bikes and go hiking — nope that wouldn't work. My two-cents: outerwear is very important and shoes, and a collapsible umbrella (cuz even if it looks like it won't rain, it probably will).

Rubber boots are very popular here, Hunters especially are pretty ubiquitous, but I still like them. Got to get me some after those other stupid ones I bought for $100 got holes in them. Of course early October may not be rainy, but then again it might, but it won't be cold yet. Thin layers are the way to go, no need for warm coats yet. But I've lived here for like 17 years and I still have a hard time getting the temperature thing right. I'm usually overdressed and I get hot and sweaty, but I hate being cold too. You kind of have to be prepared for anything.

L never got around to sending me a list of her favorite restaurants.... She's 8 months pregnant and she's like quilting an entire nursery, so.

But Leanne sent me these restaurant recommends via Twitter:

K SRSLY IF UR IN VAN GET THE BEEF RIB OR KOBE BEEF AT KINGYO. ALSO THE TUNA/AVOCADO CARPACCIO- you will DIE. i'm so jealous. 

also the granville room. super douchey plc but their tenderloin steak is AMAZING, its $22.get it with the potato gratin. 

&the diamond in gastown amaze dumplings&cocktails, also the beef short rib sandwich is unreal. ask to go in the back, they have a secret bar

(Authentic Vancouver fashion photos by/of Leanne herself)
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p.s. Thanks for plugging my movie! I couldn't have done it better if I'd written in with a fake Dear ESB. And I can't wait to meet you!! And YIKES WHAT SHOULD I WEAR??

g'morning.

Perhaps you'll forgive my dilly-dallying on getting the Bona Drag vote up if I give you a new my maid of honor is a cunt?

I was up all night packing for a wee trip to my dad's while H took my computer apart and put it back together again. (Okay, not really. But he did update my old-ass version of photoshop, which took FOREVSBALLZ.)

Christina Ricci by Mert & Marcus via Fashion Gone Rogue
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Brought to you live from the Vancouver airport. I LOVE YOU, VANCOUVER!