For most newly-engaged couples, the second choice they have to make after they pick the wedding date is to decide on the wedding venue.  After all, nothing happens without somewhere for it to happen.  There are many different options for couples.  They can go the traditional route of having one wedding venue (usually a church or other religious institution) for the ceremony and another for the reception.

There’s always the ever-popular option of the destination wedding.  Who wouldn’t want to get married on a beach in Mexico or a cliff in Ireland?  There’s even a luxury hotel at the top of a mountain in Peru. It’s right outside the entrance gate to Machu Picchu and hosts weddings! Side-note: if you decide to do the Machu Picchu wedding, I will be more than happy to handle the photography for you!  I’ve been there once and it’s well worth going back.

Staying Local

For those of us who want to stay local, there are two options.  The first: have separate wedding venues for the ceremony and reception, and probably separate locations for getting ready and for portraits as well.  The second option: pick one venue that can host the entire day from start to finish.  I prefer the second option for one simple reason: it’s far less stressful!

One of the things that adds stress to a wedding day is the time crunch: the bride and groom each have to make sure they’re ready by a specific time to get into the car and arrive at the church on time.  Then after the ceremony they have to get all their family into the car and off to the park for the family portrait session.  Finally, they have to hop in the car one last time in order to make it to the hall for the reception.  If the various locations are in different parts of the city, it’s even worse because of traffic and construction detours.

Low-Stress Planning

You could do things that way, or you could simply pick a nice wedding venue that can greet you when you arrive in the morning to get ready and host the entire day, right up to the end of your reception.  Once you’re there, that’s it.  No more running around and getting people into and out of cars to drive all over the city.  Just relax and enjoy the day!

With that in mind, I’ve put together a list of some wedding venues in and around Montreal that would be a great choice for your low-stress wedding.  Be sure to check back often as I’ll be adding more videos.