Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/127001
realadvice the Perfect PLACE Two local experts share their secrets for finding the ceremony and reception venue of your dreams By Catherine Roscoe Barr Illustrations by Mandy Lau Hundreds, if not thousands, of options are available to craft your dream wedding in B.C., and one of the most important decisions you'll make is where you'll celebrate, and whether you'll have the ceremony and reception in the same or different locations. "For some couples, the ceremony venue is sacred, and for others, it just needs to be pretty and practical," says Genève McNally, principal planner at Vancouver-based DreamGroup Productions. Know the rules If planning your ceremony in a house of worship, you'll need to take the location's rules and regulations into account, including whether their ceremony format dictates music, photography, vow structure and décor. "I've had a disappointed bride learn too late that her aisle could not be accented with floral arrangements and petals, and that any flowers brought into the church had to be left there as a donation and could not be removed and used at the reception," says McNally. "If a bride's ideal ceremony vision includes walking down the aisle to a modern rock song or being able to express her love through personally 22 written wedding vows, then she needs to ensure that the church or venue in question is open to these ideas," she adds. "The rules will vary within each place of worship and religious group, some being more liberal than others." McNally also recommends you consider your guest list in relation to the venue's capacity, if any other events will be held on the same day, if you will have access to a prep room, the cost and availability of nearby parking for guests, and proximity to the reception venue — "ideally the ceremony and reception venues will be no more than a 20- to 30-minute drive from one another," she says. Choose your officiant Whether you're planning a secular or religious ceremony will also dictate the officiant you choose to marry you. When looking for an officiant, says Soha Lavin, principal planner at CountDown Events Planning and Design in Vancouver, couples should look for "someone who is able to convey and communicate the sentiments of real weddings SPRing / SUMMER 2013 p22-27_RealAdvice-Venue.indd 22 13-04-22 10:28 AM