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Discovering the best wedding venue in Calgary is a fun experience as you will be celebrating one of the most important days of your life at your chosen venue. Calgary, Alberta, is a gorgeous location for a wedding venue, and below, I have compiled my favorite and top Calgary venues for you to explore. From the stunning Historic Calgary Palliser Hotel to an elegant and relaxed Azuridge Lodge on the outskirts of Calgary, you are bound to find your perfect venue for your wedding day.
Make sure to visit several wedding venues to explore your options, even if you feel confident about your venue of choice from the beginning. Don’t forget, your wedding day is an important part of your life, and you will look back at it forever. Spend a bit of time exploring your options, and consider a wedding planner to help you if you feel overwhelmed.
Follow your gut when it’s coming to exploring for the right Calgary wedding venue. A venue has salespeople to sell the venue to you. If you can picture your wedding day at that venue and feel the ambiance feel good, you know you’re on the path for a fabulous wedding venue experience. Don’t forget if your heart is to get married in the mountains at a mountain venue explore all avenues before signing any contract.
Some venues have a room for the bride to get ready and a groom getting room and others do not. You might have to pay for a room, but make sure to have a room with lots of natural light if you’d like the best experience and photographs.
Consider the distance involved for your photographer and hair and makeup artists to travel to and from. The cost of the average wedding photographer may not include your ceremony and reception coverage in their costs, so many sure everything is covered when selecting your photographer for your wedding venue.
At this moment in time, you are engaged, and you have lots of amazing things to think about and explore. Connect with me today as your best Calgary wedding photographer, I am happy to help with any questions you might have, as I’d love to hear from you.
TOP WEDDING VENUES IN CALGARY ALBERTA
Azuridge Estate Hotel
Azuridge Estate Hotel is located on the outskirts of Calgary with the most beautiful and stunning backdrop of private woods and an open valley. Sheer elegance, privacy, and a location that all brides and grooms will remember forever.
The Estate has a team of butlers and wine sommeliers, gourmet chefs, with wedding professionals ready to make your dream wedding come true.
- Type: Hotel
- Wedding Ceremony: Inside & Outside
- Wedding Reception: Yes
- Maximum Capacity: 250 seated
- Onsite Accommodation: Yes
- Plated/Buffet Service: Both Offered
- Parking: Onsite
Alloy Dining
A Calgary wedding venue hidden gem! The service and cuisine at Alloy Dining is absolutely fantastic. They offer an outdoor garden for your ceremony and cocktails making your venue experience very special indeed.
Just 10 minutes from downtown Calgary Alloy Dining offers an intimate wedding experience. If you’re after a venue to feel relaxed, provides excellent food, parking, fabulous service, it could be the perfect fit for your Calgary wedding venue.
- Type: Restaurant
- Wedding Ceremony: Inside & Outside
- Wedding Reception: Yes
- Maximum Capacity: 100
- Onsite Accommodation: No
- Plated/Buffet Service: Both Offered
- Parking: Onsite
Bow Valley Ranch Restaurant
A top wedding venue in Calgary that is located in the gorgeous Fish Creek Park. Booked out far in advance, if you have your heart on this Calgary venue, you should book and think far out.
The Bow Valley Restaurant consistently wins awards from it’s fabulous service to cuisine. Your wedding ceremony either celebrated outside in their garden or indoors, you won’t be disappointed with your choice. If you love open, airy, and nature, then this location is a must to look at.
- Type: Restaurant
- Wedding Ceremony: Inside & Outside
- Wedding Reception: Yes
- Maximum Capacity: 110 Seated
- Onsite Accommodation: No
- Plated/Buffet Service: Both Offered
- Parking: Onsite
Charbar
A venue that has been hot since they opened there doors in 2015. Formerly known as the Simmons building, it was converted into several businesses.
Without any doubt, this venue has a stunning rooftop for outdoor ceremonies and receptions. With the Bow River flowing by and the new East Village feel, this Calgary venue is an excellent choice for a wedding day.
The Charbar prides itself on quality ingredients from the ocean, prairies, and local gardens. Being so accessible from downtown Calgary if you’d love to experience fairy lights and dancing outdoors with Calgary’s city skyline behind you, this is a top pick.
- Type: Restaurant
- Wedding Ceremony: Inside & Outside
- Wedding Reception: Yes
- Maximum Capacity: 300 Seated
- Onsite Accommodation: No
- Plated/Buffet Service: Both Offered
- Parking: Street
Deane House
A historic property for your perfect wedding venue in Calgary, Alberta. The restaurant opened in 2016 after it was redeveloped in 2015.
The Deane House in Inglewood offers both indoor and outdoor ceremonies, and it’s easy to access downtown Calgary. It’s no wonder it’s become an excellent choice for hosting a wedding.
All rooms within The Deane House have been carefully curated and with the sun entering the garden if you love nature but want to be close to downtown then definitely check out this Calgary wedding venue.
- Type: Restaurant
- Wedding Ceremony: Inside & Outside
- Wedding Reception: Yes
- Maximum Capacity: 72 Seated Main Floor
- Maximum Capacity: 250 Seated Garden Party (tented)
- Onsite Accommodation: No
- Plated/Buffet Service: Both Offered
- Parking: Street
Hudson – The Guild – Sub Rosa
What is there not to love about this Calgary downtown wedding venue. Offering several different venues under one hood, you are bound to find the perfect Calgary wedding venue of you liking here.
Sub Rosa, located in the basement, offers an amazing location for a wedding ceremony and reception. Just make sure your photographer is amazing at flash control as there’s little light in the basement.
The Guild is a restaurant-style location that opens to the fabulous Stephen Avenue, offering you a vibrant and fun wedding venue.
The Hudson is your larger ballroom feel the experience that is perfect for your reception with the opportunity for table configurations to your dream.
Hire the complete complex or just one venue. You’re bound to be overjoyed with your choice.
- Type: Restaurant
- Wedding Ceremony: Inside & Sub Rosa
- Wedding Reception: Yes
- Maximum Capacity: 480 Loft
- Maximum Capacity: 300 Flat
- Maximum Capacity: 712 Full Buyout
- Onsite Accommodation: No
- Plated/Buffet Service: Both Offered
- Parking: Street
Hotel Arts
Hotel Arts offers rooms and ballrooms, allowing guests to stay and experience an entire wedding without leaving this one location.
Large ballrooms that can be sectored off to host a reception and ceremony plus your reception can host your dance floor comfortably. A fabulous location and one of my favorite in Calgary as it can easily accommodate a large wedding.
If you are after a wedding that is very close to the downtown areas of Stephen Avenue, and you are in need of a ballroom or three, and then this a great choice. Friendly staff and fabulous food you won’t go wrong with Hotel Art as your wedding venue.
- Type: Hotel
- Wedding Ceremony: Inside
- Wedding Reception: Yes
- Max Capacity: 320 Round Table Spectrum 4/5
- Onsite Accommodation: Yes
- Plated/Buffet Service: Both Offered
- Parking: Onsite & Street
Lougheed House
The Lougheed House is impressive. Great food, great staff, and indeed one location that I’ve loved every time I’ve photographed there.
The basement is a sensational area for your evening party, and the grounds will leave you with stunning photography of your private historic wedding venue in the heart of Calgary.
If you after history, close proximity to downtown and some greenery, then take a look at the Lougheed House.
- Type: Restaurant
- Wedding Ceremony: Inside
- Wedding Reception: Yes
- Max Capacity: 96 Seated
- Onsite Accommodation: No
- Plated/Buffet Service: Both Offered
- Parking: Street
Meadow Muse Pavilion
The Meadow Muse Pavilion, located in Fish Creek, is a stunning location for a wedding venue for those who love to feel close to the outdoors.
As the sun goes down, you will be treated with the warmth of the summer sunset. Open up the tent’s side, and your wedding will be happy with the open feel that works great for brides and grooms who do want to feel enclosed.
Spruce the outside up with some fairy light and let the sun go down and then party it up on the dance floor.
- Type: Restaurant
- Wedding Ceremony: Inside / Outside
- Wedding Reception: Yes
- Max Capacity: 110 Seated
- Onsite Accommodation: No
- Plated/Buffet Service: Both Offered
- Parking: Public Car Park
Murrieta’s Calgary
Murrieta’s is such an excellent venue for a wedding for bride and grooms wanting something different to a ballroom experience.
Head out onto Murrieta’s balcony to see below you, Stephen Avenue. Enjoy the fabulous food, great vibe, and excellent staff.
If you want an up-tempo wedding experience, hire a band and place them in the heart of Murrieta’s, and you will have so much fun.
- Type: Restaurant
- Wedding Ceremony: Inside
- Wedding Reception: Yes
- Max Capacity: 90 Seated in one room
- Onsite Accommodation: No
- Plated/Buffet Service: Both Offered
- Parking: Street
Fairmont Palliser Hotel
Share excellence on every level. The Fairmont Palliser Hotel is booked out far in advance for many reasons from the historic hotel, excellent staff, great food, and world-leading accommodation.
Are you the bride and groom who are looking to have many guests or just a few, well you are treated to a location that will make you very happy. You can decorate the main ballroom with uplighting or level it as is; either way, you will love your ceremony and reception at the Fairmont Palliser Hotel.
Close to Stephen Avenue, you can park your car in the hotel’s car park and enjoy the location of feeling downtown.
- Type: Hotel
- Wedding Ceremony: Inside
- Wedding Reception: Yes
- Max Capacity: 95-320 Seated
- Onsite Accommodation: Yes
- Plated/Buffet Service: Both Offered
- Parking: Onsite & Street
River Café
The River Café, located on Prince’s Island Park Calgary, is a fabulous choice for a wedding venue. I have always been so impressed with this venue as they work so hard, making sure your experience is an excellent one.
Yes, the food is terrific, the staff are fabulous, the location is perfect, it is no wonder this location gets booked up quickly.
Surrounded by the well-kept park of Prince’s Island Park, you can finish off your night with firework capping off your perfect outdoor or indoor ceremony.
- Type: Restaurant
- Wedding Ceremony: Inside & Outside
- Wedding Reception: Yes
- Maximum Capacity: 150 Seated
- Onsite Accommodation: No
- Plated/Buffet Service: Both Offered
- Parking: Street
Rouge Restaurant
The Rouge Restaurant offers an open garden ceremony and reception, which is absolutely gorgeous. I have yet to truly experience any other location in Calgary, like The Rouge Restaurant.
The garden offers privacy allowing the bride and grooms to want a wedding close to downtown Calgary but yet won’t experience the downtown ambiance.
As the warm summer sunsets, the light comes through the leaves allowing for a truly remarkable location for a wedding.
The staff and food is divine, and they truly go above and beyond, making the couple feel special.
- Type: Restaurant
- Wedding Ceremony: Inside & Outside
- Wedding Reception: Yes
- Maximum Capacity: 116 Patio & Garden
- Onsite Accommodation: No
- Plated/Buffet Service: Both Offered
- Parking: Street
SAIT
SAIT offers an excellent choice in hosting a wedding with the historic building and reception room. To some, they might think of a university as a strange choice for a wedding, but you have to visit the venue, and you will soon understand why it’s so popular.
Easy access parking and onsite accommodation with fantastic service I give SAIT a big thumbs up for hosting your wedding in Calgary.
The venue boasts a large room for a larger wedding, or you can hire a smaller room with history. Whatever choice you opt for, you’re sure to be happy.
- Type: University
- Wedding Ceremony: Inside
- Wedding Reception: Yes
- Max Capacity: 250 Seated
- Onsite Accommodation: No
- Plated/Buffet Service: Both Offered
- Parking: Onsite
Sirocco Golf Club
Sirocco Golf Club offers the perfect golf course experience for brides and grooms. The location is gorgeous, extremely well kept, the staff are fantastic, and the food is excellent.
As the sun goes down, the bride and groom can walk outside for a sunset evening shoot and then pop back inside to carry on with the evening celebration.
This Calgary wedding venue offers two rooms that can be opened up for the dance floor or additional space for extra guests. A fantastic location for couples wanting to be away from the hustle of downtown but not wanting to go far.
- Type: Golf Club
- Wedding Ceremony: Inside / Outside
- Wedding Reception: Yes
- Max Capacity: 226 Seated
- Onsite Accommodation: No
- Plated/Buffet Service: Both Offered
- Parking: Onsite
Spruce Meadows
An amazing wedding venue to host a wedding ceremony and reception. From the British House, Gallery on the Green Congress Hall, Horizons Pavilion to the CP Canada House you can have a small intimate wedding to a 450 person seated reception.
Located on the outskirts of Calgary, Spruce Meadows offers greenery for the bride and groom wanting space or that a ceremony by their famous stairs.
A sunset walk in privacy would be a fabulous way to finish off your evening far away from downtown Calgary, but it is an easy venue to get to.
- Type: World-Class Horse Show Jumping
- Wedding Ceremony: Inside / Outside
- Wedding Reception: Yes
- Max Capacity: 140 – 450 Seated
- Onsite Accommodation: No
- Plated/Buffet Service: Both Offered
- Parking: Onsite
The Lake House
The Lake House is described as rustic elegance and is a very popular location for a wedding ceremony and reception for good reason.
Overlooking Lake Bonavista, guests are treated to a gorgeous venue. Bride and grooms can have a DJ or a live band and enjoy the evening sunlight as it travels through the large windows overlooking the lake.
The food is fantastic, and the staff are very friendly. I cannot say enough wonderful things about The Lake House; it’s definitely worth a visit to see if this location fits within your wedding dreams.
- Type: Restaurant
- Wedding Ceremony: Inside
- Wedding Reception: Yes
- Max Capacity: 130 Seated
- Onsite Accommodation: No
- Plated/Buffet Service: Both Offered
- Parking: Onsite
The Nash
An incredible restaurant located in Inglewood, Calgary. This might seem an obvious choice at first for a wedding, but it’s worth checking out.
Great food, easy access, friendly staff THE NASH is quickly becoming a location of choice for brides and grooms wanting a low key but fabulous wedding venue.
THE NASH was, and Old National Hotel and after renovations is a sophisticated urban joy. If you’re the bride and groom are wanting something a bit different look into THE NASH.
- Type: Restaurant
- Wedding Ceremony: Inside
- Wedding Reception: Yes
- Max Capacity: 170 Seated
- Onsite Accommodation: No
- Plated/Buffet Service: Both Offered
- Parking: Street
Teatro
Impeccable food, excellent service, awesome location, and intimate, for large to smaller Calgary venue weddings, this could be your perfect choice.
Located on Stephen Avenue downtown Calgary, you can stay in a hotel for the weekend and celebrate with those who are close to you with a smaller 50 person wedding in the Opera Room or throw a bigger wedding in the Main Dining Room with classic aesthetic 22ft ceilings.
This is a historic location in Calgary, and it’s well-positioned for the bride and grooms to have a worry-free experience. Check them out if you’re after top-notch service, first-class food for your ceremony, and reception.
- Type: Restaurant
- Wedding Ceremony: Inside
- Wedding Reception: Yes
- Max Capacity: 130 (Main Dining Room)
- Max Capacity: 50 Seated (Opera Room)
- Onsite Accommodation: No
- Plated/Buffet Service: Both Offered
- Parking: Street
FAQ For The Best Wedding Venues
How do I make a big wedding venue feel intimate?
The first thing is to select a venue that compliments the number of guests. If you wish for an intimate wedding with 50 guests but book a 300 person seated reception, then you will have to do a lot of work, making the room feel comfortable. Once you have chosen the perfect wedding venue, then allow ease of conversion by not having huge tables and big flowers in the middle of the table. Candles, lower ambient lighting, cool background music, and uplighting around your reception. The perfect wedding could be within this list of the best wedding venues in Calgary.
How do I make my wedding venue stand out?
Lighting is the key to a successful venue to stand out. Do you want your wedding venue indoors out outside might be the first part of this? For instance, if you would like a wedding at the Rouge Restaurant outside, you might need minimal lighting, but if you’d like a wedding in the main Ballroom in the Palliser, you might want to hire a professional lighting team to bring your vision to life. Hiring a wedding planner is one option to bring your vision to life also. Along with lighting, this includes candles, flowers, chandeliers, upgraded chairs, table cloths, cutlery, and thank you cards. The key first sits with your venue of choice complements your chosen venue first ie, if it’s a beach wedding, then complete your wedding with this theme.
What do couples want from a wedding venue?
What a bride a groom want from a wedding venue is:
1. Great service
2. Hassle-free environment
3. Fantastic food – if served
4. Not to be blindsided by additional costs
5. Beautiful scenery
6. An open bar
7. Indoor and outdoor wedding options
8. Flexibility
What makes a great wedding venue?
Much depends on your vision for your wedding day. Do you want a smaller wedding or a larger wedding? If you would love a smaller wedding, then select a venue that prides itself on intimate weddings. Likewise, if you would like to host a larger wedding, make sure there’s enough room. The key to a great wedding venue is not the size but how they can accommodate your wedding vision.
How can I make my wedding venue unique and unforgettable?
The easy answer to making your venue unique and unforgettable is to hire a wedding planner and throw lots of cash at your wedding day. However, it is not practical for most brides and grooms, so here are some ideas.
1. Select the correct venue first
2. Uplighting
3. DJ lighting which is often cheaper than a wedding planner
4. Candles
5. Personalized welcome cards on the table
6. A small thought out gift at the table of each guest
7. Ambient lighting
8. Music to compliment your environment
What questions should I ask a wedding venue when I first meet the venue?
To view photos of the venue for an actual wedding event
What is the deposit?
When do you pay the full balance?
What additional charges will there be after your wedding?
What is the capacity of the venue and for photographs to view the room after setup?
Do they allow a decorating team to come to light the venue professionally?
Is the venue available for your wedding date?
How much will everything cost?
How far in advance should I book a wedding venue?
Once you are engaged, then make a list of your dream wedding venues, visit them and see how far they are booked out. In many cases, wedding venues are booked out well over a year in advance, so, to be honest, it comes down to when you would like to get married. Think one year out from your wedding date as a ballpark for larger cities with a higher population. If you are located in a remote location, and your wedding venue is not high in demand, you could wait and not worry. In most cases, though, this is not an option.
