I have always dreamed of my wedding in a western setting, absolutely not in a Chinese restaurant. Fortunately my family is not too traditional, so there's really not much complication. Although a western banquet is ideal, it won't be a standard buffet style reception. Generally Chinese wedding banquet is held as a sit down meal at night. This is something we would like to keep as part of my Chinese tradition. In the Chinese culture, wedding is not just about the married couple, it has as much if not more significance to the parents and family of the bride and groom.
The current head count is about 120 guests, of that amount at least 30 guests are my relatives in Vancouver. I hope all other family members and friends from Hong Kong, across US and Canada will keep their promises and show up the day of our wedding in Vancouver =)
So far Pan Pacific Hotel, Fairmont Waterfront Hotel, Shangri-La Hotel, Brock House and Hycroft Mansion have been contacted.
Although we haven't seen the actual sites, Shangri-La Hotel and Hycroft Mansion have been ruled out. Certainly some sort of water view is preferred, otherwise why bother to pick a venue located in downtown Vancouver. The banquet hall at Shangri-La Hotel is located on the 6th floor, where not even a glimpse of water can be seen. Hycroft Mansion has a lot of restrictions and does not provide any services. The property owner rents out the mansion and the renter has to do all the coordinating work. It's impossible to arrange a wedding over long distance on every single detail. Despite the inconvenience, Hycroft Mansion (photo below) is really a nice place for holding banquet and party.
Pan Pacific Hotel - overlooking the waterfront with a gorgeous panoramic view of the habour and Stanley Park. The hotel coordinator said the Cypress Suite, with spectacular views of Stanley Park, Lions Gate Bridge and the North Shore Mountains, would be most suitable for our event. This room holds a maximum of 130 people for a sit down dinner. The hotel offers a complimentary room for the bride and groom on the night of the wedding.
Cypress Suite
Fairmont Waterfront Hotel - located in close proximity to Pan Pacific Hotel, so that the two hotels have similar views. The MacKenzie Ballroom holds a maximum of 170 people for dinner and dance. The hotel also provides a complimentary room for the bride and groom when a dinner of more than 100 guests is reserved. In terms of food and beverages, Fairmont Waterfront is the most expensive among the ones we have contacted so far.
Ballroom (unsure if this is MacKenzie)
Brock House - this is a restaurant specializing in wedding reception, ceremony and banquet services. The restaurant is located right on Jericho Beach. We really like the convenience of the seaside garden where we can host our ceremony right before dinner. Brock House can arrange the dinner outdoor under the tent or inside the conservatory. There is a dance floor inside the conservatory for a private event. Brock House requires a rental fee on the room and the tent, whereas the hotels generally waive the fees on the rooms as long as the minimum cost is reached. Also, Brock House has an exceptionally high minimum compare to the hotels, but the food and beverage cost per unit is less expensive.
Garden Ceremony
Dinner Under the Tent
Dinner in the Conservatory
We are planning to visit Vancouver sometime in February or March. The purpose of the trip is of course to see these venues in person. We'll provide an update later on our decision.
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