Top Wedding Venues in Winnipeg
Some of my most popular blog posts highlight my personal fave wedding venues, but in the last few years, there have been quite a few changes in the Winnipeg wedding venue landscape so it’s time for an update!
Whether you’re looking for a wedding venue inside Winnipeg or within a few minutes of the perimeter, we’ve got some really great options — just make sure you book it early!
Some of my most popular blog posts highlight my personal fave wedding venues,
but in the last few years, there have been quite a few changes in the Winnipeg wedding venue landscape so it’s time for an update!
Whether you’re looking for a Winnipeg wedding venue or something within a few minutes of the perimeter, we’ve got some really great options — just make sure you book it early!
Previously, I’ve broken this up into My Top 5 Unique Wedding Venues, and Top 5 Best Wedding Locations in Manitoba (outside of Winnipeg). Since those posts, we’ve seen a number of new venues open, as well as a few on my previous lists close down or shift gear. I’ve had the distinct pleasure of working at almost all of these venues within the last 12 months, and they’re all SO great.
Without further ado, here are my Top favourite wedding venues in Winnipeg (and area) in absolutely no particular order!
Winnipeg Art Gallery
The WAG has long been one of my favourite venues for weddings. The building is absolutely beautiful, and of course, has every amenity that you need already taken care of. The rooftop makes for a gorgeous spot for ceremonies and cocktail hour (though prepare for wind! There’s nothing quite so windy as the WAG rooftop), Eckhardt Hall is a breathtaking backdrop for chic receptions, and since the opening of Quamajug, there are a few additional spaces available that are also visually inspiring.
The White Poplar
Near East Selkirk, the White Poplar has been a popular outdoor venue for a few years. It’s similar in style to a lot of tent facilities, in that you bring in your own caterer, florals and decor, music, and so on, so you can really customize how much your wedding is going to cost you. The pavilion style building has open sides with a permanent roof, a fantastic catering building that also houses the washrooms and a wedding party suite. The property features a pond, is fully treed, and has multiple options for gorgeous ceremony backdrops. There are a lot of wins here!
One thing you need to plan for is wind. It’s a windy property, and seemingly no matter what is happening in the sky, it’s going to be windy enough to knock vases or candles off tables in the pavilion. Plan to keep your centrepieces low and large enough that the vase has good weight to it and is more likely to stay on the tables, and consider framing your table numbers and tucking menus and place cards into napkins or forks.
Another great thing about White Poplar — they are SO good to vendors. Honestly, they make our jobs easy and that’s not something you find at every venue. Extra bonus points for a happy vendor team 😊
The Pavilion at Assiniboine Park
I am SO EXCITED that the Pavilion is once again open. They did weddings back in the day, and then the restaurant was closed, and then they reopened for weddings with a refreshed look but then Covid happened…and I just am so happy about it because it’s a beautiful wedding venue with a long list of pros. Some of my favourite elements include
-an open ceiling that allows me to hang flowers 🌸
-gorgeous natural light thanks to a lot of windows
-a prime location inside Assiniboine Park making it so easy for guests, and so many locations for your wedding photos
-a beautiful outdoor terrace perfect for ceremonies and cocktail hours
-the venue capacity for a seated dinner is 100 people, which gives you the perfect excuse to have a slightly trimmed down guest list while still including all your most important people!
The St Norbert Arts Centre
SNAC is just a few minutes south of the city, making it really convenient while also being situated in a unique historical and natural environment. The room is on the smaller side, with light hardwood floors, lots of windows, and white walls. Long tables work really well here, and in the image above, we brought in the crossback chairs and ceiling drapery to create a more refined rustic vibe.
Heads up, though, that the SNAC is not air conditioned, so you’re likely going to want to avoid booking a mid-summer wedding here. May/June and September/October is PERFECT.
The Manitoba Club
The Manitoba Club is one of my favourite venues in Winnipeg. Now here’s the thing — the Grand Ballroom and the Oak Room are two absolutely stunning rooms, with a very old-world quality that lends an elegant, traditional atmosphere, but the thing that I love the MOST about Manitoba Club is actually their outdoor space, the Bonnycastle Garden! Just take a look at this — it’s perfect for intimate wedding receptions, an outdoor wedding ceremony, or even your cocktails and dancing!
Alloway Hall at the Manitoba Museum
I’m super excited that, after a few years’ hiatus, the Manitoba Museum is once again taking wedding bookings in Alloway Hall! I’m eagerly anticipating my first wedding there next summer. We’re going with a lot of colour and a maximalist gallery vibe, which will go beautifully in the large, open, white and black space. You can do a LOT of things in here, but you’re not going to want to go minimal with decor.
Here’s what I love about Alloway Hall:
-it fits a LOT of people - up to 600!
-it features tall ceilings, white walls, and dark floors with a gallery-style vibe, so it’s a great blank canvas for different styles
-one wall is entirely windows, with a gorgeous view of the Steinkopf Gardens between the museum and the Concert Hall
-built-in lighting options!
Restaurant Weddings: Smith, Gusto, and Cibo
Restaurant weddings will always be a fave of mine. Why? The food is always going to be great, the atmosphere is a bit more relaxed and less traditional than your typical wedding venue, and they’re often so beautifully designed that you just need to add a few flowers or candles and you’re all set to go.
Keep in mind that tables are usually a bit more helter-skelter (they won’t all be exactly the same, making the floor plan a bit trickier to figure out) and also usually quite narrow, so you won’t have as much space for florals. I’d recommend doing a plated dinner as there often won’t be enough space for share platters.
St Charles Country Club
In the heat of the summer, sometimes what you really need is an indoor wedding venue with the reliability of air conditioning and no wind. And ideally, a pretty space as well :) You certainly get that at St Charles! Plus gorgeous grounds, a truly idyllic outdoor space, and a gorgeous fireplace for those iconic portraits and first dance moments. They renovated a few years ago, and it still feels fresh and clean. The ceilings are on the lower side, and the floor plan can be a bit strange because it’s a long room with two wings on either end, so not every guest will be able to see the wedding couple throughout the evening (though I don’t think this is necessarily a bad thing!).
The Fort Garry Hotel
The Hotel Fort Garry has been hosting weddings in their ballrooms for over 100 years already so it’s not as though you didn’t already know the venue existed, BUT, it’s still one of my favourite wedding venues in downtown Winnipeg, and in particular, the Provencher Room on the first floor is a personal fave. If you want your wedding to feel classic and elegant, there’s no better option for you. The benefits of being able to get ready in one of their suites, visit the spa, and simplify your out-of-town guests’ stay are obvious as well!
For this gorgeous flower-filled wedding, they utilized the entire 7th floor and created a really unique guest experience. Guests stepped off the elevator and knew the entire space was for their celebration. The ceremony and pre-cocktail party were in the Concert Ballroom, with additional cocktail tables and the seating display in the loggios / hallway, dinner in the Crystal Ballroom, and then back to the Concert for dancing. It worked beautifully!
Wild Skies Resort
Owned and created by amazing wedding photographer Megan Steen, Wild Skies is an incredibly unique outdoor venue that’s ideal for couples who love camping/glamping, are eco-conscious, and are looking for something a bit more on the intimate side. In 2021 I was so lucky to do Tiffany and Stephanie’s intimate wedding under the trees at Wild Skies, and since then, they’ve built a modern pavilion (complete with pizza oven 🤤) that I’m aching to see in person.
Pineridge Hollow
Pineridge Hollow has always been on the list, and for good reason. Everyone loves it! It’s a semi-permanent tent situated in the tree line at this popular destination bordering Birds Hill Park.
At PRH you always know the food is going to be top-notch, and the grounds are beautiful. They also offer unique customizations that take the guest experience up a few notches. While the tent itself could use some refreshing, they’ve recently added permanent bathrooms (woo!) and offer multiple ceremony settings so you can really get the vibe you’re going for. At this recent wedding, I added greenery to the ceiling (lighting by Event Light) and decked out the entranceway between the bar tent and the main tent, and that really amped it all up.
Lilystone Gardens
New kid on the block! Lilystone is the perfect example of why every wedding venue should be designed by a wedding florist, my friends. Kelly has done the most amazing job of creating a space that is just begging to be covered with flowers AND EVEN BETTER it’s at her flower farm. WHAT.
Air conditioned. Indoor and outdoor spaces. Multiple gorgeous ceremony locations. Catering kitchen on premises. Getting ready suite right there. I mean. There are only pros here. I’m so excited to have a wedding here next fall!
Florals in the above photo by the talented team at Lilystone! I did work on the hanging installation along with Deer Dutch, though 😊
Ariana Tennyson Photography
Hawthorn Estates
Hawthorn is just about 30 minutes outside of the city (and it’s actually super close to my end of town, so it’s very convenient for me lol!) and they’ve done SUCH a beautiful job of creating this amazing wedding venue. They have options for your ceremony to be fully outdoors or in their covered solarium (I LOVE THE SOLARIUM!), and the reception space features this gorgeous fireplace (which also makes for a stunning ceremony spot!) and beautiful distressed timber beams throughout. There’s a great amount of natural light, as well as really nice bathrooms, which always bumps a venue to the top of my personal list!
I’d love to work with a client at Hawthorn who wants to get creative…I’d picture the ceremony in front of the fireplace, with the sweetheart table moved in front for the reception, and a mix of banquet and round tables throughout the room. Velvet linens, lush florals on the fireplace…oh baby, who’s in?
The Gates on Roblin
The Gates is one of those spaces that has been around for a long time, has gone through multiple iterations of itself, and always exudes excellence. My aunt was married in the restaurant when I was kid, and I remember just loving that day, so it’s always been special for me.
The food is excellent, the venue staff are fantastic, and you have the option to have your ceremony outdoors or indoors, cocktails on the patio, and if you have a smaller group, then the restaurant has several private rooms you can use instead of the full venue!
In my opinion, the reception space does require a lot of dressing up, so ensure that you’ve budgeted appropriate for ceiling and wall drapery. It’s a pretty neutral space, so you can do pretty much any colour palette well, which is always a bonus!
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My Top 5 Favourite Unique Wedding Venues in Winnipeg
There are a lot of awesome options for gorgeous wedding venues within a half hour or so drive of Winnipeg…but most of those require a few more logistics than the convenience of a city wedding (you can find my top 5 best wedding venues in Manitoba here!). But, most of the wedding venue options within Winnipeg are hotel ballrooms - and while there’s nothing wrong with a hotel ballroom, I find that most of my clients are looking for something that’s a bit more interesting and less “ballroom.” So, here’s a roundup of my Top 5 Favourite Unique Wedding Venues in downtown Winnipeg!
SMITH Restaurant
Photos by Kamp Photography
First of all, I LOVE restaurant weddings - and SMITH is at the top of my list. Located on the main floor of the Inn at the Forks and recently renovated, it’s a really gorgeous and unique option for a wedding. I love the idea of seating your guests throughout the restaurant, and if you haven’t eaten there before, the menu is PHENOMENAL. If you have a smaller guest list, you can seat all of your guests in the main space, but there’s also a large solarium, and the lounge typically doubles as the dance floor area.
Eckhardt Hall at the WAG
Photos by Megan Steen Photography
I LOVE Eckhardt Hall, on the main floor at the Winnipeg Art Gallery. It’s not a new space or a hidden treasure by any means, but that doesn’t stop me from loving it. It’s just such a cool venue! Your guests will walk into the WAG and enter right into Eckhardt Hall. The natural stone floors and walls are neutral and have a lot of Manitoba character, the ceilings are incredibly high, and you might get lucky with a very cool art installation or paintings hung on the walls. I also love their rooftop, which is such a great place for your wedding ceremony, cocktail hour, etc.
View this entire, colourful wedding here! | For another look at weddings at the WAG, check out this modern rooftop wedding!
HUT K
Photos by Esther Funk Photography, Bottom middle an iphone shot from my less-than-awesome Photography skill set ;)
Hut K is technically a furniture store, but they have a gallery space at the back that can be rented for smaller weddings and events - and it’s pretty cool! It lacks some of the amenities of a traditional wedding venue, so I recommend hiring at least a day-of wedding coordinator if you book your wedding here, but it makes up for this with style factor. White walls, open ceilings (AKA your florist can have fun with hanging floral installations!), and a long, rectangular shape make this a really unique space. You can’t seat a massive amount of people (I think it’s around 100 for a comfortably seated dinner) but if you’re going for a cocktail style reception, you can host up to 200 people.
{Updated for 2021: Sadly, Hut K is no longer in this space, and this space is no longer available for weddings!}
Alloway Hall at the Manitoba Museum
Above photo courtesy of Manitoba Museum, Below Photos by Casey Nolin Photography
Alloway Hall at the Manitoba Museum is a surprisingly large, newer space (it was opened in 2017) and it makes for a pretty great wedding space - if you can get in. Because it is primarily a museum, available wedding dates are slim as their priority is always exhibits, and rightfully so. But if you can squeak in a wedding date when they aren’t booked with an exhibit, you can do some pretty cool things design-wise. Here’s what I love about Alloway Hall:
-it fits a LOT of people - up to 600!
-it features tall ceilings, white walls, and dark floors with a gallery-style vibe, so it’s a great blank canvas for different styles
-one wall is entirely windows, with a gorgeous view of the Steinkopf Gardens between the museum and the Concert Hall
-built-in lighting options!
Canadian Human Rights Museum
Photos by Moore Photography
It’s nothing new to say that the Human Rights Museum is a great place for a wedding, and I suppose because it’s been popular for a few years now, it may not exactly be considered “unique.” But what I love is the different spaces that are available that you may not have thought of before. Buhler Hall is where most people host their receptions - it fits a lot of people well, but it’s really dark. There are, however, other spaces - I’m particularly excited for a wedding next summer where the reception is being held in the Garden of Contemplation (where a lot of couples will host their ceremonies). It’s open and airy, with beautiful light and is just a really unique setting.
Check out another Human Rights Museum wedding here!
Updated for 2021 :
Cloakroom Wellness
Cloakroom Wellness checks SO many boxes for an intimate space. It’s such a unique combination of clean and minimalist with historic industrial. It’s not huge, but if you’re hoping for a smaller wedding, I think it would ideal for about 75 guests or under, still with enough space for a sit down dinner. It would also be a great option for an indoor ceremony if you have a larger guest list for your reception elsewhere!
Some of the best features are the floor to ceiling windows, both clean white walls and vintage brick walls, and original hardwood floors. The room is a 1.5 story walk-up from street level, so do keep that in mind!
Manitoba Club
How the heck did I miss Manitoba Club when I first made this list? It’s one of my favourite venues in Winnipeg. Now here’s the thing — the Grand Ballroom and the Oak Room are two absolutely stunning rooms, with a very old-world quality that lends an elegant, traditional atmosphere, but the thing that I love the MOST about Manitoba Club is actually their outdoor space, the Bonnycastle Garden! Just take a look at this — it’s perfect for intimate wedding receptions, an outdoor wedding ceremony, or even your cocktails and dancing!
Check out more that I’ve done at Manitoba Club here! | See their indoor spaces here!
Kitchen Sync
Another interesting space in downtown Winnipeg is Kitchen Sync! This is also on the smaller side, seating a max of 80 people, but has an open commercial kitchen so you can work with your caterer to create a really unique culinary experience for your guests to enjoy.
The venue is on the basement level, so there is a short flight of stairs, but is otherwise easily accessible with plenty of surface and parkade parking lots in the neighbourhood. One of the gorgeous features of the room is the stone walls and the dark wood pillars — it creates a moody, dramatic vibe that is just untouchable!
Photos by Brittany Mahood Photography
Honourable Mentions: Hotel Fort Garry and The Kingshead Pub
Okay, I know the whole point of this post was to highlight unique, non-hotel wedding venues in downtown Winnipeg, and the Hotel Fort Garry has been hosting weddings in their ballrooms for over 100 years already. BUT it’s still one of my favourite wedding venues in downtown Winnipeg, and in particular, the Provencher Room (seen above). If you want your wedding to feel classic and elegant, there’s no better option for you. The benefits of being able to get ready in one of their suites, visit the spa, and simplify your out-of-town guests’ stay are obvious as well!
See more from this gorgeous, flower-filled wedding here!
I also did a wedding reception this fall at the Kingshead Pub! They have SUCH delish food and a cool atmosphere, so if you’re looking for something more laid-back with a hangout type of vibe, this could be a really good option for you. For this wedding, the entire second floor was rented (so you would have your own bar, your own bathrooms, your own dance floor, etc) and then it opened to the general public around midnight.
Photos below by Brenna Faris
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Top 5 Best Wedding Locations in Manitoba
If you live in or have ever lived in Manitoba, then you know that summers here are both a blessing and a curse: it's frequently GORGEOUS out, with long, sunny days and warm evenings. It's also frequently bug season: flies, mosquitoes, ticks. So when it comes to planning an outdoor wedding in Manitoba, we frequently choose a completely outdoor ceremony with an indoor or partially indoor reception. So, here's my list of the best wedding locations in Manitoba, which all combine the outdoors with the in!
Cielo's Garden
Photos by Keila Marie Photography
This one should come as no surprise to you. I work at Cielo's Garden all the time, and it's definitely one of my favourite places for a wedding. The little stone chapel in the woods is remarkably romantic, and the clear top tent itself is a blank canvas that you can do so much with.
Whitetail Meadow
Photos by Esther Funk Photography
Whitetail Meadow is a new venue just outside of Niverville that is going to top everyone's lists very quickly. I recently designed all the florals for their grand opening/open house and couldn't believe what a great job they did! The venue is a converted barn, which has been completely re-built on the interior. It features a gorgeous stone fireplace (which would be the perfect backdrop for a winter wedding ceremony and also is the dream place to put flowers!), a sweet loft space, and at least 3 different outdoor spaces where you could host a wedding ceremony, depending on what type of vibe you'd like: forest setting, the veranda with the stone fireplace in the background, or the grassy meadow with a creek in the background!
I can't wait to share more with you from this open house soon - the photos are gorgeous!
Hawthorn Estates
Renderings from Hawthorn Estates / Wedding Photos by Brittany Mahood
After a tragic fire in December 2016, Hawthorn Estates is re-building and is soon to be better than ever. I seriously CANNOT WAIT for the grand unveiling of the all-new barn venue just about 25 minutes north east of Winnipeg. This rendering of the new exterior shows you some of the focal points: a gorgeous green space (including a lovely area for wedding ceremonies), and tons of windows. Indoors, they're planning for rough-hewn timbers from BC and a large fireplace.
Stay up to date with their re-build progress on their Instagram! I drove past it just before Christmas and it was looking incredible. They're now booking for 2018 and 2019 weddings.
Clear Lake - Elkhorn and Danceland
Photos by Esther Funk Photography
I've only been up to Clear Lake once, and it was this past summer for a wedding that was awesome. The ceremony was outdoors, at Elkhorn Manor (just off the golf course) and then the reception was right in the downtown of the Clear Lake village at Dance Land. Truth be told, the directions to get the Elkhorn Manor were a little confusing, but the location was wonderful for a ceremony: it was peaceful, quiet, overlooking the water in the background with lush green grounds all around. Dance Land is just a couple of minutes away. It's a really neat wood building (unfortunately, pretty much no natural light) with a cool history.
See more from that summer wedding here!
Pineridge Hollow
Photos by Megan Steen
Pineridge Hollow has to be included on this list! It's highly recommended, features an incredible menu, and has plenty of charm wrapped up into this simple tent venue in the heart of Birds Hill Park. Pineridge Hollow offers several different outdoor ceremony locations (including this clearing in the woods, as seen below), and the seating in the tent can be configured in several different ways for your reception, with your choice of long rectangular tables or round tables. They also offer a great selection of decor rentals - cute candle holders, table numbers, backdrops or seating charts, and so on.
I've loved being able to personalize the decor at Pineridge Hollow - one of my favourites featured a greenery installation hanging above the guests from the tent ceiling.
Hire a talented wedding floral and event designer for your wedding in Winnipeg.
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