A weekend getaway wedding for Danielle and Zee at Le Chateau Montebello
A weekend getaway wedding for Danielle and Zee at Le Chateau Montebello
I am thrilled to share the story of Danielle and Zee’s enchanting wedding at Fairmont Le Chateau Montebello, a stunning venue just an hour from Ottawa. After 18 months of planning with the bride Danielle and her Mom Ann, I am so proud of the wedding weekend we were able to give to this precious family. Danielle and Zee’s wedding was nothing short of a magical weekend getaway for the couple and their guests, filled with love, laughter, and unforgettable moments. Let me take you through their special day and give you a glimpse of what a weekend wedding at Le Chateau Montebello can offer.
A Royal Affair by the Ottawa River
When I first started planning this wedding with Danielle and her mom, we jokingly dubbed it a “Lake Como inspired wedding … but on the Ottawa River.” Danielle and Zee envisioned a weekend retreat with their closest friends and family, where Danielle’s family could introduce Zee’s American loved ones to one of their cherished vacation spots Le Chateau Montebello.
They wanted to exchange their vows by the water, surrounded by nature’s beauty, and then celebrate in the grand yet cozy log “cabin”. Danielle’s Dad fondly referred to it as the “Royal Wedding,” and it truly lived up to its name.
The Charm and History of Chateau Montebello
Built in 1930, Chateau Montebello has a rich history and a charming character that makes it not just a venue but a piece of Canadian history. Situated in the forest and along the waterfront of the Ottawa River, it’s halfway between Ottawa and Montreal giving guests the option to fly into either landmark city for a Canadian destination wedding.
As the largest log cabin structure in the world, it makes for a warm and inviting getaway to host your favourite people. Even with a large group, it’s an intimate way to celebrate your wedding weekend with everyone you love all in one location.
The Weekend Begins: Welcome Party on Friday
Some guests began arriving on Wednesday and trickled in until everyone was onsite by Friday, setting the stage for a weekend filled with celebration. There were trips to the spa, relaxing by the outdoor pool, rounds of golf, pickleball and tennis games and drinks by the fireplace in the lobby. Then the wedding festivities kicked off with a welcome party on Friday night, featuring an authentic French Canadian BBQ feast, bonfires, smores and music. Guests mingled and got to know each other, setting the tone for a warm and inviting weekend ahead.
The Wedding Day: Saturday’s main event
Overall Design
Danielle’s vision for the wedding was vibrant and colourful, with pale wood accents and an abundance of florals. Both Danielle and Zee prioritized exquisite food and drinks, complemented by a fantastic band to ensure it was a party not soon forgotten.
We had The Digs from Sole Power Toronto to ensure the musical experience was nothing short of spectacular.
Ceremony by the Waterfront
For the ceremony, Danielle envisioned bright, colourful florals arranged in a semi-circle by the waterfront, light wood chairs, an aisle lined in florals, a white aisle runner and all the people they care about watching them exchange rings and their heartfelt vows. It was a scene straight out of a magazine. We had some weather challenges with a storm brewing and set to hit around the ceremony and cocktail hour time. We had planned for a beautiful outdoor ceremony but knew we had a tent as a backup option, but our bride really wanted the ceremony by the water and I wanted this vision to come to life for our couple. Our floral design would have been nice in the tent but spectacular by the water.
Obsessively checking the radar, conferring with all the vendors on the team and worrying on my end we made the decision to GO FOR IT. The radar was showing a 30-minute break in the rain which is all we needed. It felt like we were gambling a bit, but we won the prize with a beautiful waterfront ceremony. The bride’s Mom Ann said “We had some weather to deal with on the day, they wanted the ceremony to be outside. Without questioning, Erica coordinated with all the vendors, kept an eye on the radar and helped create such a memorable experience for our daughter and son-in-law, for us and for our guests.”
We ended up whisking the couple away in a golf cart afterwards, and getting the guests safely inside before the skies opened up with heavy rainfall! Our couple got their dream ceremony by the water though, and that’s all that counts!
Cocktail Hour Extravaganza with a touch of furry love
During cocktail hour, guests indulged in a luxurious oyster bar and a shrimp cocktail tower, while servers circulated with hot canapes including a nod to our French location with foie gras.
Guests sipped on Veuve Clicquot and two signature cocktails, perfectly capturing the celebratory spirit. The bride’s Maid of Honour Julie designed a monogram featured throughout the wedding including on three custom wood bars as well as a watercolour of each of the couple’s dogs, Pippa and Rory.
The two signature drinks were named after the fur babies and featured on little stir sticks that went into each “The Pippa” and “The Rory” drink.
The main attraction at cocktail hour though was the oversized seating chart, which was designed by Wedecor and included a large, framed watercolour of Pippa with the words “Pippa’s approved list”, covered in bright florals for guests to find their seats. It was also a favourite spot for guests to take their photos!
Reception Transformation
The reception took place in the Outaouais room, which we transformed from a boring conference room into a breathtaking and inviting space. To give a better blank canvas to start from, rich drapery in a warm champagne covered all the walls. Four dance floors were combined in the center of the room then covered in white vinyl with a large custom watercolour monogram created by the Maid of Honour, Julie.
This gave a large dance area in front of the band’s stage for this fun crowd, but also covered about a third of the room’s busy carpeting. Florals from the ceremony were repurposed to cover the front of the band’s stage and other florals were placed at the ends of the long harvest tables and the bottom of the seating chart.
The pièce de resistance though was the floral ceiling piece over the dance floor, that our couple and their guests just couldn’t stop ogling, designed and installed by Wedecor. This one piece took days of work on skyjacks to complete but was truly a masterpiece and was the highlight of reception space.
A mix of long light wood harvest tables and creamy velvet linen covered round tables, adorned with candles and bright florals, created a warm and inviting ambiance for a beautiful dinner.
Guests were blown away by the tablescape which included not just one but three charger plates, beautiful custom glassware including a blue water goblet, a custom menu in blue with the couple’s watercolour monogram and matching seating cards. The couple and even the hotel staff kept saying “I can’t believe this is the Outaouais room!”
Sweetheart Table
Danielle and Zee chose a sweetheart table to enjoy some quiet moments during dinner. This spot was meticulously designed to ensure all their photos throughout the evening captured the magic. The floral piece that cascaded down was the perfect highlight in all the couple’s candid photos throughout the night.
Decadent Desserts
Skipping the traditional wedding cake, Danielle and Zee opted for a French patisserie table, offering profiterole towers, éclairs, macarons and crème brûlée. Later in the evening, guests enjoyed late-night snacks including poutine, cinnamon sugar donuts, and pizza, adding a delicious and fun twist to the celebration.
A Seamless Experience with Heartfelt Support
I’ve been working with the events team at the Chateau Montebello for 13 years and know them very well. We customize and personalize every aspect of our couples’ wedding, from bespoke menus and signature cocktails to unique decor and themed events to ensure every wedding is unique to the two people getting married. They truly believe in making every guest’s stay one to remember, and their eagerness to please is one that I deeply appreciate.
Our bride Danielle had the sweetest words to say about their wedding weekend.
I don’t even know where to begin! No words describe what Erica meant to our wedding. We worked with Erica from the beginning. She helped us pick our venue and all our vendors. The network she has built in the industry is incredibly valuable, so with her direction, we knew we’d be working with the best of the best. Wedding planning can be very overwhelming, and I often found it hard to make decisions or verbalize my vision, but Erica knew exactly the look we were going for and worked with all our vendors to make it happen. The best part of working with Erica is how kind she is. She treats you like her own family and has your back through the whole process. All our friends and family were obsessed with Erica by the end of the weekend. On our wedding day, neither of us felt stressed or nervous, we were able to completely enjoy the day because we knew Erica’s team had everything covered. If you’re on the fence about using a planner, just do it! It makes everything so much more enjoyable, you will not regret it.
Danielle’s Mom was also an integral part of our planning. I loved that she said
We worked with Erica for over 18 months and she helped us through every detail. Erica was so familiar with our daughter’s vision and style that when it came to the actual day, we felt like we had a family member on our side making sure the day was truly magical.
Over the past year and a half, I’ve grown close to Danielle, Zee, and their families, and my goal was to provide them with the best weekend ever, leaving all the details and logistics to us. Chateau Montebello is a large resort, so I brought a bigger team with me to ensure our couple and their families always saw one of us throughout the wedding day. We pulled it off too, Danielle said
It was truly the best weekend of our lives and we could not have done it without Erica and her team!
I want to thank the Chateau Montebello venue team and every vendor who brought this vision to life, helping make this day one to never forget for our couple. I especially want to thank Wedecor who tirelessly brought all the ideas we had into an actual design and executed it flawlessly. I also want to say a special thanks to Scott Wilson and Jinbon Lau, our photo and video team, who not only captured this beautiful couple’s wedding day, but also helped make it fun and relaxing.
Comment below or contact me directly if you want to know more about planning a Canadian destination wedding or specifically a Chateau Montebello wedding. It’s the perfect waterfront wedding option if you are looking at an Ottawa wedding venue but willing to travel just a little bit. It’s luxury wedding meets rustic wedding venue meets log cabin wedding. Plus you would get to work with an experienced Canadian Wedding Planner who knows how to execute a weekend getaway wedding!
Bonus Video!
On top of all the beautiful photos, Danielle and Zee have wonderful memories captured in video by Films by Jinbon. Enjoy this sneak peak and get a feel for why Le Chateau Montebello was one of their cherished vacation spots.
Up Next!
Next up, I will be sharing Ottawa’s best venue if you are looking for indoor and outdoor spaces with a view to kill! You won’t want to miss this gorgeous venue option!
POST INFO AND CREDITS
- Published on July 2nd 2024
- Venue Fairmont Chateau Montebello
- Photography Scott H Wilson Photography
- Videography Films by Jinbon
- Décor, florals, rentals and stationery Wedecor
- Makeup team One Fine Beauty
- Hair team Showpony Hair
- Ceremony and Cocktail music Canto Sentimento Strings
- Reception Music Sole Power’s The Digs
Your once-in-a-lifetime wedding deserves an extraordinary planning experience. Follow me on
