Chloe & Lars

Chloe & Lars

Chloe & Lars

Summer wedding at Fairmont Chateau Montebello with a ceremony by the water and reception in the Canada room

Summer wedding at Fairmont Chateau Montebello with a ceremony by the water and reception in the Canada room

From start to finish, Erica made the event planning for our wedding weekend so easy and fun. Having her there meant we could both truly enjoy every single moment of our day with 100% confidences – which was absolutely priceless.

Bride and groom in the Canada room of Chateau Montebello photo by Union Eleven Photographers

From start to finish, Erica made the event planning for our wedding weekend so easy and fun. She had advice and a suggestion for every little aspect, brought together our random ideas in a gorgeous cohesive way and fixed anything that went wrong, always with a smile on her face. Throughout the process, Erica kept us organised and made our time as efficient as possible while also making every step fun, and we always looked forward to our calls with her. She is an incredibly positive and professional problem-solver and you can rest assured that with her on board, absolutely nothing will go wrong (because she’ll sort it out without even telling you what happened!). Having her there meant we could both truly enjoy every single moment of our day with 100% confidences – which was absolutely priceless. Plus, all the vendors she suggested were complete rock stars. Our venue Chateau Montebello was also OBSESSED with Erica which tells you everything you need to know. She is just the best!

Chloe & Lars

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Ottawa Westin TwentyTwo – Downtown venue with the best view

Ottawa Westin TwentyTwo – Downtown venue with the best view

Venue Review Part 2: Ottawa Westin TwentyTwo – Downtown venue with the best view

Picture this: You’re standing in TwentyTwo, holding a glass of champagne surrounded by everyone you love in the world with panoramic views of the city skyline, the historic Parliament buildings, and the beautiful Gatineau mountains. The sun is setting, there is a golden glow over our beautiful city and you are just soaking in this moment of your wedding day.

Choosing the perfect wedding venue is not an easy decision, but with TwentyTwo at the Ottawa Westin, your dream wedding can be breathtaking!

Ottawa Westin TwentyTwo - View of the City Skyline | Erica Irwin Weddings and Events

As your downtown Ottawa wedding venue expert, I’m here to ensure you consider the best options Ottawa has to offer, so you can select the perfect venue for your wedding. Let me take you through the pros and cons of this fantastic Ottawa venue, starting with the reasons why I think it’s a great choice.

The pros

First, the location is unbeatable. TwentyTwo is situated at the top of the Ottawa Westin, resembling a glass cube with breathtaking views of downtown, the Gatineau mountains, Parliament, Chateau Laurier, and the city skyline. Witnessing the sunset over the city is always a treat for your guests. They rush to that side of the room to capture stunning selfies, as it’s truly a magnificent sight.

Another added bonus to surprise your guests with is if you’re fortunate to book a wedding date coinciding with fireworks. Its undoubtedly the best place in the city to see them.

Fireworks view from Ottawa Westin TwentyTwo - Union Eleven | Erica Irwin Weddings and Events

Although you are surrounded mostly by beautiful windows, the room also manages to feature a media wall, essential if you’re planning to put all of your favourite memories on display in a photo montage. Not all venues can accommodate this option which is important to know if you are considering adding this moment to your day.

Next is the food; it’s exceptional, and the presentation of dishes makes you feel as though you’re indulging in a work of art. The staff is remarkable, from pre-sales through to the banquet, they’re dedicated to ensuring your event is a success. The event manager you worked with post-booking will be present on your wedding day and then transitions to the banquet manager for the reception, providing consistent support.

A big advantage of booking TwentyTwo is that you have all the amenties of the Westin hotel at your fingertips, most notably the Rideau Suite which is included in the wedding package. Located just down the hall from TwentyTwo, it’s a very large condo-like suite with sweeping views of downtown Ottawa. It serves as your “honeymoon suite,” but it’s also perfect as a getting-ready space since it provides enough room for your hair and makeup team to set up while still leaving room for bridesmaids and Moms to comfortably relax, eat, and enjoy a mimosa.

My couples have enjoyed being able to sneak away to their suite to use the washroom, freshen up, change into dancing outfits, change shoes, etc. Then, at the end of your wedding night, your room is only a few steps away – No transportation needed! 

I highly encourage my couples to book and enjoy the Rideau Suite the night before as well so that you have early access on your wedding day. This is important for starting your hair and makeup preparation time and not having to wait for the room to be turned over from the previous night’s guests. There is enough room for everyone to put on their dresses and for your photographer to do your “getting-ready photos” as you put on your gown. On rainy days, we have even used the room to take photos.

Rideau Suite Ottawa Westin TwentyTwo - Grey Loft Studio | Erica Irwin Weddings and Events

Another suggestion I make to my couples is to consider booking a similar space just one floor down called the Bonaventure suite. It’s a great place for the groom and groomsmen to get ready and do their photos. With it’s beautiful views of downtown Ottawa and a wrap-around terrace, it’s a perfect fit to host a rehearsal dinner or welcome drink the night before for close family and friends. You can bring in your own food, bar items, and there is plenty of room both inside or outside on the terrace.

The entire guest experience when all wedding events are hosted in the hotel is so wonderful. This is important to consider if you have a lot of out-of-town guests or even those who you know might enjoy a staycation. Friends and family meeting up meet in the lobby, eating at the restaurant, or going shopping in the attached Rideau Centre together simply adds to the wonderful wedding memories. Guests also appreciate the ease of accessing their rooms during the wedding to change shoes and freshen up. Those with small children book a babysitting service and can easily go and check in and return to the party!

Now let’s address some considerations before booking this space.

The cons

The primary complaint I hear when touring this space is regarding the carpeting in the ceremony and cocktail areas. The ceremony space is located on the 4th floor in one of the Governor-General spaces, and the carpet is in dire need of replacement. Though in most hotels, event space carpeting is typically heavily patterned. I’ve always wished they would install light wood flooring instead of hotel carpets!

Governor General ceremony space Ottawa Westin TwentyTwo | Erica Irwin Weddings and Events

After your ceremony, guests generally move to a space next door for the cocktail hour before transitioning upstairs to TwentyTwo for the reception. Hosting both the cocktail and reception in TwentyTwo can be tight unless your guest count is on the smaller end (under 100).

As the name suggests, TwentyTwo is on the 22nd floor, and the stunning view comes with complexities around moving items and people up and down in elevators. I highly recommend hiring a Planner if you’re considering this venue, especially one who is familiar with events in their spaces.

With everyone moving between ceremony, cocktail, and reception on multiple levels of the hotel, as well and the couple needing to slip in and out for things like photos, having a Planner to facilitate these transitions will be key to your day running smoothly. 

Your Planner will need to be familiar with the hotel to build a proper timeline and keep everything on track throughout the day. This includes coordination with vendors around the use of the loading dock and single elevator for movement of rentals and equipment. Some vendors charge an additional fee due to the extra time required to load in and out.

The final and possibly biggest drawback of this space is the noise restriction for music; they have a decibel level you need to stay under, and the music must stop at midnight due to the impact on hotel guests.

If you’re considering a band, this is not the venue for you. A great alternative after midnight would be to switch to silent beats, an offering some of our DJ partners provide, where guests can still dance with music coming through high-quality earphones.

Noise complaints have been heard all the way from the 6th floor, emphasizing the importance of keeping both hotel guests and wedding attendees happy.

Recap

R  Unparalleled views of Ottawa
R  Exceptional food
R  Dedicated staff
R  Rideau Suite
R  Westin hotel amenities
Q  Lacklustre ceremony space
Q  22nd floor logistical challenges
Q  Noise restrictions

As a seasoned Planner familiar with the intricacies of this venue, let me assist you in navigating these challenges and ensuring a seamless and unforgettable wedding day experience for you and your guests.

Please feel free to ask questions in the comments.

Your exceptional wedding and planning experience starts here

Up Next!

Next up on the blog, featuring Ottawa’s most iconic wedding venue, the Fairmont Chateau Laurier!

POST INFO AND CREDITS

If you liked this post …

Be sure to read the my other posts on our fabulous Ottawa wedding venues!

Fairmont Chateau Laurier – Ottawa’s most iconic wedding venue

Fairmont Chateau Laurier is Ottawa’s most iconic downtown wedding venue. It’s our castle in the city with the amenities of a hotel. A true luxury option to host your wedding day and wow your guests. Let me take you through everything you should consider before saying “yes” to this Ottawa treasure.

Ottawa Westin TwentyTwo – Downtown venue with the best view

An elegant glass box perched on the top of the Ottawa Westin, TwentyTwo offers the best views of our Nation’s Capital skyline. With the convenience of an upscale hotel, floor to ceiling windows, excellent service and food there are many pros, but as always there are things to consider.

National Arts Centre (NAC) – A Downtown Ottawa Wedding Gem

The NAC is located right in the heart of downtown Ottawa. It’s proximity to Parliament Hill, the canal, and our beautiful hotels makes it a true downtown wedding venue. With light-filled ceremony and reception areas, its one of the prettiest, neutral spaces in the city but there are a few things to be aware of if you are considering this wedding venue.

Ultimate Pricing Comparison of the Top 5 Downtown Ottawa Wedding Venues

The biggest question when choosing your venue is usually around pricing. Since all venues have different packages and line items, it’s not easy to make a true comparison. Let’s get started with our Top 5 downtown Ottawa venue price comparison!

Your once-in-a-lifetime wedding deserves an extraordinary planning experience. Follow me on

Hillary & Kevin

Hillary & Kevin

Hillary & Kevin

Downtown Ottawa, fall wedding with touches of rustic florals at Chateau Laurier, dinner reception at restaurant e18hteen

Downtown Ottawa, fall wedding with touches of rustic florals at Chateau Laurier, dinner reception at restaurant e18hteen

Erica saved us from ourselves! Her in-depth knowledge of all things weddings (from venues, to vendors) makes working with Erica so worth while.

Bride and groom outside Chateau Laurier photo by Union Eleven photographers

Erica saved us from ourselves! If we hadn’t been introduced to Erica, we would have made many, many mistakes that would have cost us a fortune. One example – before we hired Erica, we nearly invited 40 more guests than our venue could realistically hold. Her in-depth knowledge of all things weddings (from venues, to vendors) makes working with Erica so worth while. The vendors she introduces you to are key. I can confidently say our photographer, hair/makeup, DJ, etc were all incredible. I never would have met those vendors if it wasn’t for her. Since our wedding, we’ve heard from many guests who genuinely said our wedding is the best one they’ve been to in years. That’s all because of Erica. Do yourself a favour, and hire her. It will make your day, and the run-up to your day, soooo much more enjoyable. Thank you Erica!!

Hillary & Kevin

Your exceptional wedding and planning experience starts here

Your once-in-a-lifetime wedding deserves an extraordinary planning experience. Follow me on

Fiona & Kevin

Fiona & Kevin

Fiona & Kevin

Fall wedding at Chateau Montebello with a ceremony by the water and reception at the Golf Club

Erica is insanely organized, professional, resourceful, and a joy to work with! Her extensive network of recommended vendors and experience with Chateau Montebello made planning very straightforward for us. Knowing we had Erica coordinating everything let us be fully in the moment all day long.

Bride and groom in the dining room of  Chateau Montebello Golf Club photo by Union Eleven

We hosted our wedding at Chateau Montebello in the fall and we couldn’t be happier with how it went! Hiring Erica was the best decision we made! Hands down! Erica is insanely organized, professional, resourceful, and a joy to work with! Her extensive network of recommended vendors and experience with our venue made planning very straightforward for us! We worked exclusively with the vendors she recommended, who were all great! She provided us with an easy-to-use wedding planning portal that gave us the confidence to know we had done everything we needed and were on track! Such an organized planning process gave us more time to focus on the small details that made the wedding day unique for us as a couple! Knowing Erica was there coordinating everything during the wedding made the day genuinely stress-free for us! She took charge and ran everything incredibly smoothly, so we could be fully in the moment all day long! We cannot recommend Erica and her team highly enough! Erica, we cannot thank you enough for making our special day absolutely perfect!

Fiona & Kevin

Your exceptional wedding and planning experience starts here

Your once-in-a-lifetime wedding deserves an extraordinary planning experience. Follow me on

Laura & Ali

Laura & Ali

Laura & Ali

Blush pink and white summer wedding at Fairmont Chateau Laurier

Erica was on top of EVERYTHING, her knowledge of the Chateau Laurier and industry contacts was so good. We did not expect to be a stress free as we were! For anyone getting married, hiring Erica is SO worth it and the best decision we ever made.

Bride and groom in the ballroom of Chateau Laurier photo by Union Eleven Photographers

Erica has made our wedding process SO easy. We did not expect to be as stress free as we were, she was on top of EVERYTHING and always knew what to do when anything came up. She had such good knowledge of contacts in the industry, especially with Chateau Laurier. Erica came highly recommended and its clear why. For anyone getting married, hiring Erica is SO worth it and the best decision we ever made.

Laura & Ali

Your exceptional wedding and planning experience starts here

Your once-in-a-lifetime wedding deserves an extraordinary planning experience. Follow me on

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