5 Places in Western Canada for a Destination Wedding or Short Honeymoon

These are all a short plane trip or drive from Calgary and come with luxury amenities and waterfront or mountain views.

Azuridge Estate Hotel, Priddis

 

Photograph by Thomas Higgins

 

Sure, you’re not geographically that far away from Calgary, but Azuridge is certainly a destination. It is on 13 acres near Priddis and was originally the estate of Mogens Smed. Now it is a hotel with 13 rooms and a destination for retreats, events, dinners and getaways. And, it is an option for a luxury wedding planned and executed with the help of a team of butlers, sommeliers and planners. Locations on the estate include a big hall with floor-to-ceiling windows, a dining room, a cocktail bar and an outdoor lounge as well as a pond and manicured gardens.

 

Honeymoon option: Azuridge’s Couples Escape includes a one night stay, a five-course dinner, breakfast for two and a hydrotherapy bath experience. For an additional fee, you can also get an in-room couples massage. You could also design your own Ammolite Luxury Retreat with the help of a private butler. Options for this getaway include wine tasting, scotch tasting, gourmet dinners, massage and yoga.

178057, 272 St W. Priddis, 403-931-0100, azuridgehotel.com

 

Bear Mountain Golf Resort & Spa, Victoria

 

Photograph courtesy of Bear Mountain Golf Resort & Spa.

 

It’s less than a two hour flight from Calgary to Victoria. That is where you will find this resort community with homes to buy, golf courses, biking and hiking trails, fitness facilities and a newly renovated Westin Bear Mountain Golf Resort & Spa. It’s at The Westin where you will host your wedding complete with help from its planners. The hotel has delicious food and room options for weddings big and small.

 

Honeymoon option: There are plenty of opportunities to build your own adventure or to relax. If you are familiar with Sante Spa in Calgary, there is also one at this resort offering massages and wraps specific to British Columbia. You can combine your spa experience with a guided hike or a yoga session. One of Bear Mountain’s big draws is golf. It has two award-winning courses, including one co-designed by Jack Nicklaus and his son. Mild weather on Vancouver Island means you can take advantage of the courses all year. In addition to Golf Canada, Bear Mountain is also home to Cycling Canada so you know the trails are good.

1999 Country Club Way, Victoria, 250-391-7160, bearmountain.ca

 

Island Lake Lodge, Fernie

 

Photograph courtesy of Island Lake Lodge

 

If you want a wilderness wedding, Island Lake Lodge in Fernie is the destination for you. It is surrounded by 800-year-old cedar trees with the Lizard Mountain Range as a backdrop. Weddings here are weekday or weekend packages with the lodge taking care of everything from the rehearsal dinner before the wedding to the brunch the day after the wedding and the ceremony and reception in between.

 

Honeymoon option: There are no TVs or phones in the rooms (there is wi-fi and cell phone service), so expect to spend a lot of quality time together, technology-free. Island Lake’s Mountain Romance package includes two nights stay with a chocolate and fruit plate for you when you arrive, a bottle of bubbly and two spa treatments. Or book a stay and pair it with one of several spa packages that come with return shuttle to the lodge, lunch and access to the private spa hot tub. When you are not relaxing, know that hiking, fly fishing, golf and white water rafting are all outside your door.

Cedar Valley Rd., B.C., 250-423-3700, islandlakecatskiing.com

 

Oak Bay Beach Hotel, Victoria

 

Photograph courtesy of Oak Bay Beach Hotel

The Boathouse Spa & Baths at Oak Bay Beach Hotel.

 

This luxury hotel resort is waterfront with the option for your ceremony to have panoramic bay views that are arguably the best views in Victoria. The gardens on the grounds are also beautiful and there are indoor reception spaces for up to 150 guests. The hotel’s planners will help you with all the details, giving you more time to relax in the seaside mineral pools.

 

Honeymoon option: There are several packages to choose from, including the Royal Package and the Wellness Package. Both give you access to the licensed pool deck, the hot seaside mineral pools and the steam sauna. The Royal Package also includes a chauffeur pick up and drop off and a dining credit with your one-night stay. The Wellness Package is two nights and comes with a welcome gift of green tea and bath salts, a spa treatment and admission to seaside yoga and water aerobics classes.

1175 Beach Dr., Victoria, B.C., 250-598-4556, oakbaybeachhotel.com

 

Post Hotel & Spa, Lake Louise

 

Photograph courtesy of Post Hotel & Spa

 

This Lake Louise hotel is one of the most beautiful spots for a mountain wedding in any season. The grounds have plenty of options for an outdoor ceremony, including along the banks of the Pipestone River. Inside, the timber and stone give an elegant backdrop to your ceremony and dinner. This is a destination that is especially good if food is important to you. Executive chef Hans Sauter has a fresh market approach to his menus and the hotel will work with you to tailor a menu to what you want. Plus, the Post Hotel has a wine cellar with more than 25,000 bottles.

 

Honeymoon option: Post Hotel & Spa offers packages that make getting away for a few days easy. The Romance Package gets you two nights accommodation, a gourmet six-course dinner, two spa treatments, breakfast, Champagne and chocolate covered strawberries. Other packages include a Spa Package and a Gourmet Package. Or, book a room and take advantage of the delicious cuisine and the spa by booking those separately. In the winter, you are close to skiing, and in the summer, you are close to hiking.

Lake Louise, 403-522-3989, posthotel.com

 

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