Overall we were very happy with our decision to host our wedding reception at the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum. The space worked well for our guests, we loved the surrounding scenery, and we were able to hire a bunch of different vendors to build the wedding reception that worked for us. We also really loved that the venue gave a countryside/outdoorsy vibe and we were able to keep the party going until 1:30 am, yet we were still very central in Ottawa. All the staff we dealt with were incredibly responsive, kind, and helpful, and we really appreciated how they interacted with us. Our guests continue to tell us that they really loved the venue.

We did have some frustrations with the rules associated with renting this venue, which we assume we can attribute to the fact that it’s a government property and used for all types of events (not just weddings). The rental fee we paid only included access to the venue on the day-of, and gaining access the evening before cost us an extra $900. We also still had to clean up right after the wedding on the same night and remove everything from the space. We paid an extra 10% on our catering bill because we chose a caterer that was not one of their 4 preferred caterers. There were also some other types of limitations, such as not being allowed to use the fridge in the kitchen on site and more stringent decor limitations (no fake flowers, no candle flames, no potted plants, etc.). Overall this venue was the right fit for us, but if you want an all-inclusive venue with lots of flexibility, this might not be the right venue for you.