How to Plan Your Wedding Without Leaving The Beltline
Here's where you should be heading in this popular Calgary neighbourhood to find all the essentials for your big day.
Pictured here: Nicole and Michael's wedding photo session in The Beltline captured by Diane + Mike.
The Beltline is sometimes lumped in with downtown Calgary but the neighbourhood has a vibe of its own. Its streets are filled with a mix of historic buildings, cute boutiques and trendy eateries, making it a favourite destination for young Calgarians. If you call the area home, you don’t have to trek far to find all the bells and whistles for your big day. From an amazing historic venue to a killer cake shop, it’s got everything you could want and need.
Here’s how to plan the ultimate Beltline wedding.
Venue: Lougheed House (707 13th Avenue SW)
Calgary is filled with chic restaurants, hotel ballrooms and events spaces, but Lougheed House is definitely one of its finest. The massive sandstone prairie mansion that was built in 1891, stands out from the surrounding modern buildings thanks to its vintage charm. The venue coordinators here will help you put together almost every aspect of your wedding, so you can spend your time searching for your perfect dress or jaw-dropping cake. Capacity is 96 for a plated dinner, but it can also cater to more intimate affairs.
Dress: Pearl & Dot (1117 1st Street SW)
Every bride deserves to feel like a princess on her big day and the dress plays a big role in that. Luckily, Pearl & Dot is here help you hunt down the fairytale frock of your dreams. The shop located in a second floor loft space carries gowns by designers like THEIA, Anna Campbell, Laudae and Truvelle (just to name a few) in all shapes and styles. Note: it’s appointment only, so make sure to book ahead!
Suit: O’Connors (1415 1st Street SW)
Time to take care of the men in the wedding party! Head to O’Connors to find some seriously sharp suits for you and your trusty gang of groomsmen. Not only does the shop stock an array of wedding worthy suits, shirts and accessories, it also does custom tailoring and made to measure clothing (if you’re looking to splurge a little).
Flowers: Purple Orchid (810A 16th Avenue SW)
Now it’s time to find the perfect blooms for your big day. Purple Orchid will help you put together all of your ceremony and reception arrangements - from pint sized additions like aisle markers to your stunning bridal bouquet. They even do massive flower walls (a la Kim and Kanye) and dramatic hanging arrangements, if you want to try something a bit different.
Cake: Sweet Relief (120 13th Avenue SW)
Your wedding cake will be your dinner’s grand finale, and you want things to end with a bang - not a fizzle. Sweet Relief can help you knock it out of the park with an Instagram-worthy confection that tastes just as good as it looks. From marbled cakes to gold flecked designs, this place will help you come up with something truly amazing for your big day. Bonus: The bakers here can also put together a complete dessert display, if you want to offer up even more sweet treats at your reception.
Catering: Grumans (230 11th Avenue SW)
Food is probably the first thing on the agenda after you’ve said your “I dos”. Give your guests a truly memorable meal by getting Grumans on board for your reception. The delicatessen/catering company hybrid specializes in comfort fare and can craft a bevy of buffet dishes and hors d'oeuvres for your reception. Bite-size reuben rolls, mac ‘n’ cheese, deep-fried pickle spears and beef brisket are just a few of the options available.
Rehearsal Dinner: Model Milk (308 17th Avenue SW)
Make your way to the south side of the neighbourhood and you’ll find Model Milk, a trend-forward restaurant with plenty of rehearsal dinner potential (it’s actually one of the best in the city). The space is an industrial-chic haven, with exposed walls, retro furnishings and a few modern pieces for good measure. Its menu is pretty eclectic, featuring dishes like hand made arepas, foie gras parfait and wagyu ribeye. For your event you’ve got a two equally stunning options, the private dining room (capacity of 18) and The Parlour (capacity of 50).
