Tawatinaw’s Pine Valley Resort and Barrhead’s Lakeview Events are becoming popular choices for destination-style rural weddings.
The warm weather is slowly seeping into the vast Alberta landscape, signalling the start of wedding season. Couples heading to that fancy restaurant with a ring in one’s pocket with the hope that the love of their life will say yes to those four faithful words.
But once the champagne is popped, photos are posted, and the ring is resized, the planning must begin, and it all starts with the perfect venue.
Pine Valley Resort, located in Tawatinaw, is only a 45-minute drive from the city, yet it offers the beauty as if you travelled halfway across the world.
The facility is known for its wellness retreats and sports camp. However, their hostel-style accommodations that can host 63 people comfortably and beautiful viewpoints for ceremony locations that overlook the valley make it the perfect fit for weddings.
Bobby Kriangkum, the son of owner Dom Kriangkum and operations assistant, has seen dozens of wedding parties walk through the doors, and while he can’t pinpoint a specific wedding that made a huge impact on him, there was one that stood out because of where they came from.
“One that stood out from this past year, where a majority of or all of them are from Australia. So, there were many family members who had travelled literally across the world to the Pine Valley to be able to bear witness to their family member getting married.”
“It’s been really fun to work with them for such a special day. It’s a monumental day in their lives, so the fact that we’re able to help facilitate that and create those core memories is really rewarding and fulfilling,” said Kriangkum.
“There's the natural beauty of the valley, and with every wedding or every event, they all have their own qualities that they bring, that enhance it, and then the valley amplifies what they’re trying to convey.”
While this is a great place to check out in the Westlock and Athabasca area, Barrhead has Lakeview Events.
The 160 acres with natural beauty serve as a place for retreats, celebrations of life and weddings and are located alongside Peanut Lake. With their Weekend to Remember package, the full celebration includes private venue access, outdoor ceremony, decorations, sound system and tents for shade.
“It allows guests to come in on a Friday and spend the whole weekend, and that way they get to spend time on Friday to have the rehearsal dinner and then on Saturday enjoy their day. Then on Sunday, you can sleep in, and it’s a late check out, so it really allows people to enjoy the weekend, to celebrate with their family and friends,” said Cindy Day, owner and operator of Lakeview Lodge.
The facility has five retreat cabins that house anywhere between two and eight people at a time, which can be rented out for weddings.
“It’s so nice when the couples see it on their wedding day and have it all come together, especially when one groomsman said to me after that this exceeded their expectations. So that to me is so rewarding,” said Day.
“I just overall love being a part of that and excited for every weekend that I get to experience being a part of people's celebrations and coming together and meeting so many people."