Amanda & Cody were my third relocation couple. They ended up picking one of my favourite venues, The Canadian Wilderness Adventure Center (CWA). If you’re looking for a venue that has a unique twist and endless things to do and see, look no further.

Amanda and Cody were an out of town couple looking for some local help to plan their wedding at the Sea to Sky Gondola. When I contacted them on the morning of August 10, 2019 to let them know that the gondola collapsed, they were devastated but put all their trust in Love & Confetti. They were looking at a few options until I sent them the idea about the CWA. That was it. That was the venue they were looking for. Amanda wrote back and said, “Canadian Wilderness Adventure barn looks unreal! Oh my gosh, so cool!” Done!

I love this venue because of all the cool things they have. Axe throwing, airgun shooting, picture ops, saloon bar, dancing under the stars, fire pit to keep you warm at night and more! Here’s a sneak peek into Amanda & Cody’s wedding…

TIPS…

Don’t overlook a venue because of its uniqueness. At first, I wouldn’t have thought that Amanda and Cody would consider CWA because it is so different from their original venue, the Sea to Sky Gondola. Although both are high in the mountains, CWA doesn’t have the views that the Gondola has. But what it lacks in views, it makes up in experience and Amanda and Cody saw that.
You may have to roll up your sleeves. Some venues are all-inclusive. The gondola has in-house catering, includes all basic rentals (tables, chairs, dish ware, AV needs, tent, ect). For a venue like CWA, you have to bring everything in. Hiring a professional to help you with a venue like this is smart. Most venues like CWA require at least a day of coordinator because it is a lot more work than an all-inclusive venue but soooo worth it!
Canceling a vendor might be the best solution. Amanda and Cody booked transportation for their guests from the Executive Inn & Suites in Squamish to the Sea to Sky Gondola. Not a very long trip. Because they were now relocating their wedding to Whistler, the transportation company was charging them an arm and a leg. This company, based out of Vancouver, charged the couple from the time they left Vancouver on the day of the wedding until the time they returned to Vancouver after dropping off the last guests. In Amanda and Cody’s case, it would have cost a lot more to cancel this vendor and rebook with a local transportation company, but make sure you read and understand the cancelation policy. In unforeseen circumstances like this one, some vendors may be lenient in their policy implementations.
Make sure you are aware of any events happening on the day of your wedding. The same day that Amanda & Cody were getting married, The Gran Fondo was also taking place. Their original wedding day plans would not have been affected much by this event. But now the wedding was taking place in Whistler and would be hugely impacted by the race. There were intermittent highway closures, the main road to CWA was scheduled to be closed until 4:30pm that day and traffic was going to be horrendous. The ceremony was scheduled for 5:00 PM and the bridal party was scheduled to arrive for photos at 3:30 PM. Good thing we accounted for all of this and had a good PLAN B. The CWA has a forest service road that was accessible so all the vendors that needed to be there for set up were able to come up. Luckily, having my husband participate in the last 3 Gran Fondo’s, I knew that the road closures wouldn’t last until 4:30pm. I had a good feeling that the main road to the CWA would reopen before the bridal party was to arrive, which it did. Nevertheless, we still had a PLAN B in effect until we knew 100%.

THE WEDDING TEAM

Sea to Sky Gondola Sabotage – Part 3

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