John M.S. Lecky UBC Boathouse

4.8 out of 5 rating 123 reviews

Richmond, British Columbia

1 to 180 Guests

Responds within 24 hours

Popular in your area

About

On Weddingwire.ca since 2021

Last update: September 2022

The John M.S. Lecky UBC Boathouse is a floating venue in Richmond, British Columbia located on the historic Fraser River. Boasting stunning views of the North Shore Mountains, it is conveniently located near Richmond's business and entertainment district as well as Vancouver's International Airport. The venue is perfect for hosting any type of event and is sure to make an impression on guests. Special care and attention to detail is taken by the staff, who strive to help couples create the wedding day of their dreams.

Facilities and capacity

The venue takes advantage of its distinct setting throughout. The interior event hall features floor-to-ceiling windows that welcome in the scenic vistas that surround the boathouse. Air conditioning is in the event hall space. The space is completed by a fireplace and lounge furniture as well as artistic wood carvings that are cast in relief by its ample natural light. The venue has a capacity of up to 150 guests for a seated dinner, and space for up to 180 attendees to enjoy a sophisticated cocktail party. Vows can be exchanged outside on the lower dock, which is also an ideal space to gather in the interlude between ceremony and reception.

Services Offered

The UBC Boathouse’s staff includes experienced events specialists. They offer a wide range of services including a coordination service that makes planning big days that much easier. Their multi-media package takes care of all a couple’s audiovisual needs, and they can provide access to furniture rentals. The management also offers access to a private get-ready space for the wedding party to avail of. The staff can help set everything up for a couple’s big day and will assist them to take everything back down again after the party has ended.

History

The John M.S. Lecky UBC Boathouse was named after a former UBC rower who won the silver in the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome. Currently, it houses the UBC Thunderbirds rowing program and the St. George’s School’s rowing program. The venue also frequently hosts other rowing and paddling programs in the community.

Availability

Please visit our virtual calendar here (https://ubcboathouse.com/contact/calendar/).

More information

How many event spaces or rooms does your venue offer?

Describe your venue:

Ballroom

Banquet hall

Boat/yacht

Marina

Describe the style of your venue:

City

Modern

Nautical

Waterfront

What kind of settings are available?

Covered outdoor

Indoor

Uncovered outdoor

Which of the following wedding events does your venue service?

Ceremony

Reception

Bridal shower

Engagement party

What event services do you offer?

Bridal suite

Clean up

Event planning

Event rentals

Liability insurance

Lighting / sound

Outside vendors

Set up

What bar services do you provide?

Outside alcohol

What event items are available?

Audio equipment

Dance floor

Furniture

Lighting

Chairs

Tables

Tent accessories

Tents

What food and beverage items are available?

Linens

What transportation and access is available?

Parking

Shuttle

Valet

Wheelchair access

Do you have a site fee for wedding receptions at your venue?

Yes

What is the starting site fee for wedding receptions during peak season?

$2,500

What is the starting site fee for wedding receptions during off-peak season?

$1,250

Do you have a site fee for wedding ceremonies at your venue?

Yes

What is the starting site fee for wedding ceremonies during peak season?

$2,500

What is the starting site fee for wedding ceremonies during off-peak season?

$1,250

Which of the following are included in starting site fee?

Set up

Clean up

Chairs

Tables

Parking

Bridal suite

What is the average catering price per person for plated service?

$10

What is the average catering price per person for buffet service?

$10

Rated

4.8

out of 5.0

Quality of service

4.9 out of 5 rating
Response time

4.9 out of 5 rating
Professionalism

4.9 out of 5 rating
Value

4.6 out of 5 rating
Flexibility

4.5 out of 5 rating

91 User photos

+ 87Photos

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Nicole K. Married on 20/08/2022

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Our Special day

We absolutely loved this venue, the sunset was so beautiful, we couldn't have asked for a better weather day to have our wedding on the dock. The staff was great and accommodating for anything that was brought up. We we very happy with how everything turned out.
Sent on 20/10/2022
Devon S. Married on 17/07/2022

5 out of 5 rating
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Beautiful Venue

We absolutely loved working with UBC Boathouse. Not only is the venue beautiful and doesn't need much decor, the staff was responsive, friendly and so incredibly helpful when we had to move our wedding date. Highly recommend!
Sent on 10/09/2022
Krista L. Married on 25/09/2021

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Fantastic Venue for our Wedding!

My husband and I had a great experience having our wedding celebration at UBC Boathouse on September 25, 2021. They were so helpful, understanding, and professional. The venue was absolutely stunning and our guests had amazing things to say throughout the day and night!

-Krista Law
Sent on 16/11/2021

Jamilla Married on 28/08/2021

4.8 out of 5 rating
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Dream Venue and excellent service at the UBC Boathouse

UBC Boathouse was the wedding venue of my dreams. The venue is grand, over-looking the Fraser river. It was the perfect summer wedding venue anyone can hope for with options for having either an indoor or outdoor wedding. The staff were so helpful each step of the way from planning to the final execution of my weddin. I also appreciated that they let me secure another since wedding date for this year as it was cancelled the year before due to COVID. I can't recommend them enough!
Sent on 18/11/2021
Kelly M. Married on 22/07/2021

5 out of 5 rating
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2021 is the new 2020

From the initial walk through to our wedding day, the team at the UBC Boathouse was such a dream to work with. We booked at the UBC Boathouse when we had no choice but to cancel and replan our 2020 wedding. The venue it self is gorgeous and your guests are guaranteed to have a good time. If this venue has availability for your date, run do not walk, and book this venue.

Our wedding was on July 22 2021
- + 4Photos
Sent on 15/11/2021
Laura F. Married on 30/06/2020

5 out of 5 rating
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Great experience - flexible and accommodating, especially through COVID-19

Everyone at UBC Boathouse has been amazing to work with, especially given everything going on with COVID-19 and needing to reschedule our June 2020 wedding to June 2021. What could have been a very stressful situation was made so much easier because of how accommodating and understanding they were. We would highly recommend them based on their responsiveness, flexibility and just simply being good humans!
Sent on 24/08/2020
Brittany Married on 16/02/2020

4.8 out of 5 rating
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A perfect spot and experience!

The venue was absolutely perfect for our wedding! The location and space were gorgeous, and the staff were incredibly supportive throughout the entire process. Their preferred vendors were also fantastic, and very much appreciated.
Sent on 05/04/2020
Thea Married on 09/09/2019

5 out of 5 rating
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A perfect blank canvas to customize your own wedding.

We had a medium sized wedding of 60-80 people and it was the perfect size for everyone to be able to mingle without being cramped. The venue itself is so beautiful, we only needed to decorate minimally for our ceremony and then the water and the sunset was our backdrop. The staff were very responsive and flexible, we had a lot of odd requests that we ran by them when doing the first meeting (ie. rose petal confetti cannons, sparkler send-off, a theatrical sword fight) and they didn't even bat an eye. This venue gives you a lot of flexibility on how you want to customize your wedding, they don't restrict you to a specific catering company or any other vendor.

The venue was very affordable and booking times are flexible. It is easy to get to for guests by transit and has plenty of free parking. Overall, a great venue and I would recommend it to my friends.
Sent on 12/11/2019
Jesse M. Married on 11/08/2019

5 out of 5 rating
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Naturally beautiful venue

We chose UBC Boathouse because it was an incredibly beautiful venue that didn't require a lot of decor to make it look good. We wanted a simple wedding with beautiful BC as the backdrop. The venue was absolutely perfect and the photos are stunning. On top of that, the vendor was so easy to deal with and super helpful. Setup and takedown with them was a breeze. We did not have to lift a finger.

It is near the airport, so expect planes to fly overhead. It was not an issue and the kids loved it. They who got excited every time a plane went by. :D
- + 2Photos
Sent on 16/11/2019
Jessica K. Married on 04/08/2019

4.4 out of 5 rating
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Nautical Dream

From the very beginning they were a breeze to work with, very responsive and informative. It was a bit out of our original price range but once we saw it in person we could not have imagined having it anywhere else. The venue itself is absolutely amazing, we had so many compliments from friends and family and were in awe of how beautiful the space was all set-up for our wedding day. All the staff were friendly and knowledgeable. For anyone looking for somewhere near the water that’s a little bit different UBC Boathouse is definitely a big contender!
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Sent on 17/09/2019