John M.S. Lecky UBC Boathouse

Richmond, British Columbia View map

Rating 4.8 out of 5

120 reviews

1 to 180 Guests

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About

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. 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.

Highlights

Type

Ballroom, banquet hall, boat/yacht, marina

Style

City, modern, nautical, waterfront

Event Services

Bridal suite, clean up, event planning, event rentals, liability insurance, lighting / sound, outside vendors, set up

Reception Site Fee - Peak Season

$2,500

Plated Service (per head)

$10

More information

How many event spaces or rooms does your venue offer?

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 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 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 buffet service?

$10

Rated

4.8

out of 5.0

Quality of service

Rating 4.9 out of 5
Response time

Rating 4.9 out of 5
Professionalism

Rating 4.9 out of 5
Value

Rating 4.5 out of 5
Flexibility

Rating 4.5 out of 5

88 User photos

+ 84Photos

Order by:

Krista L. Married on 25/09/2021

Rating 5 out of 5
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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

Rating 4.8 out of 5
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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

Rating 5 out of 5
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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

Rating 5 out of 5
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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

Rating 4.8 out of 5
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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

Rating 5 out of 5
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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
Elena B. Married on 23/06/2019

Rating 4.8 out of 5
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Best venue in the Lower Mainland

We had our reception and ceremony here for 100 people. It's an absolutely stunning venue with great West Coast vibes, with the option for an outdoor ceremony and a back-up option in case of rain. The UBC Boathouse team was incredibly responsive whenever I had a question, straightforward and clear with their contract and pricing, and the day-of venue coordinator I worked with (Morgan) was on game during the event. Would recommend to anyone looking to host an event!
Sent on 10/07/2019
Elizabeth C. Married on 12/10/2018

Rating 5 out of 5
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Stunning Venue!

My husband and I got married at UBC Boathouse in October, and it was picture perfect! We were able to get some pictures on the docks as the sunset, and they came out absolutely perfect! The space was perfectly sized for our medium wedding (110 people), although we're sure it would accommodate more or less equally well. The staff were amazing and worked with us from day one to make the day unforgettable!
Sent on 20/12/2018
Nicole Married on 24/08/2018

Rating 4.6 out of 5
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Amazing Venue

My husband and I got married Friday August 24th, 2018 at the John M.S. Lecky UBC Boathouse. It was a magical day and I couldn’t have asked for a better venue to have our dream wedding at. The boathouse was incredibly organized and professional throughout the entire time! Always there to answer any questions and trust me I asked a lot. They also were two steps ahead of me with the organization of my wedding it was amazing! Thank you so much UBC Boathouse for making our wedding flawless from start to finish and for making it such a night to remember!
Sent on 18/09/2018
Sarah P. Married on 11/03/2018

Rating 5 out of 5
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Mountain Views & Gorgeous Venue

Wow! The UBC Boathouse is a stunning venue with a staff that makes wedding venue planning easy. Their website is intuitive with almost all the info you would need and the staff are ready to help with any question or concern. I planned my own wedding -so this is a BIG deal.

My now husband and I are very chill and did not want to have to think much about the details of the day. Katie helped us to plan it out in about a half hour and let us dream. She is easy to talk to and fun to be around.

Everything around finances was smooth and simple with the Boathouse. They are very professional and honest with costs. The UBC Boathouse provides many resources that are very helpful for the day such as sound equipment, tables, chairs, table clothes [extra minimal fee], patio furniture, coat racks, partners to the UBC Boathouse to help plan vendors, and views of the mountains you can’t get anywhere else. Compared to other venues this has the best value.

The venue itself has its own character, minimal decor is needed to make it look wonderful. We basically only added florals and lights to make it look how we desired it to.

I’m a huge fan of the UBC Boathouse, I will continue to recommend it to everyone I tell about my wedding.

We had our wedding on the dock in March! Turned out to be a stunning sunny day, everything ran so smooth. The day of the wedding there was a spectacular sunset and the photos we took were whimsy.
Sent on 23/04/2018

See more reviews

Awards

John M.S. Lecky UBC Boathouse Real Weddings

Rhea & Ben
20 Photos · 28/Jun/2019
Sunny & Kevin
15 Photos · 11/Aug/2018
Kelsey & Ryan
86 Photos · 31/Mar/2018
Sarah & Emil
7 Photos · 11/Mar/2018
Jivan & Ross
36 Photos · 11/Jul/2015

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