SAIT

SAIT was the perfect venue for our wedding and the events team (Jill Glasgow) was absolutely incredible to work with. Jill & team was fun, professional and very responsive to our many calls, emails and questions. The entire time we felt we were in good hands and if there was anything we were uncertain about, she was able to answer us quickly and help make recommendations based on her prior experience. When looking for a venue, one of the biggest recommendations is ensuring you feel comfortable and trust the venue team, and I would highly recommend SAIT based on our experience with their team.

Venue - The entire venue is what we would consider a hidden gem of Calgary. Our ceremony, reception and cocktail hour were all held inside the Heritage Hall building, which is historical building that is elegant, fun and unique. A highlight of the SAIT venue is that the areas for the various events are all close together, which made the entire experience for ourselves and our guests feel easy cohesive, and connected.

Our ceremony was held in the Irene Lewis Atrium. It was the perfect location for us because we wanted the feel of a bright, outdoor ceremony, but didn't want to worry about poor weather. The Atrium has a stunning backdrop with the 1920's style brick building, beautiful glass doors, and stained glass windows. The massive skylights brightened up the entire room and made it feel like a beautiful joyful space. This space can also be used for the reception location.

The Cocktail hour was held in the main foyer space at the entrance of the building and it was the perfect location because it can fit a large amount of people, and allows for lots of mingling with soft seating, cocktail tables, and a permanent bar.

Our Reception was held in MacDonald Hall, which is a beautiful room that has been transitioned from a 1920's lecture theatre into a gorgeous event space. It has a beautiful balcony, stage, and high ceilings that make it such an impressive space. It also comes with a sound system and projector that was great for our slideshow. Many of our guests commented on how beautiful they thought the room was and that it was the perfect location for our party.

Photos - Another bonus is that the SAIT campus has so many great locations for photos. There are downtown views, historic buildings, and the unique architecture of the parking garage and other campus buildings. We found that because of how diverse and well kept the campus is, we didn't have to leave the area for our wedding photos. So far our photos have turned out beautifully and we were able to save some money on transportation costs.

Catering - The Chartwells catering team (Amanda Williams) is the exclusive catering team for SAIT events and they went above and beyond for our wedding, rehearsal dinner, and wedding morning breakfast. We received so many compliments from our guests about how delicious the meals were and how beautifully they were all presented. The catering team was super easy to work with, helped us find cost friendly options that worked with our budget, and made it feel incredibly special. Their bar team created some fun custom cocktails for the day and they were even able to supply us with a donut wall and donuts for a fun treat! (It was a HIT!)

Residence/ Hotel Space - One of the biggest perks for us with hosting our wedding at SAIT was the hotel space that is at the top of their residence tower. We had a lot of family and friends travelling to be here for our wedding and having hotel space available on site made the entire experience seamless for them as they didn't have to travel back and forth from the venue to hotels or rentals off-site. We also had many local guests stay overnight as well, because of how convenient & affordable it was. The rooms were very affordable, large and had kitchenettes. We used the penthouse suite for the night before the wedding for the bride and bridesmaids and for the wedding night. It is a massive suite with two full bedrooms, two full kitchens, two full bathrooms, and two living areas. It has fantastic views of the city and is very modern and comfortable for a team of bridesmaids to sleep and get ready in for hair and makeup. The Residence team (Hollie Coville & Samantha Smith) were also great to work with and looked after every detail for us so we didn't have much to worry about!

Overall, we had an amazing experience and highly recommend checking them out for your wedding!