Strathmere is a wedding banquet hall located in Ottawa, Ontario. Nestled among 200 acres of property, it offers a secluded retreat from the hectic nature of modern life. Boasting several sites to say “I do”, it also provides spaces for celebrating, dining, and enjoying the once-in-a-lifetime occasion.
Facilities and Capacity
At Strathmere, couples and guests can assemble at their favourite ceremony site. The Farmhouse is sheltered by tall and leafy walnut trees, offering a secluded spot for partners to exchange vows with one another. This spot alternatively offers an indoor space where the wedding party can gather in front of a welcoming fireside. Another outdoor space is the Lodge which offers views of nearby hills for a serene ambience. Inside this location, there is also a fireside to match the delivery of heartwarming words. Elsewhere, the Garden House offers an open-air sanctuary near the orchard for the milestone as you stand in front of a wooden arbor. Guests are welcome to sit on bench-like seating as the happy moment takes place in front of them.
Each of the ceremony spaces has accompanying indoor areas that would be ideal for the reception revelries. The Farmhouse’s dining room can host dozens of guests to share a seated meal among decor that is defined by muted tones, wooden features, and a brick fireside. It offers access to the patio and lawn space so that mingling and late-night drinking can be enjoyed beneath the stars. The Lodge’s Main Hall can entertain up to 200 for the meal, and each guest is free to admire the exposed beams, charming chandeliers, and rustic appeal. Chairs and tables may be arranged for everyone to sit as the cuisine is served. The Garden House boasts the Dining Room which can welcome up to 175 for the all-important culinary experience. Stylish and spacious, it offers views of the outdoors through large windows.
Services Offered
An event-coordination service offered at Strathmere is complemented by the fact that outside vendors are welcome on site. Event rentals such as chairs, tables, decorative embellishments, centrepieces, and more may all be supplied to add character. Those seeking a relaxing experience will delight at the presence of an onsite spa. This would be ideal for those getting ready prior to the ceremony. What’s more, accommodation is available for anyone keen to stay the night following a long day of celebrating.
Cuisine
Strathmere’s sustainable philosophy means they are dedicated to creating culinary delights seasoned with local produce. Key figures collaborate to create dishes that have made it from growth to on-plate presentation. Various catering styles including hors d’oeuvres, buffets, stations, and more are each complemented by a range of beverages such as beer, wine, and Champagne.
When we first saw the grounds at Strathmere we were impressed. We had a tour and an initial discussion about what we wanted for our wedding which was simple BBQ style buffet foods, bring our own pie instead of wedding cake, and overall a simple wedding on a smaller budget. We were told this is all possible and signed the contract and paid the deposit.
The first issues started cropping up with the menu: we were told we could have a custom menu, but the first draft price well exceeded our budget and what we had said in the initial discussion. We started the discussion by choosing items directly off the a la carte menu we were provided. The menu returned to us had been completely changed, the price raised, and no explanation was sent with it, just a word doc. We sent back a revision with explanations as to why we wanted things changed. We were then referred to the ‘Food Stylist’ directly. She sent another revised menu which still did not meet our changes (which were based on allergies and intolerances - we would only have been able to eat half of the things on there) again with no explanation as to why, and a lower price but still not what we had been told was possible in the beginning. We emailed substituting some menu items within this revision with items from the first menu sent to us and sent it back. We heard no response for a month (granted it was over Christmas time so...). We got a third revised menu and things had been added and changed yet again seemingly randomly and moving farther away from what we wanted in the first place, again with no explanation for the changes. We decided to call as we assumed there was some miscommunication happening. During this call my fiancé and I were referred to by the Food Stylist as ‘the kids’ which I find completely unprofessional as we are most certainly not children and should not have been referred to with such condescension.
We had in the initial discussion mentioned we wanted to have pie instead of the traditional cake for our wedding and were told that it was fine, no problems at all. We had asked in an email for some vendors with a focus on pies and tarts and 2 suggestions with links were sent. When we came to actually planning this we were told that “Strathmere must provide and serve all food and beverages, except the wedding cake and cupcakes”. We emailed expressing our confusion at this, mentioning that we had been told in the initial visit it was fine and that we had been sent suggestions. This was met with Strathmere asking to resend the emails where they said this as they “cannot find it in the system”. Their reason for refusing to allow us to have pies was that they are “very messy and difficult for this type of service”.
We also found it hard to communicate with Strathmere as our questions were answered with vague and generalized answers that did not help very much in the planning of our wedding. Or the emails were not answered at all. We had to resend emails twice asking if they had somehow gotten lost because there was no response for weeks.
Covid became another issue entirely. We were allowed to postpone our wedding with no financial penalty or extras back in March when this all started, however the new date had to be before April 30th 2021 (we had been planning to get married in May). We could not just move it to the same date next year or anything nearer to our date. We did eventually get a May date but it was a struggle. As everyone knows Covid is still very prevalent and as our new wedding date drew nearer we wanted to know Strathmere’s policy concerning Covid. What they sent back was very vague and required a minimum payment of 45 adults no matter what the restrictions were. (So if 10 people were the max allowed at weddings we would still be paying for 45 people total). We received a second communication about Covid a few weeks later which indicated that we could remain with or date or postpone again, HOWEVER this postponement came with additional cost! If it was before December 15 2021 we were to pay an extra deposit of $500, OR we could postpone up to July 31 of 2022 but we would need to pay an extra $1000. This is on top of the large deposit we had already paid to Strathmere originally.
We ultimately decided to cancel our wedding as we did not feel Strathmere’s focus was on safety during Covid and their options for postponement did not feel reasonable to us. When we cancelled we were met with an email that reiterated we could pay the extra money to postpone, mentioned how hard done they were by Covid, and how our cancellation of our wedding meant a significant loss to Strathmere. Their focus was only on their financial loss; there was no mention of our wedding day being lost to us, or any regrets extended at our suffering.
Overall we have been displeased with the service offered from Strathmere. The headaches, stress, and anxiety caused by the lack of communication, the unwillingness to explain or compromise, and the general attitude towards us expressed by Strathmere have left us with nothing but resentment and more grief.
Sent on 11/03/2021
Natalie C.
· Married on 27/09/2020
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Thoughtful, accommodating venue!
I have nothing but kind words to say about Strathmere. They have been with us through the pandemic and have been supportive through our decision to postpone our wedding from May 2020 to September 2020. We held our wedding at the Garden House this month, and we felt extremely safe with all of their COVID-19 protocols put in place. Our wedding coordinator, Lisa, and all of the staff at Strathmere were nothing but helpful and genuine with us throughout the whole process. The venue was beautiful, the food was excellent and I could not recommend them enough.
If you are looking for a rustic venue with beautiful backdrops for your pictures, helpful staff and a wonderful experience overall, look no further!
Sent on 03/10/2020
Jessica E.
· Married on 12/10/2019
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Great Modern Rustic Setting
My wife and I had our wedding at Strathmere on October 12, 2019. The ceremony and the reception were held at The Lodge, which fit into our "modern rustic" theme.
The food was amazing, our wedding coordinator Crystal was fantastic and ever understanding. Laura, another member of the team at Strathmere offered to create our seating chart and the rest of our signage for a very reasonable price and they looked fantastic.
In short, Strathmere and its team made one of the most "stressful" days one can endure relaxed, enjoyable and beautiful. Their ability to accommodate is second to none, and the location was breathtaking in the fall.
We would both highly recommend this venue to any couple looking to get married.
Thank you again Strathmere!
Sent on 17/01/2020
Maureen F.
· Married on 02/06/2019
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Amazing!!!!
We held our wedding at Strathmere's old farmhouse, now called The Inn. I can't say enough good things about the food, the service, and the beautiful location. Strathmere's Coordinator, Mel Workman, was a Wonder Woman. Without apparent effort, she made everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, happen exactly as it should. She went out of our way when our wedding cupcakes arrived in a gooey mess of icing, having been jostled in the box en route to Strathmere. Mel ensured that the hard-working kitchen staff removed the icing from every cupcake and re-applied it, with appropriate garnishes. They looked beautiful. Perfect. Luckily I didn't hear about the near-fiasco until after the gorgeous tier of cupcakes was served after the plentiful and delicious buffet luncheon.
I highly recommend Strathmere for a wedding reception.
Sent on 04/06/2019
Paul
· Married on 07/10/2018
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
A perfect wedding
Having our wedding with Strathmere was an absolutely pleasure from beginning to end. The setting is rustic and picturesque, on a sprawling country property. We had our wedding in the Inn, a historic house that had just been nicely renovated. The service staff were extremely courteous and attentive. Food was locally sourced and very tasty. Great drink selection as well. Special thanks to our coordinator Mel who constantly went above and beyond to guide us through our evening and accommodate our every request! She stayed with us from beginning to end and made sure the whole thing went off without a hitch. It was nice to be in such good hands so that we could just enjoy the moment and make some great memories. Very highly recommended!
