37 Ways to Host the Ultimate Canadian Wedding

Want to give a nod to your home, the true north strong and free on your big day? We’ve got lots of ways to host a truly Canadian wedding. You probably won’t be able to swing a guest appearance by Trudeau or Bieber, but you can add a few more manageable national treasures and Canadian wedding traditions to your celebration. Canada is equipped with everything from jaw-dropping venues to drool-worthy national dishes, so go ahead and incorporate a handful (or more) into your big day.

Here are a few ways to host the ultimate Canadian wedding.

Celebrate Canada's Natural Beauty

• Say your I do’s on the top of a mountain
• ...or at one of these unique Canadian wedding venues
• Host an outdoor wedding at a cottage, in the forest or in a garden
• Do a bit of camping (or glamping) and canoeing for your bachelorette bash or bachelor party
• Elope at one of these stunning Canadian wedding locations

Support Indigenous Communities

• Choose an Indigenous-owned wedding venue for nuptials grounded in an environment with deep spirituality and strong ties to the land
• Respect and celebrate Indigenous communities with a land acknowledgement in your ceremony and reception proceedings
• In lieu of wedding favours, make a donation to the Indigenous Peoples Solidarity Fund
• Book authentic Indigenous tourism experiences on your honeymoon in Canada

Serve Canadian Food and Drink

• Add a bit of Canadian flavour to your wedding menu with a few traditional dishes
• Amp up your dessert table with some of our nation's favourite sweet treats
• Create a donut tower with your favourite flavours from Tim Hortons or your local baker
• Fill your out-of-town guests’ welcome bags with goodies like maple syrup and Canadian wine
• Make your boozy beverage menu ultra-Canadian with a Whiskey Maple signature cocktail and locally-made craft brews

Feature Canadian Artists

• Stack your wedding playlist with upbeat hits by Canucks like Bieber, Shawn Mendes, The Weeknd and Drake
• Choose a first dance song by a Canadian crooner (Diana Krall, Céline Dion and Michael Bublé have tons)
• Sneak some lines from Canadian-written poems into your wedding vows and readings
• Add some original Indigenous artwork from the Indigenous Arts Collective of Canada to your wedding gift registry

Wear Canadian Fashion

• Forget about “something blue” – wear a bit of crimson and white on your big day
• Dress your groomsmen in Canadian tuxedos (AKA denim on denim)
• Ditch the typical wedding dress code and ask your guests to sport every Canadian’s favourite outfit combo: plaid and denim
• Say yes to a gown from a Canadian wedding dress designer
• Give your engagement ring some extra sparkle with a Canadian diamond

Embrace a Canadian Theme

• Go with a red and white colour scheme
• Help fund your wedding with a Stag and Doe
• Create cute Canadian-themed wedding table names (maybe cities and towns, provincial flowers or birds?)
• Display your seating chart on a map of our fair nation

• Add some maple leaves to your floral arrangements
• Swap out your regular ‘ol guest book and use Canadian postcards instead
• Give your arch or arbor that extra oomph with wildflowers and birch logs
• Make your wedding stationery a touch more patriotic with some maple leaves

• Top a multi-tiered wedding cake with Canadian-inspired decorations like this hockey-themed topper
• Wear sweats from Roots while you get dolled up for your Canadian wedding ceremony
• Stock up on ultra Canadian wedding favours from your local farmer’s market

Canadian-Themed Wedding Photos

• Add touques and maple leaves to your box of photobooth props
• Take a few wedding snaps in front of a national landmark like Vancouver's Totem Poles in Stanley Park, Ottawa’s Parliament Buildings or Toronto’s CN Tower
• Seek out a natural setting for your wedding or engagement photos

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