Eye on the Esplanade: Wedding seasonat the Esplanade

By Medicine Hat News on August 11, 2017.

Each season has its own attributes and summer, at the Esplanade, is the time of year for weddings. The Terrace is the jewel of the venue — a warm-weather favourite, with a spectacular view. Many wedding ceremonies take advantage of this outdoor rooftop space.

Every wedding is different. From exquisite-traditional to way-out unique, we have seen an amazing array of celebrations. Some are fairy-tale beautiful and some are down-home fun. Decorators never fail to surprise with how they can transform an empty space into a completely different realm.

Some of my favourite décor styles make use of the special up-lighting available in the Studio Theatre to add a corresponding glow to the room.

For most weddings, the happy couple wants to look their absolute best but one of the most memorable weddings ever held at the Esplanade had a zombie theme. The bride and groom as well as the guests came dressed as cadavers in varying degrees of decomposition. They even had the most incredible rotting corpse cake.

I think guests may have had the most fun at one of the afternoon receptions. The wedding’s Hawaiian theme, complete with a tiki bar, meant everyone enjoyed the Terrace sun in cool summer attire. Every couple has their own taste and makes their wedding unique to their lifestyle so we never see the same type of celebration twice.

Eleven weddings took place at the Esplanade last year and there have been eight already this year. Summer is not the only time for weddings however. One very elegant ceremony happened on New Year’s Eve in the Gallery foyer with a reception in the main lobby.

Museum and art gallery lobbies are popular venues for events everywhere. Once, while visiting Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History, I had the opportunity to chat with a staff member about a special occasion they were preparing for. She told me that their lobby is a favourite with celebrities such as Oprah for all types of receptions. The marble pillars and open plan appeals to many. With its design similarities to the Field, the Esplanade’s main lobby is becoming a favourite as well. The views from the second floor lobby, overlooking First Street on one side and the art gallery on the other, make it a more intimate setting and just as popular.

Soon it will be fall and the weekends will hold fewer weddings allowing more time for public soirées and fundraising events. The weekdays will once again be busy with bookings for meetings and training days. When this season ends, I will miss the excitement of the summer brides checking off their to-do lists but I know the calendar is already filling up for the 2018 and 2019 wedding seasons at the Esplanade.