South Okanagan wedding destinations picking up again, so brides and grooms urged to book now

Photo: Linden Gardens

"Four seasons of fun" is a collaboration between Castanet and Travel Penticton showcasing what Penticton has to offer all year round. Watch for it every Monday morning.

There’s no shortage of beautiful vistas and unique venues in and around Penticton to host a special celebration, and if a wedding or vow renewal is on your agenda – especially after two years of pandemic delays – explore your options before calendars are filled.

Some sought-after spots are close to full for 2022, while others are already taking reservations for 2023.

In the aptly named-village of Kaleden (loosely translated, it means ‘beautiful garden’), you’ll find Linden Gardens. Nine acres of gardens and greens create a perfect outdoor space for weddings, from ceremony to reception.

“We have a full schedule this year for weddings,” says Ken Hayter, co-owner of Linden Gardens with his wife, Margaret.

“We can provide the whole package, everything but the catering,” he adds. A full-service wedding planner, Dream Big Weddings and Events, looks after bookings and coordination.

And by the whole package, he means everything from on-site accessories and classic furniture for your photos, right down to the cutlery and dishes for your reception. Download a brochure for the details.

There are several areas within the Gardens to consider for your celebration, including some indoor spaces, and Ken has added a tidewater tent for outdoor weddings and parties; this is a “fancy” high peak sailcloth tent. Think weddings from Hallmark movies.

If a winery destination is your heart's desire, a number (but not all) wineries in the region offer wedding services. A few to check out: Poplar Grove or Bench 1775 on the Naramata Bench; Liquidity Winery in Okanagan Falls; and Oak Estate Winery in Summerland.

If you recall visiting the S.S. Sicamous Museum and Heritage Park on childhood family visits to Penticton, this might be a great venue to bring a few generations together on your special day.

Tammi Foster of I DO Weddings and Events takes care of wedding planning for this historic sternwheeler, and tells the tale a groom remembering visits with this grandfather as a kid. There is a photo of them in the ship’s railway display.

“It was an awesome moment,” she says, “The Sicamous is full of history and is a wonderful place for all of the generations in your family to get together and celebrate. There are many options inside and on the ground outside, and it’s such a stunning, iconic backdrop."

All of the details can be found online.

For intimate and creative nuptials, the stunning Similkameen Wild Re-Treat Winery and Resorthas a “laid back attitude, but with all of the touches you might like for a hands-on experience,” describes manager Tristan Boisvert.

“We are literally on a road to nowhere (a dead end), and the most common comment we get when someone arrives is, ‘I had no idea this was here!’”.

Similkameen Wild is 18 acres of meadow and riverfront, indoor and outdoor kitchen spaces, a winery and “wine shed” on site, and is atypical in that there are no set packages.

“Bring your creative ideas,” says Tristan. “We’re boho -hic, and there’s no one else quite like us.”

Consider the option of a micro-wedding in the Similkameen, and request a brochure.

Whatever the vision is for your big day, book your wedding experience soon as Okanagan dates begin to fill up again.

Learn more at www.visitpenticton.com and on social @visitpenticton