Fairmont Chateau Whistler Wedding | Whistler Wedding Venues | Tara Lilly Photography
A Fairmont Chateau Whistler wedding is the height of luxury in Whistler. A Five-star hotel, with the amenities, service, food, and drinks that go along with it. If you want your guests to be pampered and enjoy one of the most luxurious Whistler wedding venues, the Fairmont Chateau Whistler is an excellent choice.
Just walking into the lobby while planning a Fairmont Chateau Whistler Wedding you can already feel the luxury. The lobby is large and has several comfortable seating areas, the Mallard Lounge, and the Wildflower restaurant – all of which are amazing spaces. When you get a little bit further into a tour, you get to see the amazing guest suites and the “Whistler” Penthouse with 25-foot floor to ceiling windows overlooking Blackcomb Mountain. Included on-site is also a collection of boutique shops, art galleries, and the Vida Spa – with complimentary yoga twice daily. The guest experience is truly unforgettable, but paired with the fact that the Fairmont Chateau Whistler is ski-in, ski-out, located directly at the base of the Blackcomb gondola in the Upper Village, you can’t choose a better option for hosting your guests.
The Fairmont Chateau Whistler also has a venue for any size of wedding. The Whistler penthouse suite, or a private dining room for up to 20 guests, the Chalet for intimate winter weddings, the Mountain View Lawn for a panoramic view, The Rooftop Chapel, the rooftop Woodlands Terrace or for truly large weddings, the MacDonald Ballroom. Each venue has it’s own unique style and charm and everything should be explored.
Catering – The on-site culinary team handles all of the food and beverage services and it is all very delicious. I particularly enjoy the lobster mac and cheese!
Wedding Planner – A professional wedding planner is required to host a Fairmont Chateau Whistler wedding. Whistler has a lot of great planners to choose from and the Fairmont provides a list of their preferred vendors. For a hotel with so many options and possibilities, a planner will also help you narrow down your choices and will have unique ideas for how to make the space work the best for you!
Ceremony and Reception Room Options
Mountain View Lawn – This is definitely our favourite option for a Fairmont Chateau Whistler wedding. While it is summer only, the Mountain View Lawn is located at the driving range for the golf course. It is the only outdoor setting in the village where you have 360° views of the mountains. The space is divided into three terraces which naturally lends itself to separate spaces for ceremony, cocktails, and dinner. While a tent would be required for covered dining, the Mountain View Lawn is also completely private. You don’t need to worry about any non-guests coming by to watch you say your vows, or any loud trucks driving by just before your first kiss. It starts as a blank slate and can be transformed into anything you could imagine!
The Chalet – The Chalet is only available during the winter months because it is used as the Clubhouse for the Fairmont Chateau Whistler Golf Course. The space is very cozy, large wooden beams, floor to ceiling windows, a giant fireplace, an outdoor patio that looks over the 18th hole, and seating for 90 guests. If you don’t want to move tables for a dance floor, limit your guests to 60 and enjoy the privacy of this secluded winter wonderland. This is our second favourite Fairmont wedding option because you can still have an outdoor ceremony on the patio (with heaters and blankets is necessary) and tuck back inside as necessary if the weather doesn’t cooperate. Use the reception area for cocktail hour and it’s a smooth transition from event to event.
Rooftop Chapel – A great place for a ceremony. The chapel is glass-walled and features views of the forest surrounding the Fairmont. An amazing option for an elopement or intimate ceremony, however it is located on the Woodlands Terrace so there is enough room to have up to 200 guests witness your vows.
Woodlands Terrace – Located on the roof of the hotel, the Woodlands Terrace is in the same space as the Rooftop Chapel. For summer weddings only, and covered with a marquis tent, it has both open-air and covered options. Up to 400 guests can be seated for dinner, although Whistler city bylaws require the party to move indoors by 10 pm.
The Grill Room – The Grill Room is the Fairmont Chateau Whistler’s fine dining steak and chop-house. This Four Diamond restaurant has a giant stone fireplace and cherry wood cabinets to compliment the classically rustic decor. When paired with their private dining room, this provides an intimate ceremony site for 60 guests or ceremony and dinner for up to 20 guests. As with all of the Fairmont venues, the food is top-notch!
The MacDonald Ballroom – For large weddings where you really need the expanse of a ballroom. The MacDonald Ballroom is a very large room with high ceilings for a sense of grandeur when you walk in through the arches of the doorways. Each section can handle 150-180 guests depending on layout, and you can combine them to host over 600 guests.
Whistler Penthouse Suite – The Whistler Suite at the Fairmont is really large and works for intimate family dinners. Make sure to ask about it for your small wedding or elopement!
The Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Center – While technically not a part of the Fairmont Chateau Whistler, it is less than a 5 minute walk away. The Fairmont and the SLCC have a partnership for catering purposes. Check out our full post on the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Center!
We have been lucky enough to capture a few weddings at the different Fairmont Chateau Whistler wedding venues. There are some images below. Also, we captured the weddings of two of the wedding coordinates working at the Fairmont. Check out our blog on Steph or Julie’s weddings!
Thanks to the vendors who made the weddings above possible!
Planner | Clare Fraser
Videographer | Calling Mountains – Valerie St-Arnaud
Reception Location | Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre
Florist |Flowers and Company
Dress | Justin Alexander
Suit | Moores Clothing
Music | Musos Entertainment
Hair | Myra Shanley – Whistler Hair House
Make-up | Emily Monk – The Knot Artistry
Erin Bishop | Filosophi
DJ | Man About Town Entertainment
Make-up | Nadia Albano