My husband and I were married at the Kortright in May 2019 and had a wonderful experience. We loved being able to use the entire grounds for pictures and also appreciated the venue's flexibility in case of rain - we planned to get married in the Cathedral of Trees but if there was poor weather we could tell the venue on the day of (by 10am) and use the Glass Hut to still get the outdoor vibe. I believe some other venues require 24 hour notice for changes like this so we were very glad to be able to call it on the same day - and were able to use the outdoor space!
Peter and Pauls did take over the venue while we were working with them but for us it was a great experience. Although we did switch representatives a few times while they sorted out the take over, we then ended up working with Stephanie who was truly AMAZING. She was extremely responsive, answered my 100 daily questions and was very flexible to allow us to customize our day. The company even honoured some of the details of our prior TCRA contract which was appreciated.
We were able to use some of the venue decor (lanterns, easels) which saved on some small costs. The venue also had a representative on site the day of the wedding to help out with coordination, timing etc. which was very helpful (I didn't realize this was provided so ended up hiring a day of coordinator which may not have been necessary).
We did have to pay for an open bar during dinner (just wine was served otherwise) but I believe that is common with many venues. Food was amazing, the guests were all very happy. We chose to upgrade our chairs for the reception (would be nice if these chairs were part of the main decor)...but if you choose to do so, the cost was relatively low compared to other external vendors. The venue now uses white folding chairs for outdoor ceremonies which is great. We were able to rent heaters, life sized board games and have a smores station (instead of a cake) - all for very reasonable prices.
Although the carpet could be updated, the decor of the venue was exactly what we were looking for. Wood, glass, greenery. A very nature/forest feel, even when indoors. The lights were an added cost to turn on but so worth it. Other venues we visited advised they would charge to have lights installed anyway.
Overall, we had a very hassle free, happy experience. Staff were very kind and accommodating. The ability to call for weather on the day reduced our stress level immensely as we wanted an outdoor ceremony. The venue is only private after 4pm (open to the public before hand) but this can easily be planned for (we did a 5pm ceremony and had no issues - even took pictures starting at 1pm in the grounds). And of course the gorgeous venue was why we chose the Kortright in the first place. So thank you to the wonderful staff! We truly had the best day ever.
