Birken Lakeside Resort

Some places feel as though they have been waiting a long time for a celebration. Birken Lakeside Resort has welcomed guests to the shore of Gates Lake since 1906, and weddings here unfold among cedars, cabins and still water.

Located on Pemberton Portage Road in Birken, in the Coast Mountains north of Whistler, the resort hosts one wedding at a time. A wedding here is a full-property buyout, so the cabins, the Meeting Hall, the lake-view deck and the dock belong to the wedding party for the weekend.

Most ceremonies take place on the lake-view deck, where the resort describes 60 chairs and a wooden arch built by a local carpenter. Receptions move into the Meeting Hall, with long tables and family-style dining, and the resort lists an event capacity of 120 guests.

Seven historic cabins sleep 32 guests on site, from the original 1906 log cabin to the Chapel, the only cabin with a private washroom and often used as the bridal suite. The Bunk House, with its full kitchen and bar area, serves as a hub for the wedding party.

Wedding packages range from an intimate weekend for up to 40 guests to longer buyouts that include rehearsal dinner space, vendor liaison and, in the extended option, a welcome dinner at the Grille and a recovery brunch. Catering can be arranged through the resort or a chosen caterer.

Between the formal moments, there is the private dock for swimming, photos and first looks, and communal fire pits for the rehearsal night and the after-party. Free on-site parking accommodates the full guest list.

For couples who want their people in the cabins, their vows by the lake and a slow morning after with nowhere to rush off to, Birken Lakeside Resort offers a whole-property wedding weekend with more than a century of lakeside history behind it.