YMCA Elphinstone Event & Retreat Centre

A wedding at YMCA Elphinstone gathers everyone on 144 acres of oceanfront and temperate rainforest on the shores of Howe Sound, where the day can end around a shoreline campfire.

The centre sits in Gibsons on the Sunshine Coast, about 2 kilometres from the Langdale ferry terminal and a 40-minute ferry ride from West Vancouver, close to the city yet feeling far away.

Couples can hold both the ceremony and reception here, with exclusive use of the facilities for the length of the event. Five halls hold from 50 to 300 people, and two large outdoor seating areas welcome up to 300 guests.

On-site catering covers everything from camp favourites to gourmet banquet meals. The team works closely with each couple to shape a celebration that reflects them.

Guests can stay the whole weekend, with room for up to 450 people in five lodges with indoor fireplaces and heated bathroom floors, plus 26 classic camp cabins. The rental season runs from September to June.

Between celebrations, guests can kayak, canoe, paddleboard, swim, hike forest trails, try archery or the ropes course, and gather for evening games.

For couples who picture vows by the ocean and a weekend of forest, water and firelight with the people they love, YMCA Elphinstone offers a wedding that feels like a true Sunshine Coast getaway.