Reader's Garden Cafe

At Reader Rock Garden, a wedding begins on a winding stone path through flower beds and ends inside a historic house tucked behind the trees.

The garden is a historic park in Calgary, a short walk from busy Macleod Trail yet hidden from the traffic by trees and shrubs. At its centre stands the restored Reader house, now home to Reader's Garden Cafe.

The City of Calgary rents out several lawns for ceremonies from May through September. The Main Lawn, beside the house, holds up to 80 guests among seasonal blooms. The West Garden takes up to 60 on a gentle slope near a waterfall, and the Western Slope seats up to 80 on benches beside one of the oldest trees in Calgary. Nana's Garden, which Reader designed for his wife, suits up to 40, and a one hour micro wedding package is offered for 20 guests or fewer.

After the ceremony, the cafe hosts private functions from 3 pm onward and has its own wedding menu. Its kitchen cooks with the seasons and sources as locally as it can. Private high tea events are also possible for groups of 25 or more.

The cafe also offers a getting ready room furnished in a 1940s style, where the wedding party can arrive in casual clothes and change for the ceremony in comfort.

For couples who picture saying their vows among flowers, stone and old trees with a garden cafe reception steps away, Reader Rock Garden offers a wedding that feels like a quiet escape in the middle of the city.