The Pipe Shop

The Pipe Shop does not ask a couple to step into somebody else's idea of a wedding. Its restored 1940s shipyard building is intentionally a blank canvas, giving each celebration the freedom to become something completely personal. In the heart of North Vancouver's Shipyards District, the 7,900-square-foot space carries its industrial history through original wooden structure and an open layout, softened by festoon lighting and the soft natural light that fills the room.

The venue is used for weddings and can hold up to 360 people, with roughly 250 to 300 seated comfortably. Tables, chairs, decor and other rentals are brought in, which means the room can shift dramatically from one wedding to another. Approved catering is arranged through the venue's list, and professional wedding or event planning is required, giving the creative freedom of a raw space some experienced structure behind the scenes.

For the right couple, that freedom is the romance. The morning can begin with an almost empty heritage building and, hour by hour, become their wedding: tables appearing beneath the high ceiling, flowers changing the room, candles beginning to glow and finally everyone they love filling a place that looked entirely different only hours before. By the first dance, the old Pipe Shop belongs completely to the story being told inside it.