Nanaimo Museum

There is something wonderfully romantic about beginning a new chapter surrounded by stories that came long before your own.

At Nanaimo Museum, a wedding can unfold among the history and character of the city itself. Instead of walking into a traditional ballroom, guests arrive somewhere filled with exhibits, artifacts and pieces of Vancouver Island's past, giving the celebration a sense of place that could never quite be recreated with décor alone.

The museum's Gallery can welcome everything from a small gathering to a celebration of approximately 275 people, and both wedding ceremonies and receptions have been held here. Couples can dine and celebrate among the permanent and changing exhibits, allowing the museum itself to become part of the atmosphere of the evening.

For an intimate wedding, there is something especially lovely about it. Your favourite people gather close, conversations carry through the gallery and everywhere you look there is another little detail or story waiting to be discovered. The setting already has so much personality that the wedding does not need to compete for attention with an enormous ballroom.

Then imagine slipping away together for a few photographs while guests wander through the museum. For a little while, a place normally dedicated to remembering the stories of Nanaimo quietly becomes the backdrop to the beginning of yours.