Merridale Weddings in Cobble Hill - Venue Spotlight

March 30, 2017

Wedding Venue Spotlight - A Rustic, Country Chic Romance

One of the things we love about being wedding photographers on Vancouver Island is the variety of venue options for our couples! When we were getting married, we visited so many locations trying to figure out which would be the best fit, what we loved about each place and more! One thing we know we'd of loved back then...a fabulous Venue Spotlight from some of the best places on Vancouver Island from a trusted resource!

With its country rustic chic, amazing staff and picturesque orchard - Merridale Cidery in Cobble Hill is at the top of our venue list! If you've envisioned a wedding day filled with simple, elegant country touches, beautiful scenery, Merridale is your perfect fit!

We chatted with Brittany, the wedding co-ordinator at Merridale, to see what you should know about Merridale weddings! We also added a few photos to really help you envision what your day at Merridale Ciderworks could look like!

Select Auto-HD and then change it to 1080 to see all the details of this amazing venue!

Interview With Brittany at Merridale

Q: The Julien's: Is there anything new & exciting Merridale is doing this year that we can let couples know about?

A: Brittany: We have a few new food offerings that we’re excited to try this year! We’ve added a “Little Red Wagon” picnic menu to our rehearsal options. This is perfect for smaller groups (like the wedding party) who are coming on-site a day or two before the wedding to walk the ceremony site. We’ve also added a charcuterie platter to our pondside appetizer selection, for cocktail hour. It will feature an assortment of house-cured meats, with cheeses and seasonal pickled vegetables, plus our own brick oven bread and condiments. Our late night snack menu has been expanded to include a popcorn bar with a selection of pre-seasoned popcorns, all made in-house. We’ll also be continuing with our ever-popular poutine bar! We’re also excited to expand our bakery offerings beyond just cakes and pies, and into cupcakes and squares as well!

The Julien's: I think we just drooled everywhere!! That sounds absolutely incredible!! We cannot wait to try the poutine bar...food is one of our favourite parts of wedding days!

Q: The Julien's: What do you think Brides and Grooms may be happily surprised about with their wedding at Merridale?

A: Brittany: I think many couples fall in love with our full-service wedding packages. (venue setup and cleanup, all food and beverages, optional decorations, cakes, accommodations, etc), which can make it very easy to plan a wedding. Another unique quality of Merridale weddings is the family-style food service for dinner. We serve the menu on large platters to each table, like Thanksgiving dinner! It’s very fun and social, and gives wedding guests a great experience.

The Julien's: We can definitely attest to the awesomeness of full service wedding packages! It certainly takes a load off for a couple and their families when a venue treats them like royalty! We still remember our wedding co-ordinator interrupting us on the dance floor and asking who was going to clean up the reception tent - mid dance party! Full-Service all the way! We are also deeply in love family Style Dining! Its such a fabulous way for guests to really get to know each other (if they don't already)! It also gives us a chance to get to know some of the fun party guests as well!

A happy family not worried about having to clean up!

Q: The Julien's: What might Brides and Grooms not know about Merridale?

A: Brittany: We’re also always looking to get the word out about our Winter Wedding Package. We host weddings year-round! In the winter, we can accommodate up to 80 guests on our heated back deck for the ceremony, followed by dinner and dancing in the farmhouse.

Juliens: We have won some international awards and contests for our off season weddings. We love rain, snow, fall colours and all the things you don't get in the summer! It really makes your wedding unique and we definitely want to help promote the OFF SEASON WEDDINGS here on Vancouver Island!

Q: The Juliens: What are some questions that you get asked a lot from couples?

A: Brittany: I’m sure most people would realize this, but we are a covered outdoor venue, and we go ahead rain or shine. Also, although we are very rural, we can recommend great options for local accommodations and transportation companies for shuttle service. It’s one of the most common questions we get on our wedding tours!

The Julien's: Being undercover for your ceremony on Vancouver Island is definitely one of our favourite things about Merridale! Couples spend a lot of time planning, and worrying about the weather can be a headache! The permanent rain plan is such a plus, and we know that rain or shine - all bridal parties & guests will be comfortable.

Julien Photography

Happy to have a covered ceremony in the rain! Or a shaded seat in the HOT sun!

Julien Photography

Q: The Juliens: What do we need to let couples know ASAP!

A: Brittany: I should point out that Saturdays in the summer book up quickly, but we offer weddings every day of the week, so we can always make something work. We do still have a few 2017 dates available, and Saturdays in 2018 are booking up quickly!

The Juliens: Ah yes - the eternal struggle! There are not enough Saturday's in the summer season, but NON SATURDAY weddings are amazing! We definitely love to encourage our couples to give a Sunday - Friday wedding a whirl!

Thank you so much for taking some time to answer a few questions Brittany!

Here are a few of our favourite things from Merridale...

Steve's Favourite - The Orchard:

Nothing adds to a photo like leading lines drawing you in! We absolutely love the magic of the orchard!

Courtney's Favourite - The View

From the barns & distillery to the forest & the elf village (which is secretly MY ULTIMATE FAVE THING at Merridale) - you get a lot of photo opportunities on site! I love the diversity of Merridale, you can find everything in their backyard - including a tiny elf general store!! country wedding

Photo Locations On Site!

The Old Country Truck

This uber fun, colourful backdrop on the property is yet another creative detail that adds to the rustic charm of the cidery! Whether you envision your whole bridal party in front of it - of just yourselves, it makes for a gorgeous prop!