My absolute favorite exclusive downtown venue for the luxury bride.
When I think of this place it reminds me of mid week European wedding where the reception is more of a long meal with non-intrusive live music. Drinking and eating and drinking some more. As soon as you step into Restaurant 18 you can rest assured you will be wined and dined with hospitality and care like no other. The ambiance alone leaves little to decorate leaving only small design details for consideration.
This was the perfect spot for V+S's wedding. When I originally met with this couple, we chatted about unique industrial wedding spaces in Ottawa while still keeping an organic look and feel. We explored Zibbi, Museum of Nature, Aquatopia, Le Belvedere and Restaurant 18.
Zibbi's was a logistical nightmare (although certainly do-able) but rentals alone would eat half or more of our budget, Museum of Nature isn't the best for photography, Aquatopia was too small and too hot, Le Belvedere was a bit far for her elderly guests which left us with 18.
The next challenge was keeping the organic look with 18's glitzy mirrored ceilings, gold tree trunk tables and their "Beetlejuice" chairs I love soooo much! And with Erin from the former Full Bloom - this was easily achievable.
Using garden flowers and a transparent Eiffel stands we pulled the gold through the glass table from the ground up. Arrangements were designed to look loose and natural with a whispyness- almost like you could see a breeze.
Dark maroon foliage was a stunning element carried throughout the design and decor ending with a sprig of greenery or bloom on each place setting.
Tucked away in the wine cellar corner was a long estate table for the bridal party, with those classic "Beetlejuice" chairs I love so much! Hedges of garden roses with black floating candles filled the gap between taller florals. This was a stunner for sure. We kept the design simple and to the point. Like I always tell me clients:
"Choose vendors that inspire you, then let them handle the rest."
Because in reality, a true professional will likely know what you want, before you even really know.
