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Wedding Anyone been to Vancouver island?

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sctsbride09

Brilliant_Rock
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Hello ladies! Some of you may remember me from a couple of posts looking for venues on the beach in Ca and for help deciding on what to do with certain sticky situations i.e. family stuff. Well..after some discussion FH and I have decided to elope
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Im sooo excited, and more importantly, getting married this way feels right for us and were happy to not deal with any more wedding drama,YAY! Ok my question is, does anyone know anything about Vancouver Island particularly Tofino? We are in love with the pics from the Wickinninish Inn, they even offer an elopement package yay! We want to go somewhere that is different enough to us(we are from so cali) and gorgeous to make 4 nights feel like a honeymoon. (we willbe going on our actual honeymoon over christmas next year.) Is 4 nights to short to make this our destination? Could anyone who knows anything about the island or the trip there share some info? thanks as always for your knowledge
 
Never been to Vancouver Island, but have been to the San Juan Islands nearby. The only advice I have is to make sure you talk to them about how the weather has been. Weather patterns have been wacko this year in that region...so make sure you don''t expect sun and blue skies if it is likely to be raining the whole time you are there.

That said, Tofino is supposed to be BEAUTIFUL and I can think of a lot of worse things than being tucked away in a cozy honeymoon suite with the rain falling outside.
 
I''ve been to Nanaimo, on the northeast side of the island, we drove up there from Victoria. It''s very northwest, meaning gray skies, green everything else.
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We went during August, and did some clamdigging and whale watching, but it was still cold. Weather up here is never predictable.
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During Christmas it will likely be cold and rainy and windy. A good time to cozy up in a cabin with a wood stove for a honeymoon though!
 
I have been there, it was many years ago ( I was like 12) it was beautiful. I loved it and want to go back. My wedding is in May though, so I am aiming at heading south...not north! I was only there 3 days, but I think it was worth it. It is beautiful and relaxing. I say go for it!
 
I''ve never been to that particular town, but I''ve been to Vancouver and Victoria and they were two of my favorite places I''ve ever been. Great choice for an elopement!! Vancouver is wonderful for nightlight and food and it''s super close to mountains and beaches as well; it really is a wonderful city. Victoria is great too, it has a very British feel (you can have high tea in a wonderful old hotel) and it has a garden that is absolutely amazing.

I agree with others that the weather can be iffy, especially if you''re used to SoCal weather, but most of the times I''ve been there in the summer the weather has been fine. A little rainy at times, but only drizzle, not downpours that really prevent you from doing what you want to do.

I''m sure it will be beautiful!
 
DH and I went Vancouver Island for part of our honeymoon - we live in Calgary. It was absolutely gorgeous, but we were there in August (the nice season) and got one day of rain out of the 4 we were there. We went to Victoria and then drove up the western coast and camped for 2 nights. It was the most amazing scenery I''ve ever seen. We were camping in the middle of the forest, yet 100 yards from the ocean. I really wanted to go to Tofino from Victoria but the roads on the island are a little wonky and we would have had to drive an extra 6 hour or something instead of driving an hour to where we went. But I definitely want to go back and go to Tofino. I just don''t know if I would recommend going this time of year. It''s starting to get pretty chilly up here in Canada...and it''s super rainy over there...

However, our dollar is going in the crapper against the US dollar so it might be a great time for you to go!! Are you flying in? I would check which airport you would fly into, I think there is a Victoria airport but if you fly into Vancouver you need to factor in the time and cost to get over to the island, and then I think you''ll need a car to get from the ferry to Tofino...not sure if there is a ferry that goes around the island straight to Tofino or if there is a tour bus maybe?
 
Ok so heres the info Ive got so far; we could fly out of Lax early am arrive in Victoria around noon and we would have to rent a car to drive to Tofino. On the websites/hotel sites Ive checked, they say the drive to Tofino should be about 5 hours, is this accurate? From the looks of the pictures of surrounding areas and all your descriptions of winter loveliness
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(is that a word haha) I REALLY want to go there. We are looking for something completely different than what we have here, heat is great and all but we have enough of it year round and our actual honeymoon I think will be in hawaii, so Im thinking Vancouver Island would be lovely for a "weddingmoon"
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thanks for all the responses and info ladies!!
 
Tofino is at least a 3+ hour (and sort of tiring because it''s a windy road) drive from Victoria or you can fly in by small plane. As to weather, Tofino is on the wetter, rain forest side of the island so be prepared for rain and wind even in July or August. Then again, it can be beautiful weather too if you''re lucky. So be prepared and pack accordingly. I would not plan on getting married outside unless you''re eloping in the summer and you have a good Plan B if it rains or is windy. If beautiful, sunny weather is important to you on your wedding day, you might want to look elsewhere.

Vancouver Island itself is only accessible by ferry or air. BC provincial ferries can be taken from just across the border at Tsawwassen or Vancouver at Horseshoe Bay. There''s also a private ferry from Port Angeles, Washington. We always go from Tsawwassen and it''s a little over an hour and a half on the ferry ride itself, but you also have to get there early, plus it takes time to load and unload, and if it''s summer or a Canadian holiday, you may have to be there an hour or two ahead (or have a reservation on the ferry). The other possibility is to fly from Southern Cal to Vancouver, then fly to Victoria, then fly to Tofino. That would probably be very pricey with three plane rides in there. You could do Tofino from Southern California in a day by flying to Vancouver, renting a car, taking the ferry, and then driving to Tofino but it would be a looooong day.
 
Sctsbride, I also love BC and think that it would be a fabulous place to elope. Any reason to fly into Victoria? Last time we went to the San Juan Islands in WA, we flew into Bellingham, WA. It was only about an hour''s drive from there, and, since it is a low traffic airport rates were crazy cheap. That doesn''t include the ferry, though--not sure if your 5 hour estimate does.

I haven''t been to Tofino, but Vancouver itself is lovely. I imagine that going across the sound and into the Pacific would only be more lovely.
 
Hmmm...seems like for only having 4 nights(MAX) for our "weddingmoon" Tofino might not be the place to elope then, if not for all the driving(cant afford to fly into Tofino looked it up and its around 150 for 1 way yikes
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) maybe I should switch our weddingmoon to somewhere else and do Tofino for our honeymoon instead? it just looks so amazing and different than what we are used to..
 
We eloped to Tofino! It is a wonderful, beautiful place to elope to. I can''t say enough about it. I have several comments and tips.

4 nights is enough. It is only about 3.5 hour drive from Victoria. I WOULD fly to Victoria though, don''t mess with the ferry, it takes a lot of time to coordinate.

Also consider the Long Beach Lodge, they also have an elopement package - that is where we chose. We went back and forth between it at the Wick when planning, but were really happy with out decision - the meal included at the LBL was to die for. here is a link to their package:
http://www.longbeachlodgeresort.com/site/specials_-_packages/a_west_coast_wedding.html

The LBL package doesn''t include photos, which the wick did, but it includes the meal. The hotel wedding planner took some great photos of us for no extra charge with our camera. (You could also arrange your own photographer).

The other nice thing about the LBL is that they have a "great room" which you can hang out in, watch the ocean and have drinks etc. If it is cold out, it is the ideal spot to sit. It is also their venue for the weddings in case of rain.

Also getting a wedding license can be a touch tricky. The hours of the place in Tofino are limited. We stayed in Victoria for a night upon arrival and got our license there. Our schedule was like this:
- arrive Victoria, spend the afternoon site seeing and getting the license. Night in Victoria.
- first thing in the morning, drive to Tofino. Upon arrival met with the hotel wedding planner and officiant. Walks on the beach etc. Night in Tofino.
- Wedding Day - I think we chose 2:00 or something as our time, and spent time before and after on the beach and in the lodge - night in Tofino
- Honeymoon day - explored the national park - night in Tofino
- drive back to Victoria and fly home.

I don''t have time for more details right now, but ask any questions you want and I''ll do my best to answer.
 
I live in Vancouver so it's just a short ferry ride to the Island. I've been to Victoria, Nanaimo and Courtenay on the Island but haven't made it to Tofino yet. But everyone I know who's gone there loves it; it apparently has great beaches.

However the weather is more extreme the higher North you go on the Island. For that reason, as well as for amenities and variety of things to do, I would suggest that Victoria is a good option. It's a very cute little city with plenty of charm. There are lots of things to do and plenty of romantic B&Bs and hotels where you could stay. If you stay near enough to the inner harbour you can go for high tea at the Empress Hotel, go for a carriage ride and then a nice stroll along the water, just as an example. Plus the weather tends to be more temperate and less windy than Tofino.

Either way I don't think you can go wrong eloping to the Island. And if you decide to take the ferry, I'd suggest making reservations beforehand to make sure they have room for your car on your preferred sailing. It saves a lot of headaches!

You'll have fun with either location
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When exactly are you planning on going? Before Christmas? If so, I wouldn''t worry about the weather. I would much rather be in Tofino in the cold than Victoria. Tofino is (obviously) not like California. The beaches are quite different. All along the coast is a rainforest. Walks along the beach there are just as spectacular in the winter as in the summer. The ONLY possible issue you could encounter is snow on the drive between Victoria and Tofino. You have to cross the island, and go quite high. We have encountered snow there in the past. Not a huge deal though, the roads were still very passable.
 
Saltymuffin- thanks so much for responding, thats so awesome that you eloped there I looked at the package through the LBL also, gorgeous pics there too. the only reason I hesitated on that one was because of pictures, as it will be just the 2 of us I want to make sure I get alot of them. Although I suppose I could hire a photog to take pics, or would they even bother for an hour of work? How are the accommadations if you dont mind oh yes and the food
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Im pretty sure we intend on only leaving our room a few times, so room service would be good too. geez I dont ask alot do I haha. any info you have on the hotel would be awesome! thanks a lot!

halo-thank you for the heads up on ferry reservations, if we decide to go that route,( which we are heavily considering) I would be really sad if we got there and didnt make it on
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See, this is why I come on here and ask, because I would NEVER think of important stuff like that
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When we compared the LBL package to the Wick package we were really torn about the photo thing. I found out the name of the photographer who does the wick package. She is local and still does film. I contacted her and she was happy to offer us her elopement package if we chose LBL (about $450). I had her booked and eveything but decided in the end that I didn''t want to have to pay her for every print. Her package (same as that included in the Wick package) only includes proofs and one roll of film. I really wanted to be able to send out 100+ announcements with a great photo. When the coordinator at the LBL said she''d take some photos with our camera I went for that option. She took photos during the ceremony and then for about 30mins afterwards on the beach. I think she took about 80 shots! I then took the chip to a good photo lab and had them print me copies of the best ones. It was a really economical option. I think even with the Wick included photos, you''d end up paying her quite a bit for actual prints. I can dig around for the name of the local photographer if you want.

The hotels. The wick is the most famous place in the area. It is known for its spa especially. (You don''t have to be a guest to go there). One drawback with them is that their packages vary depending on your room type. Many of their rooms do not have direct ocean views. The room included at the LBL has their best ocean front rooms. I personally prefer the beach that the LBL is on, it is spectacular and relatively quiet. If you are mostly planning on staying "in" I think you would love the LBL, the included room is big and beautiful with a fireplace and big soaker tub and balcony. The "great room" is also wonderful, as is their restaurant. We didn''t order room service, as the dining room and great room are such pleasant places to sit, but the food would be great wherever you eat it!

And I can''t over emphasise the license issue! The tofino license office is closed evenings and weekends. I highly recommend picking up a licence in Victoria before heading up! You have to have a BC license to get married there.

Also, if you are considering the ferry, I really do suggest spending the first night in Victoria like we did. You don''t want to be in a panic driving to Tofino if the ferry is late.
 
Thank you Thank you Thank you! Can you tell I appreciate it?
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The room situation was pretty much the only issue between the wick and LBL (besides photos). I did notice on the wicks site that the package would vary w/room choice, so its good to hear that they include the nice one right off the bat at LBL, saving money for food and spa treatments yay! And if the coordinator would be willing to take photos for us Id be willing to cheap out on the photographer too, we just want key shots anyhow and we arent the kind of people who like having a camera in our faces either. I think we are going to end up staying in Victoria for a night (or 2) so we can get our license before and look around before we lock ourselves in our room in Tofino. (at least we can tell people we saw things while there
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) Thanks so much for all the info its very nice to hear about someones personal experience.Now the planning..
 
Congrats, sctsbride! It sounds like it is going to be beautiful. I can''t wait to see the pictures.
 
Katamari-Thanks! guess I need to learn to post pics huh
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If you need any info, I live in Victoria and I would be happy to help you! Unfortunately I have not been to Tofino, but I have heard of the Wickinninish Inn and only really wonderful things!!! It won''t be very hot (think Seattle weather) but in the winter you can do storm watching there - very cool! I am going to do that this year.

Look at the Sooke Harbour House - they do weddings there. It is stunning, world renoun, and only 45min from Victoria. It is right on the ocean and so beautiful. http://www.sookeharbourhouse.com/
 
Dreaming- Oh boy I thought I had decided on LBL but then I see the pics from Sooke HH that place is gorgeous! It looks pretty secluded too, correct me if Im wrong..Man you guys have it made over there on Vancouver Island, every picture Isee makes me want to go there more than the last..Id love some info on Victoria if you get a chance, because no matter where we elope to we''ll have to go there first for a couple days, it would be great to have advice from a local.Thanks!!
 
Well why don''t you start off by telling me some of the things that you would like to do while you are in Victoria? Whale Whatching, Hiking, Shopping, etc... Than I can tell you where to stay, and who to book with. If you are not quite sure I can put together a list of things to do.

Sooke Harbour House is gorgeous (a lot of famous people have gone there to ''get away''). Sooke is a pretty small town (8,000-10,000 people), but they have all the ammenities you would require. I really think it would be a great choice as you are close to the city (45min) but fully immersed into nature. There are an abundance of beaches, and if you want to go for a drive you can check Botanical Beach in Port Renfrew (gorgeous drive and a really neat beach).

What time of the year are you thinking of coming???
 
Well, Im kind of planning this on short notice But I was hoping to be there in june. (Im waiting on my dress which wil be in the store in march) I have seen on the tourism website and such that summer is the peak season? So if I am too late to book for summer I was thinking September? I understand the weather will probably be overcast and chilly but we really enjoy that actually. Had thought about going later in Dec. perhaps but driving in snow scares me
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Anyhow Im dragging on.. Id love to know where a good area for night life is music and food(we love all food not picky
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) and we love nature, so if there is anything on the Island that you think is a must see please let me know..Thanks again sooo much
 
My DH and I went to Tofino for our 9th anniversary. The drive is arduous, much of the road is narrow and you're taking corners practically hagning off of a cliff, with semi's coming down the road right toward you! Kind of scary. The town itself is very focused on surfing and everyone was very mellow and layed back there. We went in June and just before the true season started, which allowed us to have a beach front room w/a kitchenette for a great rate. We enjoyed eating out, beach combing. and we had a fun kayaking tour, but that was SPRING time. I don't think I'd test out those roads during the holiday season!

Someone mentioned the San Juans and DH and I visited those for our 10th anniversary and I thought Tofino was much better.

I lived all of my teen years on Whidbey Island up in the Northwest part of Washington and from my island experience, you want a balance of beauty, fun, privacy, and accessibility, and I thought that Tofino had only three the drive was just too exhausting. The San Juans were boring (lol!), but, South Whidbey (Langley) and the middle part (Coupeville) have great romatic B&Bs and aren't too far of a drive out into the wilderness. (The north end of whidbey is military, though, so stay clear of there!
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